Tocumwal Airshow

by Matt

Tocumwal Airshow

Nestled among golden Canola-filled fields on the fertile banks of the Murray River on the NSW/Victoria border, Tocumwal turned on the charm (and perfect weather) to play host to their first airshow in over 30 years on September 14.

Organised by the Murray Downs Flying Club and Paul Bennet Airshows, aircraft ranging from 1930’s biplane trainers through to hairy-chested piston-engined fighters and jet-powered attack aircraft filled the skies with an impressive aerial display to nearly 5000 visitors.

Tocumwal’s Military Days

In the space of just sixteen weeks, during the darkest days of the Second World War, scores of US and Australian serviceman bore down onto Tocumwal to construct McIntyre Field, the name given to the new air base at Tocumwal. By the time this base had been built, the imminent threat of Japanese invasion of northern Australia had been countered and the base was now surplus to US requirements. As US General George Kenney, commander of the Allied Air Forces in the South-West Pacific stated, “Mighty fine base, shift it 2000 miles closer to the enemy!” This they did immediately, moving to Garbutt in northern Queensland.

As the USAAF moved out, Australian forces moved in. The RAAF used the base as a maintenance depot, to train bomber crews and also train Army airborne soldiers. The skies around Tocumwal were filled with Liberators, Beaufighters, Vengeances and many other types until the end of the war. Post-war, the base became an open storage facility, with hundreds of aircraft being left to slowly die. Most of these aircraft would later be sent to the furnace or sold for scrap. A few rare examples would somehow survive, and these would become the nucleus of the Australian warbirds movement.

Airshow

Paying homage to both the military and civilian historical significance of Tocumwal, an action-packed display lasting for over four hours was witnessed by an appreciative audience. The show commenced with a parachute drop, commemorating the airfield’s use by the Army’s Paratroop Training Unit, the precursor to today’s Nowra-based Parachute Training School.

Paul Bennet orbiting the parachutist in his Wolf Pitts Pro, while making his descent under canopy (Image: Matt Savage)

There were also a number of displays by ex-military aircraft throughout the day. This included Commonwealth CA-18 Mustang VH-AUB (formerly A68-107) owned by Ross Pay of Scone, NSW. A former RAAF aircraft built in the immediate post-war years and delivered directly into storage. Struck off charge in 1958, she was bought immediately by Aubrey ‘Titus’ Oates and returned to flight. This saved her from suffering the same ignominious fate at the hands of the smelter as many others did.

One of many hundreds of former RAAF aircraft that was stored at RAAF Tocumwal, Mustang A68-107 was one of the few that escaped the clutches of the smelter (Image: Matt Savage)

Aircrew training was commemorated by several displays throughout the show, with aircraft such as the DH Tiger Moth and Moth Minor, CAC Wirraway, Vultee BT-13 and NAA T-6 performing. In addition, the RAAF Heritage Trainers flew an impressive seven-ship formation made up of a trio of CAC CA-25 Winjeels, a trio of AESL CT-4 Airtrainers, and the RAAF Museum’s North American Harvard.

Garry Hearne’s 1945 DH.82A Tiger Moth VH-BEN (formerly RAAF serial A17-736). This Tiger Moth is one of 861 that served with the RAAF) (Image: Matt Savage)
Originally constructed by De Havilland Aircraft Co. in Hatfield, England just days before the commencement of World War 2 in August 1939, she was shipped to Australia and served with the RAAF as A21-42. She was employed for pilot training by 2EFTS at Archerfield, QLD, and later at 5SFTS at Uranquinty, NSW. Her last RAAF flight took place in 1944 and flew a total of 466 hours in service (Image: Matt Savage)
Paul Bennet launches in his CA-3 Wirraway VH-WWY (formerly RAAF serial A20-81). She is painted to represent a 4 Squadron RAAF aircraft. In actual service A20-81 served with 5SFTS and was retired in 1957 (Image: Matt Savage)
Responsible for teaching tens of thousands of pilots during World War II and beyond, the Vultee BT-13 Valiant (Vibrator to her pilots) and North American T-6 Texan (Harvard in Commonwealth service) were the Basic and Advanced trainers flown by the US Army Air Forces. After graduating from the Valiant and then the Texan, pilots would then go off to do advanced training of types like the Mustang, Thunderbolt and Warhawk before being sent off to battle (Image: Matt Savage)
The RAAF Heritage Trainers are a group of warbird owners who come together to display their treasured ex-RAAF CA-25 Winjeels and AESL CT-4A Airtrainers at airshows and commemorative events in Victoria and NSW. The RAAF Museum, based at RAAF Williams – Point Cook, regularly fly their own Winjeel, CT-4 and their ex-RNZAF Harvard with them (Matt Savage)

