Western front

Volume 48, No. 23, December 14, 2006

By Andrew Stackpool

SKY HIGH: A 38SQN Caribou from RAAF Base Amberley flies low along the Great Australian Bight on its way to participate in the Western Display Tour.

SPECIAL TREAT: FLGOFF Cory Fischer with local mum Trish and sons Kent and Clint Doyle at the Starlight Foundation and Red Bull Air Show function held at the Jandakot airport, south of Perth. Photos by CPL Michael Davis

LOOK AT ME: 38SQN aircraft technician LAC Nicholas Young shows six-year-old Kelsi Williams the Caribou cockpit at Geraldton airport, north of Perth.

TWO 38SQN Caribous and 17 personnel from RAAF Base Townsville recently completed a successful tour to the aircraft’s old stamping ground when they deployed to Western Australia for their ‘Western Display Tour’.

The aircraft visited or overflew Albany, Bunbury, Ceduna, Esperance, Geraldton, Jandakot, Northam and Perth. They conducted aircraft handling displays at the Albany agricultural show, Northam international festival and Red Bull international air rally. Crew members visited the Newton and Phoenix primary schools, while children from the Starlight Foundation visited the aircraft at Jandakot.

XO SQNLDR Tim Shaw said the aircraft performed their standard handling displays, demonstrating their slow-speed performance and tight turning radius.

“At Perth we also flew a radial engine fly-past with two Harvard and four Nanchang aircraft and dropped the Red Berets at South Perth as part of the pre-Red Bull race display,” SQNLDR Shaw said.

“The crowds thoroughly enjoyed these displays and the organisers appreciated our involvement, as well as the opportunity to look through the aircraft.

“The Starlight kids watched the handling display at Jandakot and then got to look over the aircraft. They obviously enjoyed their opportunity to look over a large military aircraft.”

The aircraft were open for public inspection at Bunbury, Jandakot and some rural airports, with about 300 people visiting the aircraft at Jandakot. SQNLDR Shaw said the visitors showed a genuine interest in the aircraft, its capabilities and the Air Force in general, with many young adults expressing a keen interest in knowing more about the ADF.

In addition, the crews attended a Remembrance Day commemoration in Albany, provided a local flight for 30 Air Force Cadets and assisted at the Defence Force Recruiting stand at the Albany showground.

Pilot FLTLT Simon Pietsch said that the squadron’s role was to provide tactical support and that they had been looking forward to the tour.

“To participate in events such as the Northam international festival was a wonderful opportunity for us,” he said.

“It’s not often that we get to interact with the public in these kinds of settings [including the school visits] and it was a great experience.”

Fellow pilot FLGOFF Ray Hurley said, “This was one of the most enjoyable tasks I have had the chance to be involved in during my time flying Caribous. The flying was excellent, as was the interaction with the public – something that we don’t normally get a chance to do.”

Caribous were based at RAAF Base Pearce until 1999. Since then, they frequently conduct deployments to the West for aircrew training and support to military units based in WA.

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