Temora Aviation Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Temora Aviation Museum

Established	1999
Location	Temora, New South Wales, Australia
Type	Aviation museum

The Temora Aviation Museum is an exciting Australian museum. It is located in Temora, New South Wales, a town known for its aviation history. The museum started in late 1999. It was built around a collection of amazing old military aircraft, called warbirds. These planes were owned by David Lowy, who is still the museum's President and Founder.

The museum is home to the Air Force Heritage Squadron's Temora Historic Flight. This flight includes aircraft from before World War II up to the Vietnam War era. The museum often holds "Aircraft Showcase" events. These shows happen on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of most months. They let visitors see some of the museum's flying aircraft in action. Other historic planes and even modern Royal Australian Air Force jets sometimes visit too!

History of the Museum

A Spitfire Mk XVI at Temora, October 2011

The town of Temora has a special place in Australian aviation history. During World War II, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) opened a big pilot training school there. It was called the No. 10 Elementary Flying Training School RAAF. This school started in May 1941. It was the largest and longest-running training school of its kind in Australia.

More than 10,000 people worked at the school. Over 2,400 pilots learned to fly there. At its busiest, the school had 97 de Havilland Tiger Moth aircraft for training. The school closed on March 12, 1946.

After the war, Temora continued to be an important place for flying. People used the airfield for parachuting, gliding, and aerobatics. They also flew ultra-light aircraft and model planes.

Why Temora Was Chosen

Sydney businessman David Lowy decided to build the museum in Temora. He chose this town for several good reasons. Temora had a rich aviation history. It also had good weather and flat land, which is perfect for flying. The local council was very helpful. Plus, the airspace below 20,000 feet was "uncontrolled." This meant planes could fly freely without strict air traffic rules.

Building the Museum

The Temora Aviation Museum officially became a company in late 1999. Soon after, construction of the museum buildings began. A special committee was formed to manage everything. The first hangar was finished in February 2000. David Lowy then donated the first aircraft for the museum's collection.

The museum officially opened to the public in June 2000. After that, more buildings were constructed. These included a display area for the planes, a small movie theater, and an entrance. There was also a gift shop, a children's playground, and a picnic area. In November 2002, a third, much larger hangar was completed. This new hangar became the main display area for all the aircraft. The first hangar was then used for restoring and maintaining the planes.

Temora Historic Flight

In May 2019, the museum made an important announcement. They had agreed with the Department of Defence to give 11 historic aircraft to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). This change happened on July 1, 2019. Even though the RAAF now owned the planes, they would stay at Temora. The same staff would continue to take care of them.

The RAAF would operate these aircraft as the Temora Historic Flight. Twelve of the museum's pilots joined the RAAF Reserve. They became Special Capability Officers with the rank of flight lieutenant. In February 2021, this flight became part of No. 100 Squadron RAAF. This squadron was reformed to fly the RAAF's historic warbirds.

Aircraft Collection

The Temora Aviation Museum has a fantastic collection of aircraft. Some of these planes are part of the Air Force Heritage Squadron's Temora Historic Flight. Others are owned by the museum itself. Here are some of the amazing aircraft you can see:

Aircraft	Civil registration	ADF serial	Image	Notes
Air Force Heritage Squadron (Temora Historic Flight)
English Electric Canberra TT18	VH-ZSQ
Lockheed Hudson Mk III	VH-KOY
Cessna A-37 Dragonfly	VH-XVA
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VIII	VH-HET
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XVI	VH-XVI
Gloster Meteor F8	VH-MBX	A79-851
de Havilland Vampire T.35	VH-VAM	A79-617
CAC Sabre	VH-IPN	A94-983
CAC Wirraway Mk 3	VH-BFF	A20-653
CAC Boomerang	VH-MHR	A46-122
de Havilland Tiger Moth	VH-UVZ	A17-691
Ryan STM	VH-RSY
Museum aircraft
Cessna A-37 Dragonfly	VH-DLO
Cessna O-2 Skymaster	VH-OII
Cessna O-1 Bird Dog	VH-LRE			On loan

Warbirds Downunder Airshow

A Hudson bomber undergoing maintenance, October 2011

A CAC Wirraway aircraft, October 2010

The Temora Aviation Museum hosts a huge airshow called Warbirds Downunder. This event happens every two years. It brings together the largest collection of warbirds for a two-day celebration of Australian aviation history. You can see warbirds from private collections and other museums. These planes are shown both flying and on the ground.

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) also supports the event. You might see planes from No. 100 Squadron RAAF or the RAAF's amazing aerobatic display team, the Roulettes. Temora's population is usually about 4,000 people. But for Warbirds Downunder, the town gets very busy! The first show in 2011 had almost 10,000 visitors. Now, about 22,000 people attend each event.

Recent Warbirds Downunder Events

The 2020 Warbirds Downunder event was planned for October 17-18. However, it had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was moved to 2021 instead. This meant that Warbirds Downunder happened in both 2021 and 2022. These were the first two years in a row that the event was held since it began.

See also

• List of aerospace museums
• Temora Airport