Great Deco in the air line-up announced for Napier

The classic DC3 in air force colours is heading for Napier skies.

There will be plenty of aviation nostalgia and aerobatics over Napier during the Art Deco Festival with the Napier Aero Club putting together a colourfully diverse line-up of aircraft for the occasion.

Monoplanes, biplanes, trainers, a fighter and the aircraft which many Kiwis likely took their first passenger flight in — a DC3 which will arrive decked out in RNZAF colours.

The DC3 was often dubbed the Queen of the Skies during the 1930s and the owners of the unique aircraft will be offering flights in it over the Friday and Saturday of the festival and can book online through the Art Deco Trust.

A regular and always popular visitor will be the North American P51 Mustang, a World War II fighter which has become something of an aviation legend, and a favourite for those below when it makes its fast sweeps across the Hawke's Bay skies.

The P51 Mustang will again be part of the Aero Deco line up.

Napier Aero Club spokesman Dave Nash said the Mustang, flown by Graham Bethel, is a two-seater and it too was certified to take passengers for a flight.

He said those with "deep pockets and who wanted to have the thrill of a flight in a Mustang" could call him on 027 351 1314 for details.

On the Aero Deco display front the New Zealand Warbirds "Roaring 40s" Harvards will again take to the skies with the first display being at 7pm on Friday evening, followed by a display over the Marine Parade on Saturday at 12.15pm and Sunday at 2pm.

The RNZAF Falcon Display Team of Texan II aircraft will also hit the skies on Friday night, just after the Harvards, and will follow the Harvards again on Sunday afternoon.

Other aircraft lined up to attend are four, but possibly more, vintage Tiger Moths, a Ryan monoplane and two Bowing Stearman World War II trainers.

One of the Tiger Moths and a Stearman will also be offering rides to visitors.

The aero club will be hosting the aircraft, which will be on display, at their site at Hawke's Bay Airport, on Saturday and Sunday for those wanting a close-up look.

An RNZAF trainer aircraft will be available for children to have their photo taken in, for a small charge, and a coffee cart and sausage sizzles will be on site.

There will be a $10 entry fee per car — with proceeds going to the Napier Air Training Corps.

Nash said the club committee had once again put in "a lot of work and effort" to get the historic and diverse collection of aircraft to Napier for the annual festival and at the end of the day the arrivals of some aircraft was down to weather conditions.