Launceston’s first “fly in” fundraiser, organised by a seventeen-year-old, was held on a property at Dilston. 

More than 100 people attended, and were charged $20 per person in a bid to raise funds for the McGrath Foundation. 

Miles Kendell originally started planning the fundraiser. 

“Then my wife actually got sick, which is a bit ironic considering what we’re fundraising for,” Mr Kendell said. 

“I knew that James [Nation] was pretty active in the Aero Club so I contacted him and asked if he’d take the reins. He said ‘yep, no worries’.

“He’s done an absolutely fantastic job, I don’t think I could have actually done it as well as he has.”  

The idea for a “fly in” fundraiser started through a Facebook group called Bush Fliers Down Under. 

“It all started when there was a little aeroplane, but the wheels were pink and they asked the guy why that was and he said ‘my wife was sick and the McGrath Foundation helped us out’,” Mr Kendell said. 

“The guys from the BFD said ‘we should all get together and have some sort of fundraiser’.”

He said the idea was essentially just to raise money for the charity. 

“It’s just a good excuse to get together and fly aeroplanes.” 

James said there were about 65 RSVPs, but “a lot more” had attended. 

“I’m absolutely stoked,” he said. 

“There were fly ins all across Australia through the month of March and they’ve raised about $29,000 so far. But, we had to postpone ours three times because of the weather.”

More than $2300 was raised. 

Once all the planes landed, the pilots and passengers had a barbecue and talked about planes. 

The event was called the “Biggest Bloody Barbecue for Boobs and Bullocks”. 

Next year, the event will alternate to raise funds for prostate cancer.  

James has been flying for about three years, and is still completing his Tasmanian Certificate of Education.