Aviex 2002 - Worst Airshow Ever.

[Ozgrade3]

Well, I have just wasted an afternoon by flying down to Aviex today with one of my students. Please don't take this as a swipe at the organisers or the majority of exibitors and participants who shared in my frustration, but it seems we have a new type of airshow in Australia.......................one without any flying.

Lets run through some of the players who made it the joke that it is by their action/ inaction as it may be.

CASA, well what more can we say. It really stands for Can't Actually Sustain Aviaton. Thanks for banning any flying displays of any type. Appartently they even told the Rulettes that they cant perform the Mirror formation( one flying straight and level with the other inverted 10 ft above). Who are these guys in CASA, mostly failed pilots who couldnt hack it in the real world of commercial aviation/airlines etc(or didnt get in in the 1st place).... telling the best pilots in the country what they cant do.
A big rasbery to you.

Apparently on Saturday, the skydivers decided they would try to spice things up with some jumps over the airfield. Whats CASA do, ramp checks every flight. Some guys got ramp checked 5 or 6 times in one day, including one guy who was in his 1st day of 1st work as a commercial pilot. Nice work you loosers.

The airlines, Qantas, Virgin, Qantas Link, REX et al. Where was your support, Aviex could have done with Dash 8 or a SAAB. Dont tell me there isnt enough spare capacity in the system to lose 1 aircraft for a few hrs at a time. I thought REX could have used Aviex to prove it was really supporting country people. Good PR opportunity lost.

The Military. All we got was the Roulettes, where was the F18/F111 flypast or static display. If the military wants the taxpayers to shell out more for the ongoing war on terrorism, as in a much bigger defence budget, they'd better show up more often. Crist, in the US, even for a 2bit airshow in the middle of nowhere they can usually drag out an old F16 from the airnational guard to beat up the airfield, make a lot of noise to keep the punters happy and show where their tax dollars are going. The RAAF couldnt even send a clapped out C130E.

The trade show was a disapointment, hardly any real displays. Apparently the major GA manufactures dont even bother with our pathetic airshows............ones with no flying.

There was no organisation for fly in parking, couldnt get any info before hand off the web site, had to find a spot somwhere on the airport, then had to work out how to get into the show itself, no signs or anything, only some officious ****** who yelled at us when we apparently walked in a direction that we shouldnt have.

Will I bother going to Aviex 2004............if there is one. NO BLOODY WAY!!!

[Life_of_Brian]

I drove down from Sydney on a precious Sunday off....:rolleyes:

Totally agree with your sentiments, if you read the brochure

"Australias GREATEST General Aviation exhibition and AIR PAGEANT"

"Inspect HUNDREDS of Aircraft on display"

"Be THRILLED with the spectacle of the air pageant, including the Roulettes"

"See all the facets of General Aviation on display"
-Recreational and Sport
-Agricultural
-Helicopters
-Business Jets
-Commuters
-Homebuilts
-UltraLights
-Gliders
-Models

Needless to say there was a handfull of static display (5 maybe)
Connie, a Neptune, DC3, L39, Winjeel.
I didnt even hang around to see the "extensive" flying program.
$15 per head , $5 to look in Connie, $5 for a Seinfeld "program" (the program about nothing), filthy toilets.
The only aerial display worth looking at other than roulettes was a squadron of flies (they did the mirror formation)
And what was with the over abundance of Police there?? (was someone anticipating the paying public to turn ugly with boredom?

I can go to my kids School Fete for jumping castles and stalls.

[bitter balance]

OG3, didn't go to Aviex but went to PMQ a few weeks ago. Likewise the RAAF effort was poor. A non flying Hawk (was on the program but didn't fly), a pair of Roullettes (a singleton display in the morning only) and no F111 dump and burn (on the program but no explanation).

PMQ is not too far from Willytown or Amberley, a bit of support from the RAAF would have gone a long way with the punters. Its not like the F111s have burnt up all their available airframe hours this year is it?

[eggs]

Help you chaps there is an airshow at Deni in 2 weeks, we are lined up to do joy flights, what can we except from casa, a ramp check every time we take off??
I would like to know all that went on email me if you like.


eggs:mad:

[apacau]

Lets hope Avalon doesn't get the same treatment.

[Chronic Snoozer]

'If the military wants the taxpayers to shell out more for the ongoing war on terrorism, as in a much bigger defence budget, they'd better show up more often. Crist, in the US, even for a 2bit airshow in the middle of nowhere they can usually drag out an old F16 from the airnational guard to beat up the airfield, make a lot of noise to keep the punters happy and show where their tax dollars are going. The RAAF couldnt even send a clapped out C130E'

Ozgrade, if you substituted 'Government' for Military then your statement would be more accurate. I think you'll find the boys are more than happy to indulge in a flypast/airshow but the beancounters rule the roost. (aside from Defence being tasked up the kazoo anyway) If you want to see where your tax dollars are going look in the paper and read up on Timor and Afghanistan and the Gulf and, and, and.

