Australian International Airshow in Lara, Victoria | Landmark & historical place
Australian International Airshow
Locality: Lara, Victoria
Phone: +61 3 5282 0500
Address: Avalon Airport, Victoria 3212 Lara, VIC, Australia
Website: http://www.airshow.com.au/
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25.01.2022 Throwback Thursday // We are going back to 2011 when it was anniversary galore! We celebrated the Royal Australian Air Forces 90th birthday, the 75th anniversary of the Supermarine Spitfires first flight (which occurred on 5 March, the Saturday of the show), and the fact that 2011 was the 10th presentation of the Airshow itself! Did you attend this momentous event?
24.01.2022 ON THIS DAY // In 1946, The National Air and Space Museum was born! Originally called the National Air Museum, it was created by an act of Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman on August 12, 1946. The museums name was officially changed to its current title in 1966. The museum didnt open to the public until July 1, 1976. The National Air and Space Museum is located in Washington DC, USA, and is part of the Smithsonian Institute. It is by far the most pop...Continue reading
24.01.2022 FRIDAY FUN // We have come a long way in 90 years!
24.01.2022 THROWBACK THURSDAY // All the way to the AIRSHOW where Armys new Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopter was on public display for the first time 2005! ON TOP of that the Royal Australian Air Force's first Boeing Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft made an appearance although it was still more than five years away from entering active service, it was another major highlight for Airshow fans!! Did you get an opportunity to see either the or or both??
24.01.2022 ON THIS DAY // In 1964, the first Beechcraft King Air production aircraft rolled off the assembly line and was introduced in to service! The King Air was developed by Beechcraft in the 1960s, achieving its first flight in May of 1963. In July 1963, Beechcraft announced the new aircraft type to the world, and a month later began accepting orders for the King Air. The first King Air was introduced into service on September 9th of 1964. It was the first aircraft in its... class to enter the market and has remained in production since that date. It has also been purchased more than any other aircraft of its kind, which is a testament to its legacy. This versatile utility aircraft has become the worlds most popular twin-engine turboprop - outselling all of its turboprop competitors combined. Beechcraft King Airs are a sentimental favourite at the Airshow. Over the years we have seen King Airs from the RAAF, the RNZAF, Air Ambulance and private operators on display and in the air over Avalon. Do you remember seeing any of them? Have you ever flown in a King Air? Nigel Pittaway
24.01.2022 Yum?! It did take the entertainer 2 years to finish this meal! Here is a link to his story if you would like to read more - https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/mangetout/
24.01.2022 Today we take a moment to remember the tragic events of September 11, 2001. We remember those who died, those who served and those who carry on. We remember the bravery, the courage and the humanity. We pray for the families and remember the victims For those who, lost their lives and for those who gave their lives..... No day shall erase you from the memory of time Virgil
23.01.2022 ON THIS DAY // In 1913, French pioneering aviator became the first person to fly across the Mediterranean Sea! At 5:47 a.m., Garros departed Fréjus, Côte dAzur, France, in his Morane-Saulnier G and flew to Bizerte, Tunisia, 756 kilometers to the south-southeast, crossing the Mediterranean. He arrived at 1:40 p.m., having been airborne for 7 hours, 53 minutes. Garros airplane carried sufficient fuel for just 8 hours of flight. When he arrived in Tunisia, only 5 litres of fue...l remained. Talk about cutting it fine! The Aéroplanes Morane-Saulnier Type G was a two-place, single-engine monoplane, which had first flown in 1912. The airplane used wing-warping for roll control. Its landing gear consisted of two wheels and a tail skid. The wooden framework was covered in fabric. The airplane had a wingspan of 9.296 meters with swept wingtips. The pilots instrument panel had a revolution indicator (tachometer), a barograph, and a compass. The Morane-Saulnier G had a maximum speed of 122 kilometers per hour. During his historic flight, Garros airplane maintained an average speed of 96 kilometers per hour. Born in Saint-Denis de la Réunion on 6th October 1888, Garros owned a car dealership in Paris before his life took a new direction in August 1909 when he went to his first airshow and fell completely in love with aircraft! Since Garros never did anything by halves, he immediately bought a plane and taught himself how to fly before obtaining his pilots licence. On 6th September 1911, Garros broke his first altitude record, reaching 3,910 metres after taking off from Houlgate beach. He took part in a series of air show and races, astonishing spectators with his bravery and inventiveness. He quickly became a celebrity, with hundreds of thousands of people in both Europe and South America flocking to watch him in action. When World War I broke out, Garros signed up to fight. At the time, planes were equipped with very little weaponry, if any at all. Garros inventing and trailblazing skills kicked in and he developed the first single-seater fighter plane equipped with a revolutionary on-board machine gun that fired through the propeller. On 18 April 1915, Garros was captured by the Germans and spent three years in a POW camp, before making a daring escape along with fellow aviator Lieutenant Anselme Marchal. On his return to Paris, Garros rejoined the French Army and continued to fight until he was shot down and killed near Vouziers, Ardennes, a month before the end of the War and just one day shy of his 30th birthday. The famous Roland Garros Stadium in Paris, home of the French Open, and the tournament itself - Les Internationaux de France de Roland-Garros - is named in his honour.
