TVAL WW1 Flying Weekend – first of the season

As some of you may know, The Vintage Aviator Limited is a New Zealand company which restores and builds World War 1 aircraft, the vast majority to airworthy condition. This weekend was the first of their monthly Flying Weekends, an opportunity for the public to check out the collection and for the pilots to get current again and practice displays for future airshows. Previously they would have afternoon mini shows with structured programmes every other month in summer, but that has been replaced by these much less formal affairs.

The wind was too bad for much to fly on Saturday, but I still went away happy. I saw one of the aircraft I was hoping to – the original Hanriot HD.1 – but unfortunately the newbuild Airco DH.4 is having engine issues so wasn’t seen outside. One of the pilots told us there are also two Fokker Eindeckers in the works. Exciting stuff!

This is the unassuming public hangar from the carpark. They have two other hangars onsite (that I know of) but cameras are forbidden there and entry is by invitation only.

And when you walk in this is what greets you:

The aforementioned Hanriot, a 1918 original and a sweet-looking little number:

The original Be.2f restored by the late Stuart Tantrum. This is the oldest DH-designed aircraft flying anywhere. She turns 99 next year:

The Be.2c – I love the skids.

The very lovely new Be.2, subtype and rego unknown to me. There were three Be types present, there is a Be12 repro but that was hidden away.

These three flew on Saturday along with an Se.5a. The DH.5 is the only representative example anywhere, the Tiger Moth is used for training pilots for the collection, and the new-build Albatros D.Va has a lovely-sounding original Mercedes up front.:

The Nieuport XI performed an engine run while a friendly pilot – whose name I missed – explained everything we were seeing and hearing.

Then John Lanham (former RNZAF Canberra and Skyhawk pilot) took seven of us on an informal flightline tour, letting us get up close and personal (and unlimited photo-taking opportunities) as well as educating us on type histories and what each is like to fly. It sounds like the Bebe is a delight, likewise the Se.5a, whereas the E.V/D.VIII is a tricky little so-and-so.

Unlike the TVAL mini-airshows of the past, the two resident WW2 fighters stayed put in the hangar. Both are smaller up close than I remembered! It was great to have a close-up look at them and pay silent tribute to them both. They are former RNZAF machines and for a while were the only airworthy examples from our wartime force – we had 424 Corsairs and 297 P-40s, now there are two and four respectively still flying. Some forumites may recognise these as being former OFMC machines.

And finally, the people. I recognised a handful of pilots including Bevan Dewes (youngest current WW1 pilot – he’s not yet 25!), seen here topping up the D.Va with oil while Keith Skilling (known for his Corsair and Mosquito displays) guides him. There were a number of ground crew around also, but the pilots all doubled as crew anyway so it’s hard to know who’s who!

So while yesterday was the flying day by all accounts, I still had an excellent day on Saturday. I totally recommend coming along to one of these should you find yourself in New Zealand.