AHSA Monthly Meeting 27 July 2022 (GPCAPT Macauley Cottrell: Forward Air Control Operations In Vietnam)

27/07/202208/11/2022

Our July 2022 Melbourne meeting, held in collaboration with the Friends of Air Force History and Heritage, was held in person at the RAAF Association meeting room in Hawthorn and also “broadcast” to interstate members via Zoom. Group Captain Macauley “Mac” Cottrell gave a talk about his experiences flying Forward Air Control (FAC) missions during an assignment to the US Air Force during the Vietnam War.

For nearly seven months in 1968, Flying Officer Macaulay Cottrell served as a Forward Air Controller (FAC) with the United States Air Force (USAF) in the Republic of South Vietnam. He described his early Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) training, travel to Vietnam, in-country training, and his Tactical Air Control Post (TACP) assignment. An outline of the Tactical Air Control System was followed by a description of FAC aircraft, missions and tactical aircraft employed.

The recording of this presentation is available for members only. You may view a recording of the presentation by clicking the video player below:

1947 The RAAF Supermarine Walrus HD874 was destroyed in a storm at Heard Island. The aircraft had been in storage until 1947, and was sent to Maintenance Squadron Rathmines for servicing before issue to the RAAF's Antarctic Flight in October of that year, for the first Australian expedition to the Antarctic region since World War II. Nicknamed 'Snow Goose' and painted bright yellow, HD874 was transported aboard Landing Craft LST3501 to Heard Island, and flew only once before being totally destroyed in a storm on 21 December 1947. The aircraft was recovered and restored and is now on display at the RAAF Museum, Point Cook, Victoria. Source: RAAF Museum

1955 The first flight of the Edgar Percival EP.9 utility aircraft prototype G-AOFU was completed at Stapleford, UK, by its Australian designer Edgar Percival. Source: Parnell, N. and Boughton, T., Flypast, A record of aviation in Australia, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1988.

1967 The first BAC 111 for No. 34 Squadron was accepted by the RAAF on 21 December 1967 in the UK. The aircraft, A12-124, first flew on 3 November 1967 and was accepted by the RAAF on 21 December. Under the command of No 34 Squadron's Commanding Officer, Wing Commander (later Air Commodore) Ray Drury, A12-124 was ferried from the UK via Malta, Nicosia, Teheran, Karachi, New Delhi, Calcutta, Singapore and Darwin, arriving at RAAF Fairbairn on 18 January 1968. Source: RAAF Museum