The official Avalon Airshow Thread
Would I get in with just a ARN? Got pre approval via the website and they will get $55 out of me.
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Nice pix Mick,
missed the arrival but everyone was talking about it
What does always impress me about every Airshow (apart from the toys) is the massive number of volunteers that make the thing happen.
One of the Ground Ops blokes yesterday was standing on the edge of the taxiway in the cold, wind etc. He volunteers for it every show. He said there are literally hundreds of people who give up their time just to be part of the event.
I appreciated the asistance received yesterday so to all the Airshow volunteers:
" well done and thanks for the effort (& I hope the Wx is kind over the weekend)"
AT
missed the arrival but everyone was talking about it
What does always impress me about every Airshow (apart from the toys) is the massive number of volunteers that make the thing happen.
One of the Ground Ops blokes yesterday was standing on the edge of the taxiway in the cold, wind etc. He volunteers for it every show. He said there are literally hundreds of people who give up their time just to be part of the event.
I appreciated the asistance received yesterday so to all the Airshow volunteers:
" well done and thanks for the effort (& I hope the Wx is kind over the weekend)"
AT
You gotta see the Italian Spartan demo.
A half size herc doing a fully aerobatic routine. Fantastic!
A half size herc doing a fully aerobatic routine. Fantastic!
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You gotta see the Italian Spartan demo.
A half size herc doing a fully aerobatic routine. Fantastic!
A half size herc doing a fully aerobatic routine. Fantastic!
Yeah the spartan will be one of the highlights for me.
But it isn't. The capability gap just keeps growing and growing into a yawning gulf.
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OMG when I saw that Spartan for the first time it was from a distance and I said "holly s*hite" that thing's gonna do a loop and crash.... (thinking it was a Herc at the time) It started the loop, got steeper and steeper and I thought it was all over!
When I was there in 2007 I looked up and saw a Spartan flying along inverted (they were halfway through an aileron roll). I nearly choked on my chips. Sadly I didn't get my camera up in time.
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I just got home from Friday Night Alight and what a thrill it is to have that B-1 Lancer hurt my ears - worth every bit of it.
The thunder right through my body was immense, I absolutely loved it!
Kent Pietsch performing his routine to Enya's "Sail away" - who the hell chose that song? I heard it whilst chatting to a lovely lady from the Alaskan crew of the C-17, well, at least I think it was a C-17 (will check that later) and she's a sight!
I have some 170 pics and about 20 videos, it would have been more if it wasn't for my battery going flat. And I do suggest to those going, if you have or can borrow a camera with telescopic lense - DO IT!!!
I could go on and on but I won't ruin it for the hordes who are going this weekend. At least you won't freeze like we all did tonight!
The thunder right through my body was immense, I absolutely loved it!
Kent Pietsch performing his routine to Enya's "Sail away" - who the hell chose that song? I heard it whilst chatting to a lovely lady from the Alaskan crew of the C-17, well, at least I think it was a C-17 (will check that later) and she's a sight!
I have some 170 pics and about 20 videos, it would have been more if it wasn't for my battery going flat. And I do suggest to those going, if you have or can borrow a camera with telescopic lense - DO IT!!!
I could go on and on but I won't ruin it for the hordes who are going this weekend. At least you won't freeze like we all did tonight!
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Just a quick report from today.
Parachute jump was cancelled as they would have had to exit over the crowd due to wind. Connie went U/S, B1 went U/S, C17 took off and went to NZ so no display. A Cessna got bogged at YAVE and BRT went to assist. B52 blokes cracking B1 jokes all day, "at lestt we can fly and blow stuff up, they can only blow emselves up".
The orgasnisers gave us a 45 minute rest at lunchtime, we got a lot of rest breaks.
Spartan was good, Jelly Belly was fun, no B52 flyover and all the acts were well to the west of the runway, never seen em so far away. Squirrels did their usual thing, Sea King did a bit of a show but that was it for the choppers. MH60 from USS Shoup didnt fly, there was more that didnt fly than did If you know what I mean.
Hoping for a better day tomorrow.
Parachute jump was cancelled as they would have had to exit over the crowd due to wind. Connie went U/S, B1 went U/S, C17 took off and went to NZ so no display. A Cessna got bogged at YAVE and BRT went to assist. B52 blokes cracking B1 jokes all day, "at lestt we can fly and blow stuff up, they can only blow emselves up".
The orgasnisers gave us a 45 minute rest at lunchtime, we got a lot of rest breaks.
Spartan was good, Jelly Belly was fun, no B52 flyover and all the acts were well to the west of the runway, never seen em so far away. Squirrels did their usual thing, Sea King did a bit of a show but that was it for the choppers. MH60 from USS Shoup didnt fly, there was more that didnt fly than did If you know what I mean.
Hoping for a better day tomorrow.
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Organisation of traffic on exit was the most incompetent display of traffic management I have ever witnessed, took more than an hour to move out of the carpark while they still had three lanes open to incoming traffic at 3.30pm
I have attended massive motor racing events in Aus without 1/4 of the drama these clowns caused .... shame to the traffic management involved.
note to self: Never X 30 times take a car to Avalon.
I have attended massive motor racing events in Aus without 1/4 of the drama these clowns caused .... shame to the traffic management involved.note to self: Never X 30 times take a car to Avalon.
Organisation of traffic on exit was the most incompetent display of traffic management I have ever witnessed....
A few pics from today:
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Disappointed
When did the B1 fly yesterday (Saturday)? 
I didn't see it. Unless it was extremely late in the day after the flying display was scheduled to finished.
The weather was absolutely perfect yesterday so it's a shame things got cancelled and the schedule seemed out of whack. On the positive side I got to have a good chat to a Wedgetail pilot and the Rhino display pilot.
I've got to say that I was overall disappointed with this years show. It was nice to see the Sabre though.
Hopefully for everyone going today things should run a bit smoother.
I didn't see it. Unless it was extremely late in the day after the flying display was scheduled to finished.
The weather was absolutely perfect yesterday so it's a shame things got cancelled and the schedule seemed out of whack. On the positive side I got to have a good chat to a Wedgetail pilot and the Rhino display pilot.
I've got to say that I was overall disappointed with this years show. It was nice to see the Sabre though.
Hopefully for everyone going today things should run a bit smoother.
Yeah the show did seem a bit jaded this time around - perhaps a bit repetitive in its format. I was really looking forward to seeing the Constellation fly again but it wasn't to be. The Sabre was good though. Full credit to the USAF for bringing aircraft in from all around the world including Texas, Alaska and Okinawa, etc. Had a good chat with Raptor pilot Lt Col Chris Niemi who has featured in various newspaper, TV and radio reports during the week. All of the other American crew members we spoke with were cheerful and happy to answer questions from all and sundry, no matter how silly some of the questions were. Huge queues for food and toilets, overflowing bins, no seating/shade around food areas, and the car parking fiascos took the shine off.
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The announcers were terrible this year and did not seam to have a clue what they were talking about most of the time. No research done and many factual errors such as:
Australia has bought 14 Super Hornets,
The Mirage can reach three times the speed of sound
etc
etc
Line of the day from one of the USAF F22 pilots:
Small boy: Is that Starscream?
Pilot: This one right here? No. But that one just over there is but don't tell any one!
Australia has bought 14 Super Hornets,
The Mirage can reach three times the speed of sound
etc
etc
Line of the day from one of the USAF F22 pilots:
Small boy: Is that Starscream?
Pilot: This one right here? No. But that one just over there is but don't tell any one!