Blast from the past. I was a crew chief on this same plane (67-113) from '77 to '79 when it was an F-111A with the 366th TFW. Seeing sitting in the museum, it looked right at home. This plane spent more time in the hangar than out on the flight line. Something was always broke on it. Thanks for a chance to see my old nemesis again.
My Lackland MTI was an Aardvark crew chief and although he was proud of his work, he told all the 2A-bound trainees in the flight to get used to the suck of long days, no weekends and no holidays. When I reported to my unit it was still flying C-141s, but transitioning to C-17s and the 141s were in hangars about 80% of the time. The structures guys were overwhelmed.
@@davidbrooks7806 While walking the flightline at old Mountain Goat AFB I noticed several of the A models had faded "NA" on the tail and couldn't help but think "Why the fuck couldn't they have sent me to Vegas when I came back from overseas?"
That's awesome. Interesting to see all the comments from ex Mt. Home guys, and those who remember RAAF crews coming over for Red Flag. I was born in '79. Sometime around '94-'95 I had an opportunity to attend an info/PR briefing at Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) regarding the introduction of the newly purchased G models, courtesy of a friend's Dad who was president of a local aero club. Some guys from 6SQN flew one down from RAAF Amberly in Queensland, we watched a presentation regarding the upgraded capabilities and met the aircrew then were led out to a hanger to see it in the metal, complete with a full array of dummy weaponry laid out in front and a scaffold so we could look inside the cockpit (no cameras allowed obviously, security was heavy!). Made a huge impression on me as a young lad and I desperately wanted to join the RAAF. Unfortunately my poor eyesight and a chronic medical condition led me down a different path, but I've had a huge respect for the Pig/Aardvark and her crews ever since, will never forget it. (As an older bloke with a bit of mechanical experience though... I bet they were an absolute bitch to work on. My sympathies to any maintainers dealing with long-term medical issues stemming from fuel tank deseal/reseal operations).
I was a part of the TFX-111 program, for several years, in the late 60's. The screen, next to the laser display screen was the LCOS, or Lead Computing Optical Sight, which was my specialty. it could track up to 18 mixed threats and automatically respond to 8 of them, either by missles, chaff, electronic countermeasures, etc. Its so weird to see the display uncovered. Back in the day, you had to possess a top secret clearance to even look at it. We had to have a "move man" lock it in a vault when we went on break or the bathroom. The display was always covered with a red plastic cover...
I flew 'varks at Lakenheath and Upper Heyford, and in Desert Storm from Taif. What a boss! Thanks for this trip down memory lane! BTW- with wings back at 72 degrees and in full mil power, it was not unusual to get to .97M in the F-111F. That's really something- nearly supercruise with '70s technology engines and a '60's airframe.
I was instrument/autopilot tech and instructor from 1970 to 1980 on the F111D and F111A. I grew to love that airplane. My dream was to be a pilot but that was not to be because of my eyesight. Next best thing for me was to fix them. I wanted to get to ride in one at least once. They were not giving rides when I was a technician but later when I was an FTD instructor at Mt Home they were. One of my students got a ride. I'm 72 years old now and I'm still pissed about that. I do understand the cost for a ride is very expensive and that was the main reason it was not done very much.
Great vid mate. I'm from Texas and was a contractor at Cannon AFB, New Mexico way back in '92. There was a spot just north of the runway not even 150 meters that you could see these majestic birds take-off from runway. The sound of an F-111 on initial take-off is deafening in MIL power. Once they kicked the after burners it was pure joy. You could feel it in your chest.
I was 27th CES at Cannon. Air Field Lighting & Power. Sometimes, at night while making my rounds of the air field. I would sit on top of one of the elevated approach light towers as the planes would fly over on approach to landing. Loud and Beautiful.
Retired 1991 Cannon AFB. Left Mountain Home AFB in 87 for Misawa Japan F-16C/D *load toad* just to get sent back to NM to work the aardvark one last time. Whispering Death was the F111. You were dead before you heard it 👍🏻
As a young lad I would have seen you making approaches along the beach towards Donna nook range in the 80s,I used to sit in the Sandhills at Mablethorpe with binoculars,I could see UH on the tail.
Great ! Had the pleasure of working D models straight out of tech school at Cannon in the late 70's, still remember engine runs on the trim pad ,the vibration and sound was like no other ,pure awesomeness!!!!
I was at cannon in74 thru 79. When they tied the plane down at the Trim Pad. And adjusted the engines was a memory you canr forget. I lived between clovis an the texas border. When they ran the afterburners it would rattle the dishes in our kitchen 7 miles away.. i will never forget the whine of the engines .as they taxied around the flight line! Hey anyone remember the little white light up on the tail that blinked when the engines were running ? God bless us all. F111 alumni. 27 ems A G E ......
I was friends with an Air Force general who thoroughly loved this jet. He said that it was a dream to fly. I had another friend who was an Air Force mechanic who hated it because of it’s maintenance issues. To me it looks fast just parked on the ground. I think it’s cool!😎
It was best when it was flown regularly. Sitting in the hangar, we had to put large drip pans under it because it leaked quite a bit. Whenever an alert drill sounded, we would head for the tool box because we knew one of the planes would need maintenance.
I was a crew chief on the E & F models in the UK in the 80's. The canopies are manually operated and can lock in several open positions. With them completely open and the long nose it looks like an Aardvark. But, it was the most difficult airplane I ever worked on. It was indeed a pig!
Thank you for showing an F111 THAT I know my dad would have worked on , as he was the lead Tec avionics that was in Vietnam when the F111 was used there . My Father was in Vietnam between red 67 through to the 69 , and yes the f111 was there so thank you for showing one that he would have worked on .
One of the features of the F111D, maybe all models, was the ability to program a route in the navigation computer using a tape machine and the autopilot would follow that route. The navigation computer could remember 99 coordinates. Pretty good stuff for the late 1950s and early 1960s. The first F111 flew in 1964. The technology had to be in place before that date. We received the first F111D at Cannon AFB around 1971.
I recently checked out the F-111 at Evans Head, NSW. By chance I was able to sit in the cockpit and was given a personalised tour by a retired F-111 navigator who had over 1000hrs on type with the RAAF. He also said that the Yanks were jealous of the sheepskin covers us Aussies had. Absolutely incredible aircraft! One thing that I don’t know you mentioned - they had an arrestor hook for high speed aborts, assuming the airfield had an arrestor cable off the end of the strip. Maybe they were originally designed for carrier ops for the US Navy? Great video!
If memory serves me correctly, panels 1101 and 1102 were forward of the cockpit on the left (from the pilots perspective); panels 1201 and 1202 were on the right, all secured with #4 apex screws torqued to 45 inch pounds. The nose radome had four latches with screws torqued to 25 inch pounds. The Doppler radome had 63 or 64 screws and you would use your head to hold it in place while attaching it if working alone. 3-axis inertial navigation system could take 8 hours to complete. I think I had as much cockpit time as many crew members but never left the ground. 5 years, 27 days at Cannon AFB as a “D” model avionics guy!
@@johndunn3424 spent 10 yrs on RAAF F111Cs and Gs, first 5 as an avtech, mostly instrument and elec, then the last 5 yrs as a gunnie, including a tour at the crew module time change section. There was nothing like standing at the end of the carports (on the flightline where the jets parked), watching 2 take off side by side just on dusk. The noise, the heat, and the vibration making the carports hum. Still miss it!
