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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jan 10, 2011 22:04:53 GMT 12
I'll be there on the Sunday only as I've got to work on the other days.
I was hoping my 89-year-old Dad would be there, but he is very ill now (the cancer has spread into his kidneys and liver) and he wouldn't be able to handle travelling to Masterton any more. I don't expect him to last more than a few more weeks, although you never know....he's a tough old bugger! At least he got to enjoy the last Wings Over Wairarapa airshow in 2009. And Dave got to film him talking about his war experiences in the 6th Field Ambulance in the North Africa and Italian campaigns a few days before he deteriorated a week before Xmas.
And last Thursday, I was up in Gisborne attending the funeral of a dear friend of mine, Glenda Williams, who was the twin sister of Granville Jones (owner of Beechcraft V35 ZK-DDG). Granville told me he has been asked to put his V35 on the display line at Wings Over Wairarapa, so is planing to fly down to Masterton for the airshow weekend provided the weather is good.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 10, 2011 22:57:36 GMT 12
Bruce I'm really sorry to hear that your Dad deteriorated so rapidly and won't make it to the airshow. He was looking forward to it. He was on fine form when I visited him and we got some marvellously detailed stories from him, so really it sounds to have been just in the nick of time. My thoughts are with him, and with you too - I have been through this same awful state of affairs with my own Dad, and know how terrible the inevitable feels. All the best.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 12, 2011 12:00:00 GMT 12
Thomarse has sent the following message to post here:
Good Afternoon,
Greetings from the Featherston Community Centre! I imagine that you are in the last stages of organizing and planning of this year's Wings Over Wairarapa. I hope it is all going smoothly for you. I know we're looking forward to this great family event.
One of our Community Centre's "Regulars" Deirdre has a family member, past president of the Royal New Zealand Aeronautical Society Hugh McCarroll. Hugh is coming down for the Wings Over Wairarapa weekend and she has just popped in and arranged for Hugh to speak to a group of her friends and family at the Featherston Community Centre on the History of Pre-World War One Aviation on Wednesday January 19th at 7.30. We thought you may have contacts/visitors to town who may also interested in attending Hugh's presentation before your big weekend (that is if you haven't already managed to assign them one of those "last-minute" tasks that always seem to come with putting on such a big event!)
I've attached a bit of information on Hugh & his presentation as well as a flier designed by one of our young volunteers
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Heather Kary
Manager
Featherston Community Centre
14 Wakefield Street
Featherston 5710
ph: 06 308 8239
fax:06 308 8541
And this is from the attachment she sent with the email:
HISTORY OF AVIATION PRIOR TO THE FIRST WORLD WAR
Hugh McCarroll is a Past President of the New Zealand Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society, and a member of it’s Research Committee. He compiled three presentations on the History of Aviation up to the First World War for Members of the Society, the first covering experimentation up to 1903, the second covering the work of the Wright brothers and others active during the following few years, and the third showing the explosion of activity taking place from then until the First World War. Hugh will show a condensed version of all three presentations at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday 19th January at the Featherston Community Centre. This should be of interest to aviation enthusiasts, who will be gathering for the “Wings Over Wairarapa” Air Show at Hood Aerodrome, Masterton, which starts on Friday 21st January. Entry to Hugh’s Wednesday showing will be by gold coin donation.
Hugh McCarroll was born in Wellington and lived most of his young life in Lower Hutt, attending Hutt Valley High School. He studied engineering at Canterbury University, majoring in Aeronautical Engineering. He was offered a position at Boeing in their Research Department, but was unable to take it up, and started his working life in the engineering section of Qantas in Sydney. Rising to be Head of Engineering, he in due course became Qantas’s Technical Representative at Boeing for a period of four years, then returned to Sydney where he held various higher level positions. He eventually returned to New Zealand for family reasons, and recently retired from the position of CEO at Hamilton International Airport.
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jan 13, 2011 20:19:14 GMT 12
I was told at work this morning that the airshow trains are now fully booked on both the Saturday and Sunday. Ticketek have sold all available seats on the trains.
However, there may still be some unallocated seats due to Wellington hotels (the Holiday Inn is one of them) block-booking a large number of train seats to offer with airshow weekend package deals, including accommodation in Wellington, all meals included, train travel to and from the airshow each day, and gold passes to the airshow. It is possible that any unallocated seats from those block-booked by the hotels may be released for public sale on the actual airshow days (Saturday and Sunday) on a first-come, first-served basis at Tranz Metro's ticket counters at Wellington Railway Station....however, there is no guarantee of this occuring.
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flyingpom
Flying Officer
Their finest hour
Posts: 65
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Post by flyingpom on Jan 19, 2011 5:47:52 GMT 12
Hi, Kev and Mel here from the Planes, Trains & Autos tours. We have a stand at the show, along the main flightline, so please pop in and have a chat if you are passing. Hope to see you there.
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jan 20, 2011 13:07:50 GMT 12
The Red Checkers are circling in formation over my place right now.
