History
Tauranga Airport has hosted airshows regularly since its inception, and in particular since 1946 when its first commercial services started. The airshows have regularly involved the local aviation community, including the Tauranga Aero Club, the local flight training schools, and recently the SAA-Sport Aircraft Association . The Royal New Zealand Air Force have been regular attendees with their Red Checkers aerobatics displays.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) is the air force component of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zealand elements of the British Royal Air Force, becoming an independent force in 1923, although many RNZAF aircrew continued to serve in the Royal Air Force until the end of the 1940s. The RNZAF fought in World War II, Malaya, Korean War, Vietnam and the Gulf War plus various United Nations peacekeeping missions. From a 1945 peak of over 1,000 combat aircraft the RNZAF has shrunk to a strength of around 51 aircraft in 2016, focusing on maritime patrol and transport duties in support of the Royal New Zealand Navy and the New Zealand Army. The RNZAF's air combat capability ended in 2001 with the disbanding of the A-4 Skyhawk squadrons. The Air Force is led by an air vice-marshal who holds the appointment of Chief of Air Force.
The Tauranga City Airshow is now managed by the Classic Flyers Museum in cooperation with the Tauranga City Council. The airshow had previously been run by the Sports Aircraft Association and was known as the Tauranga Airshow.
Tauranga City Council is the local government authority for Tauranga City in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority elected to represent the 158,000 people of Tauranga. The current Mayor of Tauranga is Greg Brownless. The council consists of 13 members elected from four wards, and is presided over by the Mayor, who is elected at large.
The Classic Flyers Museum is situated on the airfield itself, and features a range of flying aircraft and static displays.
An air show, is a public event where aircraft are exhibited.
They often include aerobatics demonstrations, without they are called "static air shows" with aircraft parked on the ground.
Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in normal flight. Aerobatics are performed in airplanes and gliders for training, recreation, entertainment, and sport. Additionally, some helicopters, such as the MBB Bo 105, are capable of limited aerobatic maneuvers. An example of a fully aerobatic helicopter, capable of performing loops and rolls, is the Westland Lynx.
The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Scampton. The team was formed in late 1964 as an all-RAF team, replacing a number of unofficial teams that had been sponsored by RAF commands.
Surya Kiran is an aerobatics demonstration team of the Indian Air Force. The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) was formed in 1996 and are a part of the 52nd Squadron of the IAF. The team has since performed numerous demonstrations usually with nine aircraft. The squadron was composed of the HAL HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 military trainer aircraft till 2011 and were based at the Bidar Air Force Station in Karnataka. The team was suspended in February 2011 and was re-established with Hawk Mk-132 aircraft in 2017.
A warbird is any vintage military aircraft now operated by civilian organizations and individuals or, in some instances, by historic arms of military forces, such as the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the RAAF Museum Historic Flight or the South African Air Force Museum Historic Flight.
The Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) is the world's largest military air show, held annually over the third weekend in July, usually at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England in support of The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust. The show typically attracts a total of 150,000 to 160,000 spectators over the weekend.
Warbirds over Wanaka is a biennial air show in Wanaka, held on the Easter weekend of even-numbered years since 1988. It is held at Wanaka Airport, 10 km south-east of Wanaka, in the southern South Island of New Zealand. Initially conceived by New Zealand live deer recovery pioneer, Sir Tim Wallis, as a display day for him to play with his collection of World War II aircraft, the show has grown into a major institution. Roads are closed and traffic is detoured around the area during the weekend. Hotels, motels and backpackers around Wanaka are usually booked well in advance. Accommodation is impossible to find if one does not have a booking.
Tauranga Airport is an airport serving the city of Tauranga, New Zealand. It is located adjacent to Tauranga Harbour in the suburb of Mount Maunganui, approximately 3km northeast of Tauranga CBD. The terminal is located to the north of the runway, on Jean Batten Drive, and consists of a two-storey building with four tarmac gates. Air New Zealand serves the airport through its subsidiaries Mount Cook Airline and Air Nelson, with flights to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. A further two regional airlines also operate to the airport, as well as scenic and charter flights, skydiving operations and general aviation.
A flypast is a ceremonial or honorific flight by a group of aircraft or a single aircraft. The term flypast is used in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. In the United States, the terms flyover and flyby are used.
Frank Versteegh is a Dutch aerobatics pilot. He is also an airshow organiser, a flight safety committee member, a FAI judge and a freestyle aerobatics competitor.
Michael George "Mike" Goulian is an American aerobatic national champion aviator, who races in the Red Bull Air Race World Series under the number 99.
China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Airshow China (中国航展) or Zhuhai Airshow (珠海航展), is the largest airshow in mainland China. It has been held in even years in Zhuhai, Guangdong since 1996.
Sean Doherty Tucker is an American aerobatic pilot who is sponsored by the Oracle Corporation and performs in air shows worldwide as Team Oracle. Tucker has won several air show championship competitions throughout his career and was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2008. He currently serves as Chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles program.
Leo Loudenslager was an American aviator. He is one of two aviators to have won seven national aerobatic titles and is one of only three Americans to win the World Aerobatics Championship title.
Charlie Hillard was an American aerobatics pilot, and the first American to win the world aerobatics title.
Gene Soucy is an American aerobatics pilot. The son of 2 pilots, he would wash airplanes at a local airport in exchange for flight time while growing up in Kentucky. He soloed in a glider at age 14, and in a regular airplane at 16.
Matt Hall is a third-generation pilot, a former Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) fighter combat instructor, international unlimited aerobatic competitor and the first Australian to be selected to compete in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship, starting in 2009.
The Classic Flyers Museum is an aviation museum located at the Tauranga Airport, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, owned by a registered New Zealand charitable trust, the Bay of Plenty Classic Aircraft Trust.
Central Flying School is the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) unit which is responsible for training the force's flight instructors. It was established at the start of World War II as the Flying Instructors School and assumed its current name 1941. The unit was stationed at RNZAF Base Wigram from 1945 until 1993 when it moved to RNZAF Base Ohakea.
The Black Falcons is the aerobatic display team of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
