Accolades are in order! The Australian Ministry of Defence recently announced that six retired F-111 Pigs will be
loaned to various air museums and air organizations throughout Australia. This
is a win-win situation for helping to preserve the history of such a pivotal aircraft,
which played such a vital role in the history of the Royal Australian Air Force and the national security of Australia.
The six organizations to receive F-111s are as follows: the Aviation Historical Society of the Northern Territory (Winnellie, Northern Territory); the Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome Heritage Aviation Association (Evans Head, New South Wales); Fighter World (Williamtown, New South Wales); the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (Albion Park Rail, New South Wales); the Queensland Air Museum (Caloundra, Queensland); and the South Australian Aviation Museum (Port Adelaide, South Australia).
Although we
advocate restoring at least one F-111 to flying conditions for air shows and
fly overs, we realize that it’s just wishful thinking. The costs associated with operating and
maintaining the forty-year-old F-111s are exorbitant and it’s unlikely if the
Australian government and taxpayers would support such an idea, unless a
private organization footed the bill.
The Royal Australian Air Force operated the F-111 from 1973 until 2010.
See the press release from the Australian Ministry of Defence here: Retired-‘pigs’-get-a-new-home
The six organizations to receive F-111s are as follows: the Aviation Historical Society of the Northern Territory (Winnellie, Northern Territory); the Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome Heritage Aviation Association (Evans Head, New South Wales); Fighter World (Williamtown, New South Wales); the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (Albion Park Rail, New South Wales); the Queensland Air Museum (Caloundra, Queensland); and the South Australian Aviation Museum (Port Adelaide, South Australia).
The Royal Australian Air Force operated the F-111 from 1973 until 2010.
See the press release from the Australian Ministry of Defence here: Retired-‘pigs’-get-a-new-home