AirShow 2017

[Pickles2]

Went to the airshow yesterday,.....SENSATIONAL.
Went at the invitation of my son-in-law, got there early about 8.00am, left about 4.00pm, still didn't see every thing, there is SO MUCH to see.
The jet Fighters were awesome, two of our new fighters were there, only being delivered last week, and there were others, but typically they'd come in fast & low, & then go vertical right in front of the crowds, the "noise" is THUNDEROUS!!
Lots of other demos, aerobatics, stunt planes, Warbirds, helicopters, very large transport aircraft, in flight refuelling of jet fighters (two at a time!), just a brilliant show of continual "Action". (Sorry for the lack of info on aircraft models,...I do like military aircraft, but I ain't an expert)
Only a couple of downers,...I was amazed that there was a $10 parking fee, when we've already paid to attend. There were "squillions" of cars there, so they'd make a fortune, and getting out,..well we left early & it was still a pain, half an hour later, it would've been chaotic.
But, all in all, a fabulous event.
Pickles

[Homestar]

Yep, it is an awesome event and something you have to experience to understand fully. :). I got SWMBO along yesterday for the first time and she loved it. :)

Numbers are waaay up this year - it's the busiest it has ever been. Will interesting to see final numbers but in previous years around 60,000 on Sat and 50,000 on Sun was about normal. Guestamates for yesterday are around 80,000. Today seems to be even busier if that's even possible. Will post official figures once I know but the organisers are VERY happy so far.

As for the parking - the proceeds from the car park all goes to local charities. The entire event is not for profit. Local Lions and Rotary clubs staff the car parks with their volunteers.

Agree getting back out is a PITA but not sure how else they can do it.

I'll dig up some pics and post them later.

[Pickles2]

Yep, it is an awesome event and something you have to experience to understand fully. :). I got SWMBO along yesterday for the first time and she loved it. :)

Numbers are waaay up this year - it's the busiest it has ever been. Will interesting to see final numbers but in previous years around 60,000 on Sat and 50,000 on Sun was about normal. Guestamates for yesterday are around 80,000. Today seems to be even busier if that's even possible. Will post official figures once I know but the organisers are VERY happy so far.

As for the parking - the proceeds from the car park all goes to local charities. The entire event is not for profit. Local Lions and Rotary clubs staff the car parks with their volunteers.

Agree getting back out is a PITA but not sure how else they can do it.
.
I'll dig up some pics and post them later.
G'Day Gav, I didn't know about the proceeds of parking, in which case all is good,...in fact it looks like a pretty good deal for the charities, so I've got no issues at all!
Martin

[Mick_Marsh]

Wow!

That was the best one yet. Good to see the B1 Lancer made a return visit.
Some Awesome planes in the air and on the groung. When there, you really have to visit the tents. I walked into one wondering what it was all about. A friendly gentleman told me the story of a local lad, the subject of the stand, Mr Harry Hawker MBE AFC.
Harry George Hawker - Home (http://www.harryhawker.com.au)
And I just love watching Connie fly.

Pics to come later, when I recover.

[Pickles2]

Wow!

That was the best one yet. Good to see the B1 Lancer made a return visit.
Some Awesome planes in the air and on the groung. When there, you really have to visit the tents. I walked into one wondering what it was all about. A friendly gentleman told me the story of a local lad, the subject of the stand, Mr Harry Hawker MBE AFC.
Harry George Hawker - Home (http://www.harryhawker.com.au)
And I just love watching Connie fly.

Pics to come later, when I recover.
Yes, I'd heard about Connie, but never seen her in the flesh,...she is ageing well!
So much to see, Pickles.

[Chops]

Wish we could have gone to this,, but alas, someone has to work [bigsad]

[ramblingboy42]

G'day Gav and Pickles,

I responded to Pickles in another thread on V8 supercars, maybe you can swing it here Gav.

Sorry I missed you both ...yes it was fantastic and I've got the sunburnt red face to prove it.

Gav, I lost your info , which I'd left on here and my drive was waiting for me so had no time to search further. Are you BA systems?

Just got back here an hour ago and watched some departures this morning from avalon airport. Missed the B1-B....it was being tugged when I was boarding...bummer.

Dennis

[Homestar]

G'day Gav and Pickles,

I responded to Pickles in another thread on V8 supercars, maybe you can swing it here Gav.

Sorry I missed you both ...yes it was fantastic and I've got the sunburnt red face to prove it.

Gav, I lost your info , which I'd left on here and my drive was waiting for me so had no time to search further. Are you BA systems?

Just got back here an hour ago and watched some departures this morning from avalon airport. Missed the B1-B....it was being tugged when I was boarding...bummer.

