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Adults and children stood looking up to the sky from one end of the Cairns Esplanade to the other, thrilled by a breathtaking display of aerobatic flying.
World champion air racer, Matt Hall, delighted the crowd with a series of extreme manoeuvres, including steep climbs, spectacular dives, rolls, turns and tumbles in his MXS-R race plane.
Matt was cleared for take-off from Cairns airport around 4.45pm on Thursday, executing a steep climb to gain height over Trinity Inlet before starting his aerobatic display.
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The crowd stretched from the very northern end of the Esplanade to the Lagoon and the Cairns Marina.
Parking was scarce, and all eyes were skyward, as the 330-horsepower engine on Matt’s plane roared overhead.
It can climb at 6000 feet a minute and roll at 420 degrees per second, allowing for a spectacular display of aerobatic manoeuvres.
Matt is the reigning Red Bull Air Race world champion and has dominated international air racing with seven wins and 25 podiums.
He’s the most successful pilot in the modern era to compete in the Air Race Elite XR\1 category of events.
Matt flew fighters for the RAAF and is a third-generation pilot, going first solo at 15 and earning his wings at 18.
The aerobatics display was the highlight of day one of the Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA) Roadshow event at Double Tree Hilton.
Matt is a guest speaker on Friday.
The RAAA is a not-for-profit organisation representing regional aviation organisations across Australia.
Delegates to the Roadshow will be briefed on the Federal Government’s proposed aviation white paper and on aviation recovery strategies.
Main points
- Large crowd watched the display along the Cairns Esplanade
- Pilot Matt Hall is current Red Bull Air Race world champion
- Display is part of the Regional Aviation Association of Australia Cairns roadshow
