[rustynutz]

F-111 fans are outraged many of the iconic RAAF fighter jets have been dumped at a landfill site near Ipswich.

A RAAF spokesman confirmed to Ipswich News on Thursday that 23 of the planes had been dumped at the Swanbank landfill site.

The jets had been located at RAAF Base Amberley, near Ipswich, before being decommissioned late last year.

The F-111s have been replaced by the Super Hornets, with the final four being delivered from the US to Amberley with a spectacular flypast over southeast Queensland in October.

MORE....

[Shambles]

Haven't they heard of recycling


Damned shame, all that. Similar thing (decommissioning) just happened with all our Harrier jumpjets, tho we sold them to the USA

[Dazzler]

Bit of a catch 22 .. atleast they are saving the better ones...

[Ugly Mongrel]

F-111 fans are outraged many of the iconic RAAF fighter jets have been dumped at a landfill site near Ipswich.

A RAAF spokesman confirmed to Ipswich News on Thursday that 23 of the planes had been dumped at the Swanbank landfill site.

The jets had been located at RAAF Base Amberley, near Ipswich, before being decommissioned late last year.

The F-111s have been replaced by the Super Hornets, with the final four being delivered from the US to Amberley with a spectacular flypast over southeast Queensland in October.

MORE....

What would you expect the RAAF to do with them? I suppose the same "outraged fans" would be outraged if the RAAF wasted tax payers money in doing something else with aging aircraft more than 30 years old.

[Surferdude]

^^^
There are air museums all over Australia - as well as regular museums.
I can't tell you the final outcome as I think the debate is still going on but Caloundra Air Museum has been trying to secure one to put on show.
Last I heard they were having no joy.

[2i30s]

surely they didn't just bury complete planes in a land fill site.  strip and sell off the parts as scrap,also give a few to aero museums.    bumpkin could even have one. 

[FatBoy]

As you can see from the photos the aircraft were stripped down as much as they could be.  I think the article mentions seven that will be offered to museums, etc.  Unfortunately, we were the last country in the world that operated these aircraft, and even if we could sell them (strict Foreign Military Sales rules from the USA) there would be no buyers.  They are 1960's technology, and as such, very expensive to maintain, and very manpower intensive.  Sure, they had an avionics upgrade during the 1990's, but that is like saying, "I've got a brand new HQ Holden.  Well it was built in the seventies, still got the same donk, but the wireless was replaced with a CD Player in 1995 (sorry, not iPod compatible, that is another upgrade and I don't have the money)."

Surferdude, I sure hope the Caloundra museum gets one, they have a great set up at that museum.  I even took my old work vehicle to one of their open days.

FatBoy

[Dazzler]

Surferdude, I sure hope the Caloundra museum gets one, they have a great set up at that museum.  I even took my old work vehicle to one of their open days.

FatBoy

My dad lives at the  Bulls Creek RAAF retirement Village (and Aviation Museum) in WA .. Hope they get one too 

[FatBoy]

Surferdude, I sure hope the Caloundra museum gets one, they have a great set up at that museum.  I even took my old work vehicle to one of their open days.

FatBoy

My dad lives at the  Bulls Creek RAAF retirement Village (and Aviation Museum) in WA .. Hope they get one too 

I've been to that one too.  The Lancaster Bomber is fantastic!!  We got a tour inside the bomber as well, the crews didn't have much room back then. 

[Dazzler]

Yeah, Dad loved showing me through the Museum 

[Shambles]

...I sure hope the Caloundra museum gets one... I even took my old work vehicle to one of their open days.

They'll put anything in museums these days 

[Phil №❶]

What people would give for access to Spitfires, Lancasters ME109's etc. A lot of these were dumped at sea, regarded as waste. We haven't learnt very much IMO.

I loved the F-111 & I think it looked great in flight. I'm only sad they weren't based in my state, so sightings were rare. 

[FatBoy]

Here is a photo of my last work vehicle. 



20 years young and still has the smell of aviator sweat in it.  Well, it was 50 degrees in the shade!!