It’s showtime

Queensland Ambulance area director Peter Dennis, Queensland Fire and Rescue service’s John French, WGCDR Rod Neilson, SES local controller Arie Van Den Ende, GPCAPT John Ward, SQNLDR Gary Ayre, WGCDR Mark Bartetzko and Police Inspector Dominic McHugh discuss the event.

Photo by LAC Chris Zerner

RAAF Base Amberley begins setting up this week for the Defence Force Airshow on October 2-3, the base’s first major air show in more than 20 years.

Personnel at the base hope their efforts will not be for nought, as occurred when heavy rain washed out the 1996 show and the World Trade Centre bombing led to the cancellation of the 2001 event.

Wing Commander Rod Neilson said the base expected to attract 50,000 60,000 people each day. The cancellation of the previous two shows “have heightened the interest in south-east Queensland for the air show”, particularly as the last major air show was for the Air Force’s 60th anniversary in 1981.

To cater for the crowds, extra mobile communications towers, access passes and toilets have been ordered. Hundreds of traffi c cones and signs and thousands car parks have been organised.

WGCDR Neilson said a major consideration was highway access and car parking. “While the Cunningham and Warrego Highways both pass close to the base, the confl uence also creates traffi c problems,” he said.

“With new security requirements in place ... off-base parking will be heavily used.”

Other key tasks have included the planning of ground and air activities (including catering for more than 80 aircraft), siting of ground displays, contractual issues and publicity, including notifying neighbouring residences, farms and businesses.

Base preparations during the next 11 days will include cutting grass, removing waste and posting signs and fencing. The planning task has primarily been left to six offi cers who have had experience in air shows.

They are mostly Reservists from No. 23 (City of Brisbane) Squadron, however Amberley-based personnel and Reserve personnel from No. 24 (City of Adelaide) Squadron will help set up and pack up. WGCDR Neilson expects the clean-up to take about three days.

CATERING

RAAF Base Amberley has arranged for:

• 23,000 car parks mainly off-base
• nine toilet blocks
• 800 traffic cones
• 900 signs
• 300 detour bollards
• 3km of temporary fencing
• about 50 ADF aircraft and 30 general aviation aircraft and Warbirds, including ex-RAAF vintage aircraft.

DEFENCE FORCE AIR SHOW ACTIVITIES

MORNING PROGRAM

Displays, bands, rides, exhibitions and demonstrations.

AFTERNOON PROGRAM

Flying from noon to 3.30pm.

DEMONSTRATIONS

F-111 undergoing under-carriage retractions

F-111 undergoing engine change

F-111 receiving full bomb up-load

Military dog display

RAAF fire truck

Air Force cadets silent march

Large-scale model aircraft

GROUND DISPLAYS

Tactical display of Caribou undergoing field maintenance, field catering, deployed base set-up and base ground defence

Amberley Defence contractors

RAAF historical aircraft

Air Force cadet aircraft display

RAAF Balloon

ADF recruiting

Army APCs, artillery, vehicles and operational equipment

Ipswich City Council MUSIC

RAAF Air Command Band

No. 2 Wing Air Force Cadet Band

RAAF Amberley Brass Band

RAAF Amberley Pipes and Drums

Pipes and Drums of the National Servicemen’s Association

Australian Army Band Brisbane

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Children’s ride

Simulator of fighting Falcons

Helicopter joy rides

AIRCRAFT TO SEE

An F-111 performs a dump and burn, one of the many sights to see at the show.

Subject to operational commitments, aircraft at the show will include:

• F-111
• F/A-18
• Caribou
• B707
• PC9
• C-130
• AP-3C
• Hawk 127 Lead-in Fighter
• Challenger CL-604
• Boeing Business Jet
• Roulettes
• RAAF Hot Air Balloon
• Black Hawk
• Sea Hawk
• Chinook CH47C
• UH-1H Iroquois
• Mustang
• Wirraway
• Tiger Moth
• Allied forces aircraft
• Warbirds
• Sports aircraft

FREE ENTRY

All personnel in uniform and all Amberley-based Defence civilians with valid ID passes will be allowed free entry into the Defence Force Airshow. For other information visit www.raaf.gov.au/airshow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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