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. A large contingent of historic and contemporary aircraft of note from all over New Zealand and the world converges on Wanaka each second Easter for the air show. Numerous aviation personalities from all over the world attend Warbirds over Wanaka, Gen Chuck Yeager and Buzz Aldrin being the most notable of recent times. The mainstays of the display have traditionally been the aircraft from Sir Tim's Alpine Fighter Collection, based at the New Zealand Fighter Pilots' Museum. However, this collection is currently in the process of being broken up. A new charitable trust has been established to run the event in the future. At Easter on the alternate years a similar air show is held at Omaka air field in Blenheim in the northern South Island, under the title of Classic Fighters. Its emphasis is on World War I aircraft including as many as seven Fokker Dr.I triplanes. Also on alternate years Wings over Wairarapa airshow is held at Hood Aerodrome, Masterton, in the North Island. It is traditional for RNZAF aircraft heading to Wanaka for the airshow to perform aerial displays over the cities of Christchurch and Dunedin on their journey to the show.
Events
1988
As well as aircraft there were displays of vintage vehicles and agricultural machinery. The event attracted an estimated 14,000 visitors. Among the aircraft was Tim Wallis's Mustang, a Hawker Sea Fury, de Havilland Venom, DC3 and Harvards. The RNZAF put on a display with their Red Checkers aerobatic team. A profit of $41,000 was made, which was divided between the Wanaka Swimming pool and the next Warbirds event.
1990
A more detailed organisation together with increased promotion saw attendance double to 28,000. A feature was Tim Wallis's repaired Spitfire XVI.
1992
The star of the show was a Messerschmitt Bf 109 owned by the Duxford-based Old Flying Machine Company and flown by Mark Hanna. The Alpine Fighter Collection’s Curtiss P-40K Kittyhawk made its first post-restoration flight at the show, also flown by Mark Hanna.
The public flying debut of the Alpine Fighter Collection’s Hawker Hurricane P3351 and three Polikarpov I-153s.
2002
Four Polikarpovs participated in the flying display. Three of them were Polikarpov I-16 monoplanes and the fourth a Polikarpov I-153 Tchaika.
2004
The 2004 airshow attracted an estimated 99,000 people. Buzz Aldrin was the guest of honour.
2006
The 2006 airshow was held over the weekend of April 14–16. For the first time an F-111 of the Royal Australian Air Force took part in the flying display. A record 111,000 people were estimated to have attended.
2008
The 2008 air show was held over the weekend of March 21–23. 86,000 people were estimated to have attended.
The last display of the RNZAF Bell UH-1H Iroquois helicopters who had been a regular feature of the airshow since its inception in 1988. The Hueys were retired from service and replaced by the NH-90. Airshow dates were from the 18–20 April with 48,000 attendants.
2016
2018
The 2018 show took place from March 30 to April 2, with aviation displays by historic and current aircraft from 10 am to 4 pm on both the 31st and 1st. Participants in the show included displays by USAF F-16s, a Harvard display team; Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90s; the Kiwi Blue RNZAF Parachute display team; RNZAF C130 Hercules and B757; the Royal Australian Air ForceHawk 127 high performance jet trainer; The French Air Force of New Caledonia's CASA; RNZAF Seasprites; a Yak-52 team formation aerobatic display; Juka aerobatics; USAF C-17 Globemasters; the RNZAF display team, The Black Falcons; a re-enacted WWII dogfight and tailchase featuring Bf 109, Avro Anson, Spitfire, Yak-3, and P-51D; P-40, Avenger, Catalina and DC-3 displays; and jet formation aerobatics from Vampires and L-39s. Other events at the airshow included skydivers, glider and model aircraft displays, a classic 1930s aircraft flypast, a military re-enactment, and a parade of Packard vintage cars. The opening of the show was marred by an incident involving one of the show's Yak-3 aircraft, with the plane, hitting a camera crane as it was landing. There were no injuries, but the aircraft sustained major damage. An ongoing investigation is taking place.
2020
The 2020 airshow was to take place over 10-12 April. Aircraft planned to appear included one of the Polikarpov I-16s that was rebuilt in the 1990s by Sir Tim Wallis. Another aircraft that was scheduled to appear was a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress that would flyover Wanaka on Sunday on its way to Australia from Guam, making the type’s airshow debut in New Zealand. On March 15 it was announced that the 2020 show would be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.. This marked the first time in the event’s history that a show had been cancelled.
