The New Zealand Red Stars Yak-52 aerobatic team is planning a world-first display at next Easter’s Warbirds Over Wānaka (WOW) International Airshow to honour one of its founders.

Brett Emeny had been involved with the team since its early days (more than two decades ago) and it was his idea to put a 12-ship display together for Wānaka 2024 to celebrate the return of the airshow after the last two shows were cancelled because of Covid-19.

Brett had been discussing the 12-ship idea just days before he died suddenly earlier this year.

His daughter, Fay, is a member of the Red Stars and says it will be very special to perform the routine in his honour.

“Dad was excited about the idea of a 12-ship and this resonated across the team, so to be able to bring a dozen Yaks to Wānaka and have them all up in the air performing another world-first display is going to be something special,” she said.

WOW general manager Ed Taylor said the Red Stars are one of the crowd favourites at the airshow.  

“These guys continue to out-do themselves at every airshow and would not be out of place at any other top airshow around the world,” he said. 

“Brett was an absolute legend at Wānaka. In 2018 he flew not only in the Red Stars team but also his Trojan and Vampire and the Catalina.  

“He is sorely missed so to have the team perform this special routine in his honour will be a highlight of our show next Easter.”

The origins of the Red Stars go back to the early 1990s when a two-ship team would perform at small North Island airshows. The team has gradually grown over the years and in 2018 made headlines at WOW with the world’s first-ever nine-ship loop by a piston-engine display team. 

WOW usually takes place every two years, but in March 2020 the airshow was one of the first major events to be cancelled because of Covid-19 restrictions and two years later it was also cancelled due to Covid.

The last WOW, in 2018, attracted 55,000 visitors over three days, and Ed said he is expecting strong numbers at the 2024 airshow

“If our tour group and other booking enquiries are anything to go by we are going to have a bumper crowd come next Easter.”

Other acts for the 2024 airshow, including a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-51D Mustang and a first-ever Future of Aviation Exhibition, were announced in June.

Read more: Bumper crowd expected for Warbirds’ return

PHOTO: Supplied