Minister of Defence Dr Wayne Mapp announced yesterday the aircraft had been allocated to the Warbirds Over Wanaka Airshow Charitable Trust, ending several years of negotiation between Wanaka aviation enthusiasts and the Government and delighting trust chairman Murray Cleverley, of Timaru.
"We've had every confidence in the world of our operation at the museum and of our airshow ... This is just a vote of confidence in the progress we are making," Mr Cleverley said.
The Warbirds and Wheels attraction replaces the disbanded New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force's museum at Wigram, Christchurch, has custody of many of the fighter pilot artefacts but some will be lent back for the new attraction.
Mr Cleverley said negotiations were continuing with other New Zealand aircraft owners to display their machines at Wanaka.
"We have had an awful lot made available to us. We are just selecting what will be the best attractions. We've had more than we can fit in there," Mr Cleverley said.
The cost of moving the Skyhawk to Wanaka is not yet known.
Nor is it known when it will arrive, as the United States' Department of State must approve the removal from the Woodbourne Air Force Base in Blenheim.
New Zealand received 14 Skyhawks from the United States in 1970. Another 10 were bought from Australia in 1984.
The remaining 17 were retired in 2001 and recent attempts to sell them have failed.
Dr Mapp said Skyhawks would also be sent to the New Zealand Warbirds Association (Ardmore) and the Ashburton Aviation Museum.
Earlier this year he announced homes for two Skyhawks at the Air Force Museum (Wigram, Christchurch) and one each at Classic Flyers NZ (Tauranga), Aviation Heritage Centre (Blenheim), and the Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum (Nowra, New South Wales).
What's in
• What's going to be in Warbirds and Wheels aircraft display
• A mothballed RNZAF Skyhawk fighter jet (at present at Woodbourne, Blenheim )
• A ex-RNZAF Vampire FB5 (at Wanaka, belongs to the Air Force Museum at Wigram, Christchurch)
• A Strikemaster (at present at Ohakea Museum, Palmerston North)A 1940 Hawker Hurricane MkIIA (at Wanaka. It is for sale. Airshow founder Sir Tim Wallis bought it in 1992 and restored it. It will be in the display until it is sold.)
• Other aircraft displays are still being negotiated.
