Aerial acrobatics: Benalla Mayor Bernie Hearn and Benalla Air Show organiser, and acrobatic pilot, Paul Bennett, in front of one of the planes spectators will see at the Benalla Air Show on March 18.
Photo by
Simon Ruppert
The much-anticipated Benalla Air Show will take to the skies on Saturday, March 18, so make sure you have your tickets booked.
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Whether you’re a die-hard aviation enthusiast or just looking for a fun day out with the family there will be something for everyone.
It will feature some rare and unique war birds turning back the clock with exciting displays you may not see again.
Spectacular: There will be some incredible aircraft on show at the Benalla Air Show on March 18.
Photo by
Simon Ruppert
Attendees will experience unbelievable aerobatics from some of Australia’s top champion pilots.
From spine-tingling solo performances to hair-raising formations, Benalla Airshow will have it all.
There will also be plenty at ground level with a selection of food and drink vans, and fun and games to keep the kids entertained.
Paul Bennett, of Paul Bennett Air Shows, said he could not wait to get the planes into the air.
“There’s going to be a lot going on for the whole family, that’s what it’s all about,” Mr Bennett said.
“There’s plenty of things on the ground and in the sky.
“But if you’re into the air side of things we’ve got the Wolf Pitts Pro, highest performing aerobatic biplane in the world.
“We’ve got an Edge 540 and the Sky Aces, as well as a number of war birds from interstate, and also locally from Wangaratta.”
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg with a wide variety of high-performing modern and classic planes taking to the skies, and many on the ground for attendees to get a closer look at.
Mr Bennett said the crowd would see some ‘’pretty cool tricks’’ when they looked up.
“Forward flips, double hammerheads, long torque rolls. Lots of things you don’t really expect aeroplanes to do,” he said.
The Air Show was doubling as the 70th anniversary celebration for the Gliding Club of Victoria, based at Benalla Airport.
Bruce Cowan, a 45-year member of the club, said the 70-year anniversary was actually in 2022, but members would still celebrate despite the air show being postponed to 2023.
“We’ve been working on this event for about nine months now,” Mr Cowan said.
“We’ve still got tickets available, and whilst you can buy them on the day it is a bit cheaper online, so we advise booking yours early.”
Benalla Mayor Bernie Hearn said she was excited to see the event take place after the disappointment of November’s postponement.
“The work that the festival committee, along with the gliding club, have done to get this back up and running for March is fantastic,” Cr Hearn said.
“We’re one of a very few towns that has their airport within walking distance to the CBD, and it’s fantastic to be able to use it for this event.”
Cr Hearn said the benefit of that was for local business as people would be able to easily walk between the town and Air Show, and enjoy everything Benalla had to offer.
“I’ve never been to an air show, so I am looking forward to the whole thing. After speaking to Paul Bennett and looking at these planes, I’m more than a bit excited.
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