- Australian Air League

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE AUSTRALIAN AIR LEAGUE
Cadet of the Year
Meet our very best cadets
Flying Camp
A great way to spend the school holidays!
ADFA Life
Learning at the Australian
Defence Force Academy
Profile
Nigel Edwards
Past Chief Commissioner
Games Preview
Flight Simulator X
Red Bull Air Races
Coming to Australia!
Volume 2, Issue 1
September 2006
www.airleague.com.au
1
Message from the Chief Commissioner
Australian Air League Inc
PO Box 1226
Narre Warren DC VIC 3805
Australia
Phone: 1800 502 175
Fax: (03) 9705 0753
Email: editor@airleague.com.au
Web: http://www.airleague.com.au
Printed by Design2Print Pty Ltd
http://www.design2print.com.au
© Australian Air League Inc 2005
This work is copyright. Apart from
any use as permitted under the
Copyright Act 1968, no part may be
reproduced by any process without
permission from the AAL.
Inside this issue:
AAL Review 2006
2
Cadet of the Year
3-4
Vale Ron Bertram
5
RAAF buys C-17
Globemaster
5
New Spitfire for Temora
6
Red Bull Air Races
coming to Australia
6
Games Preview—
Flight Simulator X
7
Profile - Chief.Comr.
Edwards
8
Life at ADFA
9
Easter Flying Camp—Air
Activities
10
DVD Review— Great
Planes Boeing 747
11
Letters to the Editor
12
Front Cover
Student Pilots
The Australian Air League
offers opportunities for young
boys and girls to learn to fly
through their Air Activities
Centre in Camden and
affiliated flying schools that
offer competitively priced flying
training
Photo by
Sqn.Sgt Kyle Laing
2
AVIATION is such a delicate industry that to be
involved one has to have a sense of bravado
and a bucket of money to match! In the last
issue of the Flyer I wrote about Ozjet and asked
if it had the credentials to become Australia's
third Domestic Airline. In this brief interval of
time Ozjet has come and gone, obviously
considered by the travelling public to be the
wrong recipe, they being prepared to pay extra
for frequency and reputation. As the current
fuel price crisis bites into Airline costs, one
wonders how many more Ozjets will disappear
from the scene. General aviation, which
includes our own Air Activities Centre, is also
fighting the battle against rising costs from three
areas, Fuel Pricing, Cost Recovery by CASA
and the Privatisation of the Airport ownership
with the associated rise in charges and rents.
However, their remains amongst us the desire
to learn to fly and to be a Pilot with an Airline or
the RAAF and this desire will overcome any
obstacle placed in the way.
During this period we lost one of our long
serving members when Ron Bertram was killed
in an aircraft accident at Bankstown. Ron, who
was the President of the Aircraft Owners and
Pilots Association, will remain in our memories
forever as a staunch fighter for aviation and the
part played by the Australian Air League.
It is well known by now that my second term of
Chief Commissioner ends in December this
year. I am a great believer in that if you stay too
long you become set in your ways and ideals
and the AAL is too important to go down this
path. I will continue to serve the AAL in any
capacity required within my ability and I thank
you all for your support during my tenure as the
Chief. See you all in Canberra!
Keith Bridge,
Chief Commissioner.
AAL Review 2006 - Canberra
PREPARATIONS continue for the Australian Air
League Review 2006, to be held in our nation’s
capital on Saturday, 30th September 2006 with
the announcement that the Reviewing Officer
for the parade will be Air Marshal Geoff
Shepherd, AM, the Chief of the Air Force.
AM Shepherd joined
the RAAF in 1971,
gaining a Bachelor of
Science degree. He
was then posted to 3
SQN at Butterworth,
Malaysia where he flew
the Mirage III.
During his conversion
to the Mirage, he was a
student in an aircraft which suffered an
undercarriage collapse on landing. After
clearing a hangar and onlookers, AM Shepherd
and the instructor ejected safely, while the
Mirage crashed near the airfield.
Upon returning to Australia, AM Shepherd flew
F-111s at 1 SQN, RAAF Amberley until 1987.
After his time at Amberley, he held a number of
positions within the RAAF until being promoted
to Air Marshall upon his appointment as the
Chief of Air Force on 4th July 2005.
In 2006 Air Marshall Shepherd was made an
Officer of the Order of Australia.
Arrangements have also been made for a
Ceremonial Wreath Laying Parade to be held on
the Sunday, 1st October 2006 at the Australian
War Memorial (AWM) Anzac Pde, Campbell
ACT.
Moving off at
0930hrs, the
parade
will
p r o c e e d
across
the
front of the
AWM
and
form up in
front of the
Bomber Command Memorial. There a short,
non-denominational
service will take place
followed by the Wreath Laying Ceremony.
