CROWDS of excited spectators gathered at the Mount Gambier Airport yesterday afternoon to greet the Australian Air Force’s premier aerobatic team, the Roulettes, during a scheduled refuel ahead of performing at the Adelaide 500.
Before landing, four of the seven member aviation team showcased the maneuverability of the Pilatus PC-9 aircraft, surprising the crowd with an impressive display.
“To allow us to get to Adelaide with the strong headwind, we had to refuel, so we thought we would take the scenic route,” Roulette leader Jay Tuffley said.
“I was here about five years ago with a previous team and it is a really great place.”
The Roulettes mingled, snapped selfies and gave out stickers, key chains and plush toys to an adoring crowd of young and old for more than an hour.
Established in 1970 following the success of the RAAF’s earlier Red Sales and Telstars teams, the Roulettes had their first public display at Point Cook in the same year.
Mr Tuffley said the team consisted of seven members, six of whom fly the display, with Roulette Seven flying the spare aircraft, providing commentary and ground liaison.
When not performing death-defying stunts in the Pilatus PC-9 aircraft, the qualified flying instructors train military pilots at the RAAF East Sale base.
“We have got about 3000 military flying hours and over 1000 PC-9 hours,” Mr Tuffley said.
“The PC-9 has a top speed of 580kph.
“They are capable of pulling 7G, during the show I will usually pull up 6G or 4G.
“We do not use autopilot, it’s all just our hands and feet.
“We enjoy it, but there’s a lot of practice and a lot of finesse involved.”
Mount Gambier Airport manager Ian Fritsch applauded the strong community turn out for the elite team.
“The airport is a public asset and it’s great to see people coming here and welcoming the Roulettes,” he said.
“It is great to see them here.
“They are really good blokes and are the public relations face of the air force.
“The Roulettes always interact with the crowd extremely well and everyone loves it.”
