CAC Plant Reports 1941, numbers 74-85

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1916 Number 4 Squadron was established as a unit of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) at Point Cook, Victoria, on 16 October 1916. Shortly after its formation the squadron departed for Britain, arriving at Castle Bromwich for further training in March 1917. The unit arrived in France on 18 December 1917, and from June 1918 it was assigned to Royal Air Force No. 80 Wing, flying alongside fellow Australian unit 2 Squadron AFC, and 46, 54, 88, 92 and 103 Squadron of the Royal Air Force. In this time it flew the latest British-designed Camel and Snipe fighters from the Sopwith Aviation Company while performing fighter sweeps, conducted air support operations for Allied ground forces, and raided German airstrips. 4 Squadron claimed more “kills” than any other AFC unit with 199 enemy aircraft destroyed. In addition, 33 enemy balloons were destroyed or driven down. Source: airforce.gov.au

1950 RAAF Sydney University Squadron was formed on 16 October 1950, its motto was Eadem Mens Alta Petendi (Latin: "In the Same Mind of Seeking the Heights"). RAAF University Squadrons were formed in each state of Australia in 1950 as part of the Citizen Air Force (CAF). They were formed to provide officer training to undergraduates who would then serve as commissioned officers in the RAAF General Reserve. Each squadron consisted of a number of specialist flights including: Flying, Medical, Equipment, Administrative and Technical. The squadrons were disbanded in 1973 following the end of conscription. Sydney University Squadron changed its name to the New South Wales University Squadron in March 1967. It was disbanded on 31 October 1973. Source: RAAF Historical Section, Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: A Concise History. Volume 9: Ancillery Units. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1995. ISBN 0-644-42802-3.

1967 Following an eight week period of training, the first contingent of the RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam (RANHFV) arrived in Vietnam on 16 October 1967 and was quickly integrated with the 330 personnel of the 135th Assault Helicopter Company (AHC). The first contingent included pilots, observers, naval airmen and support staff (assigned to 723 Squadron Naval Air Station Nowra in July 1967) under the command of Lieutenant Commander Neil Ralph, RAN. The flight consisted of eight pilots, four observers, four aircrewmen, 24 technical sailors and six support staff comprising of cooks, stewards, writers (clerks), medics and storemen. As a result of this unique relationship between the RAN and the US Army, the unit was officially designated ‘EMU’, for Experimental Military Unit. This was fitting, given that the emu is a native Australian bird, and in some ways comical as the emu cannot fly. Source: www.navy.gov.au/ran-helicopter-flight-vietnam-history website

2006 On 16 October 2006 it was reported that CASA had considered whether to adopt a new* international co-pilot's licence that would require just 10 hours solo experience commanding a plane. The 10 hours of command time, dropped from the existing Australian standard of 100 hours, would be coupled with 230 hours in a flight simulator. The proposal drew both claims of support and of negative safety consequences. *ICAO Procedures for Air Navigation Services – Training (PANS-TRG) establishing a new type of flight crew licence to be known as the Multi-crew Pilot Licence (MPL). Source: Cath Hart, ‘Air hours slashed in new pilot licences’, The Australian, 16 October 2006, p. 3. via aph.gov.au website