Classics of the Sky Airshow at Tauranga - KiwiFlyer

KiwiFlyer Classics of the Sky Airshow Classics of the Sky AirshowClassics of the Sky Airshow at TaurangaThe diversity of aviation in New Zealand was displayed in spectacular fashionat the Classics of the Sky airshow held at the end of January at Taurangaairport. KiwiFlyer sent regular contributor Chris Gee to the Saturday of theshow to report on the event.All photographs are by Chris unlessotherwise indicated.OBSERVING the aircraft thatreside at Tauranga, the countriesfourth busiest airport, is likelooking into a microcosm NewZealand’s aviation register. Withsuch a vast array of differentaircraft types taking to the skythis airshow was sure to becomea major attraction to both aircraft1enthusiasts and the generalpublic alike. Organisers estimatedthat 30000 people attended theairshow, with another 15000observing the displays fromdifferent vantage points aroundthe city.The airshow grew out of theSports Aviation Association Fly-Inand Annual General Meetings,originally based at Matamata andwhich moved to Tauranga airportin 2006. As the biannual airshowgrew to stretch the resources ofSAA, in 2008 they asked Classic 2Flyers New Zealand to help themwith the show operation. This ledto an expansion beyond sportsaviation to include warbirds,general aviation and RNZAFparticipation.While the Tauranga CityCouncil does not fund the airshowdirectly, it does own the airport,whose management team offersoutstanding co-operation andsupport to the organisers. Thecommunity really gets behind 3this airshow too, particularlythe Tauranga Te Papa Rotary Club, which runs the ground areaand the 160 trade stalls it contains. The only hiccup to the showwas a last minute withdrawal of the RNZAF’s Red CheckersNew Evektor Harmony LSAContributed by Chris Geeformation aerobatic team due to a forced landing and grounding.This rendered the planned literature for the public redundant, butmeasures are being taken to finda better way to use technologyto communicate live with thepublic in the future. There werealso problems with interferencebetween the loudspeaker systemand local wireless setups. Theevents traffic management planworked flawlessly with no majordelays experienced getting into orout of the airshow and next yearthe organisers plan to lure morepeople to watch the displays fromon the airport itself rather thanfrom elsewhere in the city.Tauranga turned out greatweather for the whole weekendand the show was very muchenjoyed by all who attended.Gavin ConroyCaptions to images1, 2: The Yak 52 civilian aerobaticteam are renowned for their tightdisplay of formation aerobatics.Seven aircraft appeared atTauranga, three coming fromPauanui and four from NewPlymouth. The highlight of theirset is when both formations rejoinand perform a split break towardsthe audience. The Yak-52 firstflew in 1976 and is still used as anaerobatics trainer for many of theeastern bloc countries.3: The AT-6 Harvard issynonymous with the NewZealand warbirds scene, andthis formation aerobatic teamfrom the New Zealand WarbirdsAssociation has become a reliablemainstay for aviation events inNew Zealand. Led by Frank Parker, the Roaring Forties turnedon an excellent display, performing formation and solo routinesculminating in the classic ‘Love Heart’ smoke trail.4 64, 5, 6: New Zealand has some extremely talented and awardwinning aerobatic pilots, and three of them put on incredibledisplays. As well as Doug Brooker in his MX2, there were also twoof the instantly recognisable Pitts aerobatics aircraft, the Pitts S1Special, flown by David Monds, and the Pitts Model 12 flown byRichard Hood. These three professional pilots gave exhilaratingdisplays of extreme aerobatics, showing the crowd all the thingsthat you really should not be able to do in an aeroplane.75Gavin Conroy7: The Royal New Zealand Airforce sent three of its aircraft toparticipate in the 2012 Classics of the Sky airshow. The upgradedC-130LEP Hercules and the new Agusta 109LUH helicopter wereon static display while the UH-1H Huey flew a handling display.The arrival of the Hercules on the Saturday morning was quite anevent, as it taxied in and then reversed into its parking