AHHH the pig. Many a night watching these beautiful birds doing touch n gos at RAAF bases we lived on. I miss the good old after burn show they always put on, the sound and the wow, they always bought to any training run.
My dad flew these in Desert Storm, Bosnia, & other places I don't know about. E for sure, and another model or models before that. I always loved the planes, and him and his friends spoke fondly of it. Many fine memories with the F-111 in them. What a powerful jet to have taxi up to you, especially if you pulled the muffs up or an earplug out. Thank you, Paul.
Thanks for sharing! I was raised in Brisbane in the 70's and 80's - F-111's were a regular sight in the sky back then. They had a distinctive roar and you could hear them coming before you could see them.
Interesting to think that from the Wright Brothers first flight until the design of the F111 was 59 years - and from the Design of the F111 until now is 59 years
@You are correct But Warplanes are optimized around different parameters. Since it takes 4x the thrust to go twice as fast, it's been decided to save the weight for other things, like fuel and payload. Engine technology has come leaps and bounds--All you have to do is go to wikipedia and read a little to know that. Although, given your username, I suspect you're deliberately trying to sound misinformed.
@@sillyoldbastard3280 were defo getting smarter as we invent new tech, but health and safety has got right in the way. Space travel has gone even more backwards it would seem
I've always been impressed with the complex engineering that went into this magnificent aircraft. I would've torn a groin tendon trying to enter or exit this aircraft! Good for you for not having that problem, Paul.
I worked on them for 13 years in the USAF and they were the biggest piles of crap to work on, everything broke, over Engineered and complicated. Great for pilots, but for every mission it took 176 hours of maintenance. But a impressive fighter.
I was a boy scout in Sacramento, California, in the 1980s. McClellan AFB (which serviced the F-111) was located there. Someone's father worked at McClellan and arranged for some of us to go out there one evening when they conducted a post-servicing engine run up inside some sort of hangar (sorry, I don't know the terminology). I got to sit in the righthand seat, next to the guy who was operating the engines, which I though was pretty cool. However, the other scouts got to see all the flames shooting out the back; I'm not sure who had the better deal.
My father was in charge of the advanced electronics on the F-111. This plane was very much modified and improved by the crews at McClellan AFB. Especially the E model.
Colonel Thomas C. Germscheid was a Captain on the initial Combat Lancer deployment in1968 at Takhli RTAFB. He was an Instructor when they went back in 73 - 74 at Takhli and Korat RTAFB where I was stationed. He retired as the Wing King at Canon AFB, and then started a career working on them as a contractor with Access Research Corp. where I was the Classified Contract Manager. We worked on them through the Pave Tack installation and Desert Storm. It's STILL the most efficient strike aircraft EVER in the USAF. Love that bird. There's one of the F-111F models at the Santa Fe Airport, near Angel Fire, NM where my friend Tom retired finally. Hammer
My father was career US Air Force and we were stationed at Mountain Home AFB in Idaho while I was in high school (in the 70's). At that time the 366th TFW was flying F-111Fs there. 3 of my high school buddies' fathers were F-111F pilots.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane! I'm a retired USAF F-111 pilot. I remember the Aussies coming to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho to train with us and fly in Red Flag exercises. It was interesting to see in your video some of the upgrades for that A model. Side note, I cringed when you stepped on the seat cushion. Crew chiefs would skin us alive if we did that. An F-111 loaded with live munitions burned to the ground at Mountain Home with explosions all night long when an oxygen leak in the capsule hit a greasy footprint on a seat cushion.
@@PaulStewartAviation and don't forget the girls who flew as WO in the Aussie F-111. No point trying to impress those girls with a fast car when they get around at Mach 2.
Your story is not credible, a "crew chief" would not likely discipline a pilot for stepping on a seat to aid ingress. Stepping on a seat is preferable to stepping on switches and instruments.
Thanks for the anecdote! Along with thousands of others, I've had the pleasure of paying five bucks to sit in the cockpit of F-111C A8-109 (sn 67-0109) which is maintained as a museum piece by the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society based at Illawarra Regional Airport (WOL) near Wollongong, a couple of hours south of Sydney. You don't sit on the seat cushion itself, you step/sit on a metal plate attached to the seat frame by the HARS crew. The BN's seat is left uncovered so you can see the wear and tear caused by many many hours of TFing. She's a special bird, being the final F-111C to ever take off. Although not the last to land (that honour went to A8-125, the first to land on Aussie soil upon initial delivery) A8-109 was the last F-111 to shut down those TF30s for the final time, anywhere in the world. She also carries the highest number of airframe hours of the entire RAAF fleet. Sits low on her gear due to the hydraulic system being drained, but still a magnificent example of a truly amazing aircraft. Will be visiting her again in November for Wings Over Illawarra 2021.
I was stationed at Mt. Home when this, and the other 3 F-111A's were transferred to RAAF. I was in Green section, the 390th. I was responsible for "cleaning" the avionics, making sure it had everything required, and removing avionics that were USAF specific items. Funny thing, these were the top 4 tail numbered A models in existence, and the original contract between the RAAF and the USAF specified the US would provide replacement aircraft if needed, and since there weren't any more "new" F-111C's, the AF provided the RAAF with the closest thing it had, which was the F-111A. So, I actually had my hands on this aircraft right before it left MT. Home AFB.
Awesome Jet, I loved being a C-Shopper on the D's, E's, and EF Models in the 522nd, 524th, 55th, 79th and 42ECS (Deployed). I So Miss the F-111, that Roar on take off, The People that made the Aircraft a Legend. Too Bad Hollywood missed a serious opportunity, the personality of the Aircrews, Ground-crews and the Airplane. Now would be a good time to go down to the Three Shoes for a Pint.
I worked on the TFR, ARS, nav and bomb computer system, doppler and hud systems on the F-111As, EF-111s and FB-111As. I was stationed at Plattsburgh AFB in '80 to' 81 before being stationed at RAF Upper Heyford in England and Pease AFB in NH. Spent 8 years working on that pig, but I enjoyed the challenge. I enjoyed my tours.
The "Maneuver Kill" in the first gulf war was an EF-111, and unfortunately wasn't officially counted. Leaving the F-111 platform without a single air-air kill in its service life.
Watching "The Pigs" do a dump and burn was awesome to see here at RAAF Base Curtin. Still remember the post show after Exercise Kangaroo 95' where everyone watched 2 F-111's take off then come over for a Dump and Burn next thing I was watching a dot get bigger and bigger from the West coming in under the F-111's it was an F/A-18 he pulled up right over the crowd catching most off guard it was epic.
Another impressive video of an impressive aircraft. Thanks for great footage and commentary Paul and I learnt a lot about this military plane capable of 2.5 times the speed of sound.
While serving in the USAF in the late 70's early 80's on B-52G's and KC-135's (SAC) I was called to the other side of the base (TAC side) when a transient F-111 landed with engine issues. I wasn't an engine guy but since the problem was the tachometer and I was an Avionics Instrument's tech, I was called to help find and fix the problem. Got to the TAC side and met up with a senior crew chief and we crawled into the port side engine intake and reached the front of the engine -- a not insignificant distance I might add. The crew chief had things pretty well figured out but wanted someone with deeper Avionics experience to give a second look -- he'd done well and the plane took off without issue the next day. Kind of showed the level of professionalism that many techs have that they would ask for a second opinion before signing off on the work.
