RAAF Base East Sale

RAAF Base East Sale
RAAF Base East Sale Winjeel Gate Guardian
IATA: none ICAO: YMES
Summary
Airport type	Military
Operator	RAAF
Location	Sale, Victoria
Elevation AMSL	23 ft / 7 m
Coordinates	38°05′56″S 147°08′58″E / 38.09889°S 147.14944°E / -38.09889; 147.14944Coordinates: 38°05′56″S 147°08′58″E / 38.09889°S 147.14944°E / -38.09889; 147.14944
Map
YMES Location in Victoria
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 04/22 2,437 7,995 Asphalt 09/27 2,230 7,316 Asphalt
Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart

RAAF Base East Sale (ICAO: YMES) is one of the main training establishments of the Royal Australian Air Force, including where Australian Air Force Cadets have their annual General Service Training. It is home to the Roulettes aerobatic team. It is also now the home of the RAAF's Officers' Training School (OTS) following its relocation from Point Cook Base. East Sale was upgraded to house the new OTS, which had its first intake of students in January 2008.

RAAF Base East Sale opened as a training base on 22 April 1943. Initially, the base was home to No.1 Operational Training Unit (1 OTU) equipped with Bristol Beaufort light bomber aircraft, relocated from airfields at West Sale and Bairnsdale. The base was primarily responsible for training air crew, but units from East Sale also operated in some convoy protection and maritime surveillance roles. Over 3,000 aircrew were trained at the base between its opening and the end of World War II. In addition to the Beauforts, a variety of different aircraft types were operated from the base during this time, including the Lockheed Hudson on which future Prime Minister of Australia Edward Gough Whitlam undertook training as a navigator. Other types used by 1 OTU included Airspeed Oxfords and Fairey Battles.

Following the war, the RAAF Central Flying School was relocated from RAAF Base Point Cook to East Sale in 1947. By 1953, the school had received its first De Havilland Vampire jet aircraft. In 1962, four Vampire jets from CFS at East Sale formed "The Red Sales" aerobatic display team. However while practising aerobatic routines on 15 August, all four Red Sales crashed in formation after failing to recover from a manoeuvre, killing six Central Flying School staff. Six months later, a second display team, "The Telstars" was formed, also flying Vampires and later Aermacchi MB-326 (Macchi) jets. The display team was disbanded in May 1968 due to budget constraints and a shortage of available Macchi airframes. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Royal Australian Air Force, the current Roulettes aerobatic display team was formed in 1970, initially operating Macchi MB-326s.