About Rod

Rod Lovell

—— Chief Pilot, Training Captain and Checking Captain

May I take the liberty of providing you with some of my qualifications and experience

I have logged over 10,000 hours flying time. I have been approved (by the Aviation Authority) on numerous occasions for the positions of Chief Pilot, Training Captain and Checking Captain. I have logged approximately 500 hours simulator flight time (which is mostly emergency procedures)

Graduated No 80 RAAF Pilots Course in 1972 (awarded the National Mutual Trophy, for the student who has shown the most improvement) – Spent 10 years serving in the Royal Australian Air Force.

Whilst undergoing conversion training on Mirage fighter jet, suffered an engine flameout at Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound) at 50,000feet. Successfully relit engine and landed at RAAF base Williamtown.

Carried out numerous medical evacuations and search and rescue missions.
In 1974 I was the Co-pilot in the Orion crew that represented Australia in the Fincastle (Anti-Submarine Warfare) Competition. This is a competition between the Air Forces of Australia, Canada, the UK and NZ.

In early ’77, I was selected to fly the P-3B Orion as RAAF air displays at airshows at RAAF bases at Laverton, Canberra, Edinburgh, Pearce. I had 8 minutes to demonstrate the flying ability. This included low and high speed passes and a mock attack on a cardboard submarine look-alike. The Orion was extremely flexible, with a maximum speed at sea-level in excess of 400 kts.

On 22 Jun 77, I was awarded Category B Maritime Captain status on the P-3B Orion. According to the log book statement, this meant above average ability. This is significant in the fact that the RAAF considered me as above average ability as a maritime captain, in charge of a modern, very large 4 engined turbo-prop aircraft (maximum take-off weight of 135,000lbs) with a crew of 12-13, capable of operating anywhere in the world at a moments notice.

In my own right, I have owned a vintage Tiger Moth (entering the World’s First Tiger Moth Air Race, 1977), and a Beechcraft D18S, which fellow aviators and myself successfully completed the 1988 Bicentennial Around Australia Air Race.