Search on for next gen Warbirds pilots

[Ykato]

Search on for next gen Warbirds pilots

A search has been launched for the next generation of Warbirds pilots. Warbirds Over Wanaka wants to get people into flying so one day some of them may be flying at our Airshows.

Warbirds Over Wanaka General Manager, Ed Taylor, says they’ve had backing from the New Zealand Warbirds Association and the head of The Royal New Zealand Air Force for the initiative.

NZ Warbirds Association President, Frank Parker, says they’re always keen to support any moves which might result in more potential pilots being interested in flying the older aircraft. "A casual glance along the heavy metal flightline at most airshows is akin to the social welfare office on pension day! NZ Warbirds’ motto is ‘Keep ‘em Flying’ and we’re well aware that you need pilots to do that."

Mr Parker says the Association has been active over recent years in trying to get new members into the pilot ranks and they hold regular training weekends. Another initiative is syndication of aircraft ownership to try to make it easier for a number of pilots to own the same Warbird.

full item here:
www.voxy.co.nz/national/search-next-gen-warbirds-pilots/5/148183

[slackie]

I'll put my hand up!!

[matariki]

Me too!

[Bruce]

Not sure where our next gen pilots in general will be coming from - too expensive and too much hassle now....

[Ykato]

The above Article is an ad for WOW 2014 Rides days
info located on this page.
www.warbirdsoverwanaka.com/gold_silver_other_passes.html

[JamesStokes]

Yes please!!

[ZacYates]

I'm guessing that's the "special event" mentioned a week or so back?

[johnnyfalcon]

Yes. Though, from that information, it makes it look more like just another scenic flight day in tourist central Otago. Where's the focus on affordable aviation for drawing young people in? And the Warbirds?

[tompen]

Working on it as much as the bank balance tries to stop me...

[beagle]

does it matter if I haven't flown before, except as a passenger.
will they let me take the mustang up straight away.

[aeromedia]

Yeah no worries. If you get a go in the P 51, that sticky out thing on the left is the throttle. Push it one way, and if things don't get generally louder, just push it the other way ;D

[mit]

Mar 2, 2013 6:56:37 GMT 12 aeromedia said:

Yeah no worries. If you get a go in the P 51, that sticky out thing on the left is the throttle. Push it one way, and if things don't get generally louder, just push it the other way ;D

Arr yes, I was let loose in the Aeromacchi sim at Ohakea, that was explained to us as the "fun lever",ie the further forward it was, the more fun you have!

[haughtney1]

Flying warbirds has always been a pastime pretty much reserved for those with a bank balance to match.
I think Frank is being a little disingenuous when he says they are looking for the next generation of pilots, he really saying he's looking for the next generation of pay to fly pilots.
It is an exceptionally expensive pastime and many current general aviation and airline pilots would struggle given the anaemic rates of compensation in the industry today..outside of Air NZ mainline of course, it's also telling that more than a few warbird aviators are based offshore.
There is also the issue of employers, particularly airlines who would take a dim view of their flight crew eating into their flight hour limitations.
I'd love to do it, I've even been fortunate to fly a dual controlled P51 at Chino a few years back...but it cost me nothing, there is no way on gods green earth I'd sacrifice my kids education and the house in queenstown ( :-) ) so that I could be seen as a young buck (at 39) on the flight line.
If Frank was serious..and let's be honest here, he would be a lot more upfront regarding the cost and of course a way to reduce the entry price for many who have the ability and enthusiasm.

[Peter Lewis]

Feb 23, 2013 21:15:53 GMT 12 johnnyfalcon said:

Where's the focus on affordable aviation for drawing young people in?

If you do find a way, keep the secret.

If you let CAA know they'll move to stop it.

[Dave Homewood]

It is not all about flying Spitfires and Mustangs though Mr Hughtney. NZ Warbirds have a very good and well established system for inducting younger or less rich pilots into warbird flying through their syndicates with such aircraft as Harvards, Nanchangs, Yak 52's, Cessna Birdogs, the Trojan and various other types that are considered by most aviators as an affordable way into the world of warbirds, and the contacts made through these lower level warbirds often lead to opportunities for the more powerful ones. I really do not like seeing anyone discouraging NZ Warbirds for their efforts because I think the organisation is fantastic, it does a superb job of keeping the aircraft flying, and the public educated, and they have fun with their time and money. And it's not just mainline Air New Zealand piltos doing it as you suggest.

