Eight Fokkers & Three Spitfires!!!

[Aaryn NZ]

Hello fellow Autogeeks. :xyxthumbs:

This is what I have been enjoying for the past two days right here in my home town of Blenheim New Zealand.

Five minutes up the road is the Omaka Aerodrome. Home to our own Classic Fighters air show & the Omaka Heritage Museum.

Every two years we play host to the Classic Fighters air show. People come from all around the world to see some amazing & very rare vintage planes flying in our sky for three days over the Easter weekend. I'm not a huge aerogeek by any means & this has nothing to do with detailing but I thought it was pretty cool & worthy of sharing.

I'm posting a few pictures of my favorites at the show, easily could be here posting pictures most of the night if I had snapped pics of all there was to see, so I'll keep it brief. :xyxthumbs:

This year we had the pleasure of seeing three Supermarine Spitfires take to the air at the same time. The first time three had flown together in the Southern hemisphere since WW2. The MK14 Spitfire the last to be restored & had only taken its first test flight two days ago. Gotta love the sound of a Rolls Royce Merlin at speed. :dblthumb2:

Eight WW1 Fokker Tri Planes took to the skys & I'm pretty certain this wouldn't be seen anywhere else in the world. A bit gusty today & props (hahaha) rops: to the pilots who flew these things in formation in these conditions, skills beyond belief. Seven of the Fokker Tri Planes are based here, four of which are on display at the Omaka Heritage Museum year round & are owned by Sir Peter Jackson ( Hobbit, Lord of the rings etc etc) among other classic WW1 planes here & in the North Island.

Anyhow - heres a couple of pics I took today. Enjoy. :xyxthumbs:

I couldn't resist a couple of pictures of the mighty Britten V1000 that was here on display. An amazing bike built in a shed about 350 kilometres from here. :dblthumb2:

Last day of the show tomorrow. I hope to get some more pictures of the ones I couldn't get today.

Thanks for having a look people.

Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:

 

[lawrenceSA]

Awesome - thanks for sharing buddy:dblthumb2:

 

[Paul A.]

I AM an aerogeek, aaron and those photos are super cool! Thank you for sharing them. That Britten V1000 is way cool too!

 

[Aaryn NZ]

Awesome - thanks for sharing buddy:dblthumb2:

My pleasure Lawrence. :xyxthumbs:

I AM an aerogeek, aaron and those photos are super cool! Thank you for sharing them. That Britten V1000 is way cool too!

Thank you Puckman. :xyxthumbs:

Though I don't know alot about planes, I realise the occasion. People simply don't get the opportunity to see these planes every day. Spoilt for sure! Yeah, the Britten is one remarkable piece of engineering. I've been lucky enough to see these bikes raced in anger more times than I can remember.

I can see the planes practicing for the day out my bedroom window as I type this. :xyxthumbs:

Aaryn NZ.

 

[AZ Mike]

What an opportunity, great pictures. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Aaryn NZ]

What an opportunity, great pictures. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers Mike. :xyxthumbs:

Not a bad way to spend a few days of a four day weekend. Snapped a few more pictures today, will post them here a bit later.

Aaryn NZ. :xyxthumbs:

 

[vobro]

Wow 8 Fokkers in the air? That's just about the same number flying as the F-35. Kidding aside cool pics of some of best old time planes of years past.

 

[Rommel]

WW1 & WW2 warbirds are so beautiful!!

 

[builthatch]

sweet!

 

[Aaryn NZ]

As promised, some more pictures from today. :xyxthumbs:

Weather not as nice & sunny today but still a great day out.

Please forgive my photography - I don't own a flash camera, just a little Cannon Power Shot, so I do the best I can with what I have. :xyxthumbs:

Some of our RNZAF machinery dropped by to show off.

More coming . . .

 

[Aaryn NZ]

. . . :dblthumb2:

So there we have it. Thats how I spent my Easter weekend. Not too bad I reckon. :dblthumb2:

Thank you all for looking.

Aaryn NZ. :xyxthumbs:

 

[RMM]

...
I couldn't resist a couple of pictures of the mighty Britten V1000 that was here on display. An amazing bike built in a shed about 350 kilometres from here. :dblthumb2:
...

...

The death of John Britten, so young, was a great loss to the Engineering world.

 

[Don M]

I always loved the Corsairs.

 

[Paul A.]

No need to apologize for lack of a camera...those are GREAT photos! Thanks again. It is absolutely breathtaking to see those vintage aircraft take to the wild blue yonder again. It is also incredible to see so many different eras represented.

 

[Aaryn NZ]

Wow 8 Fokkers in the air? That's just about the same number flying as the F-35. Kidding aside cool pics of some of best old time planes of years past.

Yeah, pretty spoilt to see eight tri-planes in the air at the same time. Not a bad show for a little country way down in the south Pacific huh?

Thanks for looking mate. :xyxthumbs:

WW1 & WW2 warbirds are so beautiful!!

Thank you. :xyxthumbs:

Sure are, they sound amazing too. Very cool that this is right on my door step.

sweet!

Agreed! :dblthumb2:

Aaryn NZ.

 

[dad07]

No need to apologize for lack of a camera...those are GREAT photos! Thanks again. It is absolutely breathtaking to see those vintage aircraft take to the wild blue yonder again. It is also incredible to see so many different eras represented.

:iagree: Awesome photos! Thank you for sharing!

 

[Aaryn NZ]

The death of John Britten, so young, was a great loss to the Engineering world.

Absolutely.

I was lucky enough to have known John personally & proud to be able to call him a friend.

John was one of those special guys, you could walk over to where his team were in the pits of any bike meeting & he could be on his hands & knees working on one of his bikes, he would see you & imediately down his tools & have a conversation with you. Didn't matter how busy he was - he always had time for people.

A huge loss to the world in so many ways.

Unsure if you ever had the privelage to see any of his bikes in action, I hope you did. Truly breath taking!

Aaryn NZ. :xyxthumbs:

 

[Aaryn NZ]

I always loved the Corsairs.

My young fella would agree. :xyxthumbs: His favourite of the show every time.

The pilot of this Corsair always puts on an amazing display too.

Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:

 

[Aaryn NZ]

No need to apologize for lack of a camera...those are GREAT photos! Thanks again. It is absolutely breathtaking to see those vintage aircraft take to the wild blue yonder again. It is also incredible to see so many different eras represented.

:iagree: Awesome photos! Thank you for sharing!

Thank you both. :dblthumb2:

I wish I could've captured the WW1 dogfight reenactment somehow. About 16 WW1 planes in the air at the same time + a ground display at the same time, fake explosions, gun fire etc. Unsure how that many planes can fly around that close to each other without any carnage!

Thanks for the comments, pleased you enjoyed.

Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:

 

[Aaryn NZ]

Our local papers say this years show was the highest attended to date. :xyxthumbs:

Awesome to be there & see such a fine mix of vintage planes being flown like they weren't vintage planes. Only one casualty - the Focke Wolf 190 had a bit of an accident with its landing gear collapsing not long after landing. Doh.

At $50,000 NZ a year to insure - it wasn't insured.

Aaryn NZ. :xyxthumbs: