Cameron Air & Seafreight Classic Cockpits

Conceived and promoted by ICC member and NZ broadcaster and aviation enthusiast Peter (Mac) McQuarters, “Cameron Air & Seafreight Classic Cockpits” is the Kiwi brand version of the UK’s CockpitFest and its proponents regard it as the “Downunder Branch” of the International Cockpit Club.

In fact the display set up indoors at the NZ Fighter Pilots Museum at the 2006 Warbirds Over Wanaka, featured professional signage promoting the “International Cockpit Club.” The debut effort included the star exhibit, Canberra WH734 which had been especially acquired and imported by the Ashburton Aviation Museum from Gary Spoors. The importation and container freight was generously sponsored by Cameron Air & Seafreight, a Christchurch (NZ) Global forwarder.

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The Canberra, fully kitted out and looking superb in her latter Royal Aircraft Establishment Raspberry Ripple scheme, has been fitted onto a specially designed trailer which has the big cockpit sitting low for towing, and can be hydraulically raised at the display location and the aircrafts nose gear lowered. The cockpit “powers-up” and although designed to give an impression of a type once operated by the RNZAF, the AAM have recognized the very special history of this particular aircraft and actively display its own history including its place as the first British Air-to-Air jet in-flight re-fueller.

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WH734 was joined by Harvard NZ914, an Oxford cockpit built by John Skene, Chris Rudges DC3, the RNZAF museums T55 Vampire and the Aeroview Museums Link Trainer restored by 16 year old Daniel McQuarters.

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The foundation has been laid to grow the movement in New Zealand, and new cockpits are being sought to bring out to NZ to display at the next WOW to be held over Easter 2008. If you know of anything available which could include but not be limited to, Hunter, Jet Provost, Jaguar, etc etc, please contact Peter Mac by email at:
aeromedia@xtra.co.nz.

Peter will be visiting the UK June/July 2007 and hopes to pack a container for NZ during that trip.


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