The annual Great Eastern Fly-In is taking place over the weekend of 9-10 January. The fly-in, as always, is at Evans Head Aerodrome on the coast of northern New South Wales – an old military airfield once under threat of closure, so whether by air or land, please go along if you can.

Flying displays are planned for both days, including most things that fly – from radio controlled models up to massive warbirds like the P51 Mustang and T28 Trojan.

It’s many a year since I was able to attend the fly-in from my club base at Jacobs Well in south East Queensland. Now, alas, I’m based far away in Melbourne and family and business commitments (including the eagerly anticipated arrival of the first two customer A32 Vixxens) preclude my attendance this year.

However, this promises to be a great family event. Apart from all the aeroplanes – up close and personal – attractions include on-site catering, local food markets and easy access via a regular shuttle bus service to local cafes and restaurants. There’s a family movie night on Saturday, joy flights throughout the weekend, lots of stalls selling local produce and a great selection of vintage and veteran classic cars and military vehicles of all sorts.

Overall, the Great Eastern Fly-In is a wonderful community event for all aviators and the general public, with plenty of opportunites to view aircraft and talk to pilots.

If you go – have a great (eastern!) time and send us your pictures and comments!