Ad Astra Aviator Podcasts

Introducing LESLEY GENT  OAM

Lesley whilst having never been in the Air Force is part of the Air Force “fabric”, as have been officers, airman and families since 1921.

She grew up in Country NSW.  After schooling, she moved to Sydney and worked at David Jones as a Press Relations Officer.  A most exciting job.  Maharaja of Mysore, Rolling Stones, Tony Bennett, Tom Jones

Her Father was Superintendent of Police in the North Eastern District: he had been Mounted Police.  In Newcastle she accompanied her father to the Winter Ball at RAAF Williamtown .  This is where she met her future husband Garry: he was in a striking uniform and was walking around with a bottle of Champagne under his arm.  She and Garry were married the following December(1969).

Her first encounter with the hierarchy of the RAAF was when the Commanding Officer’s wife invited her and another new wife for afternoon tea.  She was “lectured” formally on her responsibility to her husband and to the RAAF.  Lesley says she adhered to these requirement, within reason,  until Garry retired.   He has always maintained he didn’t know what hit him that day. 

Lesley believes conditions have improved enormously over the years for families of servicemen and women.  In the 70s/80s, she visited the airmen’s homes on numerous occasions,  and found it hard to believe the poor conditions.

Garry served 30 years in the RAAF and then they went farming!!   The Rural Fire Brigade was one of Lesley’s main interests and she spent many years on the Education Advisory Panel.  

She was talked into being Researcher/Secretary/Treasurer of 77 Squadron Association, and then Fighter Squadrons Branch.   During this time she worked solidly in support of veterans and their families.  She had close contact with 77 Squadron RAF and wrote a book for them “Killed in Service”.  

Lesley now provides all the research for Air Force Association NSW.  For example her current work is trying to locate the family of Flight Sergeant Kenneth Morrison killed whilst piloting  Halifax JD126 over Arum, Holland on 10 July 1943.

And so her Air Force associated life continues – just differently

Introducing Wing Commander (ret) Matt Hall. 

“Since he was old enough to notice planes, Matt Hall wanted to be a pilot. Flying with his dad in a glider, making models at home and meeting officers of the Air Force fuelled his ambition. So when he was accepted for RAAF pilot training, a dream come true.

From the rigours of his first job in aviation as an F/A-18 Hornet pilot, to combat over Iraq in the Battle of Baghdad to his post Air Force career as a professional air racer, Matt has survived near-fatal situations.

Graduated as a RAAF pilot in Jul 92

Posted to Fighters:   77 Sqn and 3 Sqn.

Completed FCI course and graduated Dux

Posted to instruct at No 2 Operational Conversion Unit

Posted to USA on F15E exchange duties, including combat operations in Iraq.

Posted back to 2 OCU for chief instructor for Fighter Combat Instructors Course

Then posted as 3 Sqn Executive Officer.

Retired in Jan 2009 to start racing and became the first Australian ever to compete in the Red Bull Air Race World Championships, the fastest motorsport series on the planet, and finished the season third overall to become the first rookie in history to end his debut season on the podium.   Matt has since won seven rounds of the race and finished runner-up in the world title standings three times.   Last year he trumped all of that when he became Australia’s first and only Red Bull Air Race World Champion.

While he is taking a break from racing, he has started a Corporate Aviation business, and an Aircraft Maintenance business, based out of his own airfield at Lake Macquarie.

He’s also the author of the biography The Sky Is Not The Limit.

Wing Commander Grant Burr 

Joined the RAAF in 1996.

2001-2004, he was as a line fighter pilot during which time he deployed to fly combat missions in Iraq as part of Operation Falconer. He then was on exchange with the Canadian Forces.

In 2009, he was appointed Executive Officer 77 Squadron and focused his time on ensuring the Squadron’s junior aircrew maintained a camaraderie and passion for fighter flying.

Returning to Canada in 2012, he completed the Canadian Forces Command and Staff Course. He was next posted as Deputy Director Joint Strike Fighter Transition Team. 2015 saw him deployed on Operation Okra in the Middle East. In 2016, he became Commanding Office 77 Sqn, then returning to OKRA as leader of 77SQN combat missions 2017.   He currently serves on the Officer Aviation Specialist Stream in Air Combat Group. 

