Ground crew prepare a RAAF F-111 taking part in the aircrafts' last major international excersise Operation Pitch Black in the skies above the Northern Territory. 
Ground crew prepare a RAAF F-111 to take part in one of the
aircrafts' last major excersise.
 

The Royal Australian Air Force has released details of the last flights of its F-111s ahead of their retirement on Friday.

The F-111s will depart Amberley at approximately 11.20am (AEST) for the last time and fly over Ipswich, Brisbane, northern NSW, the Gold and Sunshine Coasts before returning for their final landings at RAAF Base Amberley.

They'll fly at a relatively low speed and altitude to allow photos and video footage to be taken, an RAAF spokesman said.

They'll pass over Laidley, Rosewood, Amberley, Ipswich, and Brisbane at approximately 11.50am (AEST).

The group will then split, with aircraft flying a northern route over Sandgate, Redcliffe, Bribie Island, Caloundra, Maroochydore and Noosa.

F-111s on the southern route will overfly the Gold Coast, Coolangatta, Byron Bay, Ballina, and Evans Head.

The spokesman said the best vantage points in Brisbane included Mt Coot-tha, Red Hill church, Victoria Park, Toowong Reach, Southbank, the Story Bridge, Kangaroo Point cliffs, and Mt Gravatt.

The aircraft will return to Amberley at approximately 12:45pm (AEST), to land for the last time.

"The Royal Australian Air Force and in particular, the F-111 community, wishes to acknowledge the outstanding public support and interest in the F-111 - a unique aircraft that has served Australia very well for over 37 years," the defence spokesman said in a statement.

www.brisbanetimes.com.au