Back in the mid-1970s I spent my summers in Las Vegas & North Las Vegas, NV and used to watch the F-111s in pairs ignite those afterburners towards dusk with the blue flame and they were gone. I also remember the Aussie pilots from down under coming in to gas up at the service station I worked at as they were training there at Nellis. Thanks to all our service me and women here in the U.S. or Australia and New Zealand for serving in peacetime and in war. Thanks for the video.
There’s another reason for the side by side configuration of the cockpit. It’s a long plane and front to back configuration would have made the aircraft too long. When the capsule ejected it did have the ability to float but some of the bags were for impact shock absorbing.
The F-111’s debut in Vietnam during 1968 was disastrous. It’s return in 1970-71 was spectacular any remained a spectacular strike aircraft for decades thereafter.
I grew up at Amberly. Next to the base for the F111 spent my whole youth watching them fly. And do some amazing displays. Will always tresure those younger memories.
Flew the D & E models @ Cannon AFB & RAF Upper Heyford in the late 80’s. Nice presentation with essentially correct facts. For the stats fans I’ve personally seen > 2.5 Mach at altitude. With its bigger motors the F model could go faster/higher. However, it was low level where the F-111 stood out. In that regime no other plane was faster, and it could do that in any weather at night. Lots of videos showing F-111’s doing “high speed” air show passes. However, those aren’t even close to what the plane could actually do. Otherwise many broken windows, damaged buildings and blown-out ear drums would have occurred. There’s an excellent Aussie range tower flyover video that shows the effects of a pair of them flying over at what I’d call medium altitude. Nice job with the video.
I would have seen you when you were a member of the 20th TFW at UH,as a young lad I used to sit in the sand dunes at Mablethorpe and watch 2 F-111e’s running down the beach towards Donna nook range,loved the sound of the F-111 as it cruised past,I could see UH on the tail.
That’s entirely possible. Typical overland training speeds down that beach would’a been 480 kts and we were supposed to maintain 500’. But overwater & just offshore, those restrictions weren’t a problem. Even at “only” 480, a person on the ground wouldn’t hear the plane until it was already past. These days it’s hard to imagine anything moving that fast, right on the deck.
Thanks Paul....slightly different aircraft, but I remember hiking in the Yorkshire Dales back in the 1980s when two Panavia Tornados came through the valley BELOW where we were sitting. You could see them slightly rise as they approached a hedge or drystone wall, one of our party was a RAF Navigator, and explained it was the terrain following radar in action, making adjustments of just 3 or 4 feet as necessary.....incredible to see in action.😀
Your dad is a legend then m8 as having flown in one of these in the two seat as a Make a wish wish back in 1992 I hav not and will never have a bigger love for this most lethal bomber /fighter in the world that should really be fighter/bomber hence the fb111 designation of the Aussie beasts anyways m8 a very big thank you goes to your most patriotic father my m8 and just as American and Australian soldiers have fought and died together in every major conflict since WW1 I believe we are your only ally to have done so though this may not be correct but not even the British have been as ready as us Aussies to join our greatest of mates so readily as real mates should do but I digress the point was you should be very proud of your old mans great achievement m8 thanking him again god bless and ciou for now from the greatest of all continents.
Worked on the F-111E at raf upper hayford in 1977 thru 1978.theres some things u left out like it capable of carrying cruze missiles in its bomb bay.it also carried a 20mm gattling gun in the bomb bay as well.both the gun and the missile rotisserie could be swapped out on the ground very easily.fantastic aircraft.
Fond memories of seeing them fly over,. And of walking under them when parked at Ohakea as a child. Security was a Lot lighter then. Wish I had the foresight to take photos and measurements. Would love to build a scale EDF. Trying to model that main gear in cad is a bit of a headache. Lol
A friend of mine and sometimes drinking body flew the first batch of f111’s to Australia. During training the yanks made them fly over the Grand Canyon using the terrain following radar at night. He ended up as a squadron leader and an Air Marshal with many good stories to tell.
“Get their stories straight.” I had to stop watching long enough to stop laughing. You are so very right! In the U.S. Navy we called it (on my ship at least) “Stroking the XO”. The Executive Officer would conduct the first really intense after-screwup interview, knowing that he had to present the Captain (God-At-Sea) with a coherent and defensible version of events. You could BS the rest of the chain of command, but the XO’s inquiry was the first real “Come To Jesus” event, and if your story couldn’t stand up to his scrutiny, you had serious issues. I’m not sure who this person would be for an aviator, but they would have to run this gauntlet at some point.
I used to work on the A model, lots of memories with this video! My job was maintenance on navigation snd Radars...the main navigation computer weighed around 90 lbs (40 kg) and was installed in the center of the instrument panel, just to the right of the engine gauges. It’s not present here, looks to have been upgraded to a digital system. Imagine climbing into the cockpit carrying a 90 lbs object roughly the size of a 19” television! Good times, good times!
In 2011 I saw some of these aircraft go to their final resting place, to be crushed and covered in dirt. such a beautiful aircraft, an icon of the 70's in my childhood.
I Remember Playing War Games At Red Flag (Nellis)With The Ardvarks of Mt. Home. I Was Lucky To Watch A ACMI Scenario Play Out Where Our Birds Were Getting Blown Out Of The Sky. The EF-111's and F-111's Turned On There LATRIN And They Where Gone. I Can Still See Them In My Mind Leaving Our Birds In The Dust They Were Amazing. Needless To Say. They Accomplished The Mission. Without a Loss. I Also Got Some Training On A F-111 at Sheppard AFB. The Rumor Was The Pin That Allows The Wings To Sweep Was Made Out Of Gold. Ahhh The Memories Of A Crew Chief In The U.S.A.F. 83-87.
Good vid. A note on aviation terminology though: altitude is vertical distance above a datum, mean sea level. Distance above ground is referred to as height. So the terrain following radar would maintain a set distance, or height, above ground level as the ground elevation varied. Height would be maintained and the altitude would be varying. Search QNH & QFE for a full explanation.
Despite any of it's short comings the F-111 was an awesome aircraft, I had several friends who worked on the wings when McClellan AFB was still in active service, the high cost of operation was due to the constant stress on the wing pivots, they would develop small stress cracks on the pivot hubs, McClellan AFB was one of the few bases in the world that was equipped to perform non destructive stress testing of aircraft using essentially a large X-Ray camera which made the base a main hub for the repair of the F-111, when pilots were first training to fly it many said it took some getting used to letting the plane fly itself at such high speed so close to the ground in any conditions, I worked very close to the base and I remember always hearing them testing engines and the F-111 was one of the loudest and amazing to watch takeoff and you could feel the immense power they had.
i worked at McClellan AFB as an aircraft electrician from 86-97. i worked on almost all of the planes that went through there. The A-10, F-15, F-4, A-7, KC-135, and of course the F-111. Mostly the F model, I was fortunate enough to be involved with the kit proofing of the DFCS, digital flight control sytem and Pacer Strike navigation upgrade system modifications down in "dock 5".
I worked on these in the late 80’s early 90’s at British Aerospace performing heavy maintenance on these A/C that where based at USAF LN and UH in the UK. We had two types in the UK the E (electric Ardvark that carried the Pavetack system for laser target designation) and the F that was faster and carried the weapons payload.
