Classic Fighters Airshow
Last Modified: 14-2-2019 21:00
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Omaka Aerodrome is the home to the biennial Classic Fighters airshow, held over Easter every two years. The event has grown over the years to become a major Marlborough event. Omaka is home to a number of rare aircraft including a large of World War I aircraft, including among others Fokker Triplanes, and a Sopwith Camel owned by film maker Sir Peter Jackson.
In addition to aerial displays, there is ground action including various military vehicles including replica WWI tanks, and a tradition of the show is an item which is blown up in a pyrotechnic display on the final day of the show. Over the years this has included the 'monastery' of Monte Casino, a V2 rocket.
The 2007 show for the first time since WWI featured a squadron of seven Fokker Triplans, recreating Manfred von Richtofen's famous 'flying circus'. The triplanes have more or less become the signature aircraft of the show.
The show is not limited to WWI aircraft, with 2017 featuring three flying Spitfires and the unique Omaka based Avro Anson WWII bomber.
The show features a huge army of volunteers from Marlborough and further afield, and all proceeds go to development of the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre.
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Classic Fighters Airshow. (2019) Retrieved April, 24, 2024, from https://www.marlboroughonline.co.nz/marlborough/information/recreation/regular-events/classic-fighters