Filtrer par genre
582 - WONZ 304 – Roy Boston
0:00 / 0:00
1x
- 582 - WONZ 304 – Roy Boston
Guest: Roy Boston – de Havilland Apprentice and Engineer, and RNZAF Instructor
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 26th of April 2024
Released: 30th of April 2024
Duration: 1 hour 34 minutes 45 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood talks with 96-year-old Roy Boston, who was born and grew up in London, and became an apprentice at the de Havilland Aircraft Company Limited at Stag Lane Aerodrome, Edgeware. He ended up working in various roles testing engines and propellers that were being developed for aircraft for both de Havilland and for other companies. He was involved with all sorts of aeroplanes, and witnessed other projects under development including jet engines and turboprops. He also reveals some interesting stories and secrets about the company’s projects, an may well be the last living witness to some of those developments of the 1940s by de Havilland.
He talks about flying in all sorts of aeroplanes during test flying too, from Lancaster and Halifax bombers to the rarities like the Vickers Warwick and the de Havilland Hornet!
After leaving the company in 1950 he emigrated to New Zealand, to rejoin his family who’d moved here some years beforehand. He ended up working first as a civilian instructor on engines with the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and then was commissioned as a serving officer in the Education branch of the RNZAF.
These days Roy is a celebrated artist, and he also volunteers as a guide at the Aviation Heritage Centre at Omaka, Blenheim.
Quick Links:• Roy’s artworks• The Aviation Heritage Centre, Omaka
Thanks to: Huge thanks to Roy’s son Dean Boston for setting this interview up via Zoom, and sitting in to prompt facts when needed, and also thanks to Bevan Dewes and Lucy Newell for the use of their office to record this while I was staying with them.
The music heard in this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim Karud.
Above: Roy Boston on the day of the interview, aged 96 and sharp as a tack. (Dean Boston photo)
Above: Roy Boston at Dog3 ROC,1945. (Roy Boston collection)
Above: The Ghost Lancastrian. (Roy Boston collection)
Above: Roy carrying out the engine cylinder vibration test at full chat on the DHC-1 Chipmunk prototype. Note the ballast in the back seat as discussed, and also the Vickers Warwick bomber in the background. (Roy Boston collection)
Above: The Askania Hand Vibrograph 1.
Above: The de Havilland Goblin on the test bed. (Roy Boston collection)Tue, 30 Apr 2024 - 1h 34min - 581 - WONZ 303 – The Great Escape 80th Anniversary
Guests: Larry Hill, Andrew White and Tony Hoskins
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 6th of March 2024
Published: 24th of March 2024
Duration: 2 hours, 57 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood marks the 80th Anniversary of The Great Escape by talking with Larry Hill, Andy White and Tony Hoskins.
The Great Escape is the name given to a breakout of Allied prisoners from the German POW camp Stalag Luft III, at Sagan, West Silesia in Germany, on the night of the 24th-25th of March 1944. A total of 76 prisoners, all members of the Royal Air Force and Allied Air Forces, managed to escape through a tunnel before the tunnel entrance was discovered by a German guard. Over the next few weeks 73 of the escapees were rounded up and recaptured after a massive manhunt. Three escaped. And of those recaptured, the Gestapo murdered 50 of the airmen, upon Hitler’s orders. Three New Zealanders were among the murdered airmen, and other Kiwis were involved in the escape. They’re all discussed here.
Andy and Tony give a great background to the prisoner of war camp and the escape. And Larry tells some stories of the New Zealanders involved that he knew personally.
Above: Larry Hill
Above: Tony Hoskins
Above: Andy White
Above: Porokoru Patapu “John” Pohe, RNZAF Great Escaper, and murdered by the Gestapo.
Above: Pilot Officer Arnold Christensen, RNZAF Great Escaper, and murdered by the Gestapo. From The Weekly News issue 25 November 1942, via the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.
Above: Squadron Leader John Edwin Ashley “Willy” Williams DFC, New Zealand-born Australian RAF Great Escaper, and murdered by the Gestapo.
Above: Image from the Edith Lyle personal album collection. “F/L Mick Shand.” No. 485 Squadron pilot Flight Lieutenant Michael Moray Shand DFC sitting in the cockpit of his Spitfire. Unknown location. Handwritten on the reverse of the print “F/L Shand DFC. 485 Sqd RNZAF. Who was lost on a Rhubarb over Holland, he was Flight Commander of B Flight. Fought through “the Battle of Britain” and had many great successes. He was lost in November 1943, but there may be a chance of him being a prisoner of war.” NB. Shand was involved in The Great Escape while interred in Stalag Luft 3. Image via the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.
Above: Squadron Leader Leonard Trent DFC, pilot with No. 487 Squadron. Taken before his Victoria Cross action. Enlargement from PR10415,Sun, 24 Mar 2024 - 2h 00min - 580 - WONZ 302 – Wings Over Britain: OFMC’s Sarah Carr
Guest: Sarah Carr (nee Hanna)
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 26th of July 2023
Published: 8th of March 2024
Duration: 1 hour 3 minutes, 5 seconds
In this episode of Wings Over Britain, Dave Homewood sat down with Sarah Carr of the Old Flying Machine Company, in her office at Duxford, Cambridgeshire. Sarah is the daughter of the legendary pilot, the late Ray Hanna, and sister of the late and equally revered pilot Mark Hanna. She talks in depth about how Ray and Mark both got into flying, display flying and film work. And she details her own experiences with aviation and with running the OFMC, which today operates only the one aeroplane, Spitfire IX MH434. Sarah also talks about her connection with New Zealand and how important that is to her.
Quick Links:.• The Old Flying Machine Company• Fans of the Old Flying Machine Company Facebook Group• Ray and Mark Hanna on the WONZ Forum
The famous OFMC Supermarine Spitfire LF. IXb Spitfire MH434.
Fri, 08 Mar 2024 - 1h 03min - 579 - WONZ 301 – Warbirds Over Wanaka 2024
Guest: Ed Taylor, General Manager of Warbirds Over Wanaka
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 4th of March 2024
Released: 4th of March 2024
Duration: 45 minutes 17 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood chats with Ed Taylor about the upcoming three-day Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow over Easter on March 29th, 30th and 31st. The airshow has an unprecedented line-up of warbirds and other awesome aeroplanes that are planned to display over the three day weekend.
These include de Havilland Mosquito NZ2308 (ZK-PWL) and North American P-51D Mustang NZ2423 (ZK-BHT) making their post-restoration debuts, plus the Wanaka debut of Yak 3Q “Steadfast”, the return of Corsair NZ5648 “Marie”, Brendon Deere’s Spitfire IX and Grumman Avenger “Plonky”, Bill Reid’s Anson, the Harvards, the Yak 52s, three T-28 Trojans, Strikemaster, Vampire, Lockheed 12a Electra Junior, and much more.
And of course there is the USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons, the C-17, USAF and RNZAF C-130s, the RNZAF’s Black Falcons team and the Air Force Heritage Flight, and the new Boeing P-8 Poseidon’s airshow debut, plus the four-ship L-39 jet team flown by the US Patriots pilots, and much more.
Quick Links:• GET TICKETS HERE• Warbirds Over Wanaka 2024 Website• Warbirds Over Wanaka on Facebook
Ed Taylor
The music heard in this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudMon, 04 Mar 2024 - 45min - 578 - WONZ 300 – Brendon Deere’s Mustang
Guest: Brendon Deere
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 20th of February 2024
Published: 2nd of March 2024
Duration: 1 hour 11 minutes, 28 seconds
In this 300th episode in the Wings Over New Zealand Show series, Dave Homewood talks with Brendon Deere of the Biggin Hill Trust about the beautiful restoration on his ex-RNZAF North American P-51D Mustang NZ2423 (ZK-BHT).
The Mustang served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force from 1945 till 1957. NZ2423 arrived in New Zealand aboard the ship Dominion Park on the 27th of August 1945, and as the Japanese had surrendered while it was on the water the Air Force put it and the other 28 Mustangs into storage at Hobsonville. In February 1947 the cocooned Mustang fleet were barged from Hobsonville down to Clevedon and towed from there to RNZAF Station Ardmore, which had been a fighter base but was now under Care & Maintenance. The P-51D’s were put into storage in one of the hangars there.
Following a period of storage at Ardmore, most of the Mustangs were placed into service with the Territorial Air Force squadrons in 1952. But NZ2423 was readied for flight and then flown to Rukuhia for another period of storage, as a reserve aircraft.
NZ2423 finally entered operational service in with No. 2 (Wellington) Squadron of the Territorial Air Force, based at Ohakea, as a replacement on the 12th of July 1954. On the 25th of October 1955 it was then transferred to No. 42 Squadron and converted to tow target drogues for the Vampire pilots.
It was the last RNZAF Mustang to fly, when on the 30th of May 1957 it flew from Ohakea to Woodbourne and went back into storage. The Mustangs were put up for sale by tender and in May 1958 NZ2423 was sold to Bill Ruffell of Blenheim, who along with his friend Harry Rutledge had planned to use it to build a new powerboat using the engine and the cockpit and tail. The pair already had the famous hydroplane racing boat Tru-Jen. But their plans fizzled out and they sold the Mustang to John Smith of Mapua in 1964, who stored it in his famous shed till his death in 2019.
Brendon purchased the Mustang in 2020, and set about restoring it. It made its return to flight in November 2023. In this episode he tells the story of the Mustang’s history and talks about the restoration. He also details the current status of other aircraft in his collection, the Spitfire IX, the Avenger “Plonky” and his Harvard NZ1037.
The Mustang will make its airshow debut at the end of this month at Warbirds Over Wanaka, flown by S/Ldr Sean Perrett, alongside the Biggin Hill Trust’s Spitfire and Avenger.
Quick Links:• Biggin Hill Historic Aircraft Centre, RNZAF Ohakea • The long running Wings Over New Zealand Forum Mustang NZ2423 Thread
Above: Mustang NZ2423 over Ohakea. (Gavin Conroy photo)
Above: Brendon Deere with his Spitfire. (Brendon Deere photo)
Sat, 02 Mar 2024 - 1h 11min - 577 - WONZ 299 – Bomber Memories
Guests: Arthur Joplin (No. 617 Squadron pilot) and Ron Mayhill (No. 75 (NZ) Squadron bomb aimer), with Peter Wheeler of the New Zealand Bomber Command Association.
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 29th of August 2013
Published: 26th of February 2024
Duration: 40 minutes, 46 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood dips into his archive and pulls out a 2013 recording that he made when he and Peter Wheeler (of the New Zealand Bomber Command Association) visited Arthur Joplin and Ron Mayhill at Arthur’s retirement village home in Remuera. The recording was made during a social visit, when Dave and Peter got Arthur and Ron to tell some of their memories. This is an edited version to pull out the most interesting highlights from the conversation.
Arthur was an RNZAF veteran who served as a Lancaster pilot with No. 617 Squadron RAF during WWII. He was one of the pilots that attacked the German battleship Tirpitz twice, sinking it in November 1944.
Ron was an RNZAF bomb aimer, who flew with New Zealand’s heavy bomber squadron, No. 75 (NZ) Squadron, during the latter part of 1944. He wrote the absolutely brilliant memoir Bombs On Target, which is a must read. He also served several years till his death as President of the New Zealand Bomber Command Association.
Ron passed away in 2020, and Arthur died in 2023, so these memories and stories are precious reminders of these great men and the things they did during WWII.
Quick Links:• The New Zealand Bomber Command Association
• The New Zealand Bomber Command Association Facebook Page
• The Tirpitz
The Lancaster artwork from Ron Mayhill’s marvellous book Bombs On Target.
Above: Arthur Joplin, in later life, and right during WWII. (NZBCA Archives)
Above: Ron Mayhill, in later life, and right during WWII. (NZBCA Archives)
The music heard in this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudSun, 25 Feb 2024 - 40min - 576 - WONZ 298 – Wings Over Britain: RAF Hunsdon
Guest: Denis Sharp and Jim Cosgrove
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 27th of July 2023
Published: 18th of February 2024
Duration: 1 hour minutes, seconds
In this episode of Wings Over Britain Dave Homewood is given a guided tour of the remains of former RAF Hunsdon by local historians Denis Sharp and Jim Cosgrove on a drizzly day. Hunsdon was a wartime airfield in Hertfordshire that was home to several wartime squadrons and units. These included No. 487 (NZ) Squadron with their Mosquito fighter-bombers alongside No. 464 Squadron RAAF and No. 21 Squadron RAF, which together formed No. 140 Wing.
The No. 140 Wing Mosquitoes took off from here to make the famous attack on the Amiens prison in northern France, in an attempt to release hundreds of members of the French Resistance who were being held prisoner by the Gestapo.
Another New Zealand squadron that spent a short time at Hunsdon was No. 488 (NZ) Squadron, before they deployed to the Continent with their night fighter Mosquitoes.
It was also home at various periods to No. 3 Squadron RAF with their Hurricanes, and the Hunsdon Wing which was made up from No. 611 (West Lancashire) Squadron, No. 154 (Motor Industry) Squadron and No. 442 (Caribou) Squadron, RCAF.
These days most of the buildings and structures have disappeared, but the airfield remains active with a small flying club with light aircraft and microlights. A memorial to those who served there can be found next to the flying club.
Quick Links:• Hertfortshire Airfields Memorial Group’s page on RAF Hunsdon• RAF Hunsdon on Wikipedia• Hunsdon Village’s page on RAF Hunsdon• WONZ Episode 62 – The Amiens Prison Raid 70th Anniversary Special from 10 years earlier
Jim Cosgrove, left, and Denis Sharp, right, with the RAF Hunsdon Memorial.
A 1943 aerial of RAF Hunsdon, taken from the HAMG page.
A 1946 aerial shot overlayed onto Google Earth image, taken from the HAMG page.
Denis Sharp on the perimeter track with the wartime footprints.
Sat, 17 Feb 2024 - 2h 13min - 575 - WONZ 297 – Wings Over Britain: Bottisham
Guest: Jason Webb
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 26th of July 2023
Published: 15th of February 2024
Duration: 16 minutes, 31 seconds
In this mini-episode of Wings Over Britain Dave Homewood meets Jason Webb at the Bottisham Airfield Museum, at former RAF Bottisham in Cambridgeshire. The museum presents the history of the wartime station, which has now reverted back to countryside, including its time as a Royal Air Force station with Army Cooperation P-40s and Mustangs, and then as a USAAF fighter base with Mustangs. It also covers the local area’s war efforts with displays depicting the Home Front organisations such as the Home Guard and Air Raid Precautions (ARP) units.
The museum is located in genuine wartime buildings from the airfield, and includes recreations of various offices and living quarters to show how life was there during WWII, plus lots of aviation artefacts, genuine uniforms, models, photos and much more depicting the base’s history, and there is a stunningly realistic replica P-51D Mustang “Lou IV” acting as centrepiece and gate guard.
Quick Links:• Bottisham Airfield Museum Website• Bottisham Airfield Museum on Facebook
Jason Webb with the Mustang replica.
