Warbirds scholarship to make return

The Warbirds Over Wanaka Community Trust has announced the scholarship programme is to make a return for 2025, and Warbird aircraft engineers are eligible to apply alongside pilots.
Warbirds Over Wanaka general manager Ed Taylor said the scholarship programme had been put on hold since 2020 as Covid forced the cancellation of the 2020 and 2022 shows, but after a successful 2024 show, the scholarship programme was in a position to return.
One of the pilots who had benefited from the scholarship programme was Adam Butcher, who took part in the programme in 2017.
Mr Butcher had been flying since 1996, when he was 14 years old. It took him a while to save for his private pilot's licence, which he got in 2004.
Flying vintage aeroplanes was a dream of his, and after obtaining his licence, Mr Butcher flew 50 hours in a Tiger Moth biplane built in the 1940s.
After obtaining his commercial pilot's licence he flew from Queenstown, taking tourists on aerobatic, thrill-seeking rides in a Pitts Special biplane.
After moving to Australia in 2010, Mr Butcher continued to fly vintage aeroplanes; he flew Chinese and Soviet warbirds commercially from Adelaide until 2012.
On returning to New Zealand, Mr Butcher became the chief pilot for the Croydon Aviation Company, which operated vintage de Havilland aircraft from the 1930s and 1940s.
For seven and a-half years, while working remotely as the chief pilot for the Mandeville-based company, he flew sightseeing flights from Manapouri Airport.
In 2017 he was selected as the recipient of the Warbirds scholarship programme, which allowed him to get time flying historical aircraft.
The scholarship allowed him to obtain a type rating on a North American Harvard, a trainer aircraft from World War 2.
"The Harvard's always been the step up to go from all of the lighter aircraft, the Nanchangs and the Yaks and the, I suppose, Tiger Moths even as well"
Over two weeks Mr Butcher was instructed on how to fly the aircraft by John Lamont and Grant Bissett, who both flew the Harvard and other aircraft at the Warbirds Over Wanaka airshows.
"I'd say mentoring through the Warbird progression from them was as valuable as the scholarship amount itself."
The scholarship allowed him to fly seven hours in the aircraft, which was quite different from the types he had flown in the past.
"I really appreciated the coaching, mentoring, training [and] instructing that came with John Lamont as well — he's such a fixture with Warbirds Over Wanaka for his experience and knowledge."
After his experience on the Harvard, Mr Butcher hoped to eventually fly the Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk, a fighter that was flown by the Royal New Zealand Air Force in World War 2.
"I think we all have a shared passion of wanting to experience a bit of everything of that period, but yeah, the P-40 has always been a favourite for me. "
As a form of paying it forward, Mr Butcher purchased an aircraft of his own, a Pitts Special biplane, which he used to get his lower level display authorisation, and to lend to others to give them experience with flying classic aircraft.
"So I was very grateful for having the opportunity to fly somebody else's Harvard, and I wanted to make sure that I gave that opportunity to others to fly the Pitts."
Mr Butcher has also stepped up to better help run the airshow as an assistant display director.
Part of the role involves guiding the aircraft that would display, as well as providing briefings before the show starts to ensure it runs smoothly.
"Whether it's in the aeroplane or out, everybody holds a really important role to make sure the whole show is good for people coming to watch and ultimately educate them on what it is to fly Warbird aircraft and make sure the passion for that stays strong."
Last year, he sold his aircraft to construct a new hangar to house more aircraft.
"It's a step out of the cockpit for a moment, but it's a longer-term view of how best we support vintage aviation and make sure that there are homes for these aircraft when they're on the field," he said.
For the pilots and mechanics who would apply for this year's scholarship, it was really important to show they were genuine in their passion, he said, something he felt would come through in an application.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Newsroom

