Charters Towers Wings and Wheels Airshow update

[Guest DonningtonSmythe]

A quick update on progress for anyone who's interested.

 

Whilst I had decided not to proceed with an event in Charters Towers this year due to my financial losses in Ingham, I was approached by the Council's Events Coordinator in December last year with a request to stage an airshow as part of the planned 3-day Heritage & Cultural Festival marking the town's 140th anniversary. This festival will be held over the new Queen's Birthday Weekend at the end of September (29-30 Sept., 1st October).

 

I have since inspected the airport and met with Council reps to discuss the options. A logistics proposal has been submitted to Council and I am waiting on a response to this. If Council is able to cover the logistics that would free me up to chase sponsorship and put together the Air Display programme - however it's still a high-risk exercise and as I don't have the funds to underwrite the costs at this point, if sponsorship can't be found then the event would either not go ahead or would happen in a reduced form (no star attractiuons). I'm hopeful that we can achieve some sort of result nonetheless.

 

As well as the usual wings and wheels displays, we would focus heavily on the WWII history of the airport and the Charters Towers region - this would flow into other historical displays and activities around the town. The Miner's Ball (fund-raising event) would adopt the Hangar Dance theme which I proposed initially, with the social function held on Saturday night in a large hangar at the airport, with suitable Warbirds and historical aircraft as backdrops.

 

It's a bit of a waiting game at present as the logistics proposal has to go before Council. I'm also a little concerned about the dates as it is getting further into the hotter months, the schools are still on holidays (although boarders are returning that weekend) and the biggest thing is the NRL Grand Final on the Sunday - are we going lose all the footy tragics to the couch that afternoon?

 

Whilst we could make Saturday and Saturday night the focus, I've always considered Sunday to be the main day of an event such as this. On the other hand the long weekend does allow Monday as a travelling day which may make it easier for pilots (private and performer) coming from further afield. Your thoughts? Feedback will be appreciated and I'm happy to take suggestions on board. If we can't make it happen this year, I'll go with my plan to hold it in 2014 after giving Ingham another try in 2013.

 

 

[matto]

Sounds like it would be a great weekend, hopefully gets the support it needs to get off the ground.

 

 

[bones]

Sorry i couldnt catch up when you were here, but i was up the gulf, sweating like a pig, but i think it could work, the "ball" idea always seems to work a treat up here.

 

 

[Guest DonningtonSmythe]

I was advised recently that Council cannot support my logistics proposal and so there will not be a Wings and Wheels Airshow in Charters Towers this year. I will be keeping in touch with the Heritage Festival organisers and may be able to assist in facilitating some associated historical displays. There may also be opportunity to invite aviators to "fly-in" for the weekend but as the only activity planned for the CT Airport is the Miner's Ball on the Friday night there probably won't be a lot else aviation-wise to attract either public or pilots. The RA-Aus Northern Fly-In is apparently also scheduled for Monto that weekend so that will reduce the number of available aircraft to display. I'm now working towards a full airshow event in 2014, after trying Ingham again in 2013.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Only so many weekends in the year unfortunatly Christian.....you would loose a few to Monto that weekend. Overall though we have a lot of interested aviators in the area, who would like fly-ins to go to, so hang in there and hopefully the right opportunity will come up.........................................................Cheers Maj...

 

 

[bones]

More likely, there is more like a drag meeting booked for that week end, and this council just loves shutting the entire strip/airport for the whole week end just for the drags, thats why i couldnt fly to the Ingham event, got home from work only to find out the strip was closed, to say i was not happy would be an understatement.