RAAF Townsville Airshow and Open Day (TASOD16) 15 October

[Mustang51]

RAAF put on a great display for the good citizens of Townsville and an Open Day on 15 and 16 October. Approx 80,000 attended the free show along The Strand as part of Townsville's 150th Anniversary and between 15,000 and 20,000 at RAAF Townsville for the Open Day. Townsville is a presidio town housing Lavrack Barracks and RAAF Townsville and played a vital role particularly in the early stages of the Pacific campaign with between 50,000 and 70,000 servicemen being based there and RAAF Garbutt being a major repair, assembly and modification base. Bombed three times by Japanese Flying Boats. Two F.16 attended from the USAF 35th Fighter Wing (Misawa, Japan) and were tanked on the way down 13 times by RAAF KC.30. Displays and Flypasts by F.16 Pacific Air Force Demonstration Team, FA-18, F.18F Super Hornets complete with flares, C.17, KC.30, C.27 - one of the few times it has been seen in public, AP.3C Orion, E.7 Wedgetail, C.130, Hawk 127, Navy provided their Bombardier Dash 8 LADS survey aircraft direct off task and the Army's 5th Aviation Regiment based at RAAF Townsville displayed their the MRH.90 Taipan and CH-47F Chinook. Historic elements having direct type connection with Townsville were the Caboolture Mustang, HARS Caribou, SP-2H Neptune and Catalina together with the Temora Hudson complete with two brand spanking new engines....... they look like pieces of sculpture ! Individual displays as well as formations - Jericho Pass with the E.7, C.17 and KC.30 very nice - and a very special AP.3C Orion and Neptune display lead by the C.130 photo ship unique as all of this was seen against the background of the ocean and Magnetic Island with commentary from the 13th Floor of Aquarius Towers. Very strange to be looking down on a lot of the displays ! Great day all round culminating in a spectacular fireworks display (all 24 minutes of it) put on by the Townsville Bulletin initiated by two C.130 and an Orion discharging full compliment of flares along the display line. All of the Local Council, State and Federal pollies very impressed and want a 'return' visit. Lots of excellent comments in the social media and local papers both before and after the show with the Townsville Bulletin featuring most of the display aircraft in cover to cover spreads in the week leading up to the show - not something that you see every day but showed the local level of commitment to the event.

[Dave Homewood]

Sounds great Ando.