The Wanaka show organisers can be relied on to attract at least one headlining act from overseas, and this year the Commemorative Air Force’s San Diego-based F4F Wildcat N5833 made the journey to New Zealand by sea.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Grumman F4F Wildcat - СШАUSA - 1937

Doug Nairn, seen here seated in Wildcat N5833 at Wanaka, was the first New Zealander to fly an F4F, with an Operational Training Unit at Yeovilton in 1941. Nairn was appointed to the British Air Commision in Washington DC in December 1942 as a naval test pilot. His first job was to help adapt the F4U Corsair for use with the Fleet Air Arm, and he subsequently became the first Allied pilot to fly a Mitsubishi Zero.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Grumman F4F Wildcat - СШАUSA - 1937

Two of Hawker’s finest. The Alpine Fighter Collection’s Hurricane Mk IIA, P3351, formates with the Flying Fighters Sea Fury near Wanaka. The Hurricane was being flown by Keith Skilling.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Hawker Fury / Sea Fury - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1944Hawker Hurricane - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1935

The Queensland-based Flying Fighters’ former Iraqi Air Force Hawker Fury VH-SHF was flown across the Tasman Sea by Nigel Arnott to be at Wanaka. It was not the first time the aeroplane had crossed the Tasman, having made the reverse trip a couple of times to visit Australian shows when it was based at Auckland during the mid-1990s.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Hawker Fury / Sea Fury - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1944

The Iraqi Furies were not fitted with folding wings, but during the restoration of VH-SHF in the early 1990s the wing-folding mechanism from the former Fleet Air Arm Historic Flight Sea Fury T.20 WG655 was installed. WG655 had been seriously damaged in an accident in July 1990, but is now being rebuilt in the USA.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Hawker Fury / Sea Fury - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1944

Sea Fury over New Zealand’s Southern Alps - just one of Phil Makanna’s pictures from this year’s Wanaka airshow

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Hawker Fury / Sea Fury - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1944

Consolidated PBY Catalina ZK-PBY, operated by the Catalina Club of New Zealand, makes a water landing on Lake Wanaka.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Consolidated PBY Catalina / ГСТ / МП-7 - СШАUSA - 1935

A moody shot of the Catalina’s departure.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Consolidated PBY Catalina / ГСТ / МП-7 - СШАUSA - 1935