16 August 2024
In his first 100 days as Chief of Air Force (CAF), Air Marshal Stephen Chappell set out to visit as many RAAF aviators as possible.
RAAF Bases Pearce, Learmonth and the Top End were the starting point of the Chief’s journey around Australia, with aviators as well as international partners engaged during Exercise Pitch Black 24.
Joined by Warrant Officer of the Air Force Ralph Clifton, CAF visited Air Force’s newest members at RAAF Base Richmond and then to Nowra to visit aviators based at HMAS Albatross.
For his first engagement in NSW, Air Marshal Chappell was the Reviewing Officer for the graduating class of 1 Recruit Training Unit Recruit Course 12/24.
The unit returned to its ancestral home in the Hawkesbury to celebrate the 70th anniversary of its establishment, with RAAF Base Richmond playing host to the graduation parade.
Surrounded by the friends and family of Air Force’s newest aviators, Air Marshal Chappell expressed the importance of the new graduates' place in the Air Force.
“Always remember that you are an integral part of a team, and other Australian aviators, as well as Australian sailors and soldiers – and our allies and international partners – are relying on you to do your job and to do it well, regardless of the challenges you face,” Air Marshal Chappell said.
“It is on this simple premise our Air Force has forged its incredible reputation over the last 100-odd years, and I have full confidence, as our newest aviators, you will strengthen Air Force’s reputation in the years ahead.”
'I am here to lead – I am also here to serve you as you generate and deliver air power. And I will endeavour to do that to the best of my ability.'
Air Marshal Chappell also used the visit as an opportunity to discuss his path forward for RAAF with members of Air Mobility Group, Combat Support Group, and Surveillance and Response Group.
“Over the next four years, I am not only focused on the immediate and medium term. I owe it to future generations to begin considering what air power might look like in the 2040s and beyond. Just as we have inherited a highly capable Air Force due to the good work begun in the late 1990s and early 2000s, we must keep the faith with our future aviators by beginning that work now,” Air Marshal Chappell said.
“I am here to lead – I am also here to serve you as you generate and deliver air power. And I will endeavour to do that to the best of my ability.”
After the trip to Richmond, CAF visited HMAS Albatross to meet with aviators working at the Australian Joint Acoustic Analysis Centre (AJAAC) and those posted to 453 Squadron’s Nowra Flight.
The 453 Squadron aviators provide air base air traffic services to Albatross, while those at AJAAC are responsible for the translation and analysis of intelligence gathered from Air Force’s surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, working closely with personnel from the Royal Australian Navy.
Additionally, in his role as the Defence Aviation Authority, Air Marshal Chappell took the opportunity to meet with RAN Commander Fleet Air Arm, Commodore Matthew Royals.
“I very much enjoyed talking with the aviators and sailors at HMAS Albatross. Their professionalism and team work were evident, as was the joint esprit de corps. It was also an excellent opportunity to meet with Commodore Matthew Royals and enjoy discussing shared military aviation experiences as well as discuss matters of interest to us in our respective airworthiness roles,” Air Marshal Chappell said.
