F09581 Kandahar Airfield: The Australian Rotary Wing Group Operations

The Australian War Memorial recognises journalist, author and official cinematographer John Martinkus, who died on 14 September, 2025. This fifteen-minute piece takes you on a journey with members of the Rotary Wing Group, the Australians whose job it is to pilot and maintain rotary wing aircraft from their base area at the Kandahar Airfield. In a country where road travel for personnel and supplies is fraught by the danger of IED and ambush, the role aircrews play is essential. John Martinkus, official cinematographer for the Memorial, interviews members of the Chinook air and maintenance crew, who describe the challenges of flight over Afghanistan, as well as the pattern of everyday routine. With unobtrusive supporting narration, and John's bird's eye view from the cockpit of the Chinook, he follows a complete mission, comprising touch downs at Tarin Kot and various forward patrol bases. This insider perspective affords real insight into what is probably a little known but essential aspect of Australian Defence Forces, bringing a fresh look at the life of Australian rotary crews and of the important role they played in supporting Australia's presence in Afghanistan. This documentary was made from some of the twenty seven hours of footage shot by John Martinkus during his deployment to Afghanistan in 2011 as the Memorial's official cinematographer. To learn more about the Memorial's Film Commissions see our website. Link to the collection item: http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/F09581/