Birthday bash

Capability displays were performed by the P-3K Orion, UH-1H Iroquois and SH-2G Seasprite. The 757-200 display always belies its airliner heritage, with its high rate takeoff and wingover. Unfortunately the C-130H Hercules had to pull out from the flying display at the last minute.

For the first time in many years there was a substantial international presence at an airshow in New Zealand, with aircraft from four nations on show. The RAAF turned out in force bringing no fewer than six F/A-18s performing solo and four-ship formation displays, along with a C-130J, C-17 and Wedgetail in the static display.

The Airbus Military C-235 of the French Armée de l’Air is a frequent visitor to New Zealand, being based nearby in New Caledonia, while United States Air Force C-17s operate out of Christchurch to Antarctica regularly, but the appearances of a Republic of Singapore Air Force KC-130 and United States Marine Corps KC-130J was rare indeed. Their visit coincided with KiwiFlag 2012, a tactical logistics exercise run out of RNZAF Base Auckland over a period of two weeks, with the visiting airmen making good use of New Zealand’s excellent terrain for low flying training.

The inclusion of civilian and warbird aircraft led to a very diverse and action-packed flying program. Many aircraft well known to the New Zealand scene participated, including Graham Bethel in the P-51D, Keith Skilling in the FG-1D Corsair, Stu Goldspink in the P-40E Kittyhawk, Brett Emeny in the Vampire, along with the ‘blunty’ Strikemaster, and the welcome return to New Zealand of the TBM Avenger flown by Guy Stevenson. While Dave Phillips flew the Hawker Hunter low and fast, he later also gave what can only be described as a beautifully slow display of airmanship in the Tiger Moth.

More biplanes took to the air as two WW1 aircraft engaged in a close quarters dogfight over the field, with Andrew Vincent in the Bristol Fighter F.2b downing Scott Mackenzie in the Fokker D.VII. Doug Brooker’s TR-IX Spitfire was supposed to be a two ship display with Sqn Ldr Sean Perrett flying Brendon Deere’s MkIX Spitfire, but due to time constraints their display together was cut short.

Doug Brooker did later get to dazzle the crowd with some extreme aerobatics in his MX-2. There was, however, time for some commercial sales pitches as Phill Hooker showed off the incredible Falconrite Furio kitset plane, while the Hawker Beechcraft AT-6 Texan II, currently on offer to the RNZAF as an advanced trainer, got to display its wares. Pacific Aerospace demonstrated the impressive STOL capability of its home-grown P-750 XSTOL.

The public was treated to excellent routines from three formation aerobatics teams. The Roaring Forties, led by president of the Warbirds Assiciation Frank Parker, flew five Harvards, while, the Yak-52 Team and its eight aircraft flew its typically precise routine. The RNZAF’s Red Checkers team in its CT-4Es flew its polished routine, including the trademark manoeuvres the Mirror and Spaghetti break.

A fantastic day’s flying was then rounded off by the impressive USAF C-17 display.

In all the RNZAF 75th Anniversary was a great success, despite mainstream media reports centring on the failures of traffic management plans contracted out to a civilian company. About 70,000 people attended the airshow, in what was a fitting celebration of the RNZAF.