spot underits own power. The aircraft had hundreds of visitors through it overthe two days, many ogling at its new glass cockpit. This was also thefirst public static display of the Air Force’s new A109 Light UtilityHelicopter. The UH-1H Iroquois helicopter pulled out all its usualtricks during its display and will be sorely missed once it is replacedby the new NH-90.89 108, 9, 10: As has become the norm at warbirds themed airshowshere, the historical re-enactors were out in force, setting up theirextremely realistic ‘Allied’ and ‘Axis’ camps decked out with periodpiece uniforms, weapons and equipment. As part of the finale ofthe show the German soldiers marched out onto the airfield asthe Me-108 attacked from the air. They were met by US Airbornesoldiers and the fire-fight got underway. Accompanied by somewell-timed pyrotechnics, a formidable formation of allied aircrafttook turns attacking the airfield. The Corsair, Mustang, Kittyhawksand Spitfires were backed up by the Harvards, as ‘flak’ exploded inthe air. This provides some excellent photographic opportunitiesbut you have to be quick! There is a lot going on at once so it can infact be better to just put down the camera and enjoy the view…RARE OPPORTUNITY TO OWN:TE KOWHAI AIRFIELDINCLUDING 85 ACRES*• Prime Waikato Location• 34 ha*, 2 Titles with optional 3 rd Titleincluding house on 1.44 ha.• Potential for Airpark Development• Comprehensive information on the saleavailable from www.tekowhaiairfield.comTender closes 4pm, 23 May 2012Documents must be delivered before this time to 25 Mill Street, Hamilton.* (more or less)Sue Hall, Licensed Salesperson / PrincipalP: 0800 55 88 66 +64 7 839 4787 021 745 465E: sue.hall@raywhite.comCika Realty Limited licensed agent REAA (2008)18 KiwiFlyer Issue 21 March / April 2012 www.kiwiflyer.co.nz Please support our advertisers and tell them you saw their advertisement in KiwiFlyer. 19

KiwiFlyer Classics of the Sky Airshow Classics of the Sky AirshowROBINSON SAFETY COURSEWITH TIM TUCKER ATWANAKA 17th-19th MAYDETAILS ON PAGE 48, 9: We are always in for a treat when thepair of Supermarine Spitfires gets together.The close formation low passes and solodisplays by Brendan Deere’s Mk IX, flownby Sean Perrett, and Doug Brooker’s rareTr9 would have been the airshow highlightfor many of the WWII enthusiasts present.The Mk IX shares the colour scheme of theaircraft Alan Deere flew when he was theWing Leader at Biggen Hill, while the Tr9is an ex SAAF example, and is painted torepresent the aircraft flown by New Zealand’stop WWII fighter ace Colin Gray.11-6: The combination of Vampire T11, flown by Brett Emeny, the L-39 Albatros flownby Frank Parker, Bruce Chapman’s A-37B Dragonfly and the BAC 167 Strikemaster flownby Dave Brown, provide a unique formation of classic jets that is very rare and is probablyonly possible here in New Zealand. The line-up of these wonderful aircraft on the tarmacwas an impressive sight, and their displays were a tribute to the dedication of their owners,maintainers and pilots.2310: The Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun is afour seat aircraft that was designed and builtas a ‘civilian recreational’ aircraft to avoidthe restrictions of the Versailles Treaty,which prohibited post WW1 Germanyfrom building any weaponry. It first flewin 1934, and in reality it was designed as amilitary scout aircraft and trainer, as wellas a development platform for what was tobecome the famous Me-109 fighter. Basedout of Ardmore, this is the only Me-108flying in the country. During the airshow itwas flown by Colin Henderson, as it playedits obligatory role as the ‘Enemy’ during themock attack at the finale. An extra touch hasbeen added to its popular performance by theaddition of ‘machine guns’ in its wings thatlook and sound like the real thing.89Gavin ConroySteve EngleROBINSON R66 TURBINE5 SOLD - LIMITED 2012SLOTS AVAILABLE45Steve Engle11: Tauranga is very fortunate to have threeBoeing Stearman aircraft in residence. Oneis based with the Classic Flyers Museum, andMarty Canton and Mike Dean imported two.The Stearman was the main trainer for theUS Navy, and many New Zealanders carriedout their training for