His conversion training to F-35A commences in 2021.

 

Air Vice Marshal (retired) John Kindler AO, AFC 

As an RAAF fighter pilot and qualified test pilot, John has flown 35 different types of aircraft, but mainly the F-86 Sabre, the Mirage IIIO and the F/A-18 Hornet. He held Squadron, Wing and Group command positions in fighter operations. John was appointed Air Commander Australia in March 2000.  He was responsible for the operational training & employment of some 10,000 Air Force combat personnel and the RAAF’s fleet of combat aircraft. John has co-chaired Australia’s Defence Force Airworthiness Boards & was Chairman of the Board of Newcastle Airport Limited. He also advises Pratt and Whitney Military Engines on Defence industry and acquisition policy. John had the unusual distinction of ejecting from a Mirage on 2 separate occasions! 

Wing Commander (retired) Ron Haack

Wing Commander retired Ron Haack joined the Air Force in 1970.  He thought progression to Astronaut was through fast jet and test pilot qualifications and that is exactly what he did,  except for the Astronaut bit.  His fast jet experience was mainly Mirage and F18 Hornet.  His test pilot career began with the Empire Test Pilot School at Boscombe Down, and eventually included flying the first flights of most RAAF Hornets as they rolled off the assembly line. 

His Test Flying sojourn was full of exciting and dangerous moments of which he tells many stories which make your hair stand on end.

Since 2003, Grant Biles has been a Armament Technician on the F18 Classic Hornet. 

Big job considering the number of times the Hornet has been called upon to perform under pressure.  Almost like being on the Pit Crew in a Grand Prix. 

In this Podcast, he speaks with Gareth McCray about his life helping to keep the F18 in the air and the deployments he has been on including a sojourn in the Middle East. 

A very interesting and humble man.

Flight Lieutenant Emily Willis, Fighter Pilot.  Emily joined the Australian Defence Force in 2011 as a General Service Officer under an Aviation Cadetship and graduated with a flying posting to the Defence Force Basic Flying Training School (BFTS). Finishing BFTS, she joined the RAAF as a pilot and continued training at 2 Flying Training School. She graduated to join 2 Operaional Conversion Unit in December 2017 and was then posted to F18s at 77SQN, Williamtown. 

Emily relates here how her career as an Air Force fighter pilot has developed and what a ball she is having including one on one with the F35.

Find out with Emily what it is like to be a current day Fighter Pilot

Sister Joan LOUTIT, 2nd M.A.E.T.U. (Medical Air Evacuation Unit) R.A.A.F.

Sadly Mrs Joan Patterson formerly Sister Joan LOUTIT passed away on  Sept 11th 2018

A note from Joan: Friends were talking about V. J. Day and what we were doing when the Japanese surrendered in World War II. Some were at school, some went to a ball - I said I was in the Pacific Islands, nursing and flying battle-casualties back to Australia! Someone said that would make an interesting talk...

So Joan gave some talks part of which are read for you in this Podcast.

For personnel at RAAF Base Williamtown a low-flying F-35A Lightning II is hardly a remarkable sight, but a low pass conducted on August 28 held great significance for Wing Commander Darren Clare.

It was his last flight before handing over command of No. 3 Squadron.

Having flown more than 350 hours in the F-35A, Wing Commander Clare was not only one of the first RAAF pilots selected to transition to the 5th Generation platform but was also selected as the commanding officer of the first Australian squadron to receive the aircraft – an honour he said was one of the most exciting moments in his career.

In this Podcast, Wing Commander Clare talks about his F35 flying experiences.

Wing Commander retired Jim Treadwell AFC  OAM,  a highly qualified and experienced Air Force pilot and leader.  He flew fighters for most of his life including Meteors, Sabres and Mirages.

Jim talks about highlights of his career while taking part in the first Sabre Ferry to Butterworth, Malaya,  flying on operations during the Malayan Emergency,  deploying to Ubon, Thailand as part of the air defence of Thailand during the Vietnam War and then also serving during Indonesian Confrontation. 

In 1977 he resigned from the Air Force to become a farmer.