RAAF Base Point Cook Open Day 2024: Heritage Aircraft, Museum Tours, Community

RAAF Base Point Cook is a heritage and aviation destination where visitors can connect with Australia's military flying history. The museum, open days, and guided programs give the public different ways to experience aircraft, buildings, and stories.

This guide explains how access works and why the site remains important to Point Cook's community. It separates regular museum visits from special events and flying displays, so families can plan with current official information.

Lycoming T-53-L9 turboshaft engine on display at the RAAF Museum. Photo: Bidgee via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5 Australia. Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lycoming_T-53-L9_Turboshaft_engine_(close-up).jpg

Open Day Draws Crowds to Aviation Birthplace

The 2024 RAAF Base Point Cook open day, held on Sunday 1 September, attracted over 2000 locals across a five-hour program. The base, which covers 341 hectares and sits 26 kilometres from Melbourne's CBD, opened hangars and static displays spanning more than a century of aviation history. Heritage aircraft from 100 Squadron took centre stage: a De Havilland Tiger Moth, CAC Winjeel, Sopwith Pup, and CAC Wirraway sat alongside mechanics performing maintenance on a CAC Mustang. Read the Defence media release on the open day.

The Strike and Reconnaissance hangar displayed a Canberra Bomber, F-111, and F/A-18 Classic Hornet. Visitors queued to board a C-27J Spartan, the Air Force's newest light tactical airlifter capable of landing on unsurfaced airstrips for humanitarian missions. Air Force and Army bands performed throughout the day. Wing Commander Rob Gill, Commanding Officer of 21 Squadron, said the event helped the public understand Defence's role while highlighting more than 300 career opportunities.

Local resident Cristian Valenzuela described seeing the aircraft collection as sensational, noting the appreciation gained for how far aviation has progressed. The open day also featured ADF Careers representatives fielding enquiries from prospective recruits. The base's role as the home of Australian Air Force Cadet Headquarters and host to RMIT Flight Training Centre underscores its ongoing training function alongside its heritage mission.

The heritage fleet tells the story of Australian air power from biplanes to supersonic jets. The Tiger Moth represents the elementary trainer that taught thousands of pilots during the Second World War. The CAC Wirraway, an Australian-built development of the North American NA-16, served as a trainer and light bomber. The Sopwith Pup replica connects to the Australian Flying Corps of the First World War. The CAC Mustang, a licence-built P-51D, served in the post-war era. Together they illustrate the evolution of military aviation technology and Australian industrial capability.

The open day format encourages hands-on engagement. Children climbed into cockpits, tried on flight helmets, and spoke with pilots about their careers. The C-27J Spartan interior tour showed how the aircraft configures for troop transport, medical evacuation, and cargo roles. The Strike and Reconnaissance hangar allowed close inspection of the F-111's variable-sweep wing and the F/A-18's twin-engine layout. These tactile experiences create lasting connections to aviation heritage that static displays alone cannot achieve.

RAAF Museum: Regular Access to National Heritage

The RAAF Museum operates as the largest Defence unit at Point Cook and holds the oldest and most extensive complex of military aviation buildings in Australia. The base earned National Heritage List inclusion on 29 August 2007. The museum opens to the public on Thursdays and Sundays year-round, with Wednesday openings during Victorian school holidays. Entry is free but bookings are essential, and all visitors over 16 must present valid photo identification. No public entry to the base or museum is permitted without a booking. Visit the RAAF Museum website for bookings and hours.

The museum's collection traces the Australian Flying Corps through the Second World War to the modern Air Force. More than 100 years of history are displayed across multiple hangars. The Friends of the RAAF Museum Gift Shop in the foyer sells memorabilia, books, model kits, and apparel via card payments only. No 100 Squadron conducts interactive flying displays of the Air Force Heritage Aircraft Fleet on many museum open days; the museum recommends confirming schedules by phone or email before visiting.

Contact for the museum: 0419 018 978 or raaf.museuminfo@defence.gov.au. Address: RAAF Museum, RAAF Base Point Cook, Point Cook Road, Victoria 3027. See the RAAF Base Point Cook overview.

The museum's hangar complex is itself historically significant. The original hangars, built for the Central Flying School, remain in use. The site includes the oldest continuously operating military airfield in Australia. The collection includes aircraft, engines, uniforms, and artefacts. The Technology Hangar houses jet aircraft including the Mirage III, F-111, and F/A-18. The Heritage Hangar displays the Tiger Moth, Wirraway, Winjeel, and replica First World War aircraft. The Strike and Reconnaissance Hangar holds the Canberra, Lincoln, and maritime patrol aircraft.

