Post by shorty on Sept 29, 2015 7:23:30 GMT 12
Wanaka Airport's gate is now guarded.
A jet was mounted on a pole at the airport's entrance yesterday, creating what is known as a ''gate guardian''.
''Many airports around the world, especially air force bases, have aircraft on poles at the entrance,'' Warbirds Over Wanaka Community Trust general manager Ed Taylor said.
''I remember years ago as a kid being intrigued by the Spitfire on a pole at the entrance to Christchurch Airport and I think this aircraft is also going to be a point of interest for generations to come.''
The Italian-made Aermacchi MB-339CB trainer aircraft was given to the trust by the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) two years ago.
The fleet was retired in 2001, along with Skyhawk aircraft, when the government of the time decided the RNZAF no longer needed air combat capability.
The RNZAF bought 18 Aermacchi MB-339CB trainer aircraft in the 1990s.
They replaced Strikemasters as trainer aircraft to prepare RNZAF pilots to fly the A4 Skyhawk fleet and were used until 2001 by 14 Squadron, which was based at Ohakea.
Half of them were sold to United States-based private defence contracting firm, Draken International and the rest were given to museums around New Zealand.
Mr Taylor said it was fitting to have a warbird at the entrance to the airport, given it was home to the Warbirds Over Wanaka International Airshow.
It also celebrated the contribution of airshow founder Sir Tim Wallis to the aviation industry.
''Deane Fluit Builders, Allied Concrete, Placemakers, Maungatua Contracting, Select Engineering, Wilton Joubert, Warbirds and Wheels, Twenty24, Wanaka Signs, Aspiring Cranes, the Queenstown Lakes District Council and the Queenstown Airport Company have all done their bit to make it happen,'' Mr Taylor said of the team effort to get the plane mounted.
A jet was mounted on a pole at the airport's entrance yesterday, creating what is known as a ''gate guardian''.
''Many airports around the world, especially air force bases, have aircraft on poles at the entrance,'' Warbirds Over Wanaka Community Trust general manager Ed Taylor said.
''I remember years ago as a kid being intrigued by the Spitfire on a pole at the entrance to Christchurch Airport and I think this aircraft is also going to be a point of interest for generations to come.''
The Italian-made Aermacchi MB-339CB trainer aircraft was given to the trust by the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) two years ago.
The fleet was retired in 2001, along with Skyhawk aircraft, when the government of the time decided the RNZAF no longer needed air combat capability.
The RNZAF bought 18 Aermacchi MB-339CB trainer aircraft in the 1990s.
They replaced Strikemasters as trainer aircraft to prepare RNZAF pilots to fly the A4 Skyhawk fleet and were used until 2001 by 14 Squadron, which was based at Ohakea.
Half of them were sold to United States-based private defence contracting firm, Draken International and the rest were given to museums around New Zealand.
Mr Taylor said it was fitting to have a warbird at the entrance to the airport, given it was home to the Warbirds Over Wanaka International Airshow.
It also celebrated the contribution of airshow founder Sir Tim Wallis to the aviation industry.
''Deane Fluit Builders, Allied Concrete, Placemakers, Maungatua Contracting, Select Engineering, Wilton Joubert, Warbirds and Wheels, Twenty24, Wanaka Signs, Aspiring Cranes, the Queenstown Lakes District Council and the Queenstown Airport Company have all done their bit to make it happen,'' Mr Taylor said of the team effort to get the plane mounted.
, I did not know Sir Pete dropped a special down there, I need to get back to the future. 
