So Much More Than an Air Show

Happily, Rotorua rescheduled a Saturday afternoon Air Show that was canceled in December due to weather. Tom, Sam and I joined 2500+ locals on the Lakefront for the event staged to celebrate the commencement of a direct flight between Rotorua and Sydney - a cause worth celebrating!

Between the air show and an on-ground carnival, The District Council promised 3 hours of free, family friendly entertainment. The afternoon was really more of a 3-ring circus, and since we're on Kiwi Time, activities lasted well beyond the advertised 3 hours.

While waiting for the air show, a local radio personality emceed multiple simultaneous attractions, including a flying demonstration of model helicopters, a chain saw artist creating a helicopter, kids riding by in a miniature fire engine, and - lest we forget - the Marching Girls. Prizes were given along the way - including to the first person who was victim of a seagull missile. It was hard to choose where to be with all this fanfare surrounding us.






Among other thrills, the air show featured precision aerobatic flying, a wingwalker, and - in the distance - that celebrated Sydney flight landing at the Rotorua Airport, but not necessarily on time.
The announcers were entertaining and highly descriptive in their narration - warning us that some of what we were to see might, "Rip your undies." I also appreciated this technical explanation, "If a pilot has a momentary lapse in attention, two planes become one." In the meantime, the loudspeaker blasted music like Glenn Frey's "Danger Zone" which, of course, added to the excitement.

Pretty much everything was delayed, some air attractions had to be canceled because of wind or technical difficulties, but nobody cared. Families and friends simply savored the day and appreciated time together in a beautiful spot. Couldn't have been more delightful.