Wings Over Wairarapa 2021 - first airshow of the NZ season

[Zac Yates]

I recently won a double pass to Sunday at the Wings Over Wairarapa airshow at Hood Aerodrome, Masterton, which was my first airshow 20 years ago. I asked the organisers and I was able to take my 12yo nephew with me for his first airshow. 

Then they announced the USAF would send a B-52 from Guam for a flyover...on Saturday. The organisers were kind enough to change our tickets to Saturday so we could witness the first ever BUFF visit to New Zealand. And just before it arrived the commentators said the B-52 had enough gas for three passes.

We had a fantastic day and my nephew loved it, except it was HOT!

Unfortunately that evening new COVID cases were identified which meant changes to our alert level and cancellation of the Sunday airshow. Awful news as they'd put on an amazing display with record crowds and I've no doubt yesterday would have been as successful.

Here's some photos! Feel free to ask if you have any questions.

DSC_1798c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1799c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1801c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1802c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1803c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1804c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1806c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1807 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1810c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1811c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1817c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1821c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1827c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1835c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1838c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1845c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1846c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1851c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1867c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1871c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1880c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1893c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1897c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1902c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1910c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1936c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1955c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1958c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1964c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1967c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1976c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1983c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1989c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_1998c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_2016c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_2024c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_2035c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_2047c by Zac Yates, on Flickr
DSC_2049c by Zac Yates, on Flickr

[oscardeuce]

Anyone pick up any of the Wingnut Wings model kits?

[Dave Hadfield]

Great!

Who says NZ has no fighter aircraft capability anymore!

It's stunning to see a Fokker and Sopwith Triplane in one flight. Remarkable!

Dave

[TAdan]

Looks like an excellent show. Thanks for sharing Zac!

[Neal Nurmi]

Looks like a very nice airshow, and very nice photos, Zac. Thanks...

[Hooligan2]

Looks fantastic, you lucky so and so. So sad about the new outbreak...

We might get some UK displays later in the summer hopefully, but I'm not counting my chickens.

[Pogo]

How wonderful it is to see a good lengthy set of excellent airshow pictures once again!!!

THANKS, Zac ... I owe you the world's largest and coldest beer!

[Zac Yates]

Thank you for the kind words folks! Dad's old Nikon D70 really delivers sometimes.

Anyone pick up any of the Wingnut Wings model kits?

I truly wish I could have. They were doing a steady trade - I had intended to quiz the staff about the future of the company but there were so many actual customers I decided not to.

It's stunning to see a Fokker and Sopwith Triplane in one flight. Remarkable!

It was a great dogfight! I felt bad for my friend Andy in the Fokker - his first ever WW1 airshow display (he normally flies a Pitts) and he had to be shot down!

Looks fantastic, you lucky so and so. So sad about the new outbreak...

It was an absolutely awesome day. The COVID alert level change due to the new cases in Auckland, our largest city, came as a real shock and my first thought was with the large number of warbird pilots from Auckland who had to get home. Amazingly there were complaints they were "flaunting" the rules when some people saw them flying home.

How wonderful it is to see a good lengthy set of excellent airshow pictures once again!!!

THANKS, Zac ... I owe you the world's largest and coldest beer!

I was in two minds about posting any photos on US and UK forums because I didn't want it to come off as boastful. It's been heartwarming to see my pics so well-received. And I will take that beer as this summer has been a nasty one!

[Hooligan2]

We need cheering up Zac! In recent weeks, the only light aeroplane I've seen of any interest was a Beagle Pup on a maintenance flight. It's now Spring here in the UK, vaccination is proceeding apace (and I hope other countries will be able to rapidly catching us up) and there is every chance that the Biggin Spitfires will be flying again within a month or two; in the mean time your pics have delivered a ray of sunshine straight into my living room... Thank you!

[Zac Yates]

You are most welcome! A lot of Kiwi enthusiasts have followed the UK scene over the last year with much sympathy - we really do feel for you all and hope normalcy returns soon.

[k5083]

Some of those Great War formations are astounding. The Albatri, the Sopwiths, the two-seater flight - incredible, nowhere-but-there stuff. I can't find words for my jealousy, especially after the Lost Airshow Season we all went through.

Thanks for sharing.

August

[k5083]

BTW that Yak wouldn't by any chance be the one that pranged at Wanaka a couple of years ago? It would be nice to think that it was repaired already, but I tend to doubt it.

August

[Pogo]

And I will take that beer as this summer has been a nasty one!

Meanwhile back in the northern hemisphere, Texas just got hammered with the worst winter storm anyone can remember. While you're down there sweating in your t-shirt, we were gaping in disbelief at ice covered roads right here at 28 degrees north latitude. Talk about Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. I'm 61 years old and have never seen an iced over road in my life, and it was my own street!!

PS: I'm with August - the WWI action and formations are especially astonishing to see. Thanks again for posting!

[ErrolC]

BTW that Yak wouldn't by any chance be the one that pranged at Wanaka a couple of years ago? It would be nice to think that it was repaired already, but I tend to doubt it.

Your doubts are correct, ZK-YYY is still stored pending resolution of disagreements about who is paying for it. Present was ZK-VVS 'Full Noise'.

[Dan K]

Meanwhile back in the northern hemisphere, Texas just got hammered with the worst winter storm anyone can remember. While you're down there sweating in your t-shirt, we were gaping in disbelief at ice covered roads right here at 28 degrees north latitude. Talk about Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. I'm 61 years old and have never seen an iced over road in my life, and it was my own street!!

Kurt, I tried to cry for you, but I'm laughing too hard.


Dan (from the soft underbelly of southern Minnesota)