Renowned New Plymouth warbird pilot Brett Emeny dies

Renowned Taranaki jet racer, warbird pilot and classic plane enthusiast Brett Emeny has died.

The New Plymouth aviator and businessman was well known for hurtling through the skies above the city in his 1950s Vampire jet, or taking a more sedate approach in a painstakingly restored 1944 Catalina Flying Boat.

NZ Warbirds Association posted their condolences on Facebook late Thursday night, saying Emeny had died at Waikato Hospital from post-operative complications following heart surgery on Tuesday.

“Brett was one of New Zealand’s leading airshow display pilots having flown a vast array of warbirds including the P-51 Mustang, T-28 Trojan, Vampire, Catalina and of course the Yak-52 where he was a foundation member of the Yak-52 formation team which has displayed at New Zealand air shows since the early 2000s. Brett had recently established a two-ship formation team with Peter Vause flying T-28 Trojans,” the association posted.

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Emeny was one of a group of enthusiasts who restored a 1944 PBY-5 Catalina at New Plymouth Airport, getting it back in the air at a cost of $350,000 and 10,000 man hours.

It remains the only one of its kind in New Zealand and the only one in the Southern Hemisphere that can take passengers.

The massive plane is a regular and impressive sight in the skies of Taranaki, and at airshows around the country.

In 2016, Emeny said the plane was not an easy craft to pilot.

“You have to hand fly it. It’s real seat of the pants flying. That’s probably what I like about it. To fly it well you have to really concentrate on what you are doing.”

Emeny was also a keen jet racer, flying his Vampire jet at Warbirds Over Wanaka International Air Show at Easter 2021.

“We’ll be going around corners at about 700kmh, with a top speed of 800kmh. You’re really moving,” he said.

An owner profile of Emeny on the Warbirds over Wanaka website published in 2021 said the Emeny name is synonymous with aviation in New Zealand.

“Brett’s father Cliff Emeny was a WWII Mosquito fighter bomber pilot, older brother Craig owns Air Chathams while nephew Duane is CEO at Air Chathams. Brother John is a pilot while yet another brother Derek is an aviation accident assessor. Finally, Brett’s daughter Faye is a newly-minted member of the Yak-52 aerobatic display team,” the profile reads.

More to come