85-617: The Combat Support Group (CSG) is a component of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), established in 1998, initially known as the Operational Support Group (OSG). The CSG's primary objective is to coordinate military airbases and squadrons within Australia. While its initial focus was on general operations, its purpose has evolved to encompass a broader range of military applications, leading to
170-554: A Bristol Boxkite for initial training. Harrison made the unit's first flight in the Boxkite on 1 March 1914, while Petre, flying a Deperdussin later that day, registered its first accident when he crashed after snaring his tailplane in telephone wires. Its coterie of personnel by now referred to as the Australian Flying Corps (AFC), CFS commenced its first flying course on 17 August 1914, two weeks after
255-665: A Royal Air Force officer, Air Marshal Sir Donald Hardman , was brought out to Australia to become Chief of the Air Staff. He reorganised the RAAF into three commands: Home Command , Maintenance Command , and Training Command . Five years later, Home Command was renamed Operational Command , and Training Command and Maintenance Command were amalgamated to form Support Command . In the Malayan Emergency , from 1950 to 1960, six Avro Lincolns from No. 1 Squadron RAAF and
340-681: A basic flying standard. Many of these students would go on to play a prominent role in the future Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), including Bill Anderson , Harry Cobby , Adrian Cole , Frank McNamara , Lawrence Wackett , and Henry Wrigley . The AFC's first unit to see active service, the Mesopotamian Half Flight , was raised under Petre's command and departed for the Middle East in April 1915; Petre's fellow pilots included CFS graduates White and Merz. Harrison took over
425-1018: A bombing raid. The wreckage of the aircraft was recovered in April 2009, and the remains of the crew were found in late July 2009. The other was shot down by a surface-to-air missile , although both crew were rescued. They dropped 76,389 bombs and were credited with 786 enemy personnel confirmed killed and a further 3,390 estimated killed, 8,637 structures, 15,568 bunkers, 1,267 sampans and 74 bridges destroyed. RAAF transport aircraft also supported anti-communist ground forces. The UH-1 helicopters were used in many roles including medical evacuation and close air support. RAAF casualties in Vietnam included six killed in action, eight non-battle fatalities, 30 wounded in action and 30 injured. A small number of RAAF pilots also served in United States Air Force units, flying F-4 Phantom fighter-bombers or serving as forward air controllers. In September 1975,
510-454: A brief flirtation with "all-through jet training" starting in 1969, as it was expected to reduce the time necessary to turn out high-quality pilots, and CFS had begun preparing to train instructors for this purpose in 1967. All-through jet training was dropped in 1971, subsequently being labelled "an expensive way of finding out that some pupils lacked the aptitude to become military pilots". Winjeels continued to operate at CFS until replaced by
595-618: A crucial role in the New Guinea and Solomon Islands campaigns, especially in operations like the Battle of Milne Bay . As a response to a possible Japanese chemical warfare threat the RAAF imported hundreds of thousands of chemical weapons into Australia. In the Battle of the Bismarck Sea , imported Bristol Beaufighters proved to be highly effective ground attack and maritime strike aircraft. Beaufighters were later made locally by
680-643: A flight of Douglas Dakotas from No. 38 Squadron RAAF took part in operations against the communist guerrillas (labelled as "Communist Terrorists" by the British authorities) as part of the RAF Far East Air Force . The Dakotas were used on cargo runs, in troop movement and in paratrooper and leaflet drops within Malaya. The Lincolns, operating from bases in Singapore and from Kuala Lumpur, formed
765-535: A flying corps and school. The following year, Henry Petre , an Englishman, and Eric Harrison , an Australian, were selected and commissioned as lieutenants in the Australian Military Forces . Petre arrived in Australia in January 1913; his first job was to choose a site for the proposed Central Flying School (CFS), which he was to command. Rejecting the government's preferred location near
850-756: A group of 44 civilians, including armed supporters of the Timorese Democratic Union (UDT), commandeered an RAAF Caribou, A4-140 , on the ground at Baucau Airport in the then Portuguese Timor , which was in the middle of a civil war. The Caribou had landed at Baucau on a humanitarian mission for the International Committee of the Red Cross . The civilians demanded that the RAAF crew members fly them to Darwin Airport (also RAAF Base Darwin ) in Australia, which they did. After
