Flying NZ "Healthy Bastards" National Championships 2023

This past week, I was helping to run the annual Flying NZ National Championships for 2023, which were hosted by the team at Marlborough Aero Club at Omaka aerodrome [NZOM]. This year we were privileged to have some sponsorship from Dr Dave and his Healthy Bastards Club [also a registered charity], including having Dr Dave as our guest speaker at the Friday evening awards presentation dinner. More on the dinner later.

This was a particularly special competition, since last year we had to cancel due to covid-related restrictions, and some additional safety risks that the pandemic posed for us. A hard decision at the time in some respects, but certainly the right one.

In any case, this year, everyone was keen to go, and this was shown by having a good number of registrations, as competitors, judges/ officials and supporters. We had people from the North Shore of Auckland to Timaru attending and everywhere in between.

The competitions

The competitions themselves were held at, and in the vicinity of, Omaka Aerodrome, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday [with last Tuesday as a practice day for those that wanted it].

Being the middle of summer, the days were hot. Over 30 degrees celsius one day, and in the 20s on the others.

Marlborough Aero Club have a fantastic facility, and great relationships with many of the locals. This included the Omaka Marae for some meals, the Classic Fighters team for the mobile control tower, the military for some tents and various other suppliers who provided contents for the competitors goody bags. Nicely done!

The outlook from the Marlborough Aero Club clubrooms

Some of the competitor and supporter aircraft

Canterbury formation team in their competition flight

Some more competitors

The mobile control tower [Omaka remained unattended]

One of the Marlborough Aero Club vehicles

This year we had an even stronger focus on airmanship - which paid off with with great examples of good decision making, which just makes it even easier to run a safe and fun event. As the Contest Director, I was particularly pleased with some good go-around decisions made at times.

It was also good to host some officials from the Civil Aviation Authority [CAA] who visited over 3 days [one was put to work judging a low flying competition]. It is great to see the CAA taking an interest in what we do and how we do it.

Awards presentation dinner

Friday night was the awards presentation dinner. As I mentioned earlier, Dr Dave was our guest speaker - entertaining as always. I won't say too much, but I did get an honourable[!] mention 😂 in his presentation, but at least it wasn't my face photo-shopped in as one of the members of the naked horsemen club!! Phew!

We were also privileged to host a number of our sponsors who provide sponsorship for our Young Eagles scholarship programme, which helps young people into aviation through our member Clubs. Thank you to all our sponsors - and the preceding link has more information on this. The Young Eagles who were able to attend also seemed to enjoy themselves, including a visit to the Airbus facility at Woodbourne aerodrome and presentation of their scholarships in front of their peers, sponsors and supporters.

Very pleasing for me was that it was not only the larger Clubs taking out awards. Some of our smaller Clubs, such as Hawera, Taumaranui, and Whenuapai acquited themselves very well. This was great to see!

The location was the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre. This is a fantastic place to visit on any day, but having dinner amongst the World War 2 aircraft, displays and memorabilia is something else. Awesome! These photos hardly touch on what is available at the centre [and the FW190 and Spitfire were pushed outside to make room for around 125 people who attended the dinner].

I haven't taken a lot of photos of the exhibits [go and see it for yourself], but here are a few photographs of the aircraft, replica aircraft and a Royal Canadian Air Force seat cushion[!] from World War 2.

One last thing - we could not run these competitions without the support of Clubs, Club Instructors, various Officials and of course Competitors. Thanks to all of you for making this happen!

Dangerous Skies

Last weekend I had to pleasure of being the Chief Ground Judge for the Flying NZ Alpine regional competition. This was held at Omaka aerodrome near Blenheim and was hosted by Marlborough Aero Club.

I arrived after a Sounds Air flight into Woodbourne aerodrome on Friday evening. After checking into the motel (Cherylea Motel is really very comfortable and the prices were great), it was time for a brief visit to Omaka to see how things were set up and meet a few people.

It was stormy - thunder and lightning included - which made for a nice evening [nothing like a good storm to start the weekend off!]

Omaka airfield from the Marlborough Aero Club clubrooms

Competition day itself dawned cool with gentle breezes and ended very warm with close to 30 knot breezes. It was definitely fun watching others try to land and drop [simulated] bombs and liferafts in those conditions...

Dangerous Skies

Each regional competition finishes with a presentation dinner on the Saturday evening. Marlborough Aero Club arranged for their dinner to be held at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre in their amazing WW2 display called Dangerous Skies. What an incredible place! It's not large, but exceptionally well designed! We were sitting in an open central area surrounded by old aircraft - what's not to like?

These first three aircraft are actually flyable [as in, they fly from time to time]. You probably wouldn't know it from what way they are integrated into the displays. just incredible!

First up is a Yakovlev Yak3M, ZK-VVS. This has previously competed in the Reno Air Races and still flies around the Omaka area.

