Transport, viewing areas for Newcastle air show, RAAF open day

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base at Williamtown will have a ticketed open day on Sunday with more than 50 military displays.

The RAAF flying displays on Saturday will be free for the public to view and will feature everything from vintage warbirds to modern jets.

Viewing areas will be set up Nobbys Beach, Foreshore Park and Stockton, where there will be family-friendly activities like rides, face painting and food trucks.

Formation and aerial displays will take to the sky from 10am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 4pm on November 18.

Crowds will get to see rare, historic aircraft like the Harvard, Winjeel, Spitfire, Mustang, Wirraway and Canberra, as well as F-18s, Super Hornets and the Growler.

Fort Scratchley is hosting a paid, ticketed viewing experience, which can be booked online, and it is the only licensed site.

Transport for NSW will run extra rail, light rail, bus and ferry services in Newcastle on Saturday.

The authority will also operate a park-and-ride facility from McDonald Jones Stadium for those who must drive.

Shuttle buses will run between the stadium and show every 10 minutes from 7.30am.

Parking is available at Stockton within walking distance of prime vantage points, which would be suitable for anyone travelling from Maitland, Port Stephens or the Mid-North Coast.

Live Traffic NSW warned all roads east of Watt Street in Newcastle East would be closed on Saturday, and some local roads would be closed in Stockton.

Designated parking for mobility pass holders is available on Wharf Road, between Argyle Street and Watt Street, where a mobility pass must be displayed to get through the road closure at Argyle Street.

For those travelling from Sydney, Central Coast or Hunter region, consider leaving the car at a commuter car park along the Central Coast & Newcastle Line, and getting to the Newcastle CBD via train.

Police, transport authorities and City of Newcastle have urged locals to avoid driving in the city on Saturday and take public transport where possible.

Anyone driving in the wider Newcastle area should expect heavy traffic, especially approaching Newcastle East and Stockton on Saturday as visitors and locals travel to viewing spots.

Services:

Williamtown RAAF will host an an open day on Sunday, November 19, from 9am to 4pm.

Tickets must be bought online for $10, but children younger than six get free entry and do not need to book.

Tickets will not be available at the gate.

About 50 military exhibitions will be set up for visitor, including a military working dog display, a drone show, and a real ejector seat from an F-35 fighter jet.

Be sure to bring:

Do not bring:

The ticket includes an option for parking near the airfield from 8am, or at Raymond Terrace, where a free shuttle bus will drop people to and from the RAAF site.

The airfield option is a temporary carpark which can be accessed from Cabbage Tree Road on the southern side of the Williamtown base. This option is recommended for visitors from Port Stephens, Newcastle, Sydney and places from the south and west.

Access via Pacific Highway, Tomago Road, to 180 Cabbage Tree Road, Williamtown; or Nelson Bay Road then to 32 Cabbage Tree Road, Williamtown.

At Raymond Terrace, park free on the grass next to the council chambers and Market Place shopping mall, entering through Bourke Street.

This option is recommended for any visitors from the northern side of the base. The free shuttle will operate from 8.30am.

Vehicles displaying a valid disabled sticker will be directed to parking as close as possible to the open day entry point, but this will still be a short distance away on uneven surfaces.

Pedestrian and cyclist access will be via the eastern airfield carpark immediately west of the Medowie Road and Nelson Bay Road roundabout.

The taxi, ride-share and drop-off location will be outside the temporary carpark at that roundabout.

Public transport is limited, using the scheduled 136 and 145 buses to the stop on Nelson Bay Road just to the south of that same roundabout.

There will be no public parking on the RAAF base or at Newcastle airport.

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