Thu, 15 Feb 2024 - 16min - 574 - WONZ 296 – Wings Over Britain: IWM Duxford
Guest: Rebecca Greenwood Harding
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 25th of July 2023
Published: 6th of February 2024
Duration: 33 minutes, 15 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood visited the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, in Cambridgeshire, and caught up with Rebecca Greenwood Harding, the Head of Technological Objects for the collection there. Following a tour of the museum with Rebecca and mutual friend Mike Shreeve, including some areas that the public does not normally see, Dave sat down with Rebecca to record this interview.
Duxford is one of the most famous airfields in the world, and the Imperial War Museum’s collection, and the various collections of the IWM’s partners at Duxford, are incredibly impressive. Rebecca talks about her role and how she got into the job there in 2001. She describes the exhibits in the various hangars, and different events that are held at Duxford each year. And she talks about the restoration projects in Hangar 5 at the time, as well as revealing her favourite aircraft in the collection, and her favourite Spitfire.
Quick Links:.• The Imperial War Museum Duxford
The music in this episode is I Vow To Thee, My Country by Gustav Holst.
Thanks to Mike Shreeve and Ania Shreeve for their assistance with making this episode.
Below are photos from two days’ visiting Duxford, copyright Dave Homewood July 2023.
Mike Shreeve and Rebecca Greenwood Harding during the tour of the old station on the opposite side of the road.
Mon, 05 Feb 2024 - 33min - 573 - WONZ 295 – Wings Over Britain: Hornchurch
Guest: Tony Philpot
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 18th of July 2023
Published: 19th of January 2024
Duration: 50 minutes, 8 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood visits the RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre, on the site of the former RAF Station Hornchurch, and he talks with the museum’s curator Tony Philpot.
RAF Hornchurch is synonymous with the Battle of Britain, as one of the most famous and important fighter bases that existed in the defence of London. It was here that some of the Royal Air Force’s best pilots were based, and this included New Zealanders such as Alan Deere and Colin Gray in 1940. Another Kiwi connection is with No. 485 (New Zealand) Squadron, whose Spitfires were based at Hornchurch for two different stints in 1943 and 1944.
Hornchurch was also the site of a New Zealand Army hospital and convalescence centre in the First World War. And there are other Kiwi connections with the hallowed area too.
Steeped with RAF history, the station no longer exists, but on the 19th of September 2021 the new RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre was officially opened by Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Graydon GCB CBE.
The centre is packed with really interesting artefacts, displays and memories of RAF Hornchurch’s amazing history. Close to Romford, Essex, just east of London, the centre is well worth a visit. The volunteer staff on the day that Dave visited, Tony, Paul and Jim, were fantastic fun too with lots of great banter, but also a true dedication to preserving and sharing the history of their now paved over and built on aerodrome. Highly recommended.
Quick Links:.• RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre• RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre on Facebook• Hornchurch Aerodrome Historical Trust on Facebook
Above: RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre volunteers Paul (left) and Jim (centre) and Tony Phillpot. Great fun hosts, and very knowledgeable museum guides!
Fri, 19 Jan 2024 - 50min - 572 - WONZ 294 – Wings Over Britain: Steve Bridgewater
Guest: Stephen Bridgewater
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 13th of July 2023
Published: 20th of December 2023
Duration: 1 hour 8 minutes, 9 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood talks with well known aviation journalist Steve Bridgewater about his career and his passion for aviation. Steve is a multiple award winning aviation author, journalist and photographer with more than two decades experience in editing aviation and aerospace magazines .
His passions include vintage aeroplanes, warbirds and airshows. He spent many years with Air Atlantique, working with the DC-3’s and other old aeroplanes in that now defunct collection. He is also a Liveryman of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots, and he explains what this means.
His current role, and dream job, is as Deputy Editor of AEROSPACE Magazine at the Royal Aeronautical Society. His office is at No. 4 Hamilton Place, London, overlooking Hyde Park, and right near the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, and the RAF Club. He and the AEROSPACE team also produce a monthly podcast called AEROSPACE NOTAM.
Quick Links:• The Royal Aeronautical Society (UK)• AEROSPACE Magazine• AEROSPACE NOTAM Podcast• Steve on Facebook• Steve on X Twitter• Steve in Linked In
Steve Bridgewater. (Steve Bridgewater photo)
The AEROSPACE magazine team, left to right, Charlotte Bailey, Tim Robinson, Steve Bridgewater and Bella Richards. (Steve Bridgewater photo)
A selfie taken by Steve Bridgewater at the Flying Legends airshow at Church Fenton, Yorkshire. Left to right, Steve Bridgewater, Simon Jacubowski, Johan Brobakken, Dave Homewood and Graham Henderson.
Steve’s painting of the Dakota he first flew in as a boy.
The music in this episode is I Vow To Thee, My Country by Gustav Holst.Wed, 20 Dec 2023 - 1h 08min - 571 - WONZ 293 – Fletcher McKenzie
Guest: Fletcher McKenzie
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 27th of October 2023
Published: 14th of December 2023
Duration: 59 minutes, 46 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood chats with Fletcher McKenzie, an entrepreneur and former advertising executive who turned his hand to television and, with Malcolm Clement, produced the very popular FlightPath TV, which was seen in 61 countries around the world through Discovery Channel.
Fletch talks about his passion for aviation and his journey into becoming a pilot. And he talks about the TV show, and film work with various aviation museums. He then got into writing books and has been prolific, with his Lessons From The Sky series.
More recently Fletch has released his bestselling book From The Pilot’s Seat: Kiwi Adventures In The Sky. This book includes 23 interviews with New Zealanders whose work, service and/or life’s passion is in flying. The Kiwis come from all walks of like, from Air Force pilots to warbird display pilots to glider pilots to commercial helicopter pilots.
Quick Links:• Fletcher McKenzie’s Website• From The Pilot’s Seat on Penguin Books• fromthepilotsseat.org To watch FlightPath TV and other videos. Fletch extends a 50% Offer for listeners – click “Add promotion code” on the Stripe checkout page use SKYHIGH50.
Above: Fletcher McKenzie.
Wed, 13 Dec 2023 - 59min - 570 - WONZ 292 – Wings Over Britain: Andy Saunders
Guest: Andy Saunders
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 12th of July 2023
Published: 10th of December 2023
Duration: 1 hour 26 minutes, 14 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood caught up with author, journalist and historian Andy Saunders in his ‘War Office’ writing room in Eton, under the flightpath to Heathrow. Andy talks about his childhood discovery of a downed B-25 bomber while on a fishing trip that really sparked his interest in wartime aviation. He talks about finding wrecks of downed aeroplanes, and how he got into the historical research.
He has spent years tracking down and interviewing pilots and aircrew, initially for his own interest, but it eventually led to writing magazine articles and then books. These days he is editor of Iron Cross magazine, and regularly writes articles for various newspapers and magazines.
Andy was also a co-founder of the Tangmere Aviation Museum. And Dave and Andy discuss New Zealanders in the Battle of Britain, and their visit earlier in the day to the Runnymede Memorial.
Quick Links:• Andy Saunders on Grub Street Publishing• Andy Saunders on Frontline Books (Pen & Sword)• Andy Saunders’ Haynes Battle of Britain Manual• Andy Saunders on Wikipedia• Iron Cross Magazine
Above: Andy Saunders at his desk in his writing retreat, the “War Office”.
Andy outside the “War Office”.
Andy’s book on the Spitfire P9374, which he talks about. It is available in New Zealand here
Runnymede Memorial, the Royal Air Force’s Memorial to missing airmen with no known graves.
The music in this episode is I Vow To Thee, My Country by Gustav Holst.Sun, 10 Dec 2023 - 1h 26min - 569 - WONZ 291 – Wings Over Britain: RAF Museum Midlands
Guest: Darren Priday, Manager of the RAF Museum’s Conservation Centre
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 11th of July 2023
Published: 18th of November 2023
Duration: 46 minutes, 39 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood visited the terrific Royal Air Force Museum Midlands, at RAF Cosford, with friend Nigel Hitchman, and he met the Manager of the RAF Museum’s Conservation Centre, Darren Priday.
Darren talks about the museum at Cosford, recent restorations such as the Vickers Wellington now on display at Cosford and the Handley Page Hampden that he is still working on and was about to head soon to display at Hendon.
He covers the recovery of the Dornier 17 ten years before, and how they have been conserving it and preparing it for display. And he talks about the techniques they have used and developed to preserve aircraft recovered from the sea. He gives a teaser for another sea recovery project that does not involve the RAF Museum, but he is advising on.
He addresses the problem of having several aircraft outside in the weather, and plans for a new building in the future. And gives a good general overview of the museum.
Quick Links:
• The RAF Museum Midlands Website
• The RAF Museum Website
• The RAF Museum on Facebook
Above: Darren Priday, Manager of the RAF Museum’s Conservation Centre, with the Vickers Wellington
Sat, 18 Nov 2023 - 46min - 568 - WONZ 290 – Wings Over Wairarapa 2023
Guests: Tracy Dixon, Airside Manager for Wings Over Wairarapa 2023
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 14th of November 2023
Published: 14th of November 2023
Duration: 21 minutes, 28 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood speaks with Tracy Dixon, the Airside Manager for the Wings Over Wairarapa Air Festival, which will take place over the 24th to 26th of November 2023 at Hood Aerodrome, Masterton. Tracy gives a preview of what airshow goers can expect to see.
Highlights will include the airshow debut of the RNZAF’s new Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, the return to the airshow scene after more than six years of Goodyear FG-1D Corsair NZ5648 (ZK-COR) in a new RNZAF paint scheme, the T-28 Trojan pair, and the new Legends Aviation display team.
Quick Links:
• Wings Over Wairarapa Air Festival website
• Wings Over Wairarapa Air Festival on Facebook
• Wings Over Wairarapa Tickets
• RNZAF Corsair Supporters Facebook Group
• Legend Aviation
Corsair NZ5648 will appear in all new markings. They have been removed in this photo to add to the mystery of how she will look. Come along and find out at Wings Over Wairarapa! (Photo Marty Nicoll)
Above: Tracy Dixon.Tue, 14 Nov 2023 - 21min - 567 - WONZ 289 – Wings Over Britain: The de Havilland Aircraft Museum
Guests: Ian Thirsk, Mosquito Team Leader
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 7th of July 2023
Published: 11th of November 2023
Duration: 53 minutes, 09 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood visits the de Havilland Aircraft Museum at London Colney, Hertfordshire, and he interviews Ian Thirsk, the Mosquito Team Leader with the museum. Whilst the museum preserves the history and products of the famous aircraft manufacturer de Havilland and many of its significant products, the episode focuses heavily on the Mosquito. The museum has three Mosquitos on display, including the very first prototype. Also among the collection are many other important aircraft types from biplanes to jets, fighters to airliners.
Hopefully this episode highlights the importance of the company and its aeroplanes to both the British aviation industry and to New Zealand, and also entices listeners to visit this museum that is packed full of incredibly rare treasures.
Quick Links:
• de Havilland Aircraft Museum website
• de Havilland Aircraft Museum on Facebook
Ian Thirsk in front of the de Havilland Mosquito prototype W4050.
Fri, 10 Nov 2023 - 53min - 566 - WONZ 288 – Wings Over Britain: The BBMF
Guest: Julian Maslin, BBMF Guide.
Host: Dave Homewood, with Barbara Hunter.
Recorded: 6th of July 2023
Published: 3rd of November 2023
Duration: 1 hour, 4 minutes, 27 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood visits The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. He was accompanied by Barbara Hunter of the New Zealand Bomber Command Association, and they were given a personal guided tour by BBMF Guide Julian Maslin.
Julian describes each of the aircraft in this amazing collection, which remain on the RAF’s Order of Battle, and he talks about the day to day running of the BBMF.
Quick Links:
• The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
• The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (Official) on Facebook
Above: BBMF Guide Julian Maslin.
Fri, 03 Nov 2023 - 1h 04min - 565 - WONZ 287 – Wings Over Britain: Dave Gledhill
Guests: David Gledhill, Author and Aviator
Host: Dave Homewood, and also heard are Dave’s hosts in Woodhall Spa, Ken White and Barbara Hunter.
Recorded: 6th of July 2023
Published: 29th of October 2023
Duration: 41 minutes, 52 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood visits former RAF navigator and author Dave Gledhill at Thorpe Camp, Lincolnshire. Dave owns and runs a genuine ex-RAF Tornado simulator which is based within the Thorpe Camp museum, which has been adapted to simulate other types as well as the Tornado, including the Hawk, Vulcan, Spitfire and Lancaster.
Quick Links:
• Dave Gledhill’s website
• Tornado F3 Mission Simulator Facebook Page
• Thorpe Camp Visitors Centre Facebook Page
Above: Dave Gledhill sits in the front cockpit of the Tornado simulator
The Rediffusion Tornado simulator, at Thorpe Camp, Tatershall Thorpe, Lincolnshire.
Sun, 29 Oct 2023 - 41min - 564 - WONZ 286 – Wings Over Britain: The International Bomber Command Centre
Guests: Dr. Dan Ellin and Peter Jones
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 5th of July 2023
Published: 6th of October 2023
Duration: 50 minutes, 5 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood visited the International Bomber Command Centre, where he met Dr. Dan Ellin, of the University of Lincoln, who is the archivist for the International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive. Dan is responsible for the digitisation of letters, diaries, and photographs that come into the centre from veterans or families, and he also records oral histories with veterans. As curator of the exhibition for the IBCC visitor centre, Dan was also responsible for the content of three galleries that tell the stories of the bomber crews, the stories of those on the ground and how Bomber Command has been remembered since WWII.
Dave also met Peter Jones, who also works in the archive, digitising content. Peter’s father served with RAF Bomber Command during WWII.
Since 2015 the archive has recorded over 1,000 oral history interviews and over 100,000 digital files.
The ICCC was very busy on the day of my visit, including with lots of school groups, which made the place a little noisy in the background.
Quick Links:
• The International Bomber Command Centre website
• The International Bomber Command Centre Facebook Page
• The Bomber Command Digital Archive
Above: Dr. Dan Ellin
Above: Peter Jones.
Thu, 05 Oct 2023 - 50min - 563 - WONZ 285 – Wings Over Britain: East Kirkby
Guests: John Marshal-East and Andrew Panton
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 4th of July 2023
Published: 29th of September 2023
Duration: 1 hour, 10 minutes, 34 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood visited the former RAF Station at East Kirkby in Lincolnshire, home of the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre. This museum is famous for its taxiing Avro Lancaster NX611 Just Jane, and the also taxiing de Havilland Mosquito HJ711, but it is in fact dedicated to all things RAF Bomber Command.
The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre was created on the former WWII RAF Bomber Command station by brothers Fred and Harold Panton as a place to house their Lancaster bomber, which they’d purchased as a tribute to their brother Christopher, who lost his life while flying operations on Handley Page Halifax bombers with Bomber Command.
