SPECTATORS will have a chance to watch up to 20 light planes fly into Ararat when the Australian Mooney Pilots Association holds its annual general meeting.
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The planes will arrive at the Ararat Airport on Thursday March 28 and stay until the 31st.
The Association's Victorian representative Jim Leeke is organizing the visit, and described what the group - and the plane - was all about.
"The Mooney Aircraft Company's many achievements include production of the fastest civilian single engine, piston powered aircraft in the world, M20TN Acclaim Type 5, the first production aircraft to achieve 323 kilometres per hour," he said.
"The Mooney aircraft are built in Kerriville Texas and are one of the best small aircraft to come out of the United States of America in the last 50 years."
Mr Leeke said the meeting is held at a different location each year, and Ararat was chosen this year for its many attractions.
"Approximately 15 to 20 aircraft and about 50 people from all over Australia will fly in to Ararat to catch up with their Mooney mates," he said.
"The meeting will only take about an hour and the rest of the time will be spent in the Ararat region, visiting the many attractions around the Ararat region, eating in our restaurants and trying many of our great local wines and of course telling stories, a past-time at which they have had plenty of practice.
"A lot of the participants will have taken a couple of days to get to Ararat even though they travel at over 300 kilometres per hour.
"They wanted to have a look around the area, at the Grampians, the wine region - they try and vary it around Australia each year."
The group has a full schedule planned, including visits to Aradale, J-Ward, AME Systems and local wind farms, as well as visits to the scenic Grampians region and tastings at Best's Wines and Seppelts Wines.
The group will be addressed by local wine legend Vivian Thomson OAM and be entertained by local bush poet Colin Driscoll.
"Weather permitting the aircraft will fly down to Moonlight Head and along the 12 Apostles to Port Fairy and back to Ararat via Dunkeld and the Grampians," Mr Leeke said.
"Locals are welcome to come out to the Ararat airfield to talk to the visitors and look at the aircraft during the afternoon of Thursday 28th March."
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