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SUMMER 2019 WINGS 71 NO.4 VOLUME MOSQUITO TALES WWII STORIES FROM BURMA & FRANCE Battle of Britain FLYING INTO CINEMATIC Big ideas HISTORY Students reach for the stars defencebank.com.au 1800 033 139 Everything a cadet needs, and then some. Created especially for cadets - our Cadet Saver is fee free. • Your choice of camo Visa Debit card. • Visa payWave. • Apple Pay, Google Pay™, Samsung Pay. Fitbit Pay and Garmin Pay. • Online banking. • Award-winning app. Then, on top of all that, a healthy interest rate on your savings. .00 p.a.% 2 Variable rate.* Talk to us today to find out more. *Terms and conditions, fees and charges may apply in certain situations. Interest rate is current as at 27 April 2017 and is subject to change without notice. Before acquiring any product please read the Products and Services – Conditions of Use (DPS) available from www.defencebank.com.au to consider whether any product is right for you. Defence Bank Limited ABN 57 087 651 385 AFSL / Australian Credit Licence 234582. CONTENTS. from the MANAGING DIRECTOR TO ALL OUR READERS, It’s that time of year when we reflect on the year gone by and wonder where it went. For RAAFA Publications, 2019 has been an exceptionally busy and challenging year, with the addition of the quarterly Wings magazine to our ‘stable’ of 38 Welcome to handbooks. The response to this challenge by our core group of regular part-time staff – editor Sandy, designer Katie and sales executive Sue, has been simply magnificent, particularly considering CONTENTS that we published our three Welcome to handbooks in-between two consecutive wings SUMMER volume 71 / NO.4 editions of Wings – that’s five magazines 4 FROM AIR COMMANDER AUSTRALIA in three months! They’ve earned their short 5 FROM THE PRESIDENT break over the Christmas-New Year period. 6 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR With respect to Wings, there can be no doubt we’ve produced a high-quality 8 MILITARY AVIATION publication. On behalf of the RAAFA 14 INDUSTRY NEWS Publications Board and our owners, the 20 COVER STORY Air Force Association, I would like to Edinburgh Air Show express my deep appreciation to all our 26 SMOKEY BEAR IN THE AIR staff and supporters: our (previously High-tech eye in the sky mentioned) part-timers, our regular and 28 BATTLE OF BRITAIN occasional contributors, our advertisers, Flying for the epic movie particularly major sponsors Rolls Royce 32 MOSQUITO TALES and Defence Bank, and of course to you WWII adventure and mystery 20 our readers. We wish you all a very happy 35 HISTORY ROUND-UP and safe Festive Season and look forward Commemorations and restorations to another year together in 2020. 38 CENTREFOLD NEIL SMITH AM, MBE Pull out and keep Air Vice-Marshal (retd) 40 THE GREAT AIR RACE PART III Managing Director Onward to Australia RAAFA Publications Pty Ltd 46 100 YEARS OF AVIATION Narromine Aviation Museum 50 W ARIES & STORIES The Ubon story part II 54 SP ACE CAMP 2019 An amazing adventure 58 CIVIL AVIATION Universities reach for skies 62 PERSONAL FINANCE 63 MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP 64 CADETS NEWS 68 AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION NEWS 72 VETERANS Friends of the Mirage 73 LAST FLIGHT 54 Merry Christmas 74 BOOK REVIEWS WINGS VOLUME 71 NO.4 | 03 WELCOME. ACAUST MESSAGE FROM AIR COMMANDER Australia WINGS MAGAZINE PROVIDES to support South Pacific Island ON THE COVER an opportunity for Air Force to engage nations police regional fisheries; A RAAF P-8A Poseidon supports sea trials for the NUSHIP Hobart with the wider public in an informal and our ongoing support to the in the Gulf St Vincent off the coast of Adelaide. forum, in particular, with the many Australian Antarctic Division with Photo: CPL Craig Barrett. former members of the Air Force the C-17A Globemaster. While our within the Air Force Association. In contribution to foreign operations has doing so, it endeavours to keep the been reduced, the support that we community aware of the activities continue to provide is effective THE NEW-LOOK being undertaken by Air Force at the and appreciated. direction of government. During this period, we also WINGS TEAM The Australian Defence Force (ADF) celebrated 20 years of very successful WINGS MANAGER Ron Haack is currently committed to a number operations of the C-130J Hercules EDITOR Sandy McPhie of humanitarian and conflict with a flypast along the NSW coast. ART DIRECTOR Katie Monin resolution missions, both regionally We also conducted our first Australia ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE Sue Guymer and further afield, through which the based training course for F-35 pilots – ASSISTANT EDITORS Air Force has been deployed. And as the first of many to come. Mike Nelmes (history) part of the Australian Government’s As this edition of Wings will hit the John Kindler, AO AFC (industry news) Pacific Step-Up we will see an streets in early December, I would Bob Treloar, AO MiD (military