Pilot Andrew Carter painstakingly restores and replicates planes from World War I — and even though he is an experienced flyer, he says controlling the aircraft in the skies poses a challenge.

It is these difficulties that give him "a whole new respect" for the "knights of the skies", Australian aviators who risked their lives for their country, often with little experience.

Mr Carter and enthusiasts from the Australian Vintage Aviation Society have recreated the fighter planes with original parts to commemorate 100 years of Australian military airmen.

"We have a lot more experience than the pilots of those days," he said.

Pilot Andrew Carter next to a replica Fokker DR.1 triplane. ( ABC News: Candice Prosser )

"We're struggling sometimes just to fly them and get them down safely, let alone to be able to operate them as a weapon of war like these young men were doing, sometimes with as little as 40 hours flying experience behind them."

Australia's only collection of flying World War I aircraft is on display at Caboolture in Queensland to help educate the public through a rare glimpse into aviation history.

Mr Carter's respect for the airmen is something he hopes to pass on to others, by displaying the aircraft and educating the public about Australia's role in air warfare.

A Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a in action. ( ABC News: Candice Prosser )

"We need to bring people along to show them what the builders, the designers and the pilots of the day were up against and how they overcame those problems," he said.

"A great deal has been made about Australia's role in the ground war but very few people understand that Australia played a significant part in the air war.

"Australia had its own flying corps, we had our own aces and we played a very major part both in the Middle East and the Western Front."

Andrew Carter lands the replica SE5a ( ABC News: Candice Prosser )

The majestic display of working vintage planes allows aviation history to come alive.

"We have the first fighter aircraft of all time right through to the last aircraft to fly during World War I," Mr Carter said.

The aircraft will be on display this weekend at the Caboolture Airfield in the lead-up to Anzac Day commemorations.