Dave spoke with the deputy chief engineer John Marshal-East while he was on site about the efforts of keeping the centre’s aircraft maintained and running, whilst also working on restoring the Lancaster to flying condition at the same time.
At the time of Dave’s visit the centre’s manager Andrew Panton was away, but they caught up later on Zoom to record the second half of this episode. The grandson of the late co-founder Fred Panton, Andrew talks about the museum’s history and his family’s connection, as well as current projects and future plans. Andrew is also one of the pilots rated to give taxi rides in both the Lancaster and the Mosquito to the paying public, both very popular attractions at the LAHC.
Quick Links:
• Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre website
• Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre on Facebook
• I Support Avro Lancaster NX611 Just Jane Facebook Group
The music in this episode is I Vow To Thee, My Country by Gustav Holst.
Above: Avro Lancaster Just Jane.
Above: John Marshal-East with the LAHC’s recently-acquired North American B-25 Mitchell Always Dangerous.
Above: Andrew Panton in the B-25’s cockpit (Andrew Panton photo)
Thu, 28 Sep 2023 - 1h 10min - 562 - WONZ 284 – Grace Hills
Guest: Grace Hills
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 5th of September 2023
Published: 23rd of September 2023
Duration: 35 minutes, 26 seconds
Dave Homewood talks with Grace Hills in this episode to mark the annual international Girls In Aviation Day!
Grace is an aircraft technician in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and she is also a private pilot. She learned to fly at Ardmore and through the Walsh Memorial Scout Flying School at Matamata, and she undertook the RNZAF’s School To Skies programme that led to her current career.
Whilst working on modern helicopters in her day job, she has also enthusiastically become involved in historic aviation. She flies Tiger Moths and a Nanchang, and she has turned her hand to helping with the restorations of the John Smith Mosquito and John smith’s Tiger Moth at Omaka, and Brendon Deere’s North American P-51D Mustang at Ohakea.
Grace is also the secretary of the New Zealand Association of Women in Aviation.
Quick Links:
• The Royal New Zealand Air Force
• RNZAF School To Skies
• Girls In Aviation Day
• Girls In Aviation Day on Facebook
• New Zealand Association of Women in Aviation
• New Zealand Association of Women in Aviation on Facebook
Grace in the John Smith Tiger Moth, which runs and taxis but does not fly.
Grace in a Harvard.
Grace preparing the Nanchang for a flight.
Grace working on Bill Reid’s Avro Anson.
Grace with the famous John Smith Mosquito at Omaka, which she helped to restore.
Fri, 22 Sep 2023 - 35min - 561 - WONZ 283 – Wings Over Britain: Conversations from Shuttleworth
Guests: Darren Harbar, Steve Darlow, George Dunn DFC and David Bremner
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 1st and 2nd of July 2023
Published: 16th of September 2023
Duration: 1 hour, 10 minutes, 20 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood met with several friends at the hallowed ground that is Old Warden aerodrome, the home of the world famous Shuttleworth Collection. He interviewed a few people, the first being well known and respected aviation photographer Darren Harbar. Darren had shown Dave around the collection and museum, and sat down to talk about the Shuttleworth Collection and his special connection with it. He also discussed his work as an aviation photographer.
Next Dave talks with aviation historian, writer and documentary maker Steve Darlow, and WWII bomber pilot and author George Dunn DFC, Ld’H. Steve discusses his involvement in writing books about Bomber Command, and his involvement with helping to make the film Lancaster, and the current project, Mosquito. George talks about his wartime experiences, training in Canada, and flying Halifax heavy bombers, then Mosquitoes, and then Spitfires.
And finally Dave talks with David Bremner, who with his brother Richard and friend Theo Willford reconstructed the WWI Bristol Scout C, 1264, as flown by David and Richard’s grandfather Francis Bremner over Gallipoli during 1915 while in the Royal Naval Air Service. This wonderful aeroplane lives at and flies from Old Warden.
Darren Harbar.
Darren’s sales tent at the Shuttleworth Military Show while he was still setting it up.
Steve Darlow and George Dunn DFC, Ld’H
Bristol Scout C 1264
Sue Bremner, Dave Homewood and David Bremner
The lengthened control stick in the Scout.
The Dardanelles map and the photo of Francis Bremner, as discussed.
Quick Links:
• Darren Harbar’s Photography Page
Sat, 16 Sep 2023 - 1h 10min - 560 - WONZ 282 – David Barnston
Guest: Flt Lt David Barnston, RAF/RNZAF retired
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 1st of September 2023
Published: 10th of September 2023
Duration: 1 hour 17 minutes, 47 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood talks with 99-year old fighter pilot veteran David Barnston, who was born in London, and went to school next to RAF Hendon as a lad. He joined the Royal Air Force when he was 17-years-old, and trained as a pilot on Tiger Moths in Guinea Fowl, near Bulawayo in Southern Rhodesia, and advanced to Harvards at No. 22 SFTS at Thornhill at Gwelo (now called Gweru). After a spell in Durban he was sent to India destined to be posted onto the Vultee Vengeance bombers, but discovered on arrival these aircraft had already departed.
After going from pillar to post around India he was sent back to Africa and ended up doing a fighter Operation Training Unit course on Hawker Hurricanes at Ishmailia, in Egypt.
Once he was qualified on fighters he returned to India and eventually joined No. 123 (East India) Squadron at Yelahanka, where he began flying Republic P-47D Thunderbolts. The squadron moved up to the Arakan in Burma and he flew operationally in Thunderbolts from September 1944 till March 1945. He was then sent home to Britain for a furlough leave. When he returned in July 1945 his squadron had been renumbered as No. 81 Squadron.
In October 1945 No. 81 Squadron and another Thunderbolt squadron, plus a Mosquito squadron, moved to Java in the Dutch East Indies to get involved in the war called the Indonesian National Revolution, or the Indonesian War of Independence. There they were involved in keeping ‘safe roads’ clear from rebels who were attempting an uprising so the refugees trying to get to the coast to escape could do so in safety.
He then led a small Army Co-operation Flight in the North of England, with two Spitfires, two Vultee Vengeance and a Martinet. On demob from the RAF, David moved to New Zealand and in 1950 he joined No. 1 (Auckland) Squadron of the Territorial Air Force, flying Mustangs for five years at RNZAF Station Whenuapai. He also joined National Airways Corporation for his day job and flew DC-3s and Friendships.
David flying Spitfire XVI SM750
David and his mother and brother in a modified Avro 504K going for a joyride in the late 1920s or early 1930s.
David Barnston with the photo of his granddaughter he refers to.
A close up of the photo.
The map diagram, from a magazine, that David used to explain the Mandalay raid.
Sun, 10 Sep 2023 - 1h 17min - 559 - Warbird Radio Downunder Ep 1 – John Parker
This is an introduction to the new series Warbird Radio Downunder which starts today on the Warbird Radio Network.
The Jolley Company, LLC|9/8/2023
WARBIRD RADIO – The Wings Over New Zealand Show LIVE host Dave Homewood is back on Warbird Radio, with a similar show but the new name is Warbird Radio Downunder. He and occasional co-host Grant McHerron will present stories to Warbird Radio listeners from both New Zealand and Australia, and perhaps beyond.
Dave is the host of the long-running series The Wings Over New Zealand Show, which covers all sorts of stories from the world of New Zealand aviation. He is also an aviation magazine editor and journalist, Administrator for the Sport Aircraft Association of New Zealand, and founder of the very popular Wings Over New Zealand Forum.
Grant, a Kiwi based in Melbourne, Australia, is co-host of another popular aviation podcast series, Plane Crazy Down Under. He works in the Australian defence industry, and he is a keen balloon pilot.
Today’s guest is John Parker is the Public Officer at the Hunter Fighter Collection, based at Scone, NSW, in Australia. He speaks with Dave about the Pat Hughes Spitfire, Mk. 1a Spitfire X4009, which is currently being rebuilt to fly again, and will be based at Scone. John talks about Flight Lieutenant Pat Hughes DFC, who was Australia’s top scoring fighter ace in the Battle of Britain, before he was killed in X4009.
John also discusses the Hunter Fighter Collection, and the recent addition to its fleet, a North American P-51D Mustang that has been donated by the Royal Air Force Museum, and all the other aircraft in the fleet. Plus a replica Spitfire fuselage that will be taken around Australia to raise awareness of Pat Hughes’ story and the Spitfire project.
QUICK LINK: https://www.hunterwarbirds.com.au/
QUICK LINK:Fri, 08 Sep 2023 - 42min - 558 - WONZ 281 – Wings Over Britain: Sandy’s Spitfire
Guest: Tony Hoskins
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 30th of June 2023
Published: 20th of August 2023
Duration: 1 hour 59 minutes, 38 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood talks with Tony Hoskins who is leading the team who are restoring Supermarine Spitfire PR.IV AA810, known as Sandy’s Spitfire. This Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (PRU) Spitfire was flown by Flight Lieutenant Alastair “Sandy” Gunn when it was shot down over Norway, and crashed. Sandy was taken prisoner by the Germans, and he eventually took part in the Great Escape from Stalag Luft III at Sagan, was captured, and was murdered as one of the 50 airmen executed after the escape.
The Spitfire wreck was discovered on a mountainside and recovered by Tony’s team, and it is currently being restored to fly again. Tony discusses the history of the aircraft and its pilot, Sandy, and talks in detail about the restoration and the research he and his team have done so far. The team is also working with young people, including apprentices and students, to either get involved with the rebuild and the research, or simply teaching them about the work this aircraft did, and about WWII.
Quick Links:
• Spitfire AA810’s Website
• Spitfire AA810 – Restoring Sandy’s Spitfire Facebook Page
• National PRU Monument
An actual image of AA810 in service. (Colourised)
Sandy Gunn. (Colourised)
Tony Hoskins.
The wreckage laid out.
AA810 in the big jig.
Sandy Gunn. (Colourised)Sun, 20 Aug 2023 - 1h 59min - 557 - WONZ 280 – Wings Over Britain: The Fleet Air Arm Museum
Guest: David Morris, Principle Conservator at the Fleet Air Arm Museum
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 28th of June 2023
Published: 15th of August 2023
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes, 31 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood visits The Fleet Air Arm Museum, part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, at Yeovilton in Somerset. There he got a guided tour of the main halls and the conservation area by principle conservator Dave Morris.
Naval aviation in Britain began in 1909, initially with he building of an airship, and by 1911 the Navy had their owned trained fixed-wing pilots. In July 1914 the Royal Naval Air Service formed, becoming the air arm of the Royal Navy. They led the way in naval aviation and the development of aerial warfare through WWI. On the 1st of April 1918 the RNAS was merged with the Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force.
The Fleet Air Arm formed within the RAF on the 1st of April 1924, marking out the specific RAF squadrons that would deploy to aircraft carriers and perform other naval duties. Then on the 24th of May 1939 the Fleet Air Arm was divided off from the RAF and placed under Admiralty control.
The Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm entered the Second World War as an underfunded, undermanned force with inferior equipment. A massive expansion got underway as more and more aircraft carriers were brought on strength, with the Royal Navy directly recruiting aircrew from New Zealand as well as Britain. Aircrew training was carried out through WWII in Britain (with initial flying training done by the Royal Air Force), Canada (with flying training done by the Royal Canadian Air Force under the Empire Air Training Scheme), and, from mid-1941, in the USA (with flying training conducted by the United States Navy). Much development in naval fighters and torpedo bombers took part both in Britain and, with the introduction of the Lend Lease scheme, in the USA. The Royal Navy ended up with one of the best carrier forces in the world by 1945, and the Fleet Air Arm flew off ships and land bases in every theatre of the war.
The Fleet Air Arm continued into the post-1945 world, and remained a potent part of the Royal Navy’s strength, with jets and helicopters as the main equipment aboard the carriers.
This museum reflects the long history of naval flying in Britain, from the earliest days of biplanes on floats in World War One, to the fighters and bombers of WWII, and the jets and helicopters through to the modern era.
Two particularly interesting WWII fighters discussed are the Corsair IV, KD431, and the Grumman G-36 Martlet I, AL246. Both have been conserved in such a way that postwar paint coats have been removed to reveal the original wartime paint schemes beneath. The current restoration of the Fairey Barracuda is discussed, among other topics from air sea rescue to the first jet to operate from a carrier.
Quick Links:
• The National Museum of the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm Museum Website
• The Fleet Air Arm Museum’s Facebook Page
• The Fairey Barracuda DP872 Rebuild Facebook Page
Special thanks to Dave Morris and Catherine Hallett o...Tue, 15 Aug 2023 - 1h 30min - 556 - WONZ 279 – Wings Over Britain: Biggin Hill
Guests: Dave Cole and Margaret Wilmot
Hosts: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 30th of June 2023
Duration: 1 hour 41 minute 46 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood talks with Dave Cole, a guide and local historian at the Biggin Hill Memorial Museum, at former RAF Biggin Hill. Dave talks about the fascinating history of the famous RAF fighter station, from its very beginning with the Royal Flying Corps in 1915, being created as an airfield where scientific development of aerial radio communications was pursued. And he explained its role as a defensive fighter base for London and southern England during WWI, and into the interwar period, and then into WWII with the Battle of Britain, and beyond.
Dave then chats with Margaret Wilmot about St George’s RAF Chapel of Remembrance, which is specially dedicated to remembering the members of the Royal Air Force who lost their lives in World War Two. Margaret, the Verger of the parish, explains the chapel’s history and its current status as a memorial and visitor attraction, as well as an active parish church.
Quick Links:
• The Biggin Hill Memorial Museum and Chapel website
• RAF Biggin Hill Museum & Chapel Facebook Page
• St George’s RAF Chapel of Remembrance, Biggin Hill Facebook Page
• Protect Biggin Hill RAF Chapel Facebook Page
Dave Cole, historian and guide at the Biggin Hill Memorial Museum.
Margaret Wilmot, Verger of St George’s RAF Chapel of Remembrance, at Biggin Hill.
Tue, 08 Aug 2023 - 1h 41min - 555 - WONZ 278 – Wings Over Britain: Brooklands Museum
Guests: Andrew Lewis and Allan Winn
Hosts: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 29th of June 2023
Duration: 1 hour 1 minute 13 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood talks with Andrew Lewis and Allan Winn at the Brooklands Museum, at Weybridge, Surrey, in England. Brooklands was the home of British motor racing, and also the home of Vickers Weybridge, a centre of innovation and manufacturing for the British aviation industry since 1915.
Andrew is the curator of the museum’s collection, and Allan is the past Director and CEO of Brooklands Museum, and is now the vice president of the Brooklands Trust. Allan also happens to be an ex-pat New Zealander, and his leadership of the museum has helped to create the amazing place that is is these days.
The two men discuss the history of the site and the creation of the museum, and talk about the important aircraft and artefacts within the collection. And they discuss their favourite exhibits, and the huge importance that they put on the museum of not just telling the stories of the past, but also inspiring the younger generations into the fields of engineering and aerospace.
