AUSTRALIA 100th Anniversary of the RAAF Airshow; Aviation Museums; Optional Pleasure Flights; Singapore Stopovers, PROVISIONAL ITINERARY & GENERAL INFORMATION Monday, 15th November – Wednesday, 1st December As your Tour Operator IAAT has a duty of care toward its travellers so the following conditions have been added to our 2021 itineraries. In light of the ongoing COVID-19 virus, tours will only operate if: The UK travel ban to the country or countries has been lifted The host country or countries has no travel ban in place The advice from www.gov.uk states there are no health restrictions in the host country or countries. The perfect finale to your 2021 aviation year - on a tour to the far side of the planet! At an event that will never be repeated: the 100th Anniversary of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Airshow. This will be a huge show featuring a Friday night flying display in addition to the weekend airshows. Pictured left is one of the RAAF’s new F-35s based on Williamtown. Participating aircraft from around the world, and especially from the Far East, have accepted an invitation to attend. Never before will so many overseas military aircraft have assembled on the same place at the same time in Australia! During our travels around Oz we will visit: Fighter World Aviation Museum on RAAF Williamtown – “Fightertown”! The world famous Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Army Museum Australian War Memorial and its Aircraft Collection Temora Aviation Society RAAF Heritage Centre, Wagga Wagga Benella Aviation Museum Australian National Aviation Museum RAAF Museum, Point Cook 100th Anniversary of the RAAF: Friday Night, Saturday and Sunday International Airshows We will ask all the aviation museums which have a storage area and/or a restoration workshop to show our group around. In Singapore we visit: Singapore Air Force Museum Ford Factory boardroom: site of 15 February 1942 surrender to the Japanese army by British and Australian soldiers in the Second World War We stop by the famous “Ned Kelly’s Last Stand and Capture” sites in Glenrowan. Tour 227100 – Australia – Provisional Itinerary – Issue 2 Page 1 of 11 Ian Allan Aviation Tours Eton Travel 104-105 High Street, Eton, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 6AF, United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0)1753 671738 Fax: +44 (0)1753 737500 e-mail: [email protected] www.ianallantravel.com/aviationtours There are free days to enjoy as you wish in Singapore, Sydney and Melbourne. Explore each at your leisure or take on of many optional sightseeing tours that can be booked locally To ensure the long journeys to and from Australia are as relaxing and stress-free as possible, we have included ‘rest and recuperation’ stopovers in Singapore. However, you have the option of opting out of one or both of them, and going without a break. We fly on the scheduled services of Singapore Airlines from London’s Heathrow Airport to Sydney with a stopover in Singapore, returning from Melbourne again via Singapore; travel in-country is by chartered, air-conditioned coach (see page 9 “General Information”): we stay each night in comfortable hotel on a bed and breakfast (B&B) basis throughout; and accompanying the group is one of Ian Allan’s well- travelled and experienced Aviation Tour Managers. This tour is perfect for non-aviation enthusiasts to accompany you. Tour 227100 – Australia – Provisional Itinerary – Issue 2 Page 2 of 11 Ian Allan Aviation Tours Eton Travel 104-105 High Street, Eton, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 6AF, United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0)1753 671738 Fax: +44 (0)1753 737500 e-mail: [email protected] www.ianallantravel.com/aviationtours PROVISIONAL ITINERARY (all times local and approximate) DAY 1: MONDAY, 15th NOVEMBER Between 08:00 and 08:55 please check-in with Singapore International Airlines in Terminal 2 at London’s Heathrow Airport. Then meet your Ian Allan Tour Manager, and fellow enthusiasts who will be gathering nearby the check-in area. We recommend you check in no later than 2 hours prior to departure, i.e. 08:55. Heathrow Airport, Terminal 2 Flight: SQ 317 Departs: 10:55 DAY 2: TUESDAY, 16th NOVEMBER Singapore Arrives: 07:50 After the usual arrival formalities of Immigration, Baggage Reclaim and Customs we meet our coach driver in the Arrivals Hall and go directly to the Park Regis Hotel, 25 minutes away. This superior 3* hotel is located on Merchant Road and its on-site facilities include a restaurant, bar, outdoor swimming pool, gift shop and free high speed wi-fi. Website: www.parkregissingapore.com . The remainder of the day is free to enjoy as you wish. The hotel is Ideally located in the heart of the Central Business District, close by is Singapore’s entertainment, dining and cultural