Category: Wings Over Illawarra

New Name & Event Frequency For ‘Airshows Downunder Shellharbour’ With March 2026 Edition Postponed 2 Months

The 2026 edition of Airshows Downunder Shellharbour, held at Shellharbour Airport 1.5 hours south of Sydney, has been postponed by 2 months to in-between the 15th & 17th of May, with the event returning to be held annually while the event’s name has being rebranded as Wings Over Shellharbour, which seems to be a combination of the previous name & the original name of the event, Wings Over Illawarra.

It comes as Paul Bennet Airshows, one of the performing aerobatic teams from the flagship Sydney Spectacular, has been given the mantle to operate the public air show weekend portion of the event, after overall operator, the Aerospace, Maritime & Defence Australia (AMDA) Foundation Limited, decided to sub-license that portion in order so they can focus more on strategic initiatives supporting the broader Australian aviation sector, particularly through AMDA’s Careers By AMDA program, which will remain as Day 1 of the event, with a focus on growing engagement with the Shellharbour community.

The AMDA Foundation signed the operator licence agreement with Shellharbour City Council in March 2023 & will expire in 2033, meaning the agreement is now for 9 editions rather the previous 5 editions. Shellharbour City Council has approved the sub-license.

However, the change of the overall public airshow weekend operator comes after only 1 edition of it which AMDA ended up producing, which saw a dramatic drop in attendance, likely attributable to the event’s rebranding. Paul Bennet Airshows was approached before August about taking over as that portion’s operator.

AMDA Foundation Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Justin Giddings, said the decision to bring in a new operator was “incredibly hard” but said handing the reins of the public weekend over to Paul Bennet Airshows was “natural”:

As a new CEO, this was the thing that I got off the ground. It’s a big decision but ultimately Avalon Airshow is really big & it took a lot of our focus & having someone who is based here (Shellharbour) …it made perfect sense. We have already hit the ground running with some of our careers & skills program.

AMDA has always been committed to advancing Australia’s aviation & aerospace industries. We’re excited to support
Wings Over Shellharbour through our Careers By AMDA initiative, helping inspire the next generation of aviation professionals. I think it’s a really good outcome for the region.

Justin Giddings, AMDA Foundation CEO

Despite what Justin Giddings said, Paul Bennett Airshows isn’t based in Shellharbour but in Maitland, 217 kilometres to the north. However, it is a lot closer than the AMDA Foundation were. They were nearly 700 kilometres to the southwest in the neighbouring state of Victoria. Shellharbour & Maitland are both in the state of New South Wales.

Paul Bennett Airshows is an Australian aerobatic show provider who provides well-known acts such as The Sky Aces & aircraft such as the Wolf Pitts Pro, Zivko Edge 540, Yakovlev Yak-52, Hawker Sea Fury, Grumman TBM Avenger, Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk and North American Aviation T28 Trojan and P-51 Mustang.

Jett & Paul Bennett walk away from their Wolf Pitts Pro at Shellharbour Airport
Photograph: Illawarra Mercury/Adam McLean

Regarding the decision to return annually, Paul Bennet said:

I think because I’m mad. Our goal is to grow the industry in general & if you look at the V8 Supercars (touring car racing series), they don’t run every 2nd year, they run every year. I’ve always had a bit of a goal that I want to do a similar thing to what the V8 model is in a way but with airshows.

We’re absolutely thrilled to be continuing this incredible airshow. There’s nothing quite like seeing the joy & excitement it brings to the crowds.

It’s a big deal event. There’s a lot of people involved. It’s not just an instant thing.

Paul Bennet, ‘Paul Bennet Airshows’ Founder

This news is a boost to the local Illawarra tourism industry. However, the improvement won’t be felt until May 2027, when the return to annual airshows has officially happened.

Paul Bennet Airshows has already confirmed though that “plenty of blockbuster stunts & displays never before seen at Shellharbour” for the upcoming edition including Wings Over Shellharbour debuts for the De Havilland Vampire Jet, Cessna O-2 Skymaster & the world’s only flying F4U-1D Corsair.

With all these changes, 1 immediate concern crops up. At the recent Avalon Australian International Airshow Paul Bennet Airshows was involved in a crash, which is still under investigation by the Australian Transportation Safety Board. Related but not involving Paul Bennet Airshows, there was also a fatal air crash at Shellharbour Airport in October last year that is also still under investigation. The former investigation should be completed by event time while the latter is currently a maybe.

Nevertheless, Shellharbour City Council Mayor, Chris Homer, said from what he had seen of Paul Bennet Airshows’ work, Wings Over Shellharbour would be “fabulous & fantastic”:

It seems to be a collaborative effort to get Paul Bennet off the ground once again, who is an expert not only in aviation but in putting on these events. I’m extremely pleased that in 2026 this is going to be a huge success. It was a great name before & as we can see, you have to have an evolution of things … seeing Shellharbour right there in the name, front & centre at our asset for such an exciting event. I’m ecstatic. It’s great.

