RAAF 50th Reunion

[SpazSinbad]

No.1 AFTS changed to 2FTS after No.67 graduated Dec 1968. We wuz the second last Vampire course whilst No.68 wuz the FIRST MACCHI course but of course they also did basic on the WINJEEL (the flying brick ****house) "wheels down & welded" three greens on base turn. The only two all Macchi courses were a few courses later. So last Vampire course No.69.

[SpazSinbad]

No.67 Pilot Course Ground School started in Oct 1967. The four Navy Midshipman on this course, fresh from about 3 months onboard HMAS Anzac, arrived just before the RAN FAA Vampire crash. This course had No.17 RAAF Academy Graduates joining later for flying training, starting beginning of 1968. FLGOFF Barkley did not make the course.... Laverton is just a few miles north of Point Cook.

FLGOFF S. Barkley pax: www.adf-serials.com/newsletter/news1006.pdf

"N6-837 4105 T.34T34A Delivered 1954. Originally A79-837. Coded 927, 956 or 960 between 1954-58. Coded 805 between 1963-68. Noted in Navy service still wearing A79-837. Crashed 11/10/67 Laverton Vic. Killed were the Pilot Sub Lt Lynch and passenger [FLGOFF S. Barkley]. Noel Fenton adds “Crashed at Laverton in October 1967. The cause of the crash was the failure of the engine main thrust bearing at a critical time during takeoff. The aircraft continued beyond the runway end into the over-run. Unfortunately, it hit the railway embankment which demolished the nose of the aircraft and caused damage to one of the two full drop tanks. Burning fuel sprayed over the two crew and they died from major burns. The non-pilot (a Pilot Officer just graduated from Melbourne University) was an Engineering Officer attached to ARDU and had been posted to Point Cook for his Pilots Course [No.67] a day or so earlier."

ADF Serials Message Board -> Crash Of Vampire N6-838 & http://www.adf-messageboard.com.au/i...1301446928.jpg

[SpazSinbad]

No.68 course BEGINNER photo at Point Cook here with the ODds&Sodds photo completely bogus (it is for RAN & Army from several years beforehand): RAAF Radschool Association - Course Photos

http://www.radschool.org.au/Course%2...8Pilot%202.jpg

[SpazSinbad]

'Viking805' I guess we see your car in second photo with Lloyd Smith and his hotrod in first & second photo. Does the third photo show us 'eating pizza' (me for the first time) on 'banks of Yarra' - the classic laundry run? Sure - we wuz thirsty also.... :-)

Characters in that third photo 'watching the rowing': L to R: Clive Mayo, Ted Collett, Bill Shurey, moi, ??? Bowen, Henry? Kwaczynski, Bob Burstall?

[Viking805]

not BB on the right Spaz, it's Alf.

[Viking805]

ULH Extreme, I quite like your original idea, i.e. a piss up at Coffs - provided it doesn't become a "Shriners Convention" with organised events, speeches, etc.

[SpazSinbad]

'Viking805' of BATC 2/67 designed the cloth badge seen below - starting late January 1967 at HMAS Cerberus (across the bay from Point Cook) Basic Aircrew Training Course Number 2 in 1967, was split into 2 parts A & B. The logo is from a cartoon crow from the 'Ettamoggah Pub' series, it should have read “Crikey Mate!” Part A was the front of the alphabet and they went to No. 66 Pilot course - only one RAN FAA pilot graduated (Dick Scott I'm looking at you).

The first half of BATC 2/67 were spared the sea time but the second half from the alphabet ladder had a good holiday touring the south Pacific waiting for No.67 course to commence. :-)

BATC 1/67 had started a few weeks earlier and very quickly they went to No.65 pilot course, where most graduated as I recall (memory hazy because not me chief).

[SpazSinbad]

This news item will be relevant to some of the old course members:

Australian Defence Force Members awarded Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm Unit Citation
21 December 2016

"Australian Defence Force members from the Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diving Team Three (CDT3), Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam (RANHFV), Royal Australian Air Force Transport Flight Vietnam (RTFV)/35 Squadron (SQN) and 9 SQN who served in Vietnam 50 years ago have been recognised with the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm Unit Citation (the Citation)....

...To be eligible for the Citation members must have served in Vietnam under the command of MACV and posted to one of the following units, during the eligible dates:

· Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diving Team Three from 5 February 1967 to 5 May 1971

· Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam from 16 October 1967 to 8 June 1971

· Royal Australian Navy personnel in 9 Squadron (8 personnel) from February 1968 to April 1969

· Royal Australian Air Force personnel in 9 Squadron from June 1966 to December 1971

· Royal Australian Air Force Transport Flight Vietnam/35 Squadron from August 1964 to February 1972..."

https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/...-vietnam-cross
&
http://www.defence.gov.au/Medals/Foreign/RVCGPUC.asp

http://www.defence.gov.au/Medals/_Ma.../RVCGPUC-L.jpg

[SpazSinbad]

LCDR Clive Mayo RAN (retd) died in a W.A. hospital 31 Dec 2016. R.I.P.

