Jetting off into history

The retirement of the F-111 fleet will be marked by two days of events at RAAF Base Amberley.

Related links

• Dump and burn could panic pets

TWO days of celebrations including fly overs, parades and dinner functions are planned for the official decommissioning of RAAF Base Amberley's F-111 fleet this December.

The iconic jets will perform their last dump-and-burn fly past at Brisbane's Riverfire Festival tonight, but it won't be the last chance for the public to catch a glimpse of the famous jets.

Officially named Pigs' Tails: Official F-111 Retirement Events, the two-day program will start with a final fly over of Ipswich on the afternoon of December 2 from 1pm.

Included in the fly over will be their replacement jets – the F/A-18F Super Hornets – which will travel over Northern NSW before landing at RAAF Base Amberley.

Following the public fly over will be several functions for current or former F-111 Defence personnel and contractors, as well as current RAAF Base Amberley Defence personnel and invited VIPs. A last flight ceremony and Champagne toast will be held at the base at 4pm before the headline Pigs' Tales dinner later that night.

Then on December 3 there will be a memorial service at the base's front gate, an F-111C static display for a last “look and touch” before a final parade.

All the festivities will then be wrapped up with a final Pigs' Tales Last Hurrah Barbecue

In March, the QT reported about half of the F-111s that were introduced to RAAF in 1973 would be scrapped after they were decommissioned.

In that month the Australian Defence Force said it released a tender calling for businesses to destroy 13 of the RAAF's G-model F-111s.

One of the 15 remaining F-111C jets will stay in Ipswich to go on display at RAAF Base Amberley.

The F-111 arrived at Amberley in 1973 and No.6 Squadron has now flown the strike jet for nearly four decades. For more information on the farewell events visit www.pigstales.com.au.

HISTORY

• Supersonic long-range strike aircraft
• Introduced to Royal Australian Air Force in June 1973
• 37 years of service, including airframe, engine, weapons and avionics upgrades
• Set for decommissioning on December 2 and 3
• Replaced by F/A-18F Super Hornets