2024 Australia Airshows and Scheduled Flying Days

[mcmaster]

Feb 29, 2024 11:21:44 GMT 12 colford said:

The airport webcams are showing progress in the set up and aircraft arrivals for the airshow. Also shows one of the Fokker Friendships sitting out on the apron in a 'fresh' old style TAA scheme. That brings back so many memories.

Indeed the old T tail TAA scheme really is evocative with me also, particularly on the 727. Hope the weather is OK although I was at the show in '21 where the Saturday weather was horrid but still had a ball. Would luv to see the Sea Fury but cant make it this time.

[planecrazy]

Don't know if this is the right place to ask, last year there was a vintage fly in event in July at Caboolture Airfeild,
have asked on Facebook may as well ask here, wonder if anyone has heard whispers of it happening again this
year? Thank you........

[colford]

Airshows Downunder Shellharbour have posted up a short clip of the Sea Fury from the Paul Bennet Airshows FB page showing it take to the air. Markings have been changed for red roos in all positions and it has been fitted with wing tip smoke generators ala Steadfast.

The engine noise is something to hear!

[Dave Homewood]

airshowsdownundershellharbour.com.au/attractions/flying-program/

[mcmaster]

Attended the Central Coast Airshow at Warnervale on Sunday. First time at this airport and was a pearler of a day. Light winds, blue skies and low 20s temps. Great to hear Ando on the speakers too, a sound as familiar and pleasing to the ear as a Mustang flyby. . Another guy on the mic was doing the crowd gee up thing which is OK … till it goes a bit over the top. I was surprised what a small airfield it is made up of a few old hangars and offices. It’s even smaller than Temora. The upside is you are even closer to the runway and action. I caught the train from Sydney and that worked pretty well.

The display was the tightest I’ve experienced with almost no delays. Highlights for me was seeing the Sea Fury first time wow what a beast. I think it was based at Williamtown for the display - I assume Warnervale runway not long enough/bit rough? The Mustang 472505 was awesome, Avenger, Trojans and Easty in the A37 shook the bones. All the Paul Bennet stuff was great theatre too. I was really impressed too by a RC F18 Hornet that was definitely no toy. But The F35 as usual stole the show with a new display pilot JP doing the honours. It’s a bonkers show of power and noise. Overall was a great day.

[Mustang51]

mcmaster, that's the best compliment I have ever received..............in UK now, Did the magnificent Midlands Air Festival at Ragley Hall. What a show. Sally B, Reds with nine ship display, new Typhoon, Draken, RR Heritage Griffon Spit, Bronco not to mention the Friday balloon Nightglow and fireworks together with Tim and Tom Dewes Airborne Pyrotechnics with their LED and pyro Grobs and Chris Burkett's Extra with same. Great way to really open the season

[Dave Homewood]

Peter Hallen has sent through these days of the Open Day on 20th of July and evening flying display on 18th of July for Exercise Pitch Black at Darwin.



Mindil Beach Flying Display Programme, Thursday Evening, 18th of July 2024
5.00pm – 5.30pm

United States Osprey
Australian “Tiger” helicopter
Papua New Guinea PAC 750
German Airbus A400
Philippines F-50 Golden Eagle
Malaysian F-18D Hornet
French Rafale Fighter
5.30pm - 6.00pm

Italian Navy F-35B and Harrier
Italian Air Force KC767, G550, Typhoon and F-35A
Australian E-7A Wedgetail
Australian F-35A Lightning II
Thai Gripen Fighter
British Voyager and Typhoon
Republic of Korea F-15 Eagle
6.00pm – 6.30pm

Singaporean F-16 Falcon and F-15 Eagle
Japanese E767 and F-2 Fighter
Indonesian F-16 Falcon
Indian Su-30
United States F-22 Raptor
Australian F/A-18F Super Hornet and E/A-18G Growler

[mcmaster]

That is an amazing line-up. Also shows how NATO countries want to let it be known they will send sharp end hardware to this side of the world ... good stuff! Notably Spain and Italy sending fighters for first time.

www.airforce.gov.au/news-and-events/events/exercise-pitch-black/participants

[chrisr]

That lineup is as good as you would get at RIAT.