Sorry but you are very wrong, I have 5 years on the F-111E, EF-111A (Raven) and 7 years on the F-111F, all at RAF Upper Heyford and RAF Lakenheath (till we converted to the F-15E) . They were all called Ardvarks by the USAF, the EF-111A was the Electric Ardvark. The F-111E DID NOT carry the Pave Tac pod, only the F-111F carried the pod. But you were right that the F was faster than the E and you guys after doing our Depot Maintenance caused us so many headaches fixi g your mess ups but nice paint jobs.
I worked on the F111-F engines from 78-80 at RAF Lakenheath. I do remember watching the munitions being loaded and unloaded. One thing I vividly remember is watching the 20mm cannon shells being unloaded (dropped) into a cart below the aircraft. All the planes on base had a 20mm Gatling gun in the nose with a cannister that held about 3000 rounds. I am surprised the Aussie AF didn’t grab a few of the F111-F's with the cannons.
NO, and I mean NO F-111 had a gun in the nose. The gun was loaded on a pallet in the right side of the weapons bay, the bay door was pinned closed and only the left side bay door could be opened. The barrel protruded thru a "blister" that has a port that was closed unless the gun was armed, then it would swing out of the way to expose the barrel, as it rotated around.
I just found this video. My jaw dropped when I saw this plane was at Nellis AFB Nevada. My dad was the Director of Operations at Nellis for the 474th. Infact my dad was the first Col to be combat ready in the F-111. How neat. Thanks for the video
USAF records show, That after 500K flight hours the F-111 had the lowest accident rate, lowest major accident rate, and LOWEST FATALITY rate of any fighter built since the 1950's (ref. Wings Mag., April 1992). Only SIX F-111 were lost in Vietnam giving it the best survivability rate of ANY aircraft in the theater (ref. Discovery Wings Video, 1991).
You are correct. I was a crew chief on these for 4 years and spotted that scene even though it was only on for 3 seconds. I had to pause to get a good look but that distinctive profile is unmistakable.
When I was in primary school (2003/4 I think) 2 Aussie f-111’s came to land in Christchurch NZ. Scared the shit out of everyone bc all was silent then BOOM BOOM they screamed over super low and some windows even shattered. Been an avgeek ever since😁
I recognized the location of that F-111. It's the Aviation Museum at Port Adelaide, South Australia. They have many planes on display there, and is well worth a visit.
@@PaulStewartAviation I stand corrected. That's uncanny, because it's in the same location in the hanger as at Port Adelaide, and have similar planes on display. Anyway, I'll leave the plug for the Port Adelaide Museum, if you don't mind. It's all for the same cause: promoting aviation.
@@davidcraill9701 absolutely! With international borders closed, I'm also keen to promote the local aviation museums. It's not cheap keeping these things in good shape!
@@PaulStewartAviation I've been to the Port Adelaide museum twice. It's an easy walk from my home. I'm fortunate enough to have a friend on the inside, and was able to get in for free on both occasions. It was awesome.
@@davidcraill9701 How did you miss the B52 in the background only one in Australia. The Dove in the Background was I believe the last aircraft out of Dili when Indonesia Invaded East Timor in 1975.
Spent a lot of time in close proximity to F-111s 89-90 while stationed at Incirlik AB Turkey. Birds from Lakenheath and Upper Hayford down frequently for NATO and USAF exercises.
Awesome plane with huge bomb capacity, long range and speed. These were used to hit Libya, just nothing else like them. Probably the best acquisition the RAAF ever made.
They were certainly controversial, but once they settled in they became a valuable resource for the ability to go knocking on our neighbors doors with a couple of bombs.
Was stationed at the 'Heath where they took off, PCS Jul 85, and once lived at one of the bomb sites as a child (USAF brat) at the former Wheelus Air Force in 1969-70. Left in Jun 70 after Gaddafi demanded we leave. Caravaned from the port of Tripoli, thru Italy and finally stopping at the old Rhein Main Air Base. There were ~15 vehicles that would pare off to their new duty assignments. For a 10 year old kid seeing Europe that way was incredible!
Blast from the past. I was a crew chief on this same plane (67-113) from '77 to '79 when it was an F-111A with the 366th TFW. Seeing sitting in the museum, it looked right at home. This plane spent more time in the hangar than out on the flight line. Something was always broke on it. Thanks for a chance to see my old nemesis again.
My Lackland MTI was an Aardvark crew chief and although he was proud of his work, he told all the 2A-bound trainees in the flight to get used to the suck of long days, no weekends and no holidays.
When I reported to my unit it was still flying C-141s, but transitioning to C-17s and the 141s were in hangars about 80% of the time. The structures guys were overwhelmed.
I was crew chief on 67-077 at Nellis 73-77 474TFW 429TFS 474OMS. I got out just before the move to Mt Home. They were a bear to work on for sure.
I was a flight simulator operator/maintainer at Mt. Home 366th CRS 82-85. Still had the A model then, plus EF-111As
@@davidbrooks7806 While walking the flightline at old Mountain Goat AFB I noticed several of the A models had faded "NA" on the tail and couldn't help but think "Why the fuck couldn't they have sent me to Vegas when I came back from overseas?"
That's awesome. Interesting to see all the comments from ex Mt. Home guys, and those who remember RAAF crews coming over for Red Flag.
I was born in '79. Sometime around '94-'95 I had an opportunity to attend an info/PR briefing at Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) regarding the introduction of the newly purchased G models, courtesy of a friend's Dad who was president of a local aero club.
Some guys from 6SQN flew one down from RAAF Amberly in Queensland, we watched a presentation regarding the upgraded capabilities and met the aircrew then were led out to a hanger to see it in the metal, complete with a full array of dummy weaponry laid out in front and a scaffold so we could look inside the cockpit (no cameras allowed obviously, security was heavy!). Made a huge impression on me as a young lad and I desperately wanted to join the RAAF. Unfortunately my poor eyesight and a chronic medical condition led me down a different path, but I've had a huge respect for the Pig/Aardvark and her crews ever since, will never forget it.
(As an older bloke with a bit of mechanical experience though... I bet they were an absolute bitch to work on. My sympathies to any maintainers dealing with long-term medical issues stemming from fuel tank deseal/reseal operations).
I was a part of the TFX-111 program, for several years, in the late 60's. The screen, next to the laser display screen was the LCOS, or Lead Computing Optical Sight, which was my specialty. it could track up to 18 mixed threats and automatically respond to 8 of them, either by missles, chaff, electronic countermeasures, etc. Its so weird to see the display uncovered. Back in the day, you had to possess a top secret clearance to even look at it. We had to have a "move man" lock it in a vault when we went on break or the bathroom. The display was always covered with a red plastic cover...
Interesting, thanks for the extra insights!
Ralph Donnell was my grandfather's first cousin.
I flew 'varks at Lakenheath and Upper Heyford, and in Desert Storm from Taif. What a boss! Thanks for this trip down memory lane!
BTW- with wings back at 72 degrees and in full mil power, it was not unusual to get to .97M in the F-111F. That's really something- nearly supercruise with '70s technology engines and a '60's airframe.
