I knew director Peter Jackson had a remarkable WW1 aircraft collection, but who knew his chief pilot, Gene Demarco has more time flying them than any other guy ever has?

General manager and test pilot of the Vintage Aviator, Gene Demarco. The New York native has flying in his bones and his passion for early aircraft goes right back to when his father was an inspector for Pan Am during the golden age of commercial flight and his mother was an air stewardess.

the Vintage Aviator has quickly become the most important manufacturers and restorers of WWI aircraft in the world and in doing so is making an incredible contribution to aviation’s living history. With a workshop in Wellington and hangers in Masterton and Omaka, The Vintage Aviator has brought to life some extraordinary machines that can be found nowhere else.

He built scale models of many classic aircraft including the big WWII fighter, the Vought F4U Corsair, one example of which is now housed in the Masterton hangar which is also home to many of the Vintage Aviator’s classic fighters. Demarco got his pilot’s licence when he was just 14-15-years-old and flew solo for the first time when he was 16.

Demarco is one of the world’s most experienced pilots when it comes to flying WWI aircraft and also knows how to build them. In fact he restored his first airplane, a 1940’s Piper J-5 Cub Cruiser, when he was 16 and flew it around the United States in 1980 solo at the ripe old age of 17.

After that adventure Demarco went to college and graduated as a mechanical engineer. He got a job with IBM, which he hated, and ended up leaving when he became too busy with a flying wholesale rose delivery business that he had started in college. He brought a Cessna 182 with the profits of the business and started another venture in upstate New York leasing an airfield from where he operated a range of aviation services. During that time he was restoring more airplanes and started his own restoration business. He became involved with the famous Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome on the Hudson where he got his first experience with old WWI airplanes.

His vast experience in the Sopwith Camel meant he was in demand to come to New Zealand and fly a plane for Sir Peter Jackson’s King Kong movie. Sir Peter has long been an enthusiast of early aircraft and he is one of The Vintage Aviator’s biggest customers and supporters. A significant part of the company’s work is in the movie business creating props and replica vehicles.

With around 20,000 man hours going into the construction of each aircraft, they are extremely valuable items. By putting on regular airshows The Vintage Aviator really does bring that whole exciting era of military history back to life and gives people a chance to see, hear and smell some amazing machines.

https://www.smithsonianchannel.com/shows/flying-high-with-phil-keoghan/0/3448910
https://bizjetadvisor.com/7895.html
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