Hoping for a Rafale or Gripen at Avalon next year. I'm not the wishlist type, but if they make it to Australia once....you never know.

[Deleted]

Well that looks like a great show!

[11SQNLDR]

I've pulled the lever - flights, accommodation and rental car booked
This will be my first Pitch Black and my first time in Darwin, the last State the wife and I had left to tick off the list after moving here to Perth 11 years ago.

If anyone else is looking at heading up North for this I might just...

[colford]

Added extra for those thinking about attending the Temora Aviation Museum's September 2024 Showcase.

Temora Canberra Symposium by Colin Ford, on Flickr

[colford]

Temora Aviation Museum had their September Aircaft Showcase on today Saturday 7 September 2024. There was a weather front that passed through the area from late yesterday into this morning, with some localised showers and low cloud at the start of the day. The weather did prevent a couple of aircraft listed to take part in the day from arriving, but the crowd was not left wanting. The day saw the Australian display debut of the ex-RAAF Pilatus PC-9 trainer operated by Arthur Aviation Australia, as an Australian civil registered warbird, in the capable hands of Steve 'Boris' Becker - ex-RAAF ARDU test pilot. I can sum up the debut display in one word: "WOW!" From wheels up to landing back, he literally "wrung the neck" of the PC-9, throwing in a few moves I did not know the PC-9 could do. The take off, hold low, go to top view pass along the crowd line building speed, then full power climb had the effect of leaving the audience....stunned. Excuse the attached photos, first time at an airshow for a long time, a bit rusty and I was trying some settings before Warbirds Down Under in October, but I think they will give you the idea of what this display was like.

PC-9 Display 1 by Colin Ford, on Flickr

PC-9 Display 2 by Colin Ford, on Flickr

PC-9 Display 3 by Colin Ford, on Flickr

PC-9 Display 4 by Colin Ford, on Flickr

PC-9 Display 5 by Colin Ford, on Flickr

I think this will be a big crowd pleaser a future airshows, and with a number of ex-RAAF PC-9s due to join the Australian warbird ranks in the near future, I think we will see some great individual and formation displays from them.

Others displaying today was a trainer foursome of two Ryans and two Tiger Moths; ex-RNZAF Harvard and CAC Winjeel; Beech 12 and Harvard; EE Canberra; pair of Cessna Bird Dogs; fighter trio of Curtiss P-40, P-51D Mustang and Spitfire VIII; RAAF PC-21. The Spitfire VIII and PC-21 put on a number of paired display passes - another first - before the PC-21 finished off the day's flying with a solo display before it headed off to it's next airshow appointment.

Looks promising for Warbirds Down Under in October with over 50 warbirds and a number of current active RAAF aircraft scheduled to perform - in his commentary 'Ando' teased that there will be a number of firsts at WDU 2024 as well a a surprise guest appearance by a type not seen in Australian skies for many years.......

Now to go through all my photos from today. From initial looks, settings I was trying did not produce results I was after, and I need to get some more practice before October!

[planecrazy]

Wow heartedly agree with Col, the PC9 was a wow moment, seen them displayed
in RAAF service but not like this! Fantastic day with some awesome machines,
while many standouts the thing for me was the unique formations. The PC21 and
the Spitfire, very cool, more soon when I get home.













The Spitfire and the PC21 was great.


Both machines given the jandal!

