First RAAF C-17 in Australia
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First RAAF C-17 in Australia
WING Commander Linda Corbould proudly admits she is a big plane kind of woman. So she was thrilled when she became the first to skipper the largest aircraft ever to be operated by the Royal Australian Air Force, the C-17 Globemaster III.
"Bigger is better and the C-17 is clearly the biggest plane we have," she said after flying it to its new (????) RAAF base at Amberley, near Brisbane, last week.
The pioneering 43-year-old is the RAAF's most senior female pilot. She has just been given command of the hard-working No. 36 Squadron that will soon be home to four of the giant transporters.
Wing Commander Corbould went to the United States to pick up the first of the $550-million C-17s from the Boeing plant near Seattle and fly it back to Australia.
The Government spent $2.2 billion buying the four giants so the RAAF could transport the heavy Abrams tanks it bought second-hand from the US Army.
At 53 metres long and 16.8 metres tall, a C-17 is smaller than a jumbo jet but can carry four times more than the long-serving RAAF workhorse, the C-130 Hercules.
"It has the latest technology; it's full of electronic digital displays and automation rather than dials and switches of the old Hercules," Wing Commander Corbould said.
"It can fly into small, 900-metre airstrips just like the Hercs, which is valuable in our region. We can carry a full field hospital with water purifiers and generators for humanitarian aid or we can carry heavy military equipment."
The C-17 has a crew of three, can fly at 800kmh and has a range of 4400 kilometres. One C-17 can carry 75 tonnes of equipment or one Abrams tank or five Bushmaster vehicles or three Tiger helicopters. It can carry 102 paratroopers and all their equipment.
Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said once the RAAF had the four C-17s, by 2008, it would no longer have to rely on leasing ageing Antonov aircraft or wait in queues for American heavy airlifters.
For Wing Commander Corbould, flying a C-17 is the fulfilment of a childhood dream. "When I was 11, I saw the aerobatic Roulette team flying in Tasmania and I knew then that I wanted to fly," she said.
She joined the RAAF in 1981 aged 18. Five years later the RAAF allowed women to become pilots and she grabbed the chance to fly transporters.
"We have one woman loadmaster and a female pilot due to finish training in 2008, so I hope to form an all-female crew on at least one flight."
She has flown into combat zones in Hercules many times, making the dangerous run into Baghdad at treetop level.
There are now 13 female pilots in the RAAF, but so far none is flying jet fighters. "There is a female navigator in F-111s, but it is only a matter of time before there is a woman jet fighter pilot," Wing Commander Corbould said. "I just like the big planes, so I stayed to be able to fly the biggest, the C-17."
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Planes??????? Only carpenters use planes.... someone give that bint an airfield run...
See what happens when you let the chicks in???
Not much of an incentive from the management, there: "I (only) stayed to be able to fly the biggest." Shouldn't she be trying to say something a little more positive in view of retention issues?
What, no load-monster???
Still, not necessarily a bad thing - at least you know it's safe to drink the coffee.
"Bigger is better and the C-17 is clearly the biggest plane we have," she said after flying it to its new (????) RAAF base at Amberley, near Brisbane, last week.
The pioneering 43-year-old is the RAAF's most senior female pilot. She has just been given command of the hard-working No. 36 Squadron that will soon be home to four of the giant transporters.
Wing Commander Corbould went to the United States to pick up the first of the $550-million C-17s from the Boeing plant near Seattle and fly it back to Australia.
The Government spent $2.2 billion buying the four giants so the RAAF could transport the heavy Abrams tanks it bought second-hand from the US Army.
At 53 metres long and 16.8 metres tall, a C-17 is smaller than a jumbo jet but can carry four times more than the long-serving RAAF workhorse, the C-130 Hercules.
"It has the latest technology; it's full of electronic digital displays and automation rather than dials and switches of the old Hercules," Wing Commander Corbould said.
"It can fly into small, 900-metre airstrips just like the Hercs, which is valuable in our region. We can carry a full field hospital with water purifiers and generators for humanitarian aid or we can carry heavy military equipment."
The C-17 has a crew of three, can fly at 800kmh and has a range of 4400 kilometres. One C-17 can carry 75 tonnes of equipment or one Abrams tank or five Bushmaster vehicles or three Tiger helicopters. It can carry 102 paratroopers and all their equipment.
Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said once the RAAF had the four C-17s, by 2008, it would no longer have to rely on leasing ageing Antonov aircraft or wait in queues for American heavy airlifters.
For Wing Commander Corbould, flying a C-17 is the fulfilment of a childhood dream. "When I was 11, I saw the aerobatic Roulette team flying in Tasmania and I knew then that I wanted to fly," she said.
She joined the RAAF in 1981 aged 18. Five years later the RAAF allowed women to become pilots and she grabbed the chance to fly transporters.
"We have one woman loadmaster and a female pilot due to finish training in 2008, so I hope to form an all-female crew on at least one flight."
She has flown into combat zones in Hercules many times, making the dangerous run into Baghdad at treetop level.
There are now 13 female pilots in the RAAF, but so far none is flying jet fighters. "There is a female navigator in F-111s, but it is only a matter of time before there is a woman jet fighter pilot," Wing Commander Corbould said. "I just like the big planes, so I stayed to be able to fly the biggest, the C-17."
########################################
Planes??????? Only carpenters use planes.... someone give that bint an airfield run...
See what happens when you let the chicks in??? Not much of an incentive from the management, there: "I (only) stayed to be able to fly the biggest." Shouldn't she be trying to say something a little more positive in view of retention issues?
The C-17 has a crew of three
Still, not necessarily a bad thing - at least you know it's safe to drink the coffee.
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I remeber being roundly corrected at 1FTS:
"A Plane is a carpenters tool or a hamburger son, we don't fly them"
Bint, I haven't heard that term in years he said laughing. Cruel but fair. Watch out she could be someones CO.............
"A Plane is a carpenters tool or a hamburger son, we don't fly them"
Bint, I haven't heard that term in years he said laughing. Cruel but fair. Watch out she could be someones CO.............
Frozo,
This is yet another case of dumbing-down the English language to pander to the morons of the world.
"It's an aeroplane, laddy; planes shave wood!".
You cloth-eared bint!
(go Basil).
This is yet another case of dumbing-down the English language to pander to the morons of the world.
"It's an aeroplane, laddy; planes shave wood!".
You cloth-eared bint!
(go Basil).
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Not fair gents.
Firstly, Linda is no Cloth-eared Bint (nor offence Bloggsie), but for those who know what she has done in her life, would wholy agree.
The article was not writen by Linda, it was writen by Defence PR, for you to be asigning such comments to an article, even if she made the comments or not is not worthy of you.
Well done to you Linda.
From Batchelor with luv, Richo
The article was not writen by Linda, it was writen by Defence PR, for you to be asigning such comments to an article, even if she made the comments or not is not worthy of you.
Well done to you Linda.
From Batchelor with luv, Richo
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Totally agree, Richo. I first met Linda a very long time ago - when she was on pilots' course, in fact. She has never been anything other the complete professional. Highly, highly competent. Brilliant to see where she's got to.
The 'plane' debate lost a lot of steam ever since that short fella on Fantasy Island pointed skyward. Lets face it, Jesus used a plane, we fly aircraft. However, the US rules the roost in aviation and 'plane' is the nomenclature now used. Even the 9/11 hijackers stated 'we have some planes'.
Clip that young whippersnapper around the ears, he who called her a 'bint'. CO of a C-17 squadron.....what heights have you scaled ScottyDoo? (unless of course that was a clever tongue-in-cheek observation)
Clip that young whippersnapper around the ears, he who called her a 'bint'. CO of a C-17 squadron.....what heights have you scaled ScottyDoo? (unless of course that was a clever tongue-in-cheek observation)
Right you bunch of cloth-eared bints!
I wasn't referring to Linda as a CEB. Sorry Linda. But you are naughty nevertheless calling an aircraft a flippin' plane.
The only bint around here is Cybil. Cybil Fawlty!
I wasn't referring to Linda as a CEB. Sorry Linda. But you are naughty nevertheless calling an aircraft a flippin' plane.
The only bint around here is Cybil. Cybil Fawlty!
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Okay, okay, if she's such a whip, we'll let the bin... er, um, squi... oops, er, CO off the hook then. But there's still the matter of a flogging for Defence PR, then, if they're getting around calling the machines, "planes". If it was good enough for me to do the sightboards, it's good enough for them.
