Army Aviators John Van-Vegchel and Jim Crow reach 3000 hour flying milestone

Two Chinook pilots have reached an impressive milestone within days of each other, clocking up 3000 hours in the air. Find out where their wings have taken them over the years.

5th Aviation Regiment Boeing pilot instructor Jim Crowe was at the controls of A15-310 'Cowboy' when he clocked-up 3000 flight hours in Chinooks at RAAF Base Townsville. PHOTO: CFN Luke Hollowood

Two Townsville Army aviators have clocked up an impressive 3000 hours in the air as they join only three others in the Australian Defence Force record books to ever reach the impressive milestone.

Aircrew operator technician with C squadron, Sergeant John Van-Vegchel and instructor development officer Jim Crowe have both spent the equivalent of 125 days flying in CH-47 Chinooks during exercises and deployments.

While the pair reached the figure within days of each other, they took very different paths to get to the milestone.

Before he took to the pilot’s seat, Sergeant Van-Vegchel was a maintenance technician for the aircraft that he would later fly during deployments to Afghanistan, East Timor and Tonga alongside numerous domestic disaster relief operations.

“There’s been some very nice views over the years,” he said.

Reflecting on a lifetime of military aviation. Boeing pilot instructor Jim Crowe is one of only five people in the ADF to reach 3000 flight hours in Chinooks while working with 5th Aviation Regiment, RAAF Base Townsville. PHOTO: CFN Luke Hollowood

“Ayers Rock [Uluru] and the Olgas are amazing from above. Papua New Guinea is another beautiful place to fly.”

Mr Crowe served as a pilot with the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force for 18 years before transferring to the ADF in 2004 as part of the lateral recruitment initiative.

Over the years he has worked in Northern Ireland, Hong Kong and the Middle East while also completing four tours of Afghanistan.

5th Aviation Regiment Boeing pilot instructor Jim Crowe was at the controls of A15-310 'Cowboy' when he clocked-up 3000 flight hours in Chinooks at RAAF Base Townsville. PHOTO: CFN Luke Hollowood

He said that his first deployment to Kandahar as a troop commander was one of his career highlights.

“Watching our first operational mission takeoff; all the work that went into that. The effort involved to take us from a peacetime posture to conducting combat operations in Afghanistan was extraordinary,” Mr Crowe said.

Currently, aircrew operator technician Greg Maiden, formerly of C squadron, 5th Aviation Regiment, has the highest number of ADF flying hours, clocking up an astounding 5596 hours in Chinooks.

Originally published as Army Aviators John Van-Vegchel and Jim Crow reach 3000 hour flying milestone