Australian International Airshow facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Australian International Airshow
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.
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 / -38.0342; 144.4683
Country	Australia
Established	1988; 37 years ago (1988)
Most recent	2023
Next event	2025
Activity	Aerobatic and static displays
Website	https://www.airshow.com.au

The Australian International Airshow, also known as the Avalon Airshow, is a huge air show held every two years. It takes place at Avalon Airport, which is located between Melbourne and Geelong in Victoria.

This exciting event mainly focuses on military planes. You can see aircraft from the Royal Australian Air Force, the United States Navy, and the United States Air Force. Planes from other countries like the Royal Air Force (UK), Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and Republic of Singapore Air Force have also visited.

Organisers say it's the biggest air show in the southern hemisphere. Sometimes, people gather outside the airshow to share their opinions about peace.

History
Images for kids
See also

History

The very first air display at Avalon happened in 1957. It was put on for the workers at the Port Melbourne Government Aircraft Factories. They usually only saw parts of planes, so the display let them see the finished aircraft flying!

The First Big Air Shows (1988–1991)

The first major airshow in Australia was held in 1988. This was to celebrate Australia's 200th birthday. It took place in Sydney at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base in Richmond. Many international military planes were there, including the F-15 Eagle and a huge Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. A Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bomber also flew past.

Another air show happened at Richmond in 1991 to celebrate the RAAF's 70th birthday. After these successful shows, plans were made for 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 the wettest spring ever in Victoria! The organisers almost cancelled it, but the rain stopped just before opening day. About 175,000 people came to the two public days. There were 226 companies showing their products from 12 countries. The bad weather caused some money problems, so the airshow stayed at Avalon for many years.

Even with the rain, some amazing planes were there. These included the giant Antonov An-124 Ruslan and the Ilyushin Il-86. Older planes called warbirds were also on display, along with the Airbus A340, which was very new at the time.

1995: Russian Planes Steal the Show

The 1995 show was the second one at Avalon. It was moved to March for better weather.

The Russian planes were the biggest stars this year. A pilot named Anatoly Kvochur flew his special Su-27P "Flanker" jet. He did amazing tricks like the "Cobra" and flying sideways (knife-edge). He even flew super low over the runway, about 4.5 meters (15 feet) off the ground! Other planes included the RAAF's F-111 and the BAE Systems Hawk. Kvochur won the award for the best flying display.

1997: Hot Weather and Classic Planes

The 1997 air show was held in February, which was the hottest February ever! Over 171,000 people attended.

Planes included the USAF F-16 Fighting Falcon and the huge C-17 Globemaster III. A special Airbus A320 painted with Sydney Olympics colours was also there. One of the most special aircraft was a Super Constellation that had been restored. The F-111 also performed its famous "dump and burn" at night.

1999: New Planes and Old Favourites

In 1999, there were 472 companies from 26 countries. The US Air Force brought many planes, including two F-16s and a B-52 bomber. The RAAF showed off its new C-130J-30 Super Hercules, even before it officially started service.

Old warbirds were popular, with five North American P-51 Mustangs on display. There were also fun acts like wing-walking.

2001: Celebrating Anniversaries

The 2001 show celebrated Australia's 100 years of federation and 80 years of the Royal Australian Air Force. About 100 US Air Force pilots took part. Many different planes were there, like the B-1 Lancer, F-15 Eagles, and the B-52 Stratofortress.

This show was the last time the RAAF's Aermacchi MB-326 jet trainer was publicly displayed before it retired.

2003: A Century of Flight

The 2003 air show celebrated "The Centenary of Powered Flight." This marked 100 years since the Wright brothers made their first flight in 1903. There were 440 companies from 30 countries and over 600 aircraft!

You could see replicas of early planes from the 1900s, like a 1910 Hanriot and a 1911 Curtiss Model D. There were also classic jets like the Canberra and MiG-15. A NH90 helicopter arrived inside a giant Airbus Beluga transport plane, which was a sight itself!

Some US planes were cancelled due to discussions about a war, and some people protested outside the show.

2005: Looking to the Future

The 2005 show's theme was "The Shape of Things to Come." It had over 500 companies and many conferences. This air show helped Geelong's economy by $15.6 million.

Many planes were on display, 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 special RAAF F/A-18 Hornet was painted to celebrate 20 years of service in Australia.