8 hours ago

• Newsroom

The secret diary of .. Luxon in China

MONDAY 'Where are your slippers?,' Amanda said. 'You'll need your slippers.' Much is at fate for the destiny and wellbeing of New Zealand as I head to China this week to deliver a set of deliverables. 'I can't find your slippers,' she said. Other great helmsmen from history must have felt the same excitement and sense of purpose as they prepared to carry the hopes of their people and sit down to make sure they get share of mind. 'Your feet get so cold in air-conditioned hotel rooms,' she said. But it's more than the welfare of Kiwis that is at stake. These talks in China are held at a delicately poised time of increased global volatility and I have an important voice as world leaders iron out a phased launch within a wider strategy. 'If you won't help, then suit yourself,' she said. The DPS arrived. It was time to go. The great tides of history wait for no man. TUESDAY It's a very long flight to China but that allowed an opportunity to get to know the trade delegates from Zespri, Fonterra, and Supercheap Auto which stocks a variety of car batteries, air filters, coolants and more. Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran was also among the delegation. 'Not what it used to be, is it,' I said. 'Sorry?' 'The airline. It used to be one of the world's great airlines. I led it into an era of unprecedented success but the bottom seems to have fallen out since I left office.' 'None of that is true,' he said, and left to use the bathroom. I never saw him again. WEDNESDAY We raced off out of the blocks with meetings to raise awareness of the New Zealand tourism offering in the Chinese market, and a visit to a cosmetics event to discuss regulatory barriers of skincare products. You don't want to boil the ocean by alphabetising our client contact information but at the same time you want to reach out and come away with important learnings. I was on my feet all day. They hurt and I think I might have chilblains. THURSDAY To the Langham Hotel for a Fonterra event promoting grass-fed dairy where attendees were served milk in champagne flutes. And then the Peninsula Hotel, to oversee the announcement of a new flight route between China and South America, stopping in Auckland. After that, The Do Drop Inn where reps from Supercheap Auto wowed Chinese officials with budget deals on the Tridon Coolant Temperature Sensor, Fuel Injection Air Flow Meter and the Bissell Spot Clean Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner. Our tiger team really moved the needle on that one. But it was misery to go back to the hotel. They keep the aircon on high and I just could not get my feet warm. FRIDAY A face-to-face with President Xi in Beijing—my first since China sent a strike force into the Tasman Sea without warning. I said to him, 'We have huge areas of co-operation that can advance the wealth of both countries, but we also have to acknowledge that we have differences.' He seemed to be playing Solitaire on his phone, but he gave me his full attention, and asked, 'What differences?' I thought of the possible bonanza in sales of meat and kiwifruit. I thought of the benefits of the visit to the skincare event and the excitement caused by good deals on motor oil provided by Supercheap Auto. Mainly I thought of how my feet were frozen blocks of ice, and I said, 'Nothing really. It's all good. Let's lean into our moving parts and build on our core competency!' The DPS arrived. It was time to go. They had found me a pair of slippers.

Otago Daily Times

18 hours ago

• Otago Daily Times

The secret diary of . . . Christopher Luxon in China

MONDAY "Where are your slippers?" Amanda said. "You'll need your slippers." Much is at fate for the destiny and wellbeing of New Zealand as I head to China this week to deliver a set of deliverables. "I can't find your slippers," she said. Other great helmsmen from history must have felt the same excitement and sense of purpose as they prepared to carry the hopes of their people and sit down to make sure they get share of mind. "Your feet get so cold in air-conditioned hotel rooms," she said. But it's more than the welfare of Kiwis that is at stake. These talks in China are held at a delicately poised time of increased global volatility and I have an important voice as world leaders iron out a phased launch within a wider strategy. "If you won't help, then suit yourself," she said. The DPS arrived. It was time to go. The great tides of history wait for no man. TUESDAY It's a very long flight to China but that allowed an opportunity to get to know the trade delegates from Zespri, Fonterra, and Supercheap Auto which stocks a variety of car batteries, air filters, coolants and more. Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran was also among the delegation. "Not what it used to be, is it," I said. "Sorry?" "The airline. It used to be one of the world's great airlines. I led it into an era of unprecedented success but the bottom seems to have fallen out since I left office." "None of that is true," he said, and left to use the bathroom. I never saw him again. WEDNESDAY We raced off out of the blocks with meetings to raise awareness of the New Zealand tourism offering in the Chinese market, and a visit to a cosmetics factory even to discuss regulatory barriers of skincare products. You don't want to boil the ocean by alphabetising our client contact information but at the same time you want to reach out and come away with important learnings. I was on my feet all day. They hurt and I think I might have chilblains. THURSDAY To the Langham Hotel for a Fonterra event promoting grass-fed dairy where attendees were served milk in Champagne flutes. And then the Peninsula Hotel, to oversee the announcement of a new flight route between China and South America, stopping in Auckland. After that, The Do Drop Inn where reps from Supercheap Auto wowed Chinese officials with budget deals on the Tridon Coolant Temperature Sensor, Fuel Injection Air Flow Meter and the Bissell Spot Clean Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner. Our tiger team really moved the needle on that one. But it was misery to go back to the hotel. They keep the air-con on high and I just could not get my feet warm. FRIDAY A face-to-face with President Xi in Beijing — my first since China sent a strike force into the Tasman Sea without warning. I said to him, 'We have huge areas of co-operation that can advance the wealth of both countries, but we also have to acknowledge that we have differences." He seemed to be playing Solitaire on his phone, but he gave me his full attention, and asked, "What differences?" I thought of the possible bonanza in sales of meat and kiwifruit. I thought of the benefits of the visit to the skincare event and the excitement caused by good deals on motor oil provided by Supercheap Auto. Mainly I thought of how my feet were frozen blocks of ice, and I said, "Nothing really. It's all good. Let's lean into our moving parts and build on our core competency!" The DPS arrived. It was time to go. They had found me a pair of slippers. By Steve Braunias

