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FAREWELL Tricky Smith IP: 120.17.47.181 Posted on 25/2/2018 at 04:30:31 PM by Beetle Bailey
Posted on this Airman Aircrew website on behalf of great mate and work college WOFF Rick " Tricky " Smith Loadmaster.
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Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have been offered a Command Initiated Transfer to Reserve (CITR) which I have accepted and will depart the PAF on 2nd March 2018. If you can spare 10 minutes I’d like to share with you some of my thoughts and experiences I’ve accumulated over the last 32 years.
I joined the Air Force on the 10th January 1986 as a Clerk Supply, about four months prior to WOFF Ryan Wilson being born. To say that I’ve seen some changes in the Air Force in that time is a massive understatement. Here are just a few that come readily to mind.
C130A Hercules parked on the hardstand at RAAF Base Laverton, both long gone. Stowage of the Mirage aircraft at RAAF Base Woomera, whilst awaiting disposal. ARDU flying the 2AD maintained SABRE, the only operational one in the southern hemisphere I think, and WOFF Rudy Mech (LOADM) crewing the ARDU Dakota.
My first posting in the Air Force after initial and course training was to Base Squadron Edinburgh. Do you remember Base SQN’s? There I worked at stock control in the procurement office. This was my first real job in the Air Force and gave me an introduction to sportys. I was lucky enough to play golf every Wednesday afternoon with the WOFFIC stock control. Good times. I thought being an equipo was the greatest job in the world.
In April 1988 I was posted to 2AD, Richmond (where I’ve been ever since) and worked within Hydraulic, SEW and Radio sections as their equipo. Apparently 2AD was the worst posting in Australia but I had a ball and made some lifelong friendships. I’m sure a young AC Dave Ebert would agree too. I was then posted to Supply Support Squadron Richmond (SSSRIC) and eventually ended up at Air Movements. This was my initial introduction to Loadmasters. I couldn’t get over how handsome and well dressed they were and realised then that this was my calling.
A posting in 1993 to MOVCORDC (ALCC now AMCC) followed, where I pursued my Loadmaster aspirations.
Graduating from 014 Loadmaster course in November 1996 I was posted to 36SQN. I was fortunate enough to graduate with both a C130E and C130H qualification. A young SQNLDR Kev Bruce was OIC 37SQN Training Flight and an even younger SQNLDR Gary Martin was OIC 36SQN Training Flight. A few months later, in 1997, FLTLT Bill Kourelakos transferred to the RAAF (36SQN) from the RCAF as a Navigator and commenced his stellar career with the Aussies. So this was the beginning of my flying career and began an association with C130 aircraft that would last over 20 years.
I cut my LOADM teeth initially flying scheduled services around Australia. Who can forget the Southern Service (SS), the Northern Cargo (NC), the Western Cargo (WC) and the Territory Cargo (TC). Excellent training for both Loadmasters and Pilots. Where are they now? The SS departed Richmond, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, for Canberra and then on to Laverton and I remember overflying Canberra regularly during the winter months due heavy fog. TAC was where it’s at though and once you completed TAC Course you could only expect flying the LLAT or to Gilgandra, Lake Cargelligo and Londonderry drop zone. Great times though.
Then it all changed in 1999 when Operation Warden kicked off in East Timor. Due to operational considerations and the challenges of this environment we changed the way we thought and the way we operated. We became a more balanced, potent and integrated Air Force and have never looked back. Operational Tempo that was considered high back then is now considered to be the norm. Operation Catalyst, Operation Slipper, Operation Highroad, Operation Accordion, Operation Okra and Operation Mazurka, just to name a few, quickly followed. I won’t even mention all the humanitarian and Operation Assist tasks. Busy, you better believe it.
The Air Force has since embarked on an unprecedented capability modernisation program. Something we drastically needed. We are now transitioning to a fifth generation Air Force capable of delivering both lethal and non-lethal air power. With the arrival of two
F-35A’s later this year, to work in close partnership with the E/A-18G Growler, the RAAF will become one of the most advanced Air Forces in the world. Add to this the latest acquisition of KC30A, P-8A Poseidon, C17, C27, C130J, HAWK and PC21 aircraft platforms, and the introduction of fundamentally new capabilities such as Triton Unmanned Aerial System and a world class Joint Battlespace Management System, Air Forces future couldn’t look brighter.
Embrace this new technology, new operating and support concepts and continually strive for improvement. You are highly trained professionals and you will need to be as the future operating environment will be increasingly complex. Exciting times are ahead, I’m sure of that. A long way off from the retirement of the MIRAGE, C130E, C130H, HS748, Caribou, B707, MACCHI, F111, ORION P3’s and I’m sure several other frames I can’t think of. Imagine the changes and challenges that the next 25 years will bring. Maybe it’s too early for me to retire?
Posted out of 36SQN I had the following postings on RAAF base Richmond:
2003 – 2005 AMTDU, (Air Worthiness Flight, very satisfying posting where I learnt a lot)
2010 – 2014 37SQN, (Back on my beloved H models, for a while)
2014 – 2017 AMCC, (Best ground job I’ve ever had, because it’s the only one)
2017 – 2018 37SQN (Back flying again!)
