The Australian International Airshow
Avalon, Victoria is about 40 miles west of the major city of Melbourne, Australia. This venue for the biennial Australian International Airshow and its associated trade exposition is at the mercy of the forces of weather, just like in North America. A huge country, Australia’s love of aviation seems to be both practical (to travel long distances rapidly) as well as romantic (spectators appreciate an aviator’s talent). Despite some horrendous squalls that dampened its festive atmosphere, the 2009 event still produced some unique performances and loads of excitement, attributes that are always anticipated at this huge showcase of Australian aviation held every other March.
Avalon airport has ample room for a large air show, with plenty of ramps and taxiways, plus lots of grass for spectators to relax on. The airport is home to a Qantas heavy jet maintenance operation, and supports more than a dozen daily airline arrivals and departures. Three huge temporary buildings, larger than football fields, were erected for the trade show that took place the week prior to the air show. Fortunately or not, these made excellent temporary refuges from the pelting rains that marched through the area during the weekend, too.
The flying display was a fast-paced mix of military and civilian performers from all over the world. Boeing sponsored Friday evening’s “night alight” air show, which was hampered by low clouds and fog as the sun set. Before twilight, a 10-minute-long parade saluted the firefighters who fought the devastating fires in Victoria earlier this year. As trucks and other apparatus filed past the crowd, water drops by a fixed wing AirTractor, a Bell 212, and Sikorsky S-61 and S-54 Skycrane helicopters provided the backdrop. After dark, afterburner departures by Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F-111s and F/A-18 Hornets were dazzling. Equally appealing was the high speed taxiing done by the HARS Lockheed Super Constellation, whose quadruple Wright Turbo Compound engines belched flame as the aircraft ran up at full power. Although most of the nighttime air show was hidden by clouds, the noise was still deafening and the flares and ‘burner passes’ made for some surreal glows within the clouds.
Saturday’s and Sunday’s flying schedule, while interrupted by intermittent high winds and low visibilities from rain storms, starred many Australian and (surprisingly) American aviators. American presence in the Australian skies included Kent Pietsch’s Jelly Belly Interstate Cadet antics, Bob Carlton’s jet Salto sailplane aerobatics, and Russian (but Florida-based) Nikolay Timofeev’s SU-26M displays; these performers shipped their aircraft across the Pacific in ship-borne containers. Militarily, the U. S. Air Force provided daily F-16 and C-17 demonstrations by the Pacific Air Forces demonstration teams, and by a B-1B bomber based at Ellsworth AFB. A US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet, bailed to manufacturer Boeing for an around-the-world sales and demonstration tour, was flown daily by the company’s chief Super Hornet test pilot Ricardo Traven. His routine, designed to show some unique low-and-slow maneuvers, was definitely not the high-speed show normally seen in American displays.
The Australian showcase of civilian performers included Richard Wiltshire in his DR106 Sabre and Chris Sperou in his red Pitts S-1S. Sadly missing were Australians Tom Moon and Pip Borrman, two top-notch aerobatic pilots who were killed in crashes during the weeks leading up to the 2009 Avalon Airshow. Warbirds included a quartet of Harvard trainers, a YAK-9 and a P-51. The Historic Aircraft Restoration Society’s Super Connie graced the skies of southeastern Australia; the aircraft began its life as an Air Force C-121 transport in the U.S., and was once stored in the Tucson desert. Weather forced the cancellation of flight displays of other interesting types such as a Dehavilland Drover, C-47s, and Tiger Moths, to name a few.
An interesting aspect of the flying display was the planned arrival and departure of various scheduled airliners. Jetstar, a low-cost subsidiary of Qantas, maintained a full schedule through the air show. Airliners on static display included a new V-Australia Boeing B-777, Bombardier CRJ-700, and a Saturday appearance by a giant Qantas A-380. While not a scheduled airline, the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Boeing B-757 performed a remarkable series of passes that included some energy management maneuvers that put the aircraft into a seemingly 90-degree wingover and a high-angle pitch up.
From the Australian military, the flying show hosted displays by two iconic aircraft types soon to be retired. The long-serving DHC-4 Caribou will be grounded by the end of the year; the aircraft type began service during the early Vietnam war years. The other display was by the classic F-111, known as the “Pig” by many Australians. The bomber will be retired by the end of 2010, just before the next edition of this air show. Sorely missed will be the “dump and burn” maneuver that produces an awe-inspiring trail of fire as raw fuel is ignited by the jet’s afterburners. Other individual demonstrations were done by a Pilatus PC-9 trainer and F/A-18 Hornet. The Navy’s pair of AS350 Squirrels and a quartet of RAAF Hornets flew spirited displays, too. Conspicuously absent was the RAAF’s Roulettes display team; no official reason was given during the show as to the reason the six-ship Pilatus PC-9 group was grounded. One of the show highlights was the airfield attack sequence that included Blackhawk helicopters and F/A-18 Hornets choreographed with pyrotechnics and airborne flares.
The static display was huge, augmented by many general aviation jets and props that took part in the trade exhibition the week prior. A notable aircraft was the first Boeing RAAF Wedgetail, an AWACS version of the B-737 airliner. At one point, there were five Douglas DC-3/C-47s on the field along with the Super Connie…a ‘round engine lover’s delight! There were large numbers of helicopters, including examples from Malaysian and Singaporean military operators. Light Sport Aircraft have blossomed in Australia, and dozens were on display. Of course, many military aircraft were shown too, from an Australian Navy P-3 patrol plane, to fighters, bombers, transports and trainers such as the new Pilatus PC-21 turboprop (in Singaporean Air Force colors) and a New Zealand-built CT-4E Airtrainer. One could have spent an entire afternoon just looking over the parked aircraft.
Weather conditions changed by the hour during the three-day air show. Besides Friday night’s fog, on Saturday morning a squall line blew across Avalon just as the show began. Additional storms interrupted the show throughout the day, including a strong storm during the afternoon that sent a display tent airborne, injuring some spectators and damaging a small number of private aircraft on display. The weather couldn’t dampen everyone’s spirits though, and rainbows seemed to appear in the nearby skies to make an impromptu apology late Saturday evening. Sunday saw strong crosswinds that caused the grounding of a number of flying acts, from opening ceremony parachutists to headline acts such as Bob Carlton’s jet Salto and the HARS Super Connie. Needless to say, the weather didn’t cooperate with the show organizers, but more than enough clear skies appeared to allow for hours of flying!
If you ever want to learn a lot about Australian aviation in a short amount of time, Avalon’s Australian International Airshow would be a great opportunity to watch and listen to many facets of aviation in the country. The 2009 version, although impacted by some inclement weather, provided some noteworthy air show performances, and an exciting look at the country’s love of aviation. Here’s hoping that the 2011 weather doesn’t dampen Avalon’s and the Australian International Airshow’s unique spirit.
Story and photos: Ken Kula