Following the Sounding of Last Post and
Reville, the Parade will be dismissed.
At the conclusion of the Ceremonial Wreath
Laying Parade, arrangements have been made
for AAL members, friends and family who wish
to do so, to take guided tours of the AWM.
As this is the first time the AAL has held this
type of Wreath Laying Ceremony at the AWM,
we would encourage as many members as
possible to attend and make this Parade the
memorable event it is expected to be.
Details of the Parade can be found in Federal
Field Circular 1/06 which can be downloaded
from the AAL website.
www.airleague.com.au
AOPA
Australian Air League
Cadet of the Year 2006
FOR SEVEN Australian Air League cadets, Saturday 18th March
was a very early start as these young people began their journey
to Canberra for the AOPA National Australian Air League Cadet
of the Year Competition. This competition is held every year and
brings together representatives from
each state to choose the best
male and female cadet in
Australia.
This year saw AOPA
sponsoring the competition for
the first time, paying for all the
participants to travel from their
home states to Canberra and
providing two prizes of $4,400
each of flying training for the
winner members. The prizes for
flight training were provided
through AOPA by Air Services
Australia.
By 1030hrs, all the participants
had ar r iv ed at Canber r a
International Airport, including the
contingent from NSW who flew
down from Camden in the Air
League’s
Piper
Warrior, VH-UNL. At the controls on this flight was Sqn.Sgt.
Kathleen Jackson, already a student pilot under the supervision
of instructor Konrad Dudek.
After introductions the group checked into their accommodation
before setting out for a day of sight seeing around the nation’s
capital. Most of the cadets had never been to the Australian War
Memorial before, so this was the first stop on their tour. Breaking
off into small groups, they each made their own way around the
exhibits until they were all were drawn to ANZAC Hall, where the
famous Avro Lancaster, G for George is displayed. A new
multimedia show, “Striking by Night” describes what bomber
crews would have faced in the raids over occupied Europe, and
in particular, a raid over Berlin.
A trip to Canberra isn’t complete without a visit to Parliament
House, so the group took in a tour of the building where they
visited the Houses of Parliament and learnt how the government
works.
Following this was a visit to
Manuka Oval, which will host the
biennial Australian Air League
Review later this year and then
off to dinner.
Conversation over dinner
covered broad range of topics
and issues, the cadets
discussing what careers they
hoped to achieve in life. The
answers given varied greatly,
covering everything from
aviation, the RAAF to carpentry
and teaching. After dinner they
headed back to the cabins to
prepare for the busy day to
follow.
The following morning was
another early start, as the
cadets hurried to get uniforms on, shoes polished
and bags packed before heading to Canberra Aero Club for the
Cadet of the Year interviews.
While the cadets had their uniforms inspected, Konrad preflighted Uniform November Lima for the day’s joy flights. Boys
from the local Canberra Squadron arrived soon after and
Following this the group made their way to the “Discovery
Room”, which contains various defence force uniforms from
different periods, as well as a few mock war sets. Like big kids
they all got dressed up in various pieces of uniform and hopped
onto the bridge of a Navy Corvette to pose for a few photos,
before heading off to the next stop on their tour.
Above: AOPA Australian Air League Cadet of the Year
2006 participants
Above: Participants from NSW flew down in the AAL’s
Piper Warrior along with Chief Comr. Bridge
www.airleague.com.au
3
following a short briefing the flights got underway. At the same
time, the interviews began and it was decided that the girls
would go first. The other participants took the chance to revise
Meanwhile, the other cadets enjoyed a joy flight that took them
on a circular trip around Canberra, seeing all the sights that
Canberra has to offer, from Lake Burley Griffin to Mt Ainslie and
everything in between. It was great to see Canberra from the air,
definitely a day to remember.
After the interviews were over and the last joy flight landed, the
cadet said their farewells before heading to their respective
terminals (or Pipers) for the flight home.
All those who took part thought the weekend was a great
experience, something they would all do again! They would also
like to thank all the Air League staff who organised the weekend
and helped get them there, Konrad for the fantastic piloting, and
the Australian Owners and Pilots Association for sponsoring
the competition and organising through Air Services Australia,
the great prizes.
So what is an Aviatrix? A Female Pilot of Course!
Participants:
Above: Cadets from Canberra Squadron also enjoyed a joy
flight taking in the sights of Canberra
their Air League knowledge, aviation facts and figures and
general knowledge.
The interviews were not as bad as expected; the process was
formal, but relaxed. The cadets soon realised that the Air
League “brass” are not all that different (and scary) after all!
