Graduates take wing
10 December 2008
The latest group of Royal Australian Navy aircrewmen trainees were presented with their much coveted wings in a recent ceremony at Nowra’s Fleet Air Arm Museum.
CAPT Steve Elms, Director, Naval Training, CAPT Elms, congratulated the graduates: LS Carly Mercer, LS James Inglish, LS Richard Close and AB Robert Walgers.
CAPT Elms also acknowledged the role of instructors and stressed the value of the rigorous training the graduates had undertaken “You must always remember the fundamentals of training, he said “because these foundations have been developed by the many who have been before you and set the high standards we have today”.
The latest Aircrewman completed 12 months of training covering both theory and flight including Combat Survival, Air Traffic Control, Aviation Medicine, Meteorology, and Helicopter Underwater Escape Training.
On successful completion of ground training the airborne phase was undertaken at 723 Squadron with trainees flying in the AS350BA Squirrel Light Utility Helicopter. This phase included winching, external load lifting, cockpit crew duties, navigation, search and rescue and surface swimmer operations.
The graduates will now consolidate their skills at 723 Squadron awaiting operational flying training.
LS Mercer and LS Close were awarded Dux of their respective courses. For LS Close it was a day of honours, as he was also promoted from AB that day.
All 4 graduates will now join 723 Squadron and await their operational flying training.
You can read about LS Mercer and LS Walgers personal take on the training experience below.
To fly or not to fly
PROTECTION - LOCATION – WATER – FOOD
PROTECTION - LOCATION – WATER...... we found ourselves saying this over and over again as we lifelessly huddled next to the remains of our fire. As we eagerly sifted through the few ambers that remained from a once roaring fire, trying desperately to blow life into it once more. The nights rain had made it almost near impossible to keep the fire going but with sheer determination and a little bit of improvisation, palm leaves seemed to fend off the trentrous rains and again a small but purposeful fire shone through the rest of the night. As our fire shone again we also started to prepare for the unknown events of the day to unfold. This had become the norm on combat survival using the element of surprise seemed to be the best way to simulate surviving after a downed aircraft in an unfamiliar location and at times with very limited aids. With only the birds as company sitting in a jungle by your self with no food and limited water waiting to be rescued you soon learn who you are as a person.
Combat survival is just a small component of the Aircrewman Basic Rotary Course (ABRC) but it is the memories and fables of the month spent in Townsville that seem to be passed down from course to course. Without a doubt it is one of the many highlights of the ABRC course but on the same token it was by far one of the most challenging. Both mentally and physically.
The life of a student on ABRC is somewhat busy and stressful. The sheer volume of information we must assimilate in a very short period is incredible -- and that doesn't include the numerous ground school courses you must do even before you step foot into an aircraft. From aircraft specific theory to aviation medicine to underwater ditching drills, combat survival to air traffic control procedures the pre flying phase of the course at times seemed quite daunting .The pace of the training program is so quick that at times you feel as though there should be just one more hour in the day. Everything is new, and your work days are just never the same again. Each day is something new, a challenge knowing that you are working out of your comfort zone and knowing that each day is a day closer to receiving your wings. Aircrewman work extremely hard to get their wings but the rewards are just not pinned to your chest at the end of course the real rewards are still to come, knowing that you are training to ultimately go out there into the unknown to be able to fight the war from the air, to drop vital stores to a disaster area or to be able to save someone’s life.