935-526: A low altitude of 500 feet (150 metres). This list includes aircraft on order or a requirement which has been identified: Central Flying School RAAF Central Flying School ( CFS ) is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) training unit, located at RAAF Base East Sale , Victoria. It operates the Pilatus PC-21 turboprop trainer. The school is responsible for training flight instructors, setting flying standards, and auditing flying practices. It
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#17327761840491020-469: A low-level routine when they flew into a hill at 500 miles per hour (800 km/h), killing all four pilots and two passengers. Determined to overcome the shock of the accident, the commanding officer of CFS, Wing Commander Herb Plenty , quickly formed a new aerobatic team called "The Telstars", led by himself. Also flying Vampires, the team made its first public display in February 1963, six months after
1105-448: A responsibility it met by training instructors, examining and rating squadron instructors, conducting quality control tests at flying training schools, and auditing flying practices generally across the RAAF. Any fall in standards at CFS could in time be expected adversely to affect standards across the entire Air Force." Conversely, Stephens continued, the professionalism inculcated at the school flowed through to all flying units. By 1951,
1190-553: A single E-7A Wedgetail . This aircraft, and the associated 100 personnel - mainly from 2 Squadron , would operate from Ramstein Air Base for a six month deployment under Operation Kudu. The stated objective of the deployment was to "help ensure that vital support flowing to Ukraine by the international community is protected." Trainer aircraft As of June 2018, the RAAF had 14,313 permanent full-time personnel and 5,499 part-time active reserve personnel. The RAAF established
1275-551: Is also home to the " Roulettes " aerobatic team. CFS was the first military aviation unit to be formed in Australia, in 1913, when its role was to provide basic flying training. Its current form dates from World War II, when it was re-established to train flying instructors for the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS). CFS was inaugurated at Point Cook , Victoria, in March 1913, and trained over 150 pilots of
1360-595: The 1911 Imperial Conference that was held in London, where it was decided aviation should be developed within the armed forces of the British Empire . Australia implemented this decision, the first dominion to do so, by approving the establishment of the "Australian Aviation Corps". This initially consisted of the Central Flying School at Point Cook, Victoria , opening on 22 October 1912. By 1914
1445-531: The AN/TPS-77 radar assigned the responsibility to co-ordinate coalition air operations. A detachment of IAI Heron unmanned aerial vehicles has been deployed in Afghanistan since January 2010. In late September 2014, an Air Task Group consisting of up to eight F/A-18F Super Hornets , a KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport, an E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft and 400 personnel
1530-820: The Australian Air Board directly controlled the Air Force via RAAF Station Laverton , RAAF Station Richmond , RAAF Station Pearce , No. 1 Flying Training School RAAF at Point Cook, RAAF Station Rathmines and five smaller units. In 1939, just after the outbreak of the Second World War, Australia joined the Empire Air Training Scheme , under which flight crews received basic training in Australia before travelling to Canada for advanced training. A total of 17 RAAF bomber, fighter, reconnaissance and other squadrons served initially in Britain and with
1615-658: The Australian Air Force , through the separation of the Australian Air Corps from the Army in January 1920, which in turn amalgamated the separate aerial services of both the Army and Navy. It directly continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC), the aviation corps of the Army that fought in the First World War and that was formed on 22 October 1912. During its history,
1700-554: The Australian Flying Corps during World War I. It was disbanded in December 1919, and the newly formed RAAF's No. 1 Flying Training School took on its function in 1921. Re-formed under EATS at Point Cook in April 1940, CFS relocated to New South Wales the following month, based first at Camden , then at Tamworth from April 1942, and finally at Parkes from January 1944. It returned to Point Cook in September 1944. By
1785-788: The British Commonwealth Occupation Force , were among the first United Nations aircraft to be deployed, in ground support, combat air patrol, and escort missions. When the UN planes were confronted by North Korean Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 jet fighters, 77 Sqn acquired Gloster Meteors , however the MiGs remained superior and the Meteors were relegated to ground support missions as the North Koreans gained experience. The air force also operated transport aircraft during
