DEFENCE MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by Ministerial Support and Public Affairs, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT
Phone: 02 6127 1999, Fax: 02 62656946
MSPA 341/09
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
PADANG ASSIST AIR LIFT OPERATION
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) personnel are undertaking a massive air lift operation to
ensure essential relief workers and supplies reach the earthquake affected region of West
Sumatra.
Around 111 RAAF personnel are involved in the operation. This includes air load teams,
pilots and loadmasters, as well as two C-130 aircraft based in Jakarta and one in Darwin. The
C-130s have flown more than 50 sorties between Jakarta and Padang, carrying more than 230
tonnes of cargo.
Additionally, the RAAF air load team has assisted unloading nearly all foreign military and
chartered civilian aircraft that have flown emergency aid to the earthquake affected area.
Initially the air load team had the only heavy forklift in Padang.
Flight Lieutenant Paul Kretschmann, officer in charge of one of the air load teams, said it had
been hard work but they had achieved a lot.
“In the first week, we’ve unloaded in the vicinity of 250 tonnes of cargo from over 100 ADF,
foreign military and charter aircraft,” Flight Lieutenant Kretschmann said.
“The team has supported RAAF operations plus aircraft from Indonesia, the United States, the
United Kingdom, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, and Singapore.”
Sergeant Mathew Warnock, a loadmaster from one of the RAAF C-130 Hercules involved in
the airlift operation, said everything from vehicles and equipment through to basic essentials
such as food, water and blankets have been flown in by the aircrew and unloaded by the
teams.
“We’ve been flying two sorties a day into the airfields at max capacity, so the aircraft have
pretty much been max weight or bulked out with the pallets,” Sergeant Mathew Warnock
said.
“We’ve been taking about twenty five thousand pounds (11,300kg) a trip into the Padang.”
Commander of the Australian Joint Task Force, Colonel (COL) Mark Brewer, said the team
had provided a mission critical role at the airport.
“Our mission could not have proceeded without the tireless work of the small RAAF air load
teams in Padang and Jakarta, as well as the pilots and loadmasters, that have worked around
the clock flying in and unloading not just our equipment, but the large amount of aid that has
been essential to other aid agencies that have arrived in Padang,” said COL Mark Brewer.
Media note: An ADF spokesperson in Indonesia is available for telephone interview. Please
arrange a time for interview through Defence Media Liaison 02 6265 3343 or 0408 498 664.
Media contact: Defence Media Liaison: 02 6127 1999 or 0408 498 664
NEWS 
