1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: Well, as you will have heard, Exercise Pitch Black flight 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: operations had to be canceled yesterday after an international participant 3 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:11,639 Speaker 1: crashed in the Douglas Daily region. That incident happened about 4 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: ten forty five am, eighteen kilometers south southwest of Daily River. 5 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: Now joining us on the line is the commander of 6 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:21,439 Speaker 1: Exercise Pitch Black, air. 7 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 2: Commodore Pete Robinson. Good morning to you, Pete. 8 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 3: Good morning Katie, and good morning to your listeners. 9 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: Pete. 10 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:32,199 Speaker 3: What happened yesterday, Well, every day that we've had in 11 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,560 Speaker 3: Pitch Black has been exciting and interesting, and yesterday was 12 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 3: probably a bit more interesting than we expected and certainly 13 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:43,199 Speaker 3: more exciting for the Italian pilot was involved. So, as 14 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:45,840 Speaker 3: you said, the first wave of Pitch Black yesterday morning, 15 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:48,519 Speaker 3: there was an incident with one of the aircraft that 16 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 3: led to the pilot making an ejection decision. The ejection 17 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 3: was about one hundred and sixty hundred and seventy kilometers 18 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 3: from Darwin down in the Daily River region, and we 19 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 3: were able to put some Australian aircraft overhead the ejected pilot. 20 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 3: They were able to locate him, communicate with him and 21 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:10,839 Speaker 3: we've got the search and rescue helicopter down and from 22 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 3: when we first had an indication that something was wrong 23 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 3: having the pilot in the helicopter was about ninety minutes, 24 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 3: which was a fabulous response. 25 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 2: Pete, He's okay, isn't he? 26 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 3: Yes? So for all the excitement of going through ejecting 27 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 3: out of the fast jet aircraft and then landing in 28 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:35,959 Speaker 3: a remote area, and for all the briefs that we 29 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:39,199 Speaker 3: have given to our foreign friends about crocodiles and stakes 30 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 3: and buffalo, then he's actually in really good to help 31 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 3: and he'll have a couple of scratches, a couple of bruises, 32 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 3: and will have a pretty amazing story to tell. 33 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 1: I reckon, it sounds like something out of a film. 34 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 1: I mean, a lot of what we do around exercise 35 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: Pitch Black really does as it is. But have you 36 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: ever had a situation where somebody has had to eject 37 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: from one of those jets before during exercise Pitch Black. 38 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 3: So ejections are fairly rare, and in Australia the last 39 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:13,520 Speaker 3: airborne ejection was probably around two thousand and six and 40 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 3: that was with one of our foreign forces as well, 41 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 3: so it's not something that occurs all the time. But 42 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 3: our ability to respond to it is really important. And 43 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 3: as I talked about the sport that we got from 44 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 3: MT Police with our search and rescue helicopters, a sport 45 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 3: from Medical Royal Dalen Hospital was just all absolutely world class. 46 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 2: What type of aircraft was being flying. 47 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 3: So it's called a typhoon aircraft. It's a European designed 48 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 3: aircraft and we don't see them in Australia fairly all 49 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:50,679 Speaker 3: that often, but very common through Europe. It's a world 50 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,679 Speaker 3: class aircraft and it's rare that we have these sort 51 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 3: of issues. But it just happened to be that. We'll 52 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 3: find out what occurred through the investigation process. But something 53 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 3: went yesterday that forced the pilot to eject and so were. 54 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: Were there other aircraft nearby? What kind of exercise was 55 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: sort of happening beforehand? 56 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 3: So the exercise was part of the first wave, so 57 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 3: there was probably fifty or sixty aircraft that were airborne. 58 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 3: And the way the process runs is will pick a 59 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 3: person airborne to go what we call is on scene commander. 60 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 3: That happened to be a couple of Australian pilots from 61 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 3: six Squadron, our Browler Squadron and they took control of 62 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 3: the situation, and I worked to identify where the pilot 63 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 3: had landed, established communications, passed that information back so that 64 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 3: we kept the helicopter in nice and quickly. 65 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 2: So do we know what sort of you know, what 66 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 2: caused the trouble? 67 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: I suppose for him to then have to eject the 68 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: presumably that you know, that jet, then all that typhoon, 69 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: then I'm assuming crashing to the bush. 70 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 3: Yes, So the places that we have founders with founder 71 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 3: where the aircraft is, and then where the pilots are 72 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 3: obviously ejected. So we've located all of those areas. We 73 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 3: have a team down there at the moment to secure 74 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 3: the site, and that's to just make sure that the 75 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:23,680 Speaker 3: public doesn't accidentally roll across any of the aircraft's wreckage. 76 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 3: We need to secure that just so when our investigators 77 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 3: come they've got the clearest ability to try and identify 78 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 3: what's occurred leading up to the ejection. 79 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: Well, the aircraft and the pilot quite a fair distance 80 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: away from each other. Then by the time both of 81 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 1: those two you know, came to the ground. 82 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:48,279 Speaker 3: So what it occurred is as the pilot was getting 83 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 3: closer to the ground, as the aircraft was degrading, the 84 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 3: proceeds process is that the pilot will slow the aircraft 85 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:59,480 Speaker 3: down and then make the ejection decision. And the slower 86 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 3: that you can be the safe of the ejection will be. 87 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 3: So he led it a couple of kilometers away from 88 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 3: where the wreckage was. 89 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:08,039 Speaker 2: Wow. I suppose this is all part of it, though, 90 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 2: isn't it, Pete. 91 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 3: You know, like. 92 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 2: It's as as difficult as it is, then you. 93 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 1: Know that you that you that typhoon is you know 94 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 1: is damaged and unusable. I'm assuming it is part of 95 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 1: exercise Pitch Black. I'm assuming that even those ejections, even 96 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 1: though it would be a costly process, it's part of 97 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: the training that needs to happen. 