Air Warfighter Instructor students are being encouraged to follow in the footsteps of one of the RAAF's most remarkable pilots.
The Wing Commander Ray 'Homer' Simpson Award, first presented in July last year, honours the student who best embodies the qualities of an Air Warfighter Instructor (AWI) - 'Humble, Knowledgeable, Approachable, Expert'.
Named after Wing Commander Simpson, who recently retired after 30 years of service, this prestigious award is a call for aviators to strive for excellence and continually apply themselves.
Wing Commander Simpson originally hailed from Sydney and joined the Air Force as a direct-entry pilot on June 11, 1993. The F/A-18A/B Classic Hornet had come into service while he was in high school, at the same time as the movie Top Gun - motivation to join was high.
"The F/A-18 had just come into service when I was in high school and it was the same time 'that' movie came out," Wing Commander Simpson said.
"At the time, my family owned a farm in Kurrajong and whenever we headed up there, we'd drive past Richmond Air Force base. I'd get my family to stop and watch the C-130s and any of the jets flying up there.
"It took me three attempts to get in as a pilot. I was offered other roles, but I decided to continue applying for pilot until they told me, 'That's enough'. Thankfully I managed to sneak my way in."
Wing Commander Simpson had a diverse and impressive career. In 2003 he deployed on Operation Falconer with 75 Squadron, as the Fighter Combat Instructor (FCI). He remembers the significant support and sacrifice from his wife, Heidi, who was eight months pregnant when he left.
"I'm very grateful to my wife; she encouraged me to go, even though I'd likely miss the birth," he said.
"She knew it was important given my position in the squadron. While deployed, there was a communications blackout and this had its challenges. Her support and sacrifice is significant and I will never forget it.
"We named our daughter Skye because she was born while I was flying in the Middle East."
In 2016 he deployed as the Executive Officer of 3 Squadron on Operation Okra.
'We'd drive past Richmond Air Force Base. I'd get my family to stop and watch the C-130s and any of the jets flying up there.'
In 2017 Wing Commander Simpson became the inaugural Commanding Officer of 88 Squadron with friend and colleague Wing Commander Paul Simmons as the Executive Officer.
"It was such an amazing opportunity - the fighter community had been conducting FCI courses since 1954 and had learnt a lot of lessons over that time," he said.
"So, to be able to transpose this across the Air Force, amongst different platforms and Force Element Groups and most importantly personnel, was a really important step.
"We came up with the motto '88 - integrate'. Integration is paramount. It's going to take all elements of Air Force and indeed ADF and our coalition partners to be integrated, survivable and effective."
When asked about the 'Humble, Knowledgeable, Approachable, Expert' AWI attributes that the Wing Commander Ray 'Homer' Simpson Award recognises, he highlighted the importance of these qualities.
"It's extremely important that our AWIs have the humility to listen and learn, to be open to new ideas and new communities," Wing Commander Simpson said.
"AWIs also need to be approachable, so they are able to share the information they've learnt with the next generation of aviators.
"It's a given that they're going to be knowledgeable and [an] expert in their role, that's why they were chosen, but to have the ability to share that information and have people want to come and talk to them about how to improve is really important."
When asked what it's meant to him to have served so long, he answered that he clearly just loved being in the Air Force.
"I was even teased about being like John Farnham, coming back for 'one last Whispering Jack tour' (apologies to younger readers who don't know who that is). I would do my whole career again if I could," Wing Commander Simpson said.
