and three Polikarpov I-153s restored by the Soviet Aeronautical Research Institute (Sibnia) in Novosibirsk. The flight of the first restored aircraft (a I-16) took place in 1995. Once restored the aircraft were transported by rail to Vladivostok and from there shipped via Hong Kong to New Zealand. This project was completed in 1999 with the arrival of the final aircraft in New Zealand. 1996 crash On 2 January 1996, he intended to practice formation flying with Brian Hore and his P-51 Mustang in preparation for the upcoming Warbirds over Wanaka show. He decided to take the Spitfire Mk XIV which was owned by the Alpine Fighter Collection. At the time he only had a total of 5½ hours flying time on the type and had only flown it 7 times. His departure was delayed by a problem with the aircraft's radio. Distracted by the need to meet up with Hore flying overhead and a number of people waiting to watch him take off, he overlooked the rudder setting which is different on the Griffon-engined Mk XIV from the Spitfire XVI which had a Merlin engine and which he had flown the previous day. This change in setting is necessary as the propeller of the Griffon engine rotates in the opposite direction to the Merlin. The aircraft slewed to the right on takeoff and unable to be corrected in time the aircraft went off the runway and its tailwheel caught on the top two wires of the boundary fence. This stalled the aircraft and it crashed hitting the ground. The right wing was snapped off and the windscreen and cockpit area were badly damaged as the aircraft travelled upside down for about 40 metres before coming to rest. Wallis was badly hurt and was rushed by air to the intensive care unit at Dunedin Public Hospital. His injuries left him medically unfit to fly. Following his 1996 accident, the Alpine Fighter Collection was wound down and dissolved with the aircraft being sold overseas. In addition, the NZFPM was closed in early 2011. Since the crash, the Spitfire (NH799) was restored in time for the Omaka Classic Fighters airshow 2015 after 19 years of work. Warbirds over Wanaka He started the biennial Warbirds over Wanaka airshow in 1988. Family Wallis married Prue Hazledine on 22 August 1974 in Pretoria while they on a trip to South Africa. The couple had four children;