# Aerobatics, military aviation and Australian air shows, with Paul Bennet

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/defence-security-podcast-network-607233/aerobatics-military-aviation-and-australian-air-shows-with-paul-bennet
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/defence-security-podcast-network-607233/aerobatics-military-aviation-and-australian-air-shows-with-paul-bennet.md
Podcast: [Defence & Security Podcast Network](https://stenobird.com/podcast/defence-security-podcast-network-607233)
Published: 2026-05-15T07:40:48+00:00
Episode link: https://defenceconnect.libsyn.com/aerobatics-military-aviation-and-australian-air-shows-with-paul-bennet
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/defenceconnect/DC_Paul_Bennet_260514_mixdown.mp3?dest-id=715252
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/defence-security-podcast-network-607233/episodes/aerobatics-military-aviation-and-australian-air-shows-with-paul-bennet
Duration seconds: 1865

## Resource

What drives the passion behind flying and preserving some of the world's most iconic military aircraft? And how can air shows inspire the next generation of aviators, engineers and defence personnel? Find out in this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast as senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by aerobatic pilot and renowned warbird aviation enthusiast Paul Bennet, founder of Paul Bennet Airshows. Fresh from preparation flights for Australia's largest regional air show, Wings Over Shellharbour 2026, Bennet discusses his lifelong passion for aviation, which began with model aircraft and evolving into flying aerobatic aircraft and some of the world's most recognisable warbirds. Bennet operates and flies an extensive collection of historic and aerobatic aircraft, including the Hawker Sea Fury, de Havilland Vampire, F4U Corsair, CAC Wirraway, T-28 Trojan, Grumman Avenger and two Yak-52 aircraft. He maintains the collection while regularly flying Mustang, Kitty Hawk and Hurricane fighters alongside competing in aerobatics and performing internationally. Drawing on decades of experience in aviation operations, aircraft ownership and international air show performances, Bennet discusses the engineering, maintenance and operational realities of preserving historic military aircraft while promoting aviation to future generations. The podcast conversation includes the following topics: The origins of Bennet's passion for aviation, aerobatics and warbird aircraft. Flying characteristics and performance differences between aircraft, including the Sea Fury, Spitfire, Mustang and early jet aircraft such as the Vampire. The operational challenges of maintaining historic military aircraft, including sourcing parts, engineering replacements and preserving authenticity. Austral…

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/defence-security-podcast-network-607233/episodes/aerobatics-military-aviation-and-australian-air-shows-with-paul-bennet/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/defence-security-podcast-network-607233/aerobatics-military-aviation-and-australian-air-shows-with-paul-bennet.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.