Lieutenant Barry Evans

Edited by John Perryman

Barry John Evans was born in Cairns, Queensland, the second of five boys. His father was a magistrate and the Evans family moved frequently during his childhood.

Barry matriculated in Kingaroy and first learnt to fly when he joined the Kingaroy Soaring Club. After obtaining a Diploma in Aviation, via correspondence, he then applied to all three of the Armed Services in which he hoped to pursue a flying career. The Army advised him to come back the following year while the Navy asked him if he would switch to the Air Force should they tell him he had been selected - Barry replied that he would not and, with his word being his bond, the RAN willingly accepted him.

At age 19 Midshipman Barry Evans joined HMAS Cerberus as a member of Basic Air Training Course 2/70. After completing his initial entry training he joined No. 1 Flying Training School, RAAF Point Cook, Vic, as a member of No. 78 pilot’s course for flying assessment. On successful completion he then proceeded to No. 2 Flying Training School, RAAF Pearce, WA, to undertake what was at that time known as the all through jet pilot’s course. This course saw trainees undertake 210 hours training in Macchi MB-326H jet trainers.

Having gained his ‘wings’ Barry was posted to VC724 Squadron at Naval Air Station (NAS) Nowra in September 1971 as an acting Sub-Lieutenant (A/SBLT) and member of Course No. 8 Operational Flying School (OFS). There, with A/SBLTs John McCauley and Jerry Clark, he mastered flying Douglas A4G Skyhawk fighter bombers, an aircraft he was to have a close association with during a notable flying career in the RAN.

Barry Evans, fourth from left in the back row, while undertaking No 78 Pilots Course

L-R: Acting Sub Lieutenants Jerry Clark, Barry Evans & John McCauley on their graduation from OFS in 1971.

On successful completion of OFS, and having spent further time in VC724 Squadron, Barry was promoted Sub Lieutenant and posted to VF805 Squadron in July 1973, embarking in the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne for workups in preparation for Exercise RIMPAC 73. During August the carrier was to set a new record of 100 arrested landings and catapult assisted take-offs in a fourteen hour period of intensive day and night flying, 42 of which involved Skyhawks.

Arresting onboard HMAS Melbourne required skill and patience and practicing both day and night landings was a pivotal part of the Carrier Air Group's workup.

In September 1973, 805 Squadron’s Skyhawks conducted live strikes on Hawaii’s Kahoolawe range and exercised air-to-air refuelling before the carrier entered Pearl Harbor on 8 September preparatory for the RIMPAC Exercise. The sea phase began on 11 September and Barry and his fellow pilots were to find themselves participating in a series of realistic opposed ocean passage serials providing excellent training value. Disappointingly a catapult failure would later curtail fixed wing flying operations but this was ameliorated at the end of the exercise with 5 days R & R in Pearl Harbor. The ship returned to Sydney, via Suva, in October to take part in celebrations surrounding the opening of the Sydney Opera House.

VF-805 Squadron officers onboard HMAS Melbourne 1973. Rear: L-R: R. McMillan, J. Clark, P. Cox, P. Clark, G. Winterflood, J. McCauley, C. Rex, M. Smythe, B. Evans, G. Donovan. Front: L-R: T. Willis (Engineer), P. Brown (Engineer), W. Callan (CO VF-805 SQN), C. Olsson (Senior Pilot)

Later that year Barry again embarked in Melbourne with 805 Squadron deploying to South East Asia. On 8 November 1973 while the ship was on passage to Singapore, Barry was involved in an incident that saw the Skyhawk he was piloting (889) ditch into the sea ahead of Melbourne following a failed catapult launch. Trapped in the aircraft after a failed ejection attempt he passed under the ship before freeing himself from the aircraft and surfacing about 100-150 yards astern of the carrier.

Barry takes up the story:

The subsequent investigation of the catapult revealed that a disconnected solenoid was responsible for the malfunction of the cat-shot. As a consequence, after approximately just 9 feet of travel down the catapult, all the steam pressure was dumped resulting in an end speed of only around 90 knots instead of the 120 that was required for the aircraft to take flight. (not certain of these speeds but I am certain of the result). I attempted to eject using the top handle but the seat failed to fire. The canopy came off as part of the sequence but as fate would have it a striker plate that should have turned as part of the ejection seat mechanism was frozen solid (determined by the fact that 4 of the remaining 7 aircraft on board had the same or similar problem) causing the seat not to fire. There are some who suggested that I was lucky that the seat didn’t fire believing that I would have been outside the ejection envelope but I would argue differently.