Aerial agriculture has been an essential part of life in Tocumwal and her environs for many decades, and several displays featured these aircraft. Two of these types displayed were rare indigenous designs. The CA-28 Ceres (names after the Roman goddess of agriculture and fertility) and the PL-12 Airtruk were both designed by Australian firms CAC and Transavia respectively, during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Only small numbers of both types were built, and the only airworthy Ceres in the world, plus a pair of Airtruks, came to Tocumwal. More modern crop-dusting and firebombing types, the Air Tractor AT-402B and AT-802, also made displays in their working roles.

Only in Australia does one get the opportunity to see such an historic formation. The CA-28 Ceres (right) and PL-12 Airtruk (left) were both indigenous post-war attempts to create a purpose-built solution for aerial application and cropdusting (Image: Matt Savage)
One of Field Air’s turboprop-powered AT-402B’s, VH-FZD, spraying the Canola during her handling display. With their GPS tracking systems they are able to cover more area, with more accuracy, than earlier-generation ag-planes (Image: Matt Savage)
The larger cousin of the AT-402B is the AT-802. Also operated by Field Air, this example conducted a firebombing demonstration. These aircraft are the tip of the spear for firefighting operations during the oppressive Australian summer (Image: Matt Savage)

Tocumwal is known world-wide among the gliding fraternity, due to its flat terrain and excellent weather suited for soaring. A number of Australian and World records have also been set at Tocumwal, and they even have a sailplane mounted on a pole in the centre of town!  Local resident Mark Paterson put on an elegant display in his Jonker JS-3 sailplane. This South African-built sailplane is designed for long-distance and high-performance flight, and has an impressive Lift:Glide ratio of 1:50. It also carries a small gas turbine engine capable of self-launching.

Mark Paterson creating a lot of lift with his Jonker JS-3 sailplane. The small turbine engine can be seen on top of the fuselage near the the trailing edge of the wings (Image: Matt Savage)

Paul Bennet Airshows brought down several of their aircraft to display, with displays by his Wolf Pitts Pro, Rebel 300, CAC Wirraway and Grumman Avenger. Temora Aviation Museum did displays with their CAC Boomerang and the sole airworthy Lockheed Hudson light bomber flying worldwide. Other displays made included formation and solo displays by a pair of Russian Yak-52 aircraft, DH Chipmunks, a pair of Auster AOP.III and Cessna 0-1 Birddog Forward Air Control aircraft, and for the fast-jet aficionados, a Let L39 Albatros streaked through the skies.

