Today I took a client to the Queensland Air Museum, right here in beautiful Caloundra. I have to admit, I’ve seen the sign for it a million times but never gave it much thought. My client, however, a former glider pilot, told me that it was a cool place and that we should check it out. So we did!
Established in XXXX, the museum spans two hectares and has several outbuildings and there are planes outside as well. Once you pay your admittance fee of XXXX, you can explore at will. There are signs describing most of the planes but, extraordinarily, you can add a guided tour at no extra cost. “Free” is not a word used very much on the Sunshine Coast so I would urge you to take advantage of the offer.
Unlike a lot of attractions in our humble tourist town, the Air Museum doesn’t have a touristy vibe at all; in fact, it seems to exist solely to educate which is a refreshing change. The volunteers who work there all went out of their way to make us feel at home without being pushy or annoying about it. In talking to them, I realised that they weren’t here for the money, of which there is $0 because they are volunteers, but rather they are passionate about aviation and simply want to share information.
The museum is home to dozens and dozens of aircraft, many of which are undergoing restoration. My understanding is that they don’t get them back in the air because it would be too expensive. They do, however, bring them back to life for educational purposes and as you’ll see at the museum, that is really good enough. Still, it would be kind of cool if you could take one up but there are plenty of other ways to get airborne on the Sunshine Coast.
Most impressive to me was the widely contrasting variety of planes. For example, they had this weird little crop-duster as well as the DC-3. I’ve been to places where it is just row after row of the same stuff (certain car museums for example) and they are so god-awful boring but no, the Queensland Air Museum was nothing like that at all, it was one of the more interesting attractions I’ve seen here in Queensland. I can’t believe I drove right past it all these years without having stopped. My mistake.
So there you go, a quick introduction to one of the more interesting attractions here on the Sunshine Coast. It’s not terribly expensive (for once you get your money’s worth) and it is far more engaging than most other touristy destinations.
