Warbirds Over Wanaka re-enacts famous battle scene from Dunkirk

Friday, 30 March 2018

Two US Airforce F16 Falcons fly over Wanaka Airport on Warbirds Over Wanaka 2018 practice day, Friday March 30, 2018.

The Warbirds Over Wanaka International Airshow has had a supersonic practice day at Wanaka Airport, with two United States Air Force F16 Fighting Falcons making a surprise fly over this afternoon.

It had been thought the Christchurch Airport-based F16s would not appear on practice day, having made a foray over Wanaka on Thursday.

Pilots Bill Reid, Dave Phillips and John Romain discuss a Dunkirk aerial battle reenactment at Warbirds Over Wanaka 2018.

However, the noisy planes appeared travelling just under the speed of sound for just one run over the airstrip near Luggate, before disappearing over the horizon towards Queenstown.

Practice day also featured a successful first re-enactment of a World War II Dunkirk aerial battle scene between an Avro Anson and a Buchon Me-109 (Messerschmitt), featuring Kiwi warbird pilots Bill Reid, of Nelson, Dave Phillips, of Auckland, and English pilot John Romain

Reid explained the three ship display would demonstrate how the Anson, a show moving bomber, managed to shoot down a sleek, high performance Messerschmitt in World War II.

**READ MORE

UK pilot John Romain of Duxford, near Cambridge, with his Buchon Me-109.

* US Airforce F-16 pilot Richard Smeeding looking forward to Warbirds Over Wanaka

* RNZAF's Boeing 757 returns to Warbirds Over Wanaka after 12 years**

Bill Reid, Dave Phillips and John Romain in front of an Avro Anson Mk I.

The Wanaka re-enactment would see a Spitfire escort the Anson in, then get shot down, before the Anson shoots the Messerschmitt down.

Messerschmitt pilot John Romain said he would be careful to keep out of Reid's* way.

Warbirds Over Wanaka 2018

'They had to slow down to get a shot on the Anson and of course in slowing down they made themselves vulnerable . . . They didn't really expect that the Anson would shoot back. They thought the Ansons would be easy prey,' Romain said.

The Buchon is based in England and had its first Wanaka debut, with owner Romain behind the controls, in 2016.

It starred in the 2017 blockbuster movie Dunkirk and was shipped back to New Zealand again this year for the 30th anniversary airshow.

The Anson is owned by Reid and based at Omaka, Blenheim.

Phillips and Reid have performed at Warbirds Over Wanaka multiple times but Duxford-based Romain was making just his second visit to the show.

'I knew Sir Tim Wallis when he used to come a lot to the UK and was collecting warbirds. I used to fly with the Hanna family. I had always wanted to come to Wanaka,' he said.

Since the show was founded in 1988, it has pumped an estimated $200 million into the regional economy. This year's event is the 30th anniversary show and is expected to contribute about $20 million.

Warbirds practice day ended with a special free public aerial display over Lake Wanaka from 4.30pm. Entertainment included a live'moose capture', music, and a Catalina lake landing.

The airshow continues on March 31 and April 1, with April 2 a 'rides day'.*

WARBIRDS BY NUMBERS

AIRCRAFT: more than 80 aircraft, with most involved in aerial displays and the remainder on static display

VOLUNTEERS:about 300 volunteers will be working at the show in a wide range of roles.

PILOTS: about 70 pilots will take part in displays

AIRCRAFT NATIONS: The aircraft are coming from around New Zealand, Australia, United Kingdom, the United States, New Caledonia, China and Japan.

MORE INFO: warbirdsoverwanaka.co.nz

[* name and dates have been corrected]