Vickers Wellington N2980, ‘R’ for Robert, The Loch Ness Wellington.
Brooklands Museum curator Andrew Lewis.
Allan Winn, the New Zealander who is the former Director and CEO of Brooklands Museum, and currently the vice president of the Brooklands Trust.
The Brooklands Concorde.
The Vickers Vimy replica.
The Aircraft Factory hangar at Brooklands.
The big white structure is the open door at the Barnes Wallis-designed atmospheric chamber, in the open position.
Part of Barnes Wallis’s massive test chamber.
Part of the control room for the Barnes Wallis chamber.
The massive size of the test chamber is amazing.
More photos
Sat, 22 Jul 2023 - 1h 01min - 554 - WONZ 277 – Wings Over Britain: Navy Wings
Guests: Lee Howard and Rob Jones
Hosts: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 28th of June 2023
Duration: 57 minutes
In this episode Dave Homewood talks with naval aviation historian Lee Howard and Navy Wings’ marketing manager Rob Jones during a walk around the Navy Wings hangar at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, in Somerset.
Aircraft in the hangar included two Fairey Swordfish (one of which was in deep restoration), a Hawker Sea Fury, a Supermarine Seafire XVII, two de Havilland Chipmunks, a North American Harvard, and a Hawker Sea Hawk project, plus the collection’s Westland Wasp was operating on the airfield. Other aircraft not belonging to the collection but seen in the hangar included a Tiger Moth, Stinson Reliant, a Westland Sea King helicopter and a Scottish Aviation Bulldog.
As this was recorded in a very busy operational hangar, there is a certain amount of unavoidable background noise, which hopefully adds to the ambience, rather than detracts. You get the bonus track of an abridged Wasp start up and departure too.
Quick Links:
• Navy Wings’ website
• Navy Wings on Facebook
Above: Rob Jones and Lee Howard with one of the Navy Wings Swordfish.
The Navy Wings Westland Wasp.
The Fly Navy Supermarine Seafire Mk. XVII SX339.
The Stinson Reliant which is privately owned but operated in conjunction with Navy Wings.
Swordfish W5856.
Sea Fury FB.11 VR930.
North American Harvard G-NWHF.
Below: Photos of Swordfish LS326 under deep maintenance.
The manufacturer numbers on the Swordfish that Lee explained.
Below: Sea Hawk FGA.6 WV908 under restoration to fly
Sat, 15 Jul 2023 - 57min - 553 - WONZ 276 – Wings Over Britain: Ross Boyens
Guest: Flight Lieutenant Alan Ross Boyens, RAF (Retired)
Hosts: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 27th of June 2023
Duration: 1 hour 5 minutes, 30 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood talks with Ross Boyens, a New Zealander who joined the Royal Air Force in 1972. Following his initial officer training at Wigram with the RNZAF, he then went off to Britain for his RAF pilot training. Ross ended up flying Hawker Harrier jump jets, and had just left a Harrier squadron to become an instructor when the Falklands War began. He was called back into No. 1 Squadron RAF and was tasked to ferry a Harrier down to the ship Atlantic Conveyer, and then began operations.
Ross talks about his part in the later battles for the war, and operating the Harrier in the extreme conditions of the South Atlantic.
As well as the Harrier operations, Alan talks about his two years with the RAF’s Red Arrows aerobatic team, and his postwar career flying Boeing 747s for Cathay Pacific, and a private jet for a Middle East shiek. He also talks about being shot down buy his own round, and having to eject.
NB: The pilot that Ross was trying to recall the name of, and thought might have been Robin Taylor, was in fact Alan Curtis. who had previously served with the RNZAF.NBB: The aircraft Sir Ken Hayr was following was a Sea Vixen, rather than a Meteor, when he was sadly killed.
The New Zealanders who’ve served in the Red Arrows include:Ray HannaIan DickEuan Perreaux (Killed in Red Arrows collision, 20 January 1971)Ross BoyensAndrew “Boomer” KeithSimon “Kermit” ReaJames McMillan
This episode also includes a short promotion from Mel Salisbury of Aviation Tours NZ, who are a supporter and sponsor of the Wings Over Britain series.
Thanks also to Kieran Lear for his help in making this episode.
Note: The music in this episode is I Vow To Thee My Country by Gustav Holst.
Ross Boyens at home on the 27th of June 2023. (Dave Homewood photo)
Harriers refuel from a Victor tanker on the way to the Falkland Islands (Ross Boyens collection)
Victor refuels Victor on the way to the Falkland Islands (Ross Boyens collection)
Refuelling the Atlantic Conveyer (Ross Boyens collection)
Harriers onboard the Atlantic Conveyer (Ross Boyens collection)
RAF and RN Harriers aboard HMS Hermes. (Ross Boyens collection)
A Harrier going off the ramp. (Ross Boyens collection)
In Ross’s logbook from his ejection. (Ross Boyens collection)
Fri, 30 Jun 2023 - 1h 05min - 552 - WONZ 275 – Lew Day
Guest: Lewis James Day, MNZM, DFC
Hosts: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 11th of June 2023
Duration: 1 hour 22 minutes, 12 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood talks via Zoom with Lew Day, who was just five weeks away from turning 100 at the time of the recording, and Lew’s son Brian Day was also sitting in to help prompt Lew’s memory and relay the questions that Lew did not quite hear.
Lew had a long career in aviation, beginning with Air Force training in 1942. After his ab initio training on Tiger Moths at RNZAF Station Harewood, Christchurch, he embarked for Canada under the Empire Air Training Scheme to complete his pilot training on Cessna Cranes at RCAF Brandon, Manitoba. He then moved onto Prince Edward Island for specialist navigation training, before being posted to Britain.
On arrival in the UK he was posted to RAF Coastal Command and joined a new crew on Short Sunderland flying boats. As a second pilot, Lew was involved in patrols over the Atlantic, before the crew started to get ferrying jobs. The first was taking a new Sunderland down to Mombassa in East Africa. The next was taking a new Sunderland Mk. V to Rangoon in Burma, and when his captain became ill, Lew stayed on in Rangoon and joined a new crew with No. 230 Squadron RAF.
When the war ended Lew was in Singapore for the Japanese surrender, and was soon back home in New Zealand and demobbed from the RNZAF. He returned to his pre-war job with New Zealand Customs, but was invited by the Royal Air Force to join them as they were recruiting experienced aircrew.
He returned to England, and joined the RAF. He spent a year flying Oxfords, then Wellington and finally Avro Lancasters in order to gain the required experience as a four-engined captain, and then got back onto Sunderlands again with No. 209 Squadron, based in Singapore. During his two year posting there Lew was actively involved in two wars throughout, the Malayan Emergency and the Korean War. Flying Sunderlands as land bombers in Malaya, and also as convoy escorts and weather ships in Korea, he was kept constantly busy.
Eventually Lew returned to the UK to become an RAF flying instructor. Following his instructor’s course at the Central Flying School of the RAF, he was posted as an instructor at the Royal College at RAF Cranwell. There he was flying Harvards, Chipmunks, Boulton Paul Balliols and early Jet Provosts.
Following two years at Cranwell, Lew returned to the Central Flying School, now as an instructor with that school. He was flying the Jet Provosts here.
His next posting was as the Commanding Officer of No. 1 Air Navigation School, at RAF Topcliff. This role took him all over Europe, Africa and the Middle East on navigation exercises in Vickers Varsities and Vallettas.
Following 14 years with the Royal Air Force, Lew retired and moved with his family back to New Zealand, in 1962. Finding it impossible to get a position with the RNZAF or the airlines TEAL and NAC, Lew began working as the Chief Flying Instructor at Southern Districts Aero Club, in Gore.
After a few happy years at Gore, Lew and the family moved north again and he became an instructor at Auckland Aero Club.
He was then approached by Airwork (NZ) Ltd who needed a pilot for a contract they had with New Zealand Forest Products, flying two flights a day from Ardmore to Kinleith and back. He flew in this job for nearly 30 years.
At the same time Airwork had a contract with Westpac to fly a twin-engined aircraft on Search and Rescue flights operating in conjunction with the rescue helicop...Mon, 19 Jun 2023 - 1h 22min - 551 - WONZ 274 – Jason “Easty” Easthope
Guest: Group Captain Jason Easthope, RAAF
Hosts: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 16th of May 2023
Duration: 1 hour 39 minutes, 41 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood talks via Zoom with Group Captain Jason Easthope, RAAF. Born in Rotorua, New Zealand, Easty became inspired by a visit of the RNZAF Strikemasters to Rotorua, and an airshow they had that included a couple of Skyhawks.
At the age of 17 he was selected for pilot training in the RNZAF, and he talks about training on the NZAI CT/4B Airtrainer, and progressing to the BAC167 Strikemaster. He then became one of the first bunch of RNZAF pilots to fly the new Aermacchi MB339CB ‘Macchis’. Next came conversion to the McDonnell Douglas Skyhawk with No. 2 Squadron RNZAF, based at Nowra, NSW, in Australia.
Following the completion of his Skyhawk training at Nowra, Jason returned to Ohakea and was posted to No. 75 Squadron RNZAF, again flying Skyhawks.
In 1996 Jason was selected for an exchange posting to the RAF which saw him undergo an eight week course at RAF Valley on BAe Hawks, before joining No. 6 Squadron RAF, flying Sepecat Jaguars.
On returning to the RNZAF, Jason returned did an instructor’s course at the Central Flying School at Ohakea, and then returned to Nowra as an instructor. During this time he narrowly escaped death when practicing an aerobatic manoeuvre that killed his CO, Squadron Leader Murray Neilson, who he was paired up with at the time. Jason was promoted to lead the squadron as a result, but shortly afterwards the unit was wound down due to the Air Combat Wing disbandment.
After deliberation, Jason decided to leave the RNZAF and to join the Royal Australian Air Force. He spent time instructing on the BAe Hawk there and then converted onto the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. This would become the aircraft that he has spent most of his RAAF career flying, serving on four Hornet units over time, and becoming the Chief of Staff for fighter operations in the RAAF. He was commander when the Hornets retired in 2021.
Jason then moved into his current role, as Commanding Officer of No. 100 Squadron RAAF. This is the RAAF’s Heritage Aircraft Fleet, which flies and displays an array of WWII and postwar trainers, fighters and bombers, with bases at RAAF Point Cook, and at Temora.
Quick Links:
• The Royal New Zealand Air Force
• The Royal Australian Air Force
• No. 100 Squadron RAAF
• Temora Aviation Museum’s Facebook Page
Above: Group Captain Jason Easthope in 2021 on the day the RAAF Hornets retired. Photo cropped from a shot in the Port Stephen Examiner.
Above: Easty preparing to fly No. 100 Squadron RAAF’s Mustang at Temora in May 2023. Photo Colin Ford.
Tue, 16 May 2023 - 1h 39min - 550 - WONZ 273 – Harvard NZ1044
Guest: Bevan Dewes
Hosts: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 27th of April 2023
Duration: 1 hour 13 minutes, 54 seconds
In this episode we welcome back Bevan Dewes to the WONZ Show to discuss the restoration and return to flight of his award winning North American Aviation Harvard Mk. IIA NZ1044, aka ZK-OTU.
Bevan purchased the aircraft in February 2020, and transported it to Wanaka where he restored it with the assistance of Callum Smith and the team at Twenty24, a restoration shop at Wanaka Airport, and the engine and propeller were overhauled by Aero Technology Ltd. at Ardmore. The restoration process was more drawn out than hoped due to various Covid lockdowns and the dreadful effect the virus rules had on the supply chain for parts from overseas.
The Harvard was returned to its meticulously researched own wartime colour scheme that it wore in 1944-45 at No. 2 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit (2OTU) at RNZAF Station Ohakea. At that unit newly trained pilots would learn the business of becoming fighter pilots in Harvards and P-40 Kittyhawks and Warhawks. Many dozens, perhaps hundreds, of young pilots flew NZ1044 and trained up at 2OTU before heading to a fighter squadron on P-40s, or from May 1944 onwards, Corsairs. Many of them went on to make names for themselves, and some returned to 2OTU as instructors. So a long list of interesting pilots flew NZ1044 during the war between 1943 and 1945.
After the war the Harvard spent several years in storage as a reserve aircraft, but then returned to service in 1954, flying with the RNZAF Station Wigram pool of Harvards used by the No. 1 Flying Training School, and the Central Flying School. In 1958 NZ1044 became the first Mk. II Harvard to undergo the upgrade programme to Harvard Mk. IIA*, but on completion of this it went back into storage, and remained there.
The Harvard was eventually sold by the Air Force to National Airways Corporation and became an instructional airframe at their apprentice school. It passed into the hands of Air New Zealand when NAC was merged into that airline. And then the airline sold it off in 1990. It remained stored near Rolleston for over a decade and then was sold to a group of enthusiasts who moved it to Ashburton, but it sat there in the back of a hangar untouched till 2020 when Bevan purchased it.
NZ1044 returned to the air for the first time in almost 65 years on the 10th of March 2023. Since then Bevan debuted it at the Yealands Classic Fighters Airshow at Omaka, Blenheim, where he wowed the crowd with a new pairs display act that he and Pete McCombe have been working up over the past few years. With Bevan in NZ1044 and Pete in Harvard NZ1066, the pair put on a beautiful paired aerobatic display on the Friday night.
Bevan also flew NZ1044 again on the Saturday and Sunday, now with the bomb racks, practice bombs and the aircraft’s original two machine guns fitted. He led a tight formation in a flat display with Mark O’Sullivan in his lovely ex-South African Air Force Harvard, ZK-XSA, and then Mark did a solo aerobatic display.
While parked up on the flightline Bevan also added a pair of replica 250lb bombs to the racks, to add to the visual impact of the already impressive warbird.
At the grand dinner on the Sunday night when the awards were being handed out, Bevan was presented the Grand Warbird Champion trophy, much deserved as one of the most talked about aircraft debuting at the show, and recognising both his restoration of the aircraft back to flight, and his lovely presentation of the aircraft in the flying displays.
Fri, 28 Apr 2023 - 1h 13min - 549 - WONZ 272 – Classic Fighters 2023
Guest: Gavin Conroy
Hosts: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 2nd of April 2023
Duration: 40 minutes, 32 seconds
The Yealands Classic Fighters 2023 Airshow kicks off this week on Good Friday at Omaka Aerodrome, Blenheim. In this episode Dave Homewood talks with the Airshow Director, Gavin Conroy.
Gavin gives a preview of what to expect at the show, and he runs through the new aeroplanes and acts that people can expect to see there, from Harvard NZ1044, the Lockheed Electra Junior, five Wacos together in the air to the Bristol Fighter replica. He also talks about some of the old favourites that are returning, including the RNZAF Black Falcons display team, the Mk. XIVe Spitfire and Focke Wulf 190 replica, the two Yak 3’s. and the V-2 rocket!
