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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 14, 2017 15:53:34 GMT 12
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jan 27, 2018 22:06:00 GMT 12
I attended this event today, flying down from Ardmore in 172 ZK-JRA. We had to go a bit high to avoid the Great Northern Air Race traffic which, without consulting me, was flying down the Miranda coast at the very same time as I was heading across. A surprisingly large turnout at Thames airfield. A comment I heard was that 54 aircraft were on the field at one stage. Of course, there was a constant flow of coming and departing throughout the day so the absolute total would have been higher than that. It was an open day rather than an air display, with vintage cars, vintage motorbikes and vintage machinery evident as well as aircraft. Two Yak52s made a formation pass before landing, one other aircraft trailed smoke as it flew past, and two others were kept busy with joyrides. Personally, it was well worth the visit as I saw four previously unseen aircraft: Corby CJ1 Starlet ZK-YGL, on the register since late 2016  Foxcon Aviation Terrier 200 ZK-EEN, current since 2010  Tecnam P2002-JF ZK-CCV, a re-registration of ZK-ROZ/ZK-MEL since September 2017  However the star of the show, in my personal opinion, was Rearwin 9000L ZK-AGQ In its previous life, as ZK-ALF, it was owned for 20 years by Les Nixon of Henderson. One day Les flew his Rearwin from Mangere (then a club airfield) up to Onerahi airfield, Whangarei. As he was picketing the aircraft for the overnight stop he got chatting to a boy who had appeared on the other side of the fence on his pushbike. Les invited the lad over, and showed him through the Rearwin, thus kindling in him a passion for aviation and old aircraft in particular that has lasted ever since. I was that boy, the date was 29th September 1963, and this is the photo I took at that time:  So I was delighted to finally see that Rearwin, now restored back to originality and again active as ZK-AGQ, at the event today.   |
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Post by planewriting on Jan 28, 2018 6:57:53 GMT 12
I'm pleased Peter you caught up with the Rearwin and hope you heard its distinctive engine. I saw it take off from Tauranga but didn't know it had gone up to Thames. It attracted the attention of the Air Chathams DC-3 crew who on returning from a flight came and asked me what it was.
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