Australian International Airshow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Australian International Airshow |
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RAAF F-111 at the 2007 Airshow performing a dump-and-burn, a procedure where the fuel is intentionally ignited using the plane's afterburner.
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| Genre | Air show |
| Dates | March |
| Frequency | Biennial: Odd years |
| Venue | Avalon Airport |
| Location(s) | Victoria |
| Coordinates | 38°02′03″S 144°28′06″E / 38.0342°S 144.4683°E |
| Country | Australia |
| Established | 1988 |
| Most recent | 2025 |
| Next event | 2027 |
| Activity | Aerobatic and static displays |
| Website | https://www.airshow.com.au |
The Australian International Airshow, also known as the Avalon Airshow, is a huge event held every two years. It takes place at Avalon Airport, which is located between Melbourne and Geelong in Victoria.
This airshow mainly focuses on military aircraft. You can see planes from the Royal Australian Air Force, the United States Navy, and the United States Air Force. Aircraft from other countries, like the Royal Air Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and Republic of Singapore Air Force, have also been part of the show.
Organizers say it is the biggest airshow in the southern hemisphere. Sometimes, there have been small protests near the event.
Contents
Airshow History
The very first air display at Avalon happened in 1957. It was put on for the workers of the Port Melbourne Government Aircraft Factories. They usually only saw parts of planes, so the display let them see the finished aircraft in action.
Early Airshows (1988–1991)
In 1988, Australia celebrated its 200th birthday. To mark this, the first big airshow in Australia was held in Sydney. It took place at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base in Richmond, New South Wales. This show featured many international military planes. These included the F-15 Eagle, Panavia Tornado F3, and the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. The "Kiwi Red" aerobatic team from New Zealand also performed.
In February 1991, another airshow was held at Richmond. This one celebrated the RAAF's 70th Anniversary. These successful shows led to the idea of the Avalon Airshow.
Moving to Avalon (1992)
In 1992, the Australian International Airshow moved to Avalon Airport near Geelong. It was held in October, which turned out to be a very wet spring in Victoria. The organizers almost canceled the show because of the rain. Luckily, it stopped just before opening day. About 175,000 people came to the two public days.
There were 226 exhibitors from 12 countries. The move to Avalon was meant to be temporary. However, the bad weather caused money problems, so the airshow stayed at Avalon for many years. Large planes like the Antonov An-124 Ruslan and Ilyushin Il-86 were there. Also on display were old warbird planes and the Airbus A340.
1995 Airshow Highlights
The 1995 show was the second one at Avalon. The date was changed to March to get better weather.
A big highlight was the Russian team. Pilot Anatoly Kvochur flew his special Su-27P "Flanker" jet. He also brought an Ilyushin Il-78 "Midas" tanker plane. Other Russian planes like the Ilyushin Il-76DMP were also present. The RAAF's F-111G "Aardvark" was there too.
Aerial refueling was shown, and Kvochur performed amazing stunts. His routine included the "Cobra" and very low passes. He even flew down the runway at only 15 feet (4.6 m) above the ground. Kvochur won the award for the best flying display that year.
1997 Airshow
The 1997 Avalon airshow took place in February. Unlike the wet 1992 show, 1997 was one of the hottest Februaries ever. About 171,168 people attended. The event helped the Victorian economy by $63 million.
Planes included the USAF F-16 Fighting Falcon and C-17 Globemaster III. A Canadian CP-140 Aurora and a US Marine Corps Super Cobra were also there. A special Airbus A320 with Sydney Olympics colors was a unique sight. The Super Constellation, a restored classic plane, was very popular. The F-111 also performed its "dump and burn" at night.
1999 Airshow
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In 1999, there were 472 exhibitors from 26 countries. The USAF had a strong presence with F-16Cs, a C-5 Galaxy, and a B-52 bomber. The B-52 was ready for deployment if needed.
