RAAF support to ‘Serpentine Air Race’ ends Centenary

On 20 March 2022, the Royal Australian Air Force will support the ‘Serpentine Air Race’ marking the 100th anniversary of Australia’s First Official Air Race.

FILE PHOTO: The Roulettes – in PC-9, but now upgraded to PC-21 – at Wings Over Illawarra 2016. Photo by Brian Hartigan.

In 1922, former military aviators of the Australian Flying Corps took part in an air race above Serpentine.

One hundred years later, the RAAF will showcase their flying skills in displays featuring the Roulettes aerobatic team and historic aircraft.

Director-General of Air Force 2021 Air Commodore Andrew Elfverson announced that the Serpentine Air Show will be one of the last public events of the Air Force Centenary (Air Force 2021).

“Air Force’s support to the Serpentine air race is intended to highlight the service and sacrifice of generations of Air Force members and demonstrate how the Air Force is continuing to evolve into the next century.

RAAF presence will include a No 100 Squadron DH.82A Tiger Moth and a CA-25 Winjeel historic aircraft, a Roulettes flying display in Pilatus PC-21 aircraft and the Air Force Balloon.

“We’re proud to be supporting this historic aviation event and to be working with so many aircraft enthusiasts and pilots,” Air Commodore Elfverson said.

On 30 March 2022, Air Force will dedicate a new Memorial at Point Cook, the birthplace of the RAAF. This will end the Centenary program which has honoured the 350,000 Australians who have worn the Air Force uniform and remembered the 11,191 who gave their lives in serving the nation.

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