Wings Over Illawarra 2019

Well it's airshow time again and this time we headed to the Wings Over Illawarra airshow located Wollongong Airport just an hour south of Sydney. We were treated to some impressive aerobatics and handling displays from Paul Bennett in his Wolf Pitts Pro as well as the Sky Aces team. Matt Hall was also at the show flying in his Extra as well as part of the Mustang formation display which didn't disappoint. Speaking of warbirds, there was a wide variety of on display. There was Spitfires, the Hurricane, Kittyhawks a Sabre and more. I can't help but think that we are really spoilt here in Australia with such a diverse array of flying warbirds available to please the crowds. The ADF, who are always a big supporter of the Wings Over Illawarra airshow, also put on some fantastic displays. There was a great formation display with the new PC21s in the Roulettes colours. As you probably know there is a transition period as the PC21s take over the PC9s and crowds can expect a new Roulettes display later this year once all of the team are properly qualified and their work ups complete. What we did see at the airshow was a faster and much louder display and you could really see the difference in performance compared with the PC9s that we have all become so familiar with. The best way I can describe the PC21 demo is it is a beefed up version of the PC9s and was a real pleasure to watch. The other Air Force assets in attendance and that flew displays were the Spartan, the Herc a C17 a P8 Posiden and the Hawk 127. The navy also showcased the Seahawk and there was a Tipan on display which seemed to be a real favourite for all the kids! Here at Australian Aviation we are lucky to get insider access to all the wonderful people behind the show and it was a pleasure to catch up with many familiar faces and meet and speak with some new ones as well. Before we get into the podcast I just want to give a big shout out and huge thank you to the RAAF PR team who were so helpful and gracious in organising the ADF members who were very busy throughout. We also appreciate the amazing incockpit video from both the PC21s and the Hawk, so a big thanks to the RAAF and the ADF folks that helped us out. Ok lets get into the interviews and we'll kick it off with none other than Matt Hall.