Fleet Air Arm
Association of Australia
AGM 2007 -
President's Report
Annual General Meeting - 27 October 2007
Annex A - 2007 National President's Report
A warm welcome to all attending this AGM at the beginning of the 60th year of the existence of the RAN Fleet Air Arm. Sadly, as always, we have to regret the passing of more of our comrades during the past year. A serious part of our charter as the Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia is to ensure that they will not be forgotten!
The most important event of the year for us was, of course, the resurrection of the Fleet Air Arm Museum. All of us who attended the Opening and Rededication Ceremony on the 6th of May agreed that the event was handled with appropriate style and that the "new-look" Museum display was a great step forward.
I would like to record, on behalf of the Association, my sincere thanks to Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Russ Shalders and his predecessor, Vice Admiral Chris Ritchie, for their enthusiastic support of the resurrection. I would like also to congratulate Terry Hetherington and his team for their professional and enthusiastic direction since the formal handover. We will have a brief on the Museum plans later during the AGM. I am delighted to report that, as a wonderful gesture of support to the Association, entry to the Museum will be free to our members from today!
I have been involved with other Ex-Service organizations in lobbying the Government for a better deal for Service retirees during the year. In May, I wrote to the Prime Minister on this subject and have received an acknowledgement. We have had some success, but, more is needed, particularly in the area of the indexation of pensions and an equitable calculation of benefits. We cannot accept that we should be treated as inferior to politicians and public servants!
The reopening of the White Ensign Club was a significant step during the year. Agreement was reached with the Naval Association, Shoalhaven Branch, for a scheme of management and, although it is "early days" the facility seems to be working well. It was certainly a great spot for reunions and socializing during the excellent Air Day which followed the Museum Rededication.
I am pleased to report that my visits to Albatross indicate a resurgence in morale and spirit after the low point of the Sea King disaster. As always, positive leadership has been the important factor and the uncertainty surrounding equipment purchases seems to have been removed. The wet-leasing of modern helicopters is also a step forward and will allow the aircrews to get some intensive flying. The aircraft in the Fleet, especially in the Gulf, continue to provide vital support and are flying at a very high peacetime rate.
In company with Neil Ralph, I called on the Director of the Australian War Memorial, Major General Steve Gower, to attempt to ensure that the contribution of the RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam was properly recognized. The planned display might lead the average visitor to assume that only RAAF helicopters were involved, when the reality is that Naval helo pilots flew about 40% more hours than RAAF during the conflict. I regret to report that we achieved only minor concessions from the Director and that the overall impression will not change.
We will therefore concentrate our efforts on presenting the Helicopter Flight Vietnam's record in our own Museum. To that end, negotiations are underway to try to secure a UH 1C "Charlie Model Gunship, from the United States, to display alongside our existing UH 1H " Hotel Model Slick". We would like to achieve that goal by the time of the 60th Anniversary celebrations.
Which brings me to the 60th Birthday of the Fleet Air Arm, to be celebrated over the 23rd/24th/25th and 26th of October 2008. This event was first suggested to me by Ted Wynberg and it is appropriate that the CO Albatross has appointed Ted as Project Officer. We have had enthusiastic support from all levels of Navy and formal invitations have been sent to other navies to participate. An invitation has also been sent to US Army Aviation for them to send a delegation to mark the unique integration of the 135th Helicopter Company with the RANHFV and, hopefully, to present the Gunship to the Museum!
The Museum is planning to conduct Air Days on both the Saturday and Sunday and many sub-reunions are already planned. It should be a great event to celebrate the professionalism and the camaraderie of the Fleet Air Arm. One word of warning; I am told that accommodation in Nowra is already heavily booked.
A reminder to all of our members of my drive to ensure that we enlist as many as possible of our Air Arm veterans in our Association. Membership does bring benefits and higher numbers give us added influence when dealing with Government. The non-members usually offer the excuse that "I have not got around to it"!! The 60th Anniversary should be a great time to ensure that they do "get around to it"!!
In closing, I thank everyone who has made a contribution to our Association during the year. It takes a great deal of work to keep the organization ticking over at both national and state level and I am most grateful for your efforts. In particular, I would like to congratulate our National Secretary, Tom McDonald, who is stepping down after three years, for his untiring efforts - David Farthing.
See also:
2007 Annual General Meeting
2007 AGM Minutes
2007 AGM Secretary's Report
Guest speaker CMDR Nat Gould