RAAF Radschool Association Magazine

Avalon Air Show 2013  -  Special Edition

Page 6

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Back     Go to:   Intro,   About,   Civil Acft,   Mil  Acft,   RAAF,   Volunteers.     Back to start

Volunteers.

An event like the Avalon Airshow, which needs a large workforce for about 2 weeks every 2 years, could not operate efficiently and successfully without a large number of volunteers. Volunteering gives the Airshow organisers a substantial dedicated workforce that is ‘affordable’ and gives volunteers a chance to be part of and participate in a special event, an event built around an activity about which they are passionate.

In this situation, everyone wins.

Every two years, several months prior to the show date, volunteers are asked to submit their intention to participate and to nominate in which “job” they would like to participate. There’s a job for everyone, and if you like being around aircraft, like getting together with a bunch of like-minded people, like making new friends and want a wonderful week in the Geelong area, then you too should volunteer.

These are some of the jobs available.

Volunteers are very well looked after too, here are some of the benefits. 

• Free Airshow Family Pass.

•  Free access to Airshow campsite (if required).

• Free car parking in designated personnel car park.

• Free Meals provided as per roster.

• Uniform Provided.

• Post Event Recognition.

• Post Event Party.

In 2013, there were about 600 volunteers and 100 persons in managerial positions, all of whom were ‘organised’ by the lovely Karen Scott. If you think it is for you, we’ll remind you again late in 2014 so you can get your name in for the 2015 show.

Tony Harley (below) was there in March, he worked on the tarmac, met up with some old mates and made a few more, met lots of aircrew from lots of places and says he had a ball. Tony made use of the camping facilities provided by the Airshow and pitched his tent on the Lara Sports-ground along with many many others.

Everything was fine until the storm came through and moistened things a bit, but no-one cared, it soon cleared, and being a footy ground everything dried out quickly and everyone was happy.

Others stayed in various accommodation sites, some with family or friends, some in caravans, some in motels. Along with a lot of others, we stayed at the Best Western Motel in Geelong and were looked after by Mark and Linda Vaughan like we were the best of friends.

If motels are your style - we can definitely recommend the Best Western.

Tony – being the considerate and chivalrous sort of bloke that he is, made sure the Breitling Wing-Walker girls were well looked after and wanted for nothing.

After work, most of the Volunteers who were camped on the sports-ground, would meet at the Lara Hotel for dinner, (provided of course), a cold beer, a yarn about the day’s activities and just a good old social get together.

Ray (left) and Gus (right) showing Andrea how to operate the two-way radio.   (Sorry – no surnames)

To co-ordinate all the aircraft movements, an Aircraft Operations Centre was set up. This area provided Flight Planning and Pilot Briefing, Aircraft Ground Operations, Air Movements, FOC and Administration.

The AIP, that was published by Airservices Aust, made some changes to the airspace and procedures at Avalon Airport during the period 20^th Feb to 5^th March. Normally Avalon Tower has control of the airspace from ground level to 700ft, while Melbourne ATC look after the rest. The AIP activated the 3 Restricted Areas above the airport, giving Avalon Tower control from ground to 25,000ft inside the areas. The Airshow then established a Flight Operations Centre (FOC) [below] to provide a Service Movement (SMC) service.

During the period of the show, when an aircraft landed at Avalon, Tower would hand it over to the FOC which would then control it while on the ground. Looking at the number of people in the FOC the day this photo was taken there must have been a bunch of beautiful girls sitting nearby or there was a spectacular aerial display in progress – we think probably the former.

These three lovely girls run the Admin Centre at the Ops building. They look after the welfare of about 200 people who in turn look after tarmac control, crowd control, refuelling and aircraft escorting (follow me jeep).

The A Team.

The Air Movements section allocates arrival and departure times, parking spots and keeps a record of all aircraft movements.

Nigel Pittaway, who heads up the records section, gave us the following stats from the 2013 show. You have to feel a little sorry for the ATC blokes who normally fight each other to talk to an aircraft – their daily work load goes from 5 Jetstar movements per day (with the odd lighty) to that below.

With the large number of visiting aircraft, and with parking at a premium, most aircraft need to be parked some distance from the Ops Centre, so a reception section was set up to meet these aircraft, welcome the crews and bring them back to the reception centre where they could arrange fuel, accommodation, meals, etc.

These 4 lovely girls were part of the Aircrew Reception section, undoubtedly they would make anyone feel welcome.

The girls had the use of little golf buggies in which to get around the large airfield to pick up the aircrews.

Most sections also had the use of one, handy for scooting out to check out an aircraft or for important jobs, like picking up lunch.

These three girls, who were also from Aircrew reception, had taken a break and gone to have a look at the aircraft. Lindsay Hill reckons they had just gone to check out the blokes in uniform – could be!! 

The large number of RAAF and other nations’ Air Forces’ aircraft, although handled by the Air Movements section, was done so in conjunction with the RAAF who had a co-ordinator on staff at all times.  Flt Lt Ben Fraser, from RAAF Williams (we used to call it Laverton) earned his stripes working from sun up to sun down - but we reckon it was just a way to build up a bunch of hours leave in lieu.

We had a chat with Ben about conditions in the RAAF today, seems things have definitely changed, for starters, Ben didn’t have a clue what a Panic was, or subsistence allowance, or bed rolls, or guard duty, or even spit polish!!

When he was out we snuck a look at his boots which Mr RAAF had provided him with, these days they come already spit polished, RAAF’s spoiling them these days!!

The organisers provided Airshow Volunteers and staff, apart from Ben who had the use of the Taj Mahal, with the Dubbo  Club which provided meals and drinks and a place in which to eat, relax and/or just socialise should one wish.

Actually called the ASDU club, the Dubbo bit comes from days gone by when Australia was an “A” and not a “Y” and before that VFR helicopter pilot ……

Two girls who worked in the Dubbo Club are Ellen Sharpe, above left, who lives in Tassie and takes leave and flies over to volunteer for the show and Libby Bate who lives locally. Both were on hand every day to provide the meals, always with a happy outlook and a big smile.

And what do they say - "The job's not done until the paperwork's ...."

Faye Argento, who is a Team Leader in the Dubbo Club, tallies up the register after each meal break. She says normally they provide lunches for between 750 and 1000 people.

Fay lives in Canberra and each show she and a friend pack their car, drive down to Geelong, pitch a tent at the sports ground in Lara and spend the 10 or so days having a great time, meeting lots of people, making new friends and promising to be back for the next one. Fay has been to 4 previous shows and says she will definitely be back for more..

And with all these people in all these offices, there is surely to be a mess.

That is where important people like Christie Rule come in, Christie and her work mates kept the work places clean and tidy, for some reason, something that a bunch of blokes can’t do themselves.

Blokes don’t seem to be able to see a mess like girls can, for most blokes a mess is just a by-product of activity, it just blends in with the background, accepted - funny that!!

The next Airshow will be in 2015 – and if you want to enjoy yourself, think seriously about volunteering. Have a look at these photos, everyone is smiling, everyone one loves the experience, loves the work, loves the atmosphere, loves the camaraderie – and you will too.

If you’ve never been there before, Geelong is a great town, it has a population of about 215,000, it’s right on the water, there’s lots to see and lots to do.

And just before the show finished, Sarah Tanner from the Wingwalkers came up to Air Movements for one last  photo….

But then, you can’t really blame her!!

Back     Go to:   Intro,   About,   Civil Acft,   Mil  Acft,   RAAF,   Volunteers.     Back to start

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