I hit the water in an almost vertical attitude and as my canopy was missing, the cockpit immediately filled with water. At the same time my head hit the canopy bow and dislodged my oxygen mask so I had to hold my breath. I was braced for the impact with the water but had completely overlooked the fact that all 22,000 tons of HMAS Melbourne doing 22 knots was mere feet away. When the ship hit the aircraft it tumbled quite violently and I was temporarily disorientated. Realising I was starting to panic, I told myself to count to 10 and then find the manual seat harness release to free myself. (It wasn’t as calm as that sounds and counting to 10 consisted of 1, 10, but it achieved the necessary refocusing). On my first attempt to leave the cockpit I got stuck and had to pull myself back in to free whatever it was that was impeding my egress. While I was doing this I heard the very loud sound of the ships propellers passing over the top of me so obviously someone was looking out for me. I surfaced 100 – 150 yards astern of the ship with Pedro [the rescue helicopter] hovering over the top of me to the very surprised look of the winch man at the door of the Wessex.

The failed catapult shot that saw Barry Evans' A4 Skyhawk ditch ahead of the 22,000 ton aircraft carrier.

Fortunate to escape more serious injuries, the remainder of the cruise was to prove uneventful and Barry returned to NAS Nowra on 6 December 1973.

In May 1974, 805 squadron re-embarked in Melbourne to begin work-ups prior to participating in Exercise KANGAROO 1 which, at that time, was Australia’s biggest multi-nation, inter-service military exercise. During the work-ups the dangers of flying in fast jet fighter-bombers were highlighted when a T-A4G aircraft from HMAS Albatross crashed into the sea during a simulated strike on the aircraft carrier claiming the life of Lieutenant Ralph McMillan, RAN. A gifted and popular pilot, McMillan’s loss was deeply felt throughout the fleet, including Barry, to whom he had been a friend and mentor.

Melbourne operating her air group during Exercise KANGAROO 1 in June 1974.

Melbourne sailed from Sydney on 3 June and on day one of the exercise the 21 ships comprising the KANGAROO 1 fleet were steaming north towards the Coral Sea in rough seas and heavy rain squalls. Flying was initially suspended but resumed on day three of the exercise when 805 Squadron’s A4s were launched to intercept attacking RAAF F111 fighter bombers. This was to prove another challenging day for Barry in which his flying skills in the A4 were to be put to the test. He was to later recall:

We had been launched in very rough weather in conditions that were, at the very least marginal and on return to the ship none of the 5 aircraft were able to recover on board. A decision was made to divert all aircraft to RAAF Amberley and it was just after we all joined up that I had a total electrical failure. The flight of 5 arrived at Amberley where the weather was low overcast and with heavy rain. The flight leader decided to do a normal initial and break and I ended up being last to land. As I touched down my right main wheel blew a tyre, possibly due to trampling an F111 arrestor wire at carrier tyre pressure of 480psi, causing the aircraft to take an immediate swing to the right. I left the runway doing about 100 knots, about 45 degrees off the runway heading. I elected not to eject and came to rest with the left wing tip and nose of the aircraft in the mud. The A4 was subsequently moved to the tarmac where I was given the necessary electrical parts to repair it and left to my own devices. Fortunately for me there was an A4 squadron visiting from New Zealand and I procured the help of a Kiwi Flight Sergeant to help me install the new green house, CSD and generator.

With his aircraft repaired he was able to later rejoin Melbourne at sea from which successive A4 strikes were launched against opposing US forces operating near the eastern end of the New Guinea island chain in the Solomons Sea. The exercise ended on June 17 and the carrier air group disembarked for NAS Nowra the following day.

A Skyhawk launches from Melbourne on a maritime strike mission during Exercise KANGAROO 1.

