CESSNA 182 ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA
AUTUMN FLY-IN TO BENDIGO VIC
MAY 1st- 3rd 2009
Impressive Victorian buildings line the wide streets of Bendigo, as a reminder of the rich history built from one of the world's most exciting gold rushes. Today there are new treasures to be discovered in this thriving city. Bendigo is a place where art, culture, food, wine and heritage attractions are in abundance, as was gold of the late 1850's.
Some of Bendigo highlights for you to enjoy are, the Central Deborah mine where you can get that underground mining experience. (not for the claustrophobic), the 1860's Chinese Joss House and Golden Dragon Museum, the Vintage "Talking Tram" city tours, Bendigo Art Gallery, Bendigo Pottery and the Bendigo Town Hall all are a must see.
Fly-in next Autumn for a week-end of fun, fellowship and a little education.
More information coming shortly...
Last Fly-in
Our 2008 spring fly-in was to the Queensland garden city of Toowoomba.
After arrivals on Friday, we spent Friday evening catching up with each other at the Shamrock Hotel.
On Saturday morning we boarded coaches for a tour west of Toowoomba across some of the best farming country of the Darling Downs. A visit, and tour, of the "Open Air Working Museum of Rural Australian Life" at Jondaryan took most of the morning. We enjoyed a country style buffet lunch at the Lagoon Creek Homestead.
The return trip incorporated a deviation to the town of Oakey. Here we had a conducted tour of the "Museum of Army Flying" and a tour the Army Aviation Base a guided tour of the maintenance facility.
A tour of some of Toowoomba's most attractive parks and gardens finished off the day before returning to the hotel.
The Saturday evening dinner was held at Encore's Restaurant which is adjacent to the heritage listed Empire Theatre. The guest speaker for the evening was Bill Bristow, founder and Chairman of Angel Flight in Australia. Bill explained how the Angel Flight concept started and the many challenges that he had had to overcome to put in place one of the greatest community service programmes that any aviator can be involved in.
Raffle tickets were available at the dinner, the prize being an Adventure Flight in a Trojan T28 warbird with Aerotec's CFI Matt Handley.
Sunday morning we went back to Toowoomba Airport for a tour of the Zuccoli Warbird Collection, and to watch the winner off the Adventure Flight in the Trojan T28 warbird enjoy his flight. The Darling Downs Aero Club provided a B-B-Q lunch before we departed for home bases.
Trusting everyone got home safely, especially our southern neighbours, who had some bad weather to contend with.
