The airport is a single paved strip of just 1,200 meters and is about 350 meters above sea level. The grandstands were on both sides of the single taxi-way. The aircraft used both the paved runway as well as the grass to the left in the picture below.
The Air Show was sponsored by Sir Tim Wallis and it is put on during even numbered years wheras another South Island Air Show at Omaka is held on odd years. Both are fantastic! Being small airfields, both are very 'intimate' in that you are close to the flying!
The Warbirds Over Wanaka show this year was held on Sat the 26th and Sun the 27th of March. We found out that the air show folks will put on a mini-air show for the residents of Wanaka on that Friday as a show of appreciation. That special (and free!) show takes place on/over Lake Wanaka which is about 6-7 km from the airfield.
We got there in time on that Friday, parked the car and headed to the lake's shorline. The Mini-Show comes complete with an announcer so I heard just in time, that the newly restored PBY Catalina was approaching behind us to land on the water, right in front of us! Here she comes!
And touching down......
Taxiing in front of the crowds...... looking great!
After taxiing back and turning into the wind, it was throttles forward........
Lifting off.....
Wing tip floats coming up......
She also gave us a bit of a show before landing, in the tight confines of the hills that surround the lake.
Coming down at the crowds for a low pass.
We also had some Trainers that put on a nice show.
On Sunday, we visited the Air Show and from 10am until after 4pm it was airplanes, airplanes, airplanes!
Attending types were: Spitfire, Mustang, Corsair, Avenger, a C-17 flyby, two Vampires, Strikemaster (LOUD!), ME-109/Buchons, PBY, Harvards, Dakota, Yak-3, P-40, Aussie 127 Hawks and the only Avro Anson flying in the world!
When the under-powered Vampires took off, I was sure that one was going to run off the end of the short runway!
Once airborne, they put on a nice display.
In no particular order.........
