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robfleet — Gloster Meteor 'Halestorm'
Published: 2009-09-30 10:32:30 +0000 UTC; Views: 5841; Favourites: 65; Downloads: 1444
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Description
Gloster Meteor F.8 as flown by Australian Pilot Sgt. George Hale in the Korean War.The picture depicts a flight post-downing of two MiGs (but prior to the Squadron CO ordering the MiG kills to be painted over).
Model + texture by me.
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Comments: 16
(Written shortly after his Death in 2007)
George Spaulding Hale was born in Hobart,Tasmania, 30 October 1930.
He grew up in the suburb of Claremont and from an early age loved everything to do with aircraft and aviation.
On 26 February 1951 he joined the Royal Australian Air Force and undertook his flight training at 1 Flying Training School at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria, the Home of the RAAF.
Here he trained on Tiger Moths and Wirraways and was highly successful being named 'Dux' of the No.7 Post War Course.
He transferred to RAAF Williamtown Airbase and converted to jets while assigned to 4 Operational Training Unit (Fighter), where he flew the De Havilland Vampire Mk.30.
He later noted that his conversion to jets involved no dual instruction, no mach meters and no ejection seats, something that would not be considered in today’s modern fighter training programmes.
Having accumulated a total of 288 hours flight time and with the rank of Sergeant, he was assigned to 77 RAAF Squadron and flew from Australia to Iwakuni in Japan, aboard a QANTAS Douglas DC.4
At Iwakuni he converted to the Gloster Meteor F.8 fighter in 14 days with a series of battle formation practice, live ground rocketry and straffing and mock dogfights finally completing his conversion on 12 December 1952.
He flew from Iwakuni to Seoul in Korea on 13 December 1952 and joined 77 RAAF Squadron at their base at Kimpo (K.14). He described his initial impressions of Korea as being 'cold and bleak' with 'inhospitable terrain'.
He flew his first mission of the Korean War on 14 December 1952 on an Area Reconnaissance over the East Coast of North Korea.
He later stated that on this mission they were flying close to MiG Alley and were told repeatedly to “Keep our heads up and locked”.
George quickly fitted in with the other squadron pilots and undertook many armed reconnaissance, road reconnaissance and ground attack missions.
He named his first assigned Meteor “Halestorm and Snow” a partial reference to his elder brother who served with the army in Korea and had flown with George in one of the squadron’s two-seat Meteor trainers.
He was assigned a new Meteor F.8 A77-851, which he named “Halestorm”.
Although flying close to MiG Alley George indicated that he had not been briefed regarding potential MiG engagements and there were no specific squadron orders regarding such engagements.
On 27 March 1953 at approx 1420 hrs while on armed road reconnaissance,Hale flying with Sgt David Irlam RAAF saw two MiG15 fighters which they immediately engaged but at the same time were attacked by two more MiGs.
Irlam was hit and took no further part in the engagement.
Hale engaged one of these MiGs scoring hits and observed the Soviet fighter roll over and dive from 4000 to 5000 feet emitting dense black smoke.
Hale was attacked by two more MiGs which he also engaged then a third MiG pair attacked him from behind.
Hale scored hits on the lead MiG of this third group which emitted dense white smoke or fuel vapour that almost completely obscured the aircraft.
Both MiGs commenced a steep near vertical climb and Hale started to attack the lead’s wingman when his cannons stopped firing - He was Out of ammunition.
The MiGs departed and Hale turned and headed for Kimpo at low level.
Hale was credited with one MiG probably destroyed and one MiG damaged.
Thus ended the last air to air combat operation in which the RAAF has been engaged upto this date.
Hale continued on operations with 77 RAAF Squadron in Korea until 14 June 1953, at which time he left for Australia having flown 131 combat missions including bomber escort, rocket strikes, road and rail armed reconnaissance, scrambles and combat air patrols.
Back in Australia he was transferred to 11 RAAF Squadron and converted to Neptune maritime reconnaissance aircraft operating at RAAF Pearce airbase in Western Australia, attended the Australian Joint Anti-Submarine Warfare School at Nowra in NSW and later qualifying as a Neptune Aircraft Captain.
In 1954 he completed an Instructor’s Course at RAAF East Sale and again was 'Dux' of the course later instructing on Wirraways at RAAF Point Cook - where his RAAF career began.
He joined the staff at the Central Flying School at RAAF East Sale and became an instructor and examiner on the Vampire trainer, Dakota, Lincoln, Wirraway, Winjeel and Neptune, thereafter flying both the Mustang and single seat Vampire at the RAAF’s Air Armament School.
He then was seconded to the De Havilland Company at Bankstown to check on the production of and to write the handling notes for the Vampire T.35A.
Hale left the RAAF on 21 March 1958, with the rank of Flying Officer.
He joined QANTAS and flew Dakotas, Lockheed Super Constellations, all models of the Boeing 707 and the Boeing 747 up to the 300 series.
At QANTAS he was appointed Senior Check and Training Captain on both the 707 and 747, Until finally retiring on 28 February 1987.
Despite his retirement he continued his association with QANTAS acting as a consultant for both pilot training and recruitment until 1992.
George Hale can easily be described as a “Man’s man”.
His easy going nature made him an excellent instructor and his superb flying skills stood him in good stead both during his RAAF career and his subsequent professional life as an airline pilot.
He shall be remembered as the RAAF’s last air-to-air combat pilot, a consummate professional in all aspects of his flying career and a loving family man.
He is survived by his wife Helen, daughters Andrea and Jacqueline and son Robert.
George Hale became a Friend of the Temora Aviation Museum following the Museum’s acquisition of the world’s sole airworthy Meteor F.8.
It was immediately decided that the most appropriate representative RAAF paint scheme for this aircraft would be that of George Hale’s “Halestorm”.
Considerable effort was made to ensure that the work would accurately reflect his aircraft’s markings down to the minutest detail.
The Museum was fortunate to have George visit on a number of occasions to watch his Meteor fly and to provide us with the details of his flying career.
[link]
Meteor details and picks can be found here as well as a movie that can be watched showing it flying in Hales Markings.
The reason why the markings were removed is -
"The flight of four was led by the commander, Squadron Leader John Hubble RAAF.
Following a lengthy exchange with a party of MiG's, Hale's Meteor, named 'Halestorm',sported two MiG silhouettes painted on by his RAAF crew chief for a few days until Squadron Leader Hubble ordered them painted out for contravening RAAF regulations".
Stephen
Aussie
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Thanks for the info Stephen - it's nice to add a bit of 'flesh' (so to speak) to a piece of artwork. Excellent bit of info on Hale.
Thanks again!
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anytime i never met him but someone i know at the Temora Aviation Museum did a lot of times and said he was a real character - but he hated talking about Korea, too many mates lost,a few who he knew that transferred to the RAN FAA (a lot of the guys on HMAS Sydney were ex RAAF Fighter Pilots with ww2 combat experience)were also killed on ops in fireflies etc.
s
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Simply fantastic! The heat distortion is a fantastic touch to it as well
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That's really neat
have you seen some of the planes from Blohm and Voss?
i think you'd do their stuff some justice.
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nice render btw, hmm... its wierd in that sense, isnt the kill, meant to signify the "pilot/plane strength" as a sort of show off... Maybe the CO wanted to make it clear to everyone war was not a matter of getting the most kill, its a matter of surviving for another day, one day at a time
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"but prior to the Squadron CO ordering the MiG kills to be painted over"
Why???
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Thanks for the comment.
Absolutely no idea why he ordered them to be painted over
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Very odd, I can only think it was politically motivated.
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