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#17327761840491870-855: The CT-4 Airtrainer in August 1975. For the next fifteen years, the main types used for instructor training were the CT-4 and the Macchi. CFS also flew Dakotas for twin-engined instructor courses until March 1980; they were further used to train pilots of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force . The school was presented with the Queen's Colour by Governor-General Sir Zelman Cowen in September 1978. In December 1987, CFS took delivery of its first Pilatus PC-9 turboprop trainer, to replace
1955-849: The Desert Air Force located in North Africa and the Mediterranean . Thousands of Australians also served with other Commonwealth air forces in Europe during the Second World War. About nine percent of the personnel who served under British RAF commands in Europe and the Mediterranean were RAAF personnel. With British manufacturing targeted by the German Luftwaffe , in 1941 the Australian government created
2040-834: The Governor-General of Australia is the de jure Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. The Royal Australian Air Force is commanded by the Chief of Air Force (CAF), who is subordinate to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF). The CAF is also directly responsible to the Minister for Defence , with the Department of Defence administering the ADF and the Air Force. Formed in March 1921, as
2125-737: The RAF Far East Command in the Malayan , Singapore and Dutch East Indies campaigns . Equipped with aircraft such as the Brewster Buffalo , and Lockheed Hudsons , the Australian squadrons suffered heavily against Japanese Zeros. During the fighting for Rabaul in early 1942, No. 24 Squadron RAAF fought a brief, but ultimately futile defence as the Japanese advanced south towards Australia. The devastating air raids on Darwin on 19 February 1942 increased concerns about
2210-537: The Royal Military College, Duntroon , in Canberra , he selected 297 hectares at Point Cook , Victoria, to become, as George Odgers described it, the "birthplace of Australian military aviation". Petre and Harrison established CFS over the following year with four mechanics, three other staff, and five aircraft including two Deperdussin monoplanes, two Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 biplanes, and
2295-545: The Vietnam War , from 1964 to 1972, the RAAF contributed Caribou STOL transport aircraft as part of the RAAF Transport Flight Vietnam, later redesignated No. 35 Squadron RAAF , UH-1 Iroquois helicopters from No. 9 Squadron RAAF , and English Electric Canberra bombers from No. 2 Squadron RAAF . The Canberras flew 11,963 bombing sorties , and two aircraft were lost. One went missing during
2380-477: The Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) in March 1941, which then became the Women's Royal Australian Air Force (WRAAF) in 1951. The service merged with the RAAF in 1977; however, all women in the Australian military were barred from combat-related roles until 1990. Women have been eligible for flying roles in the RAAF since 1987, with the RAAF's first women pilots awarded their "wings" in 1988. In 2016,
2465-680: The "nerve-centre of the Empire Air Training Scheme in Australia", it was commanded by Squadron Leader E.C. Bates, RAF , former chief flying instructor at No. 1 FTS. CFS relocated from Point Cook to RAAF Station Camden , New South Wales, on 14 May. Formerly the privately owned Macquarie Grove Aerodrome, Camden was a new air base, and the school's facilities cost £ 53,000 to construct. On establishment, its personnel numbered 470 officers and airmen, and its complement of aircraft included twenty-three Tiger Moths , nine CAC Wirraways , and fourteen Avro Ansons . Among
2550-659: The AAC, had used the Army's rank structure. In November 1920 it was decided by the Air Board that the RAAF would adopt the structure adopted by the RAF the previous year. As a result, the RAAF's rank structure came to be: Aircraftman, Leading Aircraftman, Corporal, Sergeant, Flight Sergeant, Warrant Officer, Officer Cadet, Pilot Officer, Flying Officer, Flight Lieutenant, Squadron Leader, Wing Commander, Group Captain, Air Commodore, Air Vice-Marshal, Air Marshal, Air Chief Marshal, and Marshal of
2635-510: The ADF's fixed wing aircraft, although both the Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy also operate aircraft in various roles. The RAAF provides support across a spectrum of operations such as air superiority, precision strikes, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, air mobility, space surveillance , and humanitarian support. The RAAF has 252 aircraft, of which 84 are combat aircraft. The RAAF traces its history back to
