David Hack Classic celebrates 25th anniversary meet with WWII vintage military aircraft | photos
History was made at the 2025 David Hack Classic with the arrival of a warbird that supported our soldiers during the Battle of Milne Bay.
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History was made at the Toowoomba Airport when a World War II Kittyhawk landed on the airstrip ahead of the David Hack Classic.
The fighter plane, owned by NSW collector Andrew Kennedy, saw action over Papua New Guinea and supported soldiers from the 25th Battalion during the Battle of Milne Bay.
Most of those soldiers were drawn from Toowoomba and the Darling Downs.
The plane was one of four warbirds on display at Saturday’s David Hack Classic.
Organiser Annamaria Zuccoli hailed the day as a runaway success, with record attendance and fundraising.
“We are still counting, it will be about $64,000,” she said.
“All of that money will go to the Leukemia Foundation, Blue Care, Angel Flight, LifeFlight and some smaller local charities.”
The David Hack Classic has been running for more than two decades and draws motoring enthusiasts from across Australia.
They come to view hundreds of classic cars, trucks, motorbikes and aircraft on display at the Toowoomba Airport.
It is named after a well-known car enthusiast who died from Leukemia about 20 years ago.
Included in the WWII warbirds on display was a Spitfire painted in the iconic Clive ‘Killer’ Caldwell style.
“Caldwell was Australia’s top ace,” Ms Zuccoli said.
“He shot down enemies from three different countries: Germany, Italy and Japan.
“It was very rare to have anyone who fought in Europe come to the Pacific to fight the Japanese.”
Ms Zuccoli thanked all the volunteers who made the day possible, including the small army of Rotary volunteers and the aircraft owners
“Each of the warbirds on loan cost about $8m and their owners were kind enough to store them in our hangar and allow the public to walk up to them,” she said.
“Usually the public is kept behind a rope line, but here they were able to get up close and personal.
“It was just amazing.”
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