The F16 was the star of the show for many, being the fastest and, by a considerable margin, the loudest aircraft on display! I always considered it the best looking modern fighter, being relatively light, agile and just looking like a jet fighter is supposed to. I do admit I said something similar about the much older Hawker Hunter, which is also very cool to look at!
The photo at the top of this page shows the F16 flying past, and I managed to capture a fairly sharp shot, showing the pilot quite clearly. The F16 is an American aircraft, but has been exported to many countries, including Australia, where this one is from.
This shows the F16 flying away from the airfield and showing streams of vapour plus that awesome flame from its engine. The official name is the "Fighting Falcon", but pilots generally refer to it as the "Viper", because of its resemblance to a snake.
Another photo showing the F16 flying sideways to my position. Again the vapour can be seen trailing from the wings. It was first flown in 1974, and is being retired from the USAF, but it is still being made for export.
This movie shows the F16 approaching from the hills, turning over the grandstand, then starting to climb away. While this fighter is capable of over Mach 2 (2,400 kilometers per hour) it was flying much slower at the show. Sonic booms from breaking the sound barrier can be quite destructive!
This movie shows a low pass over the airfield. I used my iPhone 15 Pro Max here, which mostly gave some really good results, but I need to practice keeping the focus a bit better.
Sources: Warbirds Over Wanaka 2024 program, Wikipedia.
Discussion
Comment by Anonymous on 2026-01-27 at 21:27:08: I love the Viper. It is the coolest fighter ever made!
Comment by OJB on 2026-01-27 at 21:29:40: I think it is the coolest looking fighter, I mean, that's what a fighter is supposed to look like, right? But it is not technically the best any more. I guess that would be the F-22 which is featuring at the next Wanaka Air Show (writing this early 2026). That's going to be great to see!
My latest blog post: Think for Yourself: In the end, everything is just an opinion. Be skeptical, and think for yourself! (posted 2026-04-25).
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