Mr Gilks announced his retirement in April, at the end of the 2024 airshow, after leading the organisation for the last 10 years.
The 2024 airshow was a sellout on both the Saturday and the Sunday, and drew a record crowd for the practice day on the Friday.
About 8000 people also thronged the beaches of Lake Wanaka for a free community airshow on Good Friday.
Mr Gilks said it was hugely satisfying to put on the airshow this Easter, "especially given the last two airshows had to be cancelled because of Covid".
"Leading into this airshow I was confident there was a lot of pent-up demand but with any major outdoor event there are still a number of things that can go wrong at the last minute.
"But everything came together so well for this year’s airshow — an amazing lineup of aircraft, record crowds and perfect weather."
However, Mr Gilks said it was looking likely Warbirds would be in a strong position to put on another stunning airshow at Easter 2026 and beyond.
"It’s a great position to be in but it would not have been possible without the help of the many funding organisations, sponsors and individuals who supported us during the past six years.
"Without that funding Warbirds would not have survived. We hope we were able to repay that support by staging the most successful airshow in
the event’s history", Mr Gilks said.
Mr Moodie is a senior partner at Findex Wanaka. He said the 2024 airshow was his first as a member of the board.
His vision for the future would be "pretty simple".
"Warbirds needs to continue to deliver a top-class international event which delivers significant, positive benefits for our community", Mr Moodie said.
