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Post by Mustang51 on Dec 11, 2012 8:59:47 GMT 12
Temora Aviation Museum has just announced the date for its second Warbirds Downunder airshow - 2 November 2013. No details of participants as yet but their collection is extensive and if the last one is any guide, Mustangs, P-40s, Boomerang, Wirraway, Sea Fury, Southern Knights Harvards, RAAF FA-18 will be spectacular. Perhaps a good excuse for a tribe of Wings Over NZ Forumites to make the trip over the ditch........ Dave, perhaps also a new venue for a Forum Meet? Hire a coach, stay in, say Wagga Wagga, personal tours of the museum and restoration facility after it is all over?
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Post by ErrolC on Dec 11, 2012 9:24:23 GMT 12
Hmm, this has potential.
A minivan (drivable with car licence) would seem more practical.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 11, 2012 17:01:17 GMT 12
Sounds interesting. I have stickied this to generate more interest through the coming year.
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Post by DragonflyDH90 on Dec 11, 2012 20:36:34 GMT 12
I would quite possibly be interested in this.
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Post by JDK on Dec 11, 2012 21:19:14 GMT 12
The last show was definitely one of the best vintage and warbird shows in Australia; I'd certainly say it would be well worth making the trip for.
Note that Temora is 2 hours or so drive from Canberra, home of one of the great military collections at the Australian War Memorial. Visitors would expect to come through Melbourne or Sydney (seven hour and five hour drives to Temora, unfortunately!) and both cities have noteworthy aviation attractions as well.
Hope to see some WoNZers there!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 11, 2012 21:39:14 GMT 12
Are there commercial flights into Temora or do people have to drive?
If I were going to make the trip to Australia for an airshow it would be to Temora. The airshows like Avalon etc with modern jets and airliners etc don't really interet me at all but Temora sounds pretty good.
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Post by ErrolC on Dec 11, 2012 21:41:55 GMT 12
Yes, I was thinking of a week (un-partnered) via Melbourne (Pt Cook, B-24, Moorabbin, people from Twitter/podcasts) and Canberra.
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Post by JDK on Dec 11, 2012 22:15:32 GMT 12
Are there commercial flights into Temora or do people have to drive? There are no commercial flights to Temora. Sometimes for the shows, one of the DC-3 operators does a flight from Melbourne or Sydney. Don't think you can fly direct to Canberra from NZ or overseas, but you can fly into Canberra from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane etc, and then it's a two hour drive. If I were going to make the trip to Australia for an airshow it would be to Temora. The airshows like Avalon etc with modern jets and airliners etc don't really interet me at all but Temora sounds pretty good. Avalon is a waste of time, IMHO. The 'secret' great warbird show is the RAAF Museum's bi-annual Pageant at RAAF Point Cook. The next will is due to be in Autumn 2014, and I would expect it to be a big one, being the Centenary of the airfield's first flight in March. It's less than an hour from Melbourne and is one of the best venues for an airshow, not far behind Old Warden and Omaka, IMHO. It's also free entry. Regards, |
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Post by corsair67 on Dec 11, 2012 22:57:48 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 11, 2012 23:00:44 GMT 12
Thanks James. wow, a free airshow, that's neat.
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Post by JDK on Dec 11, 2012 23:01:57 GMT 12
Thanks, Corsair. Wagga is indeed about an hour from Temora, and is probably a good place to 'base' if you can't get accommodation at Temora itself - that's where I stayed last time.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 11, 2012 23:58:36 GMT 12
Why did they build their collection so remote from the rest of the world? Cheap land maybe?
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Post by Mustang51 on Dec 12, 2012 7:49:51 GMT 12
Dave, The decision was made to base the collection at Temora resulting from history other than warbirds where the annual NSW aerobatic competition was held. The founder of the Museum, David Lowy, is an aerobatic pilot (became Unlimited Australian Champion) and found it a great place to fly. The townspeople are also very friendly and pro aviation so the seed was sowed. It is also the former home of No.10 Elementary Flying Training School during the war, the weather is - for the most part - excellent (hence the choice for the location of 10 EFTS) and it is flat and open. No restricted airspace apart from the Temora Showcase days and at the time two excellent runways. Three runways now cater for all aircraft types operated by the museum including the RAAF CA-27 Avon Sabre that Temora completely rebuilt at its cost in a joint venture with the RAAF Museum. A little remote for some perhaps but an excellent venue for the museum's operations.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 12, 2012 8:33:07 GMT 12
OK, thanks.
