State’s big week for aerospace economy

Avalon 2019 is one of the biggest aerospace networking events in the world with attendances of more than 210,000.

Crowds spread out among the aircraft in the Avalon 2017 ground display.

Avalon 2019 has two parts, and both are economic generators. Avalon’s Australian International Airshow is famed for spectacular aviation displays, while the Aerospace and Defence Exposition brings investment.

The almost-week-long biennial event in southern Victoria injects an estimated $22 million into Victoria’s economy and provides more than 250 full-time jobs. Victoria’s $400m aerospace industry has 250 entities employing about 2300 people.

The defence sector contributes an estimated $8 billion annually to the Victorian economy and employs around 18,500 people. The navy and army will show their own aircraft and land vehicles.

Victorian Jobs, Minister and Trade Minister Martin Pakula says the airshow “is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Victoria’s world-class expertise in defence, aerospace, aviation and space capabilities to industry, the Victorian public and to the world”.

“We already have some of the biggest names in the business operating in Victoria and the airshow is a chance to demonstrate our capabilities to more potential investors and customers to help create more jobs for Victorians,” he says.

Some of the biggest names in defence including Lockheed Martin, Thales, Boeing Aerostructures Australia and BAE Systems operate in Victoria.

The expo is an also an opportunity to promote the Geelong region. Greater Geelong City Council Mayor Bruce Harwood says it is “pretty exciting times”.

“Avalon Airshow is one of our hallmark events and has a huge impact on the region,” he says.

The once movable event came to Avalon, west of Melbourne, in 1992 and ended up staying on Victoria’s visitor calendar.

Industry types, representatives from foreign militaries and aerospace corporations will get drone races and military dogs as well as advances in unmanned surveillance technology, augmented reality and eye-tracking technology.

The first four days at Avalon, near Geelong. are strictly business and deals which would normally require a schedule of international flights can begin in the space of a conversation.

Avalon 2019 is one of the biggest aerospace networking events in the world with about 33,000 industry gross attendances coming into the airshows and its conferences from a total visitor pool of more than 210,000 gross attendances.

For smaller outfits, the expo is their chance to show to pitch their wares to global giants regardless of whether they’re selling supplies or the next big idea. By Friday afternoon the expo opens its doors to a ticketed public.

More than 630 aircraft will be on display including 108 military craft from eight different nations.

This year the Royal Australian Air Force will demonstrate to the public how the force is transforming itself through two immersive experiences, the Jasper Dome and Edge Experience.

Jasper is a short animation based on the life and work of RAAF Squadron Leader Jacqueline Killian. Children will be able to build a digital plane that will be projected on the walls inside a 25-metre geodesic dome.

The Edge experience aims to show the intangible forces at play — including advanced sensors and enhanced situational awareness — through a 360-degree video projected on the internal of an 8m geodesic dome.

Among the aircraft, an inevitable star will be the first of the Australian-deployed Lockheed Martin F-35A joint strike fighters — currently valued at $124m a plane. Victorian companies have been awarded 65 per cent by value of all Australian contracts for the F-35 program.

Avalon 19 chief executive Ian Honnery says Avalon Airport “includes the large open spaces needed to comfortably accommodate the exhibition halls, buildings, chalets, aircraft parking areas and car parks of the airshow’’.

www.airshow.com.au/airshow2019/TRADE