21.01.2022 Throwback to Airshow 2013! who was there? What do you remember? The theme was 'Power of Flight' which was perfectly illustrated by the major attraction, the USAF’s Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor fighter, which stunned the crowd with its ‘impossible’ gravity defying manoeuvres! With US budget woes, Avalon’s patrons were the only public to see the Raptor or any other US military aircraft at an airshow in 2013!! RAAF brought their A-Game with an excellent four-ship Super Hornet display, Hawk, C-17, Orion plus many more!
21.01.2022 TBT // Three years ago, perfect weather + amazing line up + fun ground displays = BIGGEST Airshow in History...that is until AIRSHOW 2021!
20.01.2022 Can you guess what year this was? The Royal Australian Air Force's Hawk made its first appearance at Avalon! + the BRAND NEW NH90 helicopter which had recently been commissioned for Australian service! ... To add to the excitement around its appearance, the NH90 arrived inside an airbus Beluga Super Transporter, attracting considerable attention! For British jet warbirds enthusiasts, a Canberra, a Meteor and a Hawker Hunter swooping through the air were a great sight.
19.01.2022 Just something to brighten up your Thursday, throwing back to 1999 - the show marked the start of something amazing, our Friday evening Night Alight Show! Check out some photos from our 1999 show and onwards - how's that Wall of Fire?!
18.01.2022 Enjoy your week Airshow fans!
17.01.2022 ON THIS DAY / In 1925, young aviator Farnam Parker of Anderson, Indiana USA, became the worlds youngest pilot to fly solo. He was aged 13 years, 7 months and 17 days, and it was to be a record that would stand until February 24, 1983! Farnam was born on January 9, 1912, in St Paul, Minnesota USA. He was the son of Fred Parker, a pilot himself, aviation inventor and designer and one of Orville Wrights first pupils. Fred Parker established and operated the Anderson Aircraft M...Continue reading
17.01.2022 Perfect motivation for your Monday morning!
16.01.2022 The possibilities are endless!
16.01.2022 PART 3/6 - The Third Generation of the Royal Australian Air Force produced aircraft with increased manoeuvrability and ground attack capabilities, combined with the introduction of guided missiles. This generation saw aerial engagements move beyond the visual range, with multi-role fighters supported by Doppler radar making it no longer necessary for pilots to visually acquire a target. Examples include the F4 Phantom, an aircraft introduced to the RAAF fleet as a stop-gap asset in 1970 until (one of our favourites!) the F-111 aircraft were delivered in 1973 and then of course the latter type which remained in service until 2010. Follow us for PART 4 next week!
16.01.2022 FRIDAY FUN // What a fact!
16.01.2022 One Year to our BIGGEST and BEST Airshow! 365 days to go...
14.01.2022 FRIDAY FUN // How many times have you flown on a 747?
14.01.2022 Did you fly on this day?
14.01.2022 Happy Monday Airshow Fans!
14.01.2022 Happy Friday Airshow Fans! We want to take you on a journey about the Five Generations of the Royal Australian Air Force! This is PART 1/6 and today we are touching base on the First Generation! The first generation generally refers to subsonic fighter jets, first introduced in late World War II and spans the period from the mid 1940s to the mid 1950s. Although they were jet fighters that had relatively basic onboard systems, which means no radars or other protectiv...e systems a given these days! Pictured is an example of First Generation aircraft flown by the Royal Australian Air Force do you know the names? Stay tuned for PART 2 / 6 next Friday!
12.01.2022 We this one! Can you relate?
12.01.2022 ON THIS DAY // In 1871, Orville Wright was born. Orville and his older brother Wilbur, were American aviation pioneers who are credited with inventing, building and flying the worlds first successful motor-operated aeroplane. The brothers successfully conducted the first free, controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft. This historic flight was made with their aircraft, named the Wright Flyer, on December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawke, North Carolina. Or...Continue reading
11.01.2022 ON THIS DAY // In 1947, today was the formation of the United States Air Force! With the implementation of the National Security Act of 1947, the US Air Force became a separate military service. Prior to 1947, the US Army had the main responsibility for military aviation, with the US Navy and Marine Corps responsible for sea-based operations. The fledgling US Air Force quickly established its own identity. With a new insignia to go with its new status, Army Air Fields were re...named Air Force Bases and Air Force personnel we issued a new uniform unique to the newly formed Air Force. The brown shoe days of the army were over! Since then, the US Airforce has grown in to one of the worlds most formidable air forces. The US Air Force has its Headquarters at The Pentagon, in Arlington County, Virginia, U.S. It currently has around 321,000 active duty air men and women, almost 70,000 reserve air man and women, 105,700 air national guard service personnel and employs almost 142,000 civilians. It operates a squadron of over 5,000 manned aircraft. The US Air Force has been a great supporter of the Australian International Airshow, bringing many of the crowds favourite aircraft down under for both static and breathtaking aerial display. Do you remember seeing some of these legends of the sky strut their stuff at the Airshow?
11.01.2022 We are up to PART 4/6 and coincidentally up to the Fourth Generation of the Royal Australian Air Force! The fourth generation was approximately between 1970 and the mid-1990s and a lot had been learnt from the previous generations of combat aircraft. The fighter jets were characterised by their multi-role configurations, meaning they could switch roles between air-to-air and air-to ground combat unlike previous generations which were role-dedicated aircraft. Examples includes a Airshow favouritesthe F/A-18A/B Hornet!
10.01.2022 "...at the going down of the sun and in the morning..."
10.01.2022 FRIDAY FUN // This way the luggage can be loaded from the other side! Anyone else missing travelling?
10.01.2022 Starting our 1 year countdown to our BIGGEST and BEST Airshow with a bang! WATCH THIS SPACE!!
09.01.2022 Let's throw it back to our 'Heroes Of The Sky' show in 2015! The airshow paid tribute to ANZAC and the pioneers of military aviation, who began fighting in the air for the first time a century ago in World War 1! A brilliant 80-minutes ADF Showcase display featured mock attacks and ground support operations involving everything from Super Hornets to the KC-30A, C-17 and Army helicopters. What did you get to see?
09.01.2022 TBT // Were throwing it all the way back to Airshow 2007! The show was jam packed: Celebrating the US Air Force's 60th Anniversary and in true form, the USAF contributed F-15, F-16 and C-17 (& a B-52 flypast)! Royal Australian Air Force debuting their first C17 as a static display + bringing all our favourites along Celebrated Charles E Chuck Yeager's 60th Anniversary of becoming the first man to officially pilot an aircraft past the speed of sound in his Be...ll X-1! PLUS thrilling aerobatics, warbirds and other vintage aircrafts! What did you see at our 2007 Airshow?