The Yanks have more hardware than you can poke a stick at and unlimited resources, practically, so your comparison does not bear scrutiny. As far as the Roulettes go, I think you'll find the risk analysis boffins found it was far too dangerous to have such a display over a built up area. (as they have every year.):rolleyes:

[Double Asymmetric]

OzGrade,
have to agree with Chronic Snoozer on this one. You'd be hard pressed to find any RAAF (or ADF) driver who wouldn't love to have gone down and chatted to the public at the airshow, but it is out of our hands.
You will find that the vast majority of RAAF flying squadrons are over worked at the moment and are (barely) keeping up with current commitments. Currently just about every airframe is being flogged keeping up with both internal and international tasking. Ironically, a C-130 is about the last thing you could hope for, they are one of our most stretched assets. Currently there are fast jets of both types deployed on necessary exercices, and Caribous/Hercs/Orions etc are barely ever home if they are servicable. Your point is completely taken, but it is a busy time all round.
If you feel strongly about it though, have you considered writing a letter to your MP or the editor of your local paper? It sounds trite I know, but one of the things that irks ADF aircrew more than anything is how the powers that be will listen to the one person in the community who makes the inevitable complaint about noise or our participation in some event, but don't stop to consider how the vast majority of the public (shock, horror!!!) actually want to see their taxpayer dollars in action. Unfortunately the majority of appreciative, supportive members of the public are not moved to write such letters, and in terms of getting the pollie's ear, the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Food for thought.

Regards,
DA

[Foyl]

At least the guys from the Westpac chopper make an effort to get their flingwing there between missions, and had a stand there too.

[Rich-Fine-Green]

Poor Show;

I guess one factor accounting for the lack of talent (RAAF, Airlines & Manufacturers) could have been that a lot of prospective exhibitors may have been put off by the location.

WOL is not exactly where the action is. A little difficult for trade, mums & dads, exhibitors etc.

If the show was still at BK then it would be a different story.

RAAF, Airlines & Exhibitors; i.e., the people who shell out money to participate, want a chance at a return for their $$$.

Looking at an exhibitors promo brochure for AVIEX, the cost to participate is just as expensive as BK but with the high probability of a lot less interest.

Whereas the Avalon show is now a proven event that will attract a known number of customers etc.

AVIEX somehow needs to get back to within a closer location of SY (or another city?).

[Hugh Jarse]

Oz3, regional airlines would not have sent aircraft (most likely) for any of the following reasons:

1. No spare A/C available to sit around not earning revenue. Weekends are when engineering catches up with tasks that can't be done during the week;

2. Not the market niche that appeals to the airlines. Aviex was marketed at GA and enthusiasts. Airlines will only spend money where they think they will make money. Putting a regional airliner on display will appease enthusiasts (and that's a good thing), but I'll bet London to a brick that most attendees came from the Sydney basin anyway.

3. For the reasons R_F_G wrote.

I thought REX could have used Aviex to prove it was really supporting country people. Good PR opportunity lost.

Wollongong could hardly be described as "country". It has been tried a couple of times to establish viable air services to the Gong. With KSA around an hour a way it's more feasible to travel to the "big smoke" and catch a plane.

[Luca_brasi]

I attended on the Thursday and found that the only thing of interest was the PC-12 and the EC120 on display. Wasnt even able to get a look at Connie or the DC-3 which was one of the reasons for attending. Also found that the rest of the displays were very mundane and boring though the CASA stand was fairly good. I found the CD's they had there very useful to a low time PPL student such as myself.

With regards to the RAAF, from what i gathered it was a Civil/GA airshow only with the Roulettes only there, because whats an airshow without them.

I agree that there could have been a few more flying displays as well as some more static displays. As i went on a trade day i would have thought that the startic displays would have been like a garage sale with everyone trying to flog something off.

[stratoblaster]

I went fishing!:p

[Ultralights]

is that was that was? i was a few blocks away at my girlfriends place! saw 1 aircraft flying anything unusual, and all he/she did was a couple of wingovers with a barrel roll between them! not enough to attract my attention! and i pretty much live there!

great effort! nice to see the general population told about it! thanks CASA! Can't Actually Sustain Aviaton i think thats my new motto. Casa is strangling Aviation to death in this counrty, and now not even making an effort to actually get new blood so to speak to take any interest in our dying industry.

SAD. (wonder why i gave up on casa, and was taken under the wing of the AUF. and now casa is out to destroy them too.) :(

[pullock]

Just the name AVIEX put me off.

[Buck Rogers]

Well Guys

The RAAF did put on a display with one of the Hawks on friday at Port Airshow!!!
It consisted of a touch down midway down the runway.....which of cause ended with a blow out on the left main , anyway he ended up stuck on the threshold facing 90 deg to the runway direction....................in all it was a good show.

As in Performing Aircraft that don"t attent Aviex it has to do with $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$