Part 1- Warbirds Over Wanaka, 2016

Drum roll please........

In no particular order and a brief description where possible, I present to you a collection of photos from Warbirds Over Wanaka, 2016. I'm by no means an expert but this being my fourth New Zealand airshow and I'm beginning to recognise many of the planes.

Many of you will know that the Yak52 is the plane that Jim Hickey, TV1's former long time weatherman, owned for many years. Jim was one of the commentators for the show and his old plane performed in the acrobatic display.

Yak 52

 With precision timing and trails of smoke, the Yaks put on an impressive flying display.

Yak 52

The Royal New Zealand Airforce displayed a number of their aircraft along with thrilling displays from the French, Australian & the United States Airforces.

Top left- Armee De L'Aire with their CASA CN-235-300 did an aerial display.

Top Right- RNZAF's  T-6C Texan II aircraft are used to train pilots and are purpose built for military training with all the latest technology.

Bottom left & right- The NH90 helicopter replaced the very familiar and much loved Iroquois.

It was about here that I decided to vacate the show proper and move to the fenceline in the carpark at the end of the runway. There was no way on earth, without being rude and trampling over and pushing through people twenty deep, that I was going to get to the front along side the runway. And the sun was all wrong for taking good photos too.

The RNZAF's C-130 Hercules flew in from Whenuapai, Auckland to do a magnificent display and then finished with a brilliant blast of flares.

Next up is one of my favourites; the North American Harvards with their loud and throaty roar.

The Roaring Forties Team but on an awesome display in their fully aerobatic Harvards.

The Harvard was used as the primary trainer for most Commonwealth aircrew during WWII.

First flown in 1937, the RNZAF Harvards were used as pilot trainers for over 30 years.

And just because I love Harvards, here are a couple more. I love seeing the pilots in the cockpit.

The US Airforce's C-17 Globemaster made a spectacular and impressive sight as it approached the airfield, doing a low pass followed by a few maneuvers for the crowd. Obviously it wasn't able to touchdown due to the size of the runway and flew off, back to Christchurch once it had finished it's display.

This Globemaster is based in Hawaii and attends numerous airshows around the world as an ambassador for the US Airforce.

C-17 Globemaster III facts (from the programme) and because I find them fascinating- 

• Primary function- Cargo & Troop transport
• Prime Contractor- Boeing Company
• Power Plant- Four Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofan engines
• Thrust- 40,440 pounds, each engine
• Wingspan- 51.75 metres to winglet tips (the commentator mentioned that the winglets are 2 metres high)
• Length- 53 metres
• Height- 16.79 metres
• Speed- 450 knots at 28,000 feet (8,534 meters) (Mach .74)
• Service Ceiling- 45,000 feet a cruising speed (13,716 metres)
• Range- Glocal with in-flight refueling
• Crew- Three (two pilots & one loadmaster)
• Load- 102 troops/paratroops; 36 litter & 54 ambulatory patients & attendants; 77,519 kilograms of cargo (18 pallet positions)
• First Deployed- June 1993

Incoming! 

 

The Royal Australian Airforce put on a fast and furious display in their Hawk 127 fighter-trainer jets.

One of the start attractions at Warbirds this year is the Messerschmitt Buchon ME-109, the last time one flew in New Zealand was 20 years ago in 1996 at Warbirds, when the airshow founder Sir Tim Wallis brought one out.

The German ME-109 has the distinction of being the most produced fighter aircraft of all time with over 33,000 built and was the main rival of the Allies Spitfire during WWII.

This particular model, the Buchon,  was developed by the Spanish Airforce following WWII with the original German airframe paired with a Rolls Royce Merlin 500-45 engine. This particular aircraft is also a movie star, appearing with 27 others in the 1968 film "Battle of Britain". 

The beautiful & graceful bomber Avro Anson MKI (can a bomber be graceful?) with it's prominent gun turret bubble, is always a popular sight at the airshow as it seems to 'lumber' along with it's smaller fighting buddies, the Corsair & the Kittyhawks.

This aircraft is the only remaining wartime Avro Anson MKI in the world that is airworthy.

The RNZAF used 23 of these aircraft as navigation trainers during WWII. 

The iconic Spitfire...

And it's highly recognizable wing shape; something I manage to capture too many times. Talk about fast on the fly past!

The Yak 3; a nimble "Russian Spitfire"

I caught this fly-past with just a little too fast a shutter speed, although there is a hint of a blur; a purist aircraft photographer likes to catch some blur from the props to give the plane a sense of movement otherwise it can look like the plane is suspended in mid air or it looks like a toy! Especially when you can see the pilot. 

Yak 3

And here is the famous (or is that infamous) Martin Jetpack. This is what David was wanting to see at it's Wanaka debut. It was a little disappointing in that it was unable to have a pilot, as it needed, for safety, a low-altitude parachute fitted or it could only fly over water- neither were at the show. It did lift off with one heck of a noise that could be heard all over the airfield, from up on the terrace and back in our paddock where we stayed. I wasn't nearby to catch it's flight when it lifted off. And it had malfunction problems on Sunday so didn't lift off either, which disappointed many.

