Playground in the sky

Countless war movies have familiarised us with the sight of attacking fighter planes and daring aerial manoeuvres but the live warplane show at Gisborne airport had the crowd holding its collective breath. All pictures by Liam Clayton

An aeroplane that appeared to stop at the top of its ascent to perform a flip and roll on the spot was among several heart-stopping aerial demonstrations at the Darton Field Wings and Wheels event at Gisborne Airport on Saturday.

The Soviet-designed, single-seat, aerobatic Yak-55 was among the aircraft — ranging from a de Havilland Venom, once described as a Vampire jet fighter “with hairs on its chest” to a camouflaged Strikemaster, also known as the Blunty, because of its nose shape — that thrilled the crowd.

The Roaring Forties Harvards display team from Ardmore roared in formation and performed choreographed manoeuvres with vapour trails roiling in their wake. The team made heart-plummeting loops while a sheer descent by one of the planes drew a collective whoaa from the crowd.

“That’s probably a special manoeuvre invented by the pilot,” said commentator and Gisborne Aircraft Preservation Society (GAPS) member Granville Jones.

“It’s an unusual spin. Better than Lightbox, eh.”

The Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Central Flying School first flew the Harvards in New Zealand as a display team in 1948. The team became the Red Checkers in 1967. In 1988 a new team took the name The Roaring Forties Harvard Formation Aerobatic Team.

Also on display at the inaugural Darton Field Wings and Wheels show were New Zealand Military Vehicles Club vehicles, hot rods and cars from the Gisborne Vintage Car Club and Gisborne American Car Club. Gisborne Orphans Club members played big band tunes and swing numbers from the back of a truck in the hangar.

The event opened to the sound of bagpipes and drums as the City of Gisborne Pipe Band marched in.

Piloted by owner Frank Parker, the P40 Kittyhawk was the headline act of the day. The warbird made its entrance with a low flyby followed by a steep ascent.

“Isn’t she pretty,” said Mr Jones.

“No smoke. We wouldn’t want any would we.”

The Curtis Kittyhawk saw active service in the Pacific in World War 2. If aircraft crashed on the runway, parts were salvaged but then the wreck was just pushed off the runway.

The plane flying here on Saturday was retrieved from a swamp, bought by some New Zealanders and restored.

Japanese warplanes shot down in the Pacific were shot mostly by Kittyhawks, said Pioneer Aero director Paul Sweeney.

“This plane had 97 kills. The Kittyhawk is a much maligned aircraft. It’s not a high altitude fighter. It’s built like a brick outhouse and was fitted with six 50 calibre guns. It was a very good ground attack aeroplane. It was in every theatre of war in World War 2 and it fought in the desert.”

In August the Pioneer Aero Club would start work on restoring another Kittyhawk that had a huge connection with Gisborne, he said.

On Saturday, the Strikemaster took to the air and returned with a whistle and roar that ripped the air as it flew by but an electrical fault meant GAP’s Grumman Avenger World War 2 torpedo bomber could not be flown on the day.

“The Avenger has only been started about six times since it was rebuilt,” said Mr Jones.

The plane fired up with a bang and clouds of smoke, but could not be taken into the air.

There was plenty more to entertain the crowd in the viewing area at the edge of the airfield though.

Towards the end of the day field guns on an earthen ramp on the airfield randomly fired while a Curtis Kittyhawk scrambled to defend the crowd from “attack”.