RAAF Pearce Open Day

[sisemen]

The F18 Super Hornets arrived and passed about 2nm south of my place. I immediately rang the Approach Supervisor at Pearce to make a low-flying and noise complaint......they weren't low enough and they weren't noisy enough!

It makes an old sqn ldr's heart race again as we have a dearth of fast fighting machines in this part of Oz.

Mates, anytime you want to put some more coal on at low level try 31 29 39S 116 24 03E - no complaints will be voiced!

[EW73]

Hi sisemen...
Great to hear from you, I totally agree with both your sentiment and your excitement at seeing/hearing these F-18s, though I'm an ex-RAAF/ex-P3 flyer, I still love the sound!

I also see you're located a short distance just north west of Toodyay, a great place in WA, I hale from Northam originally, and trips to Perth were usually via the Redhill Road, so we visited Toodyay quite often.

Cheers...EW73 :ok:

[fincastle84]

Happy memories. I spent 2 very enjoyable weeks in October 1984 operating a Nimrod out of Pearce, whilst residing in a very comfy hotel in the centre of Perth. The very best of both worlds. I imagine that our 4 Speys probably rattled a few ceilings!

Our 3 sorties almost got in the way of the wine tasting!:)

[Herod]

As a lad I spent six years at Pearce, where my father was based; not a flying post. The Vampires overhead on a daily basis and visits from other RAAF types, plus RAF and USAF gave me a love of aviation which resulted in a 39 year flying career. Happy days.

[CoodaShooda]

Anyone else going to the open day?

[eagle 86]

I believe they are charging admission.
GAGS
E86

[BBadanov]

I believe they are charging admission.

Yes, always charge, details here:

Royal Australian Air Force Air Shows : Royal Australian Air Force (http://www.airforce.gov.au/airshows/index.aspx)

[dmussen]

On Anzac day I attended at the memorial in Fremantle. The singleton was early for the flypast, was too high and was backed right off.
Not good form.
Give me a Victor B1a flat strap at 100ish feet on a cold day or a Lightning in full reheat pulling 4+G off the runway and making like a homesick angel.
Oh, Concorde could make some really good sounds out of Heathrow.
Can't make Pearce but shall be at Duxford U.K. for Flying Legends at the end of June.
Now the sound of a mixed formation of merlins and griffons in spitfires
is the real thing. You can smell them as well.

[Arm out the window]

Feel free to re-emigrate then!

[sisemen]

Ooo-er missus. Total traffic gridlock yesterday and today. Not only getting out (took me half an hour on Saturday) but also, apparently, getting in!

Perhaps the powers that be ought to have a look at the old RAF Finningley traffic plan!

[BBadanov]

Perhaps the powers that be ought to have a look at the old RAF Finningley traffic plan!

Mate, so RAF Finningley is exactly the same road network and traffic conditions as RAAF Pearce?

This will not change at Pearce, as it is on the one-lane Great Northern Hwy. Although the Mitchell Fwy is now open, it still a long way across single lane road to get to the base from the west. You can't close GNH for one way traffic (it is the main artery to the north).

Until GNH is dual lane, trucks (wide loads, roadtrains) are banned for the weekend (can't be done), 25,000 people want to come each day, and all want to leave at the same time, then that is the best that can be done.

[sisemen]

No, it's not the same as Finningley but at Finningley they had a multiplicity of one lane country roads to try and get the punters in and out of before they fed onto the main arterial roads - and they had a good few extra numbers to deal with.

For a start at Pearce they should have had professional traffic marshallers (my Bush Fire Brigade supplied some of the traffic volunteers!); perhaps the police helo should have been airborne and in radio contact with marshallers; perhaps more entrances and exits from the base perimeter.

The trouble is that the last Pearce open day was 2005 and most of the lessons learnt them have probably either been forgotten or overtaken by various developments.

Where Finningley had the edge was that it was every year and planning for the following year's display started on the Monday morning after the current display.

However, that's not taking away from what was a very enjoyable event.

[sisemen]

A few pics taken on Saturday....

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c92/allan907/20120519_104700.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c92/allan907/20120519_1220221.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c92/allan907/20120519_1221322.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c92/allan907/20120519_1234522.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c92/allan907/20120519_1240381.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c92/allan907/20120519_131519.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c92/allan907/20120519_132832.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c92/allan907/20120519_141922.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c92/allan907/20120519_1431251.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c92/allan907/20120519_1431252-1.jpg

[Herod]

Wish I'd been there. In my day ('57 to '63), if we saw five cars an hour on the GNH beyond the main gate, it was a busy day. ;)