the Fleet Air Arm in thesafety of the USA using these machines.10 11Steve EngleNEW, OVERHAULED, ANDPRE-OWNED R44s & R22sALWAYS AVAILABLENEW AND PRE-OWNEDAGUSTAS AVAILABLEContact: Brett SandersBus: 09 299 9442Fax: 09 299 9458Mobile: 021 748 984Email: brett@heliflitepacific.comWeb: www.heliflitepacific.comAddress: 168 Kittyhawk Lane,Ardmore Airport, Auckland.67: This beautifully restored ex-South African Air force Harvard is owned by Peter Meadowsfrom the Double X Aviation company. First flown in 1941, and originally imported to NZin 1996 directly from the SAAF, this is the most modern in terms of avionic and equipmentof all the Harvard’s in New Zealand. TheSAAF had strict arms import embargoesplaced on it during the apartheid regime, sohad to keep its Harvard’s in immaculate flyingcondition a long time after other exampleswere retired from service. The Double XAviation company is the first in New Zealandto receive the CAA’s new Part 115 AdventureAviation licence, and for a mere $495 you canget a combination aerobatic and scenic flight7out of Tauranga!Contact: Yasuo AriyamaWe offer services for:Importing and SourcingJapanese logbook translationBusiness Development AdviceIntroduction and LiaisonP: 021 297 7715 E: jnzac@hotmail.com20 KiwiFlyer Issue 21 March / April 2012 www.kiwiflyer.co.nz Ensure your business is promoted in the next issue of KiwiFlyer. Email your requirements to editor@kiwiflyer.co.nz 21

KiwiFlyer Classics of the Sky Airshow Training Services1, 2: The Old Stick and Rudder Company’sGoodyear FG-1D Corsair is often a showstealer and was once again a significanthighlight at Tauranga. Under the expertguidance of Keith Skilling, one of NewZealand’s most experienced warbirds pilots,this very photogenic aircraft performedsome very low and fast passes andaerobatics, showing off its unique wingconfiguration and shape. Known by theJapanese during WWII as ‘The WhisperingDeath’ due to the unique sound of its Pratt& Whitney Double Wasp radial engine,the Corsair was in widespread use by theRNZAF in the Pacific theatre. This aircraft,NZ3009, is the sole airworthy ex-RNZAFexample.12Gavin Conroy3, 4: The two P40 Kittyhawksdemonstrated by Liz Needham and StuGoldspinks are always a welcome sight,and this time they even raced a car alongthe runway. The ‘E’ Model is based inMasterton with the Old Stick & RudderCompany, and once served with theRNZAF, while the ‘N’ Model comes fromArdmore and is an ex RAAF airframe. TheP40 had a colourful history with the RoyalNew Zealand Air Force who operated297 examples in the Pacific theatre duringWWII, with RNZAF Kittyhawks shootingdown 99 Japanese aircraft over the courseof the war.3Gavin Conroy55, 6: Graham Bethell’s P-51D Mustanghas long been one of the favourites of theairshow scene here. We anticipated somelow knife-edge passes from Graham inthe Mustang, and his excellent routine atTauranga lived up to this reputation. TheP-51D was a real game changer when itappeared over the skies of Europe duringWWII, since it was the only fighter that hadthe range to escort the bombers all the wayto the target and back. Originally designedas a ground attack aircraft the Mustangremained in use up till the Korea War,where it was finally out-matched by the newgeneration of jet aircraft.4 6All models in stock. Phone today!Top of the Range ANRNew Speaker DesignMicroport Vent TechnologyLight and ComfortableUnparallelled Voice ClaritySuperb Stereo SoundBluetooth & CellphoneSIERRAThe Best mid priced ANR headsetLight and ComfortableSuperb Stereo SoundBluetooth CompatibleCellphone InterfaceJeff Van West of Aviation Consumer wrote “New Zulu is in our opinion, the most comfortable over the ear headset ever worn.”Available fromPhil Jones,NZ’s LightspeedDealer since 1997Ph: 0800 116 741specialfx.co.nz22 KiwiFlyer Issue 21 March / April 2012 www.kiwiflyer.co.nz KiwiFlyer is focused on the New Zealand aviation marketplace. Call 0800 535 937 to discuss how we can help your business. 23

KiwiFlyer MagazineDave Phillips in his Hawker Hunter off Matakana Island.Photograph by Gavin Conroy, courtesy of Classic Flyers. Camera ship was an L-39 Albatros flying at 280 kts. Thanks also to Glenn McCready and Frank Parker.

