Note: This archive covers specific airshows in more detail than those listed on the Airshows Timeline - with information from airshow programmes, reports after the fact, eyewitness accounts, photos and other submissions from the public
McGregor Memorial Fund Pageant 1938
Royal New Zealand Air Force Display, Rongotai 1938
Royal New Zealand Air Force Airshow, Nelson 1944
Royal New Zealand Air Force Airshow, Rukuhia 1940's
Wellington Airport Opening Day Airshow 1959
Auckland Airport Opening Day Airshow 1964
New Zealand National Air Pageant, Tauranga 1975
Marlborough Ultrasound Appeal Airshow, Woodbourne 1990
Marlborough Aero Club Pageant
Omaka Aerodrome, Blenheim
February 1931Aircraft Participants
DH60 Moth (873 "D" of the NZPAF, Wigram)
Gloster Grebe (NZ50 of the NZPAF, Wigram)
DH60G (ZK-AAZ of the Wellington Aero Club)
DH60 Gipsy Moth (VH-UNQ from Australia)
Puss Moth (ZK-ABR of Air Survey and Transport Co. Ltd, Hobsonville)
Avro Avian (ZK-AAN of the Goodwin-Chichester Company)
DH60M Metal Moth (ZK-ABS of the Western Federated Flying Club)
Simmons Spartan (ZK-ABU of Air Travel Ltd)Source: Details gleaned from a photograph and details in The History of New Zealand Aviation by Ross Ewing and Ross Macpherson
McGregor Memorial Fund Pageant
Rongotai Aerodrome
Monday 28th of March 1938This pageant raised money for the McGregor Memorial Fund, which had been set up after the death of famous pilot Malcolm 'Mad Mac' McGregor, who was killed in an accident whilst landing a Miles Falcon at Rongotai in 1936.
Aircraft Participants
Blackburn Baffins (unconfirmed, Wellington Territorial Squadron)
Incidents: Sadly the famous parachutist Pilot Officer James 'Scotty' Fraser jumped to his death at this airshow, when his parachute failed to open. He plunged into Lyall Bay.
Source: Details from The History of New Zealand Aviation by Ross Ewing and Ross Macpherson, and Tool Box On The Wing by Geoffrey Ellis
Royal New Zealand Air Force Display
Rongotai Aerodrome
Saturday 4th of June 1938
The RNZAF's first military organised airshow, held at Rongotai Aerodrome, the home of the Wellington Territorial Squadron. The RNZAF went all out with this show, and even had a three-ship Vildebeest display team - possibly the RNZAF's first ever dedicated display team. They even looped in formation according to Geoffrey Ellis's book 'Tool Box On The Wing'.
The airshow promoted the RNZAF and Territorial Air Force, which were both expanding rapidly at the time and wanted to show the public how much they'd trained in.
Aircraft Participants
Avro 626's (3 of, NZ202, NZ203 & NZ204, from Flying Training School, Wigram)
Vickers Vildebeests (7 of, from Flying Training School, Wigram)
Gloster Grebes From (2 of, from Flying Training School, Wigram)
Blackburn Baffins (9 of, from Wellington Territorial Squadron, Rongotai)
Fairey IIIF (1 of, S.1805 from Flying Training School, Wigram. May have been static?)Weather: The weather on this day was fine
Source: Details from The History of New Zealand Aviation by Ross Ewing and Ross Macpherson, and Tool Box On The Wing by Geoffrey Ellis, plus various photos
Royal New Zealand Air Force Airshow
RNZAF Station Nelson
5th of February 1944
Aircraft Participants
Hawker Hinds (3 of, from the Technical Training School, Nelson)
Lockheed Hudson (1 of, from the Technical Training School, Nelson?)
Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk (1 of, from the Technical Training School, Nelson)
Tiger Moth (1 of, probably from the Technical Training School, Nelson)
Airspeed Oxford (1 of, from the Technical Training School, Nelson)
Messerschmitt Bf109E (1 of, from the Technical Training School, Nelson)Source: Details gleaned from a photograph and details in The History of New Zealand Aviation by Ross Ewing and Ross Macpherson
Royal New Zealand Air Force Airshow
RNZAF Station Rukuhia
Date in 1940's Unknown
This airshow was either during the war or immediately postwar, and was an open day at No. 1 Repair Depot, RNZAF Station Rukuhia. The following list of aircraft are known to have been static on display, and it's also known that a Kittyhawk flew a display too. Any further information would be appreciated.
