A total of 32 Retirees had an enjoyable and informative visit to Ardmore Airport on Wednesday 7 March. The tour commenced at the Warbirds Museum and Visitor Centre where everyone was able to see a range of aircraft up close and personal. Included in the Warbirds Museum was a vast range, possibly the largest collection of Model Aircraft in the Southern Hemisphere.
Inspecting the Skyhawk A-4K
A total of 24 A-4 Skyhawks served in the RNZAF from 1979 to 2001
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2.c
The B.E.2.c was a WW1 aircraft used by the Royal Flying Corps for reconnaissance and light bombing. Due to it's rather slow performance (166km/hr) the casualty rate was quite high. This display aircraft is a reproduction of the original.
The tour then moved to the Avspecs Hangar where aircraft are restored. We were fortunate to see a Mosquito Aircraft undergoing a complete refurbishment.
Warren Denholm of Avspecs gave a very informative talk on the range of restoration that takes place there.
Fully restored Rolls Royce Merlin engine
It was hoped that the tour would also include a visit to the Control Tower but regrettably this was not possible due to various meetings of Senior personnel and the amount of activity in the Ardmore area that they are responsible for.
The tour concluded at the Airport Café where those who stayed on had an enjoyable lunch. During the tour and unbeknown to members the bus broke down during our visit due to water entering the engine but was fixed in time to continue to ferry us around. Another situation arose that involved one of our members who on his way to the Airfield came across a car that had run off the road into a ditch. With his help and that of people living nearby and the police and ambulance they were able to get the driver out without severe injury.
Subsequent News...
The Trustees of The Mosquito Pathfinder Trust have elected to call on the world renowned skill and experience of Avspecs Ltd, based in New Zealand. Avspecs has now completed 16 warbird restorations and currently has 2 projects underway. With 3 de Havilland Mosquito aircraft projects already within its experience, Avspecs was the obvious choice for The Mosquito Pathfinder Trust. Our team had this short interview with Warren recently. Enjoy!