I went today. Superb organisation and management. Superb volunteers. The aircraft? As far as I can tell, the usual like the last one. Flying display? Well, it’s a trade day, but to my mind, and I could be wrong, the F35 didn’t seem as agile as an F18, but I stand to be corrected.
The pavilions? Full of stuff foreigners want to sell the ADF, mostly for killing more brown people. I noted what I think was the first “suicide drone” (Polish manufacture I think) that was on display. The people were mostly RAAF glad to get a day off who were happily busy talking to their ex RAAF mates who were now salesmen. Friendliest stand as usual was the Bureau of Meteorology.
Virtually SFA for GA apart from Cirrus, Diamond and business jets and high end helicopters. RAA and SAAA in attendance but not much going on. The same homebuilts and shiny LSAs as 2017. Perhaps it was the heat. There was a Rotax 915 on display at the Sling stand.
I was not disappointed that the ridiculous historic military re-enactment types still appear to be in attendance.
As for the heat, with cold bottled water at $4.00 each and no obvious free hydration stations that I could see, the ambulance service is going to have its hands full this weekend with heatstroke cases. The Kransky and sauerkraut ($10.00) was good.
As previously stated, I care not for the spotterish subtleties of C130 H vs. C17 tyre caps or whatever so having experienced the aviation equivalent of the groundhog day movie yet again I left after two hours - $67 +$4 +$10 poorer.
The general public will no doubt be thrilled on the weekend.