Everywhere seems pretty remote in Australia when you look at the map. Maybe the forum could charter an airliner and fly direct from Auckland to Temora, via Sydney? What's the biggest airliner they can get in there.
I personally think that because the Temora collection's owner also owns most of NZ's shopping malls, thus a lot of his revenue must come from here, he should create a branch collection in this country too. ;D
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Post by Andy Wright on Dec 12, 2012 8:58:55 GMT 12
Wagga was also considered but all I've heard about that is Wagga said no. Silly people but the outcome has truly been better as there's no airliners coming into Temora so staging a show or 20 is relatively 'easy' as Mustang alludes to.
If you're thinking of coming over, have a look at accomodation in Junee (30 minutes) or West Wyalong (45 minutes) as alternatives to Temora and Wagga.
Dave, the Connie can operate out of Temora and the Lowy bizjet is obviously a regular visitor. The Connie is the biggest aircraft I know of that's not STOL-capable (i.e. Herc) that has been to Temora. Perhaps a forum jolly in the Connie or one of the Daks from Albion Park?
The apparent remoteness (it's not, but I can see how it would be relatively speaking) certainly doesn't stop people visiting. If you fly in to Canberra you can also add the AWM to your list of things to do. Fly in to Sydney, HARS to the south. Fly in to Melbourne ... well, you'll have a seven hour drive (easy on the Hume and Olympic hwys) but you could add Point Cook etc. Edit - errr, what James said!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 12, 2012 19:27:03 GMT 12
Re accommodation I was going to suggest just tenting it, then I remembered you have snakes, spiders, scorpions, dingoes, Tasmanian Devils and goodness knows what esle there!
It was bad enough at Omaka when a bloody Aussie possum tried to get into my tent!
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Post by ngatimozart on Dec 12, 2012 19:32:13 GMT 12
I've been thinking and every man and his dog,plus the neighbours dog is going to try for accommodation in Wagga and Temora driving rates up. So I think maybe Junee (30 minutes) or West Wyalong (45 minutes) would be a good option. Mt own pitch would be to fly into and out of Melbourne. Then hire minivans. Some of us have cost concerns. It's only a seven hour drive and you can break it up if need be by visiting other aviation attractions etc. However the Melbourne Cup is Tuesday 5th November so maybe fly in Melbourne Fly out Sydney.
Ok regarding airfares as an example Virgin Australia are offering fares for a per person flight ChCh - Melbourne Wed 30/10/2013 from NZ$201.00. Canberra - ChCh Thurs 7th November 2013 from NZ$526.85 plus surcharges.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 12, 2012 19:57:29 GMT 12
Is this 7 hour drive over barren featureless red desert? As that would be like going to hell for me.
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Post by aeromedia on Dec 12, 2012 20:23:17 GMT 12
I always get a kick out of the drive. it's a long way, sure, but once clear of the Blue Mountains on the outskirts of Sydney, you can focus on a brief stopover at Bathurst. Now thats weird man. Basically, you can drive in, right off the road and drive around the legendary Mount Panarama Circuit, past the pits, grandstands, all the race infrastructure, signage, road markings etc etc. Its a blast. I've done it several times. Also within a reasonable drive from Temora, but in a different direction is Parkes, home of the incredibly huge Radio telescope as featured in the movie The Dish, starring Sam Neill and based on that faciltities role in assisting NASA with the Moon landings.
The Temora experience is one I would highly recommend to any heritage aviation enthusiast. What David Lowy has acheived at Temora, raises the bar in global terms, re how to set up and operate an active flying museum. It's quite special. I must have been maybe ten times now, although, these days, with the change to the smaller showcase weekends, I wait for the big Warbirds Downunder shows to justify the trip.
There are very stringent, often self-imposed safety margins re display lines etc, but the public and crew safety, and preservation and conservation of the aircraft are paramount.
Its an extremely polished operation, from start to finish. ALL the pilots are totally on-board with the Temora way, and usually step right out of their aircraft and immediately come across to the podium where Ando and the commentary crew talk through what they've just done. It's always pitched just right, with enough detail, flavour and information for the enthusiast but never forgetting Joe and Josie Public and their angle on the whole thing.
After the flyings done, there is the ramp talk. All the planes are lined up in a semi circle, with their pilots alongside, and you just walk up and chat to them. Very cool.
In a word, Superb.
My advice, if you possibly can, Do it !!!!!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 12, 2012 20:53:36 GMT 12
Bruce MacDonald (eieio) has asked me to post this photo from his trip there of a great model of the airfield in wartime.  |
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