The New Zealand Red Stars Yak Aerobatics Team arrived at Ashburton Airport, en-route to Wanaka with two battles on their hands.
Disappointment at the loss of military aircraft which were headline acts, and the high cost of aviation fuel.
Pilot for the Red Stars Team, Paul Hughan, says these prices have hurt the pilots.
"It's got a good two dollars on top of what we normally pay per litre... and there's only one-way that's going to keep going," says Hughan
"But we're not going to not put fuel in it and go flying. We just have to be a bit careful about what we do and how we do it."
But these obstacles were going to stop their mission. On Monday, 10 out of 13 Yak-52’s arrived at the Ashburton Aviation Museum as part of their routine stopovers on their way down to Wanaka for this weekend's show.
The troop started in Pauanui, then headed to Taupo, Whanganui, Omaka, and Hanmer Springs, before landing in Ashburton.
One pilot who has been involved in Warbirds for over 20 years, Doug Batten, has been flying his Yak since 2006.
The Yakovlev Yak-52 is a Russian aircraft designed in the 1970s for the Soviet military. It was designed for low maintenance in rugged conditions and was used primarily as an aerobatic trainer.
They are powered by Avgas, a high-octane fuel for piston-driven prop planes, which differs from turbine driven jet fuel.
