There could be some very interesting aircraft in the skies over Wentworth this weekend, with vintage aviation enthusiasts from across Australia heading to our region for a three-day fly-in.
The Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia will hold its 2026 Spring Fly-In and AGM at Wentworth Aerodrome from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October, bringing aircraft owners, pilots and aviation enthusiasts together for the weekend.
The association represents owners and enthusiasts of antique, classic and historic civil and military aircraft dating from the 1920s through to the 1960s.
And while the aircraft will undoubtedly attract plenty of attention, the event is also another opportunity to bring visitors into Wentworth and the wider Sunraysia region — staying locally, eating locally and getting out to see some of what our part of the country has to offer.
Saturday will be the main day
Aircraft are expected to begin arriving at Wentworth on Friday, with Saturday set to be the main day of activity at the aerodrome.
The official program includes further aircraft arrivals, time to look over the antique aircraft gathered at Wentworth and local flying along the Murray.
The Sunraysia Sport Aircraft Club will host the visitors throughout the weekend from its clubhouse at the aerodrome.
The association's dinner and Annual General Meeting will be held at the Coomealla Club at Dareton on Saturday evening.
There will be more local flying on Sunday morning before participants begin making their way home.
When: Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October 2026
Where: Wentworth Aerodrome
Main day: Saturday 10 October
Hosted locally by: Sunraysia Sport Aircraft Club
View Fly-In DetailsMore than just an aviation event
Hosting a national association event like this is also a chance to put Wentworth and Sunraysia in front of visitors who may not otherwise have made the trip to our region.
The organisers themselves have highlighted some of the area's attractions for those attending, including the junction of the Murray and Darling rivers, Perry Sandhills, Old Wentworth Gaol, Wentworth Pioneer Museum and Wentworth's historic riverfront.
Visitors will be able to camp at the aerodrome, while buses are planned between the airfield and accommodation around Wentworth.
And with people travelling into the district and spending several days here, events like this can have benefits well beyond the aerodrome — from accommodation and hospitality through to fuel, shopping and local attractions.
For a relatively small regional town, attracting groups from across Australia for events such as this is another way of getting people to discover Wentworth and the wider Sunraysia region.
Wentworth's upgraded aerodrome
The fly-in will also put Wentworth's significantly upgraded aerodrome to good use.
Wentworth Shire Council carried out a major redevelopment of the facility in 2020–21, allowing it to operate 24 hours a day.
The aerodrome now includes two sealed runways, with the longest stretching 1.4 kilometres, sealed parking and tie-down aprons, runway and taxiway lighting and both AVGAS and Jet A1 fuel.
The facility is home to the Sunraysia Sport Aircraft Club and regularly attracts recreational light and ultralight aircraft.
It also plays an important role when required by emergency services, including police and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Keeping aviation history in the air
The Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia was established in 1974 and today has more than 600 members.
Its focus isn't simply on keeping old aircraft in museums. The association supports the preservation, restoration, maintenance and continued flying of historic aircraft so they can continue to be seen and enjoyed by future generations.
That should make Wentworth an interesting place to keep an eye on this weekend.
The 2026 Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia Spring Fly-In runs from Friday 9 October through to Sunday 11 October at Wentworth Aerodrome, with Saturday expected to see the main gathering of aircraft and flying activity.
For those around Wentworth and Sunraysia this weekend, it might be worth looking skyward — a little piece of Australia's aviation history could be flying overhead, while bringing a few more visitors to our corner of the country at the same
