Peter Hendriks was a sick child.

He spent most of his younger years in and out of hospitals and health camps due to his chronic asthma. He remembers a teacher telling him he was “too dumb” to pursue his dream and join the air force. Pilots have to be extremely skilful after all.

Fast forward about five decades and Peter is standing by one of his aircraft, reminiscing over his 35-year career as a pilot and flight instructor.

“Proved them wrong,” he says, triumphantly.

Over his long career, he’s drawn shapes over the country many times over. His passion isn’t just for flying: he loves showing people the beauty of New Zealand, and Wanaka in particular, from up near the clouds.

This coming Thursday, for ANZAC day, he will do the same thing he’s done on every April 25 over the past 30 years: a commemorative flyover in his Tigermoth between the Hawea and Wanaka dawn parades.

“I am a firm believer that a lot of these guys sacrificed their lives for us to have the freedom that we have today and we just offer a small part in having an old airplane that was involved in some of our conflicts earlier on,” he said.

The Tigermoth was used by all Commonwealth countries during World War II. It was first designed in the mid 30s then used by Commonwealth countries training their pilots before they went to war.

This particular one, Hendriks’ pride and joy, was built by Morris Motors at the start of the 1930s and shipped to New Zealand, where it's spent its career, flying out of Dunedin and Ashburton.

“It’s got a really good military history and trained a lot of pilots during that time,” Peter said.

“For us to utilise it during ANZAC [day]; it’s something we get to do every year that adds to the dynamics of the celebration.”

This year pilots are taking two Tigermoths to fly over Tarras, Bannockburn, Lowburn and Cromwell.

“Anybody over 90 gets to fly in it for free. Most of those guys either fought in the war or knew someone who did,” he said.

“We also always take another young person with us. This year I’m taking a young boy by the name of Timo, whose parents are the Wanaka bread people [The People’s Bread] who do the bread for the celebrations. So they get an idea of what it’s like.”

Peter has been doing ANZAC parades for 30 years in various locations. He started in Gore when he lived there, and also did some in Auckland when he was working there in the police force. And now in Wanaka, where he has contributed to every ANZAC parade in the past 16 years.

Peter is a flight instructor and a commercial pilot. He spends most of his days flying helicopters and is also a flight examiner, doing a lot of examinations around the South Island. Two days a week, he’s also a training manager for pilots at Queenstown Airport.

“It’s always been a passion, since being a young child,” he said. “There’s no family connection, it’s just something I had an inkling to do.”

From Wanaka, he runs his company NZ Fly Adventures, alongside his wife Julie. The couple’s five children all love flying but have all pursued their own individual interests. “They’re carving their own path,” he said.

Peter’s goal is to show off Wanaka and his “incredible backyard”.

He knows not everyone loves seeing the planes whiz past in the sky. While there are often complaints about the noise from the airport, he said, pilots are just ordinary people who “want to share our backyard in a different way”.

Peter is passionate about Wanaka and wants to see the community navigate the hurdles that come with change in the best possible way. He is critical of what he calls “some of the loudest voices” against change, in particular the potential expansion of Wanaka Airport.

“Wanaka as a town has no idea what’s coming. Some of it is positive, some of it is negative. But change is coming,” he said. “Provided it’s done properly and not just a five-minute wonder but actually with some thought into this district over the next 50 years then it can be good. But it has to be done with proper planning, with transport and local structure.”

Peter believes there is a lack of understanding of what’s going to happen and that is causing a degree of frustration.

“Those who cry the loudest are the first people who are quite happy to go to Queenstown and hop on a jet and fly to Auckland or overseas,” he said.

“Wanaka is growing and, when we have growth, there are consequences. No parking, noise, queues in supermarket… it’s all part of it. It needs to be managed, of course. It needs to be mitigated but we can’t just get rid of it. We need to find common ground.”

Peter encourages everyone to express their views and concerns on the Wanaka Airport website.

“One or two voices won’t make a difference,” he said, calling on the community to work together towards sustainable growth, rather than shutting ideas down.

“We have to have more tolerance and patience. Our livelihood relies on tourism. Not just that of tourism operators. We all need tourists, one way or another.”

Peter said, no matter what happens in the future, he will always love Wanaka.

“I love it here. I do a fair bit of travelling but every time I drive over the hill from Queenstown and see the lake, it’s a special feeling,” he said with a smile.

“And when you see it from the air, you can see how special it is. All the problems down here, all the bickering stays on the ground."

“Flying is good for the soul.”

PHOTO: Wanaka App