Defence said Australia’s first official astronaut would share her knowledge of space technologies with her fellow recruits alongside her expertise on how a team brings its unique skills to a common goal.
The “Air Force treasure” remained Down Under as a symbol of the connection between the two sister divisions, but originally belonged to UK's 601 Squadron before it was disbanded in 1957.
The pilot and two passengers were killed when their Morgan Cougar aircraft, registered VH-LDV, crashed into a paddock in Victoria’s Gippsland region on 16 November 2024.
The funding will be used to upgrade the runway at Whyalla Airport in regional South Australia, which was last year at the centre of the high-profile “Rexit” stoush between Rex and the local council over enhanced security screening.
The planes landed at RAAF Base Williamtown between November and December as part of Operation Lightning Ferry, bringing the Air Force’s total F-35A contingent to 72.
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth Airports are bracing for potential post-COVID-19 highs in traveller numbers between 13 December and 27 January, with the holiday season tipped to be the busiest since at least 2019 at around 15.9 million passengers.