History from the sky:
Warbirds over Wanaka
A photographic exploration of the people, traditions and shared experiences that bring New Zealand's celebrated aviation event to life.
AOTEAROA, NEW ZEALAND 2026
DOCUMENTARY COLLABORATION
Photography, JOURNALISM
FORMATS
Analog film photography
Digital Photography
Journalism
FOR THE New Zealand Warbirds Association
WANAKA, AOTEAROA, NEW ZEALAND
HUMAN MEDIA / FIELD STORY 005
A tradition across generations
WANAKA, AOTEAROA, NEW ZEALAND
HUMAN MEDIA / FIELD STORY 005
Since its beginnings in 1988, Warbirds Over Wanaka has grown from a local airshow into one of the Southern Hemisphere's leading aviation events. Founded by the late Sir Tim Wallis to share his passion for historic aircraft, the biennial gathering brings tens of thousands of people to Wānaka to experience aviation history in flight.
But the experience extends well beyond the aircraft themselves.
Across the airfield, families gather on the grass, children look skyward, enthusiasts reconnect, and generations share a tradition that has become part of their lives. For many, Warbirds is not simply an event to attend, but an experience to return to.
A shared experience
WANAKA, AOTEAROA, NEW ZEALAND
HUMAN MEDIA / FIELD STORY 005
Among the crowds are families experiencing the airshow together across generations. Grandparents, parents and children share the same spectacle, each encountering it from a different perspective.
For younger visitors, it may be their first experience of aircraft of this scale. For others, it is a familiar ritual, one revisited every time the airshow returns to Wānaka.
During the event, I spent time photographing and speaking with attendees whose connection to Warbirds extended beyond a single weekend. One couple, who had attended the 2021 show, had returned again in 2026, continuing a tradition that has become part of their calendar.
Their stories offer a glimpse into another side of the event: the memories made on the ground, the people who return, and the experiences that are shared long after the aircraft have left the runway.
Legend Aviation Russell and Ross Brodie with their 1942 De Havilland Tiger Moth,
A returning couple at Warbirds Over Wanaka, 2026
Three generations experiencing the airshow together.
More than a spectacle
WANAKA, AOTEAROA, NEW ZEALAND
HUMAN MEDIA / FIELD STORY 005
The scale of Warbirds is undeniable. Historic aircraft, skilled pilots and precision flying make for an extraordinary experience, bringing aviation heritage into the present in a way that few other events can.
Yet much of what makes the airshow distinctive is found in the relationship between the machines and the people who keep them flying, those who take to the skies, and the thousands who gather to watch.
I also spent time with one of the event's pilots, whose own story offers a different perspective on the dedication and history carried into each flight. Behind every display is a person, and behind every aircraft is a story that extends far beyond its time in the air.
