SportAvex airshow set for big crowds
5 February 2008

New Zealand’s biggest celebration of sport aircraft is returning to Tauranga in just 10 days.

The biennial Sport Aviation Expo or SportAvex, of the Sport Aircraft Association New Zealand (SAANZ) is set for 15-17 February at the Tauranga City Airport.

The biennial SportAvex brings scores of aviators -- and their aircraft -- from all over New Zealand to participate in the event.

Grayson Ottaway, Media and Communications for SportAvex, said the organisers expect the event to be one of the biggest in the coastal Bay of Plenty. “It’s going to be the North Island’s biggest airshow this year; we expect up to 20,000 people.”

For 2008, SportAvex has been lengthened to three days and will include the association’s annual general meeting, many training seminars, competitions and much flying activity.

Sunday 17 February will be an open day for the public beginning at 8am with many of the more than 150 amateur built planes expected to attend SportAvex, on static display.

From 11am, many of the planes will take to the sky above Tauranga City Airport at the hands of their owners/builders, as a prelude to Tauranga Airshow 2008 commencing at 1pm.

Running until 4pm, Tauranga Airshow 2008 will be a full afternoon of aerial entertainment with flying displays by a number of sport aircraft, gliders, historic and warbird aircraft, high performance aircraft, helicopters, gyrocopters, parachutist display, some of New Zealand’s top aerobatic pilots, the Royal New Zealand Air Force and many more.

For more details visit www.taurangaairshow.co.nz

For more information:

Grayson Ottaway
Media and Communications
SportAvex/Tauranga Airshow Committee 2008
0275 973 737
taurangaairshow@xtra.co.nz

Bill Sisley
Chairman
SportAvex/Tauranga Airshow Committee 2008
07 549 1855
bill.sue@orcon.co.nz