The 28th & 29th of November are the last Flying Days for 2009, so don’t miss them! We have a jam-packed Flying Weekend planned, with plenty of action from Temora’s collection of ex-military aircraft, as well as some special visiting attractions! Two WWII Grumman TBM-3 Avengers, owned by Queensland businessman Steve Searle are scheduled to attend the Flying Weekend. Steve has a passion for aviation and especially propeller driven warbirds, and enjoys displaying them along the east coast of Australia including at Temora Aviation Museum Flying Weekends.

Australia’s current Unlimited Aerobatic Champion, Paul Bennet will fly one of the Avengers at Temora. Paul has approximately 70 hours flying the TBM Grumman Avengers, and is looking forward to putting it through its paces at the November Flying Weekend. To look at Steve Searle’s aviation museum website, paste this URL into your web address bar:

http://www.wirrawayaviationmuseum.com/

Red Bull Air Race legends Nigel Lamb and Matt Hall are coming to take part in the final Flying Weekend of the year. Nigel Lamb is traveling from the UK just to fly the Museum’s Spitfire throughout the weekend. Nigel said, “Aside from getting an update on developments at Temora Aviation Museum, It’ll be fantastic to participate in an event alongside Matt Hall rather than as a competitor in the Red Bull Air Race. Matt has had an exceptional debut year. To have finished third overall is a truly amazing result. Matt has set the bar very high and left many of us with plenty to do next year.”
To visit Nigel’s website, paste this URL into your web address bar: http://www.nigellamb.com

Matt Hall flew here during the Museum’s October Flying Weekend and enjoyed it so much that he is returning on the 28th and 29th of November to fly the WWII P-51 Mustang. It is planned that these two race pilots will fly in formation during the weekend displays. Both pilots were trained to fly military fighter jets before tackling Competition Aerobatics, Warbird flying and now Air Racing. Visitors to the Museum will have the opportunity to meet them during Ramp Talk which offers the occasion to see the aircraft up close, talk with the pilots and have autographs signed.
To see Matt’s website, paste this URL into your web address bar: http://www.matthallracing.com

The action packed flying displays planned for the 28th and 29th will also involve the world renowned vintage aircraft from Temora Aviation Museum including the RAAF CA-27 Sabre, Supermarine Spitfires Mk VIII and Mk XVI, CA-16 Wirraway, CA-13 Boomerang, Gloster Meteor F.8, and the Handley Page English Electric Canberra amongst many others!

On Sunday 29th our visitors will be treated to a guest appearance of the Canberra City Band as they perform period music at several intervals during the day. The Canberra City Band visits the Museum once a year to perform their popular arrangements for our visitors.

Make plans now to visit the last Flying Weekend for November! Gates open at 10:00 am, flying commences at 11:00 am and continues through until around 3:00 pm. Ramp Talk continues through until 4:00 pm, when the Museum closes. Food and refreshments will be available on site. And please remember to bring along a light fold-up chair as well as your sun protection.

Check out the cool new photos that have just been uploaded to the website on the Photo Gallery page.

To pre-purchase your tickets to the November Flying Weekend online, click on the ‘Purchase Tickets Online’ button on the homepage.

For further information regarding Museum Flying Days, click on the link ‘Flying Day information’ link within ‘Visitor Information’ link.

WISH US LUCK THIS THURSDAY NIGHT

As finalists in the NSW Tourism Awards, the Temora Aviation Museum hopes to secure a place this Thursday night at Darling Harbour, Sydney, where the winners of the 2009 NSW Tourism Awards will be announced. The Museum is a finalist in two categories: ‘Tourist Attractions’, and ‘Heritage and Cultural’.

We were fortunate to win Gold in one category last year, as well as receiving a Silver at the 2008 NSW Tourism Awards, and with fingers crossed we hope to have the same good luck again!

We’ll keep you updated…

GET IN NOW FOR CHRISTMAS!

Our online shop is an easy way to purchase gifts for Christmas, which is now only 5 weeks away (where has the year gone)!

Visit the online shop to see a great variety of DVDs, books, caps, clothing, and giftware. There are also new items added which include travel mugs, cups, hipflasks, and more. There are only a few limited edition Sabre hats left and they make the perfect gift.

Visit our online shop under the ‘Merchandise’ link to check out the products.

Temora Aviation Museum will be flying its Warbirds again this weekend, 18th and 19th of August. Flying Weekends are a great opportunity for visitors to experience the sights, sounds and smells of wartime vintage airplanes.

A welcome first-time addition to this upcoming weekend will be arrival of the TBM-3 Avenger (VH-MML). The Avenger is part of Steve Searle’s aircraft collection and will be visiting from Coolangatta, Queensland.

The Avenger was manufactured in the mid 1940’s by the Grumman Aircraft Company, which was based in Long Island, New York. Its main role during WWII was as a torpedo bomber. After their illustrious career as wartime bombers, many Avengers invariably ended up being heavily modified for operations as crop dusters and in a later development, as fire bombers. But as newer, more technically advanced aircraft types became available for fire bombing and farm work, the Avengers were once again facing redundancy.

Steve acquired his ex-fire bomber TBM in 2005, and proceeded with an extensive restoration of the machine to the glorious state it is in today, finishing in April 2006. The aircraft has been repainted to represent Avengers flown by Torpedo Squadron 84 from the Aircraft Carrier USS Bunker Hill circa 1944-45. It is distinguished by its US Navy Glossy Sea Blue fuselage and yellow nose ring.

Visit the Museum this weekend to watch the Avenger perform handling and aerobatic flying displays, along with other wartime aircraft from the Museum such as the Canberra, Meteor, Tiger Moth and Spitfire Mk XVI.

Flying action is on both Saturday and Sunday and Museum gates open at 10.00 am, with flying beginning at 11.00 am. Cost for adults is $15, adults over 65 yrs are $10.00 and children (3-18 yrs) $5. Children under 3 yrs are free. Food and refreshments are available on site, and don’t forget to bring along a light fold-up chair if you have one. Get along to the August Flying Weekend and check it out!