2007: Breaking the Sound Barrier

The 2007 air show celebrated 60 years since the sound barrier was broken. Chuck Yeager, the first person to break it, was the special guest! A full-size model of his Bell X-1 plane was built for the show. Over 182,000 visitors attended.

The United States Air Force was a big part of the show, bringing F-15 Eagles, F-16 Fighting Falcons, and a C-17 Globemaster III. The F/A-18F Super Hornet also made a display. The RAAF's first C-17 Globemaster III transport plane was shown. The Roulettes, the RAAF's aerobatic team, performed amazing tricks. Many civil planes, warbirds, and older aircraft like the Lockheed Super Constellation were also there.

2009: Towards Tomorrow

The 2009 air show's theme was "Towards Tomorrow." Andy Thomas, an Australian astronaut, was the special guest. The show also remembered 40 years since the first Moon landing.

This was the last airshow for the RAAF's F-111 Aardvark, as it retired in 2010. About 165,000 people came to the six-day event. Large planes like the Qantas Boeing 747 and Airbus A380 were on display. The "wall of fire" display was not performed this year, out of respect for people affected by the Victorian bushfires. The show also donated money for research into aviation technology for bushfire management.

2011: RAAF's 90th Birthday

The 2011 air show celebrated the RAAF's 90th anniversary. It also marked 100 years since the first passenger flight in Australia. Over 195,000 people attended.

This show featured the amazing Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, a very advanced stealth fighter. Two of these planes were on display for the first time in Australia. A detailed model of the future F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter was also shown. Many other military planes from the US, UK, New Zealand, France, Italy, and Singapore were present. The RAAF Roulettes performed exciting flying displays.

2013: Raptor Flies!

A big highlight of the 2013 air show was the flying display by a Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor from the US Air Force. Almost 168,000 people came to the six-day event.

The F-22A Raptor performed an amazing flying display. Other US military planes included a Boeing B-52H Stratofortress and F-16s. The RAAF also had a strong presence, with four Super Hornets flying together. The Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) made their first appearance with a tanker plane.

Other popular acts included the Breitling Wingwalkers and stunt pilots Melissa Pemberton and Skip Stewart. Many large private jets were also shown for the first time.

2015: Heroes of the Sky

The 2015 air show's theme was 'A Centenary of Anzac 1915–2015, Heroes of the Sky.' This marked 100 years since the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) were formed.

Main attractions included the F/A-18, the B-52H, and new RAAF aircraft. The Australian Army flew their MRH90 Taipan and Tiger ARH helicopters for the first time. The Republic of Singapore Air Force display team, the Black Knights, performed with two F-16s. Many warbirds and old planes also took part.

Qantas showed off their special "Retro Roo" Boeing 737. A new aboriginal design for an F/A-18 was also revealed.

2017: Many New Planes

The 2017 air show was special because many new RAAF planes appeared for the first time. It also had the largest number of US military aircraft ever at the show. Over 210,000 people attended, making it the biggest airshow yet!

The RAAF's new Lockheed-Martin F-35 Lightning and E/A-18 Growlers made their first Australian appearance. New C-27J Spartan, P-8 Poseidon, and PC-21 RAAF aircraft were also featured.

Fourteen US military aircraft attended, including the F-22 Raptors and the Rockwell B-1B Lancer. Other countries like Singapore and Japan also sent planes.

2019

The 2019 Australian International Airshow was held from 1–3 March.

2023

The 2021 Airshow was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Airshow returned and ran from 28 February to 5 March 2023.

Images for kids

An inverted plane leaving a wall-of-fire in 2007.
A C-47 Dakota from the ARDU in 1992.
A Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation CA-18 Mustang in No. 3 Squadron RAAF colours in 1999.
An AH-64 Apache attack helicopter from the US Army in 2001.
A Mitsubishi Zero replica in 2003.
A C-17 Globemaster III from the US Air Force in 2005.
An F-111 from the RAAF performs a "dump and burn" in 2007.
Andy Thomas, an Australian astronaut, at the 2009 Airshow.
A US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet in 2009.
An F-22 Raptor from the USAF on display in 2011. A B-1B Lancer is in the background.
A Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor flying in 2013.
A Consolidated PBY Catalina performing a flying display in 2013.
An Australian Army Tiger ARH helicopter display in 2015.