ZK-HTM DC Yates_0006 by Zac Yates, on FlickrA shot of Dad coming home in ZK-HTM.
By the time my sister came along the airport house was too small so we moved into a “real” house elsewhere in Wanganui. We were now under the flightpath for the sealed runway so the Fletchers and occasionally A-4K Skyhawks would go by and I would be transfixed, asking what was flying over. It was at this house that I learned how to use the VCR and TV on my own and Mum had recorded all sorts of aviation-themed stuff: documentaries on Tim Wallis and his Spitfire TB863 (a major influence on me), the Australian Bicentennial Airshow and Auckland’s Air Expo 92, the amazing BBC series Reaching For The Skies, Dick Smith flying a JetRanger into the Outback…all this compounded my fascination with aircraft, especially warbirds and helicopters.
Then, around age five, I was allowed to build a model kit on my own. Since then, that’s been my main hobby. I honestly have no idea how many kits I’ve built over the years but it’s a stupid amount and if you Google my name odds are you’ll find a few! As I write this, I have about half a dozen different kits underway on The Bench – I tend to favour models of Kiwi warbirds I’ve seen at airshows although I’m also known to build a What If? model or three.
49650841187_657e59b183_o by Zac Yates, on Flickr
airfix-172-mosquitos_49297675027_o by Zac Yates, on FlickrAll this may make you ask, as so many other people have, “Why don’t you join the air force?” I never seriously entertained a career in the RNZAF for a few reasons, chiefly my lack of ability in maths and science and my poor fitness (the retirement of the Skyhawks also took a bit of the glory out of it). Due to other medical conditions I can’t be a commercial pilot either so I’m destined to just be a hobby pilot. But that’s okay! As long as I can fly, I’ll be happy. Since my first trial flight on my 15th birthday I’ve logged a few hours with instructors but due to various factors like cost and weather – or the memorable time in Blenheim the instructor was triple-booked – it’s very much a long-term goal. In the meantime I go to as many airshows as I can and am currently eagerly counting down to Classic Fighters at Omaka next month.
dsc04934_34875142403_o by Zac Yates, on FlickrOn the way to the Tiger Moth Club fly-in at Taumarunui in October 2007, Adam Butcher (behind) at the controls.
Currently I’m out of work due to the aforementioned medical issues but I’ve done a bunch of different jobs over the years: radio DJ, supermarket shelf stacker, electronics shop salesman, newspaper journalist, court registry officer, courier freight handler, alarm monitoring operator and – best of all – aircraft engineering apprentice. The best job I’ve ever had; each morning I woke up excited to go to work, working on aeroplanes a few metres away from the house I grew up in. Unfortunately, halfway through my 3yr apprenticeship the economy tanked and they needed to get rid of some folks, and as the last on I was first to leave. No other firm was taking on apprentices and it seems it’s no longer done. I’m planning to start that study over again – daunting now that I’m 34 this month – at a course in Blenheim. Which is just as well because while working there I acquired an old Fletcher topdresser to restore.
Untitled by Zac Yates, on FlickrMe and Fletcher FU24 ZK-CBG, which patiently waits in my parents’ driveway for me to do something with her.
I’m married to a wonderful woman who tolerates my aviation addiction and puts up with my need to stop at airfields and airports to see what’s around, and is immensely supportive. We met 10yr ago and have been married for five. She’s not about to build a kit or pick up tools but that’s okay.
Untitled by Zac Yates, on Flickr
Untitled by Zac Yates, on FlickrMy wife and I on our exciting tour of Ardmore in February 2020.