I was instrument/autopilot tech and instructor from 1970 to 1980 on the F111D and F111A. I grew to love that airplane. My dream was to be a pilot but that was not to be because of my eyesight. Next best thing for me was to fix them. I wanted to get to ride in one at least once. They were not giving rides when I was a technician but later when I was an FTD instructor at Mt Home they were. One of my students got a ride. I'm 72 years old now and I'm still pissed about that. I do understand the cost for a ride is very expensive and that was the main reason it was not done very much.
Great vid mate. I'm from Texas and was a contractor at Cannon AFB, New Mexico way back in '92. There was a spot just north of the runway not even 150 meters that you could see these majestic birds take-off from runway. The sound of an F-111 on initial take-off is deafening in MIL power. Once they kicked the after burners it was pure joy. You could feel it in your chest.
I was 27th CES at Cannon. Air Field Lighting & Power. Sometimes, at night while making my rounds of the air field. I would sit on top of one of the elevated approach light towers as the planes would fly over on approach to landing. Loud and Beautiful.
Retired 1991 Cannon AFB. Left Mountain Home AFB in 87 for Misawa Japan F-16C/D *load toad* just to get sent back to NM to work the aardvark one last time. Whispering Death was the F111. You were dead before you heard it 👍🏻
We farm close to Cannon as a kid plowing they would come right on top of you and shake the ground. Also on occasion we had sonic booms
I was a Vark crew chief at RAF Upper Heyford on the "E" model from 1980 to 1983. Loved Heyford and the Vark.
As a young lad I would have seen you making approaches along the beach towards Donna nook range in the 80s,I used to sit in the Sandhills at Mablethorpe with binoculars,I could see UH on the tail.
I was there on the south side, same time frame
Great ! Had the pleasure of working D models straight out of tech school at Cannon in the late 70's, still remember engine runs on the trim pad ,the vibration and sound was like no other ,pure awesomeness!!!!
I was there also in the late 70's. AMS, then red section.
I was at cannon in74 thru 79. When they tied the plane down at the Trim Pad. And adjusted the engines was a memory you canr forget. I lived between clovis an the texas border. When they ran the afterburners it would rattle the dishes in our kitchen 7 miles away.. i will never forget the whine of the engines .as they taxied around the flight line! Hey anyone remember the little white light up on the tail that blinked when the engines were running ? God bless us all. F111 alumni. 27 ems A G E ......
I was friends with an Air Force general who thoroughly loved this jet. He said that it was a dream to fly. I had another friend who was an Air Force mechanic who hated it because of it’s maintenance issues. To me it looks fast just parked on the ground. I think it’s cool!😎
It was best when it was flown regularly. Sitting in the hangar, we had to put large drip pans under it because it leaked quite a bit. Whenever an alert drill sounded, we would head for the tool box because we knew one of the planes would need maintenance.
I was a crew chief on the E & F models in the UK in the 80's. The canopies are manually operated and can lock in several open positions. With them completely open and the long nose it looks like an Aardvark. But, it was the most difficult airplane I ever worked on. It was indeed a pig!
Thank you for showing an F111 THAT I know my dad would have worked on , as he was the lead Tec avionics that was in Vietnam when the F111 was used there . My Father was in Vietnam between red 67 through to the 69 , and yes the f111 was there so thank you for showing one that he would have worked on .
Ignoring any downfalls that this jet had, it's one of my favorite jets in existence
One of the features of the F111D, maybe all models, was the ability to program a route in the navigation computer using a tape machine and the autopilot would follow that route. The navigation computer could remember 99 coordinates. Pretty good stuff for the late 1950s and early 1960s. The first F111 flew in 1964. The technology had to be in place before that date. We received the first F111D at Cannon AFB around 1971.
We lived under the flight path of Nellis AFB and used to watch these F-111’s fly over our house every day. Very impressive.
This aircraft has always intrigued me. Big, fast, unmistakable looks, great in its role.
I recently checked out the F-111 at Evans Head, NSW. By chance I was able to sit in the cockpit and was given a personalised tour by a retired F-111 navigator who had over 1000hrs on type with the RAAF. He also said that the Yanks were jealous of the sheepskin covers us Aussies had. Absolutely incredible aircraft!
One thing that I don’t know you mentioned - they had an arrestor hook for high speed aborts, assuming the airfield had an arrestor cable off the end of the strip. Maybe they were originally designed for carrier ops for the US Navy?
Great video!
Worked on these for many years; F-111F,
FB111A, and the D models during training.
I still remember many of the panel numbers and more. Great Plane
I was on weapons load crew at Plattsburgh NY Aug 1984 to Oct 1985.
If memory serves me correctly, panels 1101 and 1102 were forward of the cockpit on the left (from the pilots perspective); panels 1201 and 1202 were on the right, all secured with #4 apex screws torqued to 45 inch pounds. The nose radome had four latches with screws torqued to 25 inch pounds. The Doppler radome had 63 or 64 screws and you would use your head to hold it in place while attaching it if working alone. 3-axis inertial navigation system could take 8 hours to complete. I think I had as much cockpit time as many crew members but never left the ground. 5 years, 27 days at Cannon AFB as a “D” model avionics guy!
@@johndunn3424 You are correct.
I believe 4210 was the panel on top that had the anticollision light in?
@@johndunn3424 spent 10 yrs on RAAF F111Cs and Gs, first 5 as an avtech, mostly instrument and elec, then the last 5 yrs as a gunnie, including a tour at the crew module time change section. There was nothing like standing at the end of the carports (on the flightline where the jets parked), watching 2 take off side by side just on dusk. The noise, the heat, and the vibration making the carports hum. Still miss it!
You mean like 1101,1102 and 1201,1202 ?
Fantastic loved watching F-111F's flying out of Raf Lakenheath with the 48th Tfw in the 80's & early 90's
AHHH the pig. Many a night watching these beautiful birds doing touch n gos at RAAF bases we lived on. I miss the good old after burn show they always put on, the sound and the wow, they always bought to any training run.
My dad flew these in Desert Storm, Bosnia, & other places I don't know about. E for sure, and another model or models before that. I always loved the planes, and him and his friends spoke fondly of it. Many fine memories with the F-111 in them. What a powerful jet to have taxi up to you, especially if you pulled the muffs up or an earplug out. Thank you, Paul.
Thanks for sharing! I was raised in Brisbane in the 70's and 80's - F-111's were a regular sight in the sky back then. They had a distinctive roar and you could hear them coming before you could see them.
Interesting to think that from the Wright Brothers first flight until the design of the F111 was 59 years - and from the Design of the F111 until now is 59 years
And of those last 59 years, the F-35 easily took up 20 to 25 years to design and develop and get into the air.
@@markfryer9880 We're getting smarter but slower 😀 and that Pig is still a great plane.
@@timmiddleton7493 I really don't think we are "getting smarter" as you say. Our hey day has been and gone.
@You are correct But Warplanes are optimized around different parameters. Since it takes 4x the thrust to go twice as fast, it's been decided to save the weight for other things, like fuel and payload. Engine technology has come leaps and bounds--All you have to do is go to wikipedia and read a little to know that. Although, given your username, I suspect you're deliberately trying to sound misinformed.
@@sillyoldbastard3280 were defo getting smarter as we invent new tech, but health and safety has got right in the way. Space travel has gone even more backwards it would seem
Hell yeah, it will forever be my favorite
I've always been impressed with the complex engineering that went into this magnificent aircraft. I would've torn a groin tendon trying to enter or exit this aircraft! Good for you for not having that problem, Paul.
