Fly Me Friendly

Another beautiful day at Avalon Airport – even better than yesterday. Today was my last day with the Airshow, working to help the remaining aircraft leave.

I arrived early and walked around taking some “early morning” photos of the large aircraft in the “keyhole” area and the combat jets on their tarmac. There were a couple of early folks getting ready to leave and I helped them organise fueling, take down barriers and so on.

The most “fun” was when I helped drag the Whitney Boomerang out of some soft ground. We’d parked it on grass in the corner of the warbird tarmac last night as the pilot had radio troubles and couldn’t leave. This morning, the main wheels were half-sunk into the soft earth. Ooops – didn’t think it was *that* soft when we parked it there…

The pilot and I wound up sitting under the wing (it’s a low wing – not much room) and rolling the wheels forward. We got both forward about 1/2 turn each and they were sinking again, so we hooked the tow bar into the nose wheel and with me pulling on that while the pilot went back to turning one of the wheels, we were able to pivot it out onto firmer ground, eventually getting it onto the tarmac itself. Whew.

Shortly after the Roulettes arrived, prepared their aircraft and left. The ground crew were wearing standard camo fatigues instead of their performance outfits but still went through the usual formation start-up and departure. Some of the photos I have will show the various ground crews from the Hornet, F-111 and Hawk teams in their standard camo fatigues that are being worn these days.

There were some escort duties including bringing the A-37 Dragonfly team in so they could prep their aircraft and then fly home. We also escorted the Roulette ground crew in to pick up their trailer and then head over to their two static display aircraft so they could prep them for travel.

The RAAF 707 left not long after then we wound up sitting in our vehicle on the tarmac waiting to get back to the warbird tarmac. We were in a queue behind a DC-3, Catalina, RAAF C-17 and 6 F-18′s. We couldn’t cut across the combat jet exit because they had an F-15 sitting there doing engine runs. Eventually we got through in time to help clear a couple of lighties, the last few warbirds and the RAAF Hawks (they’d moved over to the warbird tarmac before the F-15 could move out and block their exit).

The HARS Neptune left followed by the USAF C-17 and then the Super Constellation. The Connie’s brakes make an amazingly loud metal-on-metal sound – you can hear it for miles. Very distinctive.

About this time I wound up going over to Yellow section with Veggie in case they needed help clearing out their aircraft. They had everything under control so we sat and watched as a few lighties and a pair of Super Puma helicopters went past via Charlie to the runway.

Shortly after that, JD came back for us and dropped me off down in G1 (near the warbird tarmac) where a couple of lighties were getting ready to leave. We had some jets moving about plus Jetstar coming in and the RAF E-3 Sentry taxiing on the runway so we wanted to be sure the lighties were looked after. They had to monitor tower but didn’t want to drain their batteries so they switched off and I kept an ear open (I’d been monitoring tower frequency all airshow). When tower advised they could start up, I relayed the message and they got ready, heading out before the RAF E-3 came around.

The RAF E-3 was basically a 707 airframe with one of the giant radar dishes on the top. They’d been parked with the USAF E-3 up the other end of the airport and wound up taxiing down to Charlie and then around the loop to Bravo. Along the way they stopped and spent a bit of time inspecting the ground at a pedestrian/vehicle crossing (they were concerned about FOD) then slowly crawled around the loop with people out under their wingtips to ensure they wouldn’t hit anything on the edges. This caused some tension for ground ops as we’d already ensured the way was clear and we had a Jetstar aircraft that had landed and was back tracking on the runway to get to Charlie then follow the E-3 around the loop (delaying Jetstar is not an option).

They finally got around and were far enough forward that Jetstar could get into their terminal area and all without appearing to cause any delays. Eventually, the E-3 got on the runway, started to roll and wound up aborting their takeoff. They sat on the runway and did an engine run up to 80% power on their outboards. Something was still wrong though so they taxied all the way up the other end of the runway and off onto one of the taxiways. There they had to be towed around to the bottom of the runway as there was too much FOD for their liking. Last I’d heard about them, they’d completed a full engine run up and sorted out their hassles and were trying to get slotted back into the departures queue.

By this time, we’d finished with everything at Green and the last few were leaving Yellow. The USAF combat jets were still there but going back on Wednesday, a RAAF F-18 had a problem with its INS and a RAN Seahawk had a problem and couldn’t fly. The F-18, Seahawk and a Sea King wound up parked at the top of Bravo near the QANTAS maintenance hangars.

So, with all that, we headed back to AGO, handed in our equipment, said goodbye to everyone and headed for home. Another Avalon Airshow completed – three now for me (plus one as a spectator :) but others have done 6 to 8. Wow.

From Grand Prix to Airshow, what’s the link? Yesterday I was at the Grand Prix watching cars and aircraft. Today I’m down at Avalon directing aircraft. Perhaps the link is the F18′s? The Roulettes? A 747? Yeah, them too – but there’s also the fact that the F1 cars will be shipping out via 747 freighters from Avalon. So, cars and aircraft – yesterday at Albert Park, today at Avalon.

