Page 98 - AA 2018_11

“The event provides a unique
and exciting flying holiday for pilots
and their friends from throughout
Australia and overseas. Racers come
from diverse backgrounds – farmers,
doctors, engineers, business owners
– and compete alongside professional
pilots from commercial and military.”
Aircraft of choice for this year’s
entrants included everything from
Vans amateur-builts to Cessnas,
Pipers, Mooneys, a Sling, the
Buccaneer, a Savannah, and a Bristell,
piloted solo by none other than Alex
Kingsford Smith, great, great nephew
of Charles Kingsford Smith.
For the record, Kingsford Smith
(Soar Aviation team) came 23rd out Team Zic’s Vans RV‑7A
of 37 official finishers which was a VH‑ZIC. scott palmer
fantastic effort in his first race and as
a solo pilot. Equally, for the record,
veterans Daley and Grealy (Where’s Ya
Buccaneers) came in 10th.
It was a superb contribution from
both given it was their first foray into
the air race and at both ends of the age
spectrum: Kingsford Smith the learner
and Daley and Grealy the senior pilots
and experts.
But at the end of the day it was the
Mooney teams that dominated the
first three places.
First was Show me the Mooney – a
1977 M20J, VH-CAI, skippered by
John Martindale with the support of Westy’s Wizards Welcome Passing the locals at RAAF
Tim Alexander while third went to at Kalumburu. mark westcott Base Tindal. mark westcott
Bad Mooney Rising (M20J VH-SJT)
skippered by Rowan Hill with support
from race manager Stuart Payne and accommodation village. The event has Mogas is go gas for Team
his son Jeremy. The Mooney trifecta been there every second race in about Bush Flyers Down Under.
was split by The Race Villains in their the last six. Competitors keep putting lee stojanovic
Vans RV-7 (Phil Hines and Doctor it in because everyone comes away
Jacques Scholtz). saying how nice it is.”
The Bad Mooney Rising team also Overall, he said the event was a
made the top three of the Outback Air success while giving an insight into
Race fundraisers, which was a particular the marshalling of both numerous
achievement for Payne who, after aircraft and numerous competitors
years with key roles in the event, found across some of the harshest country in
himself designated 2018 event manager. Australia.
At the time of going to press, the “I am happy with the way things
top three RFDS Outback Air Race transpired. We are a volunteer
2018 fundraising teams were Tait organisation and as the event gets
Auto Group $62,552.19, Mittagong bigger it gets more challenging.
210’ers $28,011.26 and Bad Mooney “Effectively over 12 days this
Rising $23,940.94. event becomes something like an
For Payne, the event proved a organised vacation. It’s not just the
balancing act between his desire race, we are organising the meals, the
to compete and the reality of accommodation, the logistics and even
management. And his favourite spot the entertainment in terms of tours
– before the Buccaneer performance around the towns and places that we
at Lake Argyle – was the lush oasis stop at.
of Adels Grove in far north-western “If you think about doing that for
Queensland. a group of around 100 people times
“It is a fantastic place; an oasis nine locations over two weeks from
in a place where you don’t expect beginning to end, you start to get the
it. Spectacular gorges and scenery picture that it’s quite an organisational
with really nice people running the event.”

98 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION