1980s AUSTRALIAN MILITARY - 1

A selection of my photographs taken during the decade


McDonnell F/A-18AA21-15 heads a row of RAAF Hornets at Richmond, October 1988

F/A-18B two seater A21-108 taxies at RAAF Richmond, October 1988

F-111C A8-129 at RAAF Pearce WA, September 1987 during exercises.  It is now displayed at Queensland Air Museum

Dassault Mirage III A3-24 at  RAAF Pearce in September 1987, only a year before retirement

Mirage III A3-96 at Pearce, September 1987

Mirage III A3-60 at RAAF Pearce in September 1987 in low-vis scheme

Mirage A3-53 with ARDU markings at Richmond, October 1988

A3-2 in ARDU test paint scheme at Richmond October 1988.  It had been delivered to RAAF back in April 1964

RAAF Macchi MB326 trainers from a navex group of 20 Macchis from 2FTS Pearce arrive at Geraldton WA, August 1987

Geraldton WA in September 1985.  A7-082 with 2FTS crashed at Gin Gin WA the following year after the pilot ejected

Macchis of the RAAF display team The Roulettes visit an airshow at Wangaratta Vic in April 1986

Roulettes Macchi A7-054 at Wangaratta April 1986, parked at the newly-opened Drage Air World museum facility

RAAF Macchi A7-075 seen at Richmond October 1988 while with 76 Squadron, had previously been N14-075 with RAN

Civilian operators bidding for military contract work was an established practice by the 1980s. 
Pacific Aviation Learjet 35A VH-FOX at Essendon in November 1984 with an array of modifications for a RAAF project

Lloyd Aviation Jet Charter's Learjet 35A VH-HOF, imported for a RAN contract, seen at Richmond October 1988

Lockheed P-3C Orion A9-665 visiting RAAF Pearce WA, September 1987

P-3C A9-758 was also at Pearce on an exercise in September 1987

Only a handful of the RAAF's faithful Dakotas remained in service by the 1980s.
A65-78 had been painted in this tactical scheme when it visited Jandakot Airport, Perth in September 1988

A65-91 at Essendon in February 1988 wears the final standard RAAF Dakota scheme.
It had been sold by disposals to a civil company two years earlier, but left parked at Essendon. It became VH-TMQ

A65-71 was issued to the Australian War Memorial and flown by RAAF personnel repainted in WWII transport markings with
radio callsign VHCIN and 37 Squadron code OM-N. Pictured after flying a display at Richmond in October 1988

RAN Dakota N2-90 while being flown by the Fleet Air Arm Historic Flight as VH-NVZ.  Ballarat Vic February 1987

The memorable sight and sound of N2-90 taking off at Mangalore Vic in April 1985

N2-90 was repainted in martime blue for its flying display at the Bicentenary Air Show at Richmond October 1988

Locklheed C-130E Hercules A97-189 at Richmond in October 1988, with a USAF C-5 Galaxy parked behind

C-130H A97-001 at Perth in December 1986

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