I arrived in the morning and signed in, picking up my credentials, uniform and meal tickets (they’re important!). Going over to Airshow Ground Operations, I signed in there, picked up my AGO gear and headed out to the Green Room (tent right next to the combat jet tarmac). We already had the F-15s, F-16s and a few F-18s on the tarmac (they arrived last night) plus their support C-17 over in the keyhole next to a pair of Super Pumas.

Down the other end of taxiway Alpha (a kilometer or so) the parked aircraft looked to include a P-3 and a C-130. A C-27 was parked in the static area at the intersection of Alpha & Charlie.

First aircraft in were a flight of 3 Hawks that checked in on the light-jet tarmac (aka Green 2) then a QF 747 heading up Bravo to the QANTAS maintenance base. An E-3 Sentry (707 AWACS aircraft) arrived and was held on Bravo waiting for the C-17 to reverse out of the keyhole (on its own power using reverse thrust). The E-3 came in and then the C-17 went out to practice its demo sessions.

A Victorian Police PC-12 came around the loop and parked in G2 for a while. After the C-17, the F-15 headed out to strut its stuff and the Hawks were prepped to fly over the city. After the Hawks left, the glider team got ready to leave (this one has a pair of micro-jets installed just above to cockpit – amazing stuff) while the F-16 prepped to head out. With the glider launched, the F-16 went out and did his practice (not very good – would be lucky to get a 5.5 on the ratings) then the glider came back in and did his show.

About this time, an F-18 was dragged out to the exit from the combat jet tarmac. This is where a departing jet is started and checked before they head out. We parked the F-15 at the intersection of Charlie & Bravo (the end of the “loop”) and shut it down for towing back into the combat jet tarmac as soon as the F-18 was gone. Unfortunately, this was not to be so – flying as passenger on the F-18 was the current Defence Minister, which meant a media-scrum and more “posing” photos than I’ve ever seen before.

During this time, a Jetstar A321 comes in and taxis up to drop off its passengers then the F-16 finishes, taxis up next to the F-15 and shuts down. A group of Navy helos drops into the keyhole (Sea King, Sea Hawk and Squirrel) then taxi out onto the loop (aka Charlie). An Army Blackhawk also comes into the keyhole and taxis out behind the Navy group. The RAAF C-17 comes overhead with a Hawk on its wing with both doing a break and landing. Then an F-111 with two Hawks come over and also break and land. Then two RAAF F-18′s come in and land.

Finally the minister’s photo shoot is all done and the F-18 heads out and another F-18 comes up for yet another media scrum as another VIP sits in the back.

About now, the tower sends the RAAF C-17 back down the runway to Bravo with the F-111 right behind it. Next thing you know, the C-17 is stopped because it can’t pass behind the Jetstar A320 as there wasn’t enough space for it. So, we have the A320 waiting to turn around and head out, the C-17 waiting to get past it, the F-16 & F-15 ready to be towed and the F-111 behind the C-17 with its tail still technically into the runway (it was inside the gable markers).

Tower winds up landing a number of aircraft “long” to avoid the F-111′s jetwash until finally another Jetstar A321 is on approach to land. The landing Jetstar crew decide that they’re not happy with the F-111′s position so they go-around – ouch – expensive.

During this time, the F-111 manages to do a 180 on Bravo and heads back up the runway to Charlie. Tower tells the F-111 to expedite its departure and to ignore any marshalls until he’s off the runway (actual words were “If a marshall tries to stop you before you’ve cleared the runway, run them over” – hmmmm). Getting the F-111 off the runway lets the new Jetstar A321 land and, while he’s rolling out, the C-17 backs out of Bravo to the runway and also taxis up to Charlie.

Tower takes the time to send the Hawks up to Charlie and the F-18s come up Bravo, getting a vehicle escort up to one of the parking bays near the QANTAS maintenance area. Once they’re through, the original A320 heads out and I’m kept busy marshalling commercial jets & light aircraft up Bravo and around onto Charlie (the loop). During this time I manage to grab a couple of shots of a Mil-8 helo landing on Charlie – big bugger – I’d seen it come into the general helo-pads over near the general public entrance – instant dust storm and brown-out as it came in.

Finally we had the RAAF C-17 come back up the runway to Bravo – I directed it onto Charlie and it went into the keyhole, along with a C-130 that I also “batted.” Eventually the Jetstar A321 went out and it all went quiet.

There’s more aircraft coming in this evening but I took advantage of the lull to head for home at 4pm, getting a great run in to Melbourne (40 minutes from start up at Avalon carpark to reaching the Kings Way in South Melbourne – not bad at all).

More news tomorrow – hopefully a little less chaotic (although then it’d probably get boring :)

Avalon airshow finished on Sunday and I finished up on Monday – all went well and I got to experience things you just can’t buy. Things like clambering through warbirds, walking out to the wingtip of a C17, taking Nykolai through the warbirds and around the combat jets (on the tarmac where the public couldn’t go – had to get an escort and everything), etc.

I’ve got about 300 photos to wade through and sort out so it might take a while to load them all, but keep an eye on the site and they’ll be there.

For now, it’s back to the office and catching up on the work that piled up while I was “away” (if coming in some nights for various things, doing remote work from home and fielding phone calls counts as being “away” :)