It's an old joke, but a goodie.
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How do you make a millionaire?
Give a billionaire an air show.
If you wanted a nice, peaceful, restful existence you certainly wouldn't choose running a major air show as an occupation, but that's certainly what Mark and Kerry Bright have done.
For seven years Wings Over Illawarra ran as a successful community event overseen by a committee with the support of the Shellharbour City Council.
In 2014 the Brights' company, Bright Events, gained Civil Aviation Safety Authority approval to run the 2014 event and it has run under their guidance ever since.
In 2015 it expanded to a two-day event in the format patrons know and love today.
These days it is the largest annual air show in the country, the second largest regional event in NSW and the largest tourism event in the Illawarra and South Coast.
Yet it hasn't been without challenges.
In the first two years unseasonably bad weather impacted the event, even to the point in 2015 it had to be cancelled.
Yet despite this, the Brights remained strong and they maintained their commitment and links to the community, supporting a host of different charities with generous donations.
Their legacy of the Brights in taking Wings Over Illawarra to the next level is undeniable.
It has come through hard work and passion even despite some personal health battles along the way.
The success that Wings now enjoys is a case of good things happening to good people.
This weekend an expected crowd of 40,000 will attend the show at the Illawarra Regional Airport.
Their eyes will feast on the huge array of aircraft both on the ground and in the sky.
Aside from the flying attractions, the event has now become a full blown festival with a wide variety of entertainment to keep even the hardest to please happy.
It is estimated the event will inject more than $7 million into the local economy.
Congratulations and thank you to the Brights and their team of volunteers who help make this incredible spectacle possible each and every year.
