Gold Coast Aviation

[pjw4118]

On a trip over there earlier in the month I managed to squeeze in some aviation.

From the Skirmish War Museum out past Robina, good stuff but a bit tired and dusty









Coolangatta Airport, a busy place, lots of variety and a good spot right on the threshold











And then Caboolture and its museum with fliers. Unfortunately the types I wanted to fly both Chipmunks and Winjeel were undergoing engine work but the Tiger was busy



The museum features open cockpits so naturally the F111 was for me



And they have a C47 being restored to Fly




Can anybody suggest other Gold Coast aviation spots?

[baz62]

My folks live in Robina and I visted that Skirmish Museum last time we were there (2010). That Spitfire is a replica and not a bad one (although the wings droop a bit). Are you planning going north of Brisbane as I whole heartedly recommend the Queensland Air Museum at Caloundra:
Click HERE

[pjw4118]

Good call Baz , I flew a Tiger Moth from there years ago, and I know they have a Pathfinders Museum there. Now on next years list , thanks

[nuuumannn]

Many years ago Malcolm Long had a hangar at Coolie where he had his Hudson and an Avenger (if I can remember rightly); the Hudson is now at Temora.He used to have a shed full of Stinson L-5s, loads of them. I've got a photo with about eight all sitting around in Long's hangar. There used to be a few Twin Pioneers there too, one of them was still flying, but I'm not sure what happened to them. There was a guy operating a Waco on joy flights out of Coolie and years before when I was living there as a teenager there was a guy who had a Grumman Ag Cat on floats, which he used to fly from the Spit on joy flights. Coolie always had lots of interesting aircraft going in and out, particularly around Indy 500 time; I got a good look around Guido Zuccoli's Sea Fury one year.