Yealands Classic Fighters 2021

[joey05]

Feb 12, 2021 22:03:25 GMT 12 @zacyates said:

Feb 12, 2021 7:27:29 GMT 12 joey05 said:

One exciting small piece is 2 flying P40s with the newly resorted P40 by Pioneer expected to be at the show.

That's been my secret hope for the last few months. I haven't wanted to jinx it by suggesting anything! It's been a few years since I was present for a WW2 fighter's debut.

 It wouldn’t be a Classic Fighters without an 11th hour arrival of a new airframe.

[ErrolC]

Feb 13, 2021 7:18:29 GMT 12 joey05 said:

Feb 12, 2021 22:03:25 GMT 12 @zacyates said:

That's been my secret hope for the last few months. I haven't wanted to jinx it by suggesting anything! It's been a few years since I was present for a WW2 fighter's debut.

 It wouldn’t be a Classic Fighters without an 11th hour arrival of a new airframe.

Or at least a planned one (Po-2 sad face).

[Dave Homewood]

Press Release:

09 March 2021

Yealands Classic Fighters Postponed

New dates are 3-5 September 2021 to coincide with Father’s Day

Blenheim, NZ: Due to the uncertainties around Covid-19 at this time, the decision has been reached to postpone the Omaka Easter air show. Yealands Classic Fighters will now take place over the first weekend of September, from the 3rd to 5th, coinciding with Father’s Day.

Classic Fighters Airshow Director Graham Orphan said, "This is the first time we have ever altered the dates of the show and it is not something we do lightly, but this time the writing was on the wall. We have accepted that it would be irresponsible to risk both the ongoing viability of Classic Fighters and the health of our community.”

All tickets remain valid and automatically roll on to the new date. If ticket holders plan to attend the new date, there is nothing they need to do. However, a full refund is available should that be their choice. An email will be sent to all ticket holders to explain the options.

Michael Wentworth of naming rights sponsor Yealands Wines commented saying “we understand the challenges of operating in this uncertain environment and Yealands Wines fully supports the difficult decision the air show organisers have taken”.

The event brings an eight-figure dividend to the province every two years, so it needs to be supported and protected. "Were we to continue now in this environment, we risk seeing our expenses outstripping our ability to meet our obligations to our customer base" Orphan said.

The decision to not cancel but instead to move the 2021 event to September, means that all the elements of the planned airshow can still go ahead. The warbirds, aerobatics, the full-size V2 rocket and flying V1 ‘doodle bug’, the pioneer race, art-deco display and all the theatrics which teams of volunteers have been working on for the past year, will be retained for the September event.

Contractors who supply goods and services to Yealands Classic Fighters are supportive of the date change as opposed to a cancellation. Jay Ritchie from Dakins Group said “Great news! I think then would be a total success!” Shane Brazier from Camelspace who supply the Gold Pass grandstand said, “Father’s Day would be perfect”.

Organisers are hoping for the same reaction from ticketholders. “In six months’ time the vaccination roll-out should be well advanced, so are looking forward to a Covid-free, brilliant Yealands Classic Fighters this September”.

For more information, please go to www.classicfighters.co.nz

About Yealands Classic Fighters Omaka: Held every alternate Easter the airshow is the main fundraising event for the Omaka Aviation Heritage Museum, located in Blenheim, Marlborough NZ. 2021 will be Classic Fighters Omaka’s 20th anniversary.

Ngā mihi,

Rachael

[Deleted]

I’m sorry to read this but, as my wife consolingly told me, 1) it’s probably the best move in the current climate, and b) I don’t have to rush to get my car road legal.

[colford]

Interesting announcement and the timing of the new dates is just a bit "off" for those of us over this side of "the ditch" at this point in time, as on latest Australian Government estimates they will not be lifting restrictions on non-essential overseas travel (eg for tourism) to selected countries until October 2021 at earliest. So the organisors must be betting on an earlier lifting of travel restrictions, but then the airlines need to get services operating again and if the prices I've seen people having to pay for domestic flights at present are any indicator, airfares on flights when you might be able to book them are likely to be eye watering.

New dates are however good, as they don't clash with dates of any planned airshows over here. But they fall within school terms so anyone with children or who works in the education sector has an issue (Easter date usually coincides with school holidays here).

Decision, decisions.............

[l29]

What a load of horse shit

[ErrolC]

Mar 9, 2021 14:14:51 GMT 12 colford said:

Interesting announcement and the timing of the new dates is just a bit "off" for those of us over this side of "the ditch" at this point in time, as on latest Australian Government estimates they will not be lifting restrictions on non-essential overseas travel (eg for tourism) to selected countries until October 2021 at earliest. So the organisors must be betting on an earlier lifting of travel restrictions, but then the airlines need to get services operating again and if the prices I've seen people having to pay for domestic flights at present are any indicator, airfares on flights when you might be able to book them are likely to be eye watering.

New dates are however good, as they don't clash with dates of any planned airshows over here. But they fall within school terms so anyone with children or who works in the education sector has an issue (Easter date usually coincides with school holidays here).

Decision, decisions.............

I'd be very surprised if they are expecting travel with Australia to be re-opened. We don't expect to finish vaccinations until December.

[johnnyfalcon]

...three days after the end of Winter? In New Zealand. Something's spooked them...

[mumbles]

Mar 9, 2021 14:33:52 GMT 12 l29 said:

What a load of horse shit

Tell that to the organisers of Wings over Wairarapa

[ErrolC]

AirNZ lets you rebook/get credits for flights ... that leave on or before March 31st.

[rayo]

Ouch!!!
Now I know why I couldn't buy my ticket online earlier today.!!

I wonder if the showing of the John Smith Collection at "Dangerous Skies" is still going ahead at Easter???

