F-111C Ferry Crews – 24 new F-111C aircraft ferried between 1 Jun 73 until 4 Dec 73 from Fort Worth to RAAF Base Amberley, westbound via Hawaii and Pago Pago, American Samoa.
(First Ferry Story from Bushy)
F-111A Ferry Crews – Four second-hand F-111A aircraft with shorter wings, later modified to F-111C, ferried between 23 May 82 until 16 January 83
F-111G Ferry Crews – 15 second-hand F-111G aircraft ferried between 28 September 93 until 10 May 94
Cold Proof Load Test (CPLT) Ferries – Multiple ferries to/from the SMALC factory, McClellan AFB, Sacramento, California, for CPLT destructive wing testing every 2,000 flight hours. Transitted via Kwajalein, Marshall Islands or Pago Pago, American Samoa and Hickam AFB, Hawaii until the RAAF built its own CPLT facility in 2001.
(CPLT Ferry Story from Boggy)
F-111C/A/G Ferry Crews – 1973/83/93 |
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| Model | Tail No | Arrival | Pilot | Nav |
| F-111C | A8-125 | 1-Jun-73 | GPCAPT J.W. Newham | WGCDR T.C. Owen |
| F-111C | A8-126 | 1-Jun-73 | WGCDR R.G. Funnell | SQNLDR N. Pollock |
| F-111C | A8-127 | 1-Jun-73 | SQNLDR I.M. Westmore | FLTLT J.A. Bushell |
| F-111C | A8-128 | 1-Jun-73 | SQNLDR W.J. Emery | FLTLT R.D. Hardcastle |
| F-111C | A8-129 | 1-Jun-73 | SQNLDR W.F. Walters | FLGOFF P.J. McDonald |
| F-111C | A8-130 | 1-Jun-73 | FLTLT R.T. Sivyer | FLTLT P.W. Growder |
| F-111C | A8-131 | 26-Jul-73 | WGCDR G.W. Talbot AFC | SQNLDR J.G. Gazley |
| F-111C | A8-132 | 26-Jul-73 | SQNLDR D.H. Gibbs AFC | SQNLDR J.G. Miller |
| F-111C | A8-133 | 26-Jul-73 | FLTLT A.T. Blyth | FLTLT C.J. Lake |
| F-111C | A8-134 | 26-Jul-73 | FLTLT P.G. Fairbrother | FLTLT T.M. Morrissy |
| F-111C | A8-135 | 26-Jul-73 | FLTLT C.J. Hancock | FLTLT A.R. Lockett |
| F-111C | A8-136 | 26-Jul-73 | FLTLT R.T. Sivyer | FLTLT P.W. Growder |
| F-111C | A8-137 | 28-Sep-73 | WGCDR P.H. Coy DSO | FLTLT P.J. McDonald |
| F-111C | A8-138 | 28-Sep-73 | FLTLT R.L. Perry | FLGOFF R.J. Parsons |
| F-111C | A8-139 | 28-Sep-73 | SQNLDR W.J. Emery | SQNLDR A.R. Wilkinson |
| F-111C | A8-140 | 28-Sep-73 | FLTLT S.J. Fenton | FLTLT B.F. Sullivan |
| F-111C | A8-141 | 28-Sep-73 | SQNLDR G.J. Moore | FLTLT R.D. Hardcastle |
| F-111C | A8-142 | 28-Sep-73 | FLTLT A.T. Blyth | FLTLT T.M. Morrissy |
| F-111C | A8-143 | 4-Dec-73 | WGCDR G.W. Talbot AFC | SQNLDR J.G. Gazley |
| F-111C | A8-144 | 4-Dec-73 | FLTLT P.G. Fairbrother | FLTLT C.J. Lake |
| F-111C | A8-145 | 4-Dec-73 | SQNLDR D.H. Gibbs AFC | SQNLDR M.A. McMahon |
| F-111C | A8-146 | 4-Dec-73 | FLTLT S.J. Fenton | FLTLT B.F. Sullivan |
| F-111C | A8-147 | 4-Dec-73 | FLTLT R.N. Kelloway | FLTLT J.A. Wills |
| F-111C | A8-148 | 4-Dec-73 | FLTLT R.L. Perry | FLTLT A.T. Pearson |
| F-111A | A8-113 | 23-May-82 | FLTLT Herbie Thoroughgood | CAPT Tom Bergam |
| F-111A | A8-114 | 23-May-82 | SQNLDR Rick O’Ferrall | FLTLT Mick Rowles |
| F-111A | A8-109 | 19-Aug-82 | SQNLDR Pete Criss | FLTLT Peter Layton |
| F-111A | A8-112 | 16-Jan-83 | FLTLT Frank Atkins | FLTLT Paul Thayer |
| F-111G | A8-270 | 28-Sep-93 | FLTLT Andy Seaton | SQNLDR Rick Owen |
| F-111G | A8-265 | 28-Sep-93 | SQNLDR Bill Lawrence | FLTLT Dave Riddel |
| F-111G | A8-291 | 26-Oct-93 | FLTLT Andy Seaton | SQNLDR Ricko Owen |
| F-111G | A8-259 | 26-Oct-93 | SQNLDR Bill Lawrence | FLTLT Dave Riddel |
| F-111G | A8-281 | 10-Dec-93 | FLTLT Andy Seaton | WGCDR Frank Atkins |
| F-111G | A8-274 | 10-Dec-93 | SQNLDR Bill Lawrence | SQNLDR Doc Millar |
| F-111G | A8-271 | 18-Jan-94 | SQNLDR Bill Lawrence | SQNLDR Doc Millar |
| F-111G | A8-506 | 18-Jan-94 | WGCDR Frank Atkins | FLTLT Dave Riddel |
| F-111G | A8-514 | 15-Feb-94 | FLTLT Andy Seaton | SQNLDR Ricko Owen |
| F-111G | A8-264 | 15-Feb-94 | FLTLT Steve Woods | FLTLT Dave Riddel |
| F-111G | A8-277 | 29-Mar-94 | FLTLT Steve Woods | FLTLT Dave Riddel |
| F-111G | A8-282 | 29-Mar-94 | SQNLDR Bill Lawrence | SQNLDR Doc Millar |
| F-111G | A8-278 | 10-May-94 | FLTLT Steve Woods | SQNLDR Doc Millar |
| F-111G | A8-272 | 10-May-94 | GPCAPT Dave Dunlop | FLTLT Dave Riddel |
| F-111G | A8-512 | 10-May-94 | SQNLDR Bill Lawrence | SQNLDR Ricko Owen |
Last F-111G Ferry Crews: D-Squared, Beaka, Woodsy, Doc, Ricko & Billy
… & how neat that RickO got to fly the last F-111G ferry after his dad,
Trevor ‘TC’ Owen, flew the first F-111C ferry out nearly 21 years years earlier …