Scoop

a day ago

• Scoop

Air New Zealand, Air China, & Tourism NZ Announce Strategic Investment To Boost Chinese Travel Demand To Aotearoa

In a step to further support the revitalisation of Chinese tourism to New Zealand, Air New Zealand, Air China, and Tourism New Zealand have today announced a partnership aimed at strengthening travel from China to New Zealand. The tripartite partnership will see nearly half a million NZD invested from the three organisations going toward stimulating inbound tourism from China, in addition to Air New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand's existing investments in the market. Over the next 12 months, Air New Zealand will invest more than $700,000 in marketing through strategic partnerships – an addition to the airline's significant and ongoing marketing commitment in China. The new funding will be used to support a marketing campaign to drive greater awareness of New Zealand as a preferred destination for Chinese travellers. It is also an opportunity to highlight the longstanding alliance between Air New Zealand and Air China launched in 2015, which has provided greater connectivity, codeshare convenience, and a seamless customer experience for travellers between China and New Zealand. China is New Zealand's third largest source of international visitors, comprising around 8% of total visitor arrivals. In the year to March 2025, 248,000 Chinese travellers visited New Zealand, up 18 per cent on the prior year. Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran said the airline's service between Shanghai and Auckland are going from strength to strength. "China is an incredibly important market for us, and we're proud of the role our Shanghai service has played in connecting people, cargo, and cultures over the past decade. This joint investment is an opportunity to further stimulate travel demand to encourage growth in inbound tourism from China to New Zealand. 'We're looking forward to having our brand-new cabins on our 787 aircraft flying to Shanghai on occasion, offering Chinese customers the opportunity to be among the first to experience our enhanced onboard experience. From October, we'll see a 33% increase in premium seats on the Shanghai–Auckland route, giving customers even more opportunity to travel with additional space and comfort to New Zealand." Mr. Ma Chongxian, the Chairman of CNAH, expressed confidence in the recovery of China-New Zealand market and the alliance partnership between Air China and Air New Zealand. 'New Zealand market has always been the key focus in our Asia-Pacific network. We have deeply engaged in Beijing-Auckland service since 2015. As our strategic alliance with Air New Zealand reinforces the mutual trust and support, our network, products and services have been optimized along the way. The partnership has played a positive role in jointly promoting economic and trade growth and fostering cross-cultural communication between China and New Zealand. 'Embracing the second decade of China-New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the tenth anniversary of the alliance partnership between Air China and Air New Zealand, we would like to join Air New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand in further facilitating market recovery and expanding collaborations to deepen practical cooperation and improve customer experience.' Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive René de Monchy said there is an audience of around 60 million people in China 'actively considering' a holiday to New Zealand. 'We're looking forward to working with Air New Zealand and Air China to get them booking trips to come and enjoy destination New Zealand sooner rather than later.' He said Chinese visitors were drawn to New Zealand's culture, friendliness, and natural scenery including mountains and lakes, hiking and national parks. "China's travel behaviour evolves rapidly. For example, we are seeing growth in smaller visitor groups that are staying for longer and getting out to enjoy more experiences and visit more regions.' New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said: 'This partnership between Air New Zealand, Air China, and Tourism New Zealand is another step toward turbocharging New Zealand's tourism recovery and growth. As we work to rebuild our visitor economy, stimulating demand from key markets like China, which was our largest inbound tourism market pre-Covid, is essential to creating jobs, supporting businesses, and strengthening communities across the country. This strategic investment will not only boost awareness of Aotearoa as a unique and welcoming destination but also deepen the connections between our peoples and cultures. We are committed to backing initiatives that bring more visitors here, ensuring tourism continues to be a driver of prosperity for all New Zealanders.' This initiative reaffirms the strong commitment from both airlines and New Zealand's tourism sector to support economic recovery and reestablish vital people-to-people ties between the two nations.