Dennis

Hi mate, all good. No, I'm with a big orange hire company that was doing all the generators and lighting around the place. :)

The B1 took off at 3.30pm (it sat on the tarmac for ages waiting for a bloody jetstart flight to land), closely followed by the Antenov. Got some pics I'll post later - I was right on the fence when they left - the B1 rattled my whole skeleton. :)

[ramblingboy42]

It was probably my jetstart holding things up.....

Magic flight back though...not a movement in the sky all the way...after those 2 flights I'm almost beginning to like jetstar....aLMOST....good thing its cheap.

[bob10]

Just saw on the TV news that the F35's at the show were delayed in their flight to Amberly because they can't fly thru thunderstorms. A software thing, apparently.

[cripesamighty]

Not to disparage the JSF too much, but they are just being careful. It's almost certainly not a software issue they are concerned about but a fundamental issue with the design. Due to trying to cut the weight down, the fuel now also doubles up as hydraulic fluid in certain sections of the airframe. I'll leave you to figure out if that is a smart idea in a combat aircraft. They are currently still working on finding a reliable back up system to put out any flames after a lightning strike or combat damage - hence no storm flying. Unlike other aircraft hit by a lightning, there is a very good chance the JSF would explode in a rather large fireball as the main fuel tank goes up, and that is rather embarrassing on the way to an airshow! Like most technical hiccups they will get that little glitch sorted eventually. Throw enough money at a problem and you can solve most things.

[jsp]

Was a great event, good entertainment for the masses. Don't wish to offend in regards to the jsf.

Once again like the raaf airshow a highlight for me was the accessibility of the air crews and their willingness to have a chat. Learnt why they are upgrading the raaf base I live near as no one locally would tell me.

Bit disappointed with the event from a plane spotting point of view as organisation was poor, maybe there were other unknown factors.

Disappointed they didn't display the md 10 tanker either.

Also found out after getting there my telephoto lens had packed up :(

[jsp]

I'm sure some of the photographers will post and show me up :) Just a few:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/03/658.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/03/659.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/03/660.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/03/661.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/03/662.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/03/663.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/03/664.jpg

[Pickles2]

jsp,...fantastic images.
We left before the Meteor flew,...what did it do, low passes etc, on its own or with the other warbirds?
Thanks, Pickles

[jsp]

The meteor did a bit of both, a few runs on its own and with a few war birds, the warhawk and the spit fire. I think it may have gone up with a few others on the Sunday, I went Friday and Sunday.

I'm quite fond of the meteor, although my personal fav's are the cargo/transport planes and the orion p3's, two of which just buzzed my house :)

The Meteor did far more and put on a fantastic display at the 2014 Pt Cook RAAF air show, I would highly recommend if you can get along to the next RAAF show.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/03/650.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/03/651.jpg

[carlschmid2002]

Great show. I was there on Thursday. In two years time we should have an AULRO catch up.

[Mick_Marsh]

Great show. I was there on Thursday. In two years time we should have an AULRO catch up.
We did.
Free chili snags.

[Bytemrk]

I'm sure some of the photographers will post and show me up :)


This photographer stupidly didn't go - so is looking at your images with great envy.... nice work!

[jsp]

Connie has to be one of my favs, I plan on heading upto HARS when I get my range rover camper finished. Connie possibly leaks more oil :)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/03/632.jpg

Sadly they didn't do the full handling demo of the globy this year

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/03/633.jpg

After finding out my job allows me to get a trade pass, I was gutted I didn't get one and go earlier as I would love to have a look inside the 124! I spent some time inside the Ilyushin Il-76 at the 95 air show and would love to compare it to the antonov.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/03/634.jpg

Surely you guys can add some pics!

[Homestar]

Great show. I was there on Thursday. In two years time we should have an AULRO catch up.

I was there every day - and still there but today will see us fully bumped out, so a bit of a relief I must say.

I had an open offer to catch up with people and a few took that up, and a lucky 1 or 2 got a behind the scenes look at where I work from and the BBQ Is generally always on. :)

Will catch up next time. :)

[Hugh Jars]

My old Engines and Systems teacher once told me "the Super Constellation was the best 3-engined aeroplane ever built". :)

[JDNSW]

My old Engines and Systems teacher once told me "the Super Constellation was the best 3-engined aeroplane ever built". :)

Yes - some of the predecessors with earlier versions of the engine were not as good. If I remember rightly the B29 was the first of these - and some of them apparently demonstrated their capability as twins.

[cripesamighty]

Update on the JSF and storms. Apparently they have (after more than 10yrs) found a way to sort out the JSF's slight technical glitch with self detonation in electrical storms and all F-35's coming off the line have been suitably modified with the fix. They now just need to retrofit all previous aircraft with the gear - including our aircraft. Good news at least.