From United Arab Emirates to Afghanistan, Bathurst boy Paul Lucano’s job with the Royal Australia Air Force (RAAF) has taken to all different places but for the next two weeks he’ll be back home.
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He’s already spent this week in Bathurst, with nine other members of his RAAF no. 65 squadron, at the Bathurst Airport, as the squadron works on building an unsealed apron for the local Air Force Cadets to use.
“The air force cadets touched base with us last year, in August, in regards to putting in an apron on an unsealed strip [at the airport],” Sergeant Lucano said.
“This year we got approval to come down to Bathurst to do some earthworks for the cadets.
“They’re out here a lot with their gliders, so that’ll help them a lot and our squadron will get some training while doing this work.”
Sgt Lucano’s squadron is an airbase recovery squadron and he said the earthwork they are doing is good training.
The new apron, or unsealed strip, gives the Air Force Cadets a new place to safely park aircraft.
Normally they would park on the grass but when it would rain, the surface would became a mess.
The squadron is currently working on taking the top layer off of earth before rolling it then covering it with gravel.
Sgt Lucano said it’s good to be back in Bathurst.
“I was born here and was here for about 25 years before leaving for the air force in 2007,” he said.
Sgt Lucano attended Holy Family School and Kelso High.
He became a qualified carpenter before joining the Air Force in February 2007, serving in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010.
He was previously in the United Arab Emirates, as part of Operation Slipper, the Australian Government’s military contribution to the war against terrorism, piracy and improving maritime security.
He is now based at RAAF Base Richmond.
No. 65 Squadron RAAF has two detachments – in Richmond and Townsville – with the headquarters based in RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland.