Spirit lifts Seven Sharp over Auckland

In the morning, Mark hosted Daniel Faitaua and camerawoman Victoria Evans from Seven Sharp for a short scenic flight around Auckland’s CBD and Rangitoto Island. Air Traffic Control was most accommodating and, with television cameras on the ground and Victoria filming from the air, passes were made on both sides of the Sky Tower. It was a wonderful way to see Auckland Harbour from Spirit’s large windows.

Daniel clearly enjoyed the perspective he was given of the city and was a real gentleman throughout — warm, gracious, and appreciative with everyone. We look forward to seeing the results of his interview with Mark soon.

The flight departed from the ExecuJet FBO in Auckland, whose staff have been fantastic support for the crew, and landed at Ardmore, where Spirit was parked on the grass beside the Warbirds hangar. With so many people there interested in vintage aviation, tours were conducted for several hours afterwards.

It then became the crew’s turn to visit the Warbirds hangar, where a number of First World War aircraft were on display, almost all of them still flying. What a treat.

After a late lunch with Pete, the pilot of the Harvard that would be flying with Spirit in formation that evening, all was set for what was shaping up to be a lovely late-summer sky.

Both the Harvard and the DC-3 are iconic radial-engine, propeller-driven aircraft from the 1930s and 1940s: the DC-3 as a transport aircraft, and the Harvard — or T-6 Texan in American parlance — as an advanced trainer. Their engines sang much the same tune and they flew beautifully together. With Pete’s excellent formation lead and Curt’s superb formation flying, a splendid air-to-air photo shoot was achieved over Rangitoto Island, Auckland Harbour, and the eastern coastline before sunset.

Everyone on board greatly enjoyed the remarkable views, as too did many on the ground who watched the pair pass overhead.

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