[scrooge]

Though for many it is about flying Spitfires and Mustangs- they are the ideal, the end goal. These are the iconic aircraft that drew many of us to aviation and secretly (and not so secretly) are what many pilots dream of flying.

[baz62]

Warbirds are not just World War 2 as Dave points out. I used to own a warbird in the 1980s although my 1944 mark 5 Auster didn't get to serve and flew straight into storage until 1946. But other Mark 5s did serve and fly here in NZ.
Even the humble Tiger moth can be called a warbird with some carrying light bombs early on.
I think you start with what you can afford and then if you are fortunate to be able to have the means to maybe get into a Harvard and then the jewel in the crown.

[haughtney1]

Dave, I agree with your sentiments, I really do, The NZ warbirds association certainly does a fantastic job..and it's a credit to its membership and the volunteers who dedicate their spare time to keeping iconic aircraft airborne.
The sound of the Harvard and Spitfire bought tears to my late Grandads eyes when he saw them displayed a number of years ago...and for that selfish personal reason it's always worth the price of admission for me.
The point I was trying to make I believe remains valid, yes there are a number of less expensive options available to the enthusiast, some that even your average PPL/CPL might even be able to get a foot in the door, the reality is however that it remains a prohibitively expensive pursuit. Unfortunately I feel Frank is perhaps sugar coating his message...nothing wrong trying to encourage and create interest, but even a YAK 52 at 60-70 ltrs an hour or so ain't cheap these days with Avgas at the price levels it is today..without considering the other costs..and again, let's be honest, most of the paying public at large (and future warbirds enthusiasts), when they think of warbirds, they think of the iconic high performance machines and perhaps don't consider a number of other service types.
I know perhaps I'm coming across a bit negative, but I'd argue that most of the higher performance types are indeed rich boys toys, and there is very little if any chance of the enthusiast ever getting to the stage of flying one of them.
For the most part many of the types are owned and operated their well resourced pilots..who do so because they can afford to pay for it..and not because they harbour any lofty ambitions to keep the old girls flying, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Of course there are some very notable exceptions, but I think people on here are being just a little bit naive to think those exceptions are not few and far between.
I know this opinion might make me unpopular, and I accept that some will disagree, my experience however is what I'm stating here, I say this as a long time supporter of the warbirds movement.

[FlyingKiwi]

Haughtney makes a very valid point; I'm in my 20s, and I would love to get into flying the warbirds, and I do intend to do so in the next year or so with some of the more affordable options (Chipmunk etc.) but the reality is as a flight instructor without an interest in moving to an airline I'm not in a position to be able to afford to move on to anything higher performance, I know it's too much to expect that older enthusiasts in better financial positions will sit back and pay for young people to fly their aeroplanes, but the sad thing is I would say a majority (possibly even a large majority) of young professional pilots these days are more interested in flying airliners than vintage aircraft, and the smaller number of young people like myself who consider flying to be a recreational pursuit that has managed to turn itself into a job are not able to afford to fly the aircraft we'd love to.

[mgmike]

NZ Warbirds does an excellent job of getting pilots into classic aircraft, and to be honest the prices can be less than that of flying at the local aero club. I moved from an aero club to a private hire Cub and then into Chipmunk51 at WB, and the cost of flying the Chipmunk - and of buying into the syndicate - is well under the hourly cost of renting a C152 at most aero clubs. Bear in mind too that the Warbirds instructors do not always charge for their time - or if so do it at very good rates - so getting into tailwheel or into aeros is manageable. If you want to move to a Harvard then the cost goes up significantly, but flight times are often less so the total cost is not quite the killer you might expect, even buying into syndicates is not too bad. Lets face it flying is never a cheap hobby but you can get into Warbird flying cheaper here than most other parts of the world. If you want Spitfire or Mustang then yes it goes up - but flying around in a Chipmunk is a lot of fun and gives a warbird feel for very reasonable $$......