.png){kind=small}
The Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX, PV 270 is an iconic and sentimental favourite here at Omaka. It made its first airshow appearance at Classic Fighters in 2009 and will fly here again at Easter in 2025!
PV 270 enjoyed a long and varied career, flying with the Royal Air Force (RAF) in North Africa and Italy before being operated post-war by the Israeli and Burmese Air Forces. Following a final flight in 1956, the aircraft went into storage and eventually spent many years displayed on a pole as a gate guardian in Burma.
Image: Spitfire Mk.IX - Photo by Gavin Conroy
In 2003, Brendon Deere purchased PV 270 and restored it in honour of his uncle, Alan Deere, a legendary WW2 Spitfire pilot. The entire restoration was done with New Zealand resources and expertise wherever possible. Spitfire PV270 was completed over a five-year, three-month period and consumed 35,000 man-hours.
We could not think of a more fitting tribute to one of New Zealand's greats. Born and bred in Westport, New Zealand, Al Deere's autobiography Nine Lives details several near-death experiences during the Battles of France and Britain. Deere was awarded the DSO, OBE, DFC & Bar, and appointed Wing Leader at Biggin Hill in early 1943. He ended the war with 22 confirmed victories, 10 probable victories, and 18 damaged. Deere would leave the RAF in 1967, having risen to the rank of Air Commodore.
Spitfire IX PV270 is one of three Biggin Hill Trust Ohakea aircraft, and it will fly alongside the P-51D Mustang and the Avenger. Now, that's a lineup worth your time and money!
Image: Spitfire Mk.IX - Photo by Gavin Conroy
About Marlborough Lines Classic Fighters Omaka: The airshow is the main fundraising event for the Omaka Aviation Heritage Museum, located in Blenheim, Marlborough NZ.
