That’s what Wings is worth to us

Organisers of the snowballing Wings Over Wairarapa are celebrating the $6.5 million this year's event injected into the region's economy - and can now reveal the 2011 pageant will run a day longer.
Event organiser Liz Pollock said the next show in 16 months' time is planned to start a day earlier than usual, and would now kick off at 2pm on a Friday.
The extra afternoon's activities, incorporating a special night show, will run until 7pm.
"We made the decision to do it because the whole show is getting bigger. It also gives us an opportunity to do something a wee bit different and adds another level to the whole thing," she said.
The development was announced in a presentation this week to Masterton District Council, which contributed a grant of $10,000 toward the event.
The 10th Wings Over Wairarapa that took flight on January 17 and 18 attracted about 35,000 people - a number Ms Pollock believed would have been higher had it not been for poor weather in Wellington and Palmerston North on the Sunday.
A survey of 1.5 percent of attendants found that on average each of the 25,000 visitors spent $154 per day.
It was also revealed that the biggest growth market was visitors younger than 40.
"Obviously there's a lot of interest among Generation X and Y about history and the military," she said.
When the event's growth rate of about 20 percent was factored in along with an extra flood of Australian tourists in the recently secured Grand Pacific Tour group, the turnout for 2011 was estimated at around 50,000 people.
Ms Pollock said the $6.5 million return to the region was calculated using an economic multiplier, and accounted for visitor accommodation, hireage services, other spending by the show locally and a range of other contributors.
"For example, it accounts for when a visitor to the show stopped into a shop to buy an ice cream."
While she could confirm the 2009 show made a profit, she could not reveal what the figure was.
"It did make money, and all proceeds have been invested back into the organisation and the Sport and Vintage Aviation Society, primarily to complete the George Hood Aviation Museum."
It was anticipated the museum - honouring celebrated local pilots, war heroes and top dressers - would finally open at the aerodrome at some point this summer.
The 2011 show will also feature a Destination Wairarapa marquee to showcase the regions wines, and Ms Pollock hoped there would be more involvement with local retailers.
"There's always been some concern that people don't go into town, so we've decided we want to bring town to the people."
She also wanted to see more events like this year's parade through Queen Street become part of the weekend.
"We want the whole of Wairarapa to be involved, to give everyone a sense of ownership of the event."