There were many questions covering a broad range of topics,
including one that stumped them all:
Sgt Jessica Gilbank (Qld)
Sqn Sgt Kathleen Jackson (NSW)
Cpl Sarah Carter (Vic)
Cpl Tim Bartlett (Sth Aust)
Sgt Tom Hawksworth
(Qld)
Sqn Sgt Catlan Chiswell (Vic)
Sgt Kyle Laing (NSW)
The winning cadets were Sgt Jessica Gilbank and Sgt Kyle
Laing.
What is an Aviatrix?
Read all about it !
Do you have a product or service that you would like to see advertised
here?
The Air League Flyer is distributed around Australia to cadets and Officers of the AAL, as well as schools, aviation businesses and
others.
To get your product advertised here, contact the Editor for details and help support tomorrow’s aviators TODAY!
4
www.airleague.com.au
Vale Ron Bertram
1962 - 2006
C-17 Globemaster III for the
RAAF
The Australian Air League and General Aviation in Australia lost
a friend earlier this year when AOPA President and Air League
member Ron Bertram died in the crash of a Lancair 360 at
Bankstown airport on the 5th April 2006.
IN MARCH the Minister for Defence,
Dr Brendan Nelson, announced plans
for the RAAF to acquire a new heavy
airlift capability with four new Boeing
C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.
Ron lived for aviation, as
a young boy aged 9 he
joined the Mt Druitt
Squadron
of
the
Australian Air League
until his family returned
to the United Kingdom in
1979. There he learnt to
fly gliders, going solo at
RAF Lyndhome at the
age of 17. He also
trained
for
the
Commonwealth Games
swimming squad but stopped as his school work was suffering
as a consequence.
In 1983 Ron joined the RAF as an airframe technician and
served for 12 years, including a tour in the 1990-91 Gulf War
where he received an AOC’s commendation. After leaving the
RAF he worked as a civilian aircraft engineer, servicing Airbuses
and the RAF’s C-130 Hercules fleet.
He returned to Australia in 1998 and worked as an engineer at
Inghams to pay for flying lessons. At this time he also rejoined
the Australian Air League, where he became the Wing OC for
MacArthur Wing. He gained his GA and RAA instructor rating
and began working as a flying instructor at the Australian Flying
Training School at Bankstown Airport, which he eventually
acquired.
The C-17 was selected for its ability
to meet the needs of the ADF over
the next 30 years. It is the only
aircraft currently in production with
the proven capability to meet ADF
operational commitments, both
locally and globally.
Measuring 53 metres long with a
wingspan of 51.75 metres, the C-17
is powered by four Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 engines and
can carry over 77 tonnes of payload. Operated by a crew of
three (pilot, co-pilot and loadmaster), its cruise speed is
approximately 450 knots.
The C-17 has the four times the loading carrying capacity of the
RAAF’s existing C-130 Hercules aircraft and will allow the ADF
to rapidly deploy troops, combat vehicles, heavy equipment and
helicopters. This will include the new M1A1 Abrams tank, as well
as Black Hawk, Seahawk, and Chinook helicopters.
The C-17 is currently in production and it is anticipated that the
first aircraft will be delivered later this year with the remainder to
be delivered by 2008. The purchase will also provide opportunity
for the Australian aerospace industry with Boeing proposing an
Australian Industry Capability program valued at $345m over the
life of the aircraft.
Above: Dr Brendan
Nelson announces the
purchase of the C-17
Around this time Ron also joined the Aircraft Owners and Pilots
Association, where he soon found himself on the Board of
Directors, then elected President around 2 years ago. He was
credited with getting AOPA back into a stable financial position
and helping to smooth the relations between AOPA and the
regulators.
Ron was also instrumental in building co-operation between the
Australian Air League and AOPA, organizing flying scholarships
through Air Services Australia for the Cadet of the Year winners
shortly before his tragic death. Cadets and Officers of the
League formed a Guard of Honour at his funeral, which was
filled to capacity with friends and family,
Left: A USAF C-17
visits RAAF Richmond
(picture: Dept of
Defence)
“airmanship”
n. the safe and efficient
operation of an aircraft both on the ground and in the air.
CASA chief executive Bruce Byron praised Ron’s contribution to
the aviation industry, especially in the area of flying training and
safety. The Minister for Transport and Regional Services,
Warren Truss described Ron as a passionate advocate for pilots
and aircraft owners who’s contribution and practical approach to
aviation issues will be missed by both the government and the
aviation industry. Air Service Australia CEO Greg Russell called
him a true reformer and a champion for the General Aviation
community.
Ron leaves his wife Jo and son Jake, born less than a year ago
and his elder son Zack, from his previous marriage to Agnes.
