Maybe take a leaf out of the South African Air Force Museum's ops book. Regular museum flying days with the Vamp, C-47, Puma, Allouettes in the air last Saturday. Was great to have a cup of tea at the friendly restaurant - volunteer run and wander around the main apron and hangars.

The base is still active with a resident (and busy) helicopter and Caravan squadron despite some major defence budget cuts and ongoing attacks from property developers. The gate guards are really pleasant and it's FREE.

The trick has been to get the generals involved - at least the flying ones who love to get themselves out of the grind at HQ and their hands on some real flying machines.

Not that long ago Pt Cook had some good regular displays from the Mustang, Kityhawk and occasional visit of a Spitfire as well as the Iskra and DC-3, Harvards, Moths and anything else which was airworthy in the local area, the Catalina made at least one visit for a display. Unfortunately I've not been able to catch a recent display so am unsure as to what is being flown these days. The Roullettes also made occasional appearances and rarely an F18 would do a routine (but not land). Most of the flying displays were preceded by a Q & A session with the flying pilot at the front of the museum.

The static displays are well set up in the main hangar but the museum does need more space to expand, the second hangar needs to be walk through to be able to get up close to the machines. As was stated before the outside aircraft have been coated and are protected from the elements, without this they would corrode away in no time with the location of the field.

Have to agree some sort of kiosk or food van should be allowed to trade especially when the displays are organised.

RAAF Museum
 

If any of those posting here remember Point Cook in the early 1960's they will recall that there was not much more than a heap of junk and a Deperdussin in one hangar forming the Historic Aircraft Flight. If my memory is anywhere near correct the place was looked after by one Corporal Airframe Fitter who lived in a little house a mile or so up the Pt Cook - Laverton road. "Harry" I think was his name. Others may have a better recollection than me. I was a Sumpie there from 1960-1963 on Winjeels and there was no Coffee & Biscuits anywhere around the base when on Guard Duty punching Bundy clocks around the field in the middle of the night. Wet winter nights with the wind whistling off the Bay as one trudged around was not the best way to spend a night. I actually thought they had done a pretty good job last time I visited about eight years ago. :ok:

Tickle

Interactive flying displays at the RAAF Museum have been scheduled regularly for years. They occur every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday at 1pm. See the RAAF Museum Website for further info. Be aware that the flying displays are ceasing 17Dec 2010-17Jan 2011 over the RAAF go-slo period.RAAF Museum: Royal Australian Air Force

If you would like to find out which aircraft is being displayed on which day - ring the Museum Shop on (03) 8348 6040 during working hours and they can tell you. The flying schedule is published a the start of each month.

Also stand by for news of a great fly-in of rag-wings early 2011!

Roller Merlin. Thanks for the info. You seem right up on this. What is the true situation why the RAAF Museum does not have a coffee machine facility for visitors seeing they get a hundred or more people visiting the museum each week-end. The RAAF run cafe near the base cinema was closed down many years ago.

Its something the government doesn't believe in, its called cost benefit
Short answer Bring a thermos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will agree however it is disgraceful both federal and state governments can't see an opportunity to develop this site in to something that could support a coffee machine or cafe.
It is great credit to those people involved with the museum that it can do as much as it can with what is provided.

Many years ago there was talk of turning the control tower into a Bed & Breakfast. What a great view of the airfield and the city skyline. A good idea that never seemed to get off the ground.

Any improvements or changes at Point Cook over the past 6 years !

Yes. Big improvement and progress. You don't have to get out of your car and sign in at the guard house anymore. The man comes to your car, studies your driver's licence and waves you on. :ok:
PS. Still not allowed to take photos of the old deserted buildings. Inside the museum photos permitted. Yet you can take a joy flight and take photos from the air. All a bit over dramatic really..

"Any improvements or changes at Point Cook over the past 6 years?"

A mate of mine, who flies a rather nice BE35 sought permission for us to land at PCK during that six year period. All good, as the trip was approved. (We noted the then all new concrete apron improvements to support C-130Js.) So we parked responsibly and rang for a taxi to pick us up. (Sadly, the RAAF Museum was closed at the time.) So a taxi turned up and we put our baggage aboard. Arriving at the front gate to exit, the civilian guard questioned us as to how we were there as there was no record of us entering the place..

There was a UH-1 Huey hanging from wires in the museum that really caught my attention, it looked so sad to see this workhorse strung up as a relic. I was mightily chuffed to actually see it fly during the RAAF's Point Cook bicentenary display.

The museum is unfortunately constrained by hangar space, the reasons they can't build more is a complex one. Please visit Point Cook and you won't be disappointed - and leave a reasonable donation as they really do make it go far.

I used to enjoy the Sopwith Pup and Fokker Dr 1 displays but the wowsers of political correctness saw them relocated to Canberra at our loss.

Cattletruck,

I agree, go and visit it's pretty good.

The Fokker was relocated to the AWM because it didn't fit into the charter of the Museum, which is to collect and preserve RAAF items. As the Fokker is not a RAAF aircraft, it took up valuable space so was moved to a more appropriate museum.
The Pup still flies there regularly though.

We have a very active flying club at YMPC now too :-)

"It is all happening here at the RAAF Museum. Solar panels are being installed on two of our hangars and work has commenced on a coffee shop at the Museum."

Unnecessary complications to fly in there with the 24 hour prior notice period requirement.

They could achieve the same result by just using notams to keep their Defence patch private when needs be.

Kaz

Kaz, I would imagine some of those magnificent flying relics just don't take too kindly to being put on hold when someone buzzes in. In fact I'm sure there is a good chance some of them succumb to the laws of gravity on their own volition at the most inconvenient time.

:ok:

I totally agree with you, kaz3g. PCK sure isn't LAX!

It never was and now certainly isn't.

cattletruck, I reckon that a highly experienced GA pilot such as kaz3g would have made sure that her aircraft had sufficient fuel to seek an alternative. That's if PCK was unavailable for whatever reason. (Or simply to orbit, if the RAAF Museum aircraft had a problem.)

The 24 hour prior notice period requirement is another of those false security wanks that we once all lived very safely without.

It's the same for domestic RPT... we can't use RAAF bases as alternates due to PPR. Given that RAAF bases are the only local alternates in many ports, it seriously reduces our options for a length of tarmac that can accept an aircraft.

You'd hardly call it a RAAF "base" when the flying schools, private aircraft and clubs there have aircraft coming and going all day with no tower or permissions required to take off. It's restricted access because why...? Probably just to keep the numbers down, certainly can't be explicitly security related.

Mine is a bit of a flying relic, too! And although just an AUSTER, it saw service in Germany with the RAF.

Until just a few years ago PCK had a base commander who was always keen to have old aircraft visit. Not sure that is the case now.

Kaz