On show

By CPL Simone Liebelt

Crowds like this – seen here at the Amberley Defence Air Show late last year – are expected at the Australian International Air Show at Avalon next week, showcasing Defence assets.

Photo by SGT Rod Skilton

MELBOURNE’S skies will get a little busier next week when a stream of ADF aircraft fly overhead on their way to the Australian International Airshow at Avalon.

It will be a sneak peak at what’s in store for the public during the international aviation event, which starts on March 15.

The Roulettes, plus three Hornets, F-111s and Hawks will fly in different formations over the city along with eight different helicopters – totalling some 18 helicopters – from the Navy and Army.

The flyover will be held over crowds lining the streets to watch the annual Moomba Festival on March 14.

ADF air display coordinator Group Captain John Ward said it would be a great opportunity to showcase aircraft attending the aviation show, which is tipped to be the biggest airshow ever held in Australia.

“We want to show the ADF off to the public in the best possible light, so we organised the flypast to help try and achieve that aim,” GPCAPT Ward said.

“It just so happens that this year coincides with the Moomba parade, which is an added bonus for us and the crowds.”

Participating Hawk pilot, Flight Lieutenant Graham Williams from No. 76 Squadron, said while he’s looking forward to flying over Melbourne, the highlight will be performing in front of a packed crowd at Avalon.

“The flying will be very enjoyable because you’re flying the aircraft close to its limits and close to the ground, so there will be an adrenalin rush, but the best part will be meeting the crowd afterwards to get their feedback,” he said.

“That’s why we’re here, to show what we can do and what the aircraft can do, so if the crowd can get a kick out of watching the display, then it’s a job well done.”

While he’s flown more than 150 air displays, this will be the first time FLTLT Williams has displayed a Hawk to such a large crowd. He said while the aircraft is much smaller than the F-111 and F/A-18, it should still dazzle onlookers.

“The Hawk is very manoeuvrable, and of all the ADF aircraft at Avalon, it will pull the most G. It doesn’t have the noise impact of the other jets, but I get around that by remaining as close as possible to the crowd to make it a very tight display. I have to stay relatively fast most of the time, because the aircraft is so small. It gives that apparent speed over the ground, so it looks good and sort of whizzes around.”

It has taken around a month of preparation to perfect the Hawk’s Avalon appearance. “I’ll be displaying the Hawk to demonstrate as close as possible the full capability of the aircraft at slow speed, high speed and under high G,” FLTLT Williams said.

“The display sequence has been designed based on a balanced show and on how well the aircraft looks, what it does well and how it will actually been seen by the public.”

GPCAPT Ward, an experienced pilot himself, has helped organise airshows the Air Force has been involved in since 2001.

“I love the pressure, the stress and the challenge of making an airshow happen ... [it] permits us to show the public what the ADF is capable of doing in an air show environment,” he said.

“The theme this year is ‘The shape of things to come’, so people can see where our Air Force and the ADF is heading to in the future. It should be a great show.”

Most ADF assets will be represented at Avalon in either air or ground displays.

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