I was at 2FTS the other day (you know, spotting through the fence, taking pictures of macchis, emptying bins, etc...) and it became obvious they're not allowed to administer sightboard runs, airfield runs or floggings anymore in case they make someone cry, is that true?
And another thing, has 36Sqn really moved to Amberley? Jesus, when did that happen? Or is it another PR snafu???
And if she wants to fly "the biggest", why doesn't she join The Rat as an SO??? Oh......
I was at 2FTS the other day (you know, spotting through the fence, taking pictures of macchis, emptying bins, etc...) and it became obvious they're not allowed to administer sightboard runs, airfield runs or floggings anymore in case they make someone cry, is that true?
And another thing, has 36Sqn really moved to Amberley? Jesus, when did that happen? Or is it another PR snafu???
And if she wants to fly "the biggest", why doesn't she join The Rat as an SO??? Oh......
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While you're all at it, you might like to discuss whether it's the 'windshield' or the 'windscreen' that requires cleaning, or why is it a Right 'hand' landing light that is U/S? I'm sure I don't trouble my G.P. with issues about my Right 'hand' foot.
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Yes, 36 Sqn has 'moved' to Amberley, start date...I don't know.
My question is, what is happening to the C-130s that were 36 Sqn?
Real pity that, with such a large complicated airplane, there is only the two drivers up the front. I guess that makes it a 'peace time' airplane, since glass cockpits are to fragile/hard to fix/get spares in a war zone. There is simply not enough independence with this setup, with nobody to monitor it inflight and fix it on the ground, it just becomes to unreliable in a shooting war, the very thing for which it was designed!
And the same goes for the J models.
Ah well...FD
My question is, what is happening to the C-130s that were 36 Sqn?
Real pity that, with such a large complicated airplane, there is only the two drivers up the front. I guess that makes it a 'peace time' airplane, since glass cockpits are to fragile/hard to fix/get spares in a war zone. There is simply not enough independence with this setup, with nobody to monitor it inflight and fix it on the ground, it just becomes to unreliable in a shooting war, the very thing for which it was designed!
And the same goes for the J models.
Ah well...FD
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The H models have gone to 37 Sqn which is also operating the J's. They will start to be phased out in a couple of years. Then I think more J models will arrive to replace them.
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There was an impressive change of command parade/function at RAAF Richmond on 17 November. Some existing members of 36 and 37 Squadron reassembled themselves to form the realigned 36 Sqdn and marched off into the sunset, heading for Amberley, capably led by their brand new CO, Wg Cdr Linda Corbould complete with a row of medals and sword at the ready and closely observed by a pleased Air Force Chief.
Meanwhile a much enlarged 37 Squadron, also with a new CO, remained at Richmond to ponder how to manage the integration of its new members ex 36 Sqdn and 8 additional C-130Hs.
Wish them well and a merry Xmas.
Meanwhile a much enlarged 37 Squadron, also with a new CO, remained at Richmond to ponder how to manage the integration of its new members ex 36 Sqdn and 8 additional C-130Hs.
Wish them well and a merry Xmas.
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Ahhhh those were the days.....
Onya 'Girl' !
Who would have thought all those years ago when we were all enjoying G&T's at the Swamp in Tindal that you would grow up to be a big jet pilot, looking after a squadron full of big jet pilots and people that make big jets keep going!
Great stuff.
Your mate, the O's Mess Tindal DJ 88-89 (Things got all a bit blurry after that!)
Who would have thought all those years ago when we were all enjoying G&T's at the Swamp in Tindal that you would grow up to be a big jet pilot, looking after a squadron full of big jet pilots and people that make big jets keep going!
Great stuff.
Your mate, the O's Mess Tindal DJ 88-89 (Things got all a bit blurry after that!)
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Aren't the J-models doing pretty well for all three services using them (USAF, RAF & RAAF) in full-on ops in Iraq & Afghanistan?
I had held the same suspicions about non-mechanical flight desk but seem to recall reading that reliability had improved over the older models.
But I admit my memory's patchy so I might be wrong...
I had held the same suspicions about non-mechanical flight desk but seem to recall reading that reliability had improved over the older models.
But I admit my memory's patchy so I might be wrong...