Aerobatic teams fly the friendly skies

THE Australian International Airshow has officially started its defence expo, and aircraft from two nations took off together yesterday (Monday, February 27) to give an impressive preview of the public show to come.

The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) aerobatics team the Black Eagles and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aerobatics team the Roulettes flew a friendship flight along the Great Ocean Road and back as well as over Melbourne’s CBD.

The two aviation teams – six from the Roulettes and eight from the Black Eagles – demonstrated their skills in the Victorian skies ahead of the Australian International Airshow’s public days, which run from Friday, March 3 until Sunday, March 5 at Avalon Airport.

The teams conducted low-level formation flying from Avalon, travelling southwest over the Surf Coast, along the great Ocean Road to Port Campbell, where the aircraft turned around and fly back along the Great Ocean Road to Port Phillip Heads, then over Melbourne’s Central Business District, before returning to Avalon.

The formation flight included six Pilatus PC-21 turboprop aircraft from the RAAF’s Central Flying School, located at RAAF Base East Sale; and eight T-50B aircraft from the ROKAF.

The Roulettes and Black Eagles will each perform individual aerobatic displays over the three public days of the airshow.

The Black Eagles team has thrilled audiences at recent airshows across Asia, Europe and the United Kingdom.

This is the first time the team and its supersonic T-50B Golden Eagle jet aircraft have appeared in Australian skies.

The Black Eagles won the King Hussein Memorial Sword for best overall flying demonstration and the As the Crow Flies Trophy, the top two honours at the 2022 Royal International Air Tattoo  – the world’s largest military airshow – in England.

For more information or to buy tickets, head to airshow.com.au.