Russian Roolettes

Planning, practice and approvals behind each airshow routine

An hour and a half southwest of Sydney amidst gum trees and the odd errant wombat, six men in baggy green flying suits can be found walking in close company and weaving intricate patterns. If you’re travelling too quickly or keep to the main road, you’ll miss the airfield altogether. Still, this rural setting is routinely home to the throaty roar of radial engines as the ‘Russian Roolettes’ take to the skies.

Team building

Those six men in flying suits are a mixture of military and civil pilots and their ground-based weaving is a rehearsal for the complex manoeuvres that they will fly in the air. Egon Mahr, or ‘Red One’, leads the troop and hails from the RAAF originally. Similarly, Sean Trestrail, Tim Windsor and Jim Eaglen are products of the Royal Australian Air Force with Eaglen having flown Mirages, Hornets and even Tornados in the Gulf on exchange with the RAF. Mark Willard and Niall Higgins make up the civilian pairing, while behind the scenes Greg Hewson fills the dual role of team manager and reserve pilot.