Total flying hours accrued were:
C130E 231.8
C130H 3859.8
C130J 3070.4
C130K 228.1
Day: 6292 Night: 1098.1 TOTAL: 7390.1 (Not too bad for an ex butcher)
A young SGT said to me the other day that I had joined/retired at the perfect time and had the best career ever. I certainly couldn’t argue with him. To have flown with and known some of the characters and true legends of the Aircrew world has been truly memorable. WOFF Shorty Heffernan 36SQN C130H LOADM was a legend in his own lifetime. He’s even got a street named after him on RAAF Base Richmond. That will never happen again. WOFF Noel Darr 37SQN C130E LOADM accrued more than 17,000 flying hours. That will never happen again. Who can forget the MATU Christmas parties and seeing WOFF Bob Pearman belting out his rendition of Rawhide. That will never happen again.
To all the Senior Officers I’ve had the pleasure to work for, thank you. Thank you for your leadership, direction and support over the past 30 odd years. You’ve helped shaped the man I have become today. To all the Junior Officers I’ve had the pleasure to work with and for, thank you. Thank you for your guidance and patience. It’s been a pleasure to see you all mature and develop into outstanding individuals and dedicated officers. I can still remember a young wide eyed bograt, Darren Goldie, on pilot conversion course in Townsville. To all my peers thank you for your assistance and guidance, you have all helped develop my skills and made my Loadmaster career a thoroughly enjoyable one. To all my ex-students and subordinates thank you for your patience and follow ship. It’s been a pleasure to have mentored/guided you on your path towards becoming a Loadmaster, and I trust an excellent Air Force career. Work hard and often as the rewards you will gain far outweigh the efforts required. I’m sure you’ll all have a very exciting, challenging and rewarding aircrew career.
I’d like to leave you with a quote from my favourite band at the moment Macklemore.
“ I WISH SOMEBOBY WOULD HAVE TOLD ME, BABE
SOMEDAY, THESE WILL BE THE GOOD OLD DAYS,
ALL THE LOVE YOU WON’T FORGET
AND ALL THESE RECKLESS NIGHTS YOU WON’T REGRET
SOMEDAY SOON, YOUR WHOLE LIFE’S GONNA CHANGE
YOU’LL MISS THE MAGIC OF THESE GOOD OLD DAYS”
That’s right folks, these are the good old days. Embrace them, enjoy them and live them.
I’d also like to share with you some observations I’ve made of the people and mustering’s I’ve had the pleasure to work with over the years too. Let’s start at the beginning:
· EQUIPOS / LOGOS: The oil that keeps the finely tuned machine working. Without your help and assistance there would be no operational capability. Don’t ever forget that. Next time an aircrew member or techo/maintainer comes requesting an AOG for a split pin (it just happened last week), just smile in the knowledge that you are the one providing air superiority through operational capability. WOW
· TECHOS/MAINTAINERS: I’ve never met a bunch of people who can sleep so much. They fall asleep on the taxi out and awake on the taxi in. But can they spin spanners. When the work is on they’re at it all night long. Never complaining about aircrew breaking serviceable aircraft just cracking on with the job. I get it now, the penny just dropped. No wonder they are tired all the time after fixing planes all night. A highly dedicated bunch too. WOW
· MOVERS: Maybe not the oil but definitely the grease that keeps the machine turning. Without you all rigging/derigging, loading/unloading, fuelling, rationing, load planning and marshalling aircraft there would be no operational capability. WOW
· AIRCRAFT CAPTAINS: The most professional and dedicated aircrew member. Don’t ever confuse their ambitions and aspirations with arrogance, they are just confident capable individuals and they need to be. It still makes me smile though when “FLGOFF Blogs’” signs for the 40 million dollar jet but is the lowest paid aircrew member on the aircraft. Amazing. Surely these guys and girls need a Captaincy bonus.
· COPILOTS: The hardest working aircrew member. The beauty of this though is that one day they’ll be Captains and have a Co-pilot working for them. Never forget the big picture, the reward is huge.
· FLTENGS: GONE but not forgotten. Probably the smartest aircrew member. There wasn’t anything they couldn’t fix with an empty coke can, screwdriver and a hammer. Who can forget the 8 hour technical discussion with WOFF Blue Neal or WOFF John Boshammer whilst flying RIC – KWAJ.
· NAVIGATORS: GONE but not forgotten. Never required for internal Australian tasking but funnily enough always the first person on the board for international tasking. Could eat too. I think the record is still 3 breakfast frozo’s from Richmond to Canberra, a thirty minute flight. No names though. They came into their own and really earnt their pay flying low level TACEX’s around NSW, on NVG’s, hitting bullseyes on time and on target.
· LOADMS: The best dressed and best looking aircrew member. Enough said really. Who would have thought we’d have CPL Loadmaster’s straight off the street now? (John Oddie 10 years ago, that’s who)
Nearly finished.
Highlights: Way too many to name but here’s a few.
· 7 MER deployments – the last being the best! (best crews, maintainers, bosses),
· Exercise Longlook, flying NATO special op’s to Macedonia and Kosovo with the RAF on LXXSQN C130K’s was pretty special,
· SAREX 97 – 16.3 hours flying around the Southern Ocean, try doing that in a C130J,
· Last ever platform drop on the C130H,
· Inter-service golf, great camaraderie,
· Having C130E, C130H, C130J and C130K hours in my log book and pretty much every day I went flying was special.
Lowlights: Only two, not bad for 32 years.
· Trying to taxi out with a fire bottle stuck under your front left main tyres in Kuwait. Ooops
· And of course the infamous snakes on a plane incident.
Both stories are better told with a beer in hand, so if you want to hear them it will cost you a schooner.
Finally I’d like to quote a line from my favourite move “Dirty Dancing” Who could ever forget the line when Patrick Swayze walks over and says “nobody puts baby in the corner” Ooops that’s not the line, I meant this one:
I’VE HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE AND I OWE IT ALL TO YOU!