October 10, 2017
A special treat is in store for Kingaroy State High School students when Oliver Kersnovski returns to Kingaroy on Wednesday to visit his old school.
Oliver is now a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Air Force and he’ll be at the helm of a C-27J Spartan battlefield airlifter, one of the RAAF’s latest aircraft, when it flies to Kingaroy Airport.
Flt Lieut Kersnovski, who graduated from Kingaroy State High School in 2009, will be the guest speaker at KSHS’s 60th annual speech night at Kingaroy Town Hall on Thursday night.
Visits to the plane have been organised for KSHS students and other invited guests on Wednesday.
C-27Js only joined the RAAF fleet in 2016.
They are powered by two Rolls-Royce engines and provide great flexibility for the RAAF.
They can undertake a wide range of missions, carrying either 34 troops, 21 stretcher patients, or 5000kg of cargo.
They can also operate in high-threat environments as they are fitted with missile warning systems, electronic self protection and battlefield armour.
Wow!!!! How wonderful this young man returns to his home town after a lot of hard work & an exceptional career thus far! Congratulations Oliver and to his Dad & Mum who must be so very proud of him and his achievements.
Many thanks, Oliver, for the tour and hands-on experience of seeing our Defence Force working horse. Wallaby 11 is an apt call sign for this working plane.
Thanks Flight Lieutenant Oliver (and thanks RAAF) for the most rewarding of experiences at the Kingaroy airfield this afternoon. Not sure how many locals inspected your aircraft, must have been close to 500? And the efforts from you and your crew to welcome and inform visitors was professionalism at the highest level. The RAAF is in good hands!