'zzuf' thanks for that detail. Yes I remember BEST - the name - but not details now, I'll look it up - I was a Midshipman under training at Pearce from July to December 1968 on No.67 Pilot Course. We had the RAAF Academy class in our lot who were in the Officers Mess, so I'll guess you knew them, one being Flying Officer Herbert who died in the Canberra crash in Vietnam. Being under training I do not think we were made aware of the 'growlers'. Apart from the speed change from Winjeel to Vampire I found that taxiing was difficult because I had lead feet, even in the Winjeel. :-) Keeping the noise down in the accelerating Goblin seemed easy enough after a few tentative growls on go arounds keeping the nosewheel off the tarmac - bit like rubbing ones stomach and tapping head at same time scenario.
Mixed circuits were OK, compared to three courses airborne on the three parallel runways at Point Cook, when Pearce instructors were initially under training/conversion. Throw in the first Macchi course No.68 and there was some mayhem initially and then the Macchis went to GinGin.
I was disappointed that our course graduating in December 1968 did not have a large flypast however it was good to POQ back to the east coast. We did have a large instructor (with studs as passengers) 16v16 ACM or something of that order but that is a whole other story for me.
For sure night flying around midnight was a chore being down on the alphabet list. With BEST & HAMMOND in mind we were on the ball I reckon. There is a thread about a potential reunion here:
http://www.pprune.org/military-aviat...h-reunion.html
