– John Absolon
The very first Pacific Airshow Gold Coast was bathed in bright sunshine and beach-worthy temperature when it was staged in front of the public at Surfers Paradise last weekend.
Pacific Airshows is a US-based company managed by Code 4, which has been successfully running the airshow at Huntington Beach in California since 2018, and this year brought the proven formula to Australia.
With the backing of Mayor Tom Tate, Events Gold Coast and Code 4, plans were made to bring this big aviation show to the shores of the Gold Coast; an aviation equivalent to the V8 Supercars,
The 2023 show was blessed with great weather for all three show days and capacity crowds filling the paid admission areas of the Surfers Paradise beach, with others gathered on either side of the blocked beach enclosure and the various high-rise apartments and hotels behind the foreshore.
Some children played in the surf whilst the majority watched the many aerobatic routines with numerous spectators seen to watch from nearby balconies and apartments whilst sipping on their drinks.
Airshow organisers reported that ticket sales capped over 75,000 per day for the three days, with perhaps two to three times as many standing on the beach either side of the designated show area.
In all, authorities estimate over 300,000 viewed the show from the Surfers Paradise beach.
All were kept entertained for four hours by a number of local aerobatic pilots and aviation groups, and a small number of military aircraft predominantly from the USMC and USAF along with the obligatory RAAF Roulettes, C130 and the Hornet. The loud F-35 was missing.
One impressive display according to this writer was the Freedom Formation Team consisting of one YAK-55 and 12 Van's RVs of various models that performed close formation flypasts and aerobatics.
The airshow is billed to also create an aviation awareness and interest especially amongst young people to enter into careers in the aviation industry.
There were a limited number of representatives in display marques behind the beach from both Defence Recruiting and civil flying training, which, unfortunately, were missed by many members of the public who, after negotiating the long cues to enter via the three entrances, made immediate beelines for best viewing spots on the beach in the limited time between the gates opening and the show starting.
A number of spectators Australian Flying spoke with stated that they were disappointed that there weren’t more aircraft like military types that are fast and noisy; something the Gold Coast strip is noted for with the V8 Supercars later in the year.
The only display aircraft this year that filled this bill was the RAAF F/A-18F Super Hornet that was featured in the finale, displaying some new high angle-of-attack manoeuvres.
The show included some interesting types previously unseen at an Australian air show like the MV-22 Osprey and the Yak-110 flown by Jeff Boerboon.
Yak-110 you say?
This was a marriage of two Yak-55 airframes side by side, joined by a new stub wing, a new tailplane between the twin fins and a 9000-lbf GE Aviation J-85 jet engine hung between the twin fuselages.
This aircraft performed some amazing aerial stunts including being able to feather both props and still do aerobatics on the single jet. Boerboon called this his “Bob Hoover Tribute". Aviation legend Bob Hoover was known for engine-out aerobatics in a Rockwell Twin Commander.
A number of spectators said they had been anticipating the appearance of one of the major US military fast jet teams featured in the advertising videos, which may appear at a future show according to one Code 4 spokesperson.
The spokesperson also admitted that the management were on a steep learning curve as many things that "worked in the US don’t work in Australia".
The Gold Coast has a contract for more Pacific Airshows over the next five years, and Surfers Paradise Beach proved to be an excellent venue for the show as guests were treated with about the only show in Australia that doesn’t look into the sun in the later afternoon
But, unless you lived within walking distance or tram travel, the limited parking and roads were a big drawback on what had been a great weekend spectacle.
Pacific Airshows believes their Huntington Beach event, scheduled for October this year, is the biggest air show in the world.
It attracts over half a million visitors during the show each year with regular appearances from the USAF Thunderbirds, the US Navy Blue Angels and the Canadian Air Force Snowbirds.
We can only hope for one or more of those teams to appear in Australia one year soon.