One is a lapsed pilot yearning to take flight; the other wants to keep his feet firmly on the ground.
Together, they form the new management team for the 2010 Warbirds Over Wanaka Airshow.
The lapsed pilot is Mandy Deans (52), the former executive director of Business Porirua, an economic development agency.
She has been living and working in Wanaka for two and a-half years and is excited about spreading her wings in the newly created full-time role of Warbirds Over Wanaka event director.
The airshow's new part-time chief executive, Roger Clark (46), is also the chief executive of Rugby Southland, a position he has held for 11 years and continues to hold alongside his new role.
"I will be keeping my feet firmly on terra firma," Mr Clark said yesterday.
He will be visiting Wanaka once a week from now on, as he and Ms Deans enter the planning phase for the next airshow.
One of Mr Clark's biggest tasks is to raise about $2.5 million for the event.
The budget is based on the previous two airshows and is expected to cover everything from the cost of importing planes to paying hire fees for portable toilets.
"That $2 million is just a cash cost. If we added up the other things, including volunteer time, it would be more like five to six million," Mr Clark said yesterday.
In the present economic climate of high fuel prices, increasing importing costs and collapsing financial institutions, the airshow costs must be looked at closely.
But Mr Clark believes the 2010 Warbirds would still meet the high standards of an event some have rated as one of the top four airshows in the world.
"There is no change out of $100,000 to bring in a plane from the United States. But if that's what we have to do, we will do it. But we have to get the money first," Mr Clark said.
International financial uncertainties are a concern but Mr Clark and Ms Deans say they are not directly affecting the organisation and they remain optimistic in 18 months' time the crisis will have settled and tourists will be arriving in droves, as they usually do.
"I think the market has definitely tightened. But at the end of the day, it's just a phase. And we've been through phases before.
"We are lucky our event is still 18 months away," Mr Clark said.
The airshow budget must be in place by July next year, and before then, Ms Deans must establish a Wanaka office, begin building community relationships, set ticket prices, organise promotional materials, complete a strategic plan and sign up an army of volunteers.
Tickets are scheduled to go on sale as early as February.
A former Wellingtonian, Mr Clark has an extensive sports management background and was the chief executive of Sport Tasman for several years, before moving to Invercargill to work for Rugby Southland 11 years ago.
A move to Central Otago is on the cards for the future, but not just now.
Mr Clark is keen to continue working in rugby and believes the biennial airshow fits nicely with the rugby season.
Ms Deans said Wanaka was attracting more and more events - something she attributed as much to accident as design.
"Having a great product to sell helps. No-one I know has ever had a bad word to say about Warbirds Over Wanaka," Ms Deans said.
Tourism New Zealand research had shown the airshow contributed $50 million to the economy.
The event and others would continue to contribute to the district's growth through both tangible and intangible benefits, Ms Deans said.
People all over the world knew about Warbirds Over Wanaka, Mr Clark said.
"[Sir] Tim Wallis set it up because it was one of his passions. And that's the reason why the trust was set up . . . We want the airshow to be as good as it's ever been," he said.
