Weipa pilot Captain Will French met with his brother Lewis French, mum Simone French and dad Darryl French at Mapoon during Exercise Austral Shield 2026. Photos: Corporal Luke Bellman/ADF.
A Weipa man has returned to the Cape with gusto behind the controls of a CH-47F Chinook helicopter and reunited with family after half a decade serving with the Australian Army.
Captain Will French reunited with his brother and parents during Exercise Austral Shield, which was held locally around Weipa, Mapoon and Napranum from 3 to 19 July.
Austral Shield is a major homeland defence training exercise bringing together ADF personnel and government agencies, and involving armed soldiers, military vehicles, watercraft, aircraft and specialist drones.
Capt French reunited with his family during a community engagement at Mapoon, while supporting Joint Task Force 629 (JTF629) activities during the military exercise.
The Chinook chopper landing at Mapoon.
Locals and army families watched the chopper land before they met with Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel.
Soldiers handed out footballs to kids from the community, showed off the helicopter and hosted a barbecue where locals could find out more about the Army’s role during Austral Shield.
Capt French developed a passion for aviation as a young boy and said it was a surreal experience flying over the place he called home.
“As a young boy, I was very interested in aviation, anything that flew and military aviation especially,” he said.
“My dad also has quite a love for that. It really got me into it as a kid, sharing the same interests.”
Capt French attended boarding school in Cairns and went on to become an Army pilot, overcoming a range of personal challenges.
He said returning to his hometown in uniform was a moment he would never forget.
“It’s been really surreal to come back in uniform and fly around the place you grew up,” Capt French said.
Simone and Darryl French said watching their son step out of the chopper was a proud moment.
“We never get to see him working so just to see him flying, working, doing his thing, that’s pretty cool,” Mrs French said.
Mr French said the visit was particularly special because he did not get to see his son much.
“Seeing him is amazing, because we don’t get to see him very often,” he said.
Capt French struggled to put into words what it meant to him having his family there after he spent five years working towards his goal.
“Being able to come in, land an aircraft in front of them and then take them on a guided tour of sorts is surreal,” he said.
“It’s amazing to have them see the fruits of their efforts in helping me along my journey from a kid through a teenager, and then even in my early 20s, into the final stages of getting into the job.”
Capt French urged other Cape residents to consider a career with the ADF.
“I would say that it’s a good reason to challenge yourself, but you’re not doing it by yourself,” he said.
“A lot of my best mates are from the last five years of my military service and they’ve really helped me with it as well.
“There were no roadblocks in the way just because you’re from a small town in remote Australia. It’s open to everyone.”
Captain Will French shows off the Army’s Chinook.