I worked on them for 13 years in the USAF and they were the biggest piles of crap to work on, everything broke, over Engineered and complicated. Great for pilots, but for every mission it took 176 hours of maintenance. But a impressive fighter.
I was a boy scout in Sacramento, California, in the 1980s. McClellan AFB (which serviced the F-111) was located there. Someone's father worked at McClellan and arranged for some of us to go out there one evening when they conducted a post-servicing engine run up inside some sort of hangar (sorry, I don't know the terminology). I got to sit in the righthand seat, next to the guy who was operating the engines, which I though was pretty cool. However, the other scouts got to see all the flames shooting out the back; I'm not sure who had the better deal.
My father was in charge of the advanced electronics on the F-111. This plane was very much modified and improved by the crews at McClellan AFB. Especially the E model.
Who was your dad?
Colonel Thomas C. Germscheid was a Captain on the initial Combat Lancer deployment in1968 at Takhli RTAFB. He was an Instructor when they went back in 73 - 74 at Takhli and Korat RTAFB where I was stationed. He retired as the Wing King at Canon AFB, and then started a career working on them as a contractor with Access Research Corp. where I was the Classified Contract Manager. We worked on them through the Pave Tack installation and Desert Storm. It's STILL the most efficient strike aircraft EVER in the USAF. Love that bird. There's one of the F-111F models at the Santa Fe Airport, near Angel Fire, NM where my friend Tom retired finally. Hammer
My father was career US Air Force and we were stationed at Mountain Home AFB in Idaho while I was in high school (in the 70's). At that time the 366th TFW was flying F-111Fs there. 3 of my high school buddies' fathers were F-111F pilots.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane! I'm a retired USAF F-111 pilot. I remember the Aussies coming to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho to train with us and fly in Red Flag exercises. It was interesting to see in your video some of the upgrades for that A model. Side note, I cringed when you stepped on the seat cushion. Crew chiefs would skin us alive if we did that. An F-111 loaded with live munitions burned to the ground at Mountain Home with explosions all night long when an oxygen leak in the capsule hit a greasy footprint on a seat cushion.
Cheers Garry. Yep I'm not as flexible as I used to be haha. The tour guide was joking that the jets are designed for fit 20yo guys, not me haha.
@@PaulStewartAviation and don't forget the girls who flew as WO in the Aussie F-111.
No point trying to impress those girls with a fast car when they get around at Mach 2.
@@markfryer9880 suddenly that SS isn't quite so impressive!
Your story is not credible, a "crew chief" would not likely discipline a pilot for stepping on a seat to aid ingress. Stepping on a seat is preferable to stepping on switches and instruments.
Thanks for the anecdote!
Along with thousands of others, I've had the pleasure of paying five bucks to sit in the cockpit of F-111C A8-109 (sn 67-0109) which is maintained as a museum piece by the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society based at Illawarra Regional Airport (WOL) near Wollongong, a couple of hours south of Sydney.
You don't sit on the seat cushion itself, you step/sit on a metal plate attached to the seat frame by the HARS crew.
The BN's seat is left uncovered so you can see the wear and tear caused by many many hours of TFing.
She's a special bird, being the final F-111C to ever take off. Although not the last to land (that honour went to A8-125, the first to land on Aussie soil upon initial delivery) A8-109 was the last F-111 to shut down those TF30s for the final time, anywhere in the world.
She also carries the highest number of airframe hours of the entire RAAF fleet. Sits low on her gear due to the hydraulic system being drained, but still a magnificent example of a truly amazing aircraft. Will be visiting her again in November for Wings Over Illawarra 2021.
I was surprised to learn after desert storm it was the #1 tank killer.Strategic bomber & tank buster.Who knew?
I was stationed at Mt. Home when this, and the other 3 F-111A's were transferred to RAAF. I was in Green section, the 390th. I was responsible for "cleaning" the avionics, making sure it had everything required, and removing avionics that were USAF specific items. Funny thing, these were the top 4 tail numbered A models in existence, and the original contract between the RAAF and the USAF specified the US would provide replacement aircraft if needed, and since there weren't any more "new" F-111C's, the AF provided the RAAF with the closest thing it had, which was the F-111A. So, I actually had my hands on this aircraft right before it left MT. Home AFB.
Awesome Jet, I loved being a C-Shopper on the D's, E's, and EF Models in the 522nd, 524th, 55th, 79th and 42ECS (Deployed). I So Miss the F-111, that Roar on take off, The People that made the Aircraft a Legend. Too Bad Hollywood missed a serious opportunity, the personality of the Aircrews, Ground-crews and the Airplane. Now would be a good time to go down to the Three Shoes for a Pint.
I worked on the TFR, ARS, nav and bomb computer system, doppler and hud systems on the F-111As, EF-111s and FB-111As. I was stationed at Plattsburgh AFB in '80 to' 81 before being stationed at RAF Upper Heyford in England and Pease AFB in NH. Spent 8 years working on that pig, but I enjoyed the challenge. I enjoyed my tours.
The "Maneuver Kill" in the first gulf war was an EF-111, and unfortunately wasn't officially counted. Leaving the F-111 platform without a single air-air kill in its service life.
Does anybody know who the pilot was?
Watching "The Pigs" do a dump and burn was awesome to see here at RAAF Base Curtin. Still remember the post show after Exercise Kangaroo 95' where everyone watched 2 F-111's take off then come over for a Dump and Burn next thing I was watching a dot get bigger and bigger from the West coming in under the F-111's it was an F/A-18 he pulled up right over the crowd catching most off guard it was epic.
I was crew chief on this bird at Cannon aft 73-74 then moved from the D to the A model in Thailand Lots of Good memories.
One of the most impressive jets ever
Great video Paul I think that’s a very cool plane
Great memories flying the F-111 during our final years in Vietnam
Another impressive video of an impressive aircraft. Thanks for great footage and commentary Paul and I learnt a lot about this military plane capable of 2.5 times the speed of sound.
While serving in the USAF in the late 70's early 80's on B-52G's and KC-135's (SAC) I was called to the other side of the base (TAC side) when a transient F-111 landed with engine issues. I wasn't an engine guy but since the problem was the tachometer and I was an Avionics Instrument's tech, I was called to help find and fix the problem. Got to the TAC side and met up with a senior crew chief and we crawled into the port side engine intake and reached the front of the engine -- a not insignificant distance I might add. The crew chief had things pretty well figured out but wanted someone with deeper Avionics experience to give a second look -- he'd done well and the plane took off without issue the next day. Kind of showed the level of professionalism that many techs have that they would ask for a second opinion before signing off on the work.
Back in the mid-1970s I spent my summers in Las Vegas & North Las Vegas, NV and used to watch the F-111s in pairs ignite those afterburners towards dusk with the blue flame and they were gone. I also remember the Aussie pilots from down under coming in to gas up at the service station I worked at as they were training there at Nellis. Thanks to all our service me and women here in the U.S. or Australia and New Zealand for serving in peacetime and in war. Thanks for the video.
Glad you enjoyed the video :)
There’s another reason for the side by side configuration of the cockpit. It’s a long plane and front to back configuration would have made the aircraft too long. When the capsule ejected it did have the ability to float but some of the bags were for impact shock absorbing.
