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CARVING
IT UP: FLTLT Richard Deihl in action.
Photos
by LAC Steve Duncan
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STACKS
OF FUN: Proving that it’s not all hard work on the
slopes, competitors take time out to dress up and have
some good old-fashioned fun in the snow.
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By
FLTLT Paul Heslewood
SQNLDR Justin Mangan led the way by proudly flying the RAAF
Base Williams flag when 63 personnel contested the RAAF Alpine
Sports Association Championships at Mt Hotham ski fields in
Victoria from July 30-August 6.
SQNLDR Mangan won the alpine ski and downhill veterans’
titles, as Williams also won the advanced skiing teams title
comfortably from Canberra, Edinburgh, East Sale and Richmond.
“SQNLDR Mangan won by a large margin again in the skiing
this year,” RASA public relations manager, FLTLT Paul Box
said.
“His knowledge and easy-going personality will be sorely
missed by the team, should this be his last year.”
In other team results Williamtown triumphed in the advanced
snowboard from Edinburgh, Richmond and Canberra, and it also
took the intermediate ski teams event from Edinburgh, Canberra
and East Sale.
The intermediate snowboard event was won by East Sale from Edinburgh,
Canberra, Richmond 1, Richmond 2 and Williamtown.
The snow season may have arrived late and delivered lower falls
than usual in the Australian ski fields but the Air Force team
definitely had the “pick of the weeks” at Mt Hotham.
A large fall of fresh white powder coincided with their arrival
and the black runs finally opened. There were regular falls
during the week. There were only two days of windy and low-visibility
weather, with bright blue skies and excellent conditions for
the rest of the titles.
This year’s competition was hotly contested in all areas
and there were some fine performances along with some major
spills.
After the strong dominance of snowboarders in recent years,
skiers represented the majority in 2006.
Individual awards went to: male snowboard champion, SQNLDR Stu
MacRae; snowboard dual slalom/SBX champion, CPL Michael Van
Der List; female ski champion, SQNLDR Liz Scott; female snowboard
champion, not contested; male ski intermediate champion, FLGOFF
Matthew Rapson; female ski intermediate champion, MAJ Sharon
Orr; male snowboard intermediate champion, FLTLT Nicholas Jack;
female snowboard intermediate champion; CPL Amanda Vince; most
improved individual, FSGT Kev Latty; and most improved snowboard,
FSGT James Frost.
Runners-up: advanced ski, FLTLT Adrian Tarmo, FLTLT Ewan Reid;
advanced snowboard, CPL Tim Seager, FLTLT Doug Mathie; intermediate
competitors, FLTLT Nicholas Jack and FLGOFF Christopher Cullen
were third and fourth in points as visitors to advanced; intermediate
ski, FLTLT Paul Heslewood and FLGOFF Paul Dicker; intermediate
snowboard, FLGOFF Christopher Cullen and SGT James Frost.
Organisers remind prospective competitors for next year that
ski/board team entry is open to beginners.
Training
pays off for newest boarder
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WHITE
HOT: CPL Amanda Vince shows her snowboarding style on
the slopes.
Photo by LT Cameron Jamieson
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THEY
may have called remote Western Australia home for the past three
weeks, but 1SQN members were in the thick of Pitch Black action.
Operating F-111C strike and RF-111C reconnaissance aircraft
from forward bare base RAAF Base Curtin, the squadron demonstrated
the F-111’s long range and endurance.
Exercise Pitch Black also saw the squadron integrate AGM-142
tactics into large air strike packages for the first time.
According to CO 1SQN WGCDR Geoff Harland, Pitch Black has given
the squadron confidence in its ability to provide strike power
to the ADF.
“We have had the chance to test ourselves in a challenging
environment — to deploy and operate at a high rate of effort
from one of Australia’s bare bases,” he said.
“The main challenge has been keeping connected with air
forces on our side when coordinating the daily packages. As
you can imagine, being so far away means that we need to be
quite inventive in the way we keep in touch and plan missions.”
WGCDR Harland said 386ECSS personnel had been outstanding in
their efforts to make Curtin as workable and comfortable as
possible.
