BOOK REVIEWS

 

Warbirds Over Wanaka – The Official Record of the 2004 Airshow                                         By Ian Brodie; Reed, Auckland 2004

Classic Aircraft of New Zealand                                                                                                     By Stuart Russell and Alex Mitchell; Reed Auckland 2003

Reviewed by Richard Jackson, member of the NZ Sport & Vintage Aviation Society.

Kiwis’ enthusiasm for vintage and classic aircraft is a relatively recent phenomenon - the first Warbirds over Wanaka airshow was held only 17 years ago. However the international success of the Wanaka air show was not predicted – the combination of Sir Tim Wallis and his boundless enthusiasm, the spectacular scenery of Wanaka, and the skill of Kiwi engineers (who now have a world-class reputation for restoring vintage aircraft) meant that the biennial Wanaka air show quickly attracted performers and spectators from overseas - along with about 100,000 New Zealanders.  It has also become a focal point for military vehicle and vintage machinery collectors – the ground show is almost as elaborate as the air show.

So what better souvenir of Warbirds over Wanaka than Ian Brodies’ book? It is a 104 page, landscape-format, soft-cover book featuring superb photography, some behind-the-scenes photos and commentaries, and a brief explanation about each of the aerial stars of the show. The Introduction is particularly recommended. Written by Keith Skilling, who flew the FG-1D Corsair at this year’s show, it gives a vivid pilot’s view of display flying.

Classic Aircraft of New Zealand is a similar format (but twice as thick) book containing 43 well-researched chapters outlining the histories of some 50 classic and vintage aircraft currently – or recently - flying in New Zealand.  Ranging from the WWI flying replicas through the beautiful classics like the Beech Staggerwing and the Lockheed Electra Junior from the 1930s, to the ‘heavy metal’ of the WWII fighters, this very informative book is an essential resource about the vintage aircraft you can now see at air displays around the country.

 

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