Pacific Airshow brings jet suits, stunts and space pioneers to Gold Coast

Pacific Airshow brings jet suits, stunts and space pioneers to Gold Coast Gold Coast pilot Emma McDonald may have a fear of heights, but she never feels more at home than when she's spinning through the sky in an aeroplane. "If you stick me on top of a building without a rail, unless I've got wings strapped to me — that's actually my little secret," she said. Travelling up to 400 kilometres per hour, at an acceleration 10 times the normal force of gravity (or 10Gs), Ms McDonald is one of the best stunt pilots in the industry. She loves to flip aeroplanes end over end, fly into a vertical position and upside down for fun. "I grew up in a family of pilots, so we'll have to blame my dad, he was an aerobatic display pilot as well," she said. Ms McDonald is the only woman to show off her skills at this year's Pacific Airshow, which has returned to the Gold Coast this weekend after a year-long hiatus. "Being the only one out there, I hope to inspire more girls to have a go," she said. "Don't let anything hold you back." Jet suits make first appearance at show The international event, which bills itself as Australia's largest air show, also featured its first jet suit demonstration, with two pilots flying and spinning over the ocean, powered by small engines mounted on their backs and arms. Paul Jones, pilot and lead flight instructor at the UK-based Gravity Industries, said it was "surreal" to soar through the air with crowds watching. Loading..."It's mega to be here on the Gold Coast," he said. "We've been trying to do this for a couple of years and fortunately, we've been able to make it happen." The jet suits were just one feature of the daily six-hour air show that streaked through the Surfers Paradise sky from Friday to Sunday. Flight Lieutenant Dave Burnard from the Royal Australian Air Force's aerobatic display team, The Roulettes, said the nerves could be "pretty high" during a routine. "But once you get used to it and you've done a few, it just becomes good old-fashioned fun," he said. "I really enjoy it, sitting there and singing to myself … sing a bit of Creed, sing a bit of Oasis, whatever the vibe is of the day." Maverick and Rooster make appearances Even Top Gun impersonators Pete "Maverick" Mitchell and Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw made an appearance. "It's fantastic to be here," Maverick told the ABC. "We fly the F-14, the F-18 for Rooster right here, but here we're going to be doing ground entertainment, mainly." Asked if they could give the performing pilots a run for their money: "That's classified," Maverick said. "We'd tell you but we'd have to kill you." Australian astronaut inspiring next generation Ms McDonald is not the only woman breaking down barriers at this year's event. Katherine Bennell-Pegg, the first astronaut to formally represent Australia, also attended the event and spoke to about 5,000 school students. "I'm excited to pass onto them that energy and that knowledge that they can do more than they imagine," she said. "They can be the ones flying those planes in the sky, they can be the ones designing and building them, they can aspire to one day be an astronaut." While she hasn't yet flown to space, Ms Bennell-Pegg said the European Space Agency had made an offer to the Australian government for a potential mission. "For me now, my focus is on remaining match-fit for space, should I have that opportunity," she said.