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Explosions, races, warbirds, jet propelled model aircraft, vintage jet aircraft, aerobatics and static marvels are the expected highlights of this weekend’s Tauranga City Airshow.
Good weather is forecast for the ‘Classics of the Sky’ airshow and its co-director, Bill Sisley, says it is going to be a spectacular event with a great variety of planes and activities.
Some airshow highlights ahead: land versus air, graceful flying from grunty warbirds and airfield mock attacks.
“I think it’s the variety of the show – the ‘big heavies’ right down to the small home builds; there’s a lot of home-builds like gyrocopters.”
The ‘big heavies’ are the warbirds, with the Roaring 40s Harvards team, Yaks, Spitfires, Mustangs and a Corsair among the propeller driven vintage aircraft highlights.
A Harvard.
There is a Mark IX and Mark V Spitfire to fly at the airshow, with the Mark IX particularly rare as it’s a two-seater, built that way as a training aircraft.
There are also rare vintage jet aircraft on flying display, including the L39 Albatross, the A37 Dragonfly, a Strike Master and a Vampire.
A Strike Master.
These, combined with the Hawker Hunter, which the Classic Flyers team is restoring to flying condition, are going to be a highlight for airshow co-director Andrew Gormlie.
“The jet display is 4-5 jets and they are a lovely formation display and that is exciting.”
The jets and warbirds are going to get quite a work out at the airshow with some of these vintage aircraft entering into races with modern cars.
On each of the airshow’s two days either a warbird or a vintage jet plane are expected to drag race a ‘mystery’ car.
The airshow on at Tauranga Airport also includes spectacles such as airfield mock attacks – complete with explosions – and displays by jet powered, 3-4m wingspan, model aircraft.
“They just charge off and go in a hurry,” says Bill Sisley.
There is also a large range of aerobatic flying for spectators to enjoy, including performances by a P12 Pitts Special.
Airshow co-directors Bill Sisley and Andrew Gormlie photographed by a Corsair at the 2010 airshow.
Andrew Gormlie says another aerobatics act to look out for is a performance by the Red Checkers.
“The Red Checkers are here and they missed out last time (2010).
“For the last 10 months or so they have been going hard out so that should be really good.”
There are also about 150 trade stalls at the airshow, providing some down time from the airplanes.
“It’s a long day for an airshow so having all these exhibits makes it an easy experience,” says Bill.
The airshow coincides with the Sport Aircraft Association of New Zealand’s annual general meeting and Bill, the association’s president, is expecting up to 100 private sport aircraft to “fly in” on the day.
As part of their AGM, the attending pilots will take their planes up for some races and group flying early on Saturday morning.
They head to Whitianga for this and undertake an economy rally on the way there.
When asked for an expected highlight for the airshow, Bill struggled to pick one – a good commendation of the quality of the displays and spectacles ahead.
“For me what is so exciting is that it is so difficult to say – I can’t choose that, I just like them all.”
The Tauranga City Airshow ‘Classics of the Sky’ is on Saturday and Sunday, January 28-29 at Tauranga Airport. More show details here.
