Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
Damon Cronshaw

'Love and war' in the air at Hunter Valley Airshow

Wing-walkers Victoria Smars and Sandra Schaub, of Sweden, stood on the wing of a "Catwalk" plane as it swerved through the sky.
Paul Bennet performs an aerial and firey stunt at the Hunter Valley Air Show.
Paul Bennet performs an aerial and firey stunt at the Hunter Valley Air Show. Picture by Peter Lorimer
Wing-walkers Victoria Smars and Sandra Schaub greet the crowd after the "Catwalk" plane landed.
Paul Bennet lands on a "runway" on top of a long ute.
Hunter Valley Air Show

Those magnificent men in their flying machines put on a spectacular show at Pokolbin on Sunday.

The Hunter Valley Airshow attracted a huge crowd and a carnival atmosphere at Cessnock Airport in the vineyards.

Watching the aerobatic Sky Aces fly within a few metres of each other at 300km/h is thrilling and terrifying in equal measure.

The aircraft captivated the crowd with their loop de loops and smoky aerial manoeuvres.

"Uh oh," a youngster utters, as a Sky Ace fakes trouble then drops towards the earth, before pulling up and zooming away.

The planes look out of control at times and that's part of the show.

They pull "massive g-forces", the announcer tells the crowd.

Hunter Valley Air Show

Two Sky Aces go head-to-head at "600 to 700km/h" not far from the ground, before skillfully swerving away.

The skies look like a World War II dogfight at times. The stunning WWII planes - like the Grumman Avengers - take the crowd back in time.

The announcer has a rugby league-style commentary voice, until he describes the planes' role in the war. Then his tones are hushed, respectful.

The Sky Aces draw a love heart in the sky with smoke, as the announcer says: "Give the person next to you a kiss on the cheek".

Love was in the air, especially between the crowd and the "Skycat wing-walkers".

While there were magnificent men, we can't forget the magnificent women.

Wing-walkers Victoria Smars and Sandra Schaub, of Sweden, defied gravity as they stood on the wings of a plane named "Catwalk", as it swerved and tilted through the sky.

The pair gained their roles through their skydiving experience.

"It's so much fun. We like the speed," Victoria said.

Sandra added: "You're just there doing what you're trained to do in the moment".

"We really enjoy the loop and rolls. That's the best part."

Another highlight was aerobatic pilot Paul Bennet racing a Hot Wheels stunt car in his plane.

In other impressive stunts, Bennet landed on a tiny "runway" on top of a long ute and a motorbike jumped over his plane as it flew only metres from the ground.

And no one could take their eyes off the L-39 Albatros jet, with its breathtaking speed, grace, style and striking blue, black and white colour scheme.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.