Ron will be missed by all of his friends and Greg Russell, CEO
of Airservices Australia, recently summed Ron up perfectly in an
email to his key staff
“He was also a bloody good bloke”
www.airleague.com.au
Pre-flight inspection should be completed BEFORE the
commencement of flight!
5
New Spitfire for Temora Aviation
Museum
THE TEMORA AVIATION MUSEUM recently completed the
acquisition of a second Spitfire to incorporate into their
collection. Currently the Temora Museum operates the only
airworthy Spitfire in Australia – A58-758, a Mk VIII that was
restored by Col Pay and first flew again in 1985. In 2000 David
Lowy purchased the Spitfire and donated it to the museum
where it is maintained in an airworthy condition and regularly
flow at museum displays and airshows around Australia.
The new Supermarine Spitfire
MK XVI, TB863 was built in
1944 at the Castle Bromwich
factory and issued to No.453
Squadron RAAF based in
Norfolk, UK where is flew 12
missions before the end of
the war. 453 Squadron was
one of a number of
Commonwealth units that
Above: Spitfire TB863 in NZ
operated with the RAF in the
(NZ Fighter Pilots Museum)
war in Europe. TB863 is a
Merlin powered Spitfire and
was one of the last built with the standard fuselage – later
Spitfires featured a bubble canopy and cut-down rear fuselage.
After the war TB863 changed hands several times and was used
in the 1955 MGM film on wartime pilot Douglas Bader “Reach for
the Sky” as well as being used for spares during the filming of
the “Battle of Britain”. Finally, in 1986 the aircraft was transferred
to The Fighter Collection at Duxford Airfield in the UK where
restoration began in earnest.
After being test flown in 1988
the aircraft was shipped to
New Zealand for Sir Tim
Wallis’s Alpine Fighter
Collection at Wanaka where
it appeared at many
airshows, wearing the same
Above and Below: Unpacking the markings as when it flew
with No.453 Squadron.
Spitfire (Temora Museum)
In April 2006 the Spitfire was
purchased by Temora Aviation Museum and arrived via shipping
container in June (it could not carry enough fuel to complete the
crossing of the Tasman Sea itself). It is currently being reassembled and inspected before completing its first test flight.
The museum hopes it will make its first public appearance on the
museum flying weekend of
the 16th and 17th September
2006.
The Temora Aviation
Museum is located at Temora
aerodrome, approximately
320km south west of Sydney
and is open seven days a
week excluding New Years
Day, Good Friday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day - flying days
are normally held once a month. For more information visit their
website at http://www.aviationmuseum.com.au.
Red Bull Air Races coming to
Australia!
THE RED BULL AIR
RACE is an exciting
competition that pits
some of the most talented
aerobatic pilots from
around the world together
in a competition of skill,
speed and precision
Starting in 2003, the Air
Race was the brainchild
of Red Bull and twice World Aerobatics Champion Peter
Besenyei from Hungary. The objective is for pilots to navigate a
challenging three dimensional slalom course in the sky in the
fastest time, completing tight turns to pass through ‘air gates’ inflatable 20m pylons strategically placed around the course.
Flying low to the ground at speeds reaching 400kph, the pilots
pull up to 10Gs as they negotiate the course, and this is all done
in close proximity to the
crowds. While air races
have been run in the USA
for many years, these
contests are primarily a
contest of outright speed,
whereas the Red Bull Air
Race combines this with
skill. The pilots fly high
performance
sports
aircraft such as the Zivko
6
Edge 540X and the Extra 300, which are constructed from
advanced carbon composites and cost over $350,000 Australian
dollars each.
Following the success of the first race at Zeltweg in 2003, a
second race was held near Budapest which was just a popular.
The following year Red Bull staged three races at London, Reno
in the USA and Budapest in Hungary, where the pilots raced
over the River Danube with nearly one million people in
attendance. 2005 saw the number of races increase to 7 and
this year that number rises to 9 races.
2006 will also see the Red Bull Air Races coming to Australia for
the first time when the final round of the Air Race World Series is
held in Perth on the 19th November 2006. Taking place over the
Swan River, the Red Bull Air Race will be right on the city’s door
step with the race course adjacent to Langley Park, which was
used as an airstrip in the 1920s and often hosts ‘fly-ins’ of
vintage aircraft . This spectacular event will be the centre piece
of a city-wide festival of aviation.
Left: Air racers in
action!
