A Flying Feast
The record 86,000 crowd that turned out for this year’s Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow over Easter weekend was treated to a veritable feast of dogfights, aerobatics and aviation antics.
Blue skies made Sunday the best day after changeable weather on the Friday and Saturday. But the weather failed to deter the crowd from turning out. The event ran like a well oiled aircraft and the Air Force made its presence felt with displays by the Red Checkers, Kiwi Blue parachute team, C-130 Hercules and Iroquois and Seasprite helicopters. Arguably show highlights included the ground shaking performance of the two RAAF F111s and the 386 kmh flypast by the vintage P-40 Kittyhawk with guns blazing. The F111s had flown down from Ohakea for the event and were in New Zealand to hone their skills in a mountainous environment. The show celebrated its 20th anniversary under the new management of the Warbirds Over Wanaka Charitable Trust. Planning is already underway for the next event over 2-4 April 2010.
Warbirds - Season's Pinnacle
For Red Checkers 1 SQNLDR Shaun Clark leading the Air Force’s premier aerobatic team in its display at Warbirds over Wanaka 2008 was somewhat of a return to the stomping ground of his youth. SQNLDR Clark grew up on a Central Southland farm before joining the Air Force when he was 18. He described performing in front of the huge audience who came through the gates for the Easter airshow as ‘the pinnacle of the Red Checkers season. It’s got a massive crowd and is world renowned. Performing at the biennial airshow ‘was an awesome opportunity and one the whole team certainly appreciates,’ he said.