08.01.2022 ON THIS DAY // NASA is born in 1958! This was the day on which US President Dwight Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act in to law, creating the new federal agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Three weeks later, on August 19, T. Keith Glennan the President of Case Institute of Technology since 1947 and a former member of the Atomic Energy Commission was sworn in at The White House as NASAs first Administrator, with Hugh L.... Dryden as his Deputy Administrator. Later that year on October 1, NASA was formally opened for business! NASA has its origin in the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, an agency created in 1915 to further the efforts of aeronautic research and technological development in the United States. But, as America entered the space age following WWII, it became clear that the country needed a new organization for a new era. The driving force of the creation of NASA was the launch of the Russian satellite, Sputnik, on October 4, 1957. In the midst of the Cold War, the US a country that aspired to global pre-eminence could not let that challenge pass! Although the United States already had its own satellite plans in place as part of the International Geophysical Year, the Russian satellite launch spurred the dawn of the Space Age, and in particular gave urgency to the creation of an American national space agency. The National Aeronautics and Space Act, which President Eisenhower signed, carries this simple preamble: To provide for research into problems of flight within and outside the earths atmosphere, and for other purposes. NASAs stated goal is to enable the United States to lead the exploration of space for peaceful purposes to benefit humanity. While NASA has done, and continues to do, research that carries military implications, its stated purpose is that of a peaceful, non-military organization. The Act goes on to say that, The Congress hereby declares that it is the policy of the United States that activities in space should be devoted to peaceful purposes for the benefit of all mankind. It may truly be said that NASA has achieved the goals laid out in the National Aeronautics and Space Act, often in spectacular, history making events! The Space Act has been amended many times since 1958, but these goals have been little changed. In addition to NASAs high profile space programs such as Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, the Space Shuttle, and the International Space Station, the organisation continues to fund research into all aspects of space exploration, space travel, aviation, and related sciences. NASAs latest large project, the Space Launch System and the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, will see astronauts return to the Moon, create a permanent lunar station, and one day journey to Mars!
07.01.2022 An inspiring thought for a Monday!
06.01.2022 We love this quote!
06.01.2022 FRIDAY FUN // Did you know this one? If you know any fun aviation facts, send them our way!
04.01.2022 FRIDAY FUN // Pretty remarkable how far aircraft has developed over the years!
04.01.2022 Welcome to PART 2/6 of the Five Generations of Royal Australian Air Force! The era of the Second Generation of jet fighters welcomed advances in technology that allowed air-to-air radar, infrared and semi-active guided missiles. From mid 1950s to early 1960s, the afterburning turbojet engines entered production and advances in engine and aerodynamic design allowed aircraft to reach and maintain supersonic speeds in level flight for the first time! Enjoy a few photos of the Mirage one of the Royal Australian Air Force second generation aircraft. PART 3 will be up next Friday!
03.01.2022 ON THIS DAY // In 1998 the Boeing 717 made its first flight! The 717 was designed and originally marketed by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95, a derivative of the DC-9 family. The Boeing 717 is a twin engine, single-aisle jet, powered by two Rolls-Royce BR715 turbofan engines and capable of seating up to 134 passengers. The first order for the aircraft was placed in October 1995 by ValuJet Airlines; and McDonnell Douglas and Boeing merged in 1997 prior to first production. The ...aircraft entered service in 1999 as the Boeing 717. Australias Jetstar airline launched with a foundation fleet of nine Boeing 717-200s. Back in the early 2000s, Qantas then CEO, Geoff Dixon, bought Impulse Airlines and its fleet of Boeing 717-200s. But by October 2007, the last 717 had exited the Jetstar fleet as the airline replaced it with the A320. The 717s went to National Jet Systems in Adelaide (now known as Cobham Aviation) which flys the 717-200s for Qantas under the Qantas Link brand. Production of the Boeing 717 ceased in May 2006 after 156 were built. Twelve of the fifteen original Jetstar 717-200s still fly for the Qantas Group and there are nearly 150 still in service world-wide. What a workhorse this aircraft has turned out to be! Do you remember seeing the Jetstar 717s taking off and landing out of Avalon Airport during the Airshows of the early 2000s?