Quick Links:
• Yealands Classic Fighters Omaka Airshow 2023
• Yealands Classic Fighters Omaka on Facebook
Above: Gavin Conroy (Classic Fighters Airshow Director)
Sat, 01 Apr 2023 - 40min - 548 - WONZ 271 – Wings Over Britain Preview
Guest: James Kightly
Hosts: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 12th of February 2023
Duration: 1 hour, 15 minutes, seconds
James Kightly of Australia joins Dave via Zoom to discuss the plans for the upcoming Wings Over Britain tour that Dave is undertaking later this year in late June and through July 2023. They discuss some of the places that Dave hopes to visit and the stories that will be recorded for the upcoming WONZ Show sub-series “Wings Over Britain”.
They also look back and reminisce about the similar sub-series that Dave and James recorded in November 2015, “Wings Over Australia”, and highlight some of the episodes recorded in that series that people can still access and listen to.
James also announces his new role with Vintage Aviation News, and how they will be supporting Wings Over Britain with promotional updates as the tour progresses and the episodes roll out. Thanks for the support Vintage Aviation News!
Above: Dave Homewood and James Kightly with Bill Reid’s Avro Anson at Omaka during Yealands Classic Fighters Airshow weekend in 2019. Photo by Bev Laing.
The Wings Over Britain Facebook Page
Wings Over Britain Givealittle Fundraiser
Aviation Tours NZ
The New Zealand Bomber Command Association
The Hauraki Brewing Company
Vintage Aviation News
The Wings Over New Zealand Aviation Forum
Aviation Xtended Podcast
Plane Crazy Down Under Podcast
————————————————————
Wings Over Australia Episodes Specifically Mentioned:
Episode 90 – Keith Webb
Episode 121 – Jamie Croker
Thu, 09 Mar 2023 - 1h 15min - 547 - WONZ 270 – Wally Steward: Army Pilot
Guest: Captain Walter Steward (retired), RNZA, Air OP pilot, known as Wally.
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 18th of October 2022
Released: 27th of January2023
Duration: 1 hour 47 minutes 46 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood speaks via Zoom with Captain Wally Steward, who was an officer with the Royal New Zealand Artillery, in the New Zealand. He was selected to train as a pilot with the RNZAF, to become an Air Observation Post pilot for artillery spotting. Training on North American Harvards up to the stage where he gained his pilot’s brevet, he then progressed onto the Auster J5. He worked as both an artillery officer on the ground and a pilot for a while, before he and fellow Army pilot Roger Pearce were selected to train as helicopter pilots, under the instruction of John Reid of Helicopters (N.Z.) Ltd.
Once they were proficient flying helicopters, Wally and Roger were sent to Malayan Borneo in 1964 where they were supposed to fly helicopters with the British Army. But on arrival they found their helicopters were not ready. So following a survival course in Singapore, they were posted to 7 Reconnaissance Flight, part of No. 656 Squadron, Army Air Corp, at Kuching, Malaya. They underwent their theatre familiarisation there and then they converted to the Auster AOP9.
Once they were familiar with the Auster AOP9s, they got their assignments. Roger was posted to Sibu while Wally was sent on a detachment to Simanggang near Sarawak, where they had solo a Auster detachment. His Auster AOP9 was positioned there to support an infantry battalion whose role was defending the Sarawak area from incursions over the border from Indonesian soldiers.
Eventually the Sioux helicopters were ready for them, so Wally and Roger refamiliarised themselves with helicopter flying, and they they formed an Air OP troop at a detached based outside of Kuching, with Roger in charge and Wally and another pilot flying three Sioux. They were supporting a British artillery regiment.
After several months Wally was posted to Kalabakan, in the Sabah region, in the north of Borneo to take command of the air platoon of the 1st Battalion of the Scots Guards, with two Sioux helicopters flying from a dirt strip.
In January 1966, Wally was posted into Vietnam. He converted onto the Bell UH-1D Huey at Bien Hoa, and there he then joined A Company (“The Cowboys”) of the 82nd Aviation Battalion, in support of the US 173rd Airborne Brigade.
Wally did a second Vietnam tour as a Forward Observation Officer (FOO) at Nui Dat with the First Australian Task Force, which included a New Zealand Rifle Company, 161 Battery RNZA, and a NZ SAS detachment. He served mainly during this tour with 3 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.
Wally later left the NZ Army and joined the Army Air Corps of the British Army, and served a further 20 years with that Army. Seven years of that was as a test pilot.
Quick Links:
• New Zealand Army Aviation Association History
• Captain Walter Steward’s Vietnam Page
• The No. 656 Squadron Association Borneo Confrontation History
•Sun, 29 Jan 2023 - 1h 47min - 546 - WONZ 269 – To The Four Winds: No. 40 Squadron
Guests: Wing Commander Blair Oldershaw, No. 40 Squadron CommanderFlight Sergeant Dave Wood, Air Load Master InstructorFlight Sergeant Robyn Claffey, Flight Engineer InstructorWarrant Officer Darryn “Durry” Wells, Maintenance Warrant Officer
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 16th of November 2022
Released: 23rd of December 2020
Duration: 51 minutes 45 seconds
In this episode of the WONZ Show, Dave Homewood visits No. 40 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force, at RNZAF Base Whenuapai. Dave sat down with the Commanding Officer, Wing Commander Blair Oldershaw, aircrew members Flight Sergeant Dave Wood, (Air Load Master) and Flight Sergeant Robyn Claffey (Flight Engineer), and Maintenance Warrant Officer Darryn Wells from the squadron to talk about their experiences with the Lockheed C-130H Hercules as the sun sets on its very long RNZAF career. Entering service in 1965, the five Hercules will be replaced in 2023 after 57 years of sterling service. And they discuss the upcoming replacement aircraft, five new Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules.
This discussion gives a great insight into the amazing work that the Hercules fleet has done over five and a half decades for New Zealand, and also looks forward to how the squadron will continue this work with their new aircraft.
Dave Homewood wishes to thank all those who took part in the interview, and those behind the scenes that helped to make it happen, especially No. 40 Squadron Adjutant Squadron Leader Garrick Anderson, No. 40 Squadron Deputy Adjutant Marie Prime, No. 5 Squadron Adjutant Flight Lieutenant Mandy Ferguson, Simone Millar of the Defence Public Affairs department, and Peter and Karola Wheeler.
Quick Links:
• The Royal New Zealand Air Force website
• The Royal New Zealand Air Force Facebook page
• The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules page
• An NZDF story on the C-130J-30
RNZAF Lockheed C-130H Hercules NZ7003 rotating on take-off. (NZDF Photo)
An RNZAF C-130H Hercules aircraft flying with two U.S. Air Force MC-130J aircraft. (NZDF Photo)
RNZAF Lockheed C-130H Hercules NZ7001 on the apron at Whenuapai. (NZDF Photo)
Pilots wear night vision goggles to fly their C-130 Hercules at night. All instruments are lit with subtle green lights so as to not interfere with their sensitive goggles. A C-130 Hercules from 40 SQN is flying out of Base Woodbourne this week for Exercise Nocturnal Reach. This exercise tests the crew’s proficiency in tactical flying, dropping loads and night flying with night vision goggles, so they’re ready to assist in resupply,Thu, 22 Dec 2022 - 51min - 545 - WONZ 268 – Changing Times at No. 5 Squadron
Guests: Wing Commander Glen Donaldson, Commanding Officer of No. 5 SquadronFlight Sergeant Tony Strugnell, Flight EngineerSquadron Leader Paul Barrett, MFC, Flight Engineer, Engineer OfficerFlight Lieutenant Tom Peterson, PilotFlying Officer Holly Graham – Air Warfare OfficerCorporal Nikita Crookbain – Air Warfare Specialist
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 16th of November 2022
Released: 12th of December 2022
Duration: 1 hour 17 minutes 53 seconds
In this episode of the WONZ Show, Dave Homewood visits No. 5 Squadron Royal New Zealand Air Force at RNZAF Base Whenuapai. Dave sat down with a group of aircrew and engineers from the squadron to talk about their experiences with the Lockheed P-3K2 Orion as the sun sets on its very long RNZAF career. And they discuss the new Boeing P-8 Poseidon that is just entering service to replace the Orions.
This discussion gives a great insight into the amazing work that the Orion has done over five and a half decades for New Zealand, and also looks forward to how the now Poseidon will fulfil the roles that the Orion spent so long doing, and what is to come for the new aircraft.
This episode is being released on the very day that the first RNZAF Poseidon, NZ4801, arrived in New Zealand after the delivery ferry flight from the USA.
Dave Homewood wishes to thank all those who took part in the interview, and those behind the scenes that helped to make it happen, especially No. 5 Squadron Adjutant Flight Lieutenant Mandy Ferguson, Simone Millar of the Defence Public Affairs department, and Peter and Karola Wheeler.
Quick Links:
• The Royal New Zealand Air Force website
• The Royal New Zealand Air Force Facebook page
• The No. 5 Squadron Association
The episode participants in the squadron commander’s office where this episode was recorded. From left to right: Wing Commander Glen Donaldson, Flight Sergeant Tony Strugnell, Squadron Leader Paul Barrett, Flight Lieutenant Tom Peterson, Flying Officer Holly Graham and Corporal Nikita Crookbain. (Photo Dave Homewood)
An RNZAF Lockheed P-3K2 Orion on the flightline at Whenuapai. (Photo Dave Homewood)
Two of the three remaining P-3K2 Orions still in service, soon to be replaced by the P-8 Poseidon. (Photo Dave Homewood)
Air to air view of No. 5 Squadron Orion NZ4201 in flight over the Auckland Harbour bridge. Air Force Museum of New Zealand photo WgG1223-73
Air to air view of No. 5 Squadron Orion NZ4205 in flight over a ship in New Zealand territorial waters. Air Force Museum of New Zealand photo Oh700-30-97_1_1
The music heard in this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudMon, 12 Dec 2022 - 1h 17min - 544 - WONZ 267 – Vampire Month: Brett Emeny
Guest: Brett Emeny
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 24th of November 2022
Released: 30th of November 2022
Duration: 1 hour 21 minutes 14 seconds
November 2022 marks 50 years since the RNZAF’s de Havilland Vampire fleet retired from service. The Air Force operated 58 Vampires within New Zealand, and at least 44 more leased Vampires in Cyprus and Singapore.
In this episode of the WONZ Show, Dave Homewood talks with well known Warbirds pilot Brett Emeny. Coming from a family of pilots, his father Cliff flew in the Air Force during WWII as an Air Gunner, then a Navigator and then as a Pilot. Brett’s brothers are all in aviation, Craig owns Air Chathams, John is an ag pilot and Derek is aviation accident assessor. Brett’s daughter Fay Rice is also a pilot.
Brett discusses his journey into aviation and the various Warbird aircraft he is involved with, from the Catalina ZK-PBY which he flies and maintains, to the Yak 52 team, to the T-28 Trojan, and most importantly for Vampire Month, his two-seat de Havilland DH115 Vampire Mk. 55, ZK-RVM.
Note: Unfortunately the evening that we recorded this interview the Zoom connection was not quite as clear as it should have been, so apologies in advance for the audio quality.
Quick Links:
New Zealand Defence Force Serials for de Havilland Vampires
The WONZ Episode with Rod Dahlberg
WONZ 263: Vampire Month – Tommy Thompson
WONZ 264: Vampire Month – Dave Greenlees
WONZ 265: Vampire Month – Mayn Hawkins
WONZ 266: Vampire Month – Jim Barclay
The following photos have kindly been supplied by Gavin Conroy of Classic Aircraft Photography:
Brett Emeny flying his stunning Vampire past Mount Taranaki.
Catalina ZK-PBY
The stunning Yak 52 team who wow audiences at airshows across New Zealand.
The Yak 52 team members. Brett is standing second from left with his daughter Fay Rice far left.
Tue, 29 Nov 2022 - 1h 21min - 543 - WONZ 266 – Vampire Month: Jim Barclay
Guest: Air Commodore James Barclay AFC, RNZAF (retired)
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 20th of September 2022
Released: 25th of November 2022
Duration: 1 hour 42 minutes 11 seconds
November 2022 marks 50 years since the RNZAF’s de Havilland Vampire fleet retired from service. The Air Force operated 58 Vampires within New Zealand, and at least 44 more leased Vampires in Cyprus and Singapore.
In this episode of the WONZ Show, Dave Homewood talks with former RNZAF de Havilland Vampire pilot in 1969 to 1970, before progressing to the then-new McDonnell Douglas A-4K Skyhawks. Jim shares some detailed memories of training on and flying the Vampire, and details its handling qualities and the weapons fits, etc.
Jim also talks in detail about flying the Skyhawk, and the F-4 Phantom on a USAF exchange posting, as well as his time as Commanding Officer of No’s 14 and 75 Squadrons, the Skyhawk upgrades, the selection of the Aermacchi MB339CB, and his part in the negotiations to lease the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons.
An Addendum: Jim says, “I listened to it all – a few mistakes: it was Exercise Golden Kiwi at Gisborne in 1969, not Kea Claw. It was Fred Myers not Fred Kinvig leading the Vampire flypast. I said Fred Myers first time but Fred Kinvig later! I mixed up Skyhawk for Vampire.”
Quick Links:
Jim Barclay’s Website
New Zealand Defence Force Serials for de Havilland Vampires
The WONZ Episode with Rod Dahlberg
WONZ 263: Vampire Month – Tommy Thompson
WONZ 264: Vampire Month – Dave Greenlees
WONZ 265: Vampire Month – Mayn Hawkins
Fg Off Jim Barclay kills a mouse in the cockpit of Vampire FB5 5772 – 13 Feb 70 – RNZAF photo G3-279
A blurry screencap of Jim during the Zoom interview in September 2022.
13th of April 1970 – Vampires – Stew Boys T11 NZ5708, Jim Jennings FB5 5776, Fred Myers 65, Jim Barclay 55 – Jim Barclay photo
No. 75 Squadron Diamond Nine Flypast – Civic Ceremony Cook Bi-Cente...Thu, 24 Nov 2022 - 1h 42min - 542 - WONZ 265 – Vampire Month: Mayn Hawkins
Guest: Maynard Roger Hawkins, known as Mayn.
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 21st of July 2022
Released: 18th of November 2022
Duration: 1 hour minutes seconds
November 2022 marks 50 years since the RNZAF’s de Havilland Vampire fleet retired from service. The Air Force operated 58 Vampires within New Zealand, and at least 44 more leased Vampires in Cyprus and Singapore.
In this episode of the WONZ Show, Dave Homewood talks with former RNZAF de Havilland Vampire pilot Mayn Hawkins. He was one of the RNZAF’s early jet pilots, flying the Vampire in New Zealand, Cyprus and Singapore. He also flew the de Havilland Venom at RAF Tengah in Singapore.
Upon return to New Zealand he became an instructor, at No. 1 Flying Training School, and then the Central Flying School. He became the Commanding Officer of the latter unit, and was the most highly rated instructor in the RNZAF. He also flew in and later led the Central Flying School Harvard Aerobatic Team.
Whilst a CFS instructor, Mayn flew a variety of types, such as the Harvard, Devon, Auster, Vampire, Canberra, etc., whilst ensuring standards were being maintained by units of the RNZAF.
