Quite a photo!

[Dave Homewood]

I am just flicking through the Warbirds Over Wanaka 1994 book, and I spotted a photo that, at the time was neat, but now with hindsight is pretty bloody cool.

It's on page 27, the shot was taken by someone called Geoffrey Sloan, and it shows Britten Superbike designer John Britten, posed with his undisputed champion rider Loren Poole who raced the Pitts Special and Hughes 500 at the airshow, and of course the world record breaking bike itself, posed in front of Spitfire Mk. XIVe NH799. In the background and probably considered at the time as incidental to the shot are Mark Hanna, Ray Hanna, what looks to be Graeme Bethell, and posibly Keith Skilling.

Talk about a gathering of legends!! Two awesome machines and lots of awesome heroes right there!

[baz62]

Yes I have that book somewhere and I know the photo you mean. Might be time for a rematch between the MK XIV and the bike!!

[kiwithrottlejockey]

I doubt if there is an aeroplane out there which could drag-off that bike along a runway.

I can still clearly recall that bike flashing past the two aircraft as though they were standing still during the third leg of that race (from the final turn at the end of the runway to the finish line at the taxiway).

[spitfire14]

Dave,

I pulled that book off my shelf to answer your question re pilots for the 1994 show and took another look at that photo- awesome photo of legends indeed!

I also love the photo on P62 of the former AFC Spitfire Mk XVI TB863 flown by Ray Hanna, alsongside Spitfire Mk XIV NH799 flown by Mark Hanna.

Sadly neither pilot is still with us but am looking forward to seeing the Mk XIV alongside Brendon and Dougs' Spitfires soon:)

[beagle]

someone going to scan the photo and post it

[kiwithrottlejockey]

Dec 29, 2012 15:43:32 GMT 12 beagle said:

someone going to scan the photo and post it

Ummmm.....I think it probably says something about copyright and reproducing stuff from the book without permission somewhere in the fine print within the title pages.

Not that warnings like that stop many people!

[ngatimozart]

You can copy up to 10% of a work as long as it's for research duly referenced. I believe that a scanned copy of said photo would meet the criteria as long as it's stated clearly where you go it from; i.e., author, title, year published, publisher, place published and page number.