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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Aug 4, 2009 22:34:19 GMT 12
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Aug 4, 2009 22:36:14 GMT 12
I have a sneaking suspicion the year printed on the airshow programme may have been a mis-print. I may be wrong, but I seem to recall this airshow may have been held in January 1992.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 4, 2009 22:54:00 GMT 12
I wasn't there but I love the painting on the cover. I think a very similar painting (maybe the same one) was on the programme cover from the 1990 Ardmore show. I wonder who the artist was.
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Post by Bruce on Aug 4, 2009 23:02:12 GMT 12
I was at the show - although I cant confirm the year, it was during my time at Gulf Aero - 1990 - 93. I know I brought a tee shirt (which had the swarm of aircraft on the programme cover on the front) and an inflatable boeing 747 that hung in my Bedroom for sevral years afterwards!
It was an absolutely stunning show - very hot and dry though!. I remember the Spitfire display and the Eagle air Bandit which did a low single engine pass. I remember I had to finish off some fabric repairs on the Fokker Triplane a couple of days before, but due to poor drying conditions I didnt get a chance to touch up the final paintwork. Keith Trillo reported back after the weekend he had a lot of comments how "Authentically Battle worn" it looked! Robbie Booth displayed the Sea Fury and it looked spectacular. Bill Mudgeway was the announcer, and spouted forth absolute drivel. The Hotdogs as usual were great too....
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Aug 4, 2009 23:05:13 GMT 12
A friend and I left Gisborne about 4:30am and drove to Matamata for the airshow, then drove home again afterwards.
It was a long day, but definitely worth it.
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Post by Fletcher400 on Aug 5, 2009 0:43:02 GMT 12
I was there, if this was the 1992 one, have a few photos of it stashed away somewhere - Unfortunetely in storage in Tauranga  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 5, 2009 12:38:11 GMT 12
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Post by campbellbox on Aug 5, 2009 20:24:44 GMT 12
I was there. We had to get down there from Auckland as I had not had a chance to see the Spitfire since its arrival here. Judging from the photos I only had eyes for the Spitfire and the Sea Fury, although there are a couple of the Triplane and Se5a replica, along with some Roaring Forties action of course. Good call on the poster, I wonder who did them too. Would be nice to have on the wall - it might even pass the kitsch/cool test   |
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Post by rbwannabe on Aug 17, 2009 21:04:08 GMT 12
I was there!
I remember very well as I was holding for my display, TT went over me low and fast enough to lift me and my plane of the ground!
I did get him back some years later though.
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Post by mumbles on Aug 17, 2009 23:26:50 GMT 12
They had a show there in 1989 or so didn't they, which was the debut of the Spitfire?
I wanted to go to that one, only to be dissuaded my my father getting out a map and demonstrating just how far Matamata was from Wellington!
By 1991 Matamata was definitely in the 'too far for a day trip, not worth an overnight category'.
When the Venom have its overrun, was it 1991 or 1992? That should put a definite end date on the timeframe.
The late 80's and early 90's were a great time to be going to airshows in NZ thats for sure.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 18, 2009 10:33:51 GMT 12
The Spitfire first displayed at Wanaka I expect, then Wigram and Woodbourne, and it's public debut was at Ardmore.
The Venom crashed on November 16,1991
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Aug 18, 2009 15:30:32 GMT 12
The Spitfire XVI was first displayed at Auckland (not sure which airport) by Stephen Gray who had previously owned it. Then, Tim Wallis set out from Auckland heading home for Wanaka with his new toy which was bare metal. His first stop was at Gisborne. I got a heads-up from the air traffic controller on duty and headed out to the airport and waited for him to arrive. Quite a few people heard about it via the good old grape-vine and also turned up. Eventually we heard that unmistakable sound and the Spitfire appeared and flew really low and fast across the airfield before carrying out a circuit and landing. Everybody wandered onto the tarmac for a close inspection, while more and more people who had seen the Spitfire fly over Gisborne continued to turn up for a look. Eventually, the crowd was cleared off the tarmac and after the Spitfire was refuelled, Tim climbed in and took-off, then put on an impromptu display before heading off south bound for Hood Aerodrome. Unfortunately, he never made it and had a few fuel problems near Waipukurau which resulted in a forced landing and the aeroplane being bent.
I've got quite a few photographs in an album somewhere of the bare-metal Spitfire at Gisborne that day. I can't remember which year it was though. If I could locate the negatives (I'll have those somewhere) I'd know, because I always wrote dates on my negative envelopes.
I can't recall exactly where I next saw the Spitfire (painted up by then), but it may have been at the Matamata airshow in 1991.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 18, 2009 18:30:34 GMT 12
Yeah as I said it debuted at Ardmore, not Matamata, but prior to that Stephen Grey displayed it at Wigram and Woodbourne for the RNZAF to see and no doubt at Wanaka before it left home I'd think, at least a beat up? I wonder if Ohakea also got a look before it arrived at Ardmore?
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Post by corsair67 on Aug 18, 2009 19:16:25 GMT 12
It'd be in 1989, wouldn't it?
I remember seeing the unpainted Spitfire being displayed over Wigram one morning (or afternoon?) by Stephen Grey.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Aug 18, 2009 21:17:39 GMT 12
Yeah as I said it debuted at Ardmore, not Matamata Agreed - at Ardmore Jan 1989  First flight in NZ was at Wanaka 25Jan89 (as TB863), and the crash at Waipukerau was 29Jan89. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 18, 2009 21:40:39 GMT 12
The Woodbourne display, which I think was on the 27th of January, was superb and was the first time I ever saw a Spitfire in the air. I have a home video of that display somewhere, taken by an officer on the base from the tower.
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Post by Damon on Aug 19, 2009 21:21:05 GMT 12
Peter, I believe you were standing somewhere very close to me when you took that picture of TB863 at Ardmore. I have almost the same picture! The camera shutter couldnt click fast enough. A day I remember vividly when Mr Grey bought in the Spitfire to Ardmore.
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Post by fletcherfu24 on Aug 24, 2009 17:25:25 GMT 12
CML taxiing out to do the spraying demo.It was definitely 1991.  |
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Brodes
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 6 
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Post by Brodes on Aug 25, 2009 19:29:20 GMT 12
It was a great day and show. I remember flying from Taupo to the show in the Warbirds DC-3. Bill Howell was the Captain and was his last flight. We were below the tower at Taupo!
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Post by fletcherfu24 on Aug 25, 2009 20:42:21 GMT 12
My Spitfire photo's.Looks like it was the most photographed plane there that day.   |
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