Story, images, video by ANDREW KACIMAIWAI
Staging an airshow down by the beach at Surfers was certainly something new for aviation fans Down Under. Well, for me, anyhoo!
And it proved popular; so much so there are plans to return next year with a larger event (see below).
I went to day one of the event, making the three-hour (one-way) train-tram ride. My Premium General Assembly (GA) ticket was a little heavy but it immediately paid off when I got express admittance with the GA queue outside Bay B alone stretching out to several thousand!
Thankfully, I made it in time to set up for the start. There were differences that quickly became apparent (the beach for one!).
I’ve been to Australian and NZ airshows before but this was markedly different. There were a few highlights, and lowlights, for me.
PLUSES: There was a very quick pause between displays. There was barely a minute or two (it seemed) between each display and the airshow announcer, Matt Jolley, seemed to fill it with his commentary.
The constant music was another with large speakers scattered around the beach; AC-DC was a perfect fit and ‘Jailbreak’ just gazumped ‘Thunderstruck’, I do believe!
The announcer. I found his expressionisms amusing (i.e. is “fart in a whirlpool” really a Georgian saying?) although it did seem some in the audience were a little bemused by some of what he was saying.
The three national anthems also confused some: there was Canada’s (thanks to a RCAF CC-150 Polaris tanker, a remannt of the recently concluded Exercise Talisman Sabre?), the US and Australia thanks to the participation of the three air forces.
Comments on Australian social media posts also showed there was some confusion about why the US and Canadian anthems were played.
The Pacific Airshow is a US institution which seems not to have much penetration in Australian (airshow) minds.
The decision not to have a pre-released program in favour of a daily list certainly confused some; one family drove 1000km from central Queensland for the three-day event and were upset to find out there was no F35 taking part, just an ‘outdated’ F-18 Super Hornet!
Then there was Jeff Boerboon’s Yak 110! Two Yak 55 fuselages married together and joined by a GE jet engine! That was certainly new and didn’t the crowd love it with his low flight before kicking it back and going upstairs!
It was a sight to watch the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter demonstrate a winch rescue; these aircraft are a common sight on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.
The weather certainly came to the party. Big time. Overcast 24 hours before, it was clear skies and seagulls on the white beaches. Lifeguards on jet-skies patrolled the 1km-long offshore fly-past zone while yachts moored offshore offered another view of the aircraft as did the mammoth high rise apartment buildings immediately behind the viewing area.
The event was very family friendly which I loved. The bar in my area was sparsely frequented although I did indulge; the queue at the coffee caravans still doesn’t bear thinking about!
Organisers described the local support as “simply breathtaking” on social media with a paid attendance of 100,000 but up to three times that in spectators to watch the shows put on by pilots and crews from NSW, Victoria and Qld as they mixed it up with American and Canadian counterparts.
“We are truly appreciative of your support and cannot wait to come back in 2024,” the organisers posted on Instagram.
Pacific Airshow CEO Kevin Elliott has already incdicated that 2024’s event – which occupied roughly 1km of beachfront this year – could widen its footprint on the beach, add VIP areas, expand deeper into the streets, and offer “double-storey hospitality”.
An expansion to the line-up and night-time music events are said to be considered as well. Terrific! An airshow at night!!
My bug about the show was the public transport. I’m not overly familiar with Surfers but the light tramline and buses were clearly overwhelmed by what I thought were narrow streets; whole lot of buildings and pavements but not much for traffic flow. Perhaps next time, a dedicated tram service with buses to fill it the other stops for non-showgoers?
Mind you, I was returning at the same time as fans were making their way to Brisbane for the Australia-Sweden Women’s Soccer World Cup game (with a few other elite games) so foot traffic was clearly higher than normal. My other bug was me and my camera.
HEADS UP: I struggled with the camera in the clean conditions (lighting, not heat) but I clearly need bigger lens and a separate video camera. Some more self-training may help in this regard.
I used my phone for most of the video so at least I have SOMETHING; apologies for the quality. I also remain wary about plans to introduce a hardcore night music beach party rave for future events.
This could derail the event but we shall see … I’d love to see this airshow in its home environment in California but then again … there is ALWAYS Oshkosh!
The participating types on Saturday
RAAF: F/A-18A Super Hornet, C-17A Globemaster III, C-130J Hercules, Pilatus PC-21 (Roulettes);
USAF: KC-135R Stratotanker, MV-22B Osprey Demo (US Marine Corps), C-17A Globemaster III;
RCAF: CC-150 Polaris.
Display: Yak-110 (US); Mariacchi S211, Vans RV home builds, Pitts Specials, Nanchang CJ-6, Yak 52, P-51D, Curtiss P-40 and Focke Wulf 190.
Tasman Aircraft 