There is normal straight-and-level, and then there is Paul Bennet’s straight-and-level. This pass demonstrates the strength and power that his unique Wolf Pitts Pro contains (Image: Matt Savage)
Paul Bennet (right) and Glenn Graham roar skywards in a formation loop in the Wolf Pitts Pro and Rebel 300 (Image: Matt Savage)
A side view of Paul Bennet’s ‘Wirrabanger’, armed with a pair of Browning .303in machine-guns in the nose, and a pintle-mounted 0.303in Lewis machine-gun in the Observer’s station. A Wirraway similar to this successfully shot down a Japanese Army Nakajima Ki-43 near Port Moresby in New Guinea on Christmas Day 1942. It is the only confirmed victory scored by the Wirraway (Image: Matt Savage)
Paul Bennet keeps his Grumman Avenger down low and fast during its display. This Avenger is painted to represent an aircraft that served on the USS Bunker Hill during the final months of the Pacific War (Image: Matt Savage)
Temora Aviation Museum’s Lockheed Hudson VH-KOY (RAAF serial A16-112). She is painted to represent an aircraft of No.2 Squadron RAAF, A16-211 ‘The Tojo Busters’, based at Milne Bay in New Guinea (Image: Matt Savage)
Matt Denning brings CA-16 Boomerang VH-MHR (formerly A46-122). It took Matt twenty-seven years to painstakingly restore this Boomerang to her former glory. She is one of two Boomerangs currently flying in Australia, but there are several more in various stages of restoration (Image: Matt Savage)
Designed as a basic trainer by the Russian Yakovlev Design Bureau and built by the Romanian manufacturer Aerostar between 1977 and 1998, the Yak-52 has become a very popular entry-level warbird, with no less than 60 examples on the Australian Civil Register. Both of these examples are based in Victoria (Image: Matt Savage)
The De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk was designed as a replacement for the venerable DH.82 Tiger Moth in RAF service. A very popular trainer, the Chippy was eventually used by many air forces around the world, with some still in operational service. This pair wear a grey RAF training scheme (Image: Matt Savage)
Described as the deadliest aircraft of the Vietnam War (because of its ability to direct airstrikes upon NVA and VC forces), the Cessna O-1 Birddog was designed to provide Forward Air Control on the battlefield, and has been used in several conflicts since the Korean War. Recently retired Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin (retired) owns the green US Army example (a 1954 O-1G Birddog, VH-EAZ), and Matt Henderson owns the grey rocket-equipped USAF example (a 1952 O-1G, VH-FAC) (Image: Matt Savage)
The Taylorcraft Auster family of light aeroplanes were first employed by the RAAF as Aerial Observation Posts during the latter stages of the Pacific War. This example, VH-BDM (A11-33 in RAAF service) was briefly flown by 16 AOP Flight before going into storage, and was later sold for the princely sum of £505 in 1947. She has recently been acquired by Lloyd Gallloway, and this was his first airshow as a display pilot (Image: Matt Savage)
Taylorcraft Auster III VH-MHT (formerly A11-49) in the post-war RAAF silver scheme. The final aircraft to be delivered into storage at RAAF Tocumwal was an Auster. This example is owned by Cameron Ross and lives at Kyneton, Vic (Image: Matt Savage)
Mark Pracy’s L-39C Albatros VH-IOT ‘Red 66’ streaking through the skies over Tocumwal on a topside pass. A very popular trainer and light attack aircraft made by Let Aero Vodochody of the Czech Republic, the L-39 family is used by many air arms worldwide, and many have also found their way to Australia for ordinary people to experience the thrill of a military jet and be a ‘Top Gun’ for the day. They are also a popular mount for air racing (Image: Matt Savage)

The finale was a visual and aural spectacle of WW2-era fighters, made up of a CAC CA-18 Mustang and a pair of Curtiss P-40N Kittyhawks. Multiple formation and single-ship passes were made; a fitting tribute to all who served, and to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, at Tocumwal.

Two of the most famous Allied fighters of the Second World War, the Mustang and Kittyhawks (Warhawk in US service) made a spectacular conclusion to the Tocumwal Airshow (Image: Matt Savage)
A veteran of the 49th Fighter Group, US 5th Air Force, this P-40N-5 Warhawk engaged in a dogfight with a Japanese Ki-61 ‘Tony’ Fighter, which was shot down. A few moments later it too would be brought down, from hits sustained in the dogfight. Restored and flown by Doug Hamilton, this aircraft now has a second seat behind the pilot, and has full flying controls and instruments (Image: Matt Savage)
The P-40 family didn’t share the same glamour as did the Mustang or Spitfire, but she was a much more important aircraft in many respects. This aircraft, VH-ZOC, is a P-40N-1 that served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force during WW2. Owned by Allan Arthur of Albury, NSW, this aircraft is finished in the paint scheme of No 112 “Shark” Squadron, RAF as flown by FLT-LT M. N. Mathias out of Pachino/Agnone Scicily, July 1943 (Image: Matt Savage)
Known as the ‘Cadillac of the Sky’, the Mustang is always a crowd pleaser. Australia was the only country to licence-produce the Mustang, building 80 from parts kits supplied from North American Aviation, plus a further 120 wholly made in Australia. This example was the 27th Australian Mustang, and is owned by Ross Pay in Scone, NSW. (Image: Matt Savage)

Overall a very successful country airshow, and one that will return to Tocumwal again in 2021.

A life-long aerophile and tertiary-qualified photographer, Matt has combined his passion for all things aviation with his love of photography for many years. His written and photographic works have been published in Australia and overseas. His professional life has centred on the printing industry, with close to a quarter century of experience in all facets of retail and commercial print production and management. Matt lives in a bayside suburb of Melbourne, is married and has a daughter.