 He joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as a mechanic in 1935, but was later accepted into the flying training course at Point Cook, Victoria.On 24 April 1936, Clisby was flying in formation when he encountered problems and bailed out; a subsequent inquiry found that the plane's loss was due to his lack of experience.He nevertheless graduated in 1937 and, under a pre-war arrangement between the British and Australian governments, volunteered for transfer to the Royal Air Force (RAF); he sailed for Europe that July.