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Warbirds over Wanaka 2012

This is my report on the Warbirds Over Wanaka Air Show for 2012. Along with many old favourites, such as the Spitfire and Kittyhawk, there were some new aircraft I hadn't seen before so I have concentrated on those in this report. I also tried to take more video this year using the HD video mode on my Canon dSLR (note that the videos on this web site are much lower resolution than the originals).

The A109 LUH (NZ) is an advanced training and light utility helicopter. It is designed to perform a wide variety of tasks, such as training, transport, search and rescue, and navy and army support.

The Grumman TBF Avenger was an American torpedo bomber used by the US Navy and Marine Corps and later by several other military organisations around the world. It was first used in 1942 at the Battle of Midway. Modified versions remained in use until the 1960s.

The Boeing 777-300ER flew over the airport and did a few circuits. The runway at Wanaka is not long enough for it to take off or land. It is one of the more modern aircraft in the Air New Zealand fleet (which consists of both Boeing and Airbus jets as well as various smaller prop aircraft such as the ATR).

Despite being a relatively large two seater the Bristol Fighter was still competitive against single seater opponents in World War I. It was faster and more maneuverable than many would have assumed and it remained in service right up to the 1930s.

There are two Mustangs which make regular appearances at the air show. They are called "Dove of Peace" and "Miss Torque". This aircraft was delivered to the USAAF in 1945. It had several owners until it arrived in New Zealand in 1993. Of course the Mustang is a classic warbird and its always entertaining to hear a debate between one of its supporters and a Spitfire fan!

The Fokker D.VIII was a German single seater fighter developed near the end of World War I. While it only had a 100 hp engine it was so light and small that the performance was better than expected and it was a formidable opponent.

I guess this glider was the quietest aircraft ever at Warbirds Over Wanaka. It wasn't completely silent though because as it flew past close to the runway it made a sort of swishing sound (yeah, I know, It's hard to describe). The glider was very graceful of course, and looked really nice with its bright white colour against the pure blue sky.

In my opinion the Hunter is one of the best looking aircraft around: the swept back wings and thin fuselage are nicely proportioned. It is also an impressive example of early (it was developed in the 1950s) jet design and is still being used today!

The Hercules is a great aircraft: various models have been in use since 1957 by dozens of countries and is still in production today, it has plenty of power and is quite fast for a transport plane, and it is surprisingly agile when operating without a load. It can also operate from short runways and has a very low accident rate. The almost 20,000 total horsepower can power the "Herc" to over 550 kph. It can carry a load of 17 tonnes and an amazing 28 tonnes of fuel giving it a range of over 4,000 kilometers.

The Iroquois first flew in 1956 and is still in use by some air forces (such as New Zealand's, although it is currently being replaced and that process should be complete by 2013) over 55 years later! Of course the basic design has been changed a lot since then and there are a huge number of variants of the original model.

Kiwi Blue is the parachute display team of the RNZAF PTSU (Parachute Training and Support Unit). The unit provides static line and freefall parachute training to units of the New Zealand Defence Force (mainly the army). It also provides personnel trained in the operational preparation and despatch of airborne forces by parachute.

The Seasprites are carried on the NZ Navy's ANZAC Class Frigates HMNZ Ships Te Kaha and Te Mana, plus they operate off the two new offshore patrol vessels and the multi role vessel. The Seasprites are fitted with sophisticated radar and sensors which increase the frigates' surveillance effectiveness.

The BAC 167 Strikemaster is a British jet-powered training and light attack aircraft. 164 were built between 1967 and 1984. Approximately eleven privately-owned Strikemasters are still flying.