Aerobatics

The Peninsula Aero Club at Tyabb Airport near Melbourne puts on an epic air show every two years, although everyone’s really been looking forward to this year’s event as the last one was in 2020 thanks to COVID. The waiting was certainly worth it, as the Tyabb Airshow 2024 was another cracker with plenty of warbirds, aerobatic displays, a car vs aircraft race, and handling displays from many other aircraft.

Naturally, Steve and Grant were at the show once again and recording interviews with some of the people there. It was almost 40 degrees Celsius (about 100 Fahrenheit) but the show went on, the huge crowd enjoyed it, and Steve hung in there despite the sunscreen running off his forehead & into his left eye. DOH!

We start with our own recollections of the day, and then get stuck into the interviews, which include:

• 5:01 – Stephen Braim, president of the Peninsula Aero Club, joins us after the event to talk about the turn out, the importance of Tyabb airport, the charities the event supports, and the planning that goes into making the event a reality. Stephen also acknowledges the sponsors who help to make the event happen, how Paul Bennet and his team helped with the flying display and CASA approvals, the pilots who supply the aircraft, plus the army of volunteers without whom events like this couldn’t happen. We wrap up the chat by talking about the club, its members and the other community events they run, such as the annual Toy Run that’s supported by the antique aircraft association and a local car club (and has been known to include Grant’s RX-7 in the line-up).

• 19:51 – Peta Denham Harvey is the Victorian State President of the Australian Women Pilots’ Association and she gives us an overview of the AWPA, the benefits of being a member, the importance of having a support network, and the challenges women encounter in aviation even today. We also discuss the importance of bringing young women into aviation and the AWPA.

• 27:04 – One of the displays at the air show was the Sport Aircraft Association of Australia‘s stand which featured an RV-12 that had been built by children from schools around Australia. Elaine Bradley from the SAAA tells us about their Youth Build and Fly program which has children from schools in Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland building aircraft components with mentoring from SAAA members. Elaine talks about the sponsors who have helped make this program a reality and the impact it’s had on many of the students who helped build the aircraft.

• 33:25 – We chat with Mick Poole who, in addition to working with CASA, also flies a variety of aircraft including antiques and warbirds. As one of the pilots who flies with the Temora Aviation Museum, he talks about his experiences becoming a RAAF reservist pilot with 100 SQN following the transition of TAM’s aircraft into the RAAF’s heritage squadron. He also talks about the museum and their Warbirds Down Under event that’s coming up in October, his favourite aircraft, and his reunion with Paul Bennet’s recently purchased Hawker Sea Fury.

• 38:57 – Andrew Temby returns to the show for the third or fourth time, chatting with us about his recently purchased Extra 300 and the impacts of the heat and wind at the show. We also discuss staying in shape when you reach 60, staying sane while restoring Grant’s RX-7, and his adventures getting the Extra imported to Australia.

• 50:02 – Our postie comes past on his Jetsons bike to deliver a message from Veggie who caught Grant’s deliberate mistakes in the previous episode about RPAS vs RNP and departing under instrument conditions when it was CAVOK weather. OK, yes, DOH! Mea culpa from Grant, OK?

• 53:09 – We talk about the Aldinga Airshow that’s happening in South Australia on Sunday 7th April and that Grant’s going to be on the commentary team.

Links:

• Aldinga Airshow: www.aldingaairshow.com.au
• Australian Women Pilots’ Association: awpa.org.au
• Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA): www.casa.gov.au
• Paul Bennet Airshows: paulbennetairshows.com.au
• Peninsula Aero Club: pac.asn.au
• Ryan Imeson Photography: www.facebook.com/ryanimesonphotography
• Sport Aircraft Association of Australia: awpa.org.au
• Temora Aviation Museum: aviationmuseum.com.au
• Tyabb Airshow: pac.asn.au/airshow & tyabbairshow.com
• Warbirds Down Under airshow: warbirdsdownunderairshow.com.au

Credits:

• Episode artwork photo: Ryan Imeson
• Title music is You Name It by Brian Simpson
• Voiceovers by Terry Daniel from Your Voice Over