The airshow today had a similar display to yesterday’s timetable. The weather was sunnier and we thought the displays were just that bit better.
RNZAF Kiwi Blue Parachute Display Team.
The Hercules released a bit more chaff than yesterday!
There was a helicopter display of 14 helicopters in line which was impressive to see. One of the pilots was a friendly chap called Jerry whom we sat with at dinner in the evening.
Some of the Yak-52s taking off.
The Spitfire.
The Yak-52s display was very good.
We went for a walk to talk to the Spitfire pilot, Sean Perrett. Here’s Noel, Sean and Max with Brendan Deere’s Spitfire behind. Sean was a nice, friendly chap and flew some very good, graceful displays which showed off the plane very well.
While we were with Sean some other people came up and talked to him and Max was asked for an autograph.
Mustang with Graham Bethell.
Jurgis Kairys racing the Lamborghini.
Like Father, like Son. 🙂
There were 6 jet planes racing which included 2 Vampires.
Kittyhawk preparing to take off to oversee the racing.
This is an interesting couple of photos, taken at the start of the race as everyone is roughly level. Ignoring the Kittyhawk at the top, there are 6 jets in the bunch. In the first photo one vampire hides the other unless you look very carefully. The second photo shows two vampires slightly more clearly (when you open the picture).
Jurgis again.
Hard to see but there are LOTS of smoke twirls from LOTS of spins… o_O
He found a friend!
And on the next pass flew around the DC3.
Spitfire and Mustang.
Well, it was a sunny day!
The Avenger decided to fold its wings.
So the Corsair did too.
Then there was a battle with the Yak52s being the baddies.
And having been hit, trailing smoke into the gully.
End of the show, a tribute to the WW1 pilots.
On the way back from the airfield to Cardrona we stopped by the bra fence.
An unusual postbox.
After an hour back at base we went out for the end of show dinner. Sir Tim Wallis had kindly asked all 3 of us to sit on his table. Here’s Max.
We bumped into a friendly lady we met in Hastings (Hawke’s Bay), Judith Grant – a flying friend of Jan Chisum. She is going over to the UK in the summer and she confirmed that she will be in contact to go flying from White Waltham. She had been working as a volunteer over the 3 days of the airshow.
John Lamont and Keith Skilling.
Max and Sir Tim talking to 2 members of the French air force.
Lady Pru talking to Stu Goldspink in the background and Max, Trevor Graham (commentator) and Sir Tim in the foreground.
Bevan Dewes (who flew the Chipmunk) with the two commentators.
We sat near a very nice couple, Jerry and Shirl Rowley. Jerry had flown one of the helicopters in the display and Shirl had been nanny to the Wallis’s 4 sons and they both now host at Minaret Station. Jerry was a farmer but started flying helicopters and now flies them commercially. He said he had a long chat with Richie McCaw about flying and that Richie was a really nice guy and had done the commercial flying bookwork in a very short time.
Also on our table were Tom and Gay Williams, we first spoke to Tom at Masterton last November for the WW1 airshow we flew in to with Max and then met both Tom and Gay at the Tauranga airshow in January. Lovely people. Tom is the Wings Over Wairarapa Airshow Director. He would like Max to go to Wings Over Wairarapa airshow in January.
At the end of the evening there was a short firework display which finished off a very nice evening and 3 days of airshow.