The newly restored RAAF Sabre will take to the air for Museum visitors at the September 5th & 6th Flying Weekend; make sure you don’t miss this historic event! The RAAF’s Sabre A94-983, which was originally built in Australia in 1957, has been undergoing an extensive restoration over the past three years at the Temora Aviation Museum. The restoration for this aircraft began a short time after an Agreement was signed between the Royal Australian Air Force and the Temora Aviation Museum on 26 November 2005. The Agreement enabled the aircraft to be loaned to the Museum, so that it could be restored back to its former glory, to regularly take part in Museum Flying Days and selected Defence Force airshows.
In recent weeks the restoration process has finally been completed, with the first check flight of the RAAF Sabre having taken place on 16 July 2009 with Darren “Buster” Crabb in the cockpit. The public has not heard the Sabre’s magnificent roar in 16 years and we have a very special weekend planned, so mark your calendars for the Museum’s September 5th & 6th Flying Weekend. Keep watching our website for exciting Flying Weekend updates.
Sabres were one of the most successful fighter aircraft ever built. Worldwide nearly 10,000 were produced, including the Australian variant the CA-27, built by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in the late 1950s. Today there are less than ten airworthy Sabres remaining around the world, with Temora home to the only Australian built, Rolls Royce Avon powered Sabre.
Temora Historic Flight Club Director of Flying Operations Darren Crabb, remarks on his first Sabre experience, “It was an exciting honour for me to be the first to fly the Sabre, returning her to Australian skies. She’s a fantastic aircraft that performed flawlessly, which is a testament to the thorough effort that the Temora Aviation Museum Engineering Staff put into her restoration. It was a wonderful feeling to raise the landing gear and flaps after lift off and feel the acceleration of the Avon engine. The hydraulically assisted flight controls were light to the touch, making the Sabre very agile through all phases of flight. Squadron Leader Paul Simmons and I are looking forward to demonstrating this beautiful and historically significant aircraft to the public, commencing September 2009.”
As you start planning for the next Flying Weekend in September, remember that you can now pre-purchase your entry ticket online which will get you into the Museum much quicker. Visit our website for more information on our ticketing system.
For those that used our online pre-purchased tickets for the first time – drop us a note to give us some feedback about your experience.
The next Flying Weekend on 5th & 6th of September 2009 is fast approaching, so make sure you get in now to book your accommodation! There are thousands of accommodation rooms within a one hour drive of the Museum and our website has a list which includes motels, hotels, cabins, caravan parks, and B & Bs.
The Temora Shire Council also organises Home Stays which will give you the opportunity to stay with a Temora family. This can be arranged by Ann Pike at the Temora Visitor Information Centre by phoning: 02 6977 1511.