Farewell to the PIG! Final F111 flight over BNE - Dec 3

[awilcockson]

Wow, what a day! Very sad, but very impressive send off. I dare say that the 4G limit was broken a few times on the farewell areobatics My heads not feeling too great this morning, a combination of screaming jet engines and heavily subsidised booze

edit: cough weather for photos, I did my best. That's me looking proud leaning on an AGM-142. I was the Mission Computer software engineering lead on the program to integrate the AGM-142 with the Pig. Lot's more photos here if anyone is interested.

 

[straitman]

Very sad.

I was flying Hueys at Amberley when these great machines arrived and for their first few years of service.

Mrs straitman also worked in 482 (maintenance) squadron for a period and has a real soft spot for them. Per Bundy Bear's sign off I/we are already regretting not making the effort to get to Amberley yesterday :!:

awilcockson,
Thanks for the photos.

 

[albatross710]

awilcockson you did a great job to catch this picture. the reflection of the burn on the moisture looked awesome and to capture that on an image, well done

 

[albatross710]

This was an interesting piece of flying as well. The slow speed, high AOA. I though the aircraft was going to do the complete slow pass but then transitioned to the burn. Once again nice shot.

Very sad.

That completes my era of military aircraft upon which I worked.

Canberra - retired
Hueys - moth balled
F111 - retired

 

[straitman]

That completes my era of military aircraft upon which I worked.

Canberra - retired
Hueys - moth balled
F111 - retired

I'm similar.

Aircraft that I flew.

Winjeel - retired
Macchi - retired
Hueys - moth balled (or retired)
CT4A - retired though CT4B is still flying.
Mirage - retired (I flew a few times though not qualified on type).

 

[awilcockson]

awilcockson you did a great job to catch this picture. the reflection of the burn on the moisture looked awesome and to capture that on an image, well done

Thanks mate, that's one of my favourites. I also love the reflection off the vapour. I've got about 250 photos to sort through, the ones I put up were the ones that looked reasonable without any sort of post processing. It really is a pity that it was so damn dark (and that I can't afford faster glass )

 

[markis10]

I should have taken the day off and joined the crowds outside the fence at Amberley, glad I took the time to plot the track of the flypast, it was pretty obvious that Mt Gravatt and BNE were the best spots and although there were only two overflying BNE they were close enough

Hoping Santa brings me a better lens setup before AVV next year.

 

[awilcockson]

I should have taken the day off and joined the crowds outside the fence at Amberley,

No need to sit outside the fence. Despite the "restricted attendance" criteria, there was absolutely no vetting at all, and all and sundry were walking on to the base

Hoping Santa brings me a better lens setup

Me too

 

[albatross710]

For Christmas....

I'd like to see the guys from Myth Busters be given one of the aircraft. Position the aircraft at the far reaches of the airfield. Let them rig an actuator to one of the egress handles. Fill it with two dummies.

Activate the egress handle - Let one of the crew modules have the last fly!

I know that 'technically' the module isn't rated for 0/0 but it would be great to see.

It would also be a cost benefit as the module wouldn't have to be disarmed and the explosives would not have to be disposed.

 

[QF WP]

albatross710, thanks for the link to the memorial page. Some very sobering reading there.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

They flew over my house on the Sunshine Coast - I heard them - but I didnt see them so thanks awilcockson for the great photos.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

F-111 Farewell Fri 03 Dec 2010

 

[Stealth]

Friday December 3 sees the final flypast of the F111 over the Brisbane CBD around 11.30 just in case you were wondering, BYO earmuffs .

Crew are already lined up for QF commands. They were about 6 minutes late.


Just in case anyone thought otherwise - I wasn't joking about the late ATA!

 

[medhead]

I'm sad I missed it. But I'll always remember one if my first pig moments. In cairns during K88 while still in school, I'd been out to the reef for the day and had just go off the boat when 2 flew over head at low level, wings fully swept. They were heading south having come along the esplanade. Then they bank just about directly overhead to turn into trinity inlet, then gone behind the 'new' Hilton hotel. Talked to a mate the next day at school who lived on a boat in the Barron river he said they went over their boat at low level in line with the cairns airport runway.

Amazing stuff that left a lasting memory for me as that stuff was pretty rare for cairns.