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2720-640: The AFC, whilst another 200 men served as aircrew in the British flying services. Casualties included 175 dead, 111 wounded, 6 gassed and 40 captured. The Australian Flying Corps remained part of the Australian Army until 1919, when it was disbanded along with the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Although the Central Flying School continued to operate at Point Cook, military flying virtually ceased until 1920, when
2805-588: The British Royal Air Force . When formed the RAAF had more aircraft than personnel, with 21 officers and 128 other ranks and 153 aircraft. As British aircraft manufacturers at the time were unable to meet Australian requirements, in addition to British production demands, the Australian government established the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in 1936 and purchased some American aircraft. In September 1939,
2890-655: The CSG has actively participated in ADF operations, including deployments to regions such as the Solomon Islands, East Timor, Afghanistan , and Iraq . The group has also played a pivotal role in offering Forward Control System (FCS) capabilities for Australian humanitarian missions. Overall, the Combat Support Group contributes significantly to enhancing the operational effectiveness and support capabilities of
2975-477: The Caribou arrived there, the Australian government detained the civilians for a short period, and then granted refugee visas to all of them. The Guardian later described A4-140 as "the only RAAF plane ever hijacked", and the incident as "one of the more remarkable stories in Australia's military and immigration history". Military airlifts were conducted for a number of purposes in subsequent decades, such as
3060-629: The DAP from 1944. Although it was much bigger than Japanese fighters, the Beaufighter had the speed to outrun them. The RAAF operated a number of Consolidated PBY Catalina as long-range bombers and scouts. The RAAF's heavy bomber force was predominantly made up of 287 B-24 Liberators , equipping seven squadrons, which could bomb Japanese targets as far away as Borneo and the Philippines from airfields in Australia and New Guinea. By late 1945,
3145-662: The Department of Aircraft Production (DAP; later known as the Government Aircraft Factories ) to supply Commonwealth air forces, and the RAAF was eventually provided with large numbers of locally built versions of British designs such as the DAP Beaufort torpedo bomber , Beaufighters and Mosquitos, as well as other types such as Wirraways, Boomerangs, and Mustangs. In the European theatre of
3230-408: The Flying Females Mentoring Network. Men and women are required to undergo the same basic fitness tests to become a pilot; however the standards are lower for females. For some roles, the requirement cannot be adjusted for safety reasons. The rank structure of the nascent RAAF was established to ensure that the service remained separate from the Army and Navy. The service's predecessors, the AFC and
3315-448: The Macchi for advanced flying instructor training. The Roulettes converted to the PC-9 in 1989–90. The CT-4 was phased out at the school in favour of the PC-9 in December 1991. CFS continued to operate the PC-9 for pilot instructor training at East Sale, until their phase-out and replacement by the PC-21 in December 2019, under the control of the Air Force Training Group 's Air Training Wing, and to administer flying standards across
3400-408: The Pacific were around 2,000 killed, wounded or captured. By the time the war ended, a total of 216,900 men and women served in the RAAF, of whom 10,562 were killed in action; a total of 76 squadrons were formed. With over 152,000 personnel operating nearly 6,000 aircraft it was the world's fourth-largest air force. During the Berlin Airlift , in 1948–49, the RAAF Squadron Berlin Air Lift aided
3485-477: The Persian Gulf and North Arabian Sea in support of Coalition warships and boarding parties, as well as conducting extensive overland flights of Iraq and Afghanistan on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, and supporting counter-piracy operations in Somalia. From 2007 to 2009, a detachment of No. 114 Mobile Control and Reporting Unit RAAF was on active service at Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan . Approximately 75 personnel deployed with
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3570-719: The RAAF Institute of Aviation Medicine). CFS remained at Point Cook for the rest of the war, by which time it had graduated some 3,600 instructors. The immediate aftermath of the Pacific War saw large-sale demobilisation of RAAF personnel, along with the disposal of equipment and disbandment of units. CFS was allocated resources to ensure the maintenance of Air Force flying standards, but took on no new students. The school relocated from Point Cook to RAAF Station East Sale (now RAAF Base East Sale ), Victoria, during November and December 1947; its aircraft included seven Tiger Moths, nine Wirraways, three Oxfords, two C-47 Dakotas , one P-51 Mustang , and one Avro Lincoln . It then returned to
