Classic Fighters Omaka 2015 airshow

[KiwiZac]

Hi folks,
This weekend I was at Omaka Airfield at Blenheim, a grass field surrounded by vineyards at the top of the South Island, for the biennial Classic Fighters airshow. There were great acts covering a span of Edwardian Bleriots and a NZ-built V4-powered monoplane from 1910, to the RNZAF's new NH90 and Beechcraft T-6 Texan II. We had eight Fokker DR.Is fly in formation, a full-scale RC V1 flying bomb, a taxi display by a Bristol Freighter, the Avro Anson at low level, Harvards, Yak-3s and -52s, P-3 Orion, Strikemaster, DH Venom, three Spitfires - a NZ first, so many great displays!!

Star of the show had to be the Spitfire Mk.XIV NH799, returning to the skies (after a 19 year absence) just 24hr before arriving for the show. I was looking to the north every ten minutes or so on Good Friday, waiting to see her come around the bend. When she appeared around 7pm - after sunset!!! - I was ecstatic. There was a beautiful low pass before landing, which we greeted with applause and cheers, likewise when she taxied in and shut down. What an experience!!










Definitely not something you see at many other aeroclubs around the country.


NH799's rego plate is the same today as when I first saw it in the Warbirds Over Wanaka '94 book as a Spit-mad eight-year-old:


The NZDF joint forces display was spectacular, including suppressive fire from the UH-1 which this year will be retired. They will be missed.


It was my first time seeing Cam and Tracey Hawley's delightful Beech C17, and I fell in love. Even the prop is polished! This is them (at left) cleaning the machine after a practice run on Friday. They also received a well-deserved trophy at the awards dinner.


And some other random shots. No aerials though as I stuck with my phone only.







Unfortunately the show hit the news on Friday afternoon for a terrible reason: the resident Flug Werk FW190 had a gear collapse following a brake failure and groundloop. I was on the field at Omaka for all three days of the show, from 7am to 9pm or later....except for one hour on Friday, when pilot Frank Parker had the accident. I came back to my spot on the fence and everyone said "you missed all the excitement...".

I'm glad I missed it, sounds like a terrible thing to have witnessed. Folks said one of the prop blades flew up 100ft or more after impact. I was so relieved to hear Frank was ok - every time I saw him over the weekend he was cheerful and laughing - but disappointed as that morning was the first time I'd seen the machine in the flesh, and I was away when it flew. Everyone you spoke to had a different version of the aircraft's condition and "rebuildability", but it's not my place to speculate. Disappointing, but it could have been much worse. Bravo Frank, and my best to the owner who seemed to shrug it off when I saw someone pass on their sympathies to him. Here it was around 8.20amish on Friday, my first time laying eyes on it.


It was the best show I've ever been to. Others have shared their photos on several sites, check out some of them here: http://rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/21030/classic-fighters-2015-anzac-pioneers?page=18

Please do go through that link and the following pages, there are wonderful photos of so many other planes I haven't covered here. A great weekend for sure!

[perttime]

I can see a reason or two to visit NZ some time...

[rickshaw]

I can see a reason or two to visit NZ some time...

Indeed, I intend to one day.

Great pics! Hard to select a favorite, I like em all.

Is it a Yak-3 and a Yak-9 or two 3's or two 9's

And doe's anyone know if there is a FW 190 in Oz or would this one be the closest distance away?

There are no Fw190s on the civilian register in Oz, the Kiwis have long had a slightly more relaxed attitude towards such aircraft flying in their airspace.

[NARSES2]

Lovely  Thanks for posting

[KiwiZac]

Is it a Yak-3 and a Yak-9 or two 3's or two 9's

And doe's anyone know if there is a FW 190 in Oz or would this one be the closest distance away?

Two Yak-3s, the two-tone grey one is a new-build which raced at Reno in the late 90s and the grey one is a former Yak-11. They also have a Yak-11 project being restored by/for a syndicate as a -9V with an Allison up front.

I've heard talk of a 190 heading to Australia, but for the time being this one is(was) the only one flying in Australasia.

And thanks for the kind words! I just took pics on my iPhone as I found watching a show through a camera takes away much of the enjoyment for me, and I have friends who are far better photogs than I!

[Captain Canada]

Very nice Zac ! Looks like a great show and that Spit was obviously your favourite. I would have loved to have seen that Huey display.

[KiwiZac]

You'd be dead right on that score, Cap'n! I've been wanting to see it fly since I first saw her in the Warbirds Over Wanaka 1994 book as a schoolkid, and last time I saw her was as a shrink-wrapped fuselage waiting for fit-out. My first Griffon, what a beast she is!

And the Huey display was great - they had four troopers rappel out, as well as giving coverfire. Very cool stuff.