David Pietsch AM. Fighter Pilot: Sabre. Mirage. F18.

Welcome to Air Commodore Dave Pietsch (retired) AM David Pietsch joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1969. As a fighter pilot he flew the Sabre and Mirage prior to a tour as a flying instructor.  He was subsequently one of the first RAAF pilots to undergo F/A-18 training in the United States.   In 1990 he was appointed Commanding Officer of No 3 Squadron operating the F/A-18.   He then had senior Defence roles included Command of 81 Wing,  Command of Surveillance and Control Group and senior roles in Capability Development Division.    In 1999 he was awarded the Order of Australia for his contributions to aerospace development. David retired from full time service as an Air Commodore in 2004, remaining on the active reserve list, In his Reserve capacity he over sighted Flying Operations for Defence Airshows and lead the Defence Planning Team for the biennial Australian International Airshows. His only involvement now with the RAAF is providing guidance on the return to flight status of the RAAF Sabre at the Temora Aviation museum.