The Vintage Aviators ANZAC Airshow

[Dave Homewood]

Well, part of me is really pleased to hear that the guys at TVAL finally got some good weather for a show, which is great news. But part of me is also sad that we missed out on the planned flying display when Kerry and I went all the way down in November. Hopefully we might get down there again someday and strike some good weather.

I'm looking forward to lots of photos from you guys, please.

[Gavin Conroy]

yeah I hear ya Dave but the weather just didnt play the game but this time everything went smoothly and as the last two displays in Masterton have been affected by pretty bad weather today was a treat.

[ErrolC]

Fantastic day, everything I hoped it would be. Currenly crashed out on a couch in Wgtn

[corsair67]

That's great news about the weather. I was keeping my fingers crossed for you all, as another spell of bad weather would have been disasterous for the organisers, as well as all the keen punters.

Remember the ANZACs.

[Dave Homewood]

Wow, fantastic photos there Gavin. Thanks so much for posting them.

[mumbles]

That was a nice little day and show, will get some pictures up on the morrow.

[Gavin Conroy]

How Lucky Are We!!!!







Thats it from me, a great display and what a way to end the airshow season, its been a cracker.

[Deleted]

Hear hear! I've had a blast this season, yesterday was ideal, I was like Gav constantly pinching myself to check it wasn't a dream. The Fee and Be2c were jaw-dropping, and it was wonderful to see the D.Va and Tripehound fly at long last. Well done TVAL and thankyou!

Kudos to Jan White on her ribbon-cutting skills, too!

[mumbles]

Some shots of the display from me. Sadly due to a spectacular miscalculation worthy of a complete noob I ran out of camera battery just as the FE.2 took off.
















This was my first time attending the event and I thoroughly enjoyed it (the only quibbles being the display axis pointing straight into the sun making photography tricky, and what sounded like a commentator constantly referring to 'Sopworth' aircraft). I'll definitely be back. The massed flypast of SE.5's and DR.1's was a sight to behold.

[Deleted]

Sopworths! Gotta love those Sopworths! I think it was the first time a Sopworth Triplane and a Sopworth Camel had flown together in NZ....? Does anyone know of any previous Sopworth formations?

[Bruce]

Hey - theres a Stampe there! My Friend Russ Ward has one, but I didnt realise there was another flying in NZ.

[Deleted]

This one is Gene de Marco's, the first I'd seen in the flesh. He really throws it around the sky!

[kiwi]

Absolutely fabulous day , the one disappointing thing which was a bonus for all those who did attend , was the fact that the audience was relatively small . I have been to many airshows both here and in the UK , there have been very few which have been as good as this one . The ambience was relaxed , the weather great , there were aircraft in the air which as little as five years ago were just wishes to enthusiasts . The aircaft were parked about an arms length from the crowd line . I was just amazed at the BE2s , how quite they were and how they seemed to claw at the air to stay aloft . Three SE5As and the FE2 , Albatross and Fokker DVII . The paper streamer cutting Tigers and Stampe . I saw a lovely scene , one of the aircraft landed and taxied back to it's place on the crowd line . A small boy standing against his father's legs asked a question of the pilot as he was getting down from the cockpit , the pilot immediately responded and walked straight over to this child to talk and answer all the questions , I imagine this kid will remember this for the rest of his life . To all those who missed this show , you missed a magic day for anyone who loves old aeroplanes . To all those who helped in putting on the airshow , many, many thanks it was brilliant .

[kiwithrottlejockey]

I've got to agree 100% with all the comments already posted....the day was simply magic. I was at the very first TVAL airshow in November 2008 and that was an absolutely magic day too. Since then, I've attended two more, but yesterday was really special (like the first airshow).

I took a few photographs, but my brother (who was visiting from Queensland) too more than 1200 photographs (he was trying out a new and very expensive camera) and his photos are simply amazing. I've got copies of the whole lot of them on an external hard-drive and he said he is happy for me to upload and post as many of them as I wish to this and other groups. There are so many photos, it is going to take me a while to work my way through them all and to pick a selection to downsize and post, but I should start drip-feeding some of them into this thread within 2-3 days as I get time.

[kiwi]

As if the day could not have been better , my mates wife bought a raffle ticket and won him a flight in a Tiger Moth .

[ErrolC]

I'm home now, after an interesting day at Wrights Hill Fortress, well worth a visit on one of their Open Days. www.whfrs.org.nz/history.html

Bloody marvellous day, only complaint was the sun position and not much can be done about that! Caught up with Zac and Bruce, as well as a couple of other on-line contacts. Thanks to a lift from forum member Brett, I was able to chat to people after flying had finished, a nice round-off.

I'll add more to Flicker over the next week, including a couple of basic vids.

Fee and Friends


Triplane and SE5a


Ain't she lovely!?

[corsair67]

Lovely photos, guys. Thanks for sharing.

Again, I am so happy that the weather decided to co-operate this time around so that everyone got to enjoy a great day of flying.

[Dave Homewood]

Great photos!!

[Deleted]

Great shots Errol! Any of the Bes together, or of the Albatros?

[kiwi]

I could email you some Zac , but I have never managed to post any to the forum , a bit of a technophobe I am often told !