Scott McKenzie is among the many pilots preparing for take-off in the biennial Wings Over Wairarapa show [November 24–26].
He is set to fly three biplane aircrafts – Avro 504, DH4 and Bristol Fighter.
McKenzie – a Wairarapa-based pilot – first learnt to fly in the Royal New Zealand Air Force [RNZAF] when he joined as a pilot in 1995 and later retired as a Wing Commander in 2017.
With more than 30 years of experience under his wing, McKenzie has also achieved the highest RNZAF instructional qualification on both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
Having grown up surrounded by helicopters and planes, McKenzie said attending the Warbirds over Wānaka air show as a child with his parents sparked his interest into wanting to do air show flying and flying old aircraft.
The Avro 504 – a favourite of McKenzie’s – is also the first aircraft registered in New Zealand, with all its original airframe and engine intact.
Although McKenzie doesn’t get nervous anymore before flying, he said that during his four-year stint in the Formation Aerobatic Team in the RNZAF – leading the team for two seasons – it was only partway through his first year that his nerves subsided.
“I’ve got a process that I go through, and if I go through my process, then I feel completely calm and focused.
“But when I fly these original aircraft, I feel an overwhelming sense of trepidation that I must not do any damage to it,” McKenzie said.
For young people wanting to pursue a career in aviation, McKenzie recommends studying hard at school with particular attention to both maths and English while also advising people with a “get-up-and-go attitude” to head down to the local airfield, where there will be plenty of people willing to lend a helping hand.
“I love the fact that kids and adults really love aviation, and I’ve had such an awesome time in aviation in my career and some great experiences,” he said.
“Having people that can experience that part of the air show and especially seeing the kids spark that interest and getting involved in aviation – whether it be flying, maintaining or even designing or being involved with rocket labs, that sort of thing I get a kick out of.”