The RAAF showed its new C-130J-30 Super Hercules, even though it was not yet in service. A model of the Eurofighter Typhoon was displayed as a possible replacement for the RAAF's F/A-18 Hornet. Many business jets, warbirds, and historic planes were also featured. This included five North American P-51 Mustangs.
Fun acts like wing-walking were part of the show. Bob Hoover also returned to perform in his Aero Commander.
2001 Airshow
The 2001 airshow celebrated Australia's 100 years of federation and 80 years of the Royal Australian Air Force. About 100 United States Air Force pilots took part. Planes included a B-1 Lancer, F-15 Eagles, F-16 Fighting Falcons, and a B-52 Stratofortress. Other international planes like the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod and Tornado GR.1s were also present.
New planes like the Bombardier CRJ700 and Learjet 45 made their first appearance. The 2001 show was the last public display for the RAAF's Aermacchi MB-326 jet trainer before it was retired.
2003 Airshow
The 2003 show's theme was "Celebrating the Centenary of Powered Flight." This marked 100 years since the Wright brothers made their first flight. There were 440 exhibitors from 30 countries and over 600 aircraft. This included replicas of early 20th-century planes like a 1910 Hanriot and a 1911 Curtiss Model D.
Older jets like the Canberra and MiG-15 were also displayed. A NH90 helicopter arrived inside an Airbus Beluga, which was a sight itself. Some American aircraft, like the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, were canceled due to concerns about protests. A model of the F-35 Lightning II was also on display.
2005 Airshow
The 2005 show, held in March, had the theme "The Shape of Things to Come." The airshow saw more business activity with over 500 exhibitors. It also boosted Geelong's economy by $15.6 million.
Many types of planes were featured, from small ultralights to large military aircraft. These included the F/A-18 Hornet, F-15 Eagle, and a surprise flyover by a B-52 Stratofortress. A specially painted RAAF F/A-18 Hornet celebrated 20 years of service in Australia.
2007 Airshow
The 2007 airshow theme was "Breaking the Barriers." This celebrated 60 years since Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier. Yeager was a special guest. A full-size model of the Bell X-1 plane was built for the show. Over 600 companies from 20 countries showed their products. There were 457 aircraft and 182,769 visitors. The 2007 show added $120 million to Victoria's economy.
The United States Air Force was a big part of the event. They sent F-15 Eagles, F-16 Fighting Falcons, and a C-17 Globemaster III. The F/A-18F Super Hornet was displayed by the United States Navy. Other military planes included the F-111 and BAe Hawk 127. The RAAF's first C-17 Globemaster III transport was on display. The Roulettes, the RAAF's aerobatic team, also performed. Many civil aircraft, warbirds, and older planes like the Lockheed Super Constellation were also there.
Famous pilots like Yurgis Kairis and Ricardo Traven performed. American stunt pilot Jim LeRoy also appeared.
2009 Airshow
The 2009 airshow's theme was "Towards Tomorrow." Andy Thomas, an Australian astronaut, was the special guest. The show also remembered the 40th anniversary of the first Moon landing. This was the last airshow for the F-111 Aardvark. The RAAF retired this aircraft in December 2010, replacing it with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. About 165,000 people attended the six-day event.
Planes at the show included Qantas' Boeing 747 and Airbus A380. V Australia showed its Boeing 777-300ER. Other military aircraft like the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, C-17, and B1-B Lancer were also on display.
The "wall of fire" display was not performed this year. This was done out of respect for those affected by the Victorian bushfires. The show donated $250,000 for research into aviation technology for bushfire management. Part of the Sunday show was canceled due to strong winds and rain. Despite the weather, ticket sales were similar to 2007. The 2009 show boosted Victoria's economy by $121 million.
2011 Airshow
The 2011 Australian International Airshow was the tenth one at Avalon. It celebrated the 90th anniversary of the Royal Australian Air Force. It also marked 100 years since the first passenger flight in Australia. The show ran for six days, with public days on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The "Friday Night Alight" show featured a laser show and flare drops for the first time. Over 195,000 people attended.
