Paul Bennet is no stranger to Shellharbour’s airshow but he’s taking a big leap to make sure it can return in 2026. Photos: Keeli Dyson.
An airshow which has marvelled Illawarra crowds for more than a decade will return in 2026 under new ownership after the previous organisers announced they were stepping back from the popular event earlier in the year.
Paul Bennet has been a part of Wings Over Illawarra – now to be known as Wings Over Shellharbour – since the beginning.
The aerobatic pilot and airshow organiser has travelled around the world competing and showcasing his skills in the sky, but he always found time to return to the Illawarra event each year.
“We’ve actually been involved pretty much from when it started,” Paul said. [HARS president] Bob De La Hunty used to organise some flying days and I used to bring down a Pitts Special and an Avenger.
“Our participation has grown each time just like my fleet seems to have grown each time and it’s an event that we look forward to.”
In July, the AMDA Foundation announced they would no longer be able to deliver the show, which was renamed Airshows Down Under Shellharbour, having hosted only one event after taking over from long-time coordinator Mark Bright.
So Paul jumped at the opportunity.
“I didn’t want to see it not succeed or not continue and we had some discussions probably before AMDA took it over but at the time I thought it was a good deal,” he said.
“We’re honoured to continue the legacy of the airshow at Shellharbour.”
Paul has big plans for the new show including a plane landing on a moving truck.
And he already has big plans to make the event more spectacular than ever.
“We want to do some different things, things that haven’t been seen at Shellharbour before,” Paul said.
“For example landing the Piper Cub on the roof of a moving truck and we’d like to do the backflipping motorbike over the Wolf Pitts Pro, which we’ve done at several other shows but hasn’t been seen in this region.
“We also want to bring in things like a car show and for us it’s about fun-filled family entertainment.”
The event will take place in May under the new name Wings Over Shellharbour, a nod to its origins while maintaining its own identity.
It’s not the only way the event will be connected to its former success, with Mark Bright returning as part of Paul’s team.
He coordinated and ran all aspects of the event until 2023, when he decided it was time to pass it on.
“My late wife and I did it together; she passed away unfortunately back in ’21 and I ran it for two years on my own,” Mark said.
“When there’s two of us there’s someone else to say, ‘Hey, you know, we’ve got this, let’s keep it going’.
“The time was right for me.”
But he couldn’t stay away from the industry for too long and last year started working with Paul, long before conversations about taking over the Illawarra event had taken place.
“They say aviation’s in your blood and it must be,” Mark said.
Mark Bright is returning to help the new organisers make the event bigger than ever.
When Paul signed up to take on the Illawarra event, he wanted Mark to be a part of it.
“I got a call from Paul from The States, saying, ‘Guess what?’
“I think I was the first person he called after his discussion with [AMDA CEO] Justin,” Mark said.
Mark said while the aviation and event coordination were things Paul and his team were definitely across, his input would be around the site-specific aspects that mightn’t be as obvious which he had already worked through in previous events.
“It got tweaked year after year after year – access routes and buses, getting people through the gates, where do we put ticketing,” he said.
“It’s the things you tend to find out about a show when it happens and it’s too late to try and fix them.
“Most of these are things that I’ve ironed out over the last 13, 14 years.”
And he’s happy to see someone so passionate taking the reins.
“He’s enthusiastic; he won’t admit it but he’s probably done more for aviation in this country than anyone else,” Mark said.
Although the AMDA Foundation is stepping back, it will continue to play a pivotal role in the profile of aviation through its careers and skills program which will run for students on the Friday before the main spectacle.
“We do this right around the country; we do careers and skills not just in aviation but other defence areas as well,” AMDA Foundation CEO Justin Giddings said.
“Last time we ran this show we had 1200 students and teachers that were able to come from across the region to actually come and be exposed to great people like Paul and others.
“Next year we’re aiming for 3000 students.
“It’s going to be fantastic not only for the industry but the region itself.”
Wings Over Shellharbour will run on Saturday 16 to Sunday 17 May 2026 with tickets on sale now.
More information about the event and updates about the attractions will be available through the Wings Over Shellharbour website.
