The Great Eastern Fly-In Welcome to the Great Eastern Fly-In, 11 -12 January 2020! The North Coast’s Community Aviation Weekend! Where the Sky Meets the Sea. This is our annual North Coast aviation event, so
Evans Head, NSW. 1941-08. Group portrait of participants in No. 24 Course, No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School RAAF in front of one of the School’s Fairey Battle aircraft
join us this year to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the establishment of RAAF Station Evans Head, 1940 – 1945, the largest WW11 Empire Air Training Scheme Station in Australia which included the Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome. In this anniversary year, there’ll be a focus at the Great Eastern on the heritage of that time, with WW11 aircraft and displays, a variety of on-ground heritage displays, WW11 reenactment groups as well as all the rest of what makes the Fly-In a great weekend to enjoy.
80 years ago, construction of RAAF Station Evans Head commenced in late 1939 and in August and September 1940, the first aircraft and personnel arrived at the Aerodrome. The No.1 Bombing and Gunnery School commenced and a few years later, the No. 1 Air Observers School. Over 5,000 personnel were trained, mainly for active service in bombing aircraft, and casualties were high. Known as the Evans Head Aerodrome for many years after, there was a push by locals and Veterans to rename it in the 1980’s, to be a living, active, aviation memorial for all those who served there. This was adopted and it became known as the Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome, a living memorial to all who served there and for locals who made many long lasting friendships with both trainees and support personnel. Another part of the Station has remained active for the last 80 years, the Southern Bombing Range and personnel may be at the Fly-In for the weekend.
To support this major focus for 2020, there’ll be a number of related activities and displays of Aviation Heritage which include: Air Displays, flights in WW11 aircraft, the Evans Head Living Museum, Aviation Museum, RAAF Amberley Heritage group, re-enactment groups and numerous large poster displays around the site of
38
| Heartland Magazine Special Feature
views of that time. Read on for details of what all the family can enjoy. So what’s it all about? Aircraft fly in from the east coast of Australia, to spend a fun weekend meeting up with old friends, there’s Air Displays, flights in all types of aircraft, static displays and lots more. With up to 200 aircraft of all shapes and sizes, the better the weather the more planes you can expect! Wander round and see aircraft from 90 years ago till the present day, small to large and more. For the military buff there’ll be the Tiger Moths,
Trojans, Winjeels, Harvard, CT 4 and more. Helicopters will be flying, along with General Aviation small aircraft, light sports planes, paramotor gliders and gyrocopters. There’ll be 3 Tiger Moths adn a Gypsy Moth and maybe a seaplane or two! Check out the models and Drone displays, find out how to learn to fly or join a club and the regulations for
