RAAF Mirage Repatriation Flight from Butterworth April 1988

Australian TV news items on the departure of the last squadron of RAAF Mirages, 79 Squadron, from air base Butterworth in Malaysia, in April 1988. The Mirages arrived in Butterworth in May 1967. The departure of 79 Squadron ended the era of a permanent RAAF fighter presence at Butterworth.

[@KeithEdwardsRE]

I don't know where they got the footage of the departing Mirage 1110 but all the birds leaving Butterworth for Woomera were fitted with 374 gallon (1700 litre) wing tanks, not 110 gallon (500litre) tanks fitted to the Mirages in this story.

[@12345fowler]

Classic cheap TV production - write about a subject without allocating sufficient ressource (=TV crew) and just dig out old archives that have nothing to do with the current subject.

[@allgood6760]

Thanks mate👍🇳🇿

[@Foxbat-yj1ex]

I don't think it was the decision of the Australian government to pull out the RAAF from Butterworth. But the Australian government was diplomatic in their reasons to leave Butterworth.

[@12345fowler]

Can anyone explain about the concept of Australia military presence in a foreign country like Malaysia ? Is this a post WWII thing ? Is it because Malaysia was a UK dominion or whatever and then UK did ask Australia to go there for a while ?

[@rodentflyingfilms7868]

Australia had a base/presence in Malaysia as part of the 5-power defence arrangement with the UK, NZ, Malaysia and Singapore. Details on Wiki here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Power_Defence_Arrangements

[@szbazimaviationspotter94]

Sad To See RAAF Withdrawn Their Flying Units At Butterworth. 😢😢

[@iangodfrey4518]

It's a bit late now unfortunately. 😅👍

[@megjohnson9227]

The love of my life was a fighter pilot there that day. Then off to pick up one of the first two Hornets from Pt Cook to be delivered to Williamtown

[@craigbeatty8565]

A sad day. Should never of happened. Damn Keating,

[@carmelot324]

and now we have f35s