Retired airline pilot Arthur Dovey discovered on Sunday his Yak 3 aircraft had been hit by a ''high-powered'' stray bullet, which had pierced the steel wall of the hangar, then travelled through the aluminium side hatch of the aircraft before ending up in its transponder box.
Mr Dovey - who also flew fighter planes for the air force and earlier this year celebrated 50 years of flying - has owned the Yak 3 for about eight years and flown it in four Warbirds Over Wanaka airshows. It is one of fewer than 10 in the world still flying, he said.
''It's a valuable machine and it's pretty brassing off to find it's been damaged in this way.''
He estimated there was at least $2000 damage.
Had the bullet hit one of the plane's on-board pneumatic bottles or a compression bottle just metres away inside the hangar, it could have caused a hugely destructive explosion, Mr Dovey said.
Constable Martin Barham said the bullet appeared to be a ''.223 military round'', typically used by military personnel. A special military style semi-automatic licence endorsement was required for people to possess such a firearm.
The bullet was sent to the national police armoury for analysis, Const Barham said.
Airport manager Ralph Fegan said while people had traditionally hunted at the airport on the northern side of the runway near the river, some shooters had ''spoiled it'' for others by acting recklessly.
Discoveries of dead rabbits and bullet shells close to airport buildings prompted Mr Fegan in February to put a public notice in a local paper prohibiting hunting at the airport. Warning signs were also placed at the airport entrance.
Damage to the Yak 3 probably happened at night in the past week, Mr Fegan said.
A fighter syndicate for New Zealand's only other Yak 3 is being advertised on Trade Me for $1.3 million.
