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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 7, 2016 19:57:41 GMT 12
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Post by ErrolC on Jul 15, 2016 10:34:11 GMT 12
This is showing on the forum Calendar as 27/28th?
They also removed the 'subject to change' rider since these were first indicated.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 15, 2016 11:30:41 GMT 12
The Forum Calendar is broken, loads of Proboards forum calendars are showing the wrong date for items. Proboards are fully aware but they have no idea what the issue is so cannot solve it, amazingly.It's been like this for about six months. Loads of forum admins have reported this. Because of this I have become very hesitant about using the calendar, it';s a gamble as sometimes they show correctly, sometimes not! I think I'll stop using the calendar in future as it causes confusion. All airshows are always "subject to change"  |
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jan 23, 2017 16:53:13 GMT 12
from Fairfax NZ....Magnificent flying machines' at home in WairarapaFor lovers of old planes, Wairarapa's Vintage Aviator collection is the pinnacle.By JACK BARLOW | 4:18PM - Monday, 23 January 2017 The S.E.5 sits at the ready. — Photograph: Jack Barlow/Fairfax NZ.THEY WERE the original knights of the sky, rickety, dangerous machines that roamed the air above Europe during World War One.
Now they've found an altogether different home.
Masterton's Hood Aerodrome is about as far from the Eastern Front as is imaginable, but it's here that the Vintage Aviator's stunning collection of First World War aircraft resides.
Helped along by Peter Jackson — who owns many of the aircraft — the Vintage Aviator collection is one of the world's premier displays of vintage planes. They're mostly products of the company itself: the Vintage Aviator restores and builds old aircraft at its Wellington base.
The range of types is extensive. There are planes that are rarely seen outside blurry, grainy photos in history books, some of which are the only flying examples in the world.
There's a Sopwith Pup, the Camel's pretty, gentler precursor. There's a remarkable Sopwith Triplane, the bizarre, three-winged aircraft that was copied by the Germans and is now best recognised in the form of Baron von Richtoften's bright red Fokker Triplane.
There's an elegant, streamlined Albatross DV.a, a pretty SPAD, an ungainly FE.2b. For old aircraft fans, a walk around the collection is heavenly. An onlooker watches as the Albatross glides past. — Photograph: Jack Barlow/Fairfax NZ.From November to April, the hangar housing the planes is open every Saturday and Sunday from 10am until 4pm. Better yet, during the same period the collection takes to the air the last weekend of every month. It's a perfect time to see the planes in the air, doing fly pasts, laps and even the occasional “dog fight”.
One of the first shows of the summer was held on a perfect, sweltering hot day in late December. The crowd wasn't big, maybe 75 people, but it was certainly dedicated: binoculars, cameras with long lenses and even old VCR recorders were out in force.
The collection was out basking in the sunshine, the planes lined up side by side. “It's just great, isn't it?” one older man, clutching an SLR camera with an extraordinarily long lens, said. “It's the sort of thing I grew up with — Biggles and all that — and to see it in the flesh is a dream.”
The planes took off in turns, the Triplane followed by the S.E.5, followed in turn by the Albatross.
Pilot Andrew Vincent, an airline pilot by day, was behind the controls of the Triplane. He came in sweaty, wind-whipped, but with a grin on his face.
“This is really as natural as it gets,” he said as he hopped out of the cockpit. “I grew up around airplanes and my father flew old fabric ones, so to fly this is a dream come true. It's an opportunity very, very few people get.”
“This collection … it's simply unparalleled.”The Vintage Aviator…• Open Saturdays and Sunday, 10am-4pm, November to April.
• Closed Easter and Christmas/Boxing Day.
• Open outside normal visiting hours by appointment only.On the internet…• The Vintage Aviator Ltd (website)
• The Vintage Aviator Collection (Facebook)
• TVAL Collection (Twitter)__________________________________________________________________________ Read more on this topic:
• Vintage Aviator planes wow the crowd
• Gene De Marco talks Vintage Aviator and his love of old planeswww.stuff.co.nz/travel/87849947 |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2017 18:16:38 GMT 12
WHAT?! They have a SPAD??! Wow!
