Robyn Clay-Williams

For a ten year old girl from the “Shire” to fall in love with flying during a school excursion is unremarkable, it’s what she did with that love, that is remarkable.

A girl whose parents encouraged her to become the first in the family to attend university, who went on to become a test pilot after joining the ADF, and ended up commanding the Test and Training Wing of what is now RAAF Air Mobility Group is not only remarkable, but inspirational.

Wing Commander Robyn Clay-Williams (retired), began her Air Force career studying Electronic Engineering in 1979, because flying was not open to women in the Air Force until 1987.

Accepted into the first pilot’s course to admit women, Wing Commander Clay-Williams graduated at the top of the class, but in spite of wanting to be a fast jet pilot, she could not progress to that, because it was only in 1993, after her graduation, that women were able to be admitted into fast jet training.

“I am proud to have served in the Air Force and I am grateful that RAAF gave me education and the opportunity to fly and then test fly,” Wing Commander Clay-Williams said.

“Flying on the tests’ pilot course, especially flying military fast jets in Russia and the Czech Republic which had only recently opened to the West, has been a highlight of my career.

“Add to that the actual graduation from the course, undertaking the development and acceptance test flights for the C-130J Hercules later in my career and my first wing command at Number 85 Wing and I have very fond memories of my time in the RAAF,” she said.

Wing Commander Clay-Williams led the USA-based Air Force C-130J acquisition team accepting twelve of the iconic platforms and associated systems, on budget and exceeding specification.

But that ten year old girl from the “Shire” did so much more with her career. Among other things, she became a specialist consultant to the Defence Airworthiness Board and Defence Acquisitions Management, test flew operational, training and developmental military aircraft in the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia and the Czech Republic.

She even had time to squeeze in some lecturing in Defence Studies at ADFA.

Wing Commander Clay-Williams’ career was much wider that the few examples above, and continues, with as much commitment and excellence demonstrated in her Air Force career, in her civilian role today where she conducts research in health services to make care safer for patients.

“I feel ‘chuffed’ about being a part of the commemoration of the Air Force’s founding 100 years ago,” said Wing Commander Clay-Williams.

“A favourite moment of my Air Force career was having the Hon. Ros Kelly, MP, who was only the second woman in the House of Representatives to hold ministerial office, pin my Wings at graduation from pilots’ course.

“That’s closely followed by the 1993 decision to remove all barriers against women flying combat roles,” she said.