Changes at RAAF Point Cook
 

Heard via the grapevine that the RAAF are expanding their numbers at Point Cook and returning it to a fully operational base. Rumour only. if so, will that affect current civilian flying training operarions at that aerodrome? Will RAAF Museum operations be affected?

That will generate a lot of noise complaint activity as there are now dwellings very close to the base. In my time as an ab-initio pilot there were paddocks around the base where we conducted PFL’s - it would be hard to do “surprise” PFL’s now.

Might only be a few thousands Karen’s of Sanctuary Lakes to deal with. Good luck.

Would love to see F35's operate from there, if only for the Karens' sake.

Call Lindsay Fox.....move to AVV.?

Centaurus, you do have your ear close to the ground! There are lots of rumours swirling around about this; what I've heard is definitely third-hand (which I'll repeat because this is a Rumour Network after all).

The museum itself is apparently to remain unchanged but all flying assets (which I suspect will also include those at Temora) to become part of a new RAAF Squadron (I believe this will be 100 Squadron). The implication here is that the aircraft can then only be flown by Air Force pilots; there's already apparently much schmoozing going on with important/rich people so doubtless some exemption will be engineered for Mr Lowy. Also allegedly the Roulettes leader is already chasing the Mustang slot.

There are now a lot of very unhappy people at Point Cook who have contributed years of voluntary labour there. This understandable angst isn't helped by the attitude displayed towards them by the designated CO; not only is he firmly of the belief that ONLY the RAAF can fly aircraft but he's not a particularly nice man either. Actually IMHO he's an amazingly poor choice.

well that’s terrible. Hopefully common sense prevails.......but I’m not holding my breath.

These types of people are usually placed in these positions by others to achieve their own clandestine goals. I found the Point Cook volunteers to be superb with their upkeep of the museum and its assets, and would recommend they don't drop their bundle and walk out but rather recognise the politics of hot air for what it is and rally for keeping some of their own turf intact.

Meanwhile said hot head should be repurposed for getting the Laverton airfield back from greedy developers, it would certainly justify all that lustre in his medals.

See, now I’m intrigued. :p

I’ll have to start asking my usual sources for a name...

Name might start with B. Flew C130s.

I've been hearing DS.

Dora - 9: I know the type, having worked for two of them. Most unpleasant. That is why I have some dislike for the RAAF as an organisation. Little Hitlers don't survive in the Army Officer Corps because enlisted men have ways of "getting even" that weeds them out. The Navy is the same - we always got on well with sailors. RAAF were always prickly, part of which I understand comes from dealing with high priced equipment that had so called safety margins that would be unacceptably slim elsewhere. However there were a few of these rigid concrete thinkers with similar personalities that no one could make an impression on and anyone who tried was automatically an enemy......

Point Cook is the top postcode in Australia for ecommerce deliveries (Australia Post Report 2020). Probably because the residents can't leave the post code to go shopping due to the traffic.

You mean 'other ranks' don'tcha? I wasn't aware that the Australian Armed Forces were now using the American term 'enlisted men.'

I had a visit to Point Cook mid naughties and remember someone saying that the CO didn't like the smell of microwave popcorn so had banned it on the base.

Something in that for all of us.

That wasn't the point, Centaurus.

What is your point?

Don’t worry about wasting your time. Anyone this ignorant isn’t worth arguing with 😂