Excitement is building, with the Pacific Airshow just one sleep away from taking over the skies of Surfers Paradise for three days of aerial mayhem.
With hangars buzzing and the flight line packed, more than 300,000 spectators are expected to flood the coastline to watch jaw-dropping aviation spectacles unfold over the water.
Pacific Airshow CEO Kevin Elliott hailed the return of the event to the glitter strip, promising the biggest lineup the Gold Coast has ever seen.
“The Gold Coast, Australia and the whole world has been waiting patiently for 24-months, and it’s such a great feeling to be back on Gold Coast sand,” he said.
“This is the biggest lineup we’ve ever brought to the Gold Coast and it’s all taking place over the water in front of hundreds of thousands of people.
“There’s nothing else like it in Australia, and come Friday morning, the whole coast is going to be talking about it.”
The skies above the iconic beach will host an elite domestic and international fleet, anchored by the Royal Australian Air Force’s frontline fifth-generation stealth fighter, the F-35 Lightning II.
Joining the charge are the Air Force Roulettes, No. 100 Squadron’s heritage warbirds, the C-130 Hercules, and elite ADF freefall experts, the Red Berets.
International heavy hitters add serious muscle to the roster, featuring the U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey, the massive P-8 Poseidon submarine hunter, and the colossal USAF Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.
Beyond military might, the event delivers its signature brand of eccentric aviation thrillers, headlined by the “frankenstein” Yak-110 – a dual-fuselage aircraft powered by both propeller and jet engines.
Crowds will also witness Gravity Industries Jet Suits lifting actual humans into flight over the sand, Bryce Nietvelt pushing a BO-105 helicopter through an unprecedented Australian aerobatic display, and Greg “Wired” Colyer piloting the country’s sole T-33 Shooting Star.
Tourism Minister Andrew Powell said the event’s return was proof Queensland was leading the nation when it comes to attracting world-class events.
“Queensland is Australia’s events capital and we’re proving it by securing experiences that put our State on the world stage and deliver real benefits for Queenslanders,” Minister Powell said.
“The Pacific Airshow is exactly the kind of event we want calling Queensland home because it fills our hotels, backs local businesses, supports jobs and brings visitors through our doors.
“When people see those aircraft flying above one of the most famous beaches in the world, they’re not just watching an airshow, they’re seeing the very best of Queensland”.
