- Aussie aircrew deployed to Mather AFB, California, Cannon AFB, New Mexico and Nellis AFB, Nevada during 1968 to undergo F-111 conversion training courses whilst our 24 jets were being assembled at General Dynamics in Fort Worth, Texas
- Four F-111 Conversion Courses were conducted between 11 Feb 68 and 11 Dec 68
- In late 1968, a catastrophic wing failure required the redesign of the controversial F-111 swing wing carry-through box and Australia refused to accept the aircraft until the design was proven and tested; this delayed the RAAF F-111C program by five years
- Some of the original aircrew never flew the F-111 again, others went on to fly F-4Es, and some lucky ones came back to ferry the jets home in 1973 …
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Check out Wally Walters’ story below; flew his first F-111 sortie at Nellis AFB on 22 Jul 68 and
ferried A8-129 with Phil McDonald to Australia on 1 Jun 76
One of our very first F-111 pilots, Wally Walters, shares his early experiences on the F-111 …
2nd F-111 Pickup Course (Nov 68) Cannon AFB
Photo Courtesy of Dave Rogers (crouching bottom-left; there were four UASF guys on ours at Cannon, where the pic was taken)
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3rd F-111 Pickup Course (4 May – 20 Nov 68)
Photo Courtesy of Dave Rogers
(Third course in 68 taken during their training at Mather AFB. The guy on the right was SQNLDR John Mc Neil, the exchange officer at Mather)
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1968 Aussie F-111 Conversion Training
Course |
Dates |
Name |
Aircrew |
|
Conversion Course 1 |
11 Feb 68 – 6 Nov 68 |
WGCDR H.A. Hughes |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 1 |
11 Feb 68 – 6 Nov 68 |
SQNLDR D.R. Marks |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 1 |
11 Feb 68 – 6 Nov 68 |
SQNLDR J.I. Thompson |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 1 |
11 Feb 68 – 6 Nov 68 |
SQNLDR T.D. Wright |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 1 |
11 Feb 68 – 6 Nov 68 |
FLTLT P.J. Hackett |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 1 |
11 Feb 68 – 6 Nov 68 |
FLTLT E.J. McCormack |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 1 |
11 Feb 68 – 6 Nov 68 |
FLTLT R.J. Montgomery |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 1 |
11 Feb 68 – 6 Nov 68 |
FLTLT L.R. O’Neill |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 1 |
11 Feb 68 – 6 Nov 68 |
FLTLT W.F. Walters |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 1 |
11 Feb 68 – 6 Nov 68 |
FLGOFF F.E. Burtt |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 1 |
11 Feb 68 – 6 Nov 68 |
FLGOFF L.J. Halvorson |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 1 |
11 Feb 68 – 6 Nov 68 |
FLGOFF C.J. Lake |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 2 |
23 Mar 68 – 13 Nov 68 |
SQNLDR C.J. Noble |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 2 |
23 Mar 68 – 13 Nov 68 |
FLTLT R.L. Biddell |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 2 |
23 Mar 68 – 13 Nov 68 |
FLTLT B.J. Frost |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 2 |
23 Mar 68 – 13 Nov 68 |
FLTLT C.R. Furlonger |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 2 |
23 Mar 68 – 13 Nov 68 |
FLTLT B.D. Gribble |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 2 |
23 Mar 68 – 13 Nov 68 |
FLTLT P.M. Grindon-Ekins |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 2 |
23 Mar 68 – 13 Nov 68 |
FLTLT J.F. Hanigan |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 2 |
23 Mar 68 – 13 Nov 68 |
FLTLT K.B. Merrigan |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 2 |
23 Mar 68 – 13 Nov 68 |
FLTLT D.N. Rogers |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 2 |
23 Mar 68 – 13 Nov 68 |
FLGOFF T.A. Noblet |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 2 |
23 Mar 68 – 13 Nov 68 |
FLGOFF R.J. Waring |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 2 |
23 Mar 68 – 13 Nov 68 |
FLGOFF J.A. Wills |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 3 (Class 69-F) |
4 May 68 – 20 Nov 68 |
WGCDR R.E. Frost |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 3 (Class 69-F) |
4 May 68 – 20 Nov 68 |
SQNLDR A.W. Clarke |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 3 (Class 69-F) |
4 May 68 – 20 Nov 68 |
FLTLT G.R. Barker |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 3 (Class 69-F) |
4 May 68 – 20 Nov 68 |
FLTLT P.J. Doyle |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 3 (Class 69-F) |
4 May 68 – 20 Nov 68 |
FLTLT W.J. Emery |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 3 (Class 69-F) |
4 May 68 – 20 Nov 68 |
FLTLT J.W. Garland |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 3 (Class 69-F) |
4 May 68 – 20 Nov 68 |
FLLT J.D. Gazley |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 3 (Class 69-F) |
4 May 68 – 20 Nov 68 |
FLLT D.H. Gibbs |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 3 (Class 69-F) |
4 May 68 – 20 Nov 68 |
FLTLT A.J. Green |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 3 (Class 69-F) |
4 May 68 – 20 Nov 68 |
FLTLT M.A. McMahon |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 3 (Class 69-F) |
4 May 68 – 20 Nov 68 |
FLGOFF A.D. Kirby |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 3 (Class 69-F) |
4 May 68 – 20 Nov 68 |
FLGOFF C.M Lucas |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 4 |
15 Jun 68 – 11 Dec 68 |
WGCDR E.H. Walker |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 4 |
15 Jun 68 – 11 Dec 68 |
SQNLDR I.Andrew |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 4 |
15 Jun 68 – 11 Dec 68 |
SQNLDR S.C. Fisher |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 4 |
15 Jun 68 – 11 Dec 68 |
FLTLT I.M. Bryant |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 4 |
15 Jun 68 – 11 Dec 68 |
FLTLT B.S. Hicks |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 4 |
15 Jun 68 – 11 Dec 68 |
FLTLT M.E. McDonald |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 4 |
15 Jun 68 – 11 Dec 68 |
FLTLT A.A. Page |
PLT |
|
Conversion Course 4 |
15 Jun 68 – 11 Dec 68 |
FLTLT C.J. Stjernqvist |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 4 |
15 Jun 68 – 11 Dec 68 |
FLGOFF A.R. Lockett |
NAV |
|
Conversion Course 4 |
15 Jun 68 – 11 Dec 68 |
FLGOFF L.J. Cavanagh |
NAV |