RFD Winged Target – Aviation Historical Society of Australia

DerekB06/03/202303/06/2023

Aviation Heritage Vol. 54 No. 1 (March 2023) Contents Listing

The latest quarterly edition (March 2023) of the AHSA journal – Aviation Heritage – has recently been posted to members. The full contents are...

1942 No 30 Squadron was established at RAAF Base Richmond on 9 March 1942 as a long-range fighter squadron, and was equipped with Bristol Beaufighter aircraft, which logistically shared much with the Beaufort light bomber. After a brief period of training the squadron deployed to Townsville. From RAAF Garbut and satellite fields it escorted anti-shipping patrols. Source: Beaufighter 30 Squadron RAAF website

1942 On the afternoon of 9 March 1942 Queensland Police at Cairns Police Station were advised at about 4:20pm that there had been an aeroplane crash at the Cairns Aerodrome. The aircraft was P-40E Kittyhawk #41-5572 (#16) from the 7th Provisional Squadron of the 49th Pursuit Group. The Flight Lieutenant from the RAAF Detachment at the Cairns Airfield advised that the pilot of the aircraft, Lt James T. Hutchison O-431885, was only slightly injured and had been conveyed to the Cairns District Hospital. Source: Ozatwar.com website

2001 It was announced on 9 March 2001 that Australian space engineer Professor Ray Stalker will be inducted as a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Professor Stalker, of The University of Queensland Department of Mechanical Engineering, will be the first Australian fellow of the AIAA. Professor Stalker has developed technologies and testing facilities for hypersonic flight and scramjet engines. Source: University of Queensland

2014 It was announced on 9 March 2014 that the Australian Defence Force will send two RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft to Malaysia to assist in the search and rescue effort for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which went missing on 8 March 2014. Both the Orion aircraft were based in Darwin, one aircraft departed that evening for RAAF Butterworth in Malaysia where it was based to conduct its search activities. The second Orion aircraft was scheduled to depart on Monday morning. This followed a decision by the Malaysian Government to accept an offer from the Australian Prime Minister. Acting Chief of the Australian Defence Force, Air Marshal Mark Binskin said the Orion aircraft is a specialist maritime patrol and long-range surveillance aircraft equipped with a variety of sensors and electro-optics detectors making it ideally suited for this type of operation. “This is a terrible tragedy and the Australian Defence Force stands ready to do all it can to assist our Malaysian friends,” Air Marshal Binskin said. “This has affected all Australians very deeply and our thoughts are with the families of all those caught in this incident.” Source: Defence News website

2016 Jason Harfield was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Airservices Australia on 9 March 2016. Jason began his career with Airservices as a flight data officer in Adelaide in 1989. Source: Airservices Australia website