Great photo here of Clive & son when CO HU-816: http://www.faaaa.asn.au/obituaries/m...e-lcdr-o94696/

http://3j8lrq31uyjk1yo9b01c7jub.wpen...liveMayo-1.jpg

[SpazSinbad]

An RAN posting notice has No.67 Pilot Course starting 27 Oct 1967 with No.68 on 08 Jan 1968 (but theys wuz often rong).

From:http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default...ber-8-1968.pdf DRAScott commonly known as 'Dick' - sole grad c.Nov 1968 at Pearce No.66 Pilot Course.

[SpazSinbad]

An infamous radio call "Chicken Man" when no instructors were airborne:

You Tube

[SpazSinbad]

E-mail about Clive Mayo received today from Jeff Chartier:

"Good evening one and all,
On behalf of Commander Fleet Air Arm, CDRE Chris Smallhorn, and National President of the Fleet Air Arm Association, RADM Mark Campbell (Rtd), I have the unfortunate task of closing out 2016 with the news that former RAN FAA member, Clive Mayo, ‘crossed the bar’ at approx. 0500 WST today, 31 Dec 2016, following a short stay in hospital. He had suffered from kidney failure and lung disease (so far not attributable to cancer), & his body had wasted away to the point that his heart was unable to cope.

Clive was part of the 3rd Contingent of the RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam, as well as the first CO of the reformed HU-816 SQN in 1984, operating Wessex in the Army Support and Utility roles.

http://www.faaaa.asn.au/snippets-his...eration-bursa/

Former COMFAA, CDRE Vince Di Pietro offered the following statement today re: Clive which I thought was appropriate to share:

"Clive was a terrific, uncomplicated bloke who enjoyed life to the fullest and at times at full afterburner when idle would have more than sufficed! I remember his affection for Wessex 813 'Calamity Jane'; his prowess at cryptic crosswords; an uncanny ability to attract more poo as a CO than the total aggregation of his Squadron's SL Sub Lieutenants; his tiger pattern [CO HU-816 TIGERS] unregistered Mini - as much at home when illegal on the 'Tross roads as it was on its roof in the Wardroom; and, his pet dog who could chew through 240volt washing machine power cords and not feel a thing! Vale Boss!"

Mr Jeff Chartier

[SpazSinbad]

from e-mail:

"3rd Contingent HFV, Mentioned in Dispatches, US Air Medal, Wounded in Action 6 March 1970"

http://www.navy.gov.au/history/squad...ietnam-history

ANDY PERRY talks about his NAVY time: http://australiansatwarfilmarchive.u...9-andrew-perry

[SpazSinbad]

From NAVY NEWS 30 May 1969 - No.68 course visits HMS Hermes in Fremantle:

http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default...ay-30-1969.pdf

[SpazSinbad]

And for the fish heads among us - anyone interested - BATC2/67 braves the storm aboard HMAS Anzac:

http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/rec...wm78-34-11.pdf

[SpazSinbad]

Not being able to attend any reunion the very latest 04 April 2017 4.4Gb PDF explanation of my involvement in the RAN Fleet Air Arm with a 'scrapbook' history of fixed wing and helos along with a 'how to deck land' explanation - amongst many other naval aviation topics - is available here: (please read download advice - it is especially important)

This RAN Fleet Air Arm Association webpage has links to the Microsoft OneDrive &/or GoogleDrive pages where the files may be viewed/downloaded after first registering for free to do so (their requirement - not mine). Again please follow download advice.

BTW any attempt to view the PDFs ONLINE will likely result in disappointment with the very large PDF files. As a rule please download the PDFs first and then view them with the latest version of Adobe Reader suitable for your operating system. Other pdf readers will not cope with the PDFs otherwise.

https://www.faaaa.asn.au/spazsinbad-a4g/

[SpazSinbad]

You Tube

[tartare]

Spaz - what's that lanyard type thing that connects to the underside of the jet from the catapult shoe?

[SpazSinbad]

The catapult bridle via bridle hooks connects the aircraft to the catapult shuttle, the bridle is arrested at the end of the catapult stroke by a catcher lanyard. Before catcher installed the bridle was thrown into the sea. SloMo Video shows catcher at work.

You Tube

[StopStart]

Interesting video - what was the duty of the crew member who sets off running with the launch? Is he recovering/clearing the bridle for the next launch?