No problem Andrew. When i can find out when things will start moving through Richmond then i'll let you know when i'm thinking of heading out.

Well, the only update i seem to have is that there appears to be one USN Herc in Brisbane and that some of the ships are on their way to Australia at the moment. Here is a pic of USS Essex, Denver and Tortuga stocking up before they departed Japan this week. They are en-route now.

Link

Anyone else know of anything happening considering it getting rather close now.

Cheers
Gerard

Speaking of the USN Herc currently in Brisbane, it is C-130T with the serial 164993. Pic follows for your perusal:

http://craigmurray.gallery.netspace....NE_21JUN09.jpg

Cheers Craig. Hopefully you and the other people in Brisbane will keep us well informed and filled with pictures over the time, was kinda hoping to make it up there but i already blew my K. Dudd bonus already.

For anyone that is going to be in the Rockhampton area on July 5, the council along with the Australian and U.S defence forces are holding a TS-09 open day. Between 1pm and 6pm in the local streets (see attached link for details).
2:30pm at Riverside Park there will be a Caribou flypast. Followed by a flypast of the F-111 complete with Dump and Burn display at 5:30 in the same location.
Get in and see these two aircraft whilst you still can i reckon! Times not on their side anymore.
http://www.rockhamptonregion.qld.gov....aspx?id=16709

Anyone know of any aircraft movements for TS yet?

Cheers
Gerard

The USS Essex and Tortuga came to Cairns as Townsville was too busy in port. Today I was lucky enought to get a hookup for a tour.

Here are some pics from the flight deck. A close up look at the Harriers was pretty cool.

The two F-111's departed Amberley at 1530, I believe they also did a fly past of the Queensland Air Museum in Caloundra at 1600.

A8-125 and A8-142 were the aircraft involved in todays flight utilising the callsign Savage 1 (A8-125) and Savage 2 (A8-142). A8-125 is of note as it was the first F-111 to arrive in Australia in 1973. I believe this aircraft will go to the RAAF Museum at Point Cook upon retirement.

C-17 A41-207 was also operating some flights, presumably for cadets, down to the Gold Coast and back as Stallion 60.

Some pictures of the movements follow, they aren't great but they suffice to document the event.

http://craigmurray.gallery.netspace....L60_050709.jpg

http://craigmurray.gallery.netspace....0_050709_2.jpg

http://craigmurray.gallery.netspace....AV1_050709.jpg

http://craigmurray.gallery.netspace....AV2_050709.jpg

As Peter mentioned in the other thread, a USAF Herc was in the Richmond area this evening. It is from Moody AFB's 71st Rescue Squadron. It is one of three HC-130P's Combat Kings that this squadron is sending to Australia for TS09 along with 53 supporting airmen.
http://www.moody.af.mil/news/story.a...3156940&page=2

Regards

Great shots above Craig.

Noticed Wombat 54 on radar yesterday arvo enroute Rockhampton-Nowra.

Must be one of the last flights for the Caribou.

Regards.

Thanks for that tidbit Paul, much appreciated. I'm hoping there are some Caribou based in Rocky for the exercise and this sort of verifies that this might be the case.