At the end of the year VF805 Squadron was announced as the winner of the coveted Collins Trophy for Efficiency and Distinction. During 1974 the squadron flew in excess of 1000 sorties, including Air Combat, Combat Air Patrol, Fleet Support and all forms of Strikes and Air-to-Ground Weaponry. The Skyhawks expended over 700 rockets, 1200 live and practice bombs and 300 rounds of 2077 ammunition in both air-to-air and air-to-ground roles.

The following year Barry rejoined Melbourne with 805 Squadron to begin working up in preparation for RIMPAC 75. Melbourne arrived at Pearl Harbor on Tuesday 4 March for the harbour phase of the exercise before sailing for the sea phase a week later. Thirty-one ships, 200 aircraft and 17,000 personnel participated in the multi-national exercise which again saw 805 Squadron’s A4 pilots fully engaged in maritime strike and force protection roles.

Prior to Melbourne’s return to Sydney in April 1975 the carrier air group disembarked for NAS Nowra. During that time Barry was selected to fly as a member of VF805’s Checkmate Aerobatic Team. The team usually comprised four A4G aircraft and was led by Lieutenant Commander ‘Dusty’ King, RAN. Fellow pilots Peter Cox and Barrie Diamond flew in the #2 and #4 aircraft while Barry flew as #3. A fifth pilot, Jerry Clark, became the 5th solo member of the team which would participate in air shows and flying displays on special occasions throughout the year. Following his time with VF805 Squadron Barry was posted to VC724 to undertake No.2 Air Warfare Instructor (AWI) course. Promotion to Lieutenant followed in August 1975.

The 'Checkmate' Aerobatic Team in box formation.

The Australian AWI training was a post graduate course designed to cover the many aspects of air warfare and weaponry appropriate to the RAN environment of operations. Previously this training had been conducted in the UK with the Royal Navy’s 764 Squadron, at Lossiemouth, Scotland. Barry’s course ‘buddy’ was Lieutenant David Ramsay, RAN, and both men found that the course fell a long way short on what had previously been completed in the UK. In an attempt to improve its content both Barry and David were sent to the US to complete various additional courses - the primary one being Top Gun at the US Navy Fighter Weapons School. Disappointingly, they did not belong to a parent squadron in the US and therefore did not have access to their own aircraft, which at that time was a requirement in order to participate in the Top Gun air combat manoeuvring serials. Consequently they were to miss out on much of what the course had to offer. They did, however, fly in both TA4J and Tallon T38 aircraft but were not permitted to occupy the front seat. In spite of that, both pilots were to gain valuable experience that they in turn would pass on.

Barry Evans beside an Northrop F5 fighter while on course at the USN Fighter Weapons School

Returning to Australia as a qualified AWI, Barry remained with VC724 as an instructor before rejoining VF805 Squadron In December 1977. The following year he sailed in Melbourne to participate in what was up until that time the largest RIMPAC exercise held. During that deployment Barry had the opportunity to cross-deck onto the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, an experience he was to enjoy immensely. On recalling his first catapult launch from the deck of the ‘Big E’ Barry was to remark that “I almost ejected because it was so soft compared to what I was used to [on Melbourne], I was totally impressed with the whole operation”.

Conversely, a USN pilot who cross-decked to HMAS Melbourne was to liken his  experience on the much smaller aircraft carrier as “having to land on a postage stamp when he was used to landing on the envelope”, a testimony to the skill of the RAN pilots.

The moment before Barry Evans' arrest on USS Enterprise.

RIMPAC 78 saw the 805 Squadron A4s (the Checkmates) team up with the USS Enterprise’s combat air patrol (CAP) umbrella of F14 Tomcats conducting a number of maritime strike and interdiction missions. A squadron highlight involved a bombing ‘derby’ contested against the ‘Waraces’ of the USN’s VA27 Squadron and the ‘Chargers’ of VA96 Squadron, both of which flew A7D Corsairs from the Enterprise. While the results were to become a matter of ‘friendly debate’, there was no doubt in the minds of the RAN pilots concerning who had come out on top. The RAN A4s were equipped with 5 x live 500lb, HE bombs, whereas the US aircraft arrived with each carrying 6 x Mk76 practice bombs. The accuracy of the Checkmates was to leave few targets remaining for their American counterparts and a somewhat ‘altered’ landscape. During the RIMPAC exercise some 460 practice bombs, rockets and 17 tons of HE Ordnance was expended on operational targets in the Hawaii Exercise Area.