Chris Homer, Shellharbour City Mayor

While catching the train is the best way to get to the event with a railway station less than 100 metres from the event gates, if you do end up driving, parking will cost AUD$5 – that’s half price on last edition! All parking charge proceeds will go to local community groups & all parking is off-site except for Platinum Pavilion ticket holders, buses, coaches & accredited disabled permit holders.

Wings Over Shellharbour will be held on 15-17 May 2026 at Shellharbour Airport with tickets on sale now here at early bird 2022 prices until the 31st of January!

New Operator, Name & Event Frequency For ‘Wings Over Illawarra’

The Aerospace, Maritime & Defence Australia (AMDA) Foundation Limited, the organisers of Australia’s largest air show, the biannual Australian International Airshow, Aerospace & Defence Exposition, held at Avalon Airport near Melbourne every 2 years has been given the mantle to operate the Wings Over Illawarra air show, a flagship Sydney Spectacular held at Shellharbour Airport 1.5 hours south of Sydney, after previous operator, Bright Events, achieved their goal of growing the event to new heights.

AMDA Foundation Limited is an Australian not-for-profit corporation established to promote the development of the aviation industry & Australia’s industrial, manufacturing and information technology resources in the fields of aviation, aerospace, maritime, defence and security.

New changes were made immediately with the event’s name, Wings Over Illawarra, being rebranded as Airshows Downunder Shellharbour. The brand, Airshows Downunder, was used by the AMDA Foundation for its airshows between 1989 & 1992. Whilst the name may be considered too corporate compared to the previous name, it signals a clear intent by the AMDA Foundation to grow the event from just the biggest airshow in New South Wales to one attracting international tourism and equalling its now-sister air show at Avalon Airport. The Australian International Airshow, Aerospace & Defence Exposition is not being renamed at this stage to Airshows Downunder Greater Geelong.

The AMDA Foundation signed the operator licence agreement with Shellharbour City Council in March last year, after receiving Council approval less than a week prior on the 28th of February. The switch to AMDA Foundation was on the initiative of Bright Events, whose operator license agreement would have expired in 2025. The new operator licence agreement lasts 10 years. However, the event will no longer be held annually but biannually instead so the agreement is in effect for 5 editions. Airshows Downunder Shellharbour will thus next be held on 1-3 March 2024 with the latter 2 days being the public air show days. Day 1 will be a school careers day, which was introduced last edition.

Whilst it allows the AMDA Foundation to switch its focus from Avalon to Shellhabour and vice versa each year, avoid a clash with the air show in Avalon which is held in the same March timeslot & probably allow over time for the 2 airshows to become branded as 1 annual airshow alternating in location each year, this news will be a biannual blow to the local Illawarra tourism industry. Its original designated timeslot was 10-12 November 2023, just under 3 months ago, so the immediate economic effects of this new event frequency should be minimal but by March 2025, the effects of the lower frequency will start to be felt. Avalon will not be experiencing the same situation as that airshow, due to it’s size, has always been biannual.

Despite the operator switch being on Bright Events’ initiative, the AMDA Foundation may have had more strategic goals in mind. In April 2022, an airshow held along Huntington Beach in Los Angeles, United States Of America called the Pacific Airshow – the world’s most highly attended airshow (equivalent to Sydney NYE) announced they were expanding to the Gold Coast, Australia in August 2023. They proudly boast on their website:

We’re also the only airshow in the world with 2 editions!

‘Pacific Airshow’ Website

Whilst their airshows are currently under different names, the AMDA Foundation is also now an air show organiser with 2 editions, which is likely not a feat many other organisations can claim. The only difference with the Pacific Airshow is that they are not in different countries.

Pacific Airshow Huntington Beach
Photograph: Pacific Airshow

1 noteworthy strength of the Pacific Airshow is its accessibility. As seen in the photo above, they utilise up to 2 kilometres of beach to host crowds of up to 1 million people instead of being restricted to the narrow confines of an airport. They are hoping for a similar success with the Gold Coast’s Surfers Paradise Beach. The AMDA Foundation with Airshows Downunder Shellharbour may utilise nearby Lake Illawarra for a similar idea with its approximately 19 kilometres of public shoreline. Wings Over Illawarra, in previous editions, utilised the Lake for promotional events such as a rare Catalina water touch & go. Despite only being restricted to 1 area of the large lake, it drew massive crowds & traffic congestion to a quiet lakeside suburb.

