This Sucks

[fishlips]

PUBLIC aviation museums have been virtually banned from acquiring the RAAF's retired F-111 strike jets.
The planes, which never fired a shot in anger, will be be displayed only at secure RAAF bases and inside RAAF museums due to cost, red tape and asbestos fears.

Five of the 34 jets will be preserved at RAAF bases at Amberley in Queensland, Point Cook in Victoria and Edinburgh, South Australia.

Three more could be preserved for defence heritage, two may be given to a US Air Force museum and the rest scrapped.

Defence said that providing aircraft to museums required US approval, the removal of all asbestos and military kit, with the museum to pay all associated costs, which could be millions. "The F-111s are subject to US International Traffic in Arms legislation," a spokesman said.

Queensland Air Museum, said the RAAF and the Government "would rather see them scrapped than have them displayed for the public".

What a load of bullshit, the US International Traffic in Arms legislation surely does not cover this type of arrangement where the airframe and systems are stripped out for a display airframe within country of origin.

[Firebird]

We had the same thing over here with the F-4s. They could not be sold to civilians when they retired due to US regulations.

[Stewart Pearson]

We had the same thing over here with the F-4s. They could not be sold to civilians when they retired due to US regulations.

Not just US regs though, what about Lightnings, Buccaneers etc.

All thanks to the CAA.........................that's the Committee Against Aviation.

[sprocky]

Soon kids will have no chances to see the first jet fighter generation on flying displays. There will be more aircraft from WW I buzzing around than from the 50's or 60's I love the way the Americans and British people still preserve some older miltary aircraft in flying conditions. In Germany when the last aircraft of a type is retired it will be put on static display or it will be scrapped (some exceptions e.g. MiG-29 was sold to Poland).

[VulcanDriver]

We do have a F-111 at Duxford along with a B-52 and SR-71.

[campbeme]

We do have a F-111 at Duxford along with a B-52 and SR-71.

There is also one at RAF Cosford and this one below at Lakenheath



I think there is one in Scotland too somewhere.

Mark

[jetmax]

I find this interesting because just last week I was traveling on I-30 throught the state of Arkansas (USA) and I passed a very small, private aviation museum that had a F-111. Wished I had stopped to take a photo.

[Victory103]

Just south of Texarkana, pass it on my way up to Little Rock all the time. Need to stop one of these trips and get some info on it, like serial # and how it got there. Its been there for years and just sitting out in the elements.

[jetmax]

Just south of Texarkana, pass it on my way up to Little Rock all the time. Need to stop one of these trips and get some info on it, like serial # and how it got there. Its been there for years and just sitting out in the elements.

That is right. It is actaully in Texas. That was day 4 of my cross country trip and I didn't know where the heck I was.

[redtail58554]

There is one on display at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum too, in Rapid City.