On his retirement from the RNZAF he went to TEAL, which later became Air New Zealand. He flew the Lockheed Electra, the Douglas DC-8, the McDonnel Douglas DC-10 and the 747. With his training background he became a training captain at the airline. Among other achievements in the airline, Mayn was pilot on the first Antarctic flight made by Air New Zealand in the DC-10. He then went to Singapore Airlines, where he finished his career before retirement.
The music heard in this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim Karud.
Quick Links:
New Zealand Defence Force Serials for de Havilland Vampires
The WONZ Episode with Rod Dahlberg
WONZ 246 – Great Escapes 1: Geoff Hubbard
WONZ 263: Vampire Month – Tommy Thompson
WONZ 264: Vampire Month – Dave Greenlees
Jet pilots, with a Vampire as backdrop. Mayn is fifth from left.
Mayn Hawkins during the interview.
A newspaper cutting from Mayn’s logbook from the days when he first graduated as a pilot.
Mayn leading the CFS Aerobatic Team, in a photo from his logbook.Thu, 17 Nov 2022 - 1h 17min - 541 - WONZ 264 – Vampire Month: Dave Greenlees
Guest: Flight Lieutenant David James Greenlees 71637 (5 May 1929 – 13 August 2022)
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 21st of July 2022
Released: 11th of November 2022
Duration: 1 hour 38 minutes 40 seconds
November 2022 marks 50 years since the RNZAF’s de Havilland Vampire fleet retired from service. The Air Force operated 58 Vampires within New Zealand, and at least 44 more leased Vampires in Cyprus and Singapore.
In this episode of the WONZ Show, Dave Homewood talks with former RNZAF de Havilland Vampire engine fitter Dave Greenlees who served with No. 14 Squadron on the Vampires in Cyprus, and then in Singapore. He ran the Flightline Office as a Corporal and then a Sergeant, looking after all aircraft dispatches and receipts, and making sure the Form 700s and other paperwork was filled in. He also worked on the de Havilland Venoms that replaced the squadron’s Vampires in Singapore.
Following his overseas service, Dave returned to New Zealand and was posted to Wigram, where he was running the ground crew during night flying there at the Flying Training School. He had always hankered to fly however and when the opportunity came up he trained as a Flight Engineer. In that capacity he served as aircrew on the Short Sunderlands, and then the Douglas DC-6’s. He then went to the USA to become one of the first crew members onboard the then new Lockheed C-130H Hercules fleet when they were built. The Hercules was introduced to service in 1965.
Following 23 years of RNZAF service he left the Air Force and joined Air New Zealand. He flew as a Flight Engineer on the airline in the Lockheed Electra, the Douglas DC-8, the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and eventually the Boeing 747. He took early retirement at age 53.
Dave passed away on the 13th of August 2022.
Above: Dave Greenlees during the interview.
The music heard in this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim Karud.
Quick Links:
New Zealand Defence Force Serials for de Havilland Vampires
WONZ 263: Vampire Month – Tommy Thompson
The WONZ Episode with Rod DahlbergThu, 10 Nov 2022 - 1h 38min - 540 - WONZ 263 – Vampire Month: Tommy Thompson
Guest: Graham Edward “Tommy” Thompson
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 22nd of July 2022
Released: 4th of November 2022
Duration: 1 hour 25 minutes 44 seconds
November 2022 marks 50 years since the RNZAF’s de Havilland Vampire fleet retired from service. The Air Force operated 58 Vampires within New Zealand, and at least 44 more leased Vampires in Cyprus and Singapore.
In this episode of the WONZ Show, Dave Homewood talks with former RNZAF de Havilland Vampire pilot “Tommy” Thompson. He was one of the original RNZAF Vampire pilots and was the first postwar-trained pilot to fly the type in New Zealand. Following his conversion training and operational work up at Ohakea, Tommy left with No. 14 Squadron as one of the first pilots to deploy to the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. He talks about life on the island, doing the Coronation tour of Africa in Operation Long Trek Two, exercises with other nations over Malta, etc.
Tommy also talks about incidents in Africa, Cyprus and New Zealand, including his baling out of a Vampire following an aerial collision.
Quick Links:
New Zealand Defence Force Serials for de Havilland Vampires
The WONZ Episode with Rod Dahlberg
Above: Tommy Thompson in his Vampire FB.9 WR209 ‘Ground Hog’ in Cyprus. (G.E. Thompson’s Logbook)
Above: Tommy Thompson during the recording.
Above: Tommy Thompson on the day he was awarded his Wings pilot brevet, 29th of September 1950. (G.E. Thompson’s Logbook)
The following photos come from Tommy Thompson’s personal collection:
Fri, 04 Nov 2022 - 1h 25min - 539 - WONZ 262 – 2022-2023 Airshow Season
Guest: Tracy Dixon, Ed Taylor, Gavin Conroy and Frank Parker
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 19th of October 2022
Released: 20th of October 2022
Duration: 53 minutes 56 seconds
In this episode of the WONZ Show, Dave Homewood chats with four of the key people behind New Zealand’s biggest airshows, Tracy Dixon (Wings Over Wairarapa), Ed Taylor (Warbirds Over Wanaka), Gavin Conroy (Yealands Classic Fighters) and Frank Parker (President of NZ Warbirds Association, and Warbirds On Parade).
We hear a little about the journey each of them went through to get to the position they have within the airshow industry, and we discuss the challenges to airshows in recent years.
With more optimism we look at the upcoming airshows this summer, with Warbirds On Parade on the 4th of December 2022 at Ardmore, Wings Over Wairarapa at Masterton over the 24th to 26th of February 2023, and Classic Fighters at Omaka over Easter weekend, 7th to 9th of April 2023.
Quick Links:
New Zealand Warbirds Association Inc.
New Zealand Warbirds Association on Facebook
Wings Over Wairarapa Air Festival Website
Wings Over Wairarapa on Facebook
Yealands Classic Fighters Omaka Website
Yealands Classic Fighters Omaka on Facebook
Warbirds Over Wanaka
Warbirds Over Wanaka on Facebook
Above: NZ Warbirds President Frank Parker (Photo Geoff Soper).
Above: Gavin Conroy, of Yealands Classic Fighters airshow.
Above: Tracy Dixon, of Wings Over Wairarapa.
Above: Ed Taylor of Warbirds Over Wanaka.
The music heard in this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudThu, 20 Oct 2022 - 53min - 538 - WONZ 261 – Lancaster
Guest: David Fairhead
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 29th of August 2022
Released: 30th of August 2022
Duration: 1 hour 25 minutes 30 seconds
In this episode of the WONZ Show, Dave Homewood chats with British filmmaker David Fairhead, who was the director, producer, editor and main interviewer behind the new feature film ‘Lancaster’ which opens in selected New Zealand cinemas on the 1st of September 2022.
David and his fellow director/producer Anthony Palmer have followed up their brilliant 2018 film ‘Spitfire’ with this equally beautiful and enthralling documentary looking at the greatest four-engined bomber aircraft of World War Two, the Avro Lancaster.
The story of the aircraft, the roles and operations if flew on, the people who flew them and the groundcrew are told through interviews with 38 veterans connected with the type. These include men from across the British Empire who were attached to the RAF, and among them we see New Zealand’s own bomber hero, the late Ron Mayhill DFC.
David is a lifelong aviation enthusiast, and has worked in the television and film industry for for thirty years, including working on many of Britain’s best space documentaries. He talks passionately about the Lancaster, the Spitfire and the subject of his next project, the Mosquito. And David reveals lots of fascinating stories from behind the scenes of the making of ‘Lancaster’.
Above: David Fairhead.
Above: Directors and Producers in front of Lancaster NX611 “Just Jane”. Left to Right: David Fairhead, Anthony Palmer, Trevor Beattie, Steve Milne, Keith Havilland, and Jeremy Chatterton. Picture: Andy Jones.
Above: Anthony Palmer.
Above: David Fairhead and Ant Palmer discuss a shot at the Green Park Memorial. Picture by Andy Jones.
Above: Chris Roe in discussion with Choir Master Stephen Petch. Picture by Andy Jones.
Above: The Rushmoor Male Voice Choir warm up in Q121. Picture by Andy Jones.
Above: The Rushmoor Male Voice Choir in the wind tunnel. Picture by Andy Jones.
To see ‘Lancaster’ in New Zealand, here is the list of cinemas that will be screening this amazing film:
Tue, 30 Aug 2022 - 1h 25min - 537 - WONZ 260 – Dave Cohu
Guest: David Stanley Cohu (8 June 1924 – 17 July 2018)
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 29th of October 2015
Released: 17th of July 2022
Duration: 2 hour 14 minutes 18 seconds
In this episode of the WONZ Show, Dave Homewood pulled an older interview from his archive that he recorded in 2015 with former pilot, the now late Dave Cohu.
Dave Cohu became a fighter pilot during WWII, training on Tiger Moths, Harvards, P-40’s and eventually posted to No. 17 Squadron on Corsairs in 1944. He served in the Pacific, based at Torokina in Bougainville on his first tour, and then Green Island on his second tour, and his last wartime tour was at Los Negros.
After the war he took a break from the Air Force and grew strawberries, but he returned in 1947, and he was posted to Japan to fly Corsairs on No. 14 (Occupational) Squadron’s last tour there.
On returning to New Zealand he flew Airspeed Oxfords with No 14 Squadron, and one job he got was aerial photography work all round the country, with navigator Colin Hanson.
He was then posted to No. 75 Squadron, where he flew de Havilland Mosquitoes, including to Fiji.
With his time up in the RNZAF, Dave then took a job as a topdressing pilot. He would go onto to become one of New Zealand’s most notable topdressing pilots with a career that spanned four decades. He flew Tiger Moths, Cessna 180’s, Fletchers, Beavers, Airtruks, Agwagons and Snows over his career, and had a few accidents and incidents along the way.
Dave passed away on the 17th of July 2018.
Above: Dave Cohu as a trainee pilot in the RNZAF during 1943, a crop from the photo below.
Group. Pilots course 46B, No. 2 Service Flying Training School, RNZAF Station Woodbourne. L-R: Back; Allan, Bennett, Boddy, Burns, Carnachan, Codlin, Cohu, Coleman, Dodgahun, Ferrick. Middle; Harper, Heslop, Hughes, Hulme, Long, Looker, Mair, O’Donovan, Reid, Robertson. Front; Robinson, Roderick, Sargent, Shaw, Stougie, Symons, Tirikatene, Urwin, Walker, Walsh.Air Force Museum of New Zealand Photo – WbG1713-43
Above: A photo from the 2016 No. 75 Squadron Reunion. Left at the table in the foreground is Dave Cohu, centre is his good mate Rod Dahlberg, and right is fellow Mosquito pilot Dave Phillips. (Photo Dave Homewood)
Above: Dave Cohu, right, and Rod Dahlberg at the 2016 No. 75 Squadron Reunion. (Photo Dave Homewood)Sun, 17 Jul 2022 - 2h 14min - 536 - WONZ 259 – Larry Olsen: Strikemaster 50th
Guest: Squadron Leader Larry Olsen AFC
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 12th of May 2022
Released: 15th of May 2022
Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes 17 seconds
Today as this episode is released it is exactly 50 years to the day since the first flight of the first Royal New Zealand Air Force BAC167 Strikemaster Mk. 88, NZ6361. It took off from Warton Aerodrome, at Preston in Lancashire, UK, on its test flight on the 15th of May 1972. It had been built to order by the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) following an order placed in 1970 by the New Zealand government for ten new Strikemaster. An order for a further six would follow a couple of years later.
Given the anniversary and the recent episodes involving the Strikemaster, I thought it would be good to look back at how this jet type ended up being chosen as the new jet trainer for the RNZAF. In this episode we hear from the pilot in charge of undertaking the evaluation process and who made the recommendation for it to be selected for purchase, Squadron Leader Larry Olsen.
As well as Larry’s memories of the Strikemaster evaluation, where its only competitor in the process was the Australian-built, Italian-designed Aermacchi MB326, he also talks about his interesting career in both the RNZAF and the airline industry.
In the course of his Air Force career various postings saw Larry flying the English Electric Canberra, the de Havilland Vampire, the BAC Strikemaster, the North American Harvard, and the de Havilland Devon among other types. He also did an exchange posting to the RAAF where he instructed on the Aermacchi MB326.
Larry also flew in and led both the No. 75 Squadron Vampire jet team and the Red Checkers Harvard display team. He talks about these and various incidents along the way.
On leaving the Air Force, Larry worked for numerous commercial aviation companies, including flying for Royal Brunei, and Qantas. He gives an overview of his civil career which lasted till he was 70.
Squadron Leader Larry Olsen AFC (retired). Photo Dave Homewood.
Portrait of Squadron Leader Larry Alexander Olsen AFC. RNZAF Base Ohakea. 05/05/1976. Air Force Museum of New Zealand photo OhG4148-76.
Strikemasters on the production line at British Aircraft Corporation, England. XW434 (back) and G27-197 – later NZ6361 (front). Air Force Museum of New Zealand photo MUS140127.
Air to air view of two No. 14 Squadron Strikemasters, NZ6361 and NZ6365 (obscured), in formation during Exercise Falcons Roost 15 at Hokitika airport. 23/04/1982. Air Force Museum of New Zealand photo OhAC130s-15.
Air to air view of two No. 14 Squadron Strikemasters in formation. NZ6375 (front) and NZ6371 (back). 06/11/1989. Air Force Museum of New Zealand photo OhG2613-89.
A photo in Larry’s scrapbook from when he led the Red Checkers display team. Left to right are Doug Lloyd, John Hosie, Larry Olsen, Graeme Goldsmith and John Lanham.Sun, 15 May 2022 - 1h 45min - 535 - WONZ 258 – Great Escapes: Sean Singleton-Turner
Guest: Sean Singleton-Turner
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 20th of April 2022
Released: 22nd of April 2022
Duration: 41 minutes 19 seconds
This episode is the fifth in a series called “Great Escapes”, covering stories of RNZAF ejections from aircraft that have saved lives in emergency situations.
In this episode we hear from Sean Singleton-Turner about his ejection from RNZAF BAC167 Strikemaster Mk. 88, NZ6368, on the 27th of October 1992.
Sean was a Royal Australian Air Force Pilot, flying with the RNZAF on an exchange posting to No. 14 Squadron RNZAF. The squadron was based at RNZAF Base Ohakea, and Sean was actively involved with converting instructors and other pilots from the Strikemaster to the Aermacchi MB339CB Macchi, plus training cadet pilots on the first ever Macchi course. He also was still occasionally flying the Strikemaster, and it was in his role as the squadron’s Maintenance Test Pilot that he was flying NZ6368 that fateful day when he was unable to recover the jet from a spin.