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Post by johnnyfalcon on Jan 23, 2017 19:07:48 GMT 12
WHAT?! They have a SPAD??! Wow! Snap!! You beat me to it Zac. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 23, 2017 21:40:29 GMT 12
Nope, just poor reporting I believe.
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Post by Brett on Jan 23, 2017 22:01:09 GMT 12
It was actually a Cessna....
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jan 24, 2017 12:34:12 GMT 12
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jan 25, 2017 21:35:02 GMT 12
Looking great for Saturday. Take some sunblock if you are going, 'cause the sun is going to be fierce. I'll be there all day.  On Sunday the forecast is for strong northwesterlies developing, although fingers crossed it isn't until later in the day. I'm working an early shift on Sunday (one of my workmates is on chemo every second Friday and has to take two days off after each dose, so I'm covering his shift on Sunday morning), but I'll be at Hood around lunchtime on the Sunday provided the wind doesn't get up too much and ground the aeroplanes. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2017 15:48:59 GMT 12
Depending on the weather outlook I may come down Sunday - can't manage tomorrow due to prior, albeit made in the past few days, commitments.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2017 18:15:47 GMT 12
A mate said the BE.12 and original Camel flew today, sounds like it was a good one!
KTJ - think I'd get to see some TVAL flying if I came down tomorrow?
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Post by ErrolC on Jan 28, 2017 18:29:49 GMT 12
Sounds like lots of good options for WOW, great!
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jan 28, 2017 18:58:24 GMT 12
It was a perfect day for flying at Hood Aerodrome today.
And I can confirm that both the Be.12 and the original Camel made their public display flight debuts this morning.
The original Camel sounds very different to the Camel replica which has been operated by TVAL for many years.
Tomorrow, the forecast is for another fine day, but with strong nor'westerlies, so it is anybody's guess whether or not there will be any flying.
I'm working an “extra work period” early shift (on my rostered day off) in the morning (covering the shift of a workmate who had a dose of chemo on Friday, so has to take the following two days off), but I will be finishing around lunchtime and if the winds aren't too strong, I'll probably be at Hood around 1pm, or shortly afterwards. If the forecast strong winds do occur, I'll decide when I finish work whether or not to go to Hood Aerodrome.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2017 19:20:47 GMT 12
Fantastic to hear!
Based on the forecast, would it be worth my while to travel down?
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jan 28, 2017 20:55:18 GMT 12
I honestly couldn't say. If the dreaded nor'wester gets up really strong tomorrow, I guess only some of the replicas will fly.
I'm going to be at work from early tomorrow morning, so I probably won't even get online before it becomes obvious what the wind is going to be like, and by then I'll be driving a train with no way to get online.
Anyway, a bit of role reversal at Hood Aerodrome today as somebody started learning how to handle rotary engines....
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Post by jp on Jan 28, 2017 21:08:12 GMT 12
LVG had an engine run late in the day, too
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jan 28, 2017 22:15:32 GMT 12
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jan 29, 2017 17:47:42 GMT 12
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2017 10:08:40 GMT 12
I decided to risk the chance of wind and was delighted by calm, blue skies at Hood yesterday after an occasionally blustery drive down. Had a great few hours on the field and will be back in March.           (not bad for iPhone photos, right? They're a bit darker than I'd like, I may tinker with them) And some videos! I don't actually like Camels but it was a real thrill to see and hear the recently restored original fly in person. I couldn't help but smile when Gene brought it overhead. A great piece of history. The BE.12, as seen in Bruce's photo above. It really sounds like a sewing machine! When taxiing it sounds very clattery. John Lanham, who flew this D.VIII yesterday, rates it as the best fighter produced by Imperial Germany. He spoke to the visitors after lunch for a few minutes when the BE.12 went up again, it was interesting to hear from him. I have a couple other engine start videos I'll attempt (again) to upload tonight. It's great to share what these things sound like. |
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