Right: Perth will play
host to the Red Bull
Air Races in
November
www.airleague.com.au
Game Preview— Microsoft Flight Simulator X
by L.Cdt Ben Rickard, Niddrie Sqn
MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR X,
the latest edition to the twenty year old
series is due out in November; however
it is already receiving mixed reviews in
the international flight simulation
community. The demo has been out for
nearly a month and has not been overly
successful with FS2004’s loyal fans.
The demo features two airports (one of
which being TNCM/St. Maarten/
Princess Juliana Intl.), three aircraft
(DeHavilland Beaver DCH2, Air Creation Trike Ultralight, and the
CRJ700), and three missions. The demo is said to perform very
poorly with most low-medium end operating systems, which are
capable of displaying Flight Sim 2004 with breathtaking quality.
Many flight simmers seem quite happy to remain using Flight
Sim 2004 with their high-end graphics cards, pay ware aircraft,
scenery and other
quality
add-ons,
however we will have
to wait for the full
version of FSX to be
released
before
making a complete,
accurate judgement
of
the
software.
There are also a
number
of
flight
simmers who can’t
Above: Compete in the Red Bull Air
wait for the full
Races with Microsoft Flight Simulator X! v e r s i o n
to
be
released.
FSX will be released in two versions – standard and deluxe. The
only difference is that the deluxe edition features more, and
better scenery, and there’s bound to be some extra goodies in
that box!
The Way We Were...
FSX features elements of the virtual world which are not
possible to recreate in Flight Sim 2004, or any other previous
version for that matter, such as moving cars on roads, boats and
ships in harbours, livestock, wild animals better autogen
scenery, and more realistic airport environments such as moving
gates, airport vehicles and staff. FSX also introduces Airbus into
the default Flight Sim Fleet including the A321, and brings the
737NG to the FSX Hangar with the 737-800. Many of the
modern aircraft featured in Flight Sim 2004 are also featured in
FSX, such as the Boeing 747-400; however they have brand
new colour schemes, and are developed to a better standard.
FSX aircraft also have better flight dynamics than previous
versions.
FSX is developed to
be used with the
highly
anticipated
DX10 graphics card
by NVIDIA, which is
why display on lowmedium
quality
systems is generally
not of a satisfactory
standard.
The final release of
FSX will feature 21
aircraft
from
the
Douglas DC-3, to the
747-400, featuring walk-through missions for virtual pilots to
complete, including, rescuing a downed pilot, piloting a
humanitarian relief flight, landing on a moving truck, dropping
flour bombs on targets, touring exotic islands, flying up the
Amazon, and flying a Red Bull Air Race. It would appear the
Microsoft have chosen to turn FSX into more of a game, rather
than a simulation, but
that may not be all
that bad.
Above: Microsoft Flight Simulator X
features new, improved scenery
It seems Microsoft
has put more time,
effort,
preparation
and knowledge into
this version of the
sim. We’ll have to
wait until the full
version is released
before we can see if
Microsoft will really Above: Fly the Boeing 747-400 and 21
deliver on FSX. FSX other aircraft
comes on 2 DVD
Discs and is certain to be one of the best Flight Simulators ever
released for a PC.
The official FSX website is available at
http://www.microsoft.com/games/flightsimulatorx/default.htm
and the demo version is also available for download at
same site.
the
Brighton Company (Squadron) is presented with their flags in
March 1943. Front right is a young Comr. (Retd) Eric Nolan
www.airleague.com.au
7
by Sqn.Lt. Brian Grinter
Profile
Chief Commissioner Nigel Edwards (Retd) LM DSA
In this series or article, we profile past and present members of
the Australian Air League and get to know them a little better.
Recently the Air League Flyer spoke to Chief.Comr. Nigel
Edwards (Retd) to hear of life in the Air League in the war years
and after.
Nigel Edwards first became involved with the Australian Air
League in 1943, when as a young man of 17 he joined the
Glenhuntly Company as a Company Officer (Cert# 4608). In
those days, the Glenhuntly Company met in an Army hut near
Caulfield Technical School on a Saturday and would often
parade 70 cadets or more.
Australia was at war at the time and like many other Air League
personnel, Nigel joined the RAAF—enlisting on the 31st January
1944. During the period 1939 - 1945, more than 5200 Air
League members signed up into the armed forces with over
1500 in the RAAF. Working in
transport and logistics, Leading
Aircraftman Nigel Edwards
(146930) served in the Pacific
theatre in a number of
locations including Borneo and
Mortotai Island in eastern
Indonesia.
Finally Nigel moved on to Federal Staff, being promoted to
Federal Field Commissioner. During his time on Federal Staff
Nigel also served as Federal Operations Commissioner, before
becoming the Chief Commissioner, a role he held for some time.
Meanwhile, after discharging from the RAAF in June 1946, Nigel
went to work with the Kraft Food Company, starting as a
salesman visiting customers in a cash sales van. Nigel worked
for Kraft for 35 years and in that time he held a number of
management positions, including Marketing Manager of
Australia and New Zealand, and then as General Manager of
Kraft Foods in South Africa. During this period he worked at the
Kraft offices in Johannesburg, before eventually returning to
Australia where he worked as the Operations Manager and
Sales Manager up to his retirement in 1984.
As a Manager his work often required travel interstate,
“Where I could, I would try to
tie in my visits with Air
League activities. In fact I
would often schedule trips to
coincide with Council of the
League meetings. I don’t
think Kraft knew they were
assisting the League!”
On his return to Australia,
After serving as the Chief
Nigel re-joined the Australian
Commissioner for a number
Air League, progressing
of years, Nigel left for some
through the Squadron as
well earned rest, before
Adjutant, 2I/C, then Squadron
accepting the role as
Officer Commanding. He soon
Chairman of the Victorian
moved up to Division (today
Group Council, which he also
known as Wing), becoming the
held for a number of years.
Officer Commanding Division,
Above:
Nigel
Edwards
(4th
from
the
left)
with
Eric
Nolan,
Muriel
then Officer Commanding ‘A’
One of the most respected
Rosen, John Franklin, Belle Graham (dec) and Geoff Richards (dec) Officers of the League, Nigel
Group (Area).
well and truly earned the Distinguished Service Award granted
For a while he was also the Officer Commanding, Victoria Girls
to him. Today, he lives in Rosebud on Melbourne’s Mornington
Group, before becoming the Group Field Commissioner
Pennisula.
Membership Review 2006
Officers, Cadet & NCO Members, Parents
Shortly you will receive a survey form which is part of a national review of the
Australian Air League and its program. We wish to stress that this survey is your
opportunity to affect the Australian Air League over the next 10 years.
"Have your say now or your next opportunity is 2015".
As an incentive for cadets and NCO members to complete this survey and
return it in the pre paid envelope, a prize draw will be held for an aerobatic joy
flight for one lucky cadet or NCO. . Prize draw entries will be detached from the
surveys to ensure the confidentiality of the information provided above.
Thank you for participating! It will help us build a better Organisation
for current and future members.
8
www.airleague.com.au
Life at the
By
Australian Defence Force Academy
OCDT Aaron Martin
I WAS APPOINTED as an Officer Cadet
(OCDT) in the Australian Regular Army
in 2003 and am now a cadet in Army
Alpha Squadron at the Australian
Defence Force Academy studying a
Bachelor of Science - Mathematics.
I joined the Army because I hope to fly
the Aussie Tiger and am only two and a
half years away from doing this.
Through single service training at Royal
Military College I have flown in
Blackhawks and had hands on flying in
a Kiowa at 162 Recce Squadron.
Following this, I will go on to complete flying training at
Tamworth (Fixed Wing) and then Oakey (Rotary Wing). While at
Oakey, I will complete my rotary conversion course, navigation,
formation flying, amongst others, and then my Regimental
Officers Basic Course and conversion onto my helicopter –
including terrain flying, battlefield tactics, combined arms, etc. All
in all, a lot of hard work ahead.
For those of you who think you might be interested in studying at
the Australian Defence Force Academy—don’t forget to visit the
Open Day held around August each year.
All of the Army cadets at ADFA become qualified on a variety of
weapon systems and are trained in field craft and battle craft to
become “effective team members. I was also the President of
the ADFA Bears Hockey
Club for 2005.
Following graduation
from the Academy, I will
complete my officer
training at the Royal
Military College (RMC)
and assuming all goes to
plan, will be appointed as
a Lieutenant in the Army
Aviation Corps (AAAvn).
www.airleague.com.au
(OCDT Aaron Martin was a cadet then W/O in Queensland
Group from 1996 until 2002 when he joined the Army as an
Officer Cadet at ADFA. )
9
By Comr. Raymond Bell OAM
Flying Camp—NSW Air Activities
DURING THE EASTER
holidays a nine days
intensive Flying Camp
was conducted at the
Air
League’s
Air
Activities
Centre
located at Camden
a e r o d r o m e —
approximately
60km
south west of the
Sydney CBD.
The Students were:
The Flying Camps are
held each year and give Above: Air Activities Centre—Camden
cadets the opportunity to undertake flying training—no matter
whether they are beginners or already student pilots. The
atmosphere at the camp was tremendous, with 15 student pilots
ready and willing to fly as many hours as possible.