Five of them in a V formation....don't they usually have a sixth (spare) aircraft?
I also heard the unmistakable sound of UH-1 Iroquois about ten minutes ago, so I guess the RNZAF contingent is arriving at Hood for the weekend.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 20, 2011 13:32:58 GMT 12
The spare may be turning up later. It's not far to shuttle one down from Ohakea if they need it anyway I guess.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 20, 2011 13:51:10 GMT 12
Just looking at the website for this show it states: "While obviously celebrating the historical significance of military aircraft with two MXI spitfires," What is an MXI spitfire?? Was this an attempt to not jinx it by saying there will be two Mk. IX Spitfires? It also says: "For the first time in New Zealand three Czechoslovakian Albatross L39 jets will display in formation along with three jets from the Vampire stable." Three L-39's would be great to see, but three Vampires? Where has the third one come from? Or are they counting the Venom as a Vampire, which it is not? "Always a show stopper there will be topdressing displays by an Air Tractor, Cresco and Ag Cat." Yes, that's when you stop watching and go get an ice cream.  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 20, 2011 14:05:51 GMT 12
Loking at Metvuw's long range satellite images, which is usually accurte, it seems there's some bad weather coming to Masterton on Saturday and Sunday.
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Post by Kereru on Jan 20, 2011 14:15:46 GMT 12
Hope it all blows over by then Dave. Saw Keith in the Corsair circling AMZ and heading off a while ago. Kittyhawk was up and about too. The Kamov Ka 32 left late morning for Palmerston North, Woodbourne and Christchurch. Just the one Spitfire at WOW this year?  I can't make it again this year so hope there are many pics and videos uploaded here please. Cheers and have fun. |
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Post by hairy on Jan 20, 2011 14:27:45 GMT 12
"Always a show stopper there will be topdressing displays by an Air Tractor, Cresco and Ag Cat." Yes, that's when you stop watching and go get an ice cream. The Air Tractor did one of the stand-out performances last time. He even out smoked the Red Checkers. ;D  versus  ;D   |
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Post by turboNZ on Jan 20, 2011 15:21:54 GMT 12
Weather forecast ain't looking good. Biplanes, sheltered? Plus may be a wet ride on the Moto Guzzi up there too... |
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jan 20, 2011 15:31:04 GMT 12
Loking at Metvuw's long range satellite images, which is usually accurte, it seems there's some bad weather coming to Masterton on Saturday and Sunday. The forecast is actually for a nor'easter. When you get a nor'easter here, it tends to rain on the Tararua Ranges and rain on the hills out to the east, but the Wairarapa valley is sheltered by the hills to the north, which tend to attract the rain. That happened on the Sunday at the last airshow in 2009. Although the sky got dark at times, it stayed fine at Masterton. So I wouldn't take too much notice of the forecast for Saturday and Sunday (especially Sunday)....I reckon there may be a wee bit of drizzle early in the morning, but the rain should stay away. If it turned into a full-blown easterly I'd be more worried, because that does tend to bring rain right into the Wairarapa valley. However, I wouldn't be surprised if it actually rains tomorrow (Friday). I'm working tomorrow and Saturday, then I've got Sunday off. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2011 19:24:01 GMT 12
As I type this the local Vampire can be seen out my lounge window practicing, so I am guessing RVM will still be there! Sweet music!
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Post by furyfb11 on Jan 20, 2011 19:58:53 GMT 12
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Post by nige on Jan 21, 2011 17:31:13 GMT 12
Wow, just saw 3 jets (2 vampires/venoms) and might have been the L-39(?) fly over Palmy heading in an easterly direction approx 1810-1815 - heading to Masterton already perhaps or around the region?
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Post by area51 on Jan 21, 2011 18:15:36 GMT 12
News just in that Vampire blew a tyre on landing and exited the runway onto the grass and the Venom had a wingtip strike on landing followed by undercarriage collapse..............
Dreadful news for all involved in this awesome machines.
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Post by lesterpk on Jan 21, 2011 18:37:25 GMT 12
From another forum
for those who are interested, there was just an accident which involving the Venom, Weather was not the best, rain was just setting in,It was on its final approach for landing, coming in low.. way too low, must of miss judged the end of the runway and the rear landing gear clipped the end of the runway (the South end of the run way drop off a little bank about 1.5-2m drop).
it slid down the runway 150-200m. no fire or anything like that luckily. Not a good start to the air show at all, don't think there will be much more action tonight.
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Post by area51 on Jan 21, 2011 18:54:59 GMT 12
that is messy sounding. I note the METAR (auto station) are pretty gnarly with east to southeast winds at 5-10kts and overcast with showers, heavy at times.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 21, 2011 19:02:39 GMT 12
That is dreadful news after all the effort put in to get the Venom flying again. I'm so sorry to hear this, and their star attraction is now out of action too. I hope no-one was hurt. Is the Vampire repairable for the weekend or is it too out of action?
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