Air Force seeks community ideas on centenary celebrations

While the centenary of the Royal Australian Air Force will not take place until March 31 2021, planning has already begun for the best way to mark the milestone.

And the Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Leo Davies, wants the public to be involved.

To that end, AIRMSHL Davies launched Air Force 2021 in Canberra on Tuesday.

“The first stage of planning for Air Force 2021 is our consultation phase. We are inviting ideas and suggestions from across Australia to consider how we should mark this important milestone,” AIRMSHL Davies said.

AIRMSHL Davies said Air Force has “so much to be proud of”, from the days of the Australian Flying Corps in World War I to the current operations in the Middle East.

“And as an organisation we have an exciting future as we implement Plan Jericho and introduce more next generation platforms into service,” AIRMSHL Davies said.

Contributions are due by  March 20 2016 and can be made on the Air Force website.

Air Force said ideas would be assessed for value for money, safety, and “the creation of enduring effects”.

“Our vision for Air Force 2021 is a program of carefully selected events and initiatives that honour the sacrifices and contributions of the past, demonstrate today’s highly capable Air Force and foreshadow our continued evolution into the future,” Air Force said on its website.