aviation) increased deployment of personnel like to take the opportunity to wish all and capability through enhanced our readers a safe and joyous festive CONTACT regional engagement. season, may it be spent with family E [email protected] Such activities have included and friends. I wish you all the very W raafapublications.org.au a recent exercise in Japan with best in the new decade. A RAAFANSW Publications Pty Ltd Salamander Bay LPO, PO Box 656 the Japanese Self Defence Force, Air Vice-Marshal Joe Iervasi AM Salamander Bay 2317 maritime surveillance operations Air Commander Australia DIGITAL EDITION To read this publication online, go to www.raafapublications.org.au/wings, Air Vice-Marshal Joe Iervasi, AM, addresses or www.raafa.org.au/wings-archive the crowd during the Air Commander Australia Change of Command Ceremony at RAAF Base Glenbrook. Photo: CPL Casey Forster. DISCLAIMER Information in the articles in this magazine was current at time of publication but more recent developments should be checked with the relevant Defence and other authorities for currency and any changes to conditions. Content appearing in this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or have the endorsement of the Department of Defence or the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and currency in the articles presented, reliance should not be placed on the information contained without reference to the relevant authorities. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of RAAFANSW Publications. No responsibility is accepted by the publisher for the accuracy of advertisements or information. AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION 04 | WINTERSUMMER 20192019 WELCOME. PRESIDENT’S CORNER HE AIR FORCE be transparent and require membership- recently passed by Federal Parliament. ASSOCIATION’S National wide consultation. It will have a ‘fail-safe’ The legislation formally establishes the Board, at its October meeting, process, which means there can be no Australian Defence Veterans’ Covenant made a watershed decision to operational detriment to any division or that includes an oath, lapel pin and Tmodernise the Association by harmonising disadvantage to a member. Any changes Veteran Card. Division strategies, governance and recommended by the JBSG must be Recently, I had the honour and privilege operations to ensure efficient and supported by a cost-benefit argument. to attend the Australian Air Force Cadets effective business processes and Three years ago, the Association’s (AAFC) National Rifle Competition at achieve its National Vision and Strategy. national entity, Australian Flying RAAF Base Edinburgh and the National Like several other major ex-service Corps and Royal Australian Air Force Field Craft Competition ‘Green Eagle’ at organisations in this country, the Air Association, decided to restructure Camp Blake, Majura Training Area outside Force Association operates as a coalition from an incorporated association to a Canberra. The Air Force Association of autonomous state/territory entities with Company Limited by Guarantee with the proudly sponsors those competitions. an overarching national organisation. title Air Force Association. The name The AAFC recently reached a record Project High Eagle will manage the change was to accord with the RAAF’s strength of 8,000 cadets, a remarkable harmonisation process. A Joint Boards branding as Air Force. To distinguish itself achievement in today’s environment Steering Group (JBSG), reporting to the from other air force associations with of competing youth activities. I was National Board, will oversee the project. a similar title, the Air Force Association particularly heartened by the enthusiasm The JBSG will comprise representatives applied and was granted permission to of Cadet Instructors and the commitment of each state/territory division and will use the Air Force roundel with the red expressed by AVM Kym Osley (Chair have the opportunity to co-opt expert kangaroo ‘in motion’ inserted in the first of the AAFC Foundation) and AIRCDRE advice and other resources to achieve letter ‘o’ of the word Association. The Gary Martin (DGCADETS-AF) who are the project’s objectives. The project will RAAF roundel is a highly respected and anxious to extend cadet opportunities protected symbol, and the Air Force and broaden the range of experiences. Association is very honoured to be The Festive Season is about to begin. THE AUSTRALIAN granted the privilege to use it. It should be an opportunity for us to enjoy AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION I am pleased to advise time with our loved ones. Please take care PRESIDENT Carl Schiller OAM CSM the Australian Veterans’ over the holiday period, especially if you Recognition (Putting are travelling. I wish VICE PRESIDENT (ADVOCACY & ENTITLEMENTS) Veterans and their you and your family Richard Kelloway OBE MiD Families First) a very Happy SECRETARY Peter Colliver, [email protected] Bill 2019 was Christmas and TREASURER Bob Robertson New Year.