24 Australian RAAF F1-11's burred in local rubbish tip

[fishlips]

In an act only described as despicable, the RAAF today burried 24 F1-11 airframes into the Ipswich local rubbish tip and were covered over by dirt. The F1-11 aircraft which have served Australia's defence and entertained crowds with the popular dump and burn for decades will only see seven aircraft frames kept in museum condition under an agreement that the aircraft remain in the possession of the Defence Force and are on loan for display to the public.
Australian's are naturally outraged by the Government's handling of the F1-11's which the Australian people believe have earn't the right to an honorable retirement and should have been placed on display at varous public areas around the country.
Many museums and other interested groups had there expression of interest application denied.
I'll try and get some photos, are know some were taken.

Local Brisbane News station broadcast link:
edit:http://ten.com.au/ten-news-brisbane.htm ... o_m=143647

[james84]

Here in Italy there is museum ran by aviation enthusiasts. All is in the open air and they have no more money to restore the aircrafts, but they managed to save unique examples of aircrafts otherwise impossible to be seen within the national borders such as several MiGs and Sukhois, A-7, F-4, even the remnants of the three Frecce Tricolori aircrafts crashed at Ramstein in 1986 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dfv2II_alY).
On the other side, the Italian Air Force Museum, close to Rome, managed to preserve nice examples of aircrafts in excellent conditions despite budget cuts and other difficulties.
I remember the RAAF F-111s couldn't be exhibited in museums because some components contained asbestos. Definitely burying them was less expensive than removing that stuff, but it would have been wiser to preserve them in a dry place (like AMARC does - and Australia has a lot of desert) until money to make them safe for exhibitions is available (and I believe that also the Australian economy is in trouble like the rest of the world).

[fishlips]

I believe that also the Australian economy is in trouble like the rest of the world

That is news to me of the Australian econmony being in trouble, its probably one of the only countries in the world that is not struggling! Our dollar has never been worth so much against the United States dollar, United Kingdom pound and the Euro before in history, so I would say Australia is doing very well.

I remember the RAAF F-111s couldn't be exhibited in museums because some components contained asbestos

As for the F1-11's, it simply reflects the type of tight ass government that we have and lack of respect for the RAAF that they have.
The Australian Government have sunk a number of retired Naval ships as diving sites for tourism which were cleared of asbestos prior to sinking at considerable cost, I'm talking about missile cruisers so what would the cleaning cost of a tiny aircraft in comparision cost, peanuts.
Besides that, the cleaning cost of asbestos could have been made part of the prior arrangement at a cost beared by the exhibitor, that has been done numerous times before.

[james84]

I believe that also the Australian economy is in trouble like the rest of the world

That is news to me of the Australian econmony being in trouble, its probably one of the only countries in the world that is not struggling! Our dollar has never been worth so much against the United States dollar, United Kingdom pound and the Euro before in history, so I would say Australia is doing very well.

Ok, I'm coming down there next week, I'm looking for a new job!
Just joking of course, but Australia is quite far away from Italy and we don't get news from Downunder very often!

[fishlips]

James,

If you have the qualifications that Australia currently require to fulfill vacant employment oppertunities, then you stand a very good chance of gaining entry on a work visa. At present time I believe our booming mining industry requires around a 10% increase in its work force, perhaps a little more. It's mostly open-cut mines, much safer. Try your luck its only paper work, they can only say try again at a later time!

[fishlips]

If these aircraft are said to be full of dangerous asbestos why then was it ok for them to be transported by open truck with no covers through busy public streets??? It stinks.

[Dark Morelia]

That's heart-breaking, and completely disgusting!

Pretty much to be expected from this government though.

[mikewmac]

What a sad ending for some proud old birds. We in the USA may be retiring more of our air power than we should, but at least we store them in the bone yard (AMARC) out in Tucson. I've had the wonderful experience of visiting the Tucson bone yard, along with the nearby PIMA Air Museum, and it an amazing site to behold. Lines and lines of those proud old birds resting there after a job well done. I even found a couple of F-102A's that I had been up close and personal with back in the day.

Mike

[Flyin Illini]

I had heard that the Austrailian government was under contract to chop up and destroy the airframes due to an agreement with the U.S.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNIAtygtUds

"The real reason? That answer is @ 55 seconds into the video 'as part of the agreement with the U.S. Government' "

this was from another site

[MIKE JG]

What I can't understand is there is a ton of recyclable materials in each one of those aircraft. Instead they're going to burry them into the ground??? Makes no sense what so ever.

[Firebird]

Do they think that planting aircraft will grow new ones?
Would solve a lot of budget issues if that were true.

[mikewmac]

Do they think that planting aircraft will grow new ones?
Would solve a lot of budget issues if that were true.

[Jon]

That's unfortunate. We visited Brisbane this year and had the opportunity to hear about the F-111's doing the dump and burn. Having grown up in Vermont we had numerous FB-111 airshows.