MAAA Wingspan

27 FEBRUARY WING SPAN MAAALogo. Hundreds of excited aviation enthusiasts both young and old looked to the skies in one of Australia’s biggest model airshows, the Tingalpa Model Aero Club Hobby Expo. This spectacular aerial event, held in September, bought together 500 local community members, families and model pilots in a positive step to showcase the thrills, excitement and camaraderie of our sport- all while encouraging more people to have a go at aeromodelling. The expo included static displays as well as aerial shows. A total of 80 model planes were on display throughout the event as well as historic and vintage cars tanks and military vehicles. Event Coordinator, Pat Wilson said the event exceeded expectations and was voiced by the community as one of the best airshows ever witnessed. “We had a fantastic role up of 40 aeromodelling pilots from all across SEQ, all willing to showcase their aircraft and talk to the general public about our sport,” he said. “One of the highlights for the public was our opening national anthem, where we fly a drone and model helicopter down the runway, carrying the Australian flag. Another highlight was the mock machine gun battle with special effects and explosions- the crowds loved it. “We also had a great display of various aircraft both in the air and stagnate display. These included; Fokker Try planes, B17 and B25 Bombers, German WW2 replica planes and EDF Jets.” MAAA Secretary, Tyson Dodd said the Tingalpa Model Aero Club showcased how our clubs can host a successful event, engaging with the local community, while actively highlighting our sport. “The club engaged with the public really well, which saw a turnout of over 500 people. It was great exposure for the club but also let members of the public know about our sport and how they can get involved,” said Tyson. “During the expo, we handed out 1400 gliders to children and “Have a Go” tags. These tags were given out to encourage the public to come back to the club and have a go at the sport first-hand. “Air shows are a great way to highlight the fun and thrills of our sport to the wider community and a great way to engage newmembers, especially the younger generation. “It was interesting to hear frommembers of the public who lived around the corner and didn’t even know the aero club was there. Now they do and they know what we are all about.” australia’s Biggest Model Expo EVENT COORDINATOR PAT WILSON TELLS US ALL ABOUT THE SUCCESSS OF THE THRILLING ANNUAL AEROMODELLING EVENT