Wanganui Aero Club Open Day 22/01/2023

[ZacYates]

Hi all,
After an absence of two years the WAC held its open day on Sunday. As well as club and club members' machines there were static displays by Mid West Helicopters, both Ravesndown Aerowork and Super Air, and the New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy. Special guests were Fox Moth ZK-APT (which made 32 scenic flights over the weekend), Chipmunk ZK-ARL which came over from Waipukurau, and Spitfire PV270 making its first landing at our field since Anzac Day 2009. We were also treated to air displays by Darren Luff in his Pitts Special and John Luff in the DH Venom.

We had record crowds and overwhelmingly positive feedback from the general public. Here are a few of my photos from the day (the full album can be found here).

DSC_9897 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_9900 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_9908 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
Untitled by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_9880 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_9921 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_9926 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
Untitled by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_9883 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_9928 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_9939 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_9940 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_9954 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_9966 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_9974 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_9995 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_0018 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_0043 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_0070 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_0083 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_0100 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_0119 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_0174 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_0194 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

And one last shot of yours truly with Sean Perrett thanks to Damon Priston:
Sean Perrett and Zac Yates Damon Priston 20232201 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

[johnm]

nice Zac

the Cresco (aero work) and Air tractor (super air ?) are they based at Wanganui ?

thanks

[ZacYates]

Jan 25, 2023 9:45:59 GMT 12 johnm said:

nice Zac

the Cresco (aero work) and Air tractor (super air ?) are they based at Wanganui ?

Thanks John! They are - the Air Tractor is the only local Super Air machine while Aerowork has a Fletcher and two (three?) Crescos which live at Whanganui.

[johnm]

I'll blurb on here Zac ............. in the interests of Wanganui chatter

Don Judd was your grandfather Zac ? - nice bloke. Where WAW had the top hangar and between that and the airfield hangar I always remember 'the incident'

About 1981 ! I was helping Don get the fletcher ready for some chore ......... early morning and there was 'the incident' between the 2 hangars on the pavement. There was this pushbike tangled up in a pilot legs and arms - he'd come a cropper and fell quiet hard - probably compulsory excercise for a medical. Bad way to start the day but with a bit of bark off the limbs I think he went flying that day

'The incident' cyclist was Dick Stevenson (that is a faded guess) - I'd be curious to know what happened to him ?

thanks johnm

[ZacYates]

No relation to Don, although his grandson Cameron Walker is club captain at WAC. My father Dave worked as loader for Charlie Anderson in the late 1980s.