"Knights of the Sky" - My visit to Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre

[Brad Cancian]

Hi all,

I recently spent six weeks in New Zealand, and one of my 'must do' adventures was to visit the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, located in Blenheim in the South Island (only a short drive from Picton, which is where the ferry from the North Island to the South Island docks).

There are WW1 and WW2 exhibitions located in the exhibition, both of which are amazing, but I will focus on the WW1 exhibition, titled "Knights of the Sky". This is (apparently) predominantly the personal collection of Peter Jackson of "Lord of the Rings" fame.



There are only four original aircraft located in the centre; the very rare Caproni (the story of it being smuggled out of Italy is amazing, and it reads like a thriller of a movie), the Curtis Flying Boat, the DH4, and the Thomas Morse Scout. All other aircraft are more modern replicas / creations. I was reliably informed that anything with an oil drip tray under it was still flyable (and apparently they do take them flying!). They also have one of the two original Pfalz D.III replicas from "The Blue Max" movie (which I was way too excited about seeing ). What really sets this place apart is the amazing way in which they represent the subjects; often in full size vignettes, which really adds a dynamic and human feel to what otherwise might have been a sterile museum or display.

In any case, i'll let the pictures of the aircraft do the talking:




























My favourite of them all: 



I will also say that they have some amazing original WW1 memorabilia within the museum as well, with some rather historically significant items (here is a VERY small sample of what they have):











Fonck's tunic!


Rickenbacker's flying suit!


Goering's original WW2 uniform:


And... an original Richthofen cross from his famous downed triplane, Dr.1 425/17:


Oh, and lots of Eduard 1/48 Fokker DVIIs (modelling link  ):


And lastly, a picture of yours truly, to prove it was me that was actually there! I do have a fellow moderator who can I also prove that I was there



In short, this is an amazing aviation centre, with unique pieces of history. It is certainly well worth a visit if you are travelling through the South Island of New Zealand.

I took LOTS more photos, including of the WW2 exhibition (which was also just as great), so if anyone wants to see anything extra, let me know.

Cheers!

Brad C

[KiwiZac]

Great photos Brad! I've struggled to shoot in there in the past so I'm so pleased to see you've done it so well. I'm so very glad you enjoyed the experience.

I do have a fellow moderator who can I also prove that I was there

He truly was here, I saw him with my own eyes! 

[Allan31]

Thanks Brad, scrolling through, I noticed a small tray of wooden model airplanes and Rickenbacker's actual flying coveralls. Looks like an amazing place.

[DaddyO]

Certainly envious of you young man (and completely understand the excitement about the Pfalz) 

Looks like you had a great time and came away with enough references and 'mojo' to keep you going for a while

Paul

[gedmundson]

What an absolutely wonderful museum. Thanks for the great photos, Brad. The Pfalz from the Blue Max film is the ultimate exhibit in my mind.
Cheers!

[Borsos]

Oh what a lovely Museum with many dioramas ideas. I love the Morane Saulnier BB since the day I saw it for the first time on a photo.

[macsporran]

Green with envy, Brad, what a fantastic place - of course it would be as far away from me as it is possible to be on the planet.
As you say, the settings really bring the aircraft alive, especially the realistic figures.
Thanks for posting though: it gives we antipodeans a chance to enjoy it vicariously.
Sandy

[NigelR]

What an amazing place! Sadly I'll never get there but at least I have the compensations of Shuttleworth, Duxford, Cosford, Hendon and even Le Bourget as compensation......