This IS an interesting question. I think this shows a difference in the culture between the Brits and Kiwis – which doesn’t happen often – because I have never ever struck a problem with people’s attitudes about my aviation interest. I think (and I don’t know if other Kiwis here will agree), that as a whole NZ’ers are very airminded people and always have been.

We apparently have more aircraft per capita than anywhere else in the world, and most Kiwis have a great liking of all things aviation. I don’t know many people who’ve never flown at all. Aeroclubs and parachuting clubs are very popular, but most of us, young and old, get our flying experience travelling abroad.

I’ve never had a bad reaction when telling anyone I was to go to an airshow or a museum, etc. Most people I know would say “Sweet, can I come?” or “Cool, have fun.” I can only think of one mate who thinks aeroplanes are boring, and needless to say he’s not a Kiwi. (He’s a Pom).

I have never heard the terms anorak or plane spotter being used in NZ. We don’t even have trainspotters here – probably because we no longer seem to have any trains.

If there’s an airshow here, the whole family goes. They are extremely popular with all range of people attending. It doesn’t matter if its a big one at say Ardmore or a country airstrip, everyone is keen to see the thrills of an airshow. Look at Wanaka, it’s in the middle of nowhere, at least 3 hours from a proper city, damned expensive to get to and stay at, but they get over 100, 000 people along to their airshows (out of a population of 4 million, 3.9 million of whom wish they were there too!)

However despite this very positive attitude to aviation here, one thing I have noticed really does strike me as odd. Most people are totally blase’ about aircraft above them. I’ve noticed that if a plane flies over, I look up, simply out of reaction, every time. But generally the rest of the population will carry on without a blink. Has anyone else noticed that those of us with avgas in our veins stop and look up with that childlike curiosity to see what it is, where its going and to generally marvel about the wonders of flight. I have a mate who’s aviation mad and I noticed he too stops and looks while everyone else carries on as if they can’t hear a plane. It is interesting how the attitude has changed so much – a few decades ago people piled out of shops and pubs to catch a glimpse of a plane overhead. Now we have them everyday and no-one cares.

I was in Hamilton, a nearby city, last week and a helicopter was hovering right down low over the CBD, just above building tops. Not a soul in the busy Garden Place plaza stopped or even looked up while they were walking or standing there. It could have been anything, terrorists, film crew, anything. No one gave a monkeys. I think it’s odd not to worry or even be curious about several tons of aluminium floating above your head!

The codes are not authentic as far as I know.Look good any way!

Thanks OFMC Fan. I agree, they look smashing.

Is the Harvard that was paited in Green and NZ Blue camouflage (I think it was ZK-ENE) still flying with the Warbirds? It was one of the few planes left wearing that interesting homegrown wartime scheme.

I think Sir Charles Kingsford Smith owned a Lockheed Vega at one stage didn’t he? Or am I thinking of another pioneer?