Nice picture. In the background is another old defence icon that has now gone to the detriment of Sydney to appease the Pollies and Greenies, I don't mean the type of "greenies" we were either. My other favourites were maintained there also. The Oberons. If you were an American Skipper in the war games you never messed with the Oberons.
Barry
As a certain skipper of a certain american aircraft carrier found out . Nice picture of his screws.....
We were credited with an american DDG during wargames, didn't see us until it was to late .
What a shame they couldn't have been donated to museums. There is a fantastic little fighter jet museum at parafield airport in Adelaide. They have a Mirage and a Sabre there and the men running it were fantastic. The even let my sons sit in the planes which made their day and the boys still talk about it. My youngest had his birthday there and says it was the best day ever. I can just imagine what raptures they would be in if the got to see a F-111.
Doesn't some underdeveloped country want to buy them?
Greg.
LOL.. That may breach the contract with the USA Greg. It was at their behest that the machines were buried tens of metres underground. I somehow doubt they'd want to see us sell them off to an unstable and underdeveloped regime...
Yes it is depressing to see these items of military equipment destroyed but that is the way.
I have watched some of the naval equipment that I spent hours of blood and sweat on (no tears) plus all night sessions to make them ready for deployment, sunk. They did make lovely footage for the gallery and news media when their service life was over.
What Chris says is correct. The contract we bought them under called for this when their life was over.
As a certain skipper of a certain american aircraft carrier found out . Nice picture of his screws.....
We were credited with an american DDG during wargames, didn't see us until it was to late .
Cheers
When ever war games were on the enemy was always selected from the patrol boat fleet and the subs. They were supposed to get beaten but they never counted on our boats not playing completely by the rules and our small specialist task forces very often had the last laugh. That poor captain mentioned above never commanded a ship again to my knowledge.
When ever war games were on the enemy was always selected from the patrol boat fleet and the subs. They were supposed to get beaten but they never counted on our boats not playing completely by the rules and our small specialist task forces very often had the last laugh. That poor captain mentioned above never commanded a ship again to my knowledge.
Barry
Someone forgot to tell us our Battle Life Expectancy was only 30 seconds . We had an ex WW2 skipper on that simulation, the DDG had no hope, yanks complained that we cheated, naturally, we still got the kill though....
I certainly don't like that news feed at all......
Donate toMuseums around the world +1
scrap metal yard and recycle +1
So much more you can do with the body's than just burrying them in some land fill....
I agree " a disgusting waste"!!!!!!
Batman
Guessing a full stop and ?mark was meant to be in there Chris....
yep the next thing to do with them.... take the starter buttons out and put them up on poles at various Air Bases....
Bartman
I really don't see what all the fuss is about
Hundreds of different Aircraft over the years have reached their "Use By Date" and just turned to scrap or buried.
That there is a few going to be saved as Museum displays is good enough
There are still lots of them in Mothballs in the USA and will probably be there for a long time to come.
Cheers
Would you guys complaining about the way these aircraft have been disposed of be willing to foot the cost for your ideas? Jeez, a few have been moved to museums so the history of the aircrafts service in Australia will be preserved. It would be cost prohibitive to do anything like recycling for the remainder, the idea has been investigated. Defence has to deal with an ever decreasing budget as it is and has to focus funding and resources on the support of existing equipment as well as new projects and acquisitions along with operations overseas.
Not complaining Hans, just thinking of a better way to dispose of something that could be recyclable/ recycled...one way or another.
You say " an ever decreasing budget".......How much is the current budget compared to the current cost of transporting them to a metal scrap yard ( of some sort) and then compare it to the cost of digging a hole and transporting the bodies to that hole and then covering them up.....take a breath Bart...yes I know....
Dont get me wrong...I'm not dissing the ADF
Bartman
I really don't see what all the fuss is about
Hundreds of different Aircraft over the years have reached their "Use By Date" and just turned to scrap or buried.
That there is a few going to be saved as Museum displays is good enough
There are still lots of them in Mothballs in the USA and will probably be there for a long time to come.
Cheers
Those massive plane grave yards should have a temp smelter of some sort.....back up parts? well build a warehouse and put those bits in there.
aluminum can recycle is still alive ?
Guessing a full stop and ?mark was meant to be in there Chris....
It was a statement, not a question Bart. When the RAAF bought these aircraft from the US they signed a contract stipulating that the airframes were to be buried in a prescribed manner upon cessation of duty. They are considered sensitive to national security - even in pieces - and Thiess, who was awarded the burial contract, had to jump through all sorts of hoops to get the gig.
It was a statement, not a question Bart. When the RAAF bought these aircraft from the US they signed a contract stipulating that the airframes were to be buried in a prescribed manner upon cessation of duty. They are considered sensitive to national security - even in pieces - and Thiess, who was awarded the burial contract, had to jump through all sorts of hoops to get the gig.
Regardless of contracts, and what had to be, it's not easy to watch them get buried.
Multiple Billions of dollars of tanks, trucks, planes, heli's etc have been pushed overboard ship returning from several wars, and always seems a waste.
An old friend said he vividly remembers pushing Iriquois Heli's, Trucks, Personell carriers, and large guns into the Ocean on the way back from Vietnam, and considered it a shocking waste back then.
Yes, we have to do what the mighty supremo US of A says
but it is still hard to watch such a stunning part of my life's history and memories get buried like wretched vermin.
I believe I am entitled to feel a bit angry and sad at seeing something that meant so much to me treated this way.
At least Point Cook has 2 of them for restoration
I saw them only a few weeks ago. One nicely housed, the other is dumped outside in deplorable condition. But one day it will shine again
Yep, me too. It's not too difficult to feel that machines like this, which have done their duty and protected us over decades, have (and I'm not religious in the slightest) something resembling the notion of a "soul".
I'm led to believe ( and someone can correct me .. if this has changed ) .. that the ' life ' of ANY aircraft is based on it's ' airframe flying hours '.
A bit like saying ... ok ...this brand new aeroplane can be in the air for 50,000 hours .... after that .. IT'S GROUNDED ...regardless.
It is now deemed not to be ' AIRWORTHY ' for service.
Strip it down for serviceable parts etc ... scrap it ... or whatever.
Apparently ... it's all about the Airframe. ( or was )
. Nice picture of his screws.....
.
