Take flight at Coonamble Ag Field Day

PUT YOUR capes back in the cupboard and prepare to fly at the Coonamble Ag Field on 24 March.
One of the highlights at this year’s event looks like being an aviation hub involving Coonamble Aero Club and their partners.
And it’s not a static display.
Aviation and agriculture have gone hand in hand in Australia ever since the first bush pilot bounced off their back paddock.
Ag pilots are still in hot demand in the industry as crop-dusters and livestock musterers and there is a serious shortage of qualified pilots throughout Australia for everything from medical retrievals to commercial airlines.
If you’ve ever entertained the idea of getting your pilot’s licence or just want to get a bird’s eye view of Coonamble the Ag Field Day will be just the ticket.
Central West Helicopters will be bringing two of their ‘birds’ and will be running joyflights out of the campdraft arena at Coonamble Showground. Coonamble Shire Council last week approved the Aero Club’s application for take-off and landings at the site so the Club is now finalising arrangements.
The four seater (R44) will take group flights while the two-seater (R22) will be for those who want to get a bit more up-close-and-personal with the whole chopper experience.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) will be on site with their ‘big bus’ that has an undercarriage fitted with a bank of four or five flight simulators ready for flying enthusiasts to take for a virtual spin.
Coonamble Aero Club is one of a dozen clubs affiliated with the AOPA across NSW and are working with them to re-invigorate interest in aviation as a career.
The Club has had a lot of success in helping local residents gain their pilot’s licence in recent years through their partnership with Achieve Aviation who will also be at the Field Day with their own equipment and information.
Achieve Aviation’s flying school has operated out of Coonamble Airport since 2011.
Their highly experienced instructor flies out from Cessnock on an almost weekly basis to work with student pilots from around the region for both their theory and practical flight training.
Aero Club member Angus Chadwick says you can start your training at any age.
“You can attain a students license at any age, you just can’t go solo until you’re 15. It’s a great opportunity for local young people to get into flying.”
Adults and especially youngsters are encouraged to come along and give the simulators a try at the Field Day, as well as on the Sunday Fly In.
“Now is a good time to think about it,” Mr Chadwick said. “Because of the pilot shortage, the AOPA, governments and others in the aviation industry are looking at ways of making pilot training more affordable, especially for small clubs like Coonamble.”
While they’re in town for the Field Day, the AOPA will also be working with the Aero Club to support their Fly In at Coonamble Airport the following day.
Early predictions suggest that between 15 and 20 aircraft are expected from the other AOPA-affiliated clubs, plus pilots and aeroplanes from around the north west.
“There could be as many as 40 aeroplanes,” Angus Chadwick said.
“The biggest issue will be finding space for them all to park.”
This will be another chance for locals to check out different aircraft, talk to people and see what aviation is all about.
If helicopter rides and flight simulators aren’t enough, the Aero Club have confirmed that there will be a formation flight display at both the Saturday Field Day and Sunday’s Fly In.