The music used in this episode is Hazy After Hours, from Mixkit
Quick Links:
• Great Escapes 1 – Geoff Hubbard
• Great Escapes 2 – Pete Lindsay
• Great Escapes 3 – Phil Barnes
• Great Escapes 4 – Safety And Surface
Above: A framed before and after photo of Strikemaster NZ6368 that was presented to F/Lt Sean Singleton-Turner by the RNZAF Base Ohakea Photographic Section after his ejection. (Sean Singleton Turner photo)
Above: Jim Rankin, left, and Sean Singleton-Turner, right, in 1992 at the completion of their Aermacchi conversion course. just months before the ejection occurred. (Sean Singleton Turner photo)
Above: A screenshot of Sean during the interview in April 2022.
The aircraft that was destroyed in the incident. Ground crew washing down No. 14 Squadron Strikemaster NZ6368 during Exercise Falcon’s Roost 13 at Kaikohe airfield. 13/12/1981. (Air Force Museum of New Zealand Photo)
A comparison of the two jets that Sean was flying on the squadron. Air to air view of No. 14 Squadron Strikemaster NZ6370 in formation with Aermacchi NZ6463 prior to the retirement of the Strikemaster in RNZAF Service. Flying from RNZAF Base Ohakea. 19/11/1992. (Air Force Museum of New Zealand Photo)
Fri, 22 Apr 2022 - 41min - 534 - WONZ 257 – The Air Force Heritage Flight
Guest: Squadron Leader Michael Williams
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 7th of April 2022
Released: 7th of April 2022
Duration: 1 hour 16 minutes 36 seconds
The Air Force Heritage Flight is the newest unit of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and in this episode we hear from its Flight Commander, Squadron Leader Mike Williams. The Ohakea-based unit consists of a mix of the RNZAF’s current Beechcraft Texan II training aircraft and a variety of WWII warbirds. They have worked up a display team routine for airshows, and also will be making special flypasts around New Zealand.
This unit replaces the now defunct RNZAF Historic Flight, and takes the goals of that previous unit to the next level. As well as a way to engage today’s younger airmen and airwomen with their service’s heritage, the Flight will also be showing the flag to the public, and hoping to inspire the next generation of RNZAF aviators and engineers.
The AFHF’s first major event happened just a few days ago when the four-ship formation of the Spitfire, Avenger and two Texans flew from Ohakea to Christchurch and back again, flying over as many towns and communities along the way as possible so that people could see them. It was a huge success with a massive engagement from the public who turned out to watch, wave, photograph and video the AFHF flying over.
Their next big outing will be in two days’ time on Saturday the 9th of April 2022, when they fly north from Ohakea to Whenuapai over loads of cities, towns and communities along the way, and then back again on a different route. For details see here:
Mike also talks about his own career in the RNZAF, what is happening with some of the aircraft that were with the old Historic Flight, and also he goes into scary detail of his major engine failure and belly landing in Harvard NZ1015, which was the catalyst for the change of direction to create this new unit.
Quick Links:
• The Air Force Heritage Flight Facebook Page
• The Biggin Hill Historic Aircraft Centre, RNZAF Ohakea
Video Version:
The Air Force Heritage Flight formating over the Manawatu. Closest to the camera is SQN LDR Sean Perrett in the Biggin Hill Trust’s Supermarine Spitfire IX PV202; then SQN LDR Paul Stockley and SQN LDR Stu Anderson in the RNZAF Beechcraft Texan II’s NZ1407 and NZ1409; with SQN LDR Jim Rankin in the Biggin Hill Trust’s Grumman Avenger NZ2518, known as “Plonky”. The Flight Commander, SQN LDR Mike Williams was flying the Harvard NZ1076 as the camera ship, and the photographer was Gavin Conroy who gave his permission for this photo to appear here.
SQN LDR Michael Williams in the RNZAF’s Harvard NZ1015
Thu, 07 Apr 2022 - 1h 16min - 533 - WONZ 256 – The Falklands Air War
Guests: Don Simms
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 20th of February 2022
Released: 2nd of April 2022
Duration: 1 hour 23 minutes 52 seconds
Don Simms, who has appeared on the show several times, has had a fascination with the 1982 Falklands War since he was a teenager when the war erupted. And he is particularly interested in the Falklands Air War. He has read every book he can find on the subject, and has a vast knowledge of the conflict.
In this episode he presents a talk that he gives on the Falklands Air War, especially recorded and released here to mark the 40th Anniversary of the Falklands War (2nd of April 1982 to 14th of June 1982).
This is a video episode as Don uses photos and maps, etc, to tell the story.
Don served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force from 1986 till 2001, as an Avionics Technician. He served with No. 3 Squadron RNZAF working with Iroquois and Sioux helicopters at Hobsonville, and most of his career was spent at Ohakea working on the Skyhawks of No’s 2 and 75 Squadrons, and the Avionics Squadron. He also served at RAN Base Nowra in NSW, Australia, with No. 2 Squadron. He co-wrote the book “Skyhawks: The History of the RNZAF Skyhawks” which was published in 2011.
Here is the WONZ 256 Video Episode
A Sea Harrier victory over an Argentine Skyhawk
Argentinian aircraft
An Argentinian Skyhawk
Homecoming!
Don Simms, with a nice trout
Fri, 01 Apr 2022 - 1h 23min - 532 - WONZ 255 – Cris George – Wasp Pilot
Guest: Cris George
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 2nd of March 2022
Released: 11th of March 2022
Duration: 1 hour 51 minutes 51 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood talks with former Naval Aviator Cris George. Cris served in the Royal New Zealand Navy from 1966 till 1978. During that time he attended 771 Wings course at Wigram, and then headed to Britain for his first tour with Commando Squadrons in the Royal Navy, flying Westland Wessex helicopters. Upon return to New Zealand he converted to the Westland Wasp, and went on to serve aboard HMNZS Canterbury and HMNZS Waikato.
He then crossed the Tasman in 1978 to serve in the Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm, predominantly flying their Squirrel helicopters actively till around 1991, and in other roles until retirement in 2008.
Cris recalls the Wasp very fondly. “Not so much because it was a really nice aircraft to fly-which it was,” he says, “but mostly because of the job it did integrated with its parent ship performing for that time an important operational task day and night in most weathers. And that was along with being maid of all work, fetching the mail and flying the occasional Medivac own ship and others for treatment, etc. For a young aviator on his second tour and as the sole aircrew (for that time) on the scene with a small team highly regarded and trusted RNZAF maintainers each a master of his trade overseen by a Senior Flight Sergeant, it was a mighty job.”
In the episode Cris gives a fascinating insight into his flying with the Royal Navy, the RAN, and particularly about his time on the ships of the Royal New Zealand Navy.
Note: As promised during the chat, Cris followed up with these figures: “HMS Hermes complement was 2100. The rule of thumb re size of a Commando was approximately 500. This figure would vary depending on role and the environment but that was the rough planning number.”
Wasp NZ3901 on the flight deck of HMNZS Waikato, preparing to take off.
Cris George during his Royal Australian Navy career. (Cris George photo)
A Wasp hovering over the flight deck of HMNZS Canterbury, winching a man from the deck.Air Force Museum of New Zealand M-W4
Flight Deck Officer on board HMNZS Canterbury waving a Wasp in to land.Air Force Museum of New Zealand M-W6
Air to air view of Wasp NZ3902 in flight over Devonport Naval Base.Air Force Museum of New Zealand WhC102-86
Cris says: ” I remembered that I had an NZ Wings magazine of 1977 which had an article about the Westland Wasp HAS Mk1. I have found it and thought you might be interested. It was written by self and FSGT Dick London who the was Senior NCO I/C with considerable experience of several RNZN Wasp Flights. Please remember that it was written 45 years ago. And that I have learnt a bit since then..”
Fri, 11 Mar 2022 - 1h 51min - 531 - WONZ 254 – Airtrainer At 50
Guests: Alan Thoresen and Owen ‘OJ’ Jones
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 27th of February 2022
Released: 3rd of March 2022
Duration: 1 hour 7 minutes 54 seconds
In this episode, to mark 50 years since the first flight, Dave Homewood talks with Alan Thoresen and Owen Jones about their memories of working on the team the built the original AESL CT/4 Airtrainer Prototype ZK-DGY. The Airtrainer prototype was designed and built by Aero Engine Services Ltd (AESL) at Hamilton Airport, New Zealand, utilising some components from the previously constructed Victa CT/2 Aircruiser, but with much new design of the structure to bring the aircraft up to fully aerobatic military standard. The design team was led by Pat Monk, and the result was a brilliant military trainer that served with several of the world’s Air Forces. It first flew on the 23rd of February 1972.
The Airtrainer went into production in 1973 after a new company, New Zealand Aerospace Industries (NZAI), was formed from the merger of AESL and Air Parts (NZ) Ltd., to create a production line. The aircraft went on to serve with the Royal Thai Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the Royal Thai Police, the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, the Singapore Youth Flying Club, Ansett and BAE Systems.
The guys talk about subsequent design developments, and interesting flights. The CT/2Aircruiser and the Airtourer line also get coverage.
Many also remain flying in private hands in Australia and New Zealand,including the prototype itself, ZK-DGY, which is owned and flown by a New Zealand Warbirds Association syndicate, and based at Ardmore, Auckland, New Zealand.
Above: Owen Jones, left, and Alan Thoresen, right.
CT/4 Prototype ZK-DGY now with NZ Warbirds Association
ZK-DGY at NZ Warbirds
Quick Links:
Previous WONZ Shows with Airtrainer Content• WONZ 103 – Matt Henderson and the Airtrainer
• WONZ 105 – Murray Wallace
• WONZ 201 – John Hansen
• Pacific Aerospace’s Page on the CT/4 Airtrainer
• Dave Homewood’s November 2015 flight in Matt Henderson’s Airtrainer
• The NZAI Airtrainer Brochure (as referred to in the episode)
Wed, 02 Mar 2022 - 1h 07min - 530 - WONZ 253 – Great Escapes: Safety And Surface
Guests: Geoff “Polly” Polglase, Evan Allen and Terry “Gnome” Austin
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 6th of October 2021
Released: 7th of February 2022
Duration: 1 hour 18 minutes 20 seconds
This episode is the fourth in a series called “Great Escapes”, covering stories of RNZAF ejections from aircraft that have saved lives in emergency situations. This episode is a little different from those previously in the series, where it is from the perspective of some of the Safety And Surface Technicians who maintained the equipment to make an ejection successful.
The Safety And Surface trade is an engineering trade in the RNZAF which encompasses a wide range of specialist and highly technical skill sets, from spray painting and sign-writing to upholstery and canvas work to maintaining flying clothing and helmets. And a big part of the role is maintenance of the parachutes, life rafts, life preservers, survival packs and other equipment carried by aircrew or within the aircraft in case of the need of an emergency escape in the plane.
In relation to ejection seats, the guys discuss the parachutes, life rafts, survival packs, life preservers and other important safety equipment used by pilots in the McDonnell Douglas A-4K Skyhawks, the BAC 167 Strikemaster Mk. 88’s, and the Aermacchi MB-339CB Macchis of the RNZAF.
Quick Links:
• Great Escapes 1 – Geoff Hubbard
• Great Escapes 2 – Pete Lindsay
• Great Escapes 3 – Phil Barnes
• Great Escapes 5 – Sean Singleton-Turner
Note: Be aware there is a couple of swear words in this episode, nothing unusual for seasons S&S Workers.
Note: The music used in this episode is Hazy After Hours, from Mixkit
A mock-up of the Skyhawk’s ejection seat. The pilot is Damien Gilchrist. Photo via Don Simms
Geoff “Polly” Polglase
Evan Allen
Terry “Gnome” Austin
Another view of the Skyhawk ejection seat, this time showing the parachute on the pilot’s back, and the life raft and survival pack that was sat on. This photo also shows the dummy wearing the Mk. 22 Life preserver, the harness with Quick Release Fitting (QRF), the Alpha helmet, the G-suit, and the oxygen mask that were also all part of the Safety an...Mon, 07 Feb 2022 - 1h 18min - 529 - WONZ 252 – Max Speedy’s Navy Flying
Guest: Max Speedy
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 13th of December 2021
Released: 14th of January 2022
Duration: 1 hour 48 minutes 11 seconds
This is the third and likely final interview with Max Speedy. Born in Levin, New Zealand in 1944, Max moved with his family to Australia when he was five years old. He joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1962 on a course to be one of the first Observers trained to fly as crew in the new Westland Wessex 31A anti-submarine helicopters. He trained initially at HMAS Cerberus, before being attached to the Royal Navy’s Hal Far Observer School, at HMS Falcon, in Malta. There he being flying training in the Percival Sea Prince.
On completing that period of training and returning to Australia he joined No. 725 Squadron and got to grips with flying as an observer in the helicopters. He and his fellow trainees spent time onboard HMAS Watson and its anti-submarine sonar training school.
Max was then posted to No. 817 Squadron aboard carrier HMS Melbourne and undertook his first operational cruise to Singapore where the aircraft carrier worked alongside the Royal Navy in the region.
On returning to Australia, Max was preparing for the next cruise on Melbourne with the squadron in 1964 when, on the night before they were to sail, the carrier collided with HMAS Voyager and cut her in half. He and his fellow helicopter crews were heavily involved in the rescue efforts, which delayed the sailing till Melbourne was repaired. They then completed another operational tour in South-East Asia.
In 1965 Max underwent a course to become an observer in the Sea Venom, learning to use the air interception radar. At this time he was also accepted for pilot training, and was posted in 1967 to RAAF Point Cook to become a pilot.
He ended up flying as pilot back in the Wessex helicopter. But he was not on the Wessex for too long before he ended up being chosen to be the 2 i/c of the second RAN contingent to fly Hueys in Vietnam. Max talks a fair bit more about his Vietnam experiences with some great additional detail to compliment the excellent stuff from the previous episode, WONZ 251 Max Speedy’s Vietnam War.
Max talks about his career after Vietnam, spending three years in Britain attached to the Royal Navy on exchange, training new helicopter pilots with No. 705 Squadron RN at HMS Culdrose; and then a return to Australia and more flying of RAN Wessex 31B helicopters with No. 725 Squadron RAN. He was then posted to No. 723 Squadron RAN, serving on HMAS Sydney. He did a course learning to drive the naval ships, and ended up as Executive Officer aboard a destroyer HMAS Vampire. He talks about being the Equerry to HRH Prince Charles who was visiting Australia in late 1973, and he remembers working as part of the relief effort in Darwin after Tropical Cyclone Tracy destroyed the city on Christmas Eve 1974. And much more over a long RAN Fleet Air Arm career.
Today he lives on his farm and vineyard in rural Victoria, Australia, and he keeps his hand in flying as a gliding instructor.
Quick Links:
• Max Speedy on the Royal Australian Navy’s website
• Max’s Previous Episode WONZ 251 on his Vietnam War Experiences
•Thu, 13 Jan 2022 - 1h 48min - 528 - WONZ 251 – Max Speedy’s Vietnam War
Guest: Max Speedy
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 23rd of November 2021
Released: 28th of December 2021
Duration: 1 hour 48 minutes 56 seconds
In this episode, Royal Australian Navy Vietnam veteran and historian Max Speedy starts off by giving an overview of the background history of the Vietnam War, and how the Australian and New Zealand forces ended up there. He then details the Battle of Long Tan, which involved the Australian and New Zealand armies versus the North Vietnamese, and some of the No. 9 Squadron Iroquois RAAF crews.
