A_F_2015_03_04_

bout this time every year

I sit myself down on the

couch and contemplate

one enduring question:

why are there still

aviation people who

do not embrace

Avalon with the same enthusiasm

as I, and many others, do?

I can see their points of view

to a certain extent: it is noisy,

dusty (or muddy), hard to get

to in some cases and crowded

with rubbernecks for most of the

weekend. For me, coping with all

that is a very small price to pay.

For with all that comes six days

of talking, watching and walking in

an atmosphere that is almost 100%

aviation. Everywhere you turn is

someone else who wants

to talk aeroplanes, avionics,

gadgets and, yes, politics. There’s

101 analogies for it: child in a lolly

shop, rabbit in a briar patch, pig

in mud, Australian cricketer

in a TAB ...

I never allow the few rotten bits to

stop me soaking up every morsel of

aviation surrounded by thousands of

other tragics trying to do the same.

And as for the rubbernecks,

we need more of them. OK,

their aviation pool of knowledge

is about the size of a teaspoon

compared to some of us, but

here’s something to contemplate:

a 10-year-old who dragged their

parents to Avalon 2001 would

be 24 years old at Avalon 2015,

and could even have three stripes

on their epaulettes by now.

Naturally we have no way of

knowing, but what shape would

aviation be in if all those children

had never had an Avalon to go to

over the years?

What about all the 10-year-olds

who go this year? Some of them

could even be flying displays at

Avalon 2029! Such is the hidden

impact of a major air show.

It’s about inspiration.

Realistically, very few young

potential aviators are inspired by

the sound of a Piper Cub anymore.

The current generation needs

instant satisfaction to get them

enthusiastic about something,

and if that means plonking an

F-22 Raptor in front of them and

marinating them in jet blast and

the roar of a full-throttle turbofan

then so be it.

True, those of us who are already

fully-indoctrinated are not as

likely to squeal with excitement

at the sight of a jet fighter. But

for us there is still plenty to rattle

our aviation bones. Aircraft

manufacturers open their cockpits

for the likes of us so we can keep

ourselves full bottle with what’s

going on, and when someone

in the aero club asks “what do you

reckon about this Airvan 10?”

we’ll be able to answer with some

level of expertise.

There’s almost no other way of

getting so much aviation into your

soul in such a short period of time,

even if you spend only a couple of

days there and not the full six that

some of us more insane types do.

I’ll be there loving every minute,

and I hope you will all drop by

our stand in Hall 2 to talk flying,

aeroplanes and, yes, politics. It’s

those chats about flying that I

remember most about my time

on the stand.

And on the last day, as every

Avalon, you will see me trudging

foot-weary to the exits with my

shoulders screaming bloody

murder thanks to the camera kit

and willing my knees into one last

effort to get to the car. You can bet

I will be pleased it’s all over with.

Then on the Monday I will

be swamped with remorse and

disappointment that it will be two

years before I can do it all again.

May your gauges always be

in the green,

Six Days in Hog Heaven

Steve Hitchen – Editor

STEVE HITCHEN

There is still plenty to rattle

our aviation bones.

Editorial

Avalon 2015 is on us, but there will still be plenty

of people in the aviation community wondering if

it is worth going along. The answer as far as I am

concerned is an unconditional “Yes!”

10 australianflying.com.au

AUSTRALIAN FLYING March – April 2015

Editor: Steve Hitchen

[email protected]

Feature Writer: Shelley Ross

Test Pilot: John Absolon

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