3655-418: The RAAF curtailed display flying. The Roulettes formed in 1970, flying the Macchi, and continued to operate the type until 1990, when the team finished converting to the PC-9. As well as the Roulettes, CFS is responsible for the display work of the Air Force Balloons. In December 1911, the Australian Department of Defence advertised in the United Kingdom for "two competent mechanists and aviators" to establish
3740-584: The RAAF had received or ordered about 500 P-51 Mustangs , for fighter/ground attack purposes. The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation initially assembled US-made Mustangs, but later manufactured most of those used. By mid-1945, the RAAF's main operational formation in the Pacific, the First Tactical Air Force (1st TAF), consisted of over 21,000 personnel, while the RAAF as a whole consisted of about 50 squadrons and 6,000 aircraft, of which over 3,000 were operational. The 1st TAF's final campaigns were fought in support of Australian ground forces in Borneo , but had
3825-427: The RAAF roundel was proposed, including the Southern Cross , a boomerang , a sprig of wattle , and a red kangaroo . On 2 July 1956, the current version of the roundel was formally adopted. This consists of a white inner circle with a red kangaroo surrounded by a royal blue circle. The kangaroo faces left, except when used on aircraft or vehicles, when the kangaroo should always face forward. Low visibility versions of
3910-411: The RAAF's formation aerobatic display team. They perform around Australia and Southeast Asia, and are part of the RAAF Central Flying School (CFS) based at RAAF Base East Sale , Victoria. The Roulettes operate the Pilatus PC-21 and formations for shows are a group of six aircraft. The pilots learn many formations including loops, rolls, corkscrews and ripple rolls. Most of the performances are done at
3995-464: The RAAF. In 1922, the colour of the RAAF winter uniform was determined by Air Marshal Sir Richard Williams on a visit to the Geelong Wool Mill. He asked for one dye dip fewer than the RAN blue (three indigo dips rather than four). There was a change to a lighter blue-grey when an all-seasons uniform was introduced in 1972 by Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Colin Hannah. The original colour and style were re-adopted from 1 January 2000 under direction from
4080-464: The RAAF. Practising and performing with the Roulettes, which celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 2020, remains a secondary task for team members after their instructional duties. As well as the Roulettes' displays, the school is responsible for the training and public relations work of the Air Force Balloons, which are co-located with No. 28 Squadron at HMAS Harman in Canberra. In their role supporting RAAF recruitment and public awareness,
4165-404: The Red Sales disaster. In 1965, Plenty's successor as commanding officer, Wing Commander T.J.T. Meldrum, joined an RAAF team charged with selecting a jet trainer to replace both the Winjeel and the Vampire. Led by Air Commodore Brian Eaton , the team chose the Italian Macchi MB-326H as it met all requirements, could be licence-built by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in Australia, and
4250-407: The Royal Australian Air Force has fought in a number of major wars, including the Second World War in Europe and the Pacific, participated in the Berlin Airlift , Korean War , Malayan Emergency , Indonesia–Malaysia Confrontation , Vietnam War , and more recently, operations in East Timor , the Iraq War and subsequent intervention, and the War in Afghanistan . The RAAF operates the majority of
4335-437: The Royal Australian Air Force, reinforcing its commitment to regional security and national interests. As of 2017, Combat Support Group's main subordinate units were: Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) is the principal aerial warfare force of Australia , a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army . Constitutionally
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#17327761840494420-499: The Tiger Moth as the Air Force's basic trainer, and began operating at CFS the following year. In March 1957, the school took on the responsibility of training the RAAF's air traffic controllers; this continued until May 1981, when the RAAF School of Air Traffic Control was formed as an autonomous unit at East Sale. CFS formed its first aerobatic team, called "The Red Sales", in 1962. The team consisted of four instructors flying Vampire trainers. On 15 August, they were practising
