Avalon Airshow 3-5 March 2017
 

The Avalon Airshow is back this year.

I'm a spotter rather than a professional pilot but it's always a fantastic day and conducted in great spirit. Full of nostalgia but also plenty of power when the fighters come out to play.

Anyone going this year?

Aircraft display program should be out in a few weeks.

I'm going to the Friday night for the first time. I've heard it's amazing. Only seen the Sat/Sun display previously.

https://www.airshow.com.au/

What are your favourites to see?

I hope you have a great time "L". As for me I feel the event has been going downhill in so many aspects since the last Russian involvement sometime last century.The entry fee is exorbitant ,and the Facilities and programs are lacklustre by world class Airshow Standards.and this time there won't even be a Dump and Burn to stir the juices.
If it rains..I hope you enjoy the mud in the car parks and on the entry roads...if not. Eat the dust !

L-Plater
Still a good airshow and the dust is not so bad.
Enjoy it, and keep up your enthusiasm for aviation.
I will definitely be going.
Never been to the night show, but heard good comments about it.

Thanks for the replies. I've been each event since 1998. Except when I was in the UK and was lucky enough to be at Farnborough in 2006.

I wanted to be a pilot as a kid but unfortunately I wouldn't pass a commercial medical due to hearing. Aviation is a massive passion for me nonetheless and I've enjoyed a few lessons in a Cessna 172 and had a ride in a sports plane too!

For the most part I love aviation vicariously through travel and air shows :)

Although Avalon has some large aircraft, it can really drag at times and it has had some woefully poor commentators in the past. If you can, get aross to NZ any Easter and see Wanaka or Omaka. NZ is close and cheap if you plan well. Don't ever take an organised tour.

I've heard the F35 will be demo-ing there & the F22.

Yup. Really only interested in seeing one machine....

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/...pslszpjm24.jpg

....and if they leave the display pilot at home like they did last time (supposedly), don't think I'll bother.

F35 to be Star Attraction
 

Once again I will attend.
I have a gold pass for the Friday as you can get into the expo at 9:00AM and it's easier sitting down for the night show.
I will have general admission on Saturday.
The air shows were excellent back in the day when the Russians attended in force.
Pretty lame now.

The volunteers do a great job, have you thought about volunteering L Plater. I did it for a number of years.

Noticed the new machine is making an appearance, it will be nice if the display pilot turns up as well.
Regards RW

http://http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-07/joint-strike-fighter-f35-to-visit-australia-avalon-air-show/8248194

I get to volunteer at my work to work there and get paid as per normal. The best of both worlds. Paid to go to an air show :-)

I want to see it do this:

"I wouldn't pass a commercial medical due to hearing"

My hearing has never been the same since I experienced the B1 taking off there a few times back. Sad that it's only on static display as for me it would be worth the admission just to watch it do touch and go's!

Enjoy the night show, on a clear night it is magnificent so here's hoping.

Love the enthusiasm L

I've been to most, especially the early ones. I agree that the Russians were a highlight.

My tip. Take your aviation scanner along with all the frequencies programmed in.
You'll hear plenty of stuff of stuff that the commentators don't mention and you will know what is coming up next.
eg. One of the Roulettes taking a bird strike and leaving the formation with another so that they could assess the damage.
F/A-18 terminating his display early due to "a problem"
B1 departing for Darwin/Guam/wherever and talking to Melbourne. They requested permission to depart via the Twelve Apostles so they could take a look.
I would love to have been on the cliffs that day.

Enjoy the airshow!
Cheers

Can't wait! My hearing is hereditary. I wear ear plugs when the big toys are out!

Perhaps next time I can volunteer.

Always a heap of fun.
I even enjoy the commentary too!

Anyone have any rough ideas on the flying program? I see it's meant to be released early Feb, the night flying would be interesting. Do they usually run similar displays across the three days?
Thanks

Flying Programme
 

In past years the displays are similar but not identical. There are some displays that are for the night show only.
On one particular memorable year we lucked in with a clear starry sky and a glider was doing aerobatics with a stream of sparks coming from pyrotechnics on its wingtips. That was something very special!

The Preliminary Program is up;
https://www.airshow.com.au/airshow2017/PUBLIC/program/index.asp

Saturday and Sunday look to have more action. The night display sounds exciting, but just seems to be a few parachutes, a glider and a flare drop from a Herc. Is it really worth the effort to make Friday night over either of the other days? I'm guessing Sunday is usually the busiest in terms of crowd numbers?

Cheers

I'm going for a week as a volunteer tarmac marshall, this will be my 8th airshow. It's a great flying fix and being on the tarmac you get meet the overseas pilots and see lots of extra stuff. One year I got into the cockpit of a B1B. Take an airband radio, it adds another dimension to the experience.

The best part of Friday night is seeing and hearing Connie take off at night. You will get more bang for your display buck in the daytime, the Saturday Sunday daytime crowds can be overwhelming. Sunday is usually busier than Saturday but the weather can change that. If you can get a trade pass for a trade day, do so. Looking forward to the F22 display.

+1 for the Connie.
Seeing the radial exhaust stacks glowing red against the night sky is the major bonus for me.
Nothing about the F35 on any of the program days.
Looks like the display pilot is awol. So much for the star attraction.
Regards RW

I'm looking forward to it!! I'm planning on flying in on the Thursday - and hopefully get back with the kids on Sunday.
I haven't been into AV East before - I hear it can be a little bit of fun!