[Dave Homewood]

From the Temora Aviation Museum's Facebook page:

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗕𝗜𝗥𝗗𝗦 𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗙𝗧 𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧*
1 x Corsair
2 x Tiger Moths DH-82
1 x Ryan STM
1 x Ryan PT22
1 x Hudson
1 x A-37B
1 x Canberra Bomber
5 x CT-4
4 x Winjeel
2 x Spitfire MkVIII
3 x P-51 Mustang
3 x P-40 Kittyhawk
1 x P-40 Warhawk
4 x T-6 Texan (Harvard)
1 x Trojan T-28B
1 x TMB Avenger
1 x Beaver
1 x BT13
1 x PC-9
2 x 0-1 Briddog
2 x Chipmunk
1 x Beech 18
1 x Cessna 0-2A
1 x UH-1 Helicopter
1 x RAAF F-35
1 x RAAF Roulette Aerobatic Team 6 x PC-21’s
1 x C-130L Hercules
1 x Air Force Balloon
1 x Air Force Band
1 x ADF Combat Support Static Display
1 x Caribou
*𝑎𝘭𝑙 𝑎𝘪𝑟𝘤𝑟𝘢𝑓𝘵 𝘴𝑢𝘣𝑗𝘦𝑐𝘵 𝘵𝑜 𝑐𝘩𝑎𝘯𝑔𝘦 𝘥𝑢𝘦 𝘵𝑜 𝑠𝘦𝑟𝘷𝑖𝘤𝑒𝘢𝑏𝘪𝑙𝘪𝑡𝘺.

[Dave Homewood]

[colford]

From a post just made by HARS marking the return to flight of another of the UH-1 Iroquois/Huey in their collection and it's first arrival from Air Affairs at Nowra at Shoulhaven Airport, we now know the identity of the UH-1 scheduled to take part at Warbirds Down Under 2024 Temora next weekend - UH-1H 703. This is an ex-9 Squadron RAAF Vietnam veteran, and also served with Australian Army Aviation until its retirement in 2007. It is finished in its final Army Aviation service scheme, and should be a great addition to the Vietnam Formation alongside the HARS Caribou.

P.S. Checking the Temora Airport webcams, preparations for next weekend are underway. The large marquee for the VIP attendee check in (Gate C) on Tom Moon Avenue is already up and some of the marquees for merchandising on the side of the car park closest to the Museum entry are starting to go up. Temporary crowd control bollards to set out the entry lanes into the different spectator areas are also starting to go into place. Will be interesting to follow via the webcams the preparations for the airshow and the potential early arrival of some of the participating aircraft. If you want to see what is happening, Temora Airport webcam link: auswebcams.com/YTEM/

UPDATE Sunday 13 Oct 2024 - semi trailers with loads of the grandstand seating for the VIP and Premium unloading in front of the hangars at Temora today. Another step forward.

UPDATE Wednesday 16 October 2024 - not much now visible from the two Temora webcams that face out onto the flight line apron as the VIP and Premium grandstands that have been erected over the past couple of days are now sitting in front of the webcams. The webcam facing out to the east over the car park is still clear and good for getting an idea of the weather at Temora. TAM announced today that all the camping/caravan sites and their Squadron Tent Barracks are now sold out. Weather forecast for the Thursday and Friday are mixed, potential for some reasonable rainfall and temps in the mid to high 20s - if they get the forecast rain it should be enough to settle the dust but hopefully not enough to turn the carparks and general admission areas into a muddy mess. Only issue will be if the weather those two days causes any issues with final setup of marquees, facilities, etc that need to be done before Saturday. Forecast for Saturday has a much decreased chance of rain, should be mainly sunny with clearing cloud and Sunday is forecast to be sunny, temps in low to mid 20s.

[Dave Homewood]

The Huey will have been flown by New Zealanders of the RNZAF too.

[Mustang51]

Im off to Temora tomorrow. Bevan should be there before me. His first "international" airshow as a display pilot flying Doug's Harvard 'Harold'. In the Beech 18 flypast then solo Harvard display. Looking forward to it

[Dave Homewood]

I am pretty sure Bevan flew displays in England at Stowe Maries a few years back in the RE.8, Ando.

But yes it's awesome that he is displaying at Temora. I wonder if any other WONZ members are in the display, apart from Bevan in the Harvard, and you as commentator.