So was it a transport or a bomber? The B-18 designation suggests it’s a bomber, but if so, did it have eight crewmembers? Count the parachutes…

DaveM2 – I didn’t mean anything derogatory towards Omaka’s great efforts, I only meant that the AFC can’t be in two places at once, and Omaka is a better option. Has it really only been three years? Classic Fighters is already so ingrained on the scene I thought it had been longer.

I remember the Wanaka shows from the ‘odd’ years were usually NZ Fighter Pilots Association events too, weren’t they? That certainly was the case in 1993 when I attended, as they opened the museum that year. And I think that during the 1995 one Phil Murray crashed the P40 too didn’t he? Or was it Tom Middleton in the I153. Not sure now.

For NZ the “four seasons in one day” situation is also a factor, essentially the weather is far more stable in March and April.

Quite correct, which is also why most NZ weddings are held in those two months too.

I think Omaka is probably a great airshow and I’d love to attend it, but it’s difficult and expensive for many North Islanders to get down to both Omaka and Wanaka each year (or either in my case). My only alternative has been Ardmore, but I didn’t get to this year’s and next year it seems there is none???? Doh.

However the NZ Warbirds site has many more events listed than what Classic Wings magazine lists – I was surprised that CW wasn’t fully comprehensive as they’re usually the best source. There is going to be an RNZAF Whenuapai airshow next year again. And also a DC3 airshow in Wanganui. Plus Mock Attacks at somwhere called Ahipara 20 Flats?? But no Ardmore show. A pity.

http://www.nzwarbirds.org.nz/events.html

I realise there is a lot of work organising an airshow, I have worked myself behind the scenes in a couple of the ‘Wigram Wings and Wheels’ shows in the early 1990’s while in the RNZAF, so I admire anyone who can put together an airshow. Despite the huge costs involved and lots of work, there is still an interested public who are keen to pay for the privilege to see all the old warbirds and modern Air Force types displayed, and the costs are easily outweighed by the benefits for the community at large.

It’s a shame there is no Ardmore show though, they are usually excellent.

Really interesting topic this one.

I’m rather surprised James D that your Dad parachuted from the door of a Hudson. Can you please ask him whether it was using a static line chute, or whether they might have used freefall please.

As parachutes used to be part of my trade in the RNZAF I have some experience with the mechanics of them, so I’d be interested to know how risky jumping from a Hudson door would have been. I’m certain the likelihood of snagging the canopy on the tail was a high risk, and I wonder if they had anti-snag bars attached (you see this on a lot of aircraft – (the RNZAF Andovers had them fitted to the tails for side-door exits). The Hudson door is very near the tail and the tail is very wide. Yikes.

I’ve read of several incidents where RNZAF Hudsons were no longer capable of flight after combat in the Pacific or running out of fuel and they always seemed to ditch in the sea with crew aboard rather than the crew jumping and abandoning the plane. I don’t know if this is due to their low operational altitude, or if they preferred to keep the crew together for liferaft reasons, or just that it’s more likely you’ll smack into the tail due to slipstream even when using an emergency-escape chute. Any ideas?

Ian’s finding that they exited through the floor on SOE ops seems more likely.

James, have you seen this?
http://www.64-baker-street.org/transport/transport_hudson.html

and

http://www.161squadron.org/