Post by Dave Homewood on May 5, 2023 15:37:32 GMT 12
The following article appeared in The Press newspaper, on the 27th of January 1989.
Tekapo pilot delighted to fly Spitfire
By DAVE WILSON
Tom Middleton was probably the happiest — and most envied — pilot in New Zealand yesterday. The genial chief pilot of Air Safaris at Lake Tekapo realised a lifelong ambition, and did something most pilots would crawl over broken glass to do — he flew a Spitfire.
At R.N.Z.A.F. Base Wigram, Mr Middleton became one of the select group of top pilots entrusted with a priceless vintage aeroplane.
The aircraft was a genuine combat veteran of World War II, recently escaping the postwar furnace and recently rescued by a British warplane enthusiast. That man, Mr Steven Gray, flew out to New Zealand to supervise reassembly of the Spitfire that has been carefully restored over the last 18 months. Mr Gray was at the controls for the Spitfire’s first test flight in New Zealand and yesterday afternoon flew it from Wanaka to Wigram, the first stage of its journey to an airshow at Auckland this week-end.
The Mk XVI Spitfire is similar to one on display in the R.N.Z.A.F. museum at Wigram, but is the only working example of the type in New Zealand. It has been imported by the Alpine Deer Group, of Wanaka, whose managing director, Mr Tim Wallis, has been building up a collection of rare planes, of which he admits the Spitfire is his favourite.
“There are possibly only three Spitfires in the world that have been restored to this standard. Although this aircraft was built in 1945 it has been totally rebuilt and is really a completely new aeroplane,” he said. Mr Wallis previously owned a P-51D Mustang, which starred at many airshows. He sold that to a New Zealand group, and used the money to buy the Spitfire.
“I make sure that these aircraft stay in New Zealand. The Mustang will stay here and the Spitfire will never leave New Zealand either.”
Mr Wallis is currently restoring to flying status a wartime P-40 Kittyhawk fighter, expected to fly by the end of the year. Meanwhile, he is trying to buy a Corsair fighter, also used by the R.N.Z.A.F. during World War II.
All of this excites Tom Middleton, who is second pilot after Tim Wallis for this exclusive collection of flying history.
Tim Wallis hopes to get his pilot’s rating on the Spitfire on Monday and promised the aircraft would be back at Christchurch next month to go through its paces for the public at the Wings and Wheels show. “That’s what I bring these aircraft into the country for, to fly at airshows and show people some classic machines.”
This morning the Spitfire is scheduled to resume its northern journey, with refuelling stops scheduled for Woodbourne and Ohakea.
Tekapo pilot delighted to fly Spitfire
By DAVE WILSON
Tom Middleton was probably the happiest — and most envied — pilot in New Zealand yesterday. The genial chief pilot of Air Safaris at Lake Tekapo realised a lifelong ambition, and did something most pilots would crawl over broken glass to do — he flew a Spitfire.
At R.N.Z.A.F. Base Wigram, Mr Middleton became one of the select group of top pilots entrusted with a priceless vintage aeroplane.
The aircraft was a genuine combat veteran of World War II, recently escaping the postwar furnace and recently rescued by a British warplane enthusiast. That man, Mr Steven Gray, flew out to New Zealand to supervise reassembly of the Spitfire that has been carefully restored over the last 18 months. Mr Gray was at the controls for the Spitfire’s first test flight in New Zealand and yesterday afternoon flew it from Wanaka to Wigram, the first stage of its journey to an airshow at Auckland this week-end.
The Mk XVI Spitfire is similar to one on display in the R.N.Z.A.F. museum at Wigram, but is the only working example of the type in New Zealand. It has been imported by the Alpine Deer Group, of Wanaka, whose managing director, Mr Tim Wallis, has been building up a collection of rare planes, of which he admits the Spitfire is his favourite.
“There are possibly only three Spitfires in the world that have been restored to this standard. Although this aircraft was built in 1945 it has been totally rebuilt and is really a completely new aeroplane,” he said. Mr Wallis previously owned a P-51D Mustang, which starred at many airshows. He sold that to a New Zealand group, and used the money to buy the Spitfire.
“I make sure that these aircraft stay in New Zealand. The Mustang will stay here and the Spitfire will never leave New Zealand either.”
Mr Wallis is currently restoring to flying status a wartime P-40 Kittyhawk fighter, expected to fly by the end of the year. Meanwhile, he is trying to buy a Corsair fighter, also used by the R.N.Z.A.F. during World War II.
All of this excites Tom Middleton, who is second pilot after Tim Wallis for this exclusive collection of flying history.
Tim Wallis hopes to get his pilot’s rating on the Spitfire on Monday and promised the aircraft would be back at Christchurch next month to go through its paces for the public at the Wings and Wheels show. “That’s what I bring these aircraft into the country for, to fly at airshows and show people some classic machines.”
This morning the Spitfire is scheduled to resume its northern journey, with refuelling stops scheduled for Woodbourne and Ohakea.
