WORLD DATES
Australia and New Zealand offer the historic aviation highlights outside Europe and North America. The top New Zealand event, Warbirds over Wanaka, again fully justifies its ‘international’ tag in its 30th anniversary year – the Aircraft Restoration Company-operated Hispano Buchón makes a return visit, now in its Dunkirk film colour scheme, and the US Air Force contributes both its F-16C Fighting Falcon and C-17A Globemaster III solo demonstrations. The Royal Australian Air Force is sending a C-27J Spartan tactical airlifter for the first time. From the ‘home team’, the Royal New Zealand Air Force will provide the finale to the Wanaka lakefront event late on the Friday afternoon before the main show begins. This has become a very popular extra element to WoW, and this time includes an SH-2G Seasprite helicopter winching demo and a C-130H Hercules firing flares. A PBY Catalina will also land on the lake. Not to be outdone, the leading Australian warbird shows at Scone and Temora are also putting together attractive line-ups for 2018.