RAF Form 414, Vol 23
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Description
I left you last time after we had returned with our Hornets from New Zealand having had a very productive and interesting few weeks working with the Kiwi A4 Skyhawks.  We soon settled back into our Squadron HQ at RAAF Williamtown and started to work up some Maritime Strike tactics against the ships of the Australian Navy.  These were early days for the Australian Hornets and the anti ship missiles that were to be purchased had yet to be properly integrated into the aircraft’s weapons system... and so continues the Tales from the Old Pilot's Log Books.   The Hornets mix it with the Navy!   It was the P3 Orion's job to find the ships and broadcast their positions   The RAAF had yet to equip their F18s with anti ship missiles but that didn't stop us training   We flew affiliation sorties against the RAAF Caribous so I got the chance to observe from the other side of the engagement   Called in from leave to fly an engine air test I did so with my holiday beard still attached!   The rake of the Hornet seat didn't suit my back leading to a nagging problem   On our way to Malaysia we staged through Bali   At RMAF Butterworth we stayed in the beautiful old RAF Mess   And could frequently be found in the Hong Kong Bar   Back home in Australia I started to suffer from vertigo and wondered if the dream had come to an end
More Episodes
Form 414, my RAF Logbook continues with me leaving Australia and the Hornet unhappily in my rear vision mirror as I was heading back to Blighty and a cold winter in Lincolnshire.  No 229 Operational Conversion Unit was the training unit that would give me my first taste of the Mighty Fin, the...
Published 02/06/24
Published 02/06/24
After I landed my aircraft I clambered out of the Hornet with the cold realisation that I might have flown my last sortie.  The spinning sensation had ceased and the sortie had gone beautifully, it was almost as if it had been a bad dream. A continuation of tales from the Old Pilot's logbook, RAF...
Published 02/05/24