Another visitor to the show was the iconic Catalina Flying Boat. The 70 year old Catalina last appeared at the show in 2010 and has since under gone an extensive $250,000 renovation.

With its amphibious qualities and a flying range of over 3000 miles the Catalina was the most widely used seaplane of WWII

The RNZAF had 56 Catalina aircraft  between 1943 and 1953 and used them extensively in the Pacific for rescue, reconnaissance and anti-submarine missions.

This particular Catalina started it's flying career with the Canadian Airforce in 1944 for anyti-submarine duties. I like how you can see the passengers in the bubble.

Warbirds Over Wanaka, 2016- Part 2 is here.

Noisy Neighbours- Nelson Lakes

We've had an interesting few days at West Bay; we've had a great time at the rally enjoying the company of many like-minded people, there were about 30 RVs altogether. After a last breakfast get-together this morning, most departed leaving four couples, including us, to stay an extra night on site. We’ll move over to Kerr Bay tomorrow morning and settle in to that camp for the next week or so. We’d have loved to have stayed put here at the DOC camp in West Bay but the gates will be closed and locked after we leave tomorrow. This camp doesn't open for general camping until December.

We were warned that it might be quite noisy over the weekend and especially late last night (Saturday) because the RNZAF, DOC and Search & Rescue were doing exercises in the area and their base was just down the road in an open grassy patch.

The new RNZAF NH90 Helicopter was being put through its paces (we'd last seen it at Wanaka Warbirds). ‘Lost’ trampers were dropped off at various sites around the lake and mountains for searchers & search dogs to locate. We heard today that the  fog stopped the 'lost' trampers from being rescued last night and they had a long walk home!

We stopped to watch the helicopter being readied for more flights this morning, the guys were giving it a good spit & polish.

And then when we came back along the road an hour or so later we were just in time to watch it lift off….

fly right along side us…..

and pummeling me and the ute with a huge amount of flying, & stinging debris as you can see in the shot!

Between us and the grassy patch is the West Bay jetty and this weekend some of the district high schools were holding a rowing regatta. So, what with these two groups & the rally happening, this quiet side of the lake was a little overrun with people and activities this weekend.

Through the quiet stillness of the first night we could hear the roar of white water close by. It was a great surprise the next day to find the outlet of the mighty Buller River flowing swiftly out of the lake right beside our campground; the white water noise was coming from rapids further down the river. David and a few of the other rally guys went spinning for trout on a couple of the evenings, David had no luck but one of the other guys caught a trout this morning on the lake further along.

The road along the front of the campground crosses the Buller River and ends 4 kilometres further on at the Mt Robert carpark which is about a third of the way up the mountain. There are a number of multi-day tramps and shorter day walks that leave from the carpark. Including the aptly named Pinchgut Track; you can see it zig-zaging up the mountain side beside the tree line. We’re hoping to do a bit of this walk as we’ve heard there are a pair of nesting NZ falcons close to the track.

From the carpark there’s also a short track along a ridge in the other direction to a lookout point over the Lake Rotoiti below. West Bay, where we are at the moment, is located at the top left. Kerr Bay, where we are heading tomorrow, is around the peninsula in the top right corner. The smattering of buildings just behind Kerr Bay is the St Arnaud village. The Wairau River valley stretches off in the distance back towards Blenheim. South Island’s Southern Alp faultline runs under my feet here, across the lake and off up that valley too.

And down through the Sabine River Valley towards the Southern Alps behind me.

We’ve been over to Kerr Bay a couple of times since we've been here, yesterday to do a walk with one of the DOC rangers which was very interesting. We learnt alot about the never ending struggle to get on top of the pest control around the National Parks.

On the way over we took a short side track to check out a freedom camping area and found the local skating rink! A tiny square tannin stained shallow pool. I wonder how often its frozen over, one of the DOC rangers said it had only snowed down to lake level four times this past winter.

While waiting for everyone to arrive I took a few photos in the car park. This one is iconic Nelson Lakes; it’s one you’ll see on calendars, postcards and in many photographers portfolios. I’m hoping to get a few at dawn and without the water taxi tied up! It should be easy as our next campsite is about 50 yards behind where I’m standing.

There’s two groups of ducklings in the area, the first day this duck had 14 ducklings, yesterday there were 11 and today just 9. They don’t stand much chance with so much activity in the area and they’re so friendly the ducklings were climbing into my hands when I rested them on the grass. They were enjoying a swim in a puddle in the carpark here.

This mother and ducklings were even friendlier, all of them clambering over my feet and trying to eat my shoe laces. When I picked up a duckling (or two) mum quacked loudly and attacked by leg. Even after I had set them back down she decided she wasn’t happy with me and ran up my leg to get at my hand. Don't you love the look on that duckling's face? I can see my bread crusts will be put to good use when we get over there.

And finally this cool VW Kombi van turned campervan named ‘Beetle’.