THE power and might of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) will be behind Sunday’s Soar, Ride and Shine event at Bathurst Airport.
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The event will be huge, according to organisers, with more than 350 cars and motorbikes, as well as an array of aircraft, involved.
Families are encouraged to come along and wander around the event’s many free activities.
From 11am until 3pm an air show will take place. It will be the first one held in Bathurst since 1964.
Classic and modern motorbikes and cars will be on display, as will a range of warbirds and other aircraft.
And, the latest aircraft to be added to that list is the Royal Australian Navy’s MRH-90 helicopter, which is operated by 808 Squadron.
The MRH-90 Multi-Role Helicopter replaced the Australian Defence Force’s Black Hawk and Sea King fleets.
The 16.13 metre long helicopter has a range of 800 kilometres and can reach a maximum speed of 300km/h.
Soar, Ride and Shine has been organised by Lifeline Central West, with all funds raised on the day to support the charity’s crisis line.
Lifeline Central West executive officer Alex Ferguson said this year more than one million people in a crisis are expected to call the 13 11 14 number.
And with the number of calls predicted to increase each year, more funds are needed to train crisis support workers.
Mr Ferguson said he has been overwhelmed by the community’s support for Sunday’s show, especially when he recently received a call from the RAN wanting to get involved.
“The Lifeline brand does a lot of pulling,” he said.
“I’m excited, I think it is a very humbling thing, people have really put out all over the place.
“I think it goes to show how well Lifeline’s services are thought of in the greater community.”
And, it’s not just the RAN that has come on board, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will be bringing its C-27J Spartan to the event and the NSW Police have committed a Polair 5 Bell 412 EPi helicopter.
Soar, Ride and Shine runs from 9am until 4pm this Sunday.
Free parking is available off Ceramic Drive and a constant flow of courtesy buses will take you from the car park to the front entrance.
Save on entry costs by pre-purchasing your tickets online.
Why support Lifeline this Sunday?
EVERY three hours someone in Australia dies by suicide.
In 2014, there were 2860 completed suicides (up 300 on the year before) - that's almost eight every day. And of those who die by suicide, 78 per cent are male.
In 2014 there were 2.5 times more completed suicides than the entire national road toll of 1156.
And, per head of population, those in a regional area are 3.8 times more likely to die by suicide.
These facts are very sobering, Lifeline Central West's Alex Ferguson said.
"We need to send a very strong message to men and boys that suicide has a huge impact on our community and a lot of us are working very hard to reduce incidents and reduce personal stress," he said.
Mr Ferguson said, however, that male callers are underrepresented in calls to Lifeline.
"We're trying to encourage people to consider picking up the phone," he said.
"Talking to someone who you don't know, and who you'll never meet, instantly makes you feel better because you're no longer carrying it, you're sharing it."