Temora Aviation Museum

Temora Aviation Museum

Established	1999
Location	Temora, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates	34°25′38″S 147°30′55″E / 34.427272°S 147.515228°E / -34.427272; 147.515228
Type	Aviation museum
President	David Lowy
Website	http://www.aviationmuseum.com.au

The Temora Aviation Museum is an Australian aviation museum located in Temora, New South Wales. The Museum was established in late 1999, based on the collection of warbird aircraft owned by David Lowy. Lowy remains the President and Founder of the Museum, which is overseen by a four-member Governing Committee.

The Museum is home to many historic ex-military aircraft that range from the World War II era to the Vietnam War era and holds Aircraft Showcase (on the 1st & 3rd Saturdays of most months) to display some of its operating aircraft allowing visitors to have a personal, interactive and in-depth experience with some of the Museum’s aircraft.

The Museum often hosts visits from historical aircraft and Royal Australian Air Force combat aircraft such as the F/A-18 Hornet.

History

Spitfire Mk16, October 2011

Temora is home to a rich and noteworthy aviation history. The Royal Australian Air Force set up the No 10 Elementary Flying Training School in May 1941. This School was the largest and longest-lived of the schools established under the Empire Air Training Scheme during World War II.^[1]

More than 10,000 personnel were involved in operation of No 10 Elementary Flying Training School. More than 2,400 pilots were trained at the School. The School at its peak had 97 de Havilland Tiger Moth aircraft used for training purposes. The school was closed on 12 March 1946.

After World War II, Temora continued its aviation heritage, becoming the preferred aerodrome for a number of activities including: parachuting, gliding, ultra-light aircraft operations, aerobatics, and model aircraft.

Sydney businessman David Lowy established the museum in Temora due to its rich aviation history, good weather, flat terrain, a co-operative local council and uncontrolled air space below 20,000 feet.

Temora Aviation Museum was incorporated in late 1999, at which point construction of the facilities commenced, and a governing committee was formed. The first hangar was completed in February 2000, and the first aircraft for the collection were donated by David Lowy. The museum was officially opened to the public in June 2000 at which point construction commenced on the exhibition buildings, including: display space, theatrette, admission entrance, gift shop, a children's playground and picnic area.

In November 2002, the third stage of the museum complex, a 1980 square metre hangar was completed at which point it became the main display hangar for all the aircraft, and the original hangar became a customised restoration and maintenance facility.

Aircraft

The Museum's Ryan STM-S2, which flew with the Royal Netherlands East Indies Air Force during World War Two

T-28 Trojan, October 2011

Unless otherwise noted, all of the museum's aircraft are airworthy and are flown regularly during the Museum's Showcase Days, Special major airshow (Warbirds Downunder) days at Temora and at airshows elsewhere in Australia such as those at the RAAF Museum, Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS),RAN Fleet Air Arm Museum (HMAS Albatross), Tyabb, Victoria and the like.

• 1 de Havilland Tiger Moth
• 1 CAC Wirraway
• 2 Supermarine Spitfire (Mk VIII and Mk XVI, both with Rolls Royce Merlin 66/266)
• 1 Ryan STM-S2
• 1 CAC Boomerang
• 1 Lockheed Hudson
• 1 CAC Sabre (on loan from the RAAF Museum)
• 1 Gloster Meteor F.8
• 1 de Havilland Vampire T.35
• 1 English Electric Canberra
• 1 Cessna O-2 Skymaster
• 2 Cessna A-37 Dragonfly
• 1 North American T-28 Trojan (on loan)
• 1 Cessna O-1 Bird Dog (on loan)

Several of the museum's aircraft are the only of their kind flying in Australia, such as the two Supermarine Spitfires. Others, such as the F.8 Gloster Meteor and Lockheed Hudson, are the only flying aircraft of their kind in the world.^[2]

Education

Temora Aviation Museum offers stimulating and interactive education programs. Created to challenge students to learn from history so that they can make informed decisions in the present and for the future, our programs, which make the most of the incredible collection of historical ex-military Australian aircraft, engage students to make history relevant. All programs have been written to complement the NSW school syllabus and will be progressively updated to complement the new Australian Syllabus as it is released. Education Programs

Warbirds Downunder

Hudson in maintenance, October 2011

CAC Wirraway, October 2010

Temora Aviation Museum hosts Warbirds Downunder bi-yearly. Warbirds Downunder is an airshow featuring most of Temora Aviation Museum's aircraft and various others from around Australia, including the RAAF Roulettes, RAAF F/A-18 Hornets, RAAF Hawks, Catalina, and Super Constellation.^[3]

The airshow was last held on 2 November 2013, following the highly successful inaugural show in 2011. Temora Shire Mayor Rick Firman has showed his support for the event stating:

"The Temora Aviation Museum has, quite literally, placed Temora Shire on the worldwide map, for which we remain eternally grateful. The Warbirds Downunder Airshow is world class and I invite aviation enthusiasts (from all corner of the globe) to Temora Shire to witness something you shall never forget. All visitors to Temora Shire will be impressed by what will be the experience of a lifetime!" ^[4]

Temora's population of 4,000 swells at the time of Warbirds Downunder with almost 10,000 people attending the inaugural show in 2011.^[5] Wardirds Downunder 2013 saw 12,000 visitors attend.

References

External links

• Temora Aviation Museum Homepage

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