Yakovlev Yak-3M, ZK-VVS, operated by Fighter Flights of Blenheim

Next up is a Flug Werk FW190A-8/N, ZK-RFR. This is also airworthy and one of very few of these aircraft still flying wordwide.

Flug Werk FW190A-8/N, Zk-RVR, operated by Chariots of Fire Fighter Collection of a Blenheim address

Last up is something a little different. ZK-AGC is a Fleet 16B and is operated by a local owner.

Fleet 16B, ZK-AGC

Next up are some equally impressive non-flying models.

First is a Lockheed Model 14. I understand that this is a real machine, rescued from a jungle somewhere and preserved with the display created around it. You'd be hard pressed to not believe that the "dirt" and many of the plants are not real.

Lockheed Model 14 display

One of the few "not real" aircraft in the display is this full-sized model of a Junkers JU87 Stuka which is hanging from the ceiling. Although low enough that I could reach up to one of the wheels, I completed missed this at first as I came around a corner and saw the Yak3M shown above 😐

Junker JU87 Stuka model

Lastly, it's worthy of note that this entire display is the work of local people. It is juts stunning. Well worth a few dollars to go and visit it!

There is also a WW1 focused display in the next building [entry is at additional cost] which is a little larger and also very impressive [and also with a number of flyable aircraft in the collection]. All-in-all, it's well worth a visit!

Omaka for lunch: Aug 2009: #3

The final part of any trip is the return home [I have a knack for stating the obvious!]. After snapping pictures of the aircraft around us, and Pete having a quick look at the Nanchang that we happened to park up next to, we headed off.

The flight back was just as scenic and calm as the trip over. What follows is one shot as we departed [showing the Bristol Freighter parked up next to some hangers and the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre], one on approach to Wellington and the final one is looking back down the runway as we exited on the western apron where the Wellington Aero Club is located.

All-in-all, a really nice way to spend a couple of hours!

Omaka for lunch: Aug 2009: #2

After a quick bite to eat at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, we headed back to our aircraft for the flight back to Wellington. Before taking off, I snapped photos of a few of the aircraft that happenned to be there - mostly visitors in this case.

Here they are, top to bottom:

Piper PA28-180, ZK-DFL, registered to Kapiti Aero Club
Cessna 172N, ZK-KAS, also of Kapiti Aero Club
Hughes 369HS, ZK-HER, of Cloudy Bay Helicopters
Nanchang CJ6, ZK-JQS, of Omaka Real Flying Club
Falconar F-12, ZK-DBI, registered at a Rolleston based syndicate
General picture of the flightline back towards the Marlborough Aero Club hanger and clubrooms, including Piper PA38-112, ZK-EIY, registered to a Blenheim based owner

Omaka for lunch: Aug 2009: #1

Lazing around at the Aero Club on Saturday, and waiting for the Club's annual spit roast and quiz evening [more on this later], I was invited to go to Omaka aerodrome for lunch! Not being one to often sit on the ground if the other option is to sit in a plane, I said yes and off we went.

For those that follow this blog, Omaka is the home of the awesome Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre that contains a range of original aircraft along with flying reproductions [not mere replicas!] and memorabilia - including the cross out of Manfred von Richthofen's aircraft [apparently souvenired by some Australian troops after he crashed and died]!! I'll always recommend a visit for anyone who is interested in aviation - it is well worth while!

As you'll see from the photos on the trip over there, the weather was fantastic, and we enjoyed the trip very much. Many thanks to Brian for taking Pete and myself over!

The photos below included a picture of Woodbourne aerodrome, then Omaka [Omaka is contained within the Woodbourne control zone], and Piper PA28R-201 Arrow, ZK-EIF - the aircraft for our flight, and finally, ZK-EIF's instrument panel on-route.

Welcome to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre!

I really enjoyed the trip to Omaka, and the highlight of the trip was certainly the visit to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre.

This place is amazing! It is full of real [and some replica] aircraft from the early age of aviation - mainly from the World War One era. What is most amazing is that many of the aircraft are in flyable condition. I have seen several of the aircraft in the air over the past couple of years. In addition to an extensive array of vintage aircraft there is a sizable selection of genuine memorabilia, including uniforms of famous aviators, medals and videos including original footage.

If you are at all interested in vintage aircraft, this has to be on your list of places to visit! The centre staff are very friendly and very happy for you to take your camera, although the displays are designed to be looked at and photography is a little difficult due to the reduced lighting levels.

Anyway, to the photos. These are a very small selection of the aircraft on display. The photos don't really do justice to the displays, so rock up and see it for yourself!

- The welcome sign
- Replica Hawker Hurricane outside the centre
- Fokker DR.1 'Dreidecker' Triplane
- Pfalz D.III
- Nieuport 24
- De Havilland DH-5