Propwash November 2021 issue from the Hastings District Flying Club

The Port Macquarie-Hastings community raves about the Bobcat Formation that happens every Saturday morning over Port Macquarie. I had the pleasure of interviewing Bobcat Leader, Dr. David Cooke where he shares how Bobcat started, the pilots in the Bobcat Formation and what it was all about that got the community excited. I was with Pilot Steve Woodham, Bobcat 5, one windy Saturday morning so you can imagine that it was difficult to hold the camera steady. All 6 pilots that Saturday were flying different aircraft, so maintaining constant speed to do the formation was a challenge and requires full concentration. It was a wonder how David was able to speak to Peter Rasmussen of ABC Radio Mid North Coast at the same time taking him through the flying event. That interview was aired on 95.5FM on Friday 29th October 7.20am. The pilots were very disciplined and never take their eyes off the other plane as you can imagine, they’re only half a second away from each other so maintaining that constant speed is critical. For those keen to learn to fly, flying scholarships are now open to those age 14 to 20 years: www.hdfc.com.au/flying-scholarships.