Exchange pilots
If I remember correctly, the CGI at 230 OCU (Finningley) Vulcans, in 1969, was a USAF Major. I am afraid that the annual progression of years means that I cannot remember his name !!
Met a chap at Duxford (briefly unfortunately) who volunteered in the same group as I did. He was a Vulcan Captain who did an exchange tour on B-52's. He ended up as an Instructor on the B-52, and when he came back he eventually became the staish at Waddington (IIRC).
Avoid imitations
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Invariably in the early 90's on 30 Sqn, when the a/c was captained by the Luftwaffe Exchange pilot, as we passed above Dover on a channel crossing route, one of the crew would call 'feet wet' and request permission to test the guns and by the time the a/c was 'feet dry' the Eng would have fashioned a gunsight from a paper cup and placed it on the front left instrument cowling. This was the same Hauptmann who entered a restaurant whilst night stopping Gutersloh (off base) and in broken English requested a table for himself and crew until we pointed out to him that he'd probably have more luck speaking Deutsch 
It was unofficially referred to, by RAF squadron aircrew as the "Battle of Britain Runners Up Cocktail Party".
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A USAF pilot at Lyneham returned home with such a glowing report that he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for outstanding Anglo - American relations. It helped in his career to full colonel. We who were in the know presented him with a pictorial album of all his peccadiloes and shortcomings whilst On Her Majesty's Service which he kept next to the magnificent fold out display of his MSM (for shags in confidence). He still insists that you can't use a VSO's Christian name at a formal function so the legless ace was introduced by him to the IAT symposium as Sir Bader.
We had plenty of exchange aircrew on the RN Sea King squadrons, and elsewhere. At any one time I recall a French (Navy) nav, a Canadian pilot (killed flying into a 220ft cliff at 200ft on the radalt), a USN pilot (later an Admiral), a German Navy pilot and too many RAN pilots! Two of my instructors on 705NAS were Australian on exchange, indeed we also had half a dozen or so at BRNC Dartmouth on course. Australia Day was always looked upon with trepidation to see what they would get up to, such as attending Divisions on horseback.
Then the FW squadrons also had plenty of exchange personnel, predominantly USN. I was always plenty impressed with the F4 jock with his leather jacket and the "Gulf of Tonkin Yacht Club" patch emblazoned across the back.
Then the FW squadrons also had plenty of exchange personnel, predominantly USN. I was always plenty impressed with the F4 jock with his leather jacket and the "Gulf of Tonkin Yacht Club" patch emblazoned across the back.
Maj Tom G........... at 230 OCU always had some interesting tales to tell about his time flying B-52s from Guam to bomb the 'vee-yet'...
Including one where they released 15 min early due to a formation call-sign cock-up by the nav bombardier, Buffing a large chunk of someone else's country in the process.
Yet no-one ever complained - apart from their SAC bosses!
Including one where they released 15 min early due to a formation call-sign cock-up by the nav bombardier, Buffing a large chunk of someone else's country in the process.
Yet no-one ever complained - apart from their SAC bosses!
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Usually every year A4G RAN FAA squadrons had a USN exchange pilot with USMC coming later. One USN exchange pilot went on to command the Blue Angels (in Hornets) and another became a USN aircraft carrier CO. Another ex-TomCatter did not bring back an A4G after the arrestor wire broke onboard but he was OK. A4G pilots went to USN RAG squadrons with TA-4Js then A-7s with some going to USMC AV-8A squadrons. Then the S2E/G boyos had USN exchanges, one USN S-2 pilot died in a motorbike accident. Anyways...
Interview with John Craig on the F-111 Aardvark
Interview with John Craig on the F-111 Aardvark
"Aircrew Interview Published on Jan 29, 2017
John Craig is an ex RAF Buccaneer and Tornado GR1 navigator, in this interview he chats about his time flying the F-111 on an exchange tour with the RAAF. He tells us his story on his time in Australia with some great stories."
