Australian Spitfire Association

18/09/2026

4 weeks to go!

The Spitfire Association marks 65 years at the Hunter Warbirds Museum, Scone NSW on Saturday 17 October 2026 — museum entry, guided tours, flying displays and a luncheon with guest speakers.

10/09/2026

Why Scone? Because the Association has been there before.

Word got about that a Spitfire had been restored in a hangar at Scone airfield. Keith Colyer was President at the time, and he and the Secretary, Norm Vidler, arranged for members to go up and see it as guests of Col Pay.

Nearly seventy made the trip. Some drove with their families, some flew themselves in, and a bus load arrived in time to hear the engine run up on the strip.

A civilian climbed into the cockpit and started it. It taxied out, took off, and came back past the spectators — head-on passes, tight banks, loops and rolls. Members who had flown Spitfires in the war watched from the ground.

Afterwards at the Scone Aero Club, over a barbecue the members cooked themselves, Colyer thanked Col Pay for two and a half years of work on the aeroplane and gave him a framed air-to-air photograph of it. Then he pulled off his own Spitfire Association tie and gave him that as well.

Keith Colyer flew with 452 Squadron RAAF. He died in 2008. The account is his, and it is in our archive.

65th Anniversary Celebration — Saturday 17 October 2026, Hunter Warbirds Museum, Scone NSW. Members $75, non-members $85. Tickets close 13 October.

The Spitfire Association marks 65 years at the Hunter Warbirds Museum, Scone NSW on Saturday 17 October 2026 — museum entry, guided tours, flying displays and a luncheon with guest speakers.

10/09/2026

The Hunter Warbirds - Scone NSW are hosting our celebration for 65 years of the Australian Spitfire Association.

All welcome for a great day out.

Come celebrate the 65th Anniversary of the Spitfire Association. Book your tickets for a lunch, guest speakers, flying display, private tour of the museum.

And if you are keen to take a flight, you can book your seat in a two-seater Spitfire!!

https://www.spitfireassociation.com/single_product.php?slug=65th-anniversary

07/09/2026

It started on a back veranda.

Around 1960 a few former Spitfire pilots met at Paul Dehlsen's house and decided to find the others. The organisation was to be called No. 1 Spitfire Fighter Wing, drawn from 452 and 457 Squadrons RAAF, 54 Squadron RAF and 7RSU RAAF.

Hazel Dehlsen typed about 160 letters for the first reunion. The group addressed the envelopes and stamped them by hand. Around half came back marked unknown.

Ron Lambert of 457 Squadron was a traveller in New South Wales. He followed hunches about where former members had settled, and found many more.

79 Squadron was invited to join around 1962. No. 5 Fighter Sector joined in October 1963. Darwin Wing HQ members followed, and the roll passed 450.

(Photo: FLTLT John Bisley, 2nd from the right, was one of the founding committee members)

65th Anniversary Celebration — Saturday 17 October 2026, Hunter Warbirds Museum, Scone NSW. Members $75, non-members $85. Tickets close 13 October.
https://spitfr.au/65th?src=fb

06/09/2026

Two guest speakers will join us for the day.

Michael "Newbs" Newby spent more than fifteen years in the RAAF flying fast jets, including the F/A-18 Hornet, and was an instructor pilot on the F-35A Lightning II. Since leaving the Air Force he has flown warbird displays in a variety of aircraft.

Paul Bennet turned a lifelong love of aviation into an aerobatic career, winning state and Australian titles including the Advanced and Unlimited championships. Through Paul Bennet Airshows he flies precision low-level aerobatics, warbird displays and stunt flying.

The day:
9:00 - Gates open
9:30 - Museum and the Pay's restoration tour
10:30 to 12:30 - Flying displays, warbird flights and the simulator
12:30 to 2:00 - Luncheon with the guest speakers
2:00 to 4:00 - Displays resume
4:00 - Official close, with warbird flights continuing for anyone still to fly

You can also fly in a Spitfire on the day. Warbird flights are operated by Pay's Air Service and booked separately — register when you buy your ticket and Pay's will contact you to arrange a time and take payment. Registering is not binding, and the Association takes no payment for flights.

Members $75, non-members $85. Tickets close 13 October.

https://spitfr.au/65th?src=fb

04/09/2026

The Spitfire Association marks 65 years on Saturday 17 October 2026, at Hunter Warbirds Museum, Scone NSW. Gates open at 9:00 am and the day officially closes at 4:00 pm.

$85 a head, or $75 for members.

The ticket covers museum entry, a guided tour of the warbird aircraft and their restoration journey, a viewing of restoration projects in progress, private flying displays including Spitfire VH-TR9, and a luncheon with guest speakers.

65th Anniversary Celebration — Saturday 17 October 2026, Hunter Warbirds Museum, Scone NSW. Members $75, non-members $85. Tickets close 13 October.

The Spitfire Association marks 65 years at the Hunter Warbirds Museum, Scone NSW on Saturday 17 October 2026 — museum entry, guided tours, flying displays and a luncheon with guest speakers.

11/08/2026

Spitfire in Mach Loop

You don’t see the blanks we get at the Mach loop, you don’t see the days we get soaked through waiting around, the days the icy wind cuts right through you, but then some days the magic happens! Out of nowhere a pair of old legends appear at the bottom of the valley and it makes all the bad days worthwhile, never seen so many happy faces up there yesterday, really good atmosphere and everyone over then moon, this shot isn’t perfect as I was shooting 1/40 and tracking top aircraft, I was just happy being there
The Slow Shutter Syndicate The Suffolk Spitfire

11/08/2026

Spitfire photo on Mach Loop

When all the stars align! Huge thanks to Andy today and everyone who made this happen, I never thought I'd see the day when a Spitfire would do the mach loop, let alone 2!

05/01/2026

11/11/2025

Lest We Forget