Goodbye Pig

And F-111 fans certainly got their money’s worth, with no fewer than three aircraft performing at various stages throughout the display, and a fourth on static display. The show was opened by a singleton RF‑111C ‘dump and burn’ pass and climb out, and fans were later treated to a three ship flypast with three different wing sweeps, a spirited solo display including the touch and go dump and burn, and a formation pass with various warbirds.

Not to be outdone was the RAAF’s new F/A-18F Super Hornet which put on a tight and clean handling display in its first public airshow appearance since entering service in March, and then finished it off with a deafening low level sneak pass which had some airshow goers laughing and others diving for cover! The Williamtown based 3SQN’s Purple Cobras display team put on a fine F/A-18 four ship show, and then followed it up with an awesome 1 v 2 simulated dogfight complete with flares right above the airfield, while RAAF Hornet demonstration pilot SQNLDR James ‘Akko’ Atkinson performed his excellent handling routine for the last time on the Sunday before he hands over to a new pilot for the 2011/12 show seasons.

The Navy contribution included a powerful 816SQN Seahawk handling display and the excellent ‘Dancing Squirrels’ from 713SQN, but noticeably absent from the flying program or static park was the Australian Army. Also featuring was the surprisingly nimble and quick RAAF AP-3C Orion, a great handling display by a Richmond based 37SQN C-130J, the always elegant Roulettes, and Red Bull air racer and former RAAF F/A‑18 pilot, Matt Hall, in his Giles 202.

The Temora Aviation Museum (TAM), Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) and the RAAF Museum fielded a swarm of warbirds, along with several privately owned aircraft, which covered more than 40 years of Australian military and commercial aviation heritage from the start of WW2 right up to the early 1980s.

TAM brought the immaculately restored CA. 27 Avon Sabre along with its Spitfire, Boomerang, Hudson, O-2 and Meteor, with all but the O-2 participating in the flying display. HARS had the wonderful Connie along with the ‘Black Cat’ Catalina and a Dakota, while its Neptune gave a great handling display, and the RAAF Museum brought its Mustang and a Winjeel.

A highlight of the show was an extension of the heritage flights seen in recent years, with no fewer than six aircraft including an F-111, F/A-18F, Mustang, Boomerang, Hudson and Meteor forming up for a ‘strike’ flypast, while the ‘fighter’ formation included two Mustangs, a Spitfire, the Sabre, a Hawk and an F/A-18A.

The effort by the RAAF and the various museums to put these formations together is no doubt huge, but was deeply appreciated by the spectators.

Other static highlights included a C-17 with an endless line of people wanting to see inside this massive transport, two 737 Wedgetails, Hornets from 3SQN and 77SQN, a Super Hornet which was on its way back to Amberley from a successful bomb camp at RAAF Edinburgh, a 4SQN PC-9/A FAC trainer, and a couple of CT‑4s from BAE’s flying training college at Tamworth.

In all, a great display of ADF hardware and classic warbirds, and a fitting send off for the Pig!