Sad Day for Australian Military Aviation Buffs

[Aussie Hawk]

Yesterday the Australian AirForce retired the F111 Fighter Bomber from active service, to be replaced with the Super Hornet. The F111's gave 37 years service after being purchased from the USAF.

The F111's were based at Amberly AirForce base just west of my home city and had been taken to heart by all for their participation each year in 'River Fire', a fireworks spectacular over the Brisbane River in early September. The culmination of the event was two F111's flying low level down the river between the office towers doing a 'dump and burn'. I live 4 miles from the city centre and it rattled every window in the house, and lite up the sky bright orange.

More details on this link; http://australianaviation.com.au/201...-into-history/

Photos of the dump & burn here; http://www.google.com.au/images?hl=e...og&sa=N&tab=wi

[j.byrd]

Aussie Hawk, the F-111 is one of my favorites too, I worked at General Dynamics in Ft. Worth, Texas from 1968 to 1970 where they were built, and those things were just amazing. I was (still am part-time) an inspector, mainly on the trunnions and carry-thru units that let the wings swivel. I found some weld areas on one that wouldn't magnetize to inspect with mag particle inspection, and they shut the entire operation down till ALL of the planes were checked. The metal had welded in just like the D6AC that the rest of the piece was, but had a Rockwell Harness of nearly nothing !!! Lucky escape for us on that one, but being a kid from east Tennesee with my 1st REAL job, it scared me to death when my supervisor said I had caused production and all completed planes to be shut down and re-inspected. That turned out good, tho'. I remember very well the ones with the Kangaroo on the tails, thought that was the coolest thing. The planes were extremely fast doing the afterburner kick-ins and going almost straight up- -LOVE 'EM !! John ( by the way, the pics are fabulous.)

[Aussie Hawk]

Aussie Hawk, the F-111 is one of my favorites too, I worked at General Dynamics in Ft. Worth, Texas from 1968 to 1970 where they were built, and those things were just amazing. I was (still am part-time) an inspector, mainly on the trunnions and carry-thru units that let the wings swivel. I found some weld areas on one that wouldn't magnetize to inspect with mag particle inspection, and they shut the entire operation down till ALL of the planes were checked. The metal had welded in just like the D6AC that the rest of the piece was, but had a Rockwell Harness of nearly nothing !!! Lucky escape for us on that one, but being a kid from east Tennesee with my 1st REAL job, it scared me to death when my supervisor said I had caused production and all completed planes to be shut down and re-inspected. That turned out good, tho'. I remember very well the ones with the Kangaroo on the tails, thought that was the coolest thing. The planes were extremely fast doing the afterburner kick-ins and going almost straight up- -LOVE 'EM !! John ( by the way, the pics are fabulous.)

Where they finished the dump & burn the river hookes around to the right, they pull back and floor it and go just about straight up, the best part in my opinion. My whole house shakes. (and the neighbourhood dogs go nuts ;-)

A local FM radio station does all the music, and puts the pilot's / base audio over the radio, you can hear their commumications over towns 50 miles away, then the pilots ham it up a bit and call out step by step manouvers. Pretty Cool.

The first year they did it they must have give the after burners a bit too much fuel and took out the top windows on an office block - nearly got it canned for the following year. But there was such a outcry from the public they were invited back - just not so much stick next time boys !

[Gunslinger]

Back in 1972 I went to a big air show and an F-111 strutted its stuff for the crowd, amongst many other air events...the Blue Angels when they still flew F4 Phantoms, the USAF Thunderbirds when they still flew F-100's, the RAF Red Arrows, the Confederate Air Force (now Commemorative Air Force), and far too many others to even remember.

It was so impressive to see the F-111 fly past and watch its wings move from full extension to swept back for speed. That was one seriously noisy air show...but as many remind us...it's the "Sound of Freedom"!

[clonelark]

I made many parts for the Super Hornet, mostly in the engine housing area, and fuel tanks, they should serve you well.

[DEEPNHOCK]

Here's some video's of the Aussie 'dump & burn'.....

[sweetolbob]

Here's some video's of the Aussie 'dump & burn'.....

Ah Crud!!!

When Art Bell gets hold of these shots the Australians will be hounded to produce their records of the UFO's they've been hiding for years.

Bob

[Aussie Hawk]

Thanks for posting the Videos Jeff.

[Sdude]

That was my plane when I did my duty in the USAF from 1970 to 1974. I worked on the avionics "black boxes" mostly flight control, Stabilization Platform Units, Radar, and counter measure defense systems. They would troubleshoot the electronics on the flight line and send the black boxes to our shop for repair.

I served at Nellis AFB in Vegas, and RAF Upper Heyford in England. The RAF Upper Heyford F111's were the ones that bombed Lybia. I was so proud.

[StudeDave57]

A sad day indeed.

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...d.main/128827/

I feel the same about the F-111 as I did the NAVY's A6s I used to wrench on-- no way, no how will they ever be replaced~ especially by a Hornet- 'Super' or otherwise!!! Taking up the vacant job, maybe- but that's about it. The Super Bug can't carry nearly what the F-111 can, and if it could- there's gonna be a need for a tanker many times along the way!!! The beauty of the A6 and F111 was that you could carry lots of stuff, and carry it quite far too. Not so much with a Hornet.