1 downside to this approach is that it reduces potential revenue. Huntington Beach is completely different to the Gold Coast with the latter’s beaches towered over by massive skyscrapers full of accommodation for tourists. Why pay for a view when there are towers everywhere that provide a clear view for free plus your accommodation? Paying for a ticket is if you want the live announcer feed & access to exhibits, autographs, rides and merchandise stalls. A distinct advantage with Lake Illawarra is the Airport is only 500 metres away from the shoreline, allowing the possibility of a free Lake airshow with a paid exhibition at the nearby Airport where most aircraft would land & take off. A similar concept could also be introduced along Geelong’s waterfront for the airshow at Avalon Airport. However, the distance between Avalon Airport & the shore is 5 kilometres. Pacific Airshows‘ use multiple airports, the nearest 10 kilometres away. This approach, as a result, definitely wouldn’t suit the Pacific Airshows particularly as those airshows have a distinct lack of major industry exhibition instead focusing on the family-friendly aerial displays by the beach concept.

In the long term, it is expected Airshows Downunder Shellharbour will be as large as the air show at Avalon, featuring more international aircraft & expanding to 6 days with an additional Friday afternoon & night air show (featuring fireworks!) & a new 3-day industry exposition to open the event. It should be stressed a limitation to an expansion in aircraft attending and landing is that the runway is currently not designed for larger aircraft. This was most notably demonstrated when the City Of Canberra, a Qantas Boeing 747-438, made its final flight to Shellharbour Airport to be the keystone permanent exhibit at the airport’s Historical Aircraft Restoration Society Museum. The jumbo jet could land (but had deliberately less tyre pressure for the landing) but could never take off again due to the runway’s limitations. There has been discussion of upgrading the runway for larger aircraft, but any solid plans would cause controversy due to the airport’s nearby suburbia which may not be pleased with the possibility of larger aircraft being used for regular passenger services. The airport is currently serviced by Link Airways to Melbourne & Brisbane via a Swedish Aeroplane Corporation 340B+. Again, to emphasis the main point, larger international aircraft may still attend the event via a flypast but they just won’t land, probably most likely returning to Sydney Airport or a nearby Royal Australian Air Force/Navy base.

While no expansion has been announced yet for the 2024 edition, AMDA has confirmed they will expand the event for the general public & develop greater industry involvement with Shellharbour City Council confirming that the AMDA Foundation is to expand the industry side of Airshows Downunder – Shellharbour, which currently consists of stalls & exhibits scattered around the eastern runways & taxiways, but most significantly, includes a school careers day opening the event the day prior to the public air shows, which utilises the whole event space & features exclusive flypasts.

With all these changes, 1 immediate concern crops up. The Avalon airshow has suffered traffic management issues in recent editions questioning the AMDA Foundation’s current skills in that area of event management. Luckily, unlike Avalon (10 min bus ride/2 hour walk from nearest railway station), the main event gates are literally right across the road to Albion Park railway station, which is to the nearby major cities of Shellharbour, Wollongong & Sydney. This is the best way to travel to the event. Canberra is also connected by rail but you need to catch a coach from the Southern Highlands rail line, down Macquarie Pass to Albion Park Railway Station.

Despite the traffic management concerns, the arrival of AMDA Foundation as the new operator of this flagship Sydney Spectacular for the next 5 editions (10 years) no doubt heralds in a new global era for the event, which was only awarded ‘flagship’ Sydney Spectacular status in 2021.

Shellharbour City Council Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mike Archer, said Shellharbour City Council was thrilled to partner with the AMDA Foundation:

AMDA’s expertise & experience in the aviation industry will help transform the city’s airshow into a nationally & internationally significant aviation event.

This is an exciting opportunity to bring even more people to Shellharbour City, further cementing our local government area as a top tourism destination.

‘Airshows Downunder – Shellharbour‘ will have a significant positive economic impact on the local economy.

A larger airshow has the potential to increase visitation & revenue generation for local businesses & raise the profile of Shellharbour as a key travel destination in the overnight visitor economy.

Additionally, a larger airshow would further highlight Shellharbour Airport as a destination for aviation enthusiasts & businesses across the industry, potentially leading to increased investment in the airport & the surrounding area,

Shellharbour City Council CEO, Mike Archer

‘Wings Over Illawarra’ was created to give the general public a great airshow & help promote affordable recreational aviation in Australia.

AMDA Foundation’s great experience & resources will take the airshow to the next level.

Their experience in operating major events such as the ‘Australian International Airshow’ will help the airshow grow & increase its ability to promote aviation in Australia.

‘Wings Over Illawarra’ founder, Mark Bright

‘Wings Over Illawarra’ has built an excellent reputation as an event for the general aviation & light sport aviation community in Australia.

It has an exciting airshow covering the breadth of vintage, warbird and modern aviation & a highly regarded careers and skills day to help attract the next generation.

It also provides an important means of promoting general aviation to the general public.

AMDA Foundation intends to build on that & create an event that promotes the Australian general aviation industry while providing an exciting airshow for all the family.

AMDA Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Justin Giddings

Airshows Downunder Shellharbour will be held on 1-3 March 2024 at Shellharbour Airport.