Riverfire

[Spin]

Looks as though Huey is teasing us - I have been paging backward and forward between BoM and weatherzone trying to decide whether to set course for Brissie to go and watch the F-111's light up the sky. Had to chuckle though, took a detour via the prune and found the usual suspects getting into a froth about the safety aspect, which somehow came to include Roulettes routine. Some poor sap had politely enquired about the frequency used and 2 pages of drivel later still didn't have an answer:laugh:

 

Anyhow, last I looked BoM reckon the rain is coming tonight - just hadn't quite decided what time it is likely to put in an appearance over the city.

 

Stuff it, I'm going, would only be sitting at home wondering what was happening otherwise - saw the practice yesterday, enough to raise the hair on my neck.

 

 

[Spin]

Well that's that then , we joined what seemed like a good percentage of Brisbane's population near the river and watched the normal slick and impressive Riverfire display. No Roulettes this year, although the Blackhawk did its best to make up for them with its menacing presence. I have to admit to being a tiny bit disappointed in the F-111 display though, disloyal as it feels to say it. Although there were 2 aircraft over the city, the pre-show pass was only down the Southbank reach - by a single aircraft, which was a bit of a damp squib for those of us on the City reach. We did get a better and prolonged view of the beast later on, although it seemed to me that they were higher than in previous years, which diminished the sound effects. Perhaps it was just that our vantage point next to the Storey Bridge wasn't as good as Kangaroo Point and the river itself where I've watched from previously.

 

Ah well, the weather held off and we had a good night anyway - would have been kicking myself if I had missed the final night time show.

 

 

 

 

[dazza 38]

And if you enjoy it, or miss it, Williamtown on Sep 19/19 will be, I'm told, their last ever show in Aus - unless one lobs into the Museum (Temora etc.).

Temora, isnt getting a F111.Even though there have been rumours that they are.They know its to expensive and to complex to operate.This information comes straight from David Lowy.So after Williamtown.That will be it.

 

 

[River]

There were Two F-111's... But it sure was 'low key' ???

 

Throwing some fuel into the fire, pardon the pun... ‘Wmooph!’ :confused:

 

It would appear that just about everyone failed to observe the second F-111 flying as wingman to the first main flyover dump an burn over the Southbank.

 

Yes - There was a second F-111 flying off to the primary dump-an-burn aircraft's right-hand side (East) about a distance errr say 200 ft? and just rear of the primary aircraft. This F-111 I observed (and others) was not using its afterburners and hence not easy to see.

 

Why this occurred I do not know – however, there could be a couple of scenarios to this. The crew may be had a afterburner malfunction and they opted to fly alongside the Southbank routed aircraft instead of conducting the ‘usual’ second dump-an-burn down river and over the Story Bridge?

 

Another possibility may have been that what we saw (the second F-111) was how it was to happen...? I don’t know.

 

To add smoke to this observation was I believe there were two F-111 aircraft listed for the RiverFire show, remember in the media one aircraft was being flown by a ‘standard crew’ and the other F-111 was being crewed by the squadron’s CO and one other airman.

 

As we were also listening to the radio station sponsoring part of the RiverFire show their live radio coverage and counted, etc, etc plus the usual aircrew to radio station comms went totally dead some time before the F-111’s were to make their flyover and dump-an-burn... The aircraft arrived overhead Southbank with no radio station build-up or warning so to speak.

 

All this leads me to ponder and reflect that there may have been a SNAFU prior to their arrival?

 

I’ve been somewhat bemused that what myself and others saw has gone unnoticed.

 

Pip... Pip...

 

River

 

 

[Spin]

Glad I wasn't the only one who saw no.2 above the city reach; I was trying to point it out to the people with me to be met with blank looks, they were all fixated on no.1 running down past Southbank with his ass on fire (first time dump n burn for them).

 

We had overseas visitors with us and I'd just assured them that there is always a big build up on the radio, normally comms with aircraft etc so no way it was going to sneak up on us and frighten the kids, when it did just that:laugh:

 

I think you have called it right River, one of those little things that happen. That said I think it would be only polite to give Brissie a proper send off in December - I understand the final flypast and ceremony at Amberley is a by invitation only affair:sad: - take up the chant, "Airshow, Airshow, Airshow!"

 

 

[Tomo]

Working away today and we heard a thunderous noise in the sky - rushed out of the workshop to see a Hornet (I believe) playing around above. Was brilliant to watch as there was a white back drop from the cloud above, so it stood out really well, and the noise was sooooooo nice - really cackled!

 

Loops and barrel rolls, stall drop thingo (straight up, then fall back on itself). Was awesome!

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Don't ya love it when you get a chance to see someone having a good time on your tax dollar.

 

 

[River]

They did fly lowerthe earlier years. However it's now an impressive memory...

 

Going back a number of years with the RiverFire F-111 dump-an-burn performance at Southbank, it was when the ‘training squadron’ of F-111 boys who were then tasked with the River-Fire job they do on what would have been by far the best ever flight show. :encore:

 

I was located that year on a small grassy knoll between the riverside expressway and the state government executive building.

 

The F-111 came down so low that it was just visible above a riverside expressway road and I could easily observe the various aircraft squadron and other markings on the fuselage it was that low..! The pressure way, heating and noise was to say the least, very highly impressive to the extent that the locals around me all just about ‘shat themselves’... :thumb_up:

 

I was later told at the errr powers to be indicated that the flight was a ‘little too low’.

 

The following year the job was assigned to one of the operational squadrons who, so I was told, were unimpressed by having to err cater to the whims of mere putting on public displays as they believed they were up that and there for the ‘real world’ of defending and fighting for our country, etc ,etc...

 

The RiverFire Show at year and for all future flyovers with the dump-an-burn were considerably higher in altitude and appear to have been getting higher in altitude each year. However, there may be a genuine reason for this in airshow safety requirements, especially over major cities, etc and quite possibly due to the continuing aging of the aircraft.

 

Whichever is the case – the F-111 dump-an-burn has been the most spectacular and impressive RAAF display one was seen outside military exercises’. :ilmostro:

 

Damm they are going to be missed for that reason alone.

 

Pip..! Pip..!

 

River