02.01.2022 ON THIS DAY // In 1932, The Beechcraft Model 17 took to the skies for the very first time. It was at the height of the Great Depression that aircraft executive Walter H. Beech and aircraft designer Ted A. Wells joined forces to collaborate on a project to produce a large, powerful and fast, cabin biplane that would be targeted specifically for the business executive. The result of their work was the Beechcraft Model 17. Known popularly as the Staggerwing, the Model 17 had ...a unique negative stagger wing configuration where the upper wing was staggered behind the lower wing. This unique shape maximised pilot visibility and was hoped to reduce interference drag between the wings although this was later found to have negligible effect. The Staggerwing fuselage was a welded, steel tube frame with fabric cover. It had retractable landing gear, which was uncommon at that time. Combined with streamlining, light weight, and a powerful engine, it performed well. The luxurious cabin, trimmed in leather and mohair, held up to five passengers. However, construction of the aircraft was complex and took many hours to complete with each Staggerwing being custom built by hand. Eventually, the Staggerwing captured a substantial share of the passenger aircraft market. The aircraft’s speed made it popular with 1930’sa air racers. By the start of World War II, Beechcraft had sold more than 424 Model 17s. In its heyday, the Staggerwing was most commonly used as an executive aircraft, much the same as the private jet is now. The Model 17 has become a sentimental favourite and has often been voted and named in lists of all-time favourite aircraft with one magazine poll saying it’s members said it was the perfect balance between muscular strength and delicate grace. The Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing has become a vintage art deco classic and went on to be regarded as one of the most graceful aircraft to come out of the Golden Age of Flight.
01.01.2022 ON THIS DAY // In 1954, the first production B-52A Stratofortress took to the air for the very first time, taking off from Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington. This historic event introduced a type into service that would become the longest serving combat aircraft in the world! The first Boeing B-52A Stratofortress, B-52A-1-BO 52-001, was used as a service test aircraft along with sister ships 52-002 and 52-003. After years of service, the first off the production line 52-0...01 was scrapped at Tinker Air Force Base in 1961. The B-52A differed from the XB-52 and YB-52 in that its cockpit was arranged for side-by-side seating, rather than the B-47-type tandem arrangement of the prototypes. It also had an inflight refueling system, allowing it to receive fuel from an airborne KC-97 tanker. The eight-engine, 176,901kg jet was Americas first long-range, swept-wing heavy bomber but it had a rocky start to life! The original XB-52 design, selected by the Army Air Forces in 1946, was for a straight-wing, six-engine, propeller-powered heavy bomber. On October 21 in 1948, Boeings Chief Engineer, Ed Wells, and his design team were in Dayton, Ohio, when the Air Forces chief of bomber development told them to scrap the propellers and come up with an all-jet bomber. So, it was back to the drawing board! Over the following weekend, holed up in a Dayton hotel room, the Boeing team designed a new eight-engine jet bomber, still called the B-52, wrote a 33-page report and even made a scale model out of balsa wood! The results of that weekend work-tank impressed the US Air Forces Air Material Command, and the design was approved! In 1951, as the war in Korea escalated, the Air Force designated the B-52 as the countrys next intercontinental bomber and approved an initial production order of 13 aircraft. The first of these, 52-001, made its maiden flight on this fateful day, August 5th, 1954. Over the next few years, the B-52 chalked up several distance and speed records. It cut the round the world speed record in half, and in January 1962, flew 20,117km nonstop from Japan to Spain without refuelling. This flight alone broke no fewer than 11 distance and speed records! B-52s have been modified for low-level flight, conventional bombing, extended-range flights and transport of updated defensive and offensive equipment and armaments including ballistic and cruise missiles that can be launched hundreds of miles from their targets. The B-52s saw plenty of active duty including the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf war in 1991 and Afghanistan in 2001. Around 50 B-52s are still inactive service today! FUN FACT: Did you know the B-52 has a nick-name? This much-loved aircraft was given the friendly nick-name BUFF short for Big Ugly Fat Fella.
