F-111C Aircrew

 

How many aircrew flew aussie F-111s? 

      At first glance, the ‘F-111C All Aircrew Master List’ spreadsheet lists 444 aircrew, but a closer examination shows two triplicates, John Emery and Chris Lake, and multiple duplicates: 

  • Nine PLTs and 15 NAVs who did 6SQN OPCONs previously flew F-111s in the ‘early days’, 1966-72

  • Eight PLTs and five NAVs did two 6SQN OPCONs, 2nd and 3rd tourists did the full 6SQN OPCON until No 23 CSE, thereafter shorter F-111C Refresher Courses

  • Eight former F-111C NAVs reroled to RAAF PLT

    • Steve Clarke, Leigh Beaman, Tiger Meadows, Phil Townshend, Teddy Blair, Marty Huet and Shannon Kennedy reroled as F-111C PLTs; Mark Johnson reroled as a C-130 PLT

        The ‘F-111C Honour Roll‘ is the list of 392 aircrew associated with the RAAF’s F-111C, from program inception in 1966 until the last 6SQN operational conversion course (OPCON) in May 2008.  Not all aircrew are aussies, the list includes the 42 yanks and poms who came to ‘Oz’ on exchange: 11 USAFEX Pilots, 15 USAFEX WSOs, 8 RAFEX Pilots and 8 RAFEX Navigators.           USAF and RAF exchange aircrew

        The F-111C Honour Roll list is arranged in the order in which each aircrew first flew the F-111, and includes.  Where more than one aircrew is on the same course, those aircrew are listed alphabetically by surname.      F-111C Aircrew Honour Roll – Alphabetical

       The 392 F-111C aircrew: 

  • 200   Pilots (PLT)

  • 153    Navigators (NAV)

  •   21    Air Combat Officers (ACO)

  •   15    Weapons System Officers (WSO)

  •     2    Air Electronics Officers (AEO)

  •     1    Flight Test Engineer (FTE)

6SQN F-111C/G Operational Conversion Courses (OPCON)          6SQN OPCON Course Photos

… and for the purists, after the F-111Cs finally arrived in Australia on 1 Jun 73, 6SQN had responsibility for all F-111C/G Operational Conversion (OPCON) training.  Between 13 August 73 until 30 May 08, 6SQN conducted 64 OPCONs (#1-46, 46A, 47-49, 49A, 50-62) graduating 357 aircrew from 411 starters:

  • 187   PLTs

  • 132   NAVs

  •   21   ACOs

  •     3   USAF WSOs

  •     2   AEOs  

Aircrew Snippets                         F-111 Chiefs & Commanders

  • The Two Air Electronics Officers (AEO) were Jim Graham & Mick Nott; 1 OPCON
  • Two USA Exchange Aircrew, Ham Reis & Rick O’Ferrall, did their F-111 OPCONs on US Exchange, not with 6SQN
  • 10 USAFEX PLTs didn’t do full OPCONs (ex F-111)
  • One USAFEX PLT, Tom Gill, did 22 OPCON
  • 12 USAF WSOs didn’t do full OPCONs (ex F-111)
  • Three USAF WSOs did full OPCONs (ex Strike Eagles)
  • Eight RAF PLTs did full OPCONs (ex Buccaneer or Tornado)
  • Eight RAF NAVs did full OPCONs (ex Buccaneer or Tornado)
  • Eight former F-111C NAVs later graduated as RAAF PLTs
  • 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
    • TC flew the first F-111C ferry flight, A8-125, to RAAF Amberley on 1 Jun 73
    • Ricko flew the last F-111G ferry flight, A8-512, to RAAF Amberley on 10 May 94