Hammer falls on auction of ex-ADF equipment
The hammer has fallen on the auction of a number of ex-ADF aircraft and support equipment, with “hundreds” of potential buyers having gone to Avalon Airport near Geelong in Victoria for the purpose of inspecting retired ADF equipment.
Up for auction were 18 Pilatus PC-9/A trainer aircraft, 4 Schleicher ASK 21 Mi gliders, a Black Hawk Fuselage and thousands of spare parts and equipment.
The auction had opened on Friday March 6 with a VIP launch event, followed by a week-long inspection period.
Australian Frontline Machinery, through auction house Pickles, organised the event. The company noted in a news release noted that the former RAAF PC-9/As “quickly became the bidding highlight of the Avalon Aviation Auction” along with “highly desired aviation spare parts and equipment which attracted a flurry of bidding in the race to secure parts that are no longer available”.
The auction was held entirely online via Pickles’ auction site PicklesOnline, with Richard White, the manager at Pickles noting that “having the auction entirely online meant that the auction could proceed and investors locally and globally were able to secure these
historic aircraft’’.
Planning is now underway for Australian Frontline Machinery to deliver another opportunity for interested buyers to own a piece of Military history at the Avalon Air Show in February 2021.