Airtourer Association Inc.Convention and AGM 2024
Bathurst
3rd - 5th May 2024
The Big Picture
The 2024 annual conference has had a tortuous path with insurance issues and accommodation difficulties with Orange. However, Bathurst is set to be a great event, with fantastic support from the Bathurst Aero Club, whose open day we will join on Sunday. We hope we have assembled some activities that will surprise and delight you.
We have a bus for anyone who wants to take a kero burning flight to Sydney airport. It will depart Sydney airport at midday on Friday and return by 1 pm on Monday. Call Doug Gould 0419 346 853 if you want a seat.
Friday 3rd May
The 2024 Convention is in the picturesque and historic town of Bathurst. It is best known for the racetrack, but has so much more to offer.
The weekend will start on Friday as people arrive by aircraft or car. The Bathurst Aero Club is hosting us, and there will be refreshments available in their club rooms as you arrive, register and receive the participant's bag, including the programme and sponsors' merchandise.
At 4 pm, Bevan Anderson of AviPlan will address a combined group of Airtourer and Bathurst Aero Club members. As this breaks up, there will be drinks and a casual BBQ dinner where we can mix with the Bathurst Aero Club members.
We are encouraging everyone to stay at the Rydges Mt Panorama Hotel. Book direct for our special price of $190 (reduced from about $250). It is a full-facility hotel with a restaurant, bar, gym and swimming pool. For those interested in motor racing, being on the hollowed ground of Conrod Straight is an experience. Those who aren’t interested will appreciate the stunning mountain views from every window. The ambience of the mountain views from every window is stunning. A surprise for many will be the number of people who walk, jog or cycle around the track. It has been a destination in its own right for fitness activities. Some (like my wife, Sally) will enjoy simply sitting on the balcony, taking in the view and reading. The Rydges is worth a few extra dollars for the serene ambience of its 360-degree views.
Saturday 4th May
Saturday is a leisurely sightseeing day. We hope there are some activities that you might not normally choose but will surprise you with enjoyment.
We will be picked up by a coach to take us between the day's activities. Once again, having the whole group in a single coach enhanced the group experience at Mt.Gambier.
The first stop is under an hour's coach ride away. There, you can have morning coffee at the Moorbel Markets and maybe buy local cakes, jams, and crafts. Then, you'll be back on the bus to the “Age of Fishes” exhibit.
The Age of Fishes refers not to fish but to the Devonian era, 360 million years ago. It is built on the site where 360-million-year-old fossils were discovered in 1956. David Attenborough describes the museum as “world class.” It has won numerous awards, and everyone who has been there says it's an impactful experience.
The coach will then take us to lunch at “ The Bee Keepers Inn”. This is a boutique brewery, farm and honey farm shop in a historic building that was a Cobb & Co horse changing station owned by the Lockwood family of beekeepers.
The bus will then take us to the Bathurst Grange Distillery. The distillery is a cute building set on a working farm. They distil both single malt scotch and gin, but are best known for Gin. All the ingredients for the gin are grown on the fam by Toby Jones and his family.
We will be given a lesson in Gin distilling and the blending of different aromatic herbs to create the gin flavour.
After The Grange, we will once again return to the coach to the National Motor Racing Museum. For those who follow racing, there is something about seeing the actual cars from key events in racing history – as they raced. For me, it's Moffat’s Falcon from the 1-2 finish in 1977. For others, there is frankly enough colour and variety to be worth a 20-minute walk through on the way back to the hotel for another gin & tonic before dinner.
A buffet dinner at the Rydges Hotel is included in the conference fee, and we are honoured to have Michael Monk speak. Michael is the chair of Recreational Aviation Australia. He has graciously steeped in after Matt Boutell returned to CASA. Michael will speak on the new Group G arrangements and tell us what the future might be with MOSAIC.
Sunday 5th May
The AGM will be at the Bathurst Aero Club, which has video and Zoom facilities.
After the AGM, we will attend the Bathurst Aero Club’s open day, adding our group of Airtourers to the aircraft on display. The Bathurst Aero Club will have a wide range of members' aircraft on display, from ultralights to jets, from Airtruks to Kingairs.
A BBQ lunch is part of the Bathurst Aero Club Open Day.
For those preferring not to talk aeroplanes, Bathurst has a huge amount to offer, from the Mt Panorama Winery(a 20-minute walk from the Rydges Mt Panorama) to Art Galleries, historic walks, the rail museum, shopping, and much more. The participant pack contains a 62-page guide to Bathurst.
For those staying overnight, an informal dinner will be held in the Chicane restaurant at the Rydges Mt Panorama. This is a casual pub-level meal.
Cost
The Convention fee will be $275 per person, covering the transport, Friday BBQ, Saturday entrance fees, Convention Dinner, and Sunday breakfast. A deposit of $50 per person is required with registration.