Each hangar tells a distinct chapter. The Heritage Hangar covers 1914 to 1950: the Central Flying School, the Australian Flying Corps in the First World War, the interwar expansion, and the Second World War training empire. The Technology Hangar covers the jet age: the Vampire, Sabre, Mirage, Macchi, F-111, Hornet, and Super Hornet. The Strike and Reconnaissance Hangar covers maritime patrol, bomber, and transport roles: the Lincoln, Neptune, Orion, Canberra, and Caribou. Together they form a comprehensive narrative of air power in Australian defence.

Wyndham Council Launches Heritage Talk and Bus Tour

Wyndham City Council announced a dedicated RAAF Base Point Cook History Talk and Bus Tour scheduled for Friday 24 April 2026. The event runs from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm and is open to Wyndham residents and Wyndham Libraries patrons. RAAF cultural historian Squadron Leader Steve Campbell-Wright will present in the museum's Technology Hangar, surrounded by restored heritage aircraft. A bus tour of the base's heritage precincts follows the talk. View the Wyndham Council event listing.

Bookings are compulsory and tickets are limited. The museum opens for attendees at 10:15 am. The talk begins at 10:30 am and concludes at 11:30 am. The bus tour departs at 11:45 am and returns around 12:30 pm. The event concludes at 1:00 pm. Attendees may tour the museum's open display hangars after the program until closing. The museum remains open to the public on its regular Thursday and Sunday schedule for those unable to attend the council event.

This partnership between local government and Defence represents a new model for community engagement. Wyndham City Council, covering one of Australia's fastest-growing municipalities, recognises the base as a defining landmark. The history talk and bus tour make the heritage accessible to residents who may not visit independently. The event's restriction to Wyndham residents and library patrons ensures local access while managing capacity on an active Defence base.

Squadron Leader Campbell-Wright brings unique qualifications to the role. As the RAAF's cultural historian, he oversees the service's heritage collections, oral history program, and commemorative activities. His presentation will draw on archival research, personal accounts from veterans, and the physical evidence of the base's built heritage. The bus tour will visit the 1914 hangars, the former officers' mess, the married quarters precinct, and the airfield's original layout. These sites are not accessible on regular museum open days.

Roulettes and Special Flying Displays

The RAAF Roulettes, flying Pilatus PC-21 aircraft from East Sale, conducted a flying display over the RAAF Museum as part of the Interactive Flying Display Program in 2025. A Roulettes flypast for the Royal Melbourne Show on 25 September 2025 was followed by a display at Point Cook at 12:55 pm. Bookings remain essential for base access during flying events. The museum's website publishes schedules, which are subject to change due to air traffic control, weather, and operational requirements. Check the Roulettes display schedule at RAAF Base Point Cook.

In May 2024, adventurer Michael Smith returned to RAAF Base Point Cook from a historic recreation of the first aerial circumnavigation of Australia 100 years prior. Retired Navy Commander David Goble, grandson of Wing Commander Stanley Goble who led the original flight, presented artefacts to Smith. The event was restricted to media and invited guests.

The Roulettes displays connect the base's heritage with contemporary Air Force capability. The PC-21, a modern turboprop trainer, flies from the same airfield where the first Australian military pilots trained in 1914. The aerial circumnavigation re-enactment commemorated the 1924 flight by Wing Commander Stanley Goble and Flying Officer Ivor McIntyre in a Fairey IIID seaplane. Their journey around Australia's coastline demonstrated the potential of aerial survey and coastal defence.

Modern training aircraft bring a different experience from the historic collection. They rely on digital instruments, simulation, and carefully managed flight programs. The contrast helps visitors see how pilot training has changed while the airfield remains in active use. Formation displays require precise preparation and coordination. They also depend on weather and air traffic conditions, which is why the Air Force advises visitors to confirm schedules rather than assume a display will proceed.

Base Operations and Community Context

Beyond the museum and 100 Squadron, RAAF Base Point Cook hosts 21 Squadron, 1 Security Force Squadron, 1 Security Force Squadron 5 Rifle Flight, and Australian Air Force Cadet Headquarters. Commercial tenants include the RMIT Flight Training Centre. The base implements noise abatement procedures under its Aircraft Noise Management Plan. Residents can monitor flying operations via the Defence Aircraft Noise website or by calling 1300 DEFENCE (1300 333 362).

The base's 341-hectare footprint and proximity to Melbourne's western growth corridor make it a unique neighbour for suburbs including Point Cook, Laverton, and Williams Landing. As Point Cook's population expands, the Wyndham LGA is among Victoria's fastest-growing. The base's community engagement through open days, museum access, and council partnerships bridges Defence operations with civilian life.

