Successive airshows have experienced an increase in numbers which did create traffic issues back in 2023, but organisers worked with local authorities to address the situation for this year’s event.
The Airshow has not only experienced an increase in spectators but has seen a sharp rise in generated revenue for Victoria.
There were close to 800 exhibitors showcasing their products. The demand for display area required a fourth pavilion to be erected.
The organisers also added more activities for the younger visitors. This made the event more family orientated than previous years.
There were exhibitors and delegations from 38 different countries at the 2025 Avalon Airshow. The increase in numbers indicate a strong interest from foreign governments in Australian industries.
Australia continues to produce some remarkable designs, especially in drone technology. As recent events have shown in the Ukraine, heavy weapons have been easily defeated by smaller cheaper devices that are harder to detect and are much easier to replace.
Drone technology also been utilised in the civilian sector with remarkable success. Drones are now routinely used in traffic management and disaster situations such as floods and bushfires.
Using drones remotely effectively removes the risk to the individual operating them, as they do not have to place themselves in immediate danger.
Francesco Sferra spent 16 years serving in the Italian Aeronautica Militare as a combat fighter pilot. During that time, he has been rated on 42 different aircraft.
He has also flown as an instructor and test pilot and has trained with the American military in Texas.
He now works as the Sales and Business Development Officer for Italy’s Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecnam in Capua.
According to Sferra, what attracted him to work for the company was their business philosophy. The organisation is run as a family business and for someone who has travelled extensively and enjoys meeting people, it was the perfect fit.
Having flown as an instructor also has its advantages. Sferra is currently teaching his 12-year-old son to fly single engine light aircraft.
“He is too short to see outside the windscreen, so he flies by instruments and he has become an avid flyer.”
Francesco is a regular at the Avalon airshows and is proud to showcase a very popular and successful line of Italian aircraft.
Tecnam has become a major producer of light aircraft. It’s expected that between 2018 to 2028, they will produce over 11,000 aircraft.
The Republic of Singapore Air Force also brought their heavy lift C47 F Chinook helicopter to the 2025 Avalon Airshow.
The Singaporeans regularly train with the Australian Defence Force, who fly a similar aircraft. This is an ongoing partnership between the two countries as part of a mutual defence initiative.
The Chinook is capable of carrying one vehicle internally and has the capacity to be adapted as a medivac transport. The aircraft has been invaluable in recovery relief in recent natural disasters.
Australia currently has 14 Chinooks.
