Ahead of the NZ Warbirds Association D Day get together being held today there was a flurry of activity from the airworthy and non airworthy aircraft of warbird status. From a jet perspective, NZ6372/ZK-BAC reportedly arrived in the morning and is seen here while conducting a local flight mid afternoon. Is this aircraft now based out of Wellington?
NZ6370/ZK-STR was static adjacent to its normal roosting spot (not photographed).
Meanwhile, outside the Warbirds hangar sat retired MB339 Macchi NZ6471 and CAC 31 Sabre A94-922. The latter has been resident at Ardmore for many moons now with early expectations that it was going to become airworthy but it seems this idea has been sadly shelved and it has languished in a hangar awaiting its fate. During the week it was moved from its place of storage and is now on static display for the D Day event with a proposal tabled for it to remain stored with Warbirds joining the Macchi and of course A4 Skyhawk. Also worth mentioning is the yet to fly Trojan ZK-TGN was also nestled inside the Warbirds hangar on static display.
I had photographed the Sabre not long after its post restoration to non airworthy status some years ago but it wasn't until yesterday that the Papua New Guinean roundel on the top of the wings was noted.
