Hollywood star John Travolta is likely to stay four days and check out local attractions when he flies into Illawarra Regional Airport on the last week in November.
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On Thursday it was confirmed Travolta will join the crew for the last leg of the journey in the Qantas Boeing 707 he is donating to the Historical Aviation Restoration Society (HARS).
The person tasked with coordinating the visit is Maureen Massey who met Travolta on a previous visit to Australia with the 707 as ambassador for Qantas. She knows just how exciting the November visit is going to be. And how it will reunite the important aircraft with the famous HARS owned Connie.
"He flew his 707 out, the one he has now donated to us, for the Qantas celebrations at Mascot. We parked the Constellation nose to nose with the 707 and they had the dinner underneath it. That was fantastic".
The HARS vice president is the project director who will be busy for the next five months coordinating and event she believes will attract global attention and more onlookers than the Jumbo 747 landing at Illawarra Regional Airport in 2015.
Ms Massey does not yet know what Travolta might like to see while he is here but expects no shortage of suggestions. What she does know is he is making himself available publicly for at least part of the visit.
"John has already given us his word on the phone that he has got from the 1st of November to the 30th. We are all very excited about that. We thought the 747 was big enough when it arrived here with 30,000 visiting the airport and hanging off the fences. But I think this will blow that out of the water."
Ms Massey's next step now CASA approval for a special flight permit has been secured is to fly to Georgia with Bob De La Hunty and Jim Marshall in three weeks negotiate details such as facility use and get an extension of requirement to operate an approved remote workshop in Georgia.
"The third stage will be the engineering team and the flight crew going over to actually do the work and then fly it home".
That is expected to be a three week process. A of crew eight will be on board and Travolta is planning to join them for the Australian leg of the flight via Europe, Singapore and Darwin.
"We are very fortunate that Qantas has allowed us to use the Qantas livery for the flight. It still has the same livery it had when John Travolta flew it as ambassador for Qantas".
Ms Massey said Travolta said he was delighted to be able to donate the aircraft to a not-for-profit organisation in Australia.
"His Constellation he donated to a museum in America. So it is rather unique he has given the 707 to HARS. He is very passionate about aviation and is very happy to be part of this and be a bit of an ambassador for HARS".
John Travolta's willingness to make himself available publicly when he arrives in November has Shellharbour City Council planning a big welcome for the Hollywood star.
Travolta previously sent a video message to the Bendigo Bank saying "I can't wait to see everybody at the Illawarra Regional Airport when we touch down in the 707" He has now told HARS he intends to stay several days.
"I don't know whether it will be four days or a week," Ms Massey said.
"But he will be in the Illawarra and he will be doing some PR and meeting and greeting people such as our sponsors and council. That's his intention".
Shellharbour mayor Marianne Saliba said planning is now underway for an official welcome.
"He is making himself available while he is here so there might be things we can do with him to promote the aircraft being there and what events we might be able to have"
Ms Saliba said a meeting is being called with all parties involved in the visit which she expects to attract international interest. They will include the Police and RMS.
"The 747 landing was huge and we expect John Travolta and his plane will be just as big," she said.
"We need to make sure there is safety around the airport, consider traffic movement, parking and people's access to the airport.
"We need to remember it is an operational airport. Also we have work going on at the airport with the new terminal being built.
Ms Saliba said HARS was all about collecting, restoring and protecting the history of aircraft and there was no better place for Travolta to choose to give his famous aircraft to.
"They love their planes and really look after them. And I know the 707 is going to be well looked after," she said.
Ms Massey said Travolta flew the Connie with HARS president Bob De La Hunty on a previous visit "and he will fly it again when he comes out".
She herself is no stranger to coordinating such important missions. Having performed similar roles for the relocation of the Constellation from Arizona, the Catalina out of Portugal and the Convair from South Africa.
Ms Massey has been with HARS for 23 years. The last seven as vice-president. And she describes herself as an aviation tragic.
"I have been in aviation all my life," she said.
"I was with Hawker De Havilland and then Boeing for 31 years. I worked in engineering mostly. I have loved it".
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Greg Ellis
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
