Latest news with #AvalonAirshow
7NEWS
21-07-2025
- Health
- 7NEWS
7NEWS Spotlight: How Glenn Collins is getting back on his feet after Avalon Airshow crash
Glenn Collin's survival was nothing short of miraculous. The Sky Aces aerobatic pilot was flying at 300km an hour when he crashed at the Avalon International Airshow in March. With the support of his devoted wife, Tracey, and his loving family, Glenn is pushing the boundaries of his physiotherapy to get back on his feet.. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Cockpit footage of Avalon Airshow crash And it won't be too long before he and Tracey are heading back home to the Hunter Valley. However, their life will look different on their return with the pilot's spinal injury meaning there will be multiple lifestyle changes. These include renovating their house for accessibility. 'You need to allow for your worst days and my worst days might be that I'm not on my feet, so we need to make the house suitable for that,' Glenn acknowledges. Despite the ordeal, Glenn remains as positive as he can be and realised it could have been much worse. 'I'm one of the very, very lucky ones where my spinal injury is low, so I will hopefully be able to walk again,' he said. 'Many people don't.' For Glenn and Tracey, there are so many people who they want to thank. Among those are the pyro crew - Phil, Jay, Brooke, and Todd - whose rapid response in getting Glenn out of the wreckage to be treated by paramedics was critical. 'They are very much heroes. They saved my life,' he said. A long list of healthcare practitioners also contributed to keeping him alive and then helping with his recovery. From paramedics, to doctors, nurses and numerous other hospital staff; dozens and dozens of caring individuals helped put Glenn back together. Tracey feels particularly strongly about the regular Australians who donate blood. 'Glenn was revived using bloods and fluids, which saved his life,' she said. So, on the anniversary of Glenn's fateful flight, their whole family will donate blood themselves to mark the occasion. It's obvious that there's a deeply emotional connection between Paul Bennet and his crew member Glenn. After all, Paul is the one who straight away, initiated the GoFundMe page for the Collins family. Glenn recognises how valuable this will be in his getting him back walking - and maybe even back in the sky! 'It's amazing what he's done there, looked after me. And it'll also pass on through the family,'
7NEWS
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
7NEWS Spotlight: Cockpit footage of the Avalon Airshow crash that left pilot seriously injured
When Sky Aces aerobatic pilot Glenn Collins crashed at the Avalon International Airshow in March, everyone feared the worst. The four-time champion was flying at 300km an hour, making the force of the impact so horrific that it looked impossible to survive. Within seconds, the atmosphere changed at the country's biggest airshow. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Cockpit footage of Avalon Airshow crash The excitement of the crowd, and the noisy roar of the planes, was gone. Suddenly, the mood was one of shock and reverence. Thousands of people stood still, in silence, with their eyes fixed on the wreckage of Glenn's Pitts Special. Everyone was hoping for a miracle, no one dared to believe it would friend, Angela Stevenson, was in the commentary box, utterly devastated by what she'd just witnessed. Believing there was no way he could have survived, Angela buried her grief. She steeled herself to turn on her microphone and make the necessary emergency announcements to the crowd. Just as she'd finished, Angela was told there was one more message to deliver. The incredible news, Glenn Collins was alive. Tonight on Sunday, for the first time, we'll reveal the full story of what happened that day. With permission from Glenn Collins and Sky Aces leader Paul Bennet, we take you inside the cockpits of all four planes, to experience exactly what they did, as the tragedy unfolded. Moment by moment, it's confronting and raw. To excel at formation aerobatics requires precision skills, honed over years of practice. Every time they go up, the pilots hold each other's lives in their hands. This story takes you inside that world, to understand what it takes to be right up there, with the best in the country. It demands a certain mindset, and that mindset is what makes Glenn Collins so extraordinary. Doctors agree his survival is a miracle. He now faces a long recovery and Glenn's family has set up a fundraiser to help cover his medical expenses. As you'll see tonight, making it out of that wreckage alive was the first of many. His story is the kind that will stay with you, for a long time. It's high-octane and some moments are difficult to watch. But in the next heartbeat, there are heroes. It's also an incredible love story. Even on the ground, Glenn's journey is full of twists and turns. It's inspiring and deeply moving. A wild ride that, on this rare occasion, ends in triumph. But you'll notice Glenn's courage takes many forms.
ABC News
09-07-2025
- ABC News
Footage of aircraft's manouver before crashing at Avalon Airshow
The ATSB has released footage of a crash at the Avalon Airshow as part of its preliminary report.
