Bringing together remembrance and hope for the the future, the Poppy & Star Flight is currently travelling around NZ fundraising for the RSA, The Starship Foundation & NZ Warbirds. 34 volunteer pilots will share the flight itinerary and carry the knitted artworks, with 30 events taking place nationwide. Hover over/click arrows on the interactive map for more info.
Or click here for a list of all flights and events.
Follow the flight around the country on Facebook.
Sunday 28th March 2021 - Tauranga to Gisborne
Aircraft - Harvard 1066
Pilots - Andrew Gormlie and Roger Van der Zanden
Flight Sponsor - Classic Flyers Museum and Gisborne Aviation Preservation Society
Welcome Event - Kiri Te Kanawa Retirement Village 1.30pm to 3.30pm
Monday 19th April 2021 – Te Kowhai to North Shore
Aircraft – Robin 2120
Pilot – Paul Ryan
Flight Sponsor – North Shore Aero Club
Welcome Event - North Shore Aero Club 2pm to 5pm
Tuesday 30th March 2021– Hastings to Palmerston North
Aircraft – Diamond DA 40
Pilot – Reuben Wohlers
Flight Sponsor – Massey University School of Aviation
Welcome Event - Julia Wallace Retirement Village 3pm to 5pm
Monday 29th March 2021– Gisborne to Hastings
Aircraft – Auster J5 Adventurer ZK-AXJ
Pilot – Roger Van der Zanden
Flight Sponsor - Gisborne Aviation Preservation Society
Welcome Event - Flight Centre Napier 2pm to 5pm
Monday 5th April 2021- Omaka to Kaikoura
Departing 9.15am
Aircraft - Piper PA28-151 Warrior ZK-EBH
Pilot - Derek Harding
Flight Sponsor - Mission Aviation Fellowship and Avionics Canterbury Wide
Welcome event - Wings over Whales 10am to 12pm
Saturday 17th April 2021 – Hawera to Taupo
Aircraft – Cessna 172
Pilot – Dave Jennings
Flight Sponsor - Howera Aero Club
Welcome Event - Active Arts - 11.30am to 1.30pm
Friday 23rd April 2021 – Kerikeri to Whangarei
Aircraft – Gyrocopter “Lemon”
Pilot – Rusty Russell
Flight Sponsor – Whangarei Flying Club
Welcome Event - Whangarei Central Library 11am to 1pm
Saturday 27th March 2021 - Whitianga to Tauranga
Aircraft - Aeroprakt A32
Pilots - Warren Butler
Flight Sponsor - Warren Butler Insurance Advisor, Pukekohe
Welcome Event - Classic Flyers Museum 11am to 1.30pm
Wednesday 31st March 2021 – Palmerston North to Masterton
Aircraft – DHC1 Chipmunk ZK-PTN
Pilots – Iain Chapman & John Bargh
Flight Sponsor – Wairarapa Flying Tigers
Welcome Event - Masterton District Library 2.30pm to 5pm
Photo credit David Saunders
Wednesday 7th April 2021 - Rangitata Island to Timaru
Rangitata Island to Timaru
Aircraft - Tiger Moth
Pilot - Russ Brodie
Flight Sponsor - Russ Brodie
Welcome Event - Timaru Airport 10am to 12pm
Sunday 11th April 2021 – Wanaka to Hokitika
Aircraft - Cessna 206 ZK-JTK
Pilot – James Stokes
Flight Sponsor - Glenorchy Air
Welcome Event - Hokitika RSA 1pm to 3pm
Wednesday 14th April – Karamea to Nelson
Aircraft – Piper Pacer PA20
Pilot – Brad Keay
Flight Sponsor - Don Grant/Penati Nut and Seed Crackers
Welcome Event - Ernest Rutherford Retirement Village 3-5pm
Friday 26th March
Ardmore to Thames
Aircraft – Harvard
Pilot – Dave Brown
Flight Sponsor – NZ Warbirds Association
Welcome Event - Thames Museum 10am to 12pm
Thames to Whitianga
Aircraft – Robin 2160
Pilot - Brett Pearce
Flight Sponsor - Brett Pearce
Welcome Event - Mercury Bay Museum 12pm to 4pm
Saturday 10th April – Queenstown to Wanaka
Aircraft – Cessna 185
Pilot – Antony Sproull
Flight Sponsor - Air Milford
Welcome Event - Transport & Toy Museum 11am to 2pm
