The Temora Aviation Museum is an Australian aviation museum located in Temora, New South Wales. The Museum was established in late 1999, based on the collection of warbird aircraft owned by David Lowy. Lowy remains the President and Founder of the Museum, which is overseen by a four-member Governing Committee. The Museum is home to many historic ex-military aircraft that range from the World War II era to the Vietnam War era and holds Aircraft Showcase to display some of its operating aircraft. The Museum often hosts visits from historical aircraft and Royal Australian Air Forcecombat aircraft such as the F/A-18 Hornet.
History
The town of Temora is notable in Australian aviation history. The RoyalAustralian Air Force set up the No. 10 Elementary Flying Training School there in May 1941, the largest and longest-lived of the schools established under the Empire Air Training Scheme during World War II. More than 10,000 personnel were involved in the school's operation, with more than 2,400 pilots being trained there, and at its peak had 97 de Havilland Tiger Moth aircraft for training purposes. The school was closed on 12 March 1946. After World War II, Temora continued its aviation heritage, used for a number of activities including: parachuting, gliding, ultra-light aircraft operations, aerobatics, and model aircraft. Sydney businessman David Lowy established the museum in Temora due to its aviation history, good weather, flat terrain, a co-operative local council and uncontrolled air space below 20,000 feet. Temora Aviation Museum was incorporated in late 1999, at which point construction of the facilities commenced, and a governing committee was formed. The first hangar was completed in February 2000, and the first aircraft for the collection were donated by Lowy. The museum was officially opened to the public in June 2000 at which point construction commenced on the exhibition buildings, including: display space, theatrette, admission entrance, gift shop, a children's playground and picnic area. In November 2002, the third stage of the museum complex, a hangar was completed and became the main display hangar for all the aircraft, while the original hangar became a restoration and maintenance facility. In May 2019 the museum announced that it had reached an agreement with the Defence Department to transfer ownership of 11 historically significant aircraft to the Royal Australian Air Force, effective 1 July 2019. Under the agreement the aircraft would continue being housed at Temora and maintained by the same dedicated staff, the Temora Historic Flight Club would continue running the flying displays at Temora, and twelve of the club's pilots would be inducted into the RAAF Reserves as Special Capability Officers with the rank of Flight Lieutenant.
Aircraft
Unless otherwise noted, all of the museum's aircraft are airworthy and are flown regularly during the Museum's Showcase Days, Special major airshow days at Temora and at airshows elsewhere in Australia such as those at the RAAF Museum, Historical Aircraft Restoration Society,RAN Fleet Air Arm Museum, Tyabb, Victoria and the like.
Several of the museum's aircraft are the only of their kind flying in Australia, such as the two Supermarine Spitfires. Others, such as the F.8 Gloster Meteor and Lockheed Hudson, are the only flying aircraft of their kind in the world.
Warbirds Downunder
Temora Aviation Museum hosts Warbirds Downunder every two years. Warbirds Downunder is an airshow featuring most of Temora Aviation Museum's aircraft and various others from around Australia, including the RAAF Roulettes, RAAF F/A-18 Hornets, RAAF Hawks, Catalina, and Super Constellation. Temora's population of 4,000 swells at the time of Warbirds Downunder with almost 10,000 people attending the inaugural show in 2011. The airshow is now held over a full weekend, the next was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday 17–18 October 2020, however due to COVID-19 this has been postponed to 2021.
