Here are some of the highlights of the November 18th, 2018 open day at the RAAF Base Amberley Heritage Centre in Queensland (near Brisbane). I got there early and waited outside by the base gate guardian, a General Dynamics F-111C (A8-138) strike aircraft that was in service at RAAF Amberley from 1973 to 2010 with… Read More RAAF Amberley Heritage Centre Open Day – November 2018
It has been over a year since I previously visited the long-term restoration of the last surviving World War Two era Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Consolidated B-24M Liberator bomber at the B-24 Liberator Memorial Restoration in Werribee, Victoria. This particular aircraft, RAAF serial number A72-176 was delivered from the United States in late 1944 (USAAF Serial… Read More Restoring the Last Surviving RAAF Consolidated B-24 Liberator – 2018 Update
A great air show in south central New South Wales, hosted by the Temora Aviation Museum! Their fantastic collection of World War Two and Cold War era aircraft is the basis for the show and as the name predicts there were plenty of warbirds on display, accompanied by modern day RAAF aircraft including fast jets… Read More Warbirds Downunder 2018
Naturally there were numerous warbirds and aerobatic flying displays at the Avalon Australian International Airshow 2017 including an explosive pyrotechnic show by the ORIS “Tin Stix of Dynamite” team American Skip Stewart and triple world aerobatics champion Jurgus Kairys from Lithuania in their Super Pitts and Sukhoi Su-31 aerobatic aircraft. World War Two era warbirds… Read More Australian International Airshow 2017 – Warbirds & Aerobatics Flyers
The Australian aviation industry was in a fledgling state in the 1930’s. With the potential for war brewing in Europe, discussions between the Australian government and numerous companies such as BHP and General Motors Holden began in 1935 to establish a modern aviation company to produce military aircraft and engines. Within a few short years… Read More Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation: Aussie WWII Battlers & Aviation Pioneers
In 2013 I wrote about the long-term project by the B-24 Liberator Memorial Restoration Fund (formed in 1989 and manned by a dedicated group of volunteers) in Werribee, Victoria to restore the last surviving Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber operated by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in World War Two. This particular aircraft is a… Read More Restoring the Last Surviving RAAF Consolidated B-24 Liberator – 2016 Update
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… Read More 2016 Tyabb Airshow – Winged Warriors
2014 marks the centenary of military aviation in Australia. To commemorate this I am writing a five-part series on the key stages of the RAAF: The Early Years – 1914 to 1939 (World War One and the interwar years), World War Two: 1939 to 1945, the Cold War begins and the Korean War: 1945 to 1953, South East Asian Conflicts –… Read More A Brief History of the Royal Australian Air Force: World War Two – 1939 to 1945
It is interesting to see the development changes in combat aircraft from the 1940’s to 1950’s. Technological advances during that period were enormous! The three aircraft in the following photos were operated by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in the 1940’s and 1950’s and you can clearly see the advancement in aircraft design in… Read More Technological advances in RAAF Fighters: 1940’s to 1950’s
Aces Flying High 