Category: Air Show Commentary

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Wings Over Illawarra 2022

WOI Logo

Once again Grant was on the commentary team for the Wings Over Illawarra airshow, working with Mark Bright and the Bright Events team to present Australia’s biggest annual air show. Grant was also assisting the show’s Air Boss with additional weather information, using access to weather models and contacts at the Bureau of Meteorology to help him restructure the Sunday flying display due to potentially bad weather. Fortunately the show was able to continue, albeit with the F-35 & wall of fire around the middle of the day, not at the end.

Grant doing commentary at WOI22
Grant providing commentary during Wings Over Illawarra 2022

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Hunter Valley Air Show 2021

Hunter Valley Airshow Logo

After missing a year of air shows due to COVID-19 restrictions, Grant was able to travel to Cessnock in the Hunter Valley and join Ando once again on the commentary stand. This two day event saw heat and humidity on the Saturday and cold rain on the Sunday but the show managed to occur on both days.

Paul Bennet flies knife-edge at low level in front of the wall of fire top open the show.

Performing a hot start of a Spitfire’s Merlin can be fiery

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Tumut Air Show 2019

Wirraway Departing

The Paul Bennet Air Shows team worked with the Tumut Aero CLub to produce an air display on Saturday the 2nd of November. The Tumut Air Show & Fly In included displays by the RAAF’s C-27J Spartan, Army’s S-70 Blackhawk helicopter, warbirds, formation flights and much more.

Grant drove up from Melbourne and performed commentary for the event, including interviews with local pilots and Australian Defence Force representatives.

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Airventure Australia 2019 in Parkes

Matt Hall at Parkes 2019

The Airventure Australia event was held in Parkes this time and Grant was there to perform commentary, PA duties and assist with general setup tasks. Steve was also at the show, managing the airside ground movements from the Friday through Sunday.

Sadly, a major dust storm and high winds followed by rain prevented flying on the Saturday and lead to all non-essential personnel being asked to leave the site for safety reasons. Fortunately, the weather had improved dramatically for the Sunday and the air show was able to proceed as planned.

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Lismore Air Show 2017

The Lismore air show was originally scheduled for earlier in 2017 but, due to extreme weather conditions and flooding, was deferred until Saturday 29th July. Grant travelled to Lismore with the Paul Bennet Air Shows team to provide commentary for the event. It was a spectacular event which drew a good crowd of people (estimated as 4,000 to 6,000) under clear blue skies and light winds.

Flying home in the TBM Avenger
Grant returning from Lismore 2017 in the TBM Avenger warbird

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Wings Over Illawarra 2017

Wings Over Illawarra Air Show Logo

WOI Logo
Steve and Grant joined Ando to once again provide commentary for the Wings Over Illawarra air show at the Illawarra Regional Airport just south of Wollongong, NSW (near Sydney). It was a great show with over 30,000 people in attendance across the 6th & 7th of May. Over the two day event Grant & Steve’s dulcet tones provided information and discussion as the various displays took place. Meanwhile, Steven Pam was shooting live streaming video from high on the main grandstand to air show fans from around the world.

Yet another fantastic experience and we’re looking forward to next year’s event which is scheduled for the 5th & 6th of May, 2018.