Marrickville Squadron
Air Activities—Camden
Cadet Alexander Keith
Epping Squadron
Cadet Ernest Lui
Katoomba Squadron
Sergeant Kyle Laing
The instructors who
gave their time readily
in order to teach the
students were very
keen to help and the
engineers,
although
they were kept busy
were enthused with
the camp and the
quality
of
young
people learning to fly.
The rest of us had our
hands full trying to
Above: Cadets all had a great time on feed them all, keep the
camp
place reasonably tidy
and move aeroplanes
in and out of the hangar. The camp was a great experience for
everyone concerned.
Cadet James Christopoulos
Mt Pritchard Squadron
Corporal Jonathon Davies
Picton Squadron
Squadron Sergeant Heath Macdonald
Above: Cadets also
helped with odd jobs
around the base
Leading Cadet Brad Marks
Ryde Squadron
Squadron Sergeant Michael Leggett
Corporal James Heggie
Corporal Anthony Palmer
Corporal Gavin Moss
Corporal Simon Holt
Sutherland Shire Squadron
Corporal Cameron Savell
Leading Cadet Daniel Howard
Leading Cadet Jason Harte
Many thanks are extended to all the instructors, engineers, the
CFI, chief pilot and staff for a great effort in keeping the students
actively involved over the nine days.
To the students
themselves from seven
different squadrons a
“good on you guys” for
being so pleasant and
eager to learn.
Above: AA aircraft were
kept busy with students
logging many hours over
the 9 days
If you are interested in
taking part in the next
Air Activities Flying
Camp or wish to
organise a flying day
for your squadron, ring
James
Joyce
for
bookings on
Above: Students, instructors and staff
after a hard day’s flying
(02) 4655 7721.
Right:
Cadets pre-flight an
aircraft prior to the
day’s lessons
Photos courtesy Sgt Kyle Laing and Sqn.Capt. Michael Oud
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TODAY!
10
www.airleague.com.au
DVD Review -
Great Planes: Boeing 747
This excellent, informative DVD traces
the history of the Boeing 747, or
‘Jumbo Jet’ from the initial concept to
the modern day.
The world’s most famous commercial
airplane was originally conceived by
Bill Allen, President of Boeing and
Juan Trippe, President of Pan Am in
February 1966. It took just three years
for the flight program to commence
with the first delivery to a customer in
January 1970.
The scale of the project was awesome
with 75,000 engineering drawings and each plane having 225
kilometres of electrical wiring.
With 80,000 horsepower and 19,800 kilograms of thrust this
plane, which is 70.5 metres long is, at its highest point,
equivalent to a six storey building. The four engines can be
produced by Pratt and Whitney, Rolls Royce and General
Electric.
by J.Cdt Nathan Flynn
Doncaster Sqn
Aged 10 years
After the launch of the original 747, various versions were
constructed such as the 747 SP (Special Performance), SR
(Short Range), a freighter which has a nose that swings open
and a combi, which is a passenger plane that can be easily
converted to take freight.
This planes importance to domestic and international travel is
great. Approximately 1800 747’s have been built, most of which
are still flying. At 2006 it has been estimated that 1.2 billion
people have flown in a 747.
A new, top-of-the-range 747-800 series, at 2006, costs
approximately A$220 million.
Year:
Runtime:
Rating:
Price:
1989 (re-released on DVD 2002)
50 min
E (Exempt from classification)
$14.95
Would you like to write a review for the Air League Flyer?
Check out the back page for information on how you can get
published!
The 4.5 million components are sourced from most of America’s
50 states as well as from 17 foreign countries. Plane sections
are assembled in various factories across America. Final
section assembly takes place near Seattle in a 17.5 hectare
purpose-built factory, which is the world’s largest in terms of
cubic volume. Seven planes are rolled-out every month.
Latest News
South Australia
South Australia now has two operational Squadrons with Munno
Para having commenced operation in August at the Munno Para
Primary School. The new Officers undertook training with the
Parafield Squadron during June and July. There are currently 3
Officer and 6 cadets on the roll with potential new members
arriving each parade night. Parafield Squadron also continues
to grow, and both Squadrons will be attending the AAL Review
in Canberra with Parafield entered in competitions.
A South Australia Wing Staff has been appointed to manage
development within the State and it is planned to open new
Squadrons at Port Adelaide, Norwood, Glenelg and possibly in
the Barossa Valley in the first half of 2007.
Western Australia
Western Australia is growing slowly with Jandakot Squadron
gaining new members. The Squadron, whilst unable to attend
the AAL Review in Canberra, have entered models, essays and
an education display for the Review and Sqn. Lt. Felicity
Jackson, the Squadron Education Officer, is arranging for these
items to be transported to Canberra.
