How often do any of us get to make contact with a military aircraft…using Morse Code…while hooning down the highway? For most Amateurs, the next time would be the first time. On Friday 18 August 2023, Dom VK2JNA made the contact, though in a slightly unusual way. Dom takes up the story:
“I have just driven home from Canberra. Whilst on the road near Paddy’s River, I saw a couple of low flying military aircraft SW bound which I now understand to be probably C-27J Spartans, thanks to Tim VK2BT – I thought they looked like the old Caribou with the swept up tail.
“Having listened to 666 ABC Canberra during the morning, I was aware that they were probably heading to CBR [Canberra] for a flypast involved with the commemorations of Australia’s withdrawal from Vietnam 50 years ago.
“I also reckoned they could probably see me on the highway, so I turned off my lights and then signalled them with Morse “V”, three times (for “Vietnam”).
“The lead aircraft did see me & tipped the wings in acknowledgment! This was good enough to also get that story back on ABC Canberra within minutes by SMS.”
Here’s ABC’s Canberra Mornings presenter, Lish Fejer, talking about Dom’s SMS:
(Thanks Clifford VK2CLF for the audio grab)
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