The F-111’s debut in Vietnam during 1968 was disastrous. It’s return in 1970-71 was spectacular any remained a spectacular strike aircraft for decades thereafter.
Your channel is awesome man. Your narration and knowledge is second to none
Cheers mate
Supposedly, when they worked as advertised which was rare, the D models at Cannon AFB in New Mexico were pretty amazing.
The escape pod was developed by McDonnell Aircraft! Before the merger with Douglas Aircraft
I grew up at Amberly. Next to the base for the F111 spent my whole youth watching them fly. And do some amazing displays. Will always tresure those younger memories.
Flew the D & E models @ Cannon AFB & RAF Upper Heyford in the late 80’s. Nice presentation with essentially correct facts. For the stats fans I’ve personally seen > 2.5 Mach at altitude. With its bigger motors the F model could go faster/higher. However, it was low level where the F-111 stood out. In that regime no other plane was faster, and it could do that in any weather at night. Lots of videos showing F-111’s doing “high speed” air show passes. However, those aren’t even close to what the plane could actually do. Otherwise many broken windows, damaged buildings and blown-out ear drums would have occurred. There’s an excellent Aussie range tower flyover video that shows the effects of a pair of them flying over at what I’d call medium altitude. Nice job with the video.
Alternative to stealth.
I think we might have been able to use their capabilities in a not too distant future. They appeared to be a very effective and upgradeable airframe.
I would have seen you when you were a member of the 20th TFW at UH,as a young lad I used to sit in the sand dunes at Mablethorpe and watch 2 F-111e’s running down the beach towards Donna nook range,loved the sound of the F-111 as it cruised past,I could see UH on the tail.
That’s entirely possible. Typical overland training speeds down that beach would’a been 480 kts and we were supposed to maintain 500’. But overwater & just offshore, those restrictions weren’t a problem. Even at “only” 480, a person on the ground wouldn’t hear the plane until it was already past. These days it’s hard to imagine anything moving that fast, right on the deck.
Crew Chief on the F at RAF Lakenheath and the D at Cannon from 88 to 91. Love and miss that airplane. Probably worked on the first posters jet.
Thanks Paul....slightly different aircraft, but I remember hiking in the Yorkshire Dales back in the 1980s when two Panavia Tornados came through the valley BELOW where we were sitting. You could see them slightly rise as they approached a hedge or drystone wall, one of our party was a RAF Navigator, and explained it was the terrain following radar in action, making adjustments of just 3 or 4 feet as necessary.....incredible to see in action.😀
My dad was one of the engineers who designed it, worked for GD for 40 years. After the F-111 he went on to work on the F-16 project.
Awsome, there was some great things on it. Really solidly built.
My step dad did the same!
Your dad is a legend then m8 as having flown in one of these in the two seat as a Make a wish wish back in 1992 I hav not and will never have a bigger love for this most lethal bomber /fighter in the world that should really be fighter/bomber hence the fb111 designation of the Aussie beasts anyways m8 a very big thank you goes to your most patriotic father my m8 and just as American and Australian soldiers have fought and died together in every major conflict since WW1 I believe we are your only ally to have done so though this may not be correct but not even the British have been as ready as us Aussies to join our greatest of mates so readily as real mates should do but I digress the point was you should be very proud of your old mans great achievement m8 thanking him again god bless and ciou for now from the greatest of all continents.
My grandfather was one of the test pilots and very possibly met your dad back in the day. Small world.
Is your father That lying piece of Sh** Pierre Sprey? Lol just messing with ya bud.
You get to play with some of the coolest toys. Nice video :)
Such a beauty! Tanks for the video :)
One of the most beautiful aircraft ever made.
Worked on the F-111E at raf upper hayford in 1977 thru 1978.theres some things u left out like it capable of carrying cruze missiles in its bomb bay.it also carried a 20mm gattling gun in the bomb bay as well.both the gun and the missile rotisserie could be swapped out on the ground very easily.fantastic aircraft.
Remember when the Gatlin gun shot off the lower UHF antenna?
Yes, loaded more than a few M61A1's on the F model. We had a pneumatic loading tool that usually froze up, so it was the old hand crank to the rescue.
Wow. Didn't realise how huge this beautiful machine was!
Paul you got in and out that aardvark like a gazelle 👍 great video thanks
I have always loved the F-111, technically, the last of the Century Series. What a beast!
Awesome! .. we used to get RAAF F111 's here in NZ.. cool plane!..unfortunately we had 2 F111 crashes here.. thanks from NZ 👍🇳🇿
Fond memories of seeing them fly over,. And of walking under them when parked at Ohakea as a child. Security was a Lot lighter then. Wish I had the foresight to take photos and measurements. Would love to build a scale EDF. Trying to model that main gear in cad is a bit of a headache. Lol
A friend of mine and sometimes drinking body flew the first batch of f111’s to Australia. During training the yanks made them fly over the Grand Canyon using the terrain following radar at night. He ended up as a squadron leader and an Air Marshal with many good stories to tell.
“Get their stories straight.” I had to stop watching long enough to stop laughing. You are so very right! In the U.S. Navy we called it (on my ship at least) “Stroking the XO”. The Executive Officer would conduct the first really intense after-screwup interview, knowing that he had to present the Captain (God-At-Sea) with a coherent and defensible version of events. You could BS the rest of the chain of command, but the XO’s inquiry was the first real “Come To Jesus” event, and if your story couldn’t stand up to his scrutiny, you had serious issues. I’m not sure who this person would be for an aviator, but they would have to run this gauntlet at some point.
Amazing flying fighting machine object and design creation.
I used to work on the A model, lots of memories with this video!
My job was maintenance on navigation snd Radars...the main navigation computer weighed around 90 lbs (40 kg) and was installed in the center of the instrument panel, just to the right of the engine gauges. It’s not present here, looks to have been upgraded to a digital system.
Imagine climbing into the cockpit carrying a 90 lbs object roughly the size of a 19” television!
Good times, good times!
In 2011 I saw some of these aircraft go to their final resting place, to be crushed and covered in dirt. such a beautiful aircraft, an icon of the 70's in my childhood.
I Remember Playing War Games At Red Flag (Nellis)With The Ardvarks of Mt. Home. I Was Lucky To Watch A ACMI Scenario Play Out Where Our Birds Were Getting Blown Out Of The Sky. The EF-111's and F-111's Turned On There LATRIN And They Where Gone. I Can Still See Them In My Mind Leaving Our Birds In The Dust They Were Amazing. Needless To Say. They Accomplished The Mission. Without a Loss. I Also Got Some Training On A F-111 at Sheppard AFB. The Rumor Was The Pin That Allows The Wings To Sweep Was Made Out Of Gold. Ahhh The Memories Of A Crew Chief In The U.S.A.F. 83-87.
Wow, amazing video. I find the idea of an ejection pod so cool.
Very interesting and not boring. Thanks a lot!
Good vid. A note on aviation terminology though: altitude is vertical distance above a datum, mean sea level. Distance above ground is referred to as height. So the terrain following radar would maintain a set distance, or height, above ground level as the ground elevation varied. Height would be maintained and the altitude would be varying. Search QNH & QFE for a full explanation.
Thanks for extra info. I’ll use it in future videos 😃
Thanks Tuppence. Good to know!
