Friday, January 18, 2013

Wings over Wairarapa: Old Mosquito adds to buzz as airshow set for take off

Wings over Wairarapa airshow director Tom Williams and event organizer Liz Pollock at Hood Aerodrome yesterday. 
LYNDA FERINGA

Vintage aviators say it's a sound known to make grown men cry.

The rare De Havilland Mosquito fighter bomber, a two-seater Spitfire and a P40 Kittyhawk were at Masterton's Hood Aerodrome yesterday ahead of the biennial Wings over Wairarapa event which kicks off today.

A crowd gathered yesterday to watch the trio of planes take off to fly circuits around Wellington. People from the capital city have traditionally been big supporters of the airshow.

Event manager Liz Pollock said the Mosquito was the star of the show. "The Mosquito is unique because it's the only one in the world. The noise of the Merlin engine has been known to make grown men cry."

The Mosquito was reconstructed by Avspecs in Auckland. Airshow director Tom William said they spent months negotiating with American owner Jerry Yagen to bring the aircraft to Masterton.

Hugh Cunningham, of Brisbane, contacted Avspecs about the plane last month. He sponsored the plane to bring it to Masterton and was offered the spare seat on the flight from Auckland.

He said it was an amazing experience. "It's a beautiful machine. There's something about it," he said.

Ms Pollock said the 70 other aircraft at the show were impressive in their own way, and organizers were looking forward to the event. "We're certainly on track for it to be the biggest Wings over Wairarapa show that we've ever had."

Story and Photo:   http://www.times-age.co.nz

Wairarapa air show to host last WWII plane of its kind 

 The eighth annual Wings Over Wairarapa air show will this year play host to the world's only working Mosquito - a wooden plane used during WWII.

Up to 30,000 people are expected at this weekend's event where the rare Mosquito will be the biggest drawcard among the 70 planes on display.

The Mosquito was constructed by cabinet-makers almost entirely from wood during the 1940s and was affectionately known as the "Mossie" by its crew members, who flew the planes in two-man crews.

"The Mosquito was a marvellous plane in terms of speed and manoeuvrability," former Royal Airforce pilot Les Munro told ONE News.

Munro was a pilot in the Royal Air Force 97 bomber squadron and hasn't flown a Mosquito since 1944.

"It's a very emotional aircraft," said Tom Williams, director of the Wings Over Wairarapa air show. "The New Zealanders, the Australians, and the Brits - pretty much all of the Commonwealth airforce flew these aircraft, and they are just pretty special airplanes."

The Mossie will be the centrepiece in some spectacular formation flying throughout the weekend.

"The two Vampires and the Venom are going to formate together," said Williams. "And also the two Vampires and the Mosquito are going to formate together.

"That's absolutely unique. That won't happen anywhere else in the world," he said.

Story and Video:   http://tvnz.co.nz