About 100 aircraft were present, including bombers, fighters, and surveillance planes. The show saw the first appearance in Australia of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. Two of these advanced stealth fighters were on display. A detailed model of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II was also shown.
Other planes included a B-1B Lancer, KC-135, and C-17 Globemaster III. The RAAF's C130H and J Hercules, F/A-18 Classic Hornet, and Super Hornets were there. The Royal Air Force's E-3 Sentry also participated. The RAAF Roulettes performed flying displays. Helicopters from the Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy were also present.
2013 Airshow
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A major highlight of the 2013 Airshow was the flying display by a United States Air Force Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor. Nearly 168,000 people attended the six-day event. The first three days were for trade, and the public show began with 'Friday Night Alight'. Over 600 aircraft were involved in Avalon 2013.
Two F-22A Raptors arrived directly from Japan. The flying display was performed by Major Henry 'Schadow' Schantz. Other US military aircraft included a Boeing B-52H Stratofortress and two Lockheed Martin F-16C Fighting Falcons. A Boeing C-17A Globemaster III performed a regular flying display.
The Royal Australian Air Force had a strong presence. This included a four-plane display by the Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets. Most RAAF aircraft were on static display, like the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail. The Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) made its debut with a Boeing KC-767J tanker.
Other popular attractions included the Breitling Wingwalkers with their biplanes. Melissa Pemberton and Skip Stewart performed with pyrotechnics. Large corporate jets like the Airbus A319CJ also made their first appearance at the show.
2015 Airshow
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The 2015 Australian International Airshow's theme was 'A Centenary of Anzac 1915–2015, Heroes of the Sky.' Over 600 companies attended.
2015 marked 100 years since the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was formed. Main attractions included the F/A-18, the B-52H, and the HARS Lockheed P-2. Many future RAAF aircraft were also shown.
The Australian Army flew their MRH90 Taipan and Tiger ARH helicopters for the first time. The Republic of Singapore Air Force display team Black Knights performed with two F-16s. Many warbirds and historical aircraft also took part.
Qantas showed off their newest Boeing 737 "Retro Roo." A new aboriginal F/A-18 design was also revealed. A JASDF KC-767J refueller appeared again during the trade days.
2017 Airshow
The 2017 Australian International Airshow was held in February and March. It was notable for the first appearances of many new RAAF aircraft. A large number of US aircraft also attended.
The 2017 show featured the first Australian appearance of the RAAF's new Lockheed-Martin F-35 Lightning and the E/A-18 Growlers. New RAAF aircraft like the C-27J Spartan, P-8 Poseidon, and PC-21 were also shown.
Fourteen US military aircraft attended, the most in the show's history. This was the second appearance of the USAF's Lockheed F-22 Raptors. The Rockwell B-1B Lancer and Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker also returned. A P-8 from the US Navy was present.
Regular aircraft like the Lockheed C-130, C-17 Globemaster III, and the RAAF Roulettes were there. Other countries participating included the Republic of Singapore Air Force with a KC-135 Stratotanker and two McDonnell Douglas F-15s. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force sent a KC-767, and the Royal Air Force sent an Airbus A400M Atlas. The 2017 airshow was the largest yet, with over 210,000 people attending.
2019 Airshow
The 2019 Australian International Airshow was held from February 26 to March 3.
2023 Airshow
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Airshow was first moved to November. However, in August 2021, it was completely canceled because the pandemic continued.
While the Airshow could not happen in 2021, it successfully ran from February 28 to March 5, 2023.
2025 Airshow
On March 28, 2025, during the first public day of the Avalon Australian International Airshow, a single aerobatic plane crashed. The aircraft, a Pitts Special from the Paul Bennet Airshows team, was performing a maneuver when it hit the ground. Emergency services quickly responded. The pilot, Glenn Collins, was taken from the wreckage to the hospital. He was in serious but stable condition with injuries to his upper and lower body.
After this incident, the rest of the day's airshow activities were canceled. Organizers announced that the event would continue the next day, but the aerobatic group would not perform. Authorities began an investigation to find out what caused the crash.
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