Comanche Corroboree

Corroboree is a word coined by the European settlers of Australia for a customary gathering of the country’s Indigenous people, usually accompanied by rituals and music. So when a group of pilots, all owners of Piper Comanche aeroplanes, gathered together at Alice Springs, a town situated in the very heart of Australia, it could aptly be described as a Comanche Corroboree. Fortunately in a traditional sense, Corroboree’s welcome outside participation and it was in this spirit the Bazflyers flew the trusty Comanche 2,400 NM (4,400 km) from New Zealand to also be in Alice Springs, once again.

Australia is one big country and this means it’s a long way to Alice Springs from almost anywhere. Like the other Comanches making their way into Alice for the Corroboree, the Bazflyers also opted to include an on route overnight stop and the remote, small settlement of Birdsville was chosen for this privilege. The latter part of this westward flight was into a spectacular setting sun and ended with an evening arrival. 

Deep in the heart of wild and isolated country, Birdsville is remote. Normally home to a population of just 140 folk, the pub was buzzing when the Bazflyers arrived. During the cooler winter months thousands of Australians hitch a caravan to their 4x4 vehicles and head off out into their own big backyard. Then there was also early arrivals for the Big Red Bash, an iconic multi-day music festival held annually in the nearby dessert. 

Next morning four other Comanches flying from locations further south, stopped in at Birdsville to take on fuel. The Bazflyers joined them for the remaining two hour run into Alice. The downwind leg for landing on Runway 12 at Alice provided a bird’s eye view of many airliners still in Covid storage. 

As for the ensuing three day corroboree….the ritual was talking about and comparing Comanche aeroplanes, while the music was at night huddled around a campfire.