Glasgow - Avalon East can be a bit hectic at times but if you follow the published procedures and stay alert its generally not too bad.


Its a bit of a cow paddock, so can be subject to closure if it gets too much rain on it, so have a plan B just in case.


Oh, and make sure all your paperwork is in order. Its ramp check central there..! (Well it has been every other year). License & Medical, MR, W&B done, Fuel Calcs, Nav stuff etc etc just in case you're one of the 'lucky ones'!


I'm looking forward to it, even though there doesn't seem to be much different from last time (or the time before that!). Never get sick of seeing the military jets do their stuff http://cdn.pprune.org/images/smilies/thumbs.gif

Yeah, similar to Oshkosh I hear :rolleyes: What do they run into Avalon? Class C parading as Class D?

The guys and girls at Tarmac Pink (Avalon East) will look after you.

Also with the ramp checks they will be looking at iPad & go pro mounts.
Regards RW

Nothing better to do than hassle people over crap......:D

Seems to be class D procedures.
SUP 03/17 (vfr) at http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/...up/s17-h03.pdf

SUP H01/17, H02/17 and H03/17 at Aeronautical Information Package (AIP) | Airservices

Hey Porter, did you fly into Oshkosh when you went..? I've seen some youtube footage of guys flying in and out of there. Holy crap, now THAT looks hectic!! http://cdn.pprune.org/images/smilies/eek.gif

going on thursday, but have zero expectations of seeing anything useful or of benefit to GA or RA. probably just war toys for military onanists. i should be gone by 2 pm.

I don't know why you are bothering to go Sunfish, you did nothing but complain bitterly about it on here two years ago when you went last time !!

I know Squawk, but at heart I am still an optimist. Maybe there will be something to see/buy/inform this time.

If I assume all we get is white corporate jets, spotters, RC models, ageing military reenactment morons in old jeeps and bored salesmen who are waiting to go home, then I guess I can only be surprised and delighted.

I think the best stand last time was the Bureau of Meteorology, Might have even bought a Garmin GTN 650 last time if the salesman had been interested enough to tell me why I should want one.

I do wish those of you so critical of the Avalon show, (Sunfish, two years and four years ago!), had the slightest idea of how many thousands of hours of work, both paid and volunteer, goes into producing this five day event and realised that budget restriction, aircraft availability - especially military and the weather all play their part in the perception of the final product and all of which are outside the control of the organisers.

Isn't it ridiculous - my flight time from PC would be about 6 minutes (assuming no hanging about), but assuming ramp check, I'd be planning a nav to the next bay!
I have to say, my appetite to fly in reduced somewhat when I heard AOPA have beers on offer from 4pm - I may swap the a/c for an Uber!!

Parabellum, I am the last person to be critical of the volunteers and I have a working knowledge of the huge amount of work, paid and unpaid, to stage such an event.

What I'm saying is that I have very few expectations as a GA ppl holder of seeing much that is of anything other than entertainment value.

Frankly there does not seem to be any aviation related event in Australia that is targeted at GA, the closest being the SAAA show at Narromine, which I hope to attend again.

I'm guessing the F35's (2 of them) won't fly as they are the first of the Australian owned units which will only have just recently arrived here.

One day the rest of what we ordered should turn up.

WAP! Git in them things and give us a flyby you knuckleheads! :}

Bloggs,

Surely they wouldn't want one of those rather expensive, single engine jets to risk failing at an air show just now? Coz there's lots of money heading towards the U.S. aerospace industry from here on.

(That's from Australia.)

No doubt the F35 engines have a marketed MTBF of a zillion hours.. Of course.

Gerry, if they never fly, they can't crash.

Funny Sunfish, the fact that our boys will fly them 15 hours over the Pacific and then back again single Engine must say something......

Keep it real please.

In fairness, they were never going to be flying at this one, it was always just a static display. Still, if you're going to bring them over, why not give them a bit of a run for the public..?


- Still 'ironing out' the bugs..?!
- No display routine developed yet..?
- No display pilot available..?
- Not approved by CASA for airshow displays yet..?
- Fear of getting shown up by the FA18, the F22 or even the F16..?! http://cdn.pprune.org/images/smilies/evil.gif

IFEZ, I flew into Oshkosh a couple of times last year. I flew in there on the Sunday prior to the show (the busiest day). A plain language document explaining how to get in there was probably the best document I've seen for this type of thing. Flew in from Portage Municipal.

The ATC's there are superb. Without peer. I doubt you'll go anywhere where more courtesy is shown amongst the pilots, there wasn't anyone cutting off other pilots or pushing in. And there was absolutely no talk required from pilots.

I flew in and out of there (start and finish) and once during the show. No ramp checks, no ramp nazis. Just friendly competent people helping you out.

Sunfish - Yes, been to the Narromine show, 2012 or 2013, can't remember now but I thought that an organisation in Queensland ran a big show, aimed at GA? Sorry, can't for the life of me remember the name of the organisers, just that it is a fairly big show.

ACMS,
For a long time, I have been known to criticise Avalon for overpromising and then under delivering.
So is it your claim that RAAF pilots will fly two of our F-35s from USA to Avalon and back to USA, true?
IFEZ,
I'm with you on this. If the F35's travel all that distance, then why not a quick circuit or two?
I reckon that the RAAF is being sold a very expensive dud with this aircraft.