The noise management plan balances operational requirements with residential amenity. Flight paths avoid densely populated areas where possible. Training schedules are published in advance. The 1300 DEFENCE hotline provides a direct channel for noise complaints. RMIT Flight Training Centre operates civilian pilot training alongside military operations, creating a mixed-use aviation environment unique in Australia.

The Australian Air Force Cadet Headquarters at Point Cook coordinates the national cadet program. Cadets across Australia experience aviation, leadership, and STEM education through the program. The headquarters manages curriculum, safety, and administration. Cadets regularly visit the museum and airfield for experiential learning. The program builds a pipeline of aviation-aware youth, some of whom pursue Defence or civilian aviation careers.

Plan Your Visit

Residents can book RAAF Museum visits through the Air Force website's Plan a Visit page. The museum opens Thursdays and Sundays 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, and Wednesdays during school holidays. Wyndham residents should watch the council's What's On page for the April 2026 History Talk and Bus Tour booking window. For flying display schedules, check the RAAF Museum website or call 0419 018 978. Families planning a museum visit should reserve early, carry photo identification for every visitor aged over 16, and allow extra time for base entry and parking. A booking is required even when admission is free, and a flying display is never guaranteed because weather and operational needs can change the schedule. Before setting out, check the official RAAF Museum booking and hours page.

A useful visit plan starts with the museum's opening information, then checks the event calendar for interactive displays. Visitors who want to see a specific aircraft should confirm the hangar list before travelling. Parents can pair the museum with a walk through Point Cook Coastal Park, while aviation students may prefer a weekday visit when school groups are less common. Photography is welcome in public display areas, but visitors must follow Defence instructions around restricted buildings, personnel, and active airfield operations. The museum experience works best when visitors read the aircraft labels, ask volunteers about restoration work, and leave enough time for both the Heritage and Technology Hangars.

Visitors should treat the base as an active Defence facility rather than a standard public museum. Security staff may request identification more than once. Bags, vehicles, and photography locations can be subject to temporary restrictions. Display aircraft may move for maintenance or flying programs. Families should explain these rules to children before arrival, and anyone with mobility needs should contact the museum before booking to confirm accessible routes between hangars. Checking the official page on the morning of a visit is the safest way to catch a closure, changed hours, or cancelled flying display.

The museum also offers a useful starting point for school and community groups. Teachers can connect the collection to lessons about engineering, geography, migration, wartime service, and Australian technology. Community historians can use the site to introduce local research into the people who lived and worked at the base. A short visit can focus on one aircraft type, while a longer itinerary can compare training, transport, and combat roles. Asking volunteers about restoration work often reveals the maintenance skills required to keep historic aircraft available for future visitors.

A visit can also support local businesses before or after the museum. Families may combine the tour with lunch in Point Cook or a walk along the coastal park, while visitors from outside Wyndham can explore nearby suburbs. Planning the route in advance reduces pressure on base parking and helps groups arrive at the correct entry point. These small details make a heritage visit easier for children, older visitors, and anyone unfamiliar with Defence access procedures.

Visitors should also allow time for security checks at the base entrance. Identification rules apply to every visitor over 16, including teenagers visiting with family groups. Event entry requirements can differ from ordinary museum days, so the official booking page should be treated as the final source. If a flying display matters to the visit, confirm the schedule immediately before travelling because weather and operational decisions can change it.

Explore Point Cook's Heritage Neighbours

The Point Cook listing sits alongside Laverton and Williams Landing in the Wyndham LGA. For another heritage story, see Soldiers Hill Heritage Home Goes From Unliveable to a $2.2 Million Auction Pad.

Works Cited

Department of Defence. "Open day attracts thousands of locals." Defence News, 5 Sept. 2024, www.defence.gov.au/news-events/news/2024-09-05/open-day-attracts-thousands-locals.

Royal Australian Air Force. "RAAF Museum." Air Force, www.airforce.gov.au/community/visit-and-learn/raaf-museum. Accessed 15 Sept. 2026.

Royal Australian Air Force. "RAAF Base Point Cook." Air Force, www.airforce.gov.au/about-us/bases/raaf-base-point-cook. Accessed 15 Sept. 2026.

Wyndham City Council. "RAAF Base Point Cook History Talk and Bus Tour." Wyndham City What's On, www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/whats-on/raaf-history-talk-and-bus-tour. Accessed 15 Sept. 2026.

Royal Australian Air Force. "Air Force Roulettes flying display over RAAF Base Point Cook." Air Force Events, www.airforce.gov.au/news-events/events/air-force-roulettes-flying-display-over-raaf-base-point-cook. Accessed 15 Sept. 2026.