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SKIPPY SQUADRON
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Skippy
Squadron was formed in 2002 by the volunteer Qantas aircrew and
ground staff who operated and supported military charter flights
in the prescribed area of operations during the Vietnam war, maintaining
the commitment established by their predecessors during the Second
World War. Members are eligible for the award of the Australian
Active Service Medal 1945-1975 with Clasp Vietnam, and the Vietnam
Logistics & Support Medal. Eligibility was confirmed by Government
Gazette on 23 April 2001.
The
captains shown in the table operated MNL/SGN/SYD. There is no record
of captains who operated the Richmond/MNL and TSV/MNL sectors. VH-EBI
was the first of the 707s to operate into Tan Son Nhut Airport,
Saigon with Australian troops on board on 31 May 1965 arriving back
in Sydney the next day as QF120. In mid 1966, the flight numbers
for Vietnam charters changed to QF 177/QF178. The Saigon flights
were routed via Manila as the Indonesian Government would not permit
them to overfly Indonesia with troops on board, especially as they
had their rifles stowed in a netted bin at the rear of the cabin.
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