One day when I was 11 or so I came home from school and there was a (Cash Converters) copy of Microsoft Flight Simulator 98 on our family computer desk along with an old Sidewinder from one of Dad’s workmates. Like many of you it was a revelation. I’d had a go on an earlier version at the workmate’s place, flying the Camel and glider, but this was amazing. After exhausting the default aircraft I thought “I wonder if the Internet has more planes and helicopters for me…” Soon I was flying the Hughes 500C from one of my favourite movies (Deadly Encounter), taking a South African Air Force Harvard for a spin over Wellington, and doing circuits in an Airtrainer. And then I found some kind soul had created a Fletcher and Cresco, and then I found add-on scenery for NZ…
Over the coming years I had FS2002 and FS9, and finally FSX. I was able to realise my childhood dreams of flying a Spitfire over Wanganui, performing a display in a Mosquito at Wanaka, and even choreographing a dogfight between a Me262 and P-51D at Omaka. Payware aircraft and scenery, FSRecorder, screenshots, it became part of my daily routine. Becoming frustrated at the limited(!) libraries available I turned my hand to simple repaints to do what I wanted to – things like Omaka’s Jasta 11 Fokker Triplanes, and some of the massive fleet of Wanganui Aero Work Fletchers. These are all still up on FlightSim.com under my “Virtual Vintage Flyers NZ” moniker which may yet get resurrected.
11 by Zac Yates, on FlickrFlying the Nemeth MD500 along my Wanganui Aero Work flightline after painstakingly setting up my repainted deaneb Fletchers for a photoshoot.
at-ian-warrens-place-with-nick-bates-2007_48895519438_o by Zac Yates, on FlickrMy first time using a yoke and pedals in FS! Visiting Ian Warren with chopper_nut in 2007.
from-the-left-myself-alex-hardcorepawn-bandit-choppernut-and-k5054nz---andy-underwood-rnzaf-ohakea-open-day-160308_49961208298_o by Zac Yates, on FlickrAn informal NZFF gathering at the RNZAF Ohakea Open Day 16/03/2008. From left: ardypilot, Alex, HardCorePawn, Bandit, chopper_nut, myself.
The system says I joined NZFF on Sunday July 30, 2006. I was made to feel at home right away and made friends who last today, who I’ve met up with at airshows and even visited at home. Advice is so freely given and help offered that it seemed any question or request would be answered by the next time I logged on. I did my best to take cool screenies and was rewarded with very kind feedback and advice on how to improve. The community we had during that period was just wonderful – I even indulged in some light suggestion that toprob produce a “RealNZ Omaka” scenery. That turned out to pay off!!
15 by Zac Yates, on FlickrI didn’t actually expect this to work
Around the time I was made redundant flightsim fell by the wayside. I moved to Taranaki and finally found a lady to settle down with and other things took precedence. By the time I wanted to get back into FSX my machine had aged such that it would be a 1.5hr+ install and maybe 10min of flying before it overheated and shut down. So every few months I’d repeat the routine of download new things, spend (in the end) about 3hr installing and then uninstall after a near-meltdown.
For reasons not related to COVID-19 I’ve had a rough couple of years and the support of my wife, parents and close friends has been integral to keeping me about right. A few months back YouTube began recommending videos about the DCS World combat flightsim and I thought it would be neat to get. Of course, not with the old laptop! On Facebook a friend noticed the DCS videos I’d been sharing and got in touch to say he was upgrading and would I like the old setup, completely gratis? I was stunned and incredibly grateful – long story short (how much have I written so far?!) I am now typing this on the most powerful computer I’ve ever owned that came preloaded with a ton of payware scenery and aircraft, leaning my arm on the HOTAS’ throttle and my feet resting on a pair of pedals, and TrackIR ready to go. It’s an amazing piece of kit and it runs FSX and DCS beautifully, but doesn’t meet the minimum specs for MSFS – which is disappointing as I feel I’m ten years too late for FSX and all the repainters have already migrated.
NCJ 01 by Zac Yates, on FlickrFor many years I wanted to fly the Nanchang CJ-6a in flightsim, and one was finally released a few months ago and it’s fantastic. The real Nanchang is a delight to fly and to be able to fly one at home at long last is wonderful.
But I’m having fun. Lately I’ve been watching YouTube videos of the great warbird pilots so I can fly their routines in FSX. It keeps me positive and challenges me. It’s given me a reason to come back to NZFF. And now my wife and I live a couple of blocks away from that second house so, once again, I’m living under the Whanganui Airport flightpath.
Except now it’s my wife who asks “What’s that?” when something flies over.
Me in Harvard NZ1092/ZK-WAR, 198x by Zac Yates, on Flickr
I've got "plenty of plastic" to help while away the time until I can 