98 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 3: I think, not only just for Pitch Black, more broadly 99 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:37,320 Speaker 3: for air combat all around the world. For these type 100 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 3: of aircraft. It's not a daily event by any stretch 101 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 3: of the imagination, but there will be a number of 102 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 3: injections that occur around the world through these aircraft. And 103 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 3: that's why we have the ejection seats in the aircraft. 104 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 3: It's why we have the search and rescue helicopters that 105 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 3: we have, It's why we practice the procedures so that 106 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 3: if it does occur, then we can safely recover the pilot. 107 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:01,720 Speaker 3: And when not all is said and done, we can 108 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 3: replace an aircraft, but the pilot to be safe. Zound 109 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 3: is the key thing that made yesterday successful a bad situation. 110 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, Thank goodness, is all right. I mean, you 111 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 1: know fundamentally that I think when you start to hear 112 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:21,919 Speaker 1: those reports come through, that is always top of mind 113 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: for me, hoping that the person involved is okay. 114 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:26,159 Speaker 2: So I'm so pleased that he is. 115 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 1: Tell me in terms of, you know, then sort of 116 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 1: the rescue or the recovery effort afterwards, was it quite 117 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:36,279 Speaker 1: a difficult process or is it you Is it something 118 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 1: that you guys are fairly used to. 119 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 2: I'm assuming so. 120 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 3: It's something that we trained for and our aircrew that 121 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 3: were involved in identifying where the pilot was getting that 122 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 3: information back at search and rescue helicopter. We got the 123 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 3: helicopter there fairly quickly. They had to winch the pilot 124 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:58,279 Speaker 3: up because they couldn't land in the immediate area, and 125 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 3: then I got them back to in the hospital and 126 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 3: not nice and quickly where we could do the tests 127 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:08,120 Speaker 3: on the pilot. So, as I said, it's something that 128 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 3: we don't see very often, but we train to it 129 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 3: so that when it does occur then we can get 130 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 3: the best outcomes. 131 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 2: And you sort of touched on this before. 132 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 1: It does sound as though there's going to be an 133 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 1: investigation now that takes place in terms of what exactly 134 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: caused it. 135 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 2: Is that right? 136 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:26,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, that will be the case. So we'll work with 137 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 3: our Italian friends to both secure the site. We've got 138 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 3: investigators flying up from Canberra today that are Austrain investigators. 139 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 3: We will have Italian investigators come across and we'll work 140 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 3: through over what it will be a period of a 141 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 3: couple of months to identify what caused the incident and 142 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 3: then ensure that we can try and rectify whatever lessons. 143 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: But we learned from that and obviously flying suspended yesterday. 144 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: Is it back up and up and going today, Yes, 145 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 1: it is. 146 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 3: So we paused flying so that we could respond to 147 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 3: the incident, and then we go through a process to 148 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 3: make sure that we are comfortable that we can return 149 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 3: to the flying. And we went through that process yesterday 150 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 3: afternoon and last night and we're comfortable that we can 151 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 3: safely return to flying for Pitch Black. And the first 152 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:17,679 Speaker 3: wave has just been taking off over the last couple. 153 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 1: Of minutes, pet for you now as well, in terms 154 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 1: of being the commander of exercise pitch black, do you 155 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 1: have to sort of reassess any of the safety for 156 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 1: the remainder of the exercise, or have to reassess the 157 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 1: way in which you're doing anything for the remainder of 158 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 1: the exercise. 159 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 3: So we went through that process last night, Katie, and 160 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 3: we're comfortable that we can safely continue with your exercise. 161 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:43,640 Speaker 3: And the safety is almost always fall front in our mind, 162 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 3: and a lot of the work that we do and 163 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 3: the lead up to the exercise and during the execution 164 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 3: the exercise is to ensure that we can safely execute it. 165 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 3: There will be times, and they're fairly rare that we 166 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 3: do have events like this, but I am comfortable as 167 00:08:56,920 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 3: the commander that we are safely executing pitch black. 168 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:01,319 Speaker 2: Twin, Well, I. 169 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 1: Tell you what it was, certainly, but you know, an 170 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: interesting day. I think yesterday it would have been incredibly 171 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:12,320 Speaker 1: interesting for that Italian pilot. Thank goodness, he is okay. 172 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:17,440 Speaker 1: But yeah, we weren't expecting this, Pete. No. 173 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:21,320 Speaker 3: So we plan for it and we hope that it 174 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 3: doesn't occur. We do everything that we can to make 175 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:26,560 Speaker 3: sure it doesn't occur, but it is part and paths 176 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:29,679 Speaker 3: of our air combat operations is that we need to 177 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 3: be prepared for if a pilot ejection, and yesterday was 178 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:36,840 Speaker 3: actually quite successful in the response to ensure the pilot 179 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 3: was safely recovered. 180 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:39,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm glad he's all right. 181 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:42,320 Speaker 1: Well, Commander of Exercise Pitch Black for twenty twenty four 182 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 1: Air Commodore Pete Robinson, really appreciate your time today. 183 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:47,960 Speaker 2: All the best with the rest of the exercise. 184 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 3: Thank you, Katian, thanks for continuing sport and for the 185 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,840 Speaker 3: people who have down for their continuing support for Exercise 186 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 3: Pitch Black. 187 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 2: Thank you. Thanks Pete.