The Aero L-39 Albatros's at Wanaka.
Four Aero L-39 Albatros aircraft flew as the American Eagles during the Easter Weekend Wanaka Airshow. 
Lined up on the Apron at Wanaka Airport are ZK-EJA "48" c/n 831148, ZK-WLM "28" c/n 332701, ZK-TCS "88" c/n 131848 and ZK-VLK "68" c/n 332630.
The pilots were
Dean "Wilbur" Wright. #1, Flight Lead.
Dean is a retired USAF fighter Pilot with 151 combat hours and 4,000 total fighter hours. He flew the A-10 Warthog during Operation Desert Storm and the F-117 Stealth Fighter during the Second Gulf War. He also flew Hawks and Harriers with the Royal Air Force on exchange. He is also a former member of the USAF "Thunderbirds' F-16 display team.
Dean is a retired USAF fighter Pilot with 151 combat hours and 4,000 total fighter hours. He flew the A-10 Warthog during Operation Desert Storm and the F-117 Stealth Fighter during the Second Gulf War. He also flew Hawks and Harriers with the Royal Air Force on exchange. He is also a former member of the USAF "Thunderbirds' F-16 display team.
Rob "Stache" Hutchinson. #2, Right Wing.
Rob is a competitive aerobatic pilot. He is also an accomplished skydiver and an avid marathoner.
Rob is a competitive aerobatic pilot. He is also an accomplished skydiver and an avid marathoner.
John "Bordz" Posson, #3, Left Wing.
John has had 25 years as a commercial pilot and has logged over 1,300 hors in the P-51 Mustang as an instructor for Stallion 51 in Florida. His vintage aircraft experience includes flying DC-3s, Beech 18s. Grumman Widgeons and more.
John has had 25 years as a commercial pilot and has logged over 1,300 hors in the P-51 Mustang as an instructor for Stallion 51 in Florida. His vintage aircraft experience includes flying DC-3s, Beech 18s. Grumman Widgeons and more.
Paul "Sticky" Strickland, #4, Slot
Paul is a retired USAF A-10, F-5 and F-16 pilot with 270 combat hours and 3,000 total fighter hours. He served also as #4 slot with the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron 'Thunderbirds'.
Paul is a retired USAF A-10, F-5 and F-16 pilot with 270 combat hours and 3,000 total fighter hours. He served also as #4 slot with the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron 'Thunderbirds'.
All four are members of the Patriots L-39 Jet Display Team USA.
"28" is ZK-WLM and c/n 332701 and was originally '28' with the Ukranian Air Force from about 1983. In February 2002 it popped up as N39AQ with Vintage Wings until cancelled on 07-02-2003 to become ZK-LLR with B-B Aviation Ltd (Rob Borius-Broek) of Christchurch from 21-02-2003. It was re-registered as ZK-WLM on 01-11-2004 to Rob, but now of Wanaka. It was re-listed to JetFlights Wanaka Ltd from 14-09-2006 and then sold to McCready Investment Trust of Auckland from 17-11-2010 and more recently, 26-11-2021, to Peter Beck of Howick.
For the Wanaka Show it was in the care of FighterJets NZ of Tauranga.
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"48" is ZK-EJA c/n 832248 and was '25' with the Ukranian Air Force from 1978 until becoming N39ED from 25-09-2003 with Apogee Aerospace Inc of Antioch, California. It then served with Maya Properties LLC from February 2005 and Schuster Aviation LLC from 15-10-2010 and was part of the 'Patriots' L-39 Team.
It first flew from Tauranga as N39ED on 06-02-2014 and was registered ZK-EJA on 03-12-2014 to Easter Jets Ltd (Craig Mossman) in the markings of VMF-214.
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"68" is ZK-VLK c/n 332630 and was originally white "80" from 1983. It became N139PV with Peter Vause of Chicago from 08-01-2004. Peter imported it into NZ where it became ZK-VLT on 17-12-2004 with Oilfield Equipment Rental Ltd at New Plymouth. It joined Eastern Jets NZ Ltd at Tauranga from 12-07-2023 and now wears white '68' marks.
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"68" is ZK-TCS2 c/n 131848 and was originally '137' with the Ukrainian Air Force. It came to NZ in these marks to be repainted blue during its NZ certification to ZK-TCS on 05-01-2007 for the Copter Shop Ltd of Nelson. It was relisted to Eastern Jets NZ Ltd at Tauranga from 20-12-2018 and is now white '88'.
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All four were operated under Craig Mossman's FIGHTERJETS.NZ label and were marked as such.
.Check out the fighterjets site https://fighterjets.nz/.JPG)
Above all four on the dull Thursday pre Wanaka Airshow.
For several months now, these aircraft, one at a time on a rotational basis, have been hangared in Classic Flyers main hangar at Tauranga Airport, flanked by Skyhawk NZ6201 and Avenger NZ2539. I understand there is insufficient room to house them all together in their own hangar.
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