Aircraft Participants
Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk
North American Harvard
Douglas C-47 Dakota
Lockheed PV-1 Ventura (several)
de Havilland DH-89B Dominie
Lockheed RB-34 Lexington (Ventura)
Grumman TBF-1c AvengerSource: Details gleaned from two photographs supplied by the RNZAF Museum
Royal New Zealand Air Force 21st Anniversary Airshow
RNZAF Base Ohakea
29th of March 1958
Aircraft Participants
Handley Page Hastings (No. 40 Squadron, RNZAF, from Whenuapai)
Short Sunderland (No. 6 Squadron, RNZAF, from Hobsonville)
de Havilland Vampires (No. 75 Squadron, RNZAF, from Ohakea)
Lockheed Neptune (RAAF)
English Electric Canberra (RAAF)
C-130 Hercules (USAF)
Boeing KC135 (USAF)
Vickers Valiant (RAF, flown by New Zealander Leonard Trent VC, DFC)
Mitsubishi Zero (NZ6000, on static display inside a hangar, now at Auckland War Memorial Museum)Guests in Attendance
Air Chief Marshall Sir Ralph Cochrane, the RNZAF's first Chief of Air Staff, attended from EnglandQuestions:
What else participated in this airshow?Source: Details from the New Zealand Freelance dated 11th of April 1958, as below
Wellington Airport Opening Day Airshow
Wellington International Airport, Rongotai, Wellington
Labour Day, 26th of October 1959
Aircraft Participants
Handley Page Hastings (No. 40 Squadron, RNZAF, from Whenuapai)
Short Sunderland (No. 6 Squadron, RNZAF, from Hobsonville)
de Havilland Vampires (No. 75 Squadron, RNZAF, from Ohakea)
Lockheed Neptune (RAAF)
English Electric Canberra (RAAF)
C-130 Hercules (RAAF)
C-54 (US Navy Operation Deep Freeze, Christchurch)
Vickers Viscount (National Airways Corporation on NZ)
Vulcan (RAF)Four Vulcan B.1's of No. 617 Squadron were based at Ohakea for the Wellington Airport opening in 1959. Both a Vulcan and a Sunderland suffered damge by striking the new runway during their displays, no doubt caused by Rongotai's infamous gusts and downdrafts. The Vulcan flew on back to Ohakea where it was repaired, and the Sunderland made it back to Hobsonville with the crew hastily repairing a large hole in the hull en route, which luckily held when they alighted on the harbour.
Source: Details gleaned from a photograph and details in The History of New Zealand Aviation by Ross Ewing and Ross Macpherson
Auckland International Airport Opening Day Airshow
Auckland International Airport, Mangere
1964
coming soon
New Zealand National Air Pageant
Tauranga Aero Club (Inc.), Mount Maunganui
Saturday 1st of March 1975
Aircraft Participants
The programme details the day's activities thus:
0900 Pilot Briefing
____Joyriding
1045 International Aerobatics (Zlin/Citabria/Tiger Moth)
1055 Mass Parachute Jump
1110 Home Builders Formation and Solo Aerobatics
1120 Glider Demonstration
1130 Professional New Zealand Champion 1975
1140 Dennis Thompson International Fly Past
1145 Grumman American Handling Demonstration
1150 Helicopter Handling Display
1200 James Aviation Top Dressing and Spraying
1220 Official Opening
1240 Lunch and Model Aircraft Display
1300 Rex Aviation Mass Display Multi and Single Engine Aircraft
1325 Dragsters Racing (Main Runway)
1335 Motor Bike v. Aircraft Race
1345 All Aircraft on Ground
1400 RNZAF Display Commences
1450 Joyriding Recommences
Source: Details from the airshow programme. Note a four-ship RNZAF Harvard 'Red Checkers' team appears on the cover of the programme
Airshow '88
North Shore Aero Club's 25th Jubilee
Dairy Flat Aerodrome, 12th of March 1988
Aircraft Participants
CT/4B Airtrainers ('Red Checkers' display team from RNZAF Wigram)
P-3K Orion (No. 5 Squadron RNZAF, from RNZAF Whenuapai)
Douglas C-47 Dakota (ZK-DAK of NZ Warbirds, Ardmore)
de Havilland Venom (ZK-VNM of NZ Warbirds, Ardmore)
P-51D Mustang (ZK-TAF of NZ Warbirds, Ardmore)
