With the Royal Australian Air Force moving basic training to East Sale and adopting the new Pilatus PC-21 as a basic trainer, the venerable CT4 Airtrainer reached the end of its RAAF association 43 years after it first entered service. Since the early 1990s, the CT4 has been doing flight screening and basic training at Basic Flight Training School (BFTS) Tamworth under the expert guidance of BAe Systems. On 21 September this year, it was time to say goodbye to the aircraft that became known as the Plastic Parrot, and a mass formation flyover of Tamworth and the airport was a fitting way to retire from service an aircraft that was greeted with derision in 1975 and farewelled with affection in 2018.
Thanks to Michelle Schiffer (VH-PTM A19-049) and Murray Gerraty for supplying these images from the day.