KiwiFlyer Classics of the Sky Airshow Classics of the Sky AirshowFOR MANY, the highlight of the Classics of the Sky Airshowat Tauranga was the thundering low and fast passes made by theHawker Hunter FR74S, during which the aircraft would scorch pastthe crowd line at around 900km/h. Its highly anticipated returnafter a four-year absence from New Zealand skies came after manymonths of painstakingwork by veteran aircraftengineer Jim Lawson.Under the experiencedcommand of pilot DavePhillips, the aircraft tookto the air just days beforethe airshow, much to thedelight of the airshoworganisers and aircraftenthusiasts.This Hunter, ZK-JIL, was built in 1958and operated by theSingaporean Air Force.Jet Imports Ltd. initiallybrought the jet to NewZealand in 1995 along withanother example, whichis currently on display atthe Classic Flyers Museumin Tauranga. Restoredto flying condition byAero Technology Ltd. atArdmore, its first flightin New Zealand was onthe 13th of April 2000 atthe hands of Sir KennethHayr. ZK-JIL againChris Geesaw some military ‘service’ after the RNZAF’s Skyhawks werewithdrawn, when the Hunter was hired by the Royal New ZealandNavy to carry out simulated attacks against its ships.The Hawker Hunter was a very successful aircraft with 1985constructed, and it served with the armed forces of 22 countries.Hawker HunterMost were retired in the 1980s, but some continued in active servicewell into the 1990s with the Air Forces of Switzerland, Zimbabwe,and Singapore. In fact four examples were returned to active serviceby the Lebanese Air Force and are still in use today! The aircrafthas seen active combat in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, but wasmost popularised after itsuse in the Rhodesian BushWars of the 1960s and 70s.Most aircraft were employedin the ground attack role,but many were converted toreconnaissance models, withthe addition of cameras andsensors under the aircraft.Powered by a RollsRoyce Avon engine withover 10000lb of thrust,the Hunter is started withcompressed air, which spinsthe turbine until the fuelcan be ignited. It has a veryeffective range of 689kmSteve Englewith internal fuel or over2900km with additional fueltanks, and is capable of amaximum of Mach 0.95(978km/h) at 36000ft. Theaircraft is very expensiveoperate and maintain, and, inthe words of one RNZAFcommander admiring itsdisplay: “It should be calleda ‘Converter’ instead ofa ‘Hunter’… It convertsmoney into exhaust!” This statement holds true for much of thewarbird (especially jet) fleet in New Zealand and Kiwi aviationenthusiasts owe a debt of gratitude to the owners, volunteers, andsponsors who care for and fund these aircraft, and who displaythem so willingly for the enjoyment of all.12341: It quickly became obvious that RossCrawford didn’t actually need a runway atall to display the Aviat A-1C-180 Husky.Its remarkable Short Take Off & Landing(STOL) performance was readily apparentas it took off in a distance barely morethan a few meters. Indeed this aircraft,with its oversize tires and incredible lowspeed stability often lands and takes off onshallow rivers.2: Tauranga has become a major hubof autogyro activity with people comingfrom all over the country to learn to flywith Gyrate, who are based at the airport.The Gyrate team put on an astoundingformation display, with parts of the soloroutine seeming to defy the laws of physics.3: This diminutive Bede BD5, madefamous by its role in the James Bond movie‘Octopussy’, lives in Grant Nicholls’ hangarat Tauranga. The Bede BD-5J holds theGuinness world record as the smallestproduction jet, though Grant’s exampleis (probably more sensibly) powered by apropeller driven with a snowmobile engine.Designed in the 1960s, the prototype firstflew in 1971, and over 5000 kits of thisaircraft were sold. The number built andstill flying today is somewhat less than this.4: Phill Hooker performed a spiriteddisplay in the T51 Mustang “Hurry HomeHoney”, which was built by Marty Cantlon.Available from Campbell Aero Classics, this¾ scale kit-built experimental aircraft hasbecome very popular and there are severalnow flying in New Zealand.5: Masterchef Simon Gault brought theThunder Mustang to Tauranga wherehe performed some excellent displays.Constructed from modern materials andpowered by a V-12 engine, this ¾ scaleaircraft actually outperforms the originalP-51D, achieving a level speed of 375mphand a rate of climb of over 5000 feet perminute. Presently for sale, this is the onlyexample flying outside of the USA.6: The Falcomposite Furio is a highperformance fully aerobatic kit aircraft witha cruise speed in excess of 175 kts, a climbrate exceeding 2000 fpm and a range of1100 nm. Phill Hooker brilliantly displayedthe Furio, which is one of three that arenow flying in New Zealand. Produced byFalcomposite, the Furio is of compositeconstruction, comprised of fewer than30 structural components. No specialistknowledge or tools are required forassembly.5626 KiwiFlyer Issue 21 March / April 2012 www.kiwiflyer.co.nz Would you like to see a profile on your business in KiwiFlyer? Call us on 0800 535937 to discuss options. 27