Next month’s Centenary of Military Aviation Air Show at Point Cook will be a contrast between old and new, according to the man in charge of the Royal Australian Air Force’s special events.
Air Commodore Philip Byrne says the March 1-2 celebration will be a “one-in-100-year event”, adding there has never been an Australian event featuring so much military history.
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“This is the only show to go to. I think people will be blown away,” he said.
“There have been 200 aircraft used by the Royal Australian Air Force in 100 years and 60 of them will be at the show.”
Air Commodore Byrne said it was fitting that the event, which had been several years in the making, was being held at the birth place of the Royal Australian Air Force.
The celebration marks 100 years since the first military flight in Australia, when Lieutenant Eric Harrison took to the skies above Point Cook in a Bristol Boxkite.
Air Commodore Byrne said while the role of the Point Cook RAAF base had changed since 1914, it remained at the heart of the air force.
“100 years ago it was perfect because you needed a flat field for a runway, but now, because it’s only 4800 feet [1.5 kilometres] long, a lot of aircraft can’t land at Point Cook.”
The air show will feature a replica of the Bristol Boxkite, built over the past five years by ex-air force engineers. There will also be a full-scale mock-up of a F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the air force’s future aircraft.
Tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for children and include the cost of public transport and shuttle buses from Williams Landing and several stops in Point Cook.
» ticketmaster.com.au or airforce.gov.au
