Ausfly returns to Wentworth NSW this year after the success of the 2024 event, and the key organisers, the Sport Aircraft Association of Australia (SAAA) is keen to 2025 bigger and better.
Running from Thursday 13 March to Sunday 16 March, the fly-in is designed to attract aviators of every note, from homebuilders to private pilots, warbirds to helicopters and recreational aviators to enthusiastic members of the general public.
In order to try to out-do last year's Ausfly, the SAAA has organised some extra attractions to seduce aviators to Wentworth.
"Last year we got roughly 180 aircraft, and we're expecting a bigger and better turn-out this year," says SAAA board member Jonathan McAliece. "We're expecting a large number of aircraft of all different types.
"We'll have a Mustang, a T-28 Trojan, Winjeel, Stearman and Kittyhawk, which gives a nice, rounded overview of Australia's aviation heritage. There'll be plenty of GA aircraft as well, including two helicopters offering rides.
"Part of the ethos of the SAAA is to encourage people to build aircraft and share that building knowledge," says McAliece. "We ran a program called Future Flyers a few years ago, where a number of secondary colleges were involved in building an aircraft: a two-seat RV12. We named that aircraft Miss Tori, which will be on display and flying around.
Although Ausfly is the baby of the SAAA, Sunraysia Sport Aircraft Club and Wentworth Shire Council, McAliece says the event really belongs to everyone in aviation,
"Everyone is welcome, and we really want anyone who flies to come along, whether it be helicopters, recreational aircraft, gliders ... we want involvement from all sectors," he says. "We're trying to include everyone and we want all organisations to feel welcome. We are starting to see more and more RAAus-registered aircraft attending."
Part of the development of Ausfly to feature this year is an increased focus on workshops for aviators rather than a program heavy in sit-and-listen seminars.
"We've increased the emphasis on workshops and seminars. We were a bit heavy on seminars last year, so this year we running some hands-on workshops such as 3D printing and basic maintenance. They won't be just seminars where people sit down go through a PowerPoint presentation."
Seminars and workshops go to the heart of aviation, but if you want to inspire the community, things fast, loud and exciting need to be put in the air. As part of an attempt to engage with the locals, the SAAA has beefed-up the flying display for the community day on the Saturday.
Slated to strut their stuff are several of Australia's best GA air show performers, including:
- Silver Sharks
- Screaming Diamonds
- Freedom Formation
- Paul Andronicou
- Andrew Temby
"The display teams are flying aircraft that were built by SAAA members as well as some classic aerobats," McAliece explains. "And these are all pilots that are doing this on the side; it's not their day job, and this highlights their enthusiasm.
"They're prepared to put time and dollars into such incredible flying displays not only for Ausfly, but also for the wider community.
"To bring these displays to regional airports like Wentworth is something different. Last year it was so well-received and the crowd thoroughly enjoyed it.
Add to that the nostalgic allure of warbirds and antiques–set to include Tiger Moths in the centenary year of the Moth line–that are expected to showcase themselves at Ausfly to add incentive for people to attend, and the 2025 event stands every chance of eclipsing 2024.
Growth is, for any aviation event, a KPI for survival. Since the first Ausfly in 2012, the fly-in has been homed at Narromine, NSW, making the change to Wentworth last year somewhat of a risky move, one that looks to have paid off for the SAAA.
Jonathan McAliece says the town, the shire, the aero club and the Sunraysia community have leapt on board Ausfly, which bodes well for the future of the event.
"We're definitely very welcome at Wentworth! We did an survey of members after Ausfly 2024 and the responses were overwhelming in how welcome everyone felt, and how positive the community and Wentworth Shire Council were," he explains.
"The council did a lot of runway improvements and sealed part of the hardstand and taxiway. They did it themselves with a surplus that they put back into the airport. It is notable just how good the condition of Wentworth Airport actually is.
"We were so happy to be there, and the members sent us the message loud and clear that they would like us to return this year."
So, exacly how great are the SAAA's expectations for Ausfly 2025?
"Obviously we'd like to see the event grow from last year, so we've put on extra aircraft and extra displays and we hope that translates into extra attendance," McAliece says. "Last year we got about 800 people from the community, and even though we were satisfied with that, we'd like to see numbers well in excess of that this year.
"If I'm being brutally honest, we just want to share aviation with everyone!"
More information including fly-in procedures is on the Ausfly 2025 website.