Troops mobilise for extravaganza

SCOTT HAMMOND/ The Marlborough Express

READY TO GO: Pilot Gene DeMarco and actor Greg Olsen will be among hundreds involved in the Classic Fighters Airshow at Omaka.

SCOTT HAMMOND, The Marlborough Express

Pilot Gene DeMarco and Greg Olsen (dressed in authentic Italian Army uniform). The aircraft is an Nieuport 11 painted in Italian colours. The colour scheme was based on the Italian version of the "Happy Hooligan" comic strip, in which this character was called "Fortunello" (which means "Lucky")

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The "conductor" of the ground display for the Classic Fighters Airshow is admitting to a few nerves as preparation for the extravaganza reaches a crescendo.

Co-ordinator Dave Lochead is the man responsible for synchronising up to 30 military vehicles and 200 "troops" with the air action. "Everything's nerve-racking for me ... you've got 150 people driving tanks, military vehicles and shooting things."

However, the hard work was well worth it and despite "looking like a fiasco", the Italian-themed airshow was very well organised.

"When it works properly, it's great. It's like being on a film set."

The troop roles, which were filled by organised re-enactment groups, were not hard to fill, Mr Lochead said.

"There's a whole subculture of re-enacting out there."

Some of his "troops" were coming from as far away as the United Kingdom and Australia.

Between 30,000 and 40,000 aviation enthusiasts are expected to pour into Marlborough for the airshow, which begins at Omaka tomorrow.

For organisers, the final days before the three day, biennial aviation extravaganza can be summed up with one word, busy.

Airshow display co-ordinator Steve Petersen has perhaps one of the toughest jobs he will control all the flying.

Mr Petersen will be based in a small control tower on the airfield and is not expecting to have much time to enjoy the action.

"You see the components, but you don't see the show."

Despite having to deal with "airspace issues, civil aviation, pilots, aircraft and the show", he was far from cracking under the pressure.

"It's not a hard job ... you make it happen, you cover your bases."

The Twilight Extreme show tomorrow must be worked around rules against flying more than half an hour after sundown, meaning any airborne action after that time will be restricted to aircraft such as the night-vision equipped Royal New Zealand Air Force Iroquois.

"[Other than that] it will all be done with pyrotechnics, theatrics and sleight of hand."

Other aircraft will take to the sky earlier in the show, which will start between 5pm and 6pm, depending on the weather, and continue for about two hours.

Meanwhile, Scaffold Marlborough have just completed the scaffold structure for the replica monastery of Monte Cassino that will be used in a re-enactment of the famous World War II battle.

Scaffold Marlborough director Lyndon Robinson said the four-storey high (12 metres) structure took four workers three or four days to complete.

The structure, which will be adorned with painted panels to resemble the original monastery, is the result of several Marlborough businesses donating materials and time, including Robinson's Construction, Slight Timber, Nelson Forest Ltd, Carters and Structex.

Airshow traffic manager Nick Fulton has also been busy, with 10km of white lines painted into two large fields next to the airfield for parking.

Between 5000 and 6000 car park spaces will be available, as well as aircraft parking.

Among those taking to the sky is Vintage Aviator production manager Gene DeMarco, who will pilot a Sopwith Camel.

Mr DeMarco has a long history of involvement in airshows and has long since lost count of how many he has taken part in.

The Wellington-based American previously worked for the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, an upstate New York airfield that holds airshows every weekend between June and October.

Despite that, he never got sick of them.

"Airshows are living history."

SHOW FACTS

What you need to know: TOMORROW 10am-about 8pm: Practice day. From about 5pm: Twilight Extreme show.

SATURDAY Start time: 10am. Morning: Combination World War I, World War II and civilian flights, including a WWI scenario. Afternoon: WWII aerobatic aircraft. 3.20pm: WWII scenario simulating the battle of Monte Cassino.

SUNDAY Repeat of Saturday's show. Parking: Available near the airshow. Traffic: Aerodrome Rd will be closed to northbound traffic in the morning and southbound traffic in the afternoon. The Wither Rd extension will remain open.

WEATHER Friday: Fine, light winds, high of 17 degrees Celsius. Saturday: Fine, high of 19C. Sunday: Sunny with some cloud, high of 18C.

- The Marlborough Express