Sat 24th October dawned fine and forecast hot so I rolled out of bed at dawn and got into the spraying job that I hadn’t completed the day before. 1100 I was finished and grabbed a tent, sleeping bag etc and headed to Caloundra, refuelled and was airborne at 1225. I tracked via Gayndah at A065 where it was cool and smooth. Arrived at Monto in 53 minutes with the help of a slight tailwind giving a GS of 178 kts.

Over Monto, noted a lineup of 10 parked aircraft so landed on RW 16 and was directed to parking on the old cross strip at the polo grounds which the very supportive Council had mowed etc specially for the weekend. The cross strip, 07/25  dates back to the war days but has been closed for years so it was good to see it being used again for takeoffs and landings for the anniversary. The polo facilities were utilised for catering and showers and toilets, although a total fire ban prevented firing up the hot water system, a very good but still basic facility.

Visiting aircraft had arrived from Mackay, Rocky, Theodore, Gladstone, Bundaberg, Gympie and Caloundra so we had a good group and a lot of fat was chewed overnight. Entertainment was provided by a local music combo, a standup up comic and a local bush poet, very entertaining. I took a few people up for a ride in TBH and on Sat around 1600 Jackie, the local correspondent joined me and with most of the other aircraft we flew to the northwest over the Cania gorge and dam and despite the smoke haze, it was a very pleasant flight. Sunday morning Trev Gleeson got airborne in his C150 taildragger and did a test streamer cut from 3000 but due to the heat and thermals, I’m sure it actually went up, as we lost sight of it after around 5 minutes. That abandoned they ran a flower bombing comp and I am reassured knowing that if we ever have another conflict, the skills are still there.