hubs such as Clarke Quay, Boat Quay, Robertson Quay and Chinatown. Please note: normal time to occupy rooms is 15:00, however, on payment of £ your room will be available for immediate occupation on your arrival (includes breakfast). This supplement is payable with your final balance. DAY 3: WEDNESDAY, 17th NOVEMBER Singapore Flight: SQ 211 Departs: 10:30 Sydney Arrives: 21:20 After the usual arrival formalities of Immigration, Baggage Reclaim and Customs we meet our coach driver in the Arrivals Hall and transfer to the Hotel, a drive of about 25 minutes. We stay 3 nights on a bed and breakfast basis. On-site facilities include DAY 4: THURSDAY, 18th NOVEMBER We purposely have a late start today; leaving our hotel at 10:00 we set off ‘Fightertown Australia’, RAAF Williamtown a couple of hours drive north. As the main RAAF fighter base it is home to squadrons of F-18A/Bs and F-35s (pictured right), also E-7A Wedgetails, Hawk Mk127s and PC-9As. The base is the home of the excellent “Fighter World” aviation museum: housed in 2 hangars are aircraft going back to WWII. There is also the “Beans Café” and, with live ATC audio feed, an Observation Deck from where you can watch all the action. A great day out. Website: https://www.fighterworld.com.au/ . Tour 227100 – Australia – Provisional Itinerary – Issue 2 Page 3 of 11 Ian Allan Aviation Tours Eton Travel 104-105 High Street, Eton, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 6AF, United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0)1753 671738 Fax: +44 (0)1753 737500 e-mail: [email protected] www.ianallantravel.com/aviationtours DAY 5: FRIDAY, 19th NOVEMBER A free day to enjoy as you wish. Its high summer – time to head to Bondi Beach! Or, go see some of the famous attractions and delights of Sydney, for example, a harbor cruise, the Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge (you can walk across the very top!), the bustling harbour front promenade, the adjacent “Rocks” area with its shops, cafes, restaurants and bars (ancient and modern). Very popular in the evening is a dinner cruise around Sydney Harbour (advance booking essential). DAY 6: SATURDAY, 20th NOVEMBER Departing the hotel at 09:30 we arrive at Illawarra Regional Airport by 10:45. Resident here is the famous aircraft collection of HARS – the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society – which has on display mainly airliners, from the “Southern Cross II” (a faithful replica Fokker F.VIIb/3m trimotor), 3 flying C-47/DC-3s (including “Hawdon”, TAA’s first aircraft), a DC-4, Super Constellation and a Boeing 747-438. Also in the collection is a Catalina, 2 Caribou’s, 3 P-2 Neptune’s (two flying), AP-3C Orion, CA-27 Australian Sabre, Canberra, 2 Vampires, Mirage III, F-111C among others…! Will John Travolta’s beautiful, airworthy, Boeing 707 - which he has donated to HARMS – have finally arrived from the USA? Lunch – at your own expense – can by taken at the Connie Cafe. We continue south for an hour, arriving in Nowra where we stay overnight at the ………………hotel. On-site facilities include DAY 7: SUNDAY, 21st NOVEMBER This morning we leave at 09:45 for our next port of call, 15 minutes away in Nowra Hill: HMAS Albatross, the largest and only, airbase of the RAN’s supporting the 5 Navy squadrons. It is also the home of the FAA Museum and we are there when they open their doors at 10:00. This fabulous collection currently has 34 fixed and rotary wing exhibits on display including some rare types like 2 Fairey Gannet’s, a Firefly, a Supermarine Sea Otter, a DH Sea Venom and a Bristol Sycamore. Also the prototype CA-22 Winjeel. The full list can be seen on the following website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleet_Air_Arm_Museum_(Australia) The museum's verandah overlooks the historic airfield of HMAS Albatross which has variously served the RAAF, the USAAC, the Royal Navy, the RNZAF and the RAN since it was established in 1941. Website: https://www.navy.gov.au/heritage/museums/fleet-air-arm- museum#displays . After a stop for lunch (at own expense), we drive 2.5 hours (with ‘convenience’ stops) through the beautiful countryside to the Australian capital, Canberra, arriving around 17:00. We stay overnight in the ……………….. hotel on a bed and breakfast basis. On-site facilities include DAY 8: MONDAY, 22nd NOVEMBER At 09:00 we are on our way: first, a quick photo-stop at the impressive Parliament House where the Australian government meets; then, when they open at 10:00, we are at the beautiful Australian War Memorial. Their fantastic collection includes British, American and Japanese aircraft – including an Avro Lancaster (pictured left) and a DH Mosquito! Website: https://www.awm.gov.au/ . Lunch (at own expense) can be enjoyed either in Poppy's café, located in the Memorial grounds), or The Landing Place in Anzac Hall.