2016 Tyabb Airshow – Winged Warriors

This years Tyabb Airshow at the Peninsula Aero Club on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria was my first show at Tyabb for many years. I always enjoy going down there as it is a key warbird hub in Australia and that tradition continues. This show has always had a particularly heavy focus on warbirds and this was one not to miss (even though the cloud cover wasn’t my best friend in regards to getting photos). Aircraft on display spanned the generations from World War One, 1920’s-1930’s, World War Two and beyond including past and present aircraft of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

Australian Flying Corps Sopwith Pup & Sopwith Snipe replicas – World War One flying

Seeing a formation of 2 Supermarine Spitfires (Mk.VIII and Mk.XVI from the Temora Aviation Museum), the only flying Curtiss P-40F Kittyhawk (Rolls Royce Merlin engined variant restored and operated by Judy Pay’s Old Aeroplane Company at Tyabb), a CAC CA-18 Mustang (Australian built variant of the P-51D also operated by the Old Aeroplane Company) and an immaculate Vought F4U-5NL Corsair flying in Honduran Air Force colours (after a 15 year restoration this former US Navy and Honduran Air Force fighter now owned by Graham Hosking at Tyabb, was recently returned to flying condition and this show was its first official airshow performance) was quite the highlight but this was one of many great sights from the day including many historic and aerobatic aircraft.

Winged Warriors – Corsair, Boomerang, Mustang & Kittyhawk

de Havilland Tiger Moth formation

Ryan trainers and one that was turned into a single seat fighter by the Honduran Air Force (first public display of this recently restored aircraft)

Grumman TBM Avenger (US Navy torpedo bomber), CAC Wirraway (trainer and utility) and Vultee BT-13 Valiant (trainer)

North American Harvards

CAC Boomerang, Curtiss P-40F Kittyhawk & Vought F4U-5NL Corsair

The mighty gull winged Vought F4U-5NL Corsair fighter in the markings of the Honduran Air Force who were still using the type in combat in the 1969 Football War (100 Hour War) against El Salvador which saw Honduran Vought Corsairs up against Salvadorian Goodyear FG-1 Corsairs and Cavalier F-51D Mustangs (an armed development of civilian Mustangs)! This was the last known air to air combat by piston engined fighters. The fighting broke out around the time of football matches between the two countries but was actually about a dispute over immigration and land reform issues.

Vought F4U-5NL Corsair & Grumman TBM Avenger

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VIII, Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XVI and CAC CA-18 Mustang

Ex-RAAF CAC Winjeel trainers

Vietnam War Era – Cessna O-1 Bird Dogs (ex USAF & Vietnam Air Force – VNAF) and North American T-28 Trojan (ex Laos Air Force)

Ex-RAAF PAC CT-4 Airtrainers

Jet Trainers – Aero L-39 Albatros and SIAI-Marchetti S.211 (formerly of the Singapore Air Force)

Wolf Pitts Pro / Pitts Special Aerobatics

Chris Sperou Pitts Super Stinker

Paul Bennet Airshows Wolf Pitts Pro aerobatics

2016 Tyabb Airshow – Winged Warriors

Chris Sperou Pitts Super Stinker vs Mercedes-Benz AMG – the car got a good start but lost to Chris Sperou (although a jump start was declared and the race was called a draw in the name of fun)

Yak-52 “Yak on the Prowl” with a superb leopard paint scheme

A flyby of a current RAAF Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport, that flew down from RAAF Amberly in Queensland then back again was a literally a huge crowd pleaser. The mass formation aircraft passes to end the show were an impressive way to end the day.

RAAF Boeing C-17 Globemaster III

2016 Tyabb Airshow formations – Warbirds (Mustang, Kittyhawk, Spitfires and Corsair) and former RAAF trainers (CAC Winjeels & CT-4 Airtrainers)

Despite some changes to the order of flying due to cloud cover and some technical issues the performance schedule was continuous and kept the crowd entertained. The announcers also mentioned it was the biggest crowd the airshow had ever attracted. Well done Peninsula Aero Club!

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