“MAKE sure you do it again” was the catchcry at yesterday’s Soar, Ride and Shine show held at Bathurst Airport.
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Organisers promised a big day for the whole family and they certainly delivered.
The day kicked off at 9am with more than 300 cars, motorbikes and aircraft on display.
Then, from 11am until 3pm, aircraft took to the skies for an air show that had people, and their cameras, focused skyward.
While final numbers were still being tallied late yesterday, organisers estimate around 8000 people came along.
The event was held as a major fundraiser for Lifeline Central West to raise funds to help supports its 13 11 14 crisis number.
Lifeline executive officer Alex Ferguson said he was astounded with the event’s success.
He did admit, though, that while he knew lots of cars, motorbikes and aircraft would be there, he was a little worried whether the community would come along on the day to support Lifeline.
“You step off into the great unknown. You can put on these things on, but you never know if it’ll come off or if it’ll rain,” Mr Ferguson said.
But the worry was unfounded, with people coming from across the Central West and Sydney, as well as many locals, to attend the family-friendly day out.
Rex Airlines was among the groups to support the day by offering $50 joy flights.
“They had a flight to the Three Sisters and down to Warragamba Dam,” Mr Ferguson said. “All the money from that has been donated to Lifeline. Rex provided all the cost of staff.”
Mr Ferguson said the day was so big that volunteers from the Bathurst Aero Club had to come into town twice during the day to re-stock on supplies for their community sausage sizzle.
Among the aircraft on display yesterday was the Royal Australian Navy’s MRH-90 Taipan, a multi-role helicopter that replaces the previous Sea King fleet.
Lieutenant Lachlan Badger, a pilot with the 808 Squadron, said the aircraft’s massive size and capacity attracted plenty of onlookers.
“People are asking ‘was it used in Vietnam’ and ‘what’s it used for’,” he said.
For those interested, the answers are – no they were not used in Vietnam; and it is used for cargo, search and rescues, people moving and load lifting. The 16.13 metre long helicopter can also land on a ship if needed.
Lt Badger said with a 30 knot headwind yesterday morning it took the crew 46 minutes to fly from Nowra to Bathurst, 102 nautical miles.