4505-404: The air force used the red, white and blue roundel of the RAF. However, during the Second World War the inner red circle, which was visually similar to the Japanese hinomaru , was removed after a No. 11 Squadron Catalina was mistaken for a Japanese aircraft and attacked by a Grumman Wildcat of VMF-212 of the United States Marine Corps on 27 June 1942. After the war, a range of options for
4590-459: The average student taking the six-month instructors' course was reported as being a flight lieutenant aged twenty-seven, with 1,000 hours flying experience. Wing Commander Charles Read , who later became Chief of the Air Staff , served as commanding officer of CFS from August 1952 to May 1954. In May 1953, the school commenced jet instructor training with dual-control De Havilland Vampires . The CAC Winjeel entered service in 1955, to replace
4675-410: The backbone of the air war against the CTs, conducting bombing missions against their jungle bases. Although results were often difficult to assess, they allowed the government to harass CT forces, attack their base camps when identified and keep them on the move. Later, in 1958, Canberra bombers from No. 2 Squadron RAAF were deployed to Malaya and took part in bombing missions against the CTs. During
4760-423: The badge is a wedge-tailed eagle . Per Ardua Ad Astra is attributed with the meaning "Through Adversity to the Stars" and is from Sir Henry Rider Haggard's novel The People of the Mist . The "Eagles of Australia" is the official march of the RAAF and is played as a quick march when the RAAF bands perform public duties in the capital. Composed by the RAAF's Director of Music, Squadron Leader Ron Mitchell (who
4845-443: The change in nomenclature. At present, the CSG operates on a centralised control model, complemented by decentralised execution, enabling it to provide essential military airbase capabilities. The group collaborates with wings and squadrons situated across various locations within Australia , ensuring the provision of necessary support for Australian Defence Force (ADF) operations in the Asia-Pacific region. Throughout its history,
4930-415: The conflict. No. 77 Squadron flew 18,872 sorties, claiming the destruction of 3,700 buildings, 1,408 vehicles, 16 bridges, 98 railway carriages and an unknown number of enemy personnel. Three MiG-15s were confirmed destroyed, and two others probably destroyed. RAAF casualties included 41 killed and seven captured; 66 aircraft – 22 Mustangs and 44 Meteors – were lost. In July 1952, No. 78 Wing RAAF
5015-400: The corps was known as the "Australian Flying Corps". Soon after the outbreak of war in 1914, the Australian Flying Corps sent aircraft to assist in capturing German colonies in what is now north-east New Guinea . However, these colonies surrendered quickly, before the planes were even unpacked. The first operational flights did not occur until 27 May 1915, when the Mesopotamian Half Flight
5100-416: The direct threat facing Australia. In response, some RAAF squadrons were transferred from the northern hemisphere —although a substantial number remained there until the end of the war. Shortages of fighter and ground attack planes led to the acquisition of US-built Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawks and the rapid design and manufacture of the first Australian fighter, the CAC Boomerang . RAAF Kittyhawks came to play
5185-438: The end of World War II, the school had produced more than 3,600 instructors. It transferred to East Sale in November 1947. Since 1962, CFS has been responsible for three aerobatic display teams. The first, "The Red Sales", flew De Havilland Vampire jet aircraft. A second team, "The Telstars", was formed in 1963, also flying Vampires. The Telstars disbanded in 1968, just after taking delivery of new Macchi MB326H jets, when
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#17327761840495270-404: The interim Australian Air Corps (AAC), with a wing each for the Army and the Navy, was formed as a unit of the Army. The AAC was succeeded by the Australian Air Force which was formed on 31 March 1921. King George V approved the prefix "Royal" in May 1921 and became effective on 13 August 1921. The RAAF then became the second Royal air arm to be formed in the British Commonwealth , following
5355-409: The international effort to fly in supplies to the stricken city; two RAF Avro York aircraft were also crewed by RAAF personnel. Although a small part of the operation, the RAAF contribution was significant, flying 2,062 sorties and carrying 7,030 tons of freight and 6,964 passengers. In the Korean War , from 1950 to 1953, North American Mustangs from No. 77 Squadron RAAF , stationed in Japan with
5440-409: The job of training instructors, graduating its first post-war course in June 1948. Newspapers reporting on its move to East Sale called CFS the RAAF's "university of the air". Official RAAF historian Alan Stephens described the school as "the Air Force's most important peacetime unit", going on to state that "CFS's pre-eminence derived from its role as the Air Force's arbiter of pure flying standards,