ABC News
09-07-2025
- General
- ABC News
Avalon Airshow crash preliminary investigation suggests mid-air stunt attempted too low
An aerobatic pilot who was seriously injured when his plane crashed at the Avalon Airshow earlier this year may have attempted the mid-air stunt too low to the ground, a preliminary investigation has found. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released a preliminary report into the incident, which happened in front of thousands of horrified onlookers at the Avalon Australian International Airshow near Geelong. An aerobatic aircraft, a Pitts S1 11X, crashed into the ground after performing a loop as part of a display on the first public day of the airshow in March. The plane's sole occupant, the pilot, survived but was seriously injured. Investigators were able to recover video footage from inside the cockpit, which the ATSB said showed the loop was attempted from a lower altitude than it had been in previous practice runs, which were also filmed. Footage published by the ATSB shows the plane's altimeter visible from a camera fixed inside the cockpit. Investigators suggested the "triple avalanche" manoeuvre — a loop with three snap rolls — began at around 100 feet (about 30 metres) above runway height, when in previous training flights the pilot had started it at 200 feet (61 metres). The pilot began the back half of the loop at a significantly lower altitude than in training runs, at around 700-800 feet (213-244 metres) rather than the usual 1,000 feet (305 metres), the report said. It then collided with the ground — no spectators were injured. No defects had been found with the plane so far, the report said. "We've examined the wreckage and we found no evidence of pre-impact defects," investigator Angus Baxter said. "The flight controls were all intact and connected … we've also identified the flight instruments and recovered those as part of our onsite investigation, we'll be attempting to download any data that might be on those flight instruments," Mr Baxter said. "This is a preliminary report and the investigation is still ongoing, we will be reviewing multiple angles of video evidence that we have received to see if we can determine any of the key elements of the flight path … throughout the manoeuvre." The pilot aged in his 50s, Glenn Collins, survived but was hospitalised with serious injuries. The ATSB noted Mr Collins had more than 2,000 flying hours and all relevant qualifications and practices needed for the manoeuvre ahead of the Avalon Airshow performance. In late May, the organisation in charge of the display, Paul Bennet Airshows, posted on social media that Mr Collins was continuing to "progress positively" after being seriously injured in a crash. In a May post on a crowdfunding platform, Mr Collins said he had suffered "life-changing" spinal injuries and was yet to recover full feelings in his legs and waist. "To the pyrotechnic team who acted so quickly and bravely to get me out of the wreckage — thank you for your courage," he said. "To the healthcare professionals who continue to care for me with such skill and kindness — your dedication is deeply appreciated."
Perth Now
09-07-2025
- General
- Perth Now
First details revealed in stunt pilot's crash
A stunt pilot who crashed during the Avalon Airshow waited about 10 minutes for emergency crews to reach him after his plane landed in a pyrotechnics zone filled with fuel boxes. A preliminary report from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation into the incident said the crash site, designated for a planned 'wall of fire' display, complicated rescue efforts due to safety risks, delaying paramedics and fire crews. Pilot Glenn Collins, part of the Sky Aces aerobatic team, was seriously injured when his Pitts aircraft slammed into the ground in front of airshow crowds in March, leaving a 95m 'ground scar'. The Pitts aircraft crashed in a pyrotechnics zone delaying emergency responses. No 1 Security Forces Squadron, annotated by the ATSB Credit: Supplied The ATSB has released early findings from their investigation into the crash of a stunt pilot during the Avalon Airshow. Aircraft wreckage at the accident site. ATSB Credit: Supplied The ATSB report, which outlines early facts but no final conclusions, noted the first ambulance arrived at 5.31pm, about 10 minutes after the crash. Lead investigator Angus Baxter said pyrotechnicians were the first on the scene following the crash. 'As pyrotechnicians were attending to the pilot, they were unable to safely guide the aviation rescue firefighting service through the pyrotechnicians' area, which increased their response times,' he said. GoPro footage recovered from the cockpit is playing a key role in the investigation. It revealed Mr Collins appeared to begin snap rolls for a 'triple avalanche' manoeuvre lower than in previous training flights, between 700 and 800 feet instead of the usual 1000, before the aircraft failed to recover and hit the ground. The report reveals stunt pilot Glenn Collins began a 'triple avalanche' manoeuvre lower than in previous training flights. Source: AMDA Foundation, annotated by the ATSB Credit: Supplied Emergency services are on the scene after an aircraft crashed at the Avalon Airshow near Geelong on Friday. Mr Baxter said there was no evidence of any defects in the plane before takeoff. 'We can determine any of the key elements of the flight path, such as the position and the nose attitude of the aircraft throughout the manoeuvre,' he said. 'We examined the wreckage and we found no evidence of pre-impact defects and the flight controls were all intact and connected. 'We've also identified the flight instruments and have recovered those as part of the on-site investigation, and we will be attempting to download any data that might be on those.' The report confirmed no defects were found in the plane prior to takeoff. ATSB Credit: Supplied The investigation is ongoing, which will include a review of the airshow's emergency response plan, with a final report expected later this year. Mr Collins, who was an experienced member of Paul Bennet airshow's aerobatics team, sustained significant injuries in the crash, spending five weeks in hospital before being released to recover closer to home. 'Most of my general injuries are healing well, but I do have spinal damage,' he said in May. 'While I can move my legs – which I'm incredibly grateful for – I don't yet have full feeling in my legs or waist, 'Ongoing rehabilitation will be key, and I'm giving it my all.'
