Classic FIghters Marlborough 2009
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The current mount of the Red Checkers (The official RNZAF display team) is the New Zealand built CT4-E Airtrainer. The extra horsepower over the original CT3-B's (300 vs 210?) seems to make a big difference to the display performance of the aircraft. |
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One of the signature displays of the Red Checkers is the mirror pair, with a third aircraft circling them.They make it look easy.... |
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A new manouvere for the Reds is this peel away, looks very effective. |
The twilight display by the Red's on Friday evening was one of the best displays I have even seen. They had a bird strike before the display, so the pilot had to land and bring up the spare Airtainer - good planning to have one! |
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The guys from the parachute training school put on a great show too, jumping from the Warbirds DC-3/C-47. I don't know a lot about the parachutes but these fascinate me - they have an upper and lower surface, plus leading edge intakes to (presumably) inflate them They look like a mattress... |
| Talking of night scenes, a group of soldiers are lit up by a flare as part of the WW1 re-enactment. It was very dark before the flare went up, despite the full moon rising over the hills. |  |
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The Italian Battleship Cardboardo di Carboncopy takes a hit to the magazine during the Taranto Raid re-enactment.* The Swordfish were represented by Tiger Moth's taxing past the crowd line, with deck handlers showing the way by torch light, Very inventive! *with a note of respect to the servicemen and women on both sides who served their country during this action. Please excuse my attempt at humour. |
| Meanwhile the Italian shore defences search the skies in vain for the attacking Swordfish. Well there was a search light here on display, anyway. |  |
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The RNZAF UH-1D Iroquois did a mock search and rescue with the infra-red and visible light search light. |
| Vincent Aviation did a cool handling display in the Dash 8 (or Bombardier something or other).
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On the ground we had this genuine german half track, and there was a genuine 88mm Flak gun as well. |
What's the joke? :-) |
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Lets end on the RAAF Caribou - being returned early this year, so this is that last time I will see one. A great old bus, and a great display, Thanks to the RAAF for sending your lovely old girl over for a while. |
Boomps-a-daisy! |
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"45 Years of operations"! |
All in all, another fantastic air show. A number if highlights, such as the debut of Brendan Deere's Spitfire IX, the final display of the RAAF Caribou, the Fokker D7, Be-2f, Avro 504K, The Red Checkers... and the wonderful (if COLD) twilight display on the Friday evening.
One interesting note, I read a headline somewhere (might have been one of the local newspapers?) which talked of "the romance of war". There is NO romance in war - only in nostalgia. Its important that we remember and commemorate, but not to romanticize Thanks to all the organisers, participants, and many unpaid volunteers. |
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