Photos: Lloyd Marken - Inside the Australian Army Flying Museum at Oakey
Located a 2-hour drive from Brisbane, the
Australian Army Flying Museum in Oakey houses a variety of military aircraft, charting the history of aviation through its early years right up to the present day.
Photos: Lloyd Marken - Bristol Boxkite
The first military aircraft to fly in Australia was the Bristol Boxkite, an example of which greets you as you enter the hangar full of machines.
As you make your way around the hangar, early Australian Flying Corps planes give way to helicopters and short take-off and landing aircraft. These machines served in the Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Australian Navy, and the Australian Army throughout the 20th century and beyond.
Photos: Lloyd Marken - RAAF Huey
The iconic and beloved UH-1 Iroquois, better known as the Huey, is here, as well as the more recent SR-70 Blackhawk.
Photos: Lloyd Marken - CH-47 Chinook
Of particular note is the extraordinary sight of a 10 tonne and 30-metre-long CH-47 Chinook in the centre of the hangar. Visitors can enter and walk through the large cargo/passenger compartment which carries over 50 soldiers.
As impressive as it is to see some of the more famous aircraft, every display has a story.
Photos: Lloyd Marken - Huey Door Gunner
Perhaps most amusingly is one about an aircraft that was requested to be shot down over the skies of Sydney after it became airborne - without a pilot.
Recently Australian military aircraft saw operational service during the terrible bushfire season last year.
Photo: Lloyd Marken - Bouganville Peace Monitoring Group
It is not just through the prism of war that Australian military aircraft and their people have served – although it is there that many paid the ultimate sacrifice.
It is also through humanitarian operations and peacekeeping missions to places Bougainvillea, Egypt, and Banda Aceh.
The
Australian Army Flying Museum is a living breathing work in progress, that continues to tell the stories of these magnificent aircraft and the venerable people who helped them take flight in service to others.
Come and experience the stories.
Photos: Lloyd Marken - $15 per family
The Australian Army Flying Museum is open 10am to 3pm, Wednesday through to Saturday.
Price of admission is $15 per family, $7 per adult, $2 per child or $5 per pensioner.
Photos: Lloyd Marken - Australian Army SR-70 Blackhawk