Roaring Forties Harvard Display Team (of NZ Warbirds)
Hawker Sea Fury (ZK-SFR making it's NZ airshow debut, owned and flown by Rob Booth)
Tiger Moths (John Pheasant's ZK-AIA, and ZK-CDU upon which Cheryl 'Rusty' Butterworth wingwalked)
Moth Minor (ZK-AKM owned and flown by Stan Smith)Participation also by the Confederate Air Force
Source: Details from New Zealand Wings issue dated April 1988 which has a two-page spread of photos
Woodbourne Airshow
RNZAF Woodboure, 17th of March 1990
Aircraft Participants
A-4K Skyhawk Team 'Kiwi Red' (No. 75 Squadron, RNZAF, Ohakea)
Harvard NZ1015 (RNZAF Historic Flight)
CT/4B Airtrainer (Pilot Training Squadron, Wigram)
Cessna 421c Golden Eagle (No. 141 Flight, RNZAF Woodbourne)
Fokker Freindship (from NATTS, Wigram)
Hawker Siddeley Andover (From No. 42 Squadron, Whenuapai)
Kiwi Blue Parachute Team (PTSU, Whenuapai)
"Southern Cross" Replica (isiting from Australia)
P-51D Mustang (ZK-TAF from Ardmore)
Argosy (from SAFE Air, Woodbourne)
de Havilland Venom (ZK-VNM)
and on static display:
BAe 146 Whisperjet (Ansett New Zealand Airlines)
Supermarine Spitfire Mk. XVI (Tim Wallis's ZK-XVI TB863 was being repaired at SAFE Air)
Warbirds Over Wanaka 2000
Luggate Aerodrome, Wanaka
Easter 2000
Aircraft Participants
McDonnell Douglas A-4K Skyhawks (Two No. 75 Squadron RNZAF aircraft in plugged display)
Bleriot (owned and flown by Mikeal Carlsson of Sweden)
Tummelisa (replica with real engine, owned and flown by Mikeal Carlsson of Sweden)
Turbine Helicopters (8 of including ZK-HTH, ZK-HNB , ZK-HCI, ZK-HFT)
Tiger Moths (ZK-BAH, Jonathon Skogstad in ZK-CCH and ZK-BAA)
Cessna Bird Dog (NZ Warbirds Syndicate?)
Staggerwing (ZK-AMU)
Fox Moth (ZK-AEK of the Alpine Fighter Collection)
Yakovlev 52 and CJ-6 Nanchang Team (An 8-ship formation team, four of each type. The Yaks included Victor Ostapenko as soloist in ZK-YAX, Sir Kenneth Hayr as three-ship Yak leader in ZK-YAQ, Bill Rolfe in ZK-ZAY and Garth Hoganin ZK-KGB. Nanchangs included Jason Hayes in ‘42' (ZK-WOK), plus ‘26', and ZK-CVI. Other Nanchang pilots included Dick Veale, Steve Petersen, and Barry Stott)
Catalina (ZK-PBY, pilot Dee Wakelin - probably the only woman rated on the type)
Dakotas (ZK-DAK - The NZ Warbirds' flagship, and another from Pioneer Aviation)
Beech C-45 Expediator (flown over from Australia for the event)
Devon (ZK-CBK of NZ Warbirds)
Wanganui Aero Works Team (flying three Crescos ZK-LTY, ZK-LTV, ZK-LTZ - flown by Richmond Harding, Bruce Harding and John Harding)
Polikarpovs (Five I-16 Ratas, and three I-153 Chaikas. Flying the Ratas were Stu Goldspink in '39', John Petersen in '28'. John Lanham and Tom Middleton were two of the Chaika pilots)
Hercules (
Kiwi Blue
Red Checkers (Six-ship CT4/E Airtrainer team from Central Flying School, RNZAF Ohakea, lead by Squadron Leader Andrew Greaves)
Kaman Seasprite (NZ3442 from Naval Support Flight, No. 3 Squadron RNZAF, flown by Lieutenant Commander John Toon)
The Black Falcons (Five Aermacchi MB339CB Macchis from No. 14 Squadron, Ohakea)
Camper Van Drop (dropped from Squirrel Helicopter)
Model Aircraft (flown by champion model aerobatic flyer Fraser Briggs)
German V-2 Rocket Model (fired by the New Zealand Rocketry Association)
Edge 540 (aerobatic aircraft owned and flown by Steve Taylor)
Messerschmitt Bf-108 (ZK-WFI)
P-51D's (ZK-TAF flown by its owner Graeme Bethell and ZK-??? 'Miss Torque' flown by AVM Cliff Spink)
Kittyhawks (Dick Thurman's P-40K and Garth Hogan and Charles Darby's P-40N ZK-CAG)
Supermarine Spitfire XVIe (TB863, ZK-XVI owned by the Alpine Fighter Collection, flown by Ray Hanna)
Hawker Hurricane (P3351's airshow debut, owned by the Alpine Fighter Collection, pilot Keith Skilling)Source: Details from the Warbirds Over Wanaka 2000 official book and DVD