Joan de Bondt, The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper

The inaugural Kerang Air Show held last weekend was the brainchild of Barry Wood, president of the Murray Valley Flying Club. His vision was to involve the public in celebrating a weekend of aviation, with the addition of motorcycles, military vehicles, the SES, tractors and vintage cars.

It is anticipated that the fly-in, which has taken at least 10 months to plan, will become an annual event. Barry said that the airfield is under-utilised and this event provides an opportunity for the community to come together for an interesting and informative weekend.

The crowd arrived in cars, in cars towing caravans, on motorbikes and in small aircraft. They came from near and far – I spoke to people from Bendigo, Swan Hill, Melbourne, Barham, Koondrook, Cohuna, Numurkah and Vinifera.

An estimated 30 light aircraft flew in from across the state. All day Saturday and Sunday, small aircraft were circling the air strip, landing and taxiing.

Adam Wright arrived from Boort in a tiger moth. He purchased the plane in Perth about a year ago, and flew it home. Originally based in Tocumwal in 1944, it was used to train RAF pilots, and was restored in the 90s to its original high-vision bright yellow colour.

Grant Duffy drove from Numurkah to Echuca, then flew a Piper Cherokee to Kerang.

Geoffrey and Maureen Coates flew a Grumman Cheetah from Strathmerton.

The Cohuna Model Flying Club had a display of model aeroplanes, including one which has yet to be launched. The members of the club were keen to share their passion for model planes with the public and to explain the technical details. Secretary, Trevor Taylor, said that the club has been in existence for over 40 years, with one original member, 82-year-old Max Heap, still active today. At present, there are 13 members, which includes one woman.

The highlight on Saturday was the arrival of the Russian Roolettes, so named because the majority of the aircraft they fly are Yak-52 aeroplanes. There were to be five planes in the squad, but unfortunately two from Mittagong were grounded due to bad weather. Smoke billowing, the Roolettes flew in perfect formation and landed one by one.

The planes were on display and offered a limited number of flights to the public in a Nanchang CJ-6. Roolette, Alex von Mengersen from Wagga, said that three of the pilots in their squad are ex-air force, retired Qantas pilots, and the remaining two, himself included, are commercial pilots. They average five to six shows a year, the next one being in Brisbane.

There were also TIF (Trial Introductory Flight) flights on offer in a light aircraft for budding pilots. The demand for flights in both aeroplanes turned out to be greater than the number available in the permitted time.

On Saturday night, there was a dinner and trivia quiz at Sporties Hotel in Kerang. Barry said that all 100 tickets were sold and the night was full of fun and friendly rivalry.

On Sunday, members of the Black Dog Ride were in attendance to sell merchandise and raise awareness of mental health and suicide prevention in the community. This was a one-day event, but every year, they hold a national long-distance motorcycle ride, connecting with communities along the way to bring attention to their cause.

The Rotary barbecue did a roaring trade all weekend, as did the other food, drink and ice cream vans. There were market stalls on Sunday, and regular bus tours to the town for visitors.

The event is scheduled for the same time next year and promises to be even bigger and better than the inaugural event.

This article appeared in The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 31 March 2022.