Avalon Airshow

neild
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Avalon Airshow

Postby neild » Mon Feb 25, 2013 11:45 am

This is non-cycling related but I thought better placed to post here than the Halfway Cafe as it's really Vic specific.

The Avalon airshow is on this weekend and I want to know if anyone knows the best vantage points out West to go have a look without actually going in to Avalon? I'll be taking my 4yo son along and not sure if we will actually go in. Not knowing the area, are there good places where you could park on the side of the road and watch?

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im_no_pro
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Re: Avalon Airshow

Postby im_no_pro » Mon Feb 25, 2013 12:00 pm

Only spot is the highway AFAIK, and I wouldnt suggest you do that. IIRC there is usually a police presence to deter this not to mention the safety issues of having a 4yo with you. The bulk of the content at the airshow is on the ground anyways so the only way to have a decent look is to go in.
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Re: Avalon Airshow

Postby Summernight » Mon Feb 25, 2013 12:14 pm

im_no_pro wrote:Only spot is the highway AFAIK, and I wouldnt suggest you do that. IIRC there is usually a police presence to deter this not to mention the safety issues of having a 4yo with you. The bulk of the content at the airshow is on the ground anyways so the only way to have a decent look is to go in.
Yes to the freeway option (but will be policed and you'll probably be asked to move on), or another good vantage point without actually going into the venue would be in a friend's paddock beside the freeway, but unless you already have a friend of a friend living in the area that's not really viable.

Maybe the Avalon Raceway would be open allowing people to watch the show from there? You'll have to call and ask them first though and I have no idea if they actually do this.

I would also recommend that the best experience you and he will get is going into the actual venue. Just make sure to leave early if you don't want to get caught in all the traffic as it is absolute bedlam at that time of the afternoon and what might normally take 40 minutes on the freeway will take 3 hours. The bottleneck is the two (three?) Avalon entrance ramps onto the Princes Freeway.

I got stuck in the traffic last year. Will not be doing that again.

Edited to add the URL for the Avalon Raceway as it seems that Google Maps places the Avalon Raceway smack bang in the middle of Geelong, when the raceway is in Lara. :roll:
Last edited by Summernight on Mon Feb 25, 2013 3:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.

neild
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Re: Avalon Airshow

Postby neild » Mon Feb 25, 2013 12:36 pm

Thanks for the replies. Definitely wasn't thinking the freeway, more the surround roads though i know there aren't too many around there. I've been before (by train) and have seen the chaos at the car park at the end of the day, hence my question.

My wife is now working on Sunday so that throws another spanner in the works in that I'll have a 4 yo & a 2 yo. Sounds like going in might be the easiest option and just leave around 2 at the latest to beat the traffic?
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Re: Avalon Airshow

Postby sogood » Mon Feb 25, 2013 12:55 pm

Pretty expensive tickets I note at $60. Leaving early and missing out on the F22 fly past would be a big miss.
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Re: Avalon Airshow

Postby neild » Mon Feb 25, 2013 1:27 pm

Don't forget $10 for parking! From memory the F18 end of show airfield attack was pretty spectacular too. No F111 dump and burn any more.

It's a real pity they don't even put any indicative times on the program.
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Summernight
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Re: Avalon Airshow

Postby Summernight » Mon Feb 25, 2013 2:42 pm

The quickest way in and out is by helicopter and plane, as far as I could see (the elite really knew how to arrive in style). You able to hitch a ride on one of those? :lol:

You might get lucky with the back roads around Lara if you don't want to go in.

Or even a bit further back you could stop off at the service station prior to Avalon (on the Melbourne side)...? Getting a bit farther away now but you could park, pull out a couple of camp chairs and go to the edge of the paddock (or even in the paddock, not that I'm condoning that as it'd be trespass :P) and sit and (hopefully) see some of the show. Same problem occurs with parking at the service station as with driving into the airshow though - once you decide to go home you'd have to exit at the same freeway exit as the airshow to be able to turn around to head back to Melbourne so you might get stuck in traffic.

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Re: Avalon Airshow

Postby Mulger bill » Tue Feb 26, 2013 1:22 am

Enjoy your day peoples, I'll be at work (again) working me lads off to make the Melbs end of the train service go smooth as possible *sigh* Busiest weekend of the year for us.
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Re: Avalon Airshow

Postby Summernight » Tue Feb 26, 2013 12:25 pm

Mulger bill wrote:Enjoy your day peoples, I'll be at work (again) working me lads off to make the Melbs end of the train service go smooth as possible *sigh* Busiest weekend of the year for us.
Wish the train went straight to the airport... :(
But then again, we don't have a train to our main airport anyway so this isn't likely.

Hope the copper wire thieves don't strike again on your watch, Mulger Bill, and that all is smooth sailing.

Speaking of, would you recommend the train over driving there?

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Re: Avalon Airshow

Postby open roader » Tue Feb 26, 2013 8:53 pm

Go to the You Yangs and climb up Flinders Peak.

If that is OTT for a 4y.o. then try the couple of car parks / picnic spots on the south side of the You Yangs where you look down and across to Avalon Airport.
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Re: Avalon Airshow

Postby Mulger bill » Wed Feb 27, 2013 1:56 am

Summernight wrote:
Mulger bill wrote:Enjoy your day peoples, I'll be at work (again) working me lads off to make the Melbs end of the train service go smooth as possible *sigh* Busiest weekend of the year for us.
Wish the train went straight to the airport... :(
But then again, we don't have a train to our main airport anyway so this isn't likely.

Hope the copper wire thieves don't strike again on your watch, Mulger Bill, and that all is smooth sailing.

Speaking of, would you recommend the train over driving there?
Naturally, but I'm a bit biased :wink: Why get stuck in traffic when you can sit back and let someone else drive?

Four hour planning meeting Tuesday before me 8 hour shift on the panel to tie up loose ends with platforming and fuelling, going to be telecommuting Wednesday and Thursday (days off) to get our running sheets finalised and printed. I'm looking forward to the operational challenge on Saturday.
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Re: Avalon Airshow

Postby btothec » Wed Feb 27, 2013 9:23 am

Yes the You Yangs up high would give you a pretty good view. Also there is the BP service station on the freeway. It has a big car/truck park that looks straight over to the airport. I parked there last time the airshow was one and watched some of it. Might do the same again this year seeing I'll be in Geelong on Saturday for racing in the morning.

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Re: Avalon Airshow

Postby igstar » Wed Feb 27, 2013 12:41 pm

open roader wrote:Go to the You Yangs and climb up Flinders Peak.

If that is OTT for a 4y.o. then try the couple of car parks / picnic spots on the south side of the You Yangs where you look down and across to Avalon Airport.
You Yangs is not a bad a spot actually because holding patterns are around that area, so you get to see the planes circling around there for some time. Otherwise, not sure how the Jestar terminal is for observing the show.

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