The Royal Australian Air Force has confirmed it will stage a major air show at Williamtown in mid-November.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Newcastle Herald reported in March that the RAAF was considering its Williamtown base for a one-off event which could attract tens of thousands of people to the Hunter.
The RAAF confirmed on Friday that head of air shows Air Commodore Micka Gray and Newcastle lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes would announce the Air Force Newcastle Williamtown Air Show 2023 at Fort Scratchley on Friday morning.
The Herald has been told the one-off event will be staged over two days and comprise an aerial display over Newcastle and an open day at the Williamtown base.
The RAAF typically conducts an air show at a major RAAF base every two years as part of its community engagement strategy.
The shows typically include modern air force planes and an array of historic aircraft, but the RAAF has not released details of the Newcastle event.
The chief executive of Destinations Port Stephens, Steve Keogh, said air shows were a "proven hit".
"We know they work. People love them," he said.
"They're a rare opportunity to see vintage and modern aircraft up close."
Williamtown is Australia's main fighter pilot training base and is home to most of the nation's new F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighters.
The base hosted an air show in 2010 which attracted 52,000 people, but rising interest in Australia's defence capabilities and a rare opportunity to see Williamtown's latest state-of-the-art fighter jets and other military aircraft up close could attract a larger crowd.
More than 60,000 people attended a RAAF air show at the Edinburgh base in Adelaide's northern suburbs in November 2019.
IN THE NEWS
- Orica fined after worker hospitalised in gas leak
- Honours for Hunter's Black Summer firefighters
- Long weekend forecast: what to expect from the weather
- Letters: Newcastle's 'barn' might scare off big acts
- 'She needs help': plight to get Hunter woman home after brain injury in Thailand
- 'You will die here tonight': Mount Hutton torture shed trial hears of kidnapping, assault
- 'Punched 20 times': inmate captured on CCTV bashing prisoner in cell
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Join the discussion in the comment section below.
Michael Parris
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
