F-111C Aircrew association

 

        The ‘F-111C Aircrew Honour Roll’ is the list of 395 aircrew associated with the RAAF’s F-111C, from program inception until the last 6SQN operational conversion course.   The list is arranged in the order in which each aircrew first flew the F-111, and includes USAF and RAF exchange aircrew.  Where more than one aircrew is on the same course, those aircrew are listed alphabetically by surname.

F-111C Aircrew Honour Roll   – Download Excel sheet

F-111C Aircrew Honour Roll – Pdf 11 Mar 25                                 F-111C Aircrew Honour Roll – Pdf Alphabetical

       The 395 aircrew comprise: 

  • 203    Pilots (PLT)

  • 154     Navigators (NAV)

  •   21     Air Combat Officers (ACO)

  •   14     Weapons System Officers (WSO)

  •     2     Air Electronics Officers (AEO)

  •     1      Flight Test Engineer (FTE)

       While the ‘F-111C All Aircrew’ spreadsheet lists 449 aircrew, a closer examination shows numerous aircrew duplicated:  F-111C ALL Aircrew

  • Three aircrew names appear three times  –  John Emery, Chris Lake & Al Curr

  • Several aircrew names appear twice:

    • One FTE , Harry Walton, who flew in the ‘early days’ of the aussie F-111C program between Oct 1965 until Aug 1973

    • Nine PLTs and 15 NAVs who did 6SQN OPCONs previously flew F-111s in the ‘early days’

    • Eight PLTs and five NAVs did 6SQN OPCONs twice  –  2nd and 3rd tourists did the full 6SQN OPCON until No 22 CSE, thereafter shorter F-111C Refresher Courses

    • One NAV who previously flew the F-111A on USAF exchange, Al Pearson, also did 13 OPCON

    • One NAV who previously did a USAF F-111A conversion course, Roger Parsons, also did 13 OPCON

    • Seven former F-111C NAVs became F-111C PLTs and did two 6SQN OPCONs  –  Steve Clarke, Leigh Beaman, Tiger Meadows, Phil Townshend, Teddy Blair, Marty Huet and Shannon Kennedy

6SQN OPCON Training  After the F-111Cs finally arrived in Australia on 1 Jun 1973, 6SQN became responsible for all F-111C/G Operational Conversion Course (OPCON) training.  Between 13 Aug 1973 and 30 May 2008, 6SQN conducted 64 OPCONs (#1-46, 46A, 47-49, 49A, 50-62) graduating 336 aircrew from 389 starters (86% Graduation Rate @ 9.6 students per year)

  • 178   PLTs

  • 132   NAVs

  •   21   ACOs 

  •     3   USAF WSOs

  •     2   AEOs    

**  6SQN OPCON duplicates include the eight aussie PLTs and five aussie NAVs who did two OPCONs and the seven aussie NAVs who became F-111C PLTs **

Aircrew Snippets

  • 10 USAF exchange PLTs were already F-111 qualified, so didn’t do 6SQN OPCONs
  • One USAF exchange PLT, Tom Gill, did 22 OPCON
  • 11 USAF F-111 exchange WSOs were already F-111 qualified, so didn’t do 6SQN OPCONs
  • Three USAF exchange F-15E WSOs did 6SQN OPCONs
  • Eight RAF PLTs did 6SQN OPCONs, ex Buccaneer or Tornado aircrew
  • Eight RAF NAVs did 6SQN OPCONs, ex Buccaneer or Tornado aircrew
  • The Two Air Electronics Officers (AEO) were Jim Graham & Mick Nott on 1 OPCON
  • Female F-111 aircrew restrictions were lifted in 1997
  • No Female PLTs graduated on the F-111C; Mel Brauman was scrubbed off 45 OPCON, no other female PLTs ever posted in
  • Two Female NAVs graduated on 48 OPCON, Aroha Fifield and Brooke Chivers
  • NAVs became Air Combat Officers (ACO); wearing full wing brevets from 51 OPCON – Aug 2002
  • Five Female ACOs graduated between 51-61 OPCON; Sue Youngman, Anna Moore, Zales Munro-Rustean, Julia Phillis and Adele Merriman
  • Two Brothers flew the F-111C, Tony and John Wilkinson
  • One Father and Son flew the F-111C, Trevor and Ricko Owen