Saving The F-111

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

F-111 A8-125 completely reassembled after its trip from Amberley and sitting in its final resting place inside one of the RAAF Museum display hangars. As part of the disposal strategy for the retired F-111 aircraft, the Department of Defence is preserving eight aircraft for static display. The aircraft will be prepared for display at RAAF base Amberley (QLD), disassembled, transported to display locations, reassembled and handed over to the custodian unit. F-111C A8-125, one of the eight aircraft to be preserved, will be relocated to the RAAF Museum, Point Cook (VIC).

Byline  Australian Defence   BylineTitle  82TIF CBTCAM 87SQN   Credit  LAC Benjamin Evans   Copyright String  © Commonwealth of Australia   Last Modified  7/06/2011 12:13:13 PM Release Date

Byline	Australian Defence
BylineTitle	82TIF CBTCAM 87SQN
Credit	LAC Benjamin Evans
Copyright String	© Commonwealth of Australia
Last Modified	7/06/2011 12:13:13 PM
Release Date

Byline 

Australian Defence  

BylineTitle 

82TIF CBTCAM 87SQN  

Credit 

LAC Benjamin Evans  

Copyright String 

© Commonwealth of Australia  

Last Modified 

7/06/2011 12:13:13 PM

Release Date