I watch a lot of aircraft related videos but I really learned a lot in this video. Cheers mate
Glad you enjoyed it! There's many more on my channel :)
Despite any of it's short comings the F-111 was an awesome aircraft, I had several friends who worked on the wings when McClellan AFB was still in active service, the high cost of operation was due to the constant stress on the wing pivots, they would develop small stress cracks on the pivot hubs, McClellan AFB was one of the few bases in the world that was equipped to perform non destructive stress testing of aircraft using essentially a large X-Ray camera which made the base a main hub for the repair of the F-111, when pilots were first training to fly it many said it took some getting used to letting the plane fly itself at such high speed so close to the ground in any conditions, I worked very close to the base and I remember always hearing them testing engines and the F-111 was one of the loudest and amazing to watch takeoff and you could feel the immense power they had.
I and 4 electricians strain gaged an EF-111 and an F model out at McClellan for cold proof testing at 6g's at -30 degree F in 93
i worked at McClellan AFB as an aircraft electrician from 86-97. i worked on almost all of the planes that went through there. The A-10, F-15, F-4, A-7, KC-135, and of course the F-111. Mostly the F model, I was fortunate enough to be involved with the kit proofing of the DFCS, digital flight control sytem and Pacer Strike navigation upgrade system modifications down in "dock 5".
this is my absolute all time favorite jet! It wasn't the best but i love how absolutely unique it is!
Brilliant overview of the F-111 mate, cheers.
I worked on these in the late 80’s early 90’s at British Aerospace performing heavy maintenance on these A/C that where based at USAF LN and UH in the UK. We had two types in the UK the E (electric Ardvark that carried the Pavetack system for laser target designation) and the F that was faster and carried the weapons payload.
No love for the Spark Vark, apparently, also at Heyford.
Sorry but you are very wrong, I have 5 years on the F-111E, EF-111A (Raven) and 7 years on the F-111F, all at RAF Upper Heyford and RAF Lakenheath (till we converted to the F-15E) .
They were all called Ardvarks by the USAF, the EF-111A was the Electric Ardvark. The F-111E DID NOT carry the Pave Tac pod, only the F-111F carried the pod. But you were right that the F was faster than the E and you guys after doing our Depot Maintenance caused us so many headaches fixi g your mess ups but nice paint jobs.
Thanks again Paul for another great video.
Wonderfully informative as always. Thank you.
I worked on the F111-F engines from 78-80 at RAF Lakenheath. I do remember watching the munitions being loaded and unloaded. One thing I vividly remember is watching the 20mm cannon shells being unloaded (dropped) into a cart below the aircraft. All the planes on base had a 20mm Gatling gun in the nose with a cannister that held about 3000 rounds. I am surprised the Aussie AF didn’t grab a few of the F111-F's with the cannons.
NO, and I mean NO F-111 had a gun in the nose. The gun was loaded on a pallet in the right side of the weapons bay, the bay door was pinned closed and only the left side bay door could be opened. The barrel protruded thru a "blister" that has a port that was closed unless the gun was armed, then it would swing out of the way to expose the barrel, as it rotated around.
nice to watch australian aviation
I just found this video. My jaw dropped when I saw this plane was at Nellis AFB Nevada. My dad was the Director of Operations at Nellis for the 474th. Infact my dad was the first Col to be combat ready in the F-111. How neat. Thanks for the video
I took pictures in 1990 of a F-111 on the tarmac at Dyess AFB. From Cannon AFB.
USAF records show, That after 500K flight hours the F-111 had the lowest accident rate, lowest major accident rate, and LOWEST FATALITY rate of any fighter built since the 1950's (ref. Wings Mag., April 1992). Only SIX F-111 were lost in Vietnam giving it the best survivability rate of ANY aircraft in the theater (ref. Discovery Wings Video, 1991).
i love them. we had them here at upper hayford . near Bicester
Had couple here in NZ airshows the RAAF bought over for us to see. Afterburner was an awesome sight to see
Subscribed. Love your narration
"According to a stat I read on line, so I know it must be true," spoken like a true scholar.
Thank you, Paul, for sharing another interesting video with us.
I've always loved the f-111. If I'm not mistaken, they briefly show one in the original "red dawn" movie, doing a bombing run.
You are correct. I was a crew chief on these for 4 years and spotted that scene even though it was only on for 3 seconds. I had to pause to get a good look but that distinctive profile is unmistakable.
Love the videos you present, very informative and best of all you have a pleasant speaking voice.
That was my 3rd airframe in worked in the service. It was hard to leave it ,was a special plane to me. RETIRED USAF
Hope the video brought back some nice memories :) The Darwin Aviation Museum is looking after it well
Paul yet again a terrific vlog !
When I was in primary school (2003/4 I think) 2 Aussie f-111’s came to land in Christchurch NZ. Scared the shit out of everyone bc all was silent then BOOM BOOM they screamed over super low and some windows even shattered. Been an avgeek ever since😁
I worked on the FB-111, for 2 years.
The F111 was the most awesome weapon of the air ever developed.
I recognized the location of that F-111. It's the Aviation Museum at Port Adelaide, South Australia. They have many planes on display there, and is well worth a visit.
Nope this is in Darwin :)
@@PaulStewartAviation I stand corrected. That's uncanny, because it's in the same location in the hanger as at Port Adelaide, and have similar planes on display. Anyway, I'll leave the plug for the Port Adelaide Museum, if you don't mind. It's all for the same cause: promoting aviation.
@@davidcraill9701 absolutely! With international borders closed, I'm also keen to promote the local aviation museums. It's not cheap keeping these things in good shape!
@@PaulStewartAviation I've been to the Port Adelaide museum twice. It's an easy walk from my home. I'm fortunate enough to have a friend on the inside, and was able to get in for free on both occasions. It was awesome.
@@davidcraill9701 How did you miss the B52 in the background only one in Australia. The Dove in the Background was I believe the last aircraft out of Dili when Indonesia Invaded East Timor in 1975.
A good friend of mine, (Ret) MSgt Earl Berlin, wrote a book on these planes.
Spent a lot of time in close proximity to F-111s 89-90 while stationed at Incirlik AB Turkey. Birds from Lakenheath and Upper Hayford down frequently for NATO and USAF exercises.
Great plane. Thanks Paul
Your a lucky man Paul. To see so many amazing aircraft! Thanks for the video
I agree! :)
Beautiful aircraft pity their all gone. Thank you for the video and thumbs up.
@SAMUEL JESSE LOL !
hey mate! thanks again for the amazing video.. keep 'em coming!
Awesome plane with huge bomb capacity, long range and speed. These were used to hit Libya, just nothing else like them. Probably the best acquisition the RAAF ever made.
They were certainly controversial, but once they settled in they became a valuable resource for the ability to go knocking on our neighbors doors with a couple of bombs.
They did a magnificent job in Libya.
Was stationed at the 'Heath where they took off, PCS Jul 85, and once lived at one of the bomb sites as a child (USAF brat) at the former Wheelus Air Force in 1969-70. Left in Jun 70 after Gaddafi demanded we leave. Caravaned from the port of Tripoli, thru Italy and finally stopping at the old Rhein Main Air Base. There were ~15 vehicles that would pare off to their new duty assignments. For a 10 year old kid seeing Europe that way was incredible!
Worked on these at Upper Heyford 79 - 82 Airframe Mech. Deployed to Incerlick with them. Good times