RAAF Washington Flying Unit | |
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![]() A RAAF F-111 in 1975 | |
Active | 1973 |
Country | Australia |
Branch | Royal Australian Air Force |
Commanders | |
Commander | John Newham |
Aircraft flown | |
Bomber | F-111C |
The RAAF Washington Flying Unit was a temporary Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) unit formed to ferry Australia's first twelve General Dynamics F-111C aircraft from the United States to Australia. It was formed in March 1973 and disbanded in July of that year after the ferry flights were completed.
The RAAF Washington Flying Unit was formed at McClellan Air Force Base, California on 31 March 1973 under the command of Group Captain John Newham. The unit was tasked with ferrying the RAAF's first twelve (out of a total order of 24) F-111Cs to Australia. The unit comprised twelve F-111 crews, each consisting of a pilot and a navigator. [1] Newham was also the commanding officer of No. 82 Wing, which was to operate the F-111Cs once they arrived in Australia. [2]
Following their arrival in the United States, the Australian airmen were provided with training on the F-111 by General Dynamics. Once this was completed, they ferried F-111s from the company's facilities at Fort Worth to McClellan Air Force Base. [1]
The first ferry flight of six F-111Cs departed McClellan Air Force Base in May 1973. The aircraft first flew to Hickam Air Force Base where they refueled. On 30 May they flew to Pago Pago International Airport. The next day they departed for RAAF Base Amberley, and arrived there on 1 June (Australian time). [1] The remaining six F-111Cs began their ferry flight on 23 July, and used the same route as the first. [1] Once this flight was completed and all twelve F-111Cs had arrived in Australia, the Washington Flying Unit was disbanded on 26 July 1973. [3] The RAAF's other twelve F-111Cs were ferried to Australia in two flights later that year, which arrived at Amberley on 28 September and 4 December. [2]
Despite the unit's name, the Washington Flying Unit was not the RAAF unit which was responsible for operating two Washington B.1 (B-29 Superfortress) heavy bombers in the early 1950s. These aircraft were operated by the RAAF's Aeronautical Research and Development Unit. [4]
The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark is a retired supersonic, medium-range, multirole combat aircraft. Production models of the F-111 had roles that included attack, strategic bombing, reconnaissance and electronic warfare. The name Aardvark was derived from perceived similarities of the aircraft to the animal: a long nose and low-level, terrain-following capabilities. The word "aardvark" originated in the Afrikaans language, as a contraction of "earth-pig", and this was the source of the F-111's nickname of "Pig", during its Australian service.
No. 1 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) squadron headquartered at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland. It is controlled by No. 82 Wing, part of Air Combat Group, and is equipped with Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-role fighters.
No. 6 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) electronic attack squadron. It was formed in 1917 as a training unit based in England during World War I. The squadron was disbanded in 1919 but re-formed at the start of 1939. It subsequently saw combat as a light bomber and maritime patrol squadron during World War II, and took part in the New Guinea Campaign and New Britain Campaign before being disbanded after the war.
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No. 33 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) strategic transport and air-to-air refuelling squadron. It operates Airbus KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transports from RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland. The squadron was formed in February 1942 for service during World War II, operating Short Empire flying boats and a variety of smaller aircraft. By 1944 it had completely re-equipped with Douglas C-47 Dakota transports, which it flew in New Guinea prior to disbanding in May 1946.
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No. 1 Long Range Flight was a temporary Royal Australian Air Force unit formed to participate in the 1953 London-to-Christchurch air race. The flight was established in February 1953 and was equipped with three Canberra bombers, specially modified between June and August. Following extensive training, two Canberras departed for the UK in mid-September. The race began on 9 October, and one of the flight's aircraft placed second, with a total flying time of 22 hours and 29 minutes. The other aircraft was forced out of the race when one of its tyres burst while landing at Cocos Island to refuel, but completed its flight to Christchurch after being repaired. After a brief period in New Zealand both aircraft returned to Australia to be modified back to a standard configuration, and the flight was disbanded in November.
The Royal Australian Air Force's Air Combat Group (ACG) is the group which administers the RAAF's fighter and bomber aircraft. ACG was formed on 7 February 2002 by merging the RAAF's Tactical Fighter Group and Strike Reconnaissance Group in an attempt to improve the speed with which the RAAF can deploy its combat aircraft.
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The General Dynamics F-111C is a variant of the F-111 Aardvark medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft, developed by General Dynamics to meet Australian requirements. The design was based on the F-111A model but included longer wings and strengthened undercarriage. The Australian government ordered 24 F-111Cs to equip the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1963, but the aircraft were not delivered until 1973 because of long-running technical problems. During 1979 and 1980 four of these aircraft were converted to the RF-111C reconnaissance variant. Four ex–United States Air Force (USAF) F-111As were purchased by Australia and converted to F-111C standard in 1982 to replace F-111Cs destroyed during accidents. Australia also operated 15 F-111Gs between 1993 and 2007, mainly for conversion training. The RAAF retired its remaining F-111Cs in December 2010. In Australian military and aviation circles, the F-111 Aardvark was affectionately known as the "Pig", due to its long snout and terrain-following ability.
Air Marshal John William "Jake" Newham, AC was a senior commander of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He served as Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) from 1985 until 1987. Joining the RAAF in 1951, he flew Gloster Meteor jets with No. 77 Squadron in the Korean War in 1953, and subsequently de Havilland Vampires with No. 78 Wing on garrison duty in Malta. From 1958 to 1960, he served with No. 3 Squadron, operating CAC Sabres during the Malayan Emergency. He took charge of No. 3 Squadron in 1967, when it re-equipped with the Dassault Mirage III supersonic fighter. His commands in the early 1970s included the Aircraft Research and Development Unit, RAAF Base Laverton, and No. 82 Wing, the last-mentioned during its first years operating the long-delayed General Dynamics F-111C swing-wing bomber. He was appointed Deputy Chief of the Air Staff in March 1984, and CAS in May the following year. His tenure as CAS coincided with the release of the Dibb Report on Australia's defence capabilities, and the controversial transfer of the RAAF's battlefield helicopters to the Australian Army. Newham retired from the Air Force in July 1987 and became a company director.
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No. 3 Aircraft Depot was a maintenance unit of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Formed in March 1942 at RAAF Station Amberley, Queensland, its prime function initially was the assembly and despatch of combat aircraft from the United States; it also performed salvage operations. From 1942 until 1947 it took on the role of administering the Amberley base. The depot was responsible for heavy maintenance of the RAAF's English Electric Canberra jet bombers following their entry into service in 1953. In the 1970s it began maintaining and upgrading the General Dynamics F-111C swing-wing bomber, along with Bell UH-1 Iroquois and Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters. No. 3 AD merged with No. 482 Maintenance Squadron in March 1992 to form No. 501 Wing, which maintained the F-111 until disbanding in 2001.
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