Melinda Andersson, who grew up obsessed with the F-111 fighter bomber, is now caretaker of the last one ever to switch off its engines and is the envy of plane fanatics across the country.

Key points: Melinda Andersson is custodian of the HARS F-111 fighter bomber

Melinda Andersson is custodian of the HARS F-111 fighter bomber She grew up a plane enthusiast and now volunteers in the male-dominated aviation museum

She grew up a plane enthusiast and now volunteers in the male-dominated aviation museum The HARS F-111 was the last one in the world to switch off its engines

When Ms Andersson walks around 'her' F-111, as she calls it, at the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) in Wollongong where she volunteers, she can spot even the smallest detail out of place.

As the project leader for the museum's F-111, it is her duty to look for any damage caused by tourists climbing in and out of the cockpit, and to check for chipped paint, as well as tyre pressure and general cleanliness.

"It still belongs to the Air Force, so we need to make sure it's in good condition," she said.

"I clean it once a week, tragically. I walk along the wings and get up with a broom and get rid of the dust, then end up with a feather duster for the harder-to-reach places.

"Then I'm up there with my mop and bucket, which is a sight to see."

It is a sight Hollywood actor John Travolta recently saw while visiting HARS.

"He walked in through the hangar past me, stopped, and took a second look of me up there sweeping the wing and gave me a wave," Ms Andersson said.

Ms Andersson climbs up onto the aircraft to dust off its wings and body. ( ABC Illawarra: Justin Huntsdale )

Dump and burn

She stands out even more because she is a middle-aged woman in a venue dominated by older men.

Along with the F-111 t-shirt she wears, Ms Andersson also sports the aircraft's name tattooed on her arm.

She grew up with her late father taking her to airports and air shows to admire aircraft, so aviation is a passion she has always had.

Her dad was particularly fond of the F-111 and its one particularly impressive party trick.

"Hands-down the thing he loved most was the dump and burn," Ms Andersson said of the manoeuvre where the pilot dumps their fuel load from the rear of the plane, then switches on the afterburners to create a long stream of fire from the tail of the aircraft.

An F-111 jet performs its famous 'dump and burn' manoeuvre in December 2010. ( ABC News: Murray Cornish, file photo )

Encouraging women's interest in aviation

While HARS has a dedicated group of highly qualified volunteers in all aspects of aviation, what they really lack is younger women.

Ms Andersson said women did not need to be as fanatical as she was to be volunteers, but she would like to see more involved in aviation.

Ms Andersson's duties include inspecting the F-111 for any damage caused by tourists getting in and out of the cockpit. ( ABC Illawarra: Justin Huntsdale )

"I'm a little bit on the outside with that because I don't think there are a lot of women out there who love aircraft so much that they'd want to come down and wash one every week," she said.

"We would love to have more young women down here doing things around the place; it would be fantastic."

Ms Andersson has worked for a private jet company and her mother worked as a flight attendant, so aviation has been a constant throughout her life.

She has also encouraged her own daughter to take an interest.

"She's come down here a couple of times and helped me clean the F-111 and had a good time, but she doesn't have that love that I have," Ms Andersson said.

It is a love that saw her paying for tours at HARS after the F-111 arrived and proceeded to her spending the majority of her visits admiring the aircraft.

"The volunteers said, 'You're here all the time, why don't you apply to be a volunteer here?' and the rest is history," Ms Andersson said.

Last of its kind

The A8-109 aircraft on display at the Albion Park museum was the last of its kind in the world to shut off its engines as part of a farewell formation flight for the F-111s at the end of 2010.

It served towards the end of the Vietnam War and was bought by the RAAF in 1982 and delivered to Albion Park in 2013.

"People are amazed; they want to know all about it," Ms Andersson said.

"The kids want to know how fast it goes — which is 2,600km per hour, twice the speed of sound.

"The kids' faces are in awe."