For photographer John Gwyther, living near RAAF Base East Sale in Victoria means he gets a front-row seat to the Air Force Roulettes rehearsing their aerobatic displays. But going behind the scenes to see how they work and train was an opportunity he never thought possible, until an invitation came to the Sale Camera Club.
Mr Gwyther is an avid photographer and glider pilot who has always admired the manoeuvres performed by the Air Force's aerobatic team. In May, he joined other members of the Sale Camera Club for a tour of the Air Force's Central Flying School facilities, seeing the home of the Air Force Roulettes both in person and through their lenses.
On the tour, the camera club watched the Roulettes' display flight briefing that showed the planning and safety considerations behind every display.
"Most of us knew a fair bit about the Roulettes from local and larger air shows over the years and, of course, we see them overhead all the time around Sale," Mr Gwyther said.
"What we didn't know was what happened behind the scenes; how the aircraft were maintained and operated, how the team prepared and walked through their display and the emphasis on precision and safety."
A highlight of the day for Mr Gwyther was a visit to the Pilatus PC-21 simulator.
"Seeing the simulator in action and getting to fly a circuit and landing in it was amazing," he said.
"As a glider pilot, everything we do in the circuit is visual, with an emphasis on looking outside. I'm also a power pilot and use similar instruments, but the PC-21 required strong attention to the head-up display to monitor the flight path vector indicator for a successful landing."
The photographic side was also a focus for the Sale Camera Club, with members bringing their cameras and learning from Roulette 4, Flight Lieutenant Rich Taylor, also an avid photographer, on the best way to photograph fast-moving aircraft.
"It was great sharing my photographic knowledge with the club, of which I'm also a member, and encouraging them to try out new techniques practically during one of our Roulettes practice displays," Flight Lieutenant Taylor said.
"I gave them a few tips on camera shutter speed, focal length and how to frame a nice photo of aircraft, particularly when there are multiple aircraft or when we're using smoke generators."
An Air Force imagery specialist from 464 Squadron, Leading Aircraftwoman Taylor Anderson, was also on site to share her knowledge of Air Force photography.
