Hundreds gathered to celebrate Australia’s father of flight, but not even Lawrence Hargrave’s famous box kites could have withstood the windy conditions at Stanwell Park’s Festival of Flight.
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A morning downpour and gale-force winds marred the festival on Sunday, grounding a biplane and WWII fighter jet aerial display.
Still, many families braved the conditions to check out the market stalls or learn something new at one of the historical displays dedicated to Australia’s aviation pioneer.
‘‘The weather was against us; we had a rainy start and unfortunately, when the rain stopped the wind started, so a lot of people packed up early because of the wind,’’ Country Women’s Association Stanwell Park branch president Carol Pugh said.
‘‘We had consistent numbers throughout the day but not as many as we’d hoped to have.’’
Several music acts battled the wind to keep the festival atmosphere alive into theafternoon.
It has been the second year the CWA fund-raiser has been dogged by bad weather – something Ms Pugh hopes to avoid next year when the community commemorates the centenary of Lawrence Hargrave’s passing.
Mr Hargrave made aviation history at Stanwell Park Beach on November 12, 1894, when his flying machine consisting of four box kites flew five metres into the air.