A VF805 Squadron A4G armed and ready for launching on Melbourne's flight deck.

On returning to Australia in May 1978 Melbourne embarked a number of VIPs, including a number of politicians, and Barry was nominated to prepare and lead a weapons demonstration for them.

Five Skyhawks were used, all loaded with various weapons which we all duly fired or released and I understand achieved the desired result. We then all reformed, carried out a fan break over the ship and the plan was for each of us to do one touch-and-go. As lead aircraft I would then end up behind the 5th aircraft (forming a daisy chain) before lowering our tail-hooks for an arrested landing - each landing being separated by approximately 17 seconds.

Unfortunately on my first touch and go, my port main wheel came off (later found to be a result of the thread being over machined), my stub axle snagged an arrestor wire, the aircraft went slightly sideways but after applying full power, a boot full of right rudder and almost full back stick, the wire let go and I managed to get the aircraft back into the air, I had no idea what had happened. As one might imagine, this started a series of events. Ball bearings from my wheel assembly took out the mirror landing system, the Flight Deck Officer was almost taken out by my errant wheel (he was watching what he thought was the wheel but it turned out to be the brake discs) and it took forever to recover the remaining 4 aircraft because 2 wires had to be removed, the one I damaged with my stub axle and its pair. This was done using axes and blocks of wood, understood to be the quickest way of completing the task.

In the mean time I was airborne holding above the ship, with my landing gear down (because my utility hydraulic light had come on momentarily) and quickly running out of fuel. While the check list basically said I should have ejected, the suggestion was made that I was to be recovered into the aircraft carrier’s barrier (net), a suggestion that I didn’t think very highly of (and later got into significant trouble over my response).  A tanker was subsequently launched and I received sufficient fuel to divert to RAAF Amberley, Qld. Arriving at Amberley I carried out a couple of practice approaches on runway 22, a short but smooth runway and then landed on the un-foamed surface stopping in just over 1400 feet. I later returned to the ship to face the wrath of the Captain while my colleague Nev French got to fly the aircraft back to Nowra after some very minor repairs.

Barry walks away from Skyhawk 887 following his 'wheels up' landing at RAAF Amberley.

The damaged aircraft was repaired and made serviceable in a remarkable 13.5 hours.

Toward the end of Barry’s flying career he flew as a maintenance test pilot, and Delmar (towed target) pilot. The remainder of his flying career in the FAA was refreshingly uneventful and he was to finish as Station Air Warfare Instructor and one who assisted in training a generation of RAN A4 Skyhawk pilots.

A VC724 Squadron A4G operating in the fleet support role over NSW.

Barry resigned from the RAN on 26 February 1980 at a time when great uncertainty existed surrounding the future of fixed-wing aviation in the RAN. In 1982 HMAS Melbourne decommissioned and the Fleet Air Arm’s fixed wing aircraft squadron’s operational status was significantly reduced. In June 1984 the A4G Skyhawks flew their last sortie before being sold to the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The Australian Government would later lease them back from New Zealand in order to fulfil a significant fleet support capability gap.

During Lieutenant Barry Evans’ flying career in the RAN he was, in good humour, given the call-sign ‘Jack Ass’. In contrast he was to prove anything but that, receiving the AJ Robertson Weapons Proficiency Trophy, a Flag Officers Commendation (1979) and an Air Force Cross for his contribution to naval aviation and without doubt for the skill shown by him in averting personal disaster and saving two multi-million dollar aircraft.

In 1980 Lieutenant B.J. Evans was awarded an Air Force Cross for his services to flying in the Royal Australian Navy

Following his service in the RAN Barry Evans pursued a successful flying career in civil aviation piloting most aircraft types in service at that time including F27s, B727s and B737s. On joining Cathay Pacific he flew B747-200, 300 and 400s, Airbus 330/340 initially as a First Officer before achieving his command in B777-200/300s. His final two years in civil aviation were as a Captain of Boeing 747-400 aircraft, by which time he had amassed a total of around 16,000 hours.