Plane-tism

Plane-tism Real military aircraft stories from New Zealand, Australia, and around the world — researched, narrated, and explained by a real human.

15/06/2026

What was the 3rd highest scoring British Fighter of WW2?

14/06/2026

Did you spot the P51?

Back seat view landing at an airshow in a T6 - Harvard.

09/06/2026

How did a German Ace's Messerschmitt end up in New Zealand?

06/06/2026

The Airforce just listed 2 jets for donation!

02/06/2026

Can you guess what plane i'm in?

In February we did our first give away, a Warbird Adventure Flight in a Boeing Stearman out of Classic Flyers NZ in Taur...
01/06/2026

In February we did our first give away, a Warbird Adventure Flight in a Boeing Stearman out of Classic Flyers NZ in Tauranga.
This weekend the winner Grayson took his flight around Mt Maunganui.

Congrats Grayson, your flight looked like awesome fun!

If you missed out and would still like to go for a flight, check out the Classic Flyers website link in the comments for info on pricing and how to book.

They also have a T6 Harvard and CT-4 Airtrainer you can fly in, both Ex Royal New Zealand Air Force trainers.

31/05/2026

Share this with someone who still beleives the biggest myth about the Vought Corsair!

29/05/2026

Who flew the first daylight raid over Berlin?

Why was the North American T6 (Harvard 🇬🇧) named "The Pilot Maker"?During the Second World War, many pilots flew their f...
27/05/2026

Why was the North American T6 (Harvard 🇬🇧) named "The Pilot Maker"?

During the Second World War, many pilots flew their first solo in a biplane like a Boeing Stearman in the US or a De Havilland Tiger moth in the commonwealth countries. There was a huge difference in skill required between flying these two wing trainers and flying a “modern” fighter.

Modern fighters were much faster, had more controls, more complexities, and the consequences of mistakes or poor airmanship were deadly.
This was a steep learning curve for the teenagers learning to fly and fight in these aircraft after graduating from the biplane.

Accidents were sadly a common occurrence.

The United States alone lost over 15,000 aircraft and 13,000 crew in training and transport accidents on home soil over the course of the war.

The T6 was designed to bridge the gap between initial trainer and fighter. Then as the biplanes were retired, the T6 became the initial trainer, and more pilots carried out their first flights and first solo in these loud 600HP beasts.

How do you think the T6 earned the name "The Pilot Maker?"

23/05/2026

When was New Zealands last combat air strike?

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