Faithful F-111 jet ready to roar past one last time

Courier-Mail (Brisbane) ^ | 3rd December 2010 | Andrew MacDonald

[naturalman1975]

AMBERLEY'S mighty F-111s will take to Queensland skies for the final time on Friday.

While Friday morning's flyover of the southeast corner and northern NSW will mark the fighter-bomber's public swansong, on Thursday the RAAF community bid farewell to the beloved aircraft the best way it knew how.

.....

The F-111s will take off from Amberley about 11.20am before passing over Laidley, Ipswich, Rosewood and

The group will then split with one contingent flying a northern route over Sandgate, Redcliffe, Bribie Island, Caloundra, Maroochydore and Noosa by 12.05pm.

The second group will pass over the Gold Coast, Coolangatta, Byron Bay and Evans Head by 12.15pm.

[JRandomFreeper]

So, McNamara's fighter (that wasn't a fighter) fades off into the night. Good. Why a bean counter from the automotive world was put in charge of the DOD is beyond me. I pray that God extracts justice.

God bless the men that adapted and flew and used the aircraft that was badly suited to any purpose. They deserve the glory. Because they took a lemon and made lemonade, and a fair EW platform out of it.

/johnny

[Iron head mike]

Sad to see them go. I was with the FB111’s at plattsburg NY in 1975. good times, good times.....

[Yo-Yo]

F-111As at Mtn. Home AFB from 1978-81 for me. I did my mourning when the USAF retired the EF-111As in the late 1990s to pay for the F-22.

[The Comedian]

I don't care what anyone says, that was one scary-cool piece of ordnance. It took out Kadaffi's kid too, if I recall, so God bless it.

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[yarddog]

From the way it has been used it apparently was a decent light bomber but never was a fighter.

I think it was supposed to be a jack of all trades airplane.

[frithguild]

Vark!

[Talisker]

I don't care what anyone says, that was one scary-cool piece of ordnance.

Agreed. Moveable wings, side-by-side cockpit, size, style, it was great.

That such a neat aircraft could be made without having some sort of advantageous mission profile is incredible.

[Darksheare]

So long Spark Varks, may your memories be sweet and your retirement rest easy for your remaining airframes.

[eartrumpet]

I was at an air show at Mtn Home in the 90s. 2 of them were warming up on the apron for a half hour, an F-111A and an EF-111A. They had the most piercing, annoying whine as they sat at idle, when they finally rolled out for their show, people cheered because the noise was done. And they cheered again at the show they put on.

A friend watched one crash at Bruneau some time in the 80s. They ejected safely.

[Yo-Yo]

That such a neat aircraft could be made without having some sort of advantageous mission profile is incredible.

But it did have an advantageous mission profile. It's cutting edge terrain following radar allowed night/adverse weather low level strike missions, and it had very long range.

Later, the F-111F with the Pave Tack pod was on the cutting edge of precision standoff strike.

What it couldn't do, and never really was meant to do well, was air superiority and carrier operations. Those missions were McNamara's idea.

[ops33]

I was an Air Traffic Controller at Cannon AFB mid-80’s working in both the Tower and the Rapcon. Skies were filled with F-111’s. Base was in a lousy location but no controller there had much to complain about the traffic. That was great.