Tuesday 13th April - Greymouth to Karamea
Aircraft - Maule
Pilot - Willie Sage
Flight Sponsor - Willie Sage
Welcome Event - Karamea School - 11am to 3pm
Thursday 22nd April – Kaitaia to Kerikeri
Aircraft – P2008iS & P96G
Pilots – John Nicholls & Willie Morton
Flight Sponsor – Bay of Islands Aero Club
Welcome Event - Eco Hive, Paihia
Saturday 24th April – Whangarei to Ardmore
Aircraft – Titan T-51 Mustang ZK-DGM
Pilots – Baz Norgrove
Flight Sponsor – Cloud 7 Aviation Ltd
Wednesday 21st April – Dargaville to Kaitaia
Aircraft – Fly-Synthesis Texan
Pilot – Alan Nelson
Flight Sponsor – Dargaville Aeroclub
Welcome Event - Far North RSA 12pm to 2pm
Tues 20th April 2021 - North Shore to Dargaville
Aircraft - Cessna 152 ZK-ETZ
Pilots - Kinshuk Chhabra & Brook Taylor
Flight Sponsor - Taylor Plumbing, Titirangi
Welcome Event - Dargaville Aero Club - 12 to 2pm
Friday 16th April 2021 - Paraparaumu to Hawera
Aircraft - Cessna 172 ZK-EOS
Pilots - Rhys Harvey & Beverley Prankerd
Flight Sponsor - Hawera Aero Club
Welcome Event - Hawera Library - 10.30am to 4pm
Tuesday 6th April 2021 - Rangiora to Rangitata Island
Welcome Event - Charles Upham Retirement Village 10am to 11.30am
Flight Rangiora - Ashburton
Welcome Event - Ashburton Aviation Museum 1pm to 3pm
Flight Ashburton - Rangitata Island
Aircraft – Auster MK5 ZK-ARR
Pilot – Keith Pickford
Flights Sponsor - Link Engine Management
Sunday 18th April 2021 - Taupo to Te Kowhai
Aircraft - Aeroprakt A22LS Foxbat ZK-SAJ
Pilot - Paul Brydon
Flight Sponsor - Paul Brydon
Welcome Event - Linda Jones Retirement Village - 11am to 2pm
Aircraft - Cessna 172K Skyhawk ZK-DEP
Pilot - Mike Foote
Flight Sponsor - Plumbing & Gas Works Ltd
Welcome Event - Linda Jones Retirement Village time tbc
Thursday 8th April – Dunedin to Invercargill
Aircraft – DH90 ZK-AYR (tbc)
Pilots – Ben Morrison/Glenn Armstrong/Laurie Officer
Flight Sponsor - Croydon Aircraft Company
Welcome Event - Invercargill Library 2pm to 5pm
Friday 9th April – Invercargill to Queenstown
Aircraft – Piper Cherokee ZK-SWG
Pilot – To be Advised
Flight Sponsor – Southern Wings Ltd
Welcome Event - Abbeyfield Wakatipu 2pm to 4.30pm
Thursday 1st April – Masterton to Wellington
Aircraft – Glasair 111
Pilot – Dave Etchells
Flight Sponsor – Cube Portable Buildings
Thursday 15th April – Nelson to Paraparaumu
Aircraft – Stemme S 10 V Motor Glider ZK-GSI
Pilot – Dave Craill
Flight Sponsor – Raymar Motor Inn Blenheim "Spend a night not a fortune"
Welcome Event - Kapiti Coast Aero Club - 2pm to 4pm
Monday 5th April 2021 Kaikoura to Rangiora
Aircraft - Piper PA28-151 Warrior ZK-EBH
Pilot - Derek Harding
Flight Sponsor - Mission Aviation Fellowship and Avionics Canterbury Wide
Monday 12th April – Hokitika to Greymouth
Aircraft – Zenith CH750
Pilot – Hamish Hamilton
Flight Sponsor – Hamish Hamilton Electrical 2018 LTD
Welcome Event - Greymouth Library 2.30pm - 4.30pm
Friday 2nd April 2021 - Wellington to Blenheim
Aircraft - Sounds Air
Flight Sponsor - Sounds Air
Wednesday 7th April 2021 - Timaru to Oamaru
Aircraft - Piper Cherokee ZK-DEK
Pilot - Reon Blake
Flight Sponsor - My Care Package, Canterbury
Wednesday 7th April 2021 - Oamaru to Dunedin
Aircraft - Cessna 180C
Pilot - Hayden Williams
Flight Sponsor - North Otago Aero Club
Welcome Event - Vincent George Travel - 10am to 3pm
Here’s how you can help the RSA right now, donate to activate your own poppy drop. All profits from the Poppy Drop will go straight to the RSA.