5525-404: The outbreak of World War I. The four students included Captain Thomas White and Lieutenants Richard Williams , George Merz, and David Manwell. Williams, who became the first to graduate, recalled the school as a "ragtime show" consisting of a paddock, tents, and one large structure: a shed for the Boxkite. A further eleven courses were run during the war years, graduating 152 pilots to
5610-473: The peacekeeping operations in East Timor from 1999. Australia's combat aircraft were not used again in combat until the Iraq War in 2003, when 14 F/A-18s from No. 75 Squadron RAAF operated in the escort and ground attack roles, flying a total of 350 sorties and dropping 122 laser-guided bombs. A detachment of AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft were deployed in the Middle East between 2003 and 2012. These aircraft conducted maritime surveillance patrols over
5695-403: The remaining restrictions on women in frontline combat roles were removed, and the first two female RAAF fast jet fighter pilots graduated in December 2017. Air Force has implemented several programs to assist women who choose a pilot career. Entry to the Graduate Pilot Scheme is open to women who are currently undertaking a Bachelor of Aviation (BAv). Once qualified, women pilots are able to access
5780-406: The roundel exist, with the white omitted and the red and blue replaced with light or dark grey. The RAAF badge was accepted by the Chester Herald in 1939. The badge is composed of the St Edward's Crown mounted on a circle featuring the words Royal Australian Air Force, beneath which scroll work displays the Latin motto Per Ardua Ad Astra , which it shares with the Royal Air Force. Surmounting
5865-535: The school taken over by the short-lived Australian Air Corps , formed on 1 January 1920. In 1921, CFS's function was assumed by No. 1 Flying Training School (No. 1 FTS), a unit of the newly formed RAAF. RAAF flying training was heavily reorganised soon after the outbreak of World War II in response to Australia's participation in the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS). Elementary Flying Training Schools were formed, to provide basic flight instruction to cadets, while more advanced pilot instruction
5950-401: The school's leadership in Petre's absence. The facilities were improved, and by the end of 1915, according to Wackett, they boasted "a good engineering workshop", "cottages for the married staff" and "a very comfortable officers mess". A year later, three AFC squadrons had been formed at Point Cook for service in the Middle East and France: Nos. 1 , 3 and 4 Squadrons . In September 1918
6035-549: The school, now made up of No. 1 Home Training Squadron, No. 1 Home Training Depot, and an aircraft repair section, became part of the Australian Imperial Force . Harrison was posted overseas in October and Major William Sheldon, former commanding officer of Nos. 2 and 4 Squadrons, was placed in charge of CFS. Little training took place in the year following the November 1918 Armistice ; staff mainly did "odd jobs" such as making survey flights and promoting government bonds . CFS's units were disbanded in December 1919 and
6120-679: The southern Philippines in response to the Marawi crisis . In 2021, the Royal Australian Air Force commemorated its 100th anniversary. Later that year, on 29 November, the Hornet was officially retired from RAAF service, with a ceremony to mark the occasion taking place that day at RAAF Base Williamtown. In January 2022, two RAAF P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and one C-130J Hercules departed RAAF Amberley and Richmond to conduct aerial reconnaissance of Tonga in
6205-766: The staff were former civil pilots and instructors, as well as career Air Force officers. Graduates from Camden included Bill Newton , later awarded the Victoria Cross for bombing raids in New Guinea, and Jerry Pentland , a World War I fighter ace with twenty-three victories, who went on to become perhaps the oldest RAAF pilot on active duty. The outbreak of the Pacific War led to an influx of United States Army Air Forces units to Australian bases, including Camden. To make way, CFS moved to Tamworth , New South Wales, during March and April 1942. Tamworth
6290-590: The then CAF Air Marshal Errol McCormack. Slip-on rank epaulettes , known as "Soft Rank Insignia" (SRI), displaying the word "AUSTRALIA" are worn on the shoulders of the service dress uniform. When not in the service dress or "ceremonial" uniform, RAAF personnel wear the General Purpose Uniform (GPU) as a working dress, which is a blue version of the Australian Multicam Camouflage Uniform . Originally,
