A new vintage aviation experience has launched in Western Australia, with Open Air Adventure Flights now operating out of Bunbury Airport.
The business is offering open-cockpit joy flights in a 1941 Boeing Stearman Model 75, giving passengers a hands-on experience of flying in the early days of aviation.
Operating from Bunbury, flights track along the South West coastline, offering both locals and visitors a different perspective of the region.
Unlike traditional joy flights, the focus is on recreating the “golden age” of aviation, with passengers flying in an open cockpit equipped with goggles and headsets, exposed to the wind and engine noise of the radial-powered aircraft.
The operation is led by pilot and founder Johan Strydom, who brings more than two decades of flying experience to the venture. Originally from South Africa, Strydom built an international career that included bush flying across Africa and later flying Boeing 777 aircraft for Emirates.
After years in structured airline operations, he returned to Australia with a desire to reconnect with a more hands-on style of flying.
That led to the acquisition and restoration of the Stearman, known as Winnie, which was imported from New Zealand and refurbished before entering service in Bunbury.
The aircraft, built in 1941 as a military trainer, has been carefully restored as part of a family-led project, with the aim of offering a more immersive flying experience.
Strydom said the concept was about returning to the fundamentals of aviation.
“Flying was always in my blood,” he said, with his background shaped by a family connection to aviation and a career that has spanned continents.
The launch of operations follows months of preparation, including engineering work, approvals and final certification steps before flights commenced.
Now operating regularly from Bunbury Airport, the business has reported strong early interest, with passengers drawn to the opportunity to experience open-cockpit flying over the coastline.