[colford]

Mar 9, 2021 14:48:00 GMT 12 ErrolC said:

Mar 9, 2021 14:14:51 GMT 12 colford said:

I'd be very surprised if they are expecting travel with Australia to be re-opened. We don't expect to finish vaccinations until December.

Errol,

A lot of the aviation enthusiast I spoke to - the die hard core types - who were at Temora the past weekend, had purchased early bird Gold Pass tickets for CF2021 back in late 2019 or had been making plans to attend CF2021 before Covid hit the scene. I am amongst them. Many of those who bought tickets when they first came out, especially the Gold Passes, have been contacting the organisors to request ticket refunds because of the Australian Government travel restrictions and the NZ Government arrangements (quarantine) for incoming travellers. Along with the event ticket refunds, a lot of accommodation and rental car and camper van reservations have been cancelled as well, so the financial impacts for NZ businesses has been big.

But getting back to my original point, there were a lot of people I spoke to at Temora who had been planning to go to CF2021 pre-Covid, and who are now holding off making decisions on WOW 2022 because of uncertainties around overseas travel and what costs will be like in the initial post-Covid period. They don't want to get caught and stranded if there is an outbreak somewhere and a Government either side of the ditch changes the rules or throws in mandatory quarantine again at short notice. I don't think the change of dates for CF2021 will have much impact for potential overseas attendees.

A lot of them seemed more confident about a higher degree of certainty to make plans, and make commitments of funds for overseas events, book flights and the like from early 2023 onwards.

Depends if CF2021 can financially survive on just a good sized domestic audience to attend, or whether it does need that extra influx of the overseas attendees to move the ledger from loss to break even or even modest profit.

[skyhawkdon]

Gutted... and I have another committment for the new dates in Sept so won't be able to go to that either! I also question the suitability of the September dates. The weather is usually still very wintery then and it isn't a public holiday/long weekend. Labour weekend towards the end of October would have been better I would have thought in all aspects?

[davem2]

Labour weekend was looked at, but there were too many other large events already happening - Masters Games etc

[baz62]

Bugger.....as they say. But there's still an airshow happening just have to pray extra hard to those weather gods. Immediately i found out that my cheap accommodation wouldn't be happening (not your fault Don I went online and booked accommodation with Lumpy. Cheers mate, I'll bring my own T Sauce! Ok now I've given Lumpy a heart attack I booked into one of the flash hotels in Blenheim......bar even does wine tastings! Maybe those who do make it might be able to come for dinner one evening. Its the Scenic Hotel Marlborough which I stayed at just before the 2009 Airshow when I stayed to help Marty with painting part of the Bristol.
I have a big project looming at work and this will make my bosses day knowing I'm not going at Easter.

[ErrolC]

Mar 9, 2021 16:34:11 GMT 12 baz62 said:

Bugger.....as they say. But there's still an airshow happening just have to pray extra hard to those weather gods. Immediately i found out that my cheap accommodation wouldn't be happening (not your fault Don I went online and booked accommodation with Lumpy. Cheers mate, I'll bring my own T Sauce! Ok now I've given Lumpy a heart attack I booked into one of the flash hotels in Blenheim......bar even does wine tastings! Maybe those who do make it might be able to come for dinner one evening. Its the Scenic Hotel Marlborough which I stayed at just before the 2009 Airshow when I stayed to help Marty with painting part of the Bristol.
I have a big project looming at work and this will make my bosses day knowing I'm not going at Easter.

I've booked cancellable motel and locked in airfare prices for 3 days while I evaluate options (which include two different family members).

[johnnyfalcon]

Flew to Wellington, picked up rental car, stayed at accommodation in preparation for Sunday Wairarapa show - canceled. Accommodation paid for Classic Fighters 21 - canceled. Value for money?

[vultee43]

I guess they weighed up risk vs benefit and the potential outlay and costs considering it is essentially a fund raising event. I think while there is a lot of dissapointed people in relation to this event, it really needs to be put into perspective. Given what has happened and continues to happen around the World it realy is a small inconvenience. I hope for the Omaka crew that the date change is a huge success and whilst in Winter, Marlborough has some of the best weatherin NZ.

[errolmartyn]

Mar 9, 2021 14:33:52 GMT 12 l29 said:

What a load of horse shit

"You silly twisted boy, you!", as Grytpype-Thynne would have said!
Errol

[obiwan27]

People are feeling more than a little disappointed and emotions are high with this announcement, an announcement that I am sure has been taken after due consideration and weighing up available information.

Let's remember that decision made around actions related to COVID such as lockdowns, border control, vaccinations and the like are made by the government and a few individuals around the cabinet table.

Given the track record of their responses to a mere handful of cases in recent times, it makes all public events high risk, both at the present time and into the autumn/winter season, the perfect breeding ground for all kinds of regular ills, let alone COVID.

With family in Singapore, it's been interesting to contrast the response by the Singapore government.

They set stringent enforced guidelines and had the experience of SARs in 2003 to be well prepared and knew what to plan for.
When faced with a significant outbreak in overseas worker's dormitories that threatened to overwhelm their health systems, their PM spoke to the nation on TV to explain to the country what was happening and why they were doing what they were doing.
He also explained what the conditions were to be met to come out of the lockdown and they did so after 56 days.

The thing is they have cases every day, many more than we have, both before and after the lockdown, both imported cases and community cases. The difference is they are handling it within their existing systems.

This is the opposite of our government, who seem either very risk averse or have zero confidence in the systems they have set up and the ability of those systems to handle COVID cases, especially community cases. Their only response to new cases is yo-yo-ing in and out of lockdowns, with the regular economic shocks every time.

Completely sympathise with the feelings out there as a consequence of the rescheduling of this event, let's hope that the decision pays off handsomely for the organizers and the public supporting the event.