John Craig is an ex RAF Buccaneer and Tornado GR1 navigator, in this interview he chats about his time flying the F-111 on an exchange tour with the RAAF. He tells us his story on his time in Australia with some great stories."
Somebody asked earlier on about exchange tours in Honolulu. I've just remembered that one of our captains on 267 Squadron had just done a USAF exchange tour at Hickam AFB on C-118s (DC-6A).
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Group Captain Braz and the Coming of the Growler to the Australian Defence Force 07 Apr 2017 Robbin Laird
"...[Group] Captain Braz [RAAF]: We couldn’t have done this without a huge commitment from the U.S. Navy. There’s simply no other way to describe that.
They have wanted us to be on this journey, and they have supported us wholeheartedly throughout it, both on what we do with the Growler training and the operational experience, the exchanges we’ve established, and how we prepare the team.
That’s furthered by exchange opportunities. We have U.S. Navy Growler aircrew joining us here, but we’ve also used folks connected to intelligence organizations and data management organizations and used U.S. Navy expertise in those areas to bring us along and further on the journey.
It’s no accident that when the Growler officially arrived in Australia at Avalon International Air Show a month or so ago, one of the four humans to step out of those two aircraft was a U.S. Navy aviator.
That was very deliberate, because we wanted both to recognize the amazing support we have had so far from the US Navy and the fact that we’re in this together. It’s a partnership for the long term with cross learning on all sides...."
Group Captain Braz and the Coming of the Growler to the Australian Defence Force | SLDInfo
They have wanted us to be on this journey, and they have supported us wholeheartedly throughout it, both on what we do with the Growler training and the operational experience, the exchanges we’ve established, and how we prepare the team.
That’s furthered by exchange opportunities. We have U.S. Navy Growler aircrew joining us here, but we’ve also used folks connected to intelligence organizations and data management organizations and used U.S. Navy expertise in those areas to bring us along and further on the journey.
It’s no accident that when the Growler officially arrived in Australia at Avalon International Air Show a month or so ago, one of the four humans to step out of those two aircraft was a U.S. Navy aviator.
That was very deliberate, because we wanted both to recognize the amazing support we have had so far from the US Navy and the fact that we’re in this together. It’s a partnership for the long term with cross learning on all sides...."
Group Captain Braz and the Coming of the Growler to the Australian Defence Force | SLDInfo
Flying the CH-53E
Also one former Chinook display team pilot is on exchange instructing in sunny NC on the 53 Echo
https://twitter.com/MrCharlie_B
Bearing in mind JHC crews are no stranger to the Super Stallion especially those who partcipated in Ex Purple Heart in 1996 - biggest deployment across the pond for joint exercises/ where we deployed pretty much everything from Lynx, Gazelle to Chinook and Puma and even a pair of SAR Sea Kings. The latter partook in CSAR exercises.
They were spread out / moved around between Simmons AAF, Ft Bragg to New River and down to NAS Jax . Former AVM PL who was overall in chrage of the SHF deployment out there ended up having a UH-60A as his C3 mount during the time at Ft Bragg.
While at New River, the Puma crews got some stick time flying the AH-1W Cobra while the Chinook crews got some stick time in the CH-53E.
cheers
https://twitter.com/MrCharlie_B
Bearing in mind JHC crews are no stranger to the Super Stallion especially those who partcipated in Ex Purple Heart in 1996 - biggest deployment across the pond for joint exercises/ where we deployed pretty much everything from Lynx, Gazelle to Chinook and Puma and even a pair of SAR Sea Kings. The latter partook in CSAR exercises.
They were spread out / moved around between Simmons AAF, Ft Bragg to New River and down to NAS Jax . Former AVM PL who was overall in chrage of the SHF deployment out there ended up having a UH-60A as his C3 mount during the time at Ft Bragg.
While at New River, the Puma crews got some stick time flying the AH-1W Cobra while the Chinook crews got some stick time in the CH-53E.
cheers
Last edited by chopper2004; 21st Apr 2017 at 10:07.
