ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE BASE TINDAL, Australia -- Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, Australia opened its gates to the community for the Exercise Pitch Black 2016 Open Day, Aug. 13, 2016.
The Open day showcased local and international military aircraft, participating in Pitch Black, to the community.
Exercise Pitch Black 2016 is a biennial, three week, multinational, large-force training exercise hosted by RAAF Tindal. Australia maintains a strong relationship between the participating nations and identifies the importance of regional security among the allied nations. This open house demonstrated the mutual support shaped through the exercise and fostered relationships with the local public.
“The open day has been part of Pitch Black since 2012 and this year has surpassed all previous events,” said Squadron Leader Lindsay Paterson, officer in charge of community engagements with the Royal Australian Air Force. “Over 18,000 people attended the show and all enjoyed the displays and great family atmosphere while also learning about the nature and importance of the exercise.”
Located throughout the event were numerous international military aircraft static displays for guests to take photographs with and tour. Among the allied nations participating were the U.S., Canada, France, Indonesia, New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand.
“The U.S. Marines along with the U.S. Air Force provided a great boost to the open day lineup of F-16 and F/A-18C jets,” said Paterson. “The pilots, maintainers and support staff provided a friendly and professional face to the public, displaying the true international flavor of the exercise. Their contribution greatly enhanced the overall success of the day.”
Sitting proudly next to the Royal Canadian Air Force C-130HT and Australian Air Force C-17A were the Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 KC-130 Hercules and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 F/A-18C Hornets. The Hercules opened its hatches to onlookers, while the pilot and aircrew posed for pictures with children and explained aspects of the aircraft to curious spectators.
“Bringing the KC-130J to Darwin allows us to be the smiling faces who get to show the public a pilot’s view, but also to highlight the cooperation that is so central to the exercise, ” said U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. John Skillman, a KC-130J pilot with VMGR-152. “Greeting and chatting with the men and women surrounding Pitch Black not only fosters relations with the Australians, it shows them how tight the bond is between the many nations participating in the exercise.”
Skillman also said being able to experience the lines of excited people exploring the aircraft and learning about the plane was tremendous fun for the crew; and if smiles are anything to go off of, it was for the visitors as well.
There was something for all ages in attendance, from static aircraft displays, military working dog demonstrations, to rides and food vendors, but the main attractions were the aircraft. An open day offers the local community an inside look at the air base operations while helping the public gain an understanding of the importance of the exercise.
“Being able to get so close to the planes and experience the massive machines is amazing,” said Helen Oakley, an event attendee. “This is my first time attending the open day. It’s fantastic that all the countries can come together to train, and then are willing to share their experiences and knowledge with us. It makes me very proud to see the cooperation and be a part of such a great nation.”