The Royal Australian Air Force paid tribute to Ararat Warrant Officer Brad Hunt on Thursday last week as he retired from 37 years of aerospace engineering.
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Mr Hunt was originally from Stawell.
What started off as a difficult search for a mechanic apprenticeship ended up as a rewarding career travelling Australia and the world while maintaining the RAAF’s fighter pilot training aircraft.
“I joined as an air-frame fitter but over that time I’ve probably had a few hundred jobs,” Mr Hunt said.
“As you change ranks and squadrons, you change positions.
“The defence force is constantly changing.”
Mr Hunt said the highlight of his career had been selected as Warrant Officer Engineer of No. 76 Squadron at RAAF Base Williamtown outside Newcastle, NSW to work on the Hawk 127 jet training aircraft.
“I was the Commanding Officer’s right-hand man to ensure the maintenance of the aircraft was done correctly and we could provide him with the air-frames to meet our capability goals,” he said.
“It was my job to rally the engineering and maintenance staff...I had over 100 airmen under my control and we all worked together as a team.”
As a tribute to Mr Hunt, the RAAF had two of its new Pilatus PC-21 advanced pilot training aircraft perform a flyover above Ararat’s Cenotaph.
“That was a three-year stint that was the highlight of my career. It was absolutely brilliant.”
“I’m very, very grateful to the Air Force for what they did.
“The whole day was quite unique and special and capped off with the flyover with the new training aircraft.
“My last job in Melbourne was to introduce that aircraft to Australia.”
Mr Hunt’s Air Force career started in 1981 when her had trouble finding an apprenticeship as a car mechanic.
“My father came to me one day said ‘I think the Air Force would be good for you’,” he said.
“I got on a train for Adelaide, which was pretty daunting for a country boy.”
In retirement, Mr Hunt plans to build a hot rod, travel and do jobs for his wife, Sherrie.