New South Wales
2006 has seen a number of new Squadrons form in NSW, as
well as a few old Squadrons re-open after a period of recess.
Earlier in the year a public meeting was held at Cowra, about
300km west of Sydney and this lead to the opening of a new
Boys Squadron, followed by a Girls Squadron a few months
later.
As well as these new Squadrons, Mt Druitt Girls Squadron and
City of Blacktown Girls Squadron have both re-opened in
Sydney’s west and already have a number of enthusiastic
cadets who have joined the Squadron.
Victoria
In May a public meeting was held at Castlemaine, located
between Ballarat and Bendigo in Victoria with a view to opening
a new Squadron. A great deal of interest was shown with 3
branch members elected and 3 adults prepared to become
Officers. An Open Night was held shortly after which saw 23
potential cadets in attendance—a great effort. The only
downside of this is the hall chosen to conduct the Squadron
Parade nights is already looking decidedly small for all these
new members!
A public meeting to open a new Squadron at Bedford, north of
Perth is planned for Tuesday 19th September 2006, and Wing
Staff have plans to open two new Squadrons in the first half of
2007.
www.airleague.com.au
11
Letters to the
Editor
More Congratulations
Dear Sir
I congratulate you on the effort that has been put into the first
production of the Air League Flyer.
As a member of the League for over 65 years, I have seen many
types of newsletters produced and this one is, by far, the best
yet. Keep up the good work.
In Volume 1 there was photograph titled "The Way We Were".
This prompted me to go through my files and I found this
newspaper clipping from the Melbourne Sun in March 1943.
At this parade many Civic Organisations took part to raise money
for the War Effort and Air Raid Protection. At this parade the
Brighton Company (Squadron) was present with their flags. (I am
front right in the picture)
small towns raise funds to help.
Kindest Regards,
Nancy Bird-Walton A.O., O.B.E., Hon.D.Sc.,Hon.ME.
Thank you
To each of the friends, colleagues and associates of my husband
Ron, I would like to say an enormous thank you for all of the
support, assistance and best wishes you have extended to my
family and I over the past few weeks. You have helped us no end
in coping with our loss, and for this I am extremely grateful.
I’m not sure as yet how I can do it, but I hope that in some way I
am able to continue to fulfil Ron’s passion for general aviation in
the future.
Thank you again.
Jo Bertram and family
As you can see many changes have been made to our uniforms,
rank insignia and flag positions since that day.
Again, keep up the high standard of this publication.
Comr. (Retd) Eric Nolan, LM., DSA
Former Chief Commissioner AAL
Do you enjoy reading the Air League Flyer?
Dear Eric, Thank you for the picture and the kind words. I’m sure
our members will be interested to see how the uniform has
changed over the years.
This newsletter is produced by the AAL and distributed free of
charge to members as well as schools, aviation businesses and
politicians. We need your help to help fund this magazine and to
make it even better.
We have also received a letter from Nancy Bird-Walton, who
certainly needs no introduction to our members! Nancy learnt to
fly with Sir Charles Kingsford Smith in 1933 and 2 years later
was flying for the Far West Children’s Health Scheme in outback
NSW. In 1950 Nancy founded the Australian Women Pilot’s
Association with aim to assist women to achieve their goals in
aviation.
If you have a product or service that could be of interest to our
members and want to support the Air League to develop young
Australians please contact the Editor for details and help support
tomorrow’s aviators TODAY!
Dear Sir,
Thank you for sending me the Air League newsletter.
You never had a more important job than you have now!
With the sale of airports and flying becoming more expensive,
where are we going to get our pilots from? Already there is a
shortage of helicopter pilots, and it is probably the same in the
commercial flying world.
I am well aware of the great work you do in introducing young
people to aviation.
I have just been in W.A. where they are enthusiastic about
aviation and have the largest flying club in Australia and possibly
the world. They once had 11 women flying instructors at one
time. The councils are sealing dirt strips and the residents of
Letters to
The Editor
Air League Flyer
PO Box 1226
Narre Warren DC VIC 3805
editor@airleague.com.au
12
Do YOU have what it takes?
Do you have what is takes to be a “Cadet Reporter” for the
Air League Flyer ?
We’re looking for cadets (and Officers!) with a flair for
writing to contribute to the Air League’s newsletter.
Previously unpublished editorial contributions of articles,
reviews, interviews, photos, drawing, cartoons and
anything of interest to Air League members are welcome.
We are also after reporters to cover events around the
country and interview people in the aviation industry.
For further information on how to get published, contact
the editor by email at editor@airleague.com.au or by writing
to
The Editor
Air League Flyer
PO Box 1226
Narre Warren DC VIC 3805
www.airleague.com.au