6375-485: The wake of the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai eruption and tsunami . According to Australian Defence News, the flights were to "help determine the extent of the damage [to Tongan infrastructure]… and inform future disaster support requests." In October 2023, the Australian Government announced that, in addition to a further round of A$ 31.6 million for military assistance for Ukraine, it would be sending
6460-452: The war continued some of its personnel and equipment would likely have been allocated to the invasion of the Japanese mainland , along with some of the RAAF bomber squadrons in Europe, which were to be grouped together with British and Canadian squadrons as part of the proposed Tiger Force . However, the war was brought to a sudden end by the US nuclear attacks on Japan. The RAAF's casualties in
6545-507: The war, RAAF personnel were especially notable in RAF Bomber Command : although they represented just two percent of all Australian enlistments during the war, they accounted for almost twenty percent of those killed in action. This statistic is further illustrated by the fact that No. 460 Squadron RAAF , mostly flying Avro Lancasters , had an official establishment of about 200 aircrew and yet had 1,018 combat deaths. The squadron
6630-555: Was also director of the Air Force Band ), it was officially adopted as the RAAF's new march music on 23 March 1983, replacing the Royal Air Force March Past , which had long been the RAAF's march as well as the marchpast of other Commonwealth air forces. Subsequently, journalist Frank Cranston wrote lyrics to the march and a musical score was produced by September of the following year. The Roulettes are
6715-901: Was called upon to assist the Indian Army in providing air support during the Mesopotamian Campaign against the Ottoman Empire , in what is now Iraq . The corps later saw action in Egypt , Palestine and on the Western Front throughout the remainder of the First World War. By the end of the war, four squadrons— Nos. 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 —had seen operational service, while another four training squadrons— Nos. 5 , 6 , 7 and 8 —had also been established. A total of 460 officers and 2,234 other ranks served in
6800-574: Was deployed to Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates as part of the coalition to combat Islamic State forces in Iraq. Operations began on 1 October. A number of C-17 and C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft based in the Middle East have also been used to conduct airdrops of humanitarian aid and to airlift arms and munitions since August. In June 2017, two RAAF AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft were deployed to
6885-482: Was deployed to Malta in the Mediterranean where it formed part of a British force which sought to counter the Soviet Union's influence in the Middle East as part of Australia's Cold War commitments. Consisting of No. 75 and 76 Squadrons equipped with de Havilland Vampire jet fighters, the wing provided an air garrison for the island for the next two and half years, returning to Australia in late 1954. In 1953,
6970-492: Was not considered a suitable airfield for the school's Wirraways, Ansons and Airspeed Oxfords , and a further relocation was deemed necessary, this time to RAAF Station Parkes , New South Wales, on 18 January 1944. Later that year, CFS moved once more, returning on 19 September to Point Cook. There it gained an aviation medicine section, which in 1956 was detached to form the RAAF School of Aviation Medicine (later
7055-402: Was relatively inexpensive. The Telstars began flying the Macchi in February 1968, but the RAAF cut back on display flying shortly afterwards, and the team disbanded in April. A new aerobatic team flying Macchis, the " Roulettes ", was formed at CFS in August 1970, in preparation for the RAAF's fiftieth anniversary celebrations commencing in March 1971. The introduction of the Macchi permitted
7140-549: Was therefore effectively wiped out five times over. Total RAAF casualties in Europe were 5,488 killed or missing. The beginning of the Pacific War —and the rapid advance of Japanese forces—threatened the Australian mainland for the first time in its history. The RAAF was quite unprepared for the emergency, and initially had negligible forces available for service in the Pacific. In 1941 and early 1942, many RAAF airmen, including Nos. 1, 8, 21 and 453 Squadrons , saw action with
7225-462: Was to take place at Service Flying Training Schools. The most pressing need, however, was for flying instructors; the RAAF had only sixteen, and at least 1,000 were needed to meet Australia's obligations under EATS. To train these instructors, the Instructors' Training Squadron at No. 1 FTS was detached to form the nucleus of a new Central Flying School on 29 April 1940. Described as
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