Antique aircraft poised for mock Italian battles
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Classic Fighters
Air show scores V for victory
IT'S going to be as much a spectacle in the sky as on the ground this Easter weekend as Classic Fighters 2009 finally takes off after months of planning and preparation.
With a vibrant Italian theme, the three-day biennial show starts this Friday and is expected to attract about 40,000 visitors.
The air will be filled with antique and classic open cockpit biplanes and vintage cabin airliners of the 1920s and 1930s, along with noisy and colourful World War II winged craft.
Aeroplanes from a more recent era include the Spitfire, Mustang and Kittyhawk, PBY Catalina, DC3, Harvards, various models from overseas and planes from the RNZAF.
Planes will perform aerobatics, mock battles and will also be on display for the public to view closer up.
Some aircraft under restoration on display in the popular Restoration Row will be a Newport, Nanchang, Yak 3, Fairchild, Fokker and Waco. A previous occupier of Restoration Row, an Auckland-based Stearman, will this time be joining other aircraft where it really belongs in the sky.
Re-enactments include the little-known Battle of Taranto of 1940, which inspired the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour a year later . During the battle, the Royal Navy launched the first all-aircraft naval attack in history, crippling the Italian naval fleet at harbour in Taranto.
On Saturday and Sunday the famous 1944 battle of Monte Casino will be fought around a replica of the historic abbey of Monte Casino, which was destroyed by American bombers.
The battles will involve plenty of pyrotechnics, including smoke bombs and gas guns, for a realistic as possible scenario.
Visitors can look at trade stalls, sample some Marlborough food or wine and send the kids to the playground.
In keeping with the strong Italian theme, there will be Italian sports cars and food and all the flair and colour that the southern European country is known for.
Tickets have been selling well not just in New Zealand, but all over the world, Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre trustee Graham Orphan said.
He urged the public to get behind the airshow and said with the number of visitors expected, it would be a boon for Marlborough business.
Gates open from 8am each day at the Omaka Airfield, Aerodrome Rd, Blenheim.
Tickets purchased online in April are to be picked up at the Aviation Heritage Centre, 79 Aerodrome Rd, Omaka, Marlborough.
Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre manages all ticket sales and can be contacted by emailing info@omaka.org.nz or calling 03 579 1305. Visit www.classicfighters.co.nz for more information.
- The Marlborough Express
