Thousands thrill to Warbirds displays

A member of the RNZAF's Kiwi Blue parachute team. Photo / APN

Thousands of plane-spotting, camera-toting aviation enthusiasts spent many hours transfixed by the skies at the weekend, as the Warbirds Over Wanaka air show went through its paces for the 14th time since 1988.

Good weather was a major factor in drawing huge crowds to the small airfield near Luggate for displays by vintage military aircraft, the Royal New Zealand Air Force Display, Air New Zealand and others.

Air show chief executive Roger Clark would not hazard a guess at the crowd size but he believed it was similar to the number at the 2010 show, which attracted about 65,000.

Wanaka air shows have been held in 1988, 1989, 1990, and every second year since then.

The event is now a major tourism and economic asset to the South Island district.

Event manager Mandy Deans said she was delighted with the weekend's throngs.

"Certainly, Saturday's crowds were right up there and Friday's appeared more than we have had before for a practice day. That was probably because more specific practice times were allocated than previously and there were more aircraft," she said.

In a coming of age for the air show, there were no aircraft from overseas other than a T-6C Texan built by Hawker Beechcraft defence Company in Kansas in the US.

The Texan is an international military training aircraft and did a tour of 20 countries on its way to the show.

"I think we are at the stage where we don't need to have overseas aircraft. We can have an extraordinary air show without bringing in anything from overseas. That is not to say we won't again," Ms Deans said.

Another pleasing aspect was the attendance by two squadrons of air cadets and the interest shown by top brass of the New Zealand and United States air forces, Ms Deans said.

There were 17 top Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel in Wanaka, along with US Pacific Air Force commander General Gary North.

Yesterday's much anticipated Red Checkers finale, in honour of retiring Squadron Leader Pete Cochrane after 19 years with the group, could not go ahead because one of the pilots had a cold.

- Otago Daily Times