Then Max moves into his own personal story of flying UH-1 “Huey” helicopters as a Royal Australian Navy pilot, posted in 1968 as 2iC of the RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam with the US Army 135th Assault Helicopter Company. During his year-long tour in Vietnam, he flew 1250 hours on combat assault missions with American and South Vietnamese troops. He was 1st Slick Platoon Leader for about 4 months (leading 10 Slicks in combat assaults) and later Air Mission Commander directing the Slicks and Gunships from the Command & Control aircraft. He flew most of the aircraft that were in Vietnam in that period, but mostly the UH-1H Slick and the UH-1C gunship.
Max was decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross which was presented by HM The Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. He also has 12 US Air Medals and two Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry.
A Delta rice paddy LZ.
135th Assault Helicopter Company Hueys at a Delta LZ in Trail
Left: LEUT Max Speedy and SBLT Rick Symons on their departure from Australia for South Vietnam. Right: Leut Speedy behind the controls of a Huey as an Air Mission Commander.
Max Speedy with a pistol and knife.
A Huey laying a smoke screen, as described by Max.
Max Speedy these days.
Members of Helicopter Flight Vietnam following the presentation of Unit Citation for Gallantry with the Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia, His Excellency The Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove, AK, MC (Retd); Minister of Defence Personnel, The Honourable Darren Chester MP; and Vice Admiral Tim Barrett, AO, CSC, RAN at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. *** Local Caption *** The contribution of 196 Royal Australian Navy members as part of a combined Australian and United States helicopter unit during the Vietnam War has been recognised at a ceremony at the Australian War Memorial.
The helicopter pilots, gunners, aircrew and support staff were part of Helicopter Flight Vietnam, integrated with the US Army’s 135th Assault Helicopter Company (AHC) flying helicopters in both utility and gunship configurations. They transported around 250,000 troops per year into and out of battle over a four year period.
Members of the Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam (RANHFV) were presented with a Unit Citation for Ga...Mon, 27 Dec 2021 - 1h 48min - 527 - WONZ 249 – Pacific War 80th Anniversary
Guests: Max Speedy, Marty Irons, and the late Geoffrey Fisken
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 22nd of Nov 2021 (Max Speedy, and Marty Irons) and 16th of Sept 2009 (Geoff Fisken)
Released: 7th of December 2021
Duration: 2 hours 51 minutes 47 seconds
This special episode is a three-part special commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Pacific War. On the 7th of December, NZ time, Japan forces started it attack into the Pacific by striking Malaya, and on the 8th of December (or 7th, local time) they attacked the US Navy and Army bases at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. With the entry of Japan into the Second World War, this also brought the USA into the fight. The latter became major Allies of New Zealand, who had already been fighting the German Navy in the Pacific, and would now join the Allied forces in defeating the Japanese expansion into the Pacific.
The Pacific War and Ian Speedy’s part in itIn this episode Dave Homewood presents three separate interviews. The first is with former Royal Australian Navy Commander Max Speedy, a New Zealand born naval aviator, who gives an overview of the Pacific conflict, and tells the story of his father’s war. Max’s Dad was Ian Speedy, an RNZAF fighter pilot who served with No. 17 (F) Squadron on Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawks and Warhawks, including three tours in the Pacific. He then served a further tour in the Pacific with No. 22 (F) Squadron, flying Chance Vought Corsairs.
Above: Commander Max Speedy
Ian Speedy during his training in WWII
No. 17 (Fighter) Squadron pilots involved in the first bomber assault on Rabaul. Ondonga, New Georgia. L-R: Pat Bradley, Ian Speedy, Doug Jones, Don Williams, Peter Worsp, Johnny Mills, Guy Newton, Alex George (partly obscured), Bruce Thomson, Robert Covic, Jack Edwards, Bruce McHardie.
Above: A map of the area of operations discussed by Max in the segment.
This is the first in a short series of episodes that Max will be appearing in, the next episode down the track will cover his flying during the Vietnam War. To read more about him, see this link: Commander Max Speedy
Corsair DownThe second segment, starting at 1 hour, 13 minutes, features an interview with Marty Irons of Vermont, USA, who has just written a new book called Corsair Down: Tales of Rescue and Survival During WWII. The book is a collection of stories, many first hand accounts, about Corsair pilots who found themselves shot down or forced down into the water or the jungles of the Pacific war, and requiring rescue. Among the stories are not not US Navy and USMC pilots, but also New Zealanders who flew Corsairs with the RNZAF, and also Kiwis among the rescuers with No. 6 (Flying Boat) Squadron, flying the “Dumbo” rescue missions in Catalinas.
Mon, 06 Dec 2021 - 2h 51min - 526 - WONZ 248 – Great Escapes 3 – Phil Barnes
Guest: Phillip Barnes, aka Barnsey
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 4th of October 2021
Released: 5th of November 2021
Duration: 47 minutes 5 seconds
This episode is the third in a series called “Great Escapes”, covering stories of RNZAF ejections from aircraft that have saved lives in emergency situations.
In this episode Phil Barnes tells the story of his ejection from McDonnell Douglas TA-4K Skyhawk, NZ6256, on the 20th of March 2001, over the Indian Ocean off the coast of Western Australia. While dogfighting other RNZAF Skyhawks in a Royal Australian Navy training exercise, Phil found himself in an unrecoverable spin. He was forced to eject, and spent time in rough sea in a tiny raft before he was rescued.
The music used in this episode is Hazy After Hours, from Mixkit
Quick Links:
• Great Escapes 1 – Geoff Hubbard
• Great Escapes 2 – Pete Lindsay
• Great Escapes 4 – Safety And Surface
• Great Escapes 5 – Sean Singleton-Turner
The following photos have been kindly supplied by RNZAF Skyhawk historian Don Simms:
Flt Lt Phil Barnes on steps of an A-4K Skyhawk NZ6213 with his name on the side.
Skyhawk NZ6256, the aircraft that Barnsey was forced to eject from.
NZ6256 in better times, in the RNZAF 50th Anniversary gold scheme.
An actual photo of Phil Barnes in a Skyhawk low over Cook Strait
An action shot of an actual ejection from a Skyhawk, this one being with the Royal Australian Navy
The headknocker on a Skyhawk’s Escapac ejection seat
A single seat raft as used by Skyhawk pilots and passengers, and a deployed life preserver vest. This is from a Wet Drill training exercise but is exactly the equipment that Phil Barnes used for real. The orange canopy of the raft is yet to be manually inflated.
A Mk. 22 Life Preserver and all the survival equipment it carried.
Thu, 04 Nov 2021 - 47min - 525 - WONZ 247 – Great Escapes 2 – Peter Lindsay
Guest: Peter Lindsay
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 30th of September 2021
Released: 29th of October 2021
Duration: 39 minutes 19 seconds
This episode is the second in a series called “Great Escapes”, covering stories of RNZAF ejections from aircraft that have saved lives in emergency situations.
In this episode Pete Lindsay tells the story of his incredible ejection from a BAC167 Strikemaster Mk. 88, NZ6367. He was on a cross-country exercise while training with No. 14 Squadron RNZAF on the 3rd of July 1985. While attempting to beat up the farmhouse of his wingman’s parents, he struck high tension power cables strung across a valley. The aircraft was put instantly into a spin from around 100 feet. Pete ejected a split second before the jet struck a hillside and exploded. This is one heck of a survival story.
The music used in this episode is Hazy After Hours, from Mixkit
Quick Links:
• Great Escapes 1 – Geoff Hubbard
• Great Escapes 3 – Phil Barnes
• Great Escapes 4 – Safety And Surface
• Great Escapes 5 – Sean Singleton-Turner
Air to air view of No. 14 Squadron Strikemaster NZ6367, flown by Pilot Officer DP Barham flight over Cape Reinga, during exercise Falcons Roost 17 at Kaitaia Airport. This photo was taken on 26/04/1983, two years before this very aircraft was involved in Pete Lindsay’s incident. Air Force Museum of New Zealand photo OhG878-83
Wreckage of No. 14 Squadron Strikemaster NZ6367, after a wire strike caused it to crash near Waiau, North Canterbury. Pilot Officer Peter Lindsay, ejected and survived. This was the first Strikemaster to be lost by the RNZAF. Air Force Museum of New Zealand photo Wg-G679-22-85
Wreckage of No. 14 Squadron Strikemaster NZ6367, after a wire strike caused it to crash near Waiau, North Canterbury. Pilot Officer Peter Lindsay, ejected and survived. This was the first Strikemaster to be lost by the RNZAF. Air Force Museum of New Zealand photo WgG679-23-85
The wreckage of Pete Lindsay’s Strikemaster NZ6367 after it was recovered to the No. 14 Squadron RNZAF hangar at Ohakea, Another Strikemaster sits to the left, and a preserved Vampire on the right. Photo kindly supplied by Terry Austin.
The photo montage wall at the Martin Baker factory in London.Thu, 28 Oct 2021 - 39min - 524 - WONZ 246 – Great Escapes 1 – Geoff Hubbard
Guest: Air Commodore Geoffrey Hubbard OBE, RNZAF Retired
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 1st of October 2021
Released: 22nd of October 2021
Duration: 53 minutes 27 seconds
This episode is the first in a series called “Great Escapes”, which will delve into some intense stories of pilots, aircrew or passengers finding themselves in grave danger in the air, and have managed to have their lives saved by means of an ejection seat, or other means. This episode features Air Commodore Geoff Hubbard, who served with the RNZAF from 1953 till 1990.
On the 3rd of July 1957 Geoff found himself in an inverted spin over the Malayan jungle in de Havilland DH.112 Venom FB.1, serial WE409, and was forced to “bang out” using the ejector seat. He tells the second by second story of that incredible few minutes in his life. He also details what it was like to fly the Venom as a young fighter pilot, and he talks about the reason why he and No. 14 Squadron RNZAF were there, the Malayan Emergency. He also tells what happened in the very first RNZAF ejection, also a Venom flown by Mike Palmer, who was on the same squadron.
Air to air view of No. 14 Squadron Venom WK428 over RAF Station Changi, Singapore. Air Force Museum of New Zealand photo. Original RNZAF negative number TENG366.
Portrait of then-Group Captain Geoffrey Hubbard OBE in 1977. Air Force Museum of New Zealand photo WgG525-77. He later attained the rank of Air Commodore.
A Martin Baker Mk. 2F ejector seat, the type used by Geoff Hubbard in his ejection. Photo kindly supplied by Jason Mills.
The de Havilland Venom Mk. 1 instrument panel from the Pilot’s Notes. Photo kindly supplied by Jason Mills.
A photo of a Martin Maker 2F seat being fitted to a Venom, scanned from the book “Singapore Sojourn -the story of No. 14 Squadron RNZAF flying the Venom in Singapore ” by Stewart Boys. Scan supplied by Jason Mills
The music used in this episode is Hazy After Hours, from Mixkit
Quick Links:
• Great Escapes 2 – Pete Lindsay
• Great Escapes 3 – Phil Barnes
• Great Escapes 4 – Safety And Surface
• Great Escapes 5 – Sean Singleton-TurnerThu, 21 Oct 2021 - 53min - 523 - WONZ 245 – Denys Jones: Hudson NZ2035
Guest Speaker: Denys Jones
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 30th of October 2016
Released: 17th of October 2021
Duration: 46 minutes 43 seconds
This episode is a recording of a fantastic talk given by Denys Jones of Ferrymead Aeronautical Society in Christchurch at a Wings Over New Zealand Forum Meet held at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand on the 30th of October 2016. The topic is the rare ex-RNZAF Lockheed Hudson NZ2035 owned by the society, who have been slowly restoring it to its former glory. The restoration continues even at the time of the release of this episode, and you can follow weekly updates from the Ferrymead team about the Hudson and their other projects on the Wings Over New Zealand Forum, at the link below. The photos on this page are some of those used by Denys during his presentation.
Lockheed Hudson NZ2035 started life as AE503, built by Lockheed at Burbank, California for the British Purchasing Mission contracts. Diverted to the RNZAF, it was shipped to New Zealand aboard the vessel Manuel, and Brought On Charge by Unit 1, RNZAF Station Hobsonville on the 29th of October 1941. It was assembled by No.1 Aircraft Depot at Hobsonville, and then assigned to No. 1 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron at RNZAF Station Whenuapai. It patrolled the coastal regions of the upper North Island, escorting Allied shipping and convoys, and watching for any enemy or suspicious surface craft or submarines. It would go on to serve with No. 2 Gunnery Training Flight at RNZAF Station Gisborne in 1943, then it returned to Whenuapai to continue in the bomber reconnaissance role with No. 9 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron (Detached Flight). By February 1944 it had moved to No. 3 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron, at Ohakea. It returned to Whenuapai again by March 1944, serving on No. 14 Servicing Unit who were providing aircraft for No. 1 (BR) Squadron. An overseas duty followed in May 1944 when NZ2035 joined No. 13 SU, which maintained the Hudsons for No. 4 (BR) Squadron at Nausori, Fiji. The aircraft was ferried back to New Zealand in December 1944 by a No. 8 (BR) Squadron crew. It ended up stored at the end of WWII, and was sold by the War Assets Realisation Board by tender 9205 from Woodbourne to Mr. Edwards on the 9th of May 1949. From there, the remains went to the Holdaway brothers of Blenheim. It was then secured by Warwick Bint, who hoped initially to get it flying. But it ended up back with the Holdaway family, who sold the remains to Ferrymead Aeronautical Society. The RNZAF assisted in transporting the aircraft to Christchurch, arriving at the museum on the 27th of September 1973. At the time of publishing this episode NZ2035 remains at Ferrymead Museum, under active restoration.
Quick Links:
• The Ferrymead Thread on the Wings Over New Zealand Forum
• Ferrymead Aeronautical Society
• Ferrymead Aeronautical Society on Facebook
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand
Above: Hudson NZ2035 on the Holdaway farm near Blenheim in the 1960’s. Photo via Neville Mines.
Sun, 17 Oct 2021 - 46min - 522 - WONZ 244 – Jim Sheddan
Guest: Cornelius James “Jim” Sheddan DFC, NZ412358 (3 March 1918-9 December 2010)
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 19th of January 2010
Released: 17th of September 2021
Duration: 1 hour 9 minutes 11 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood spoke with the RNZAF fighter ace Jim Sheddan in 2010. Jim was originally posted to No. 485 (NZ) Squadron on Spitfires but his time there was brief, and he ended up ferrying aircraft in all weathers, before being posted to No. 486 (NZ) Squadron on Typhoons, where he really found his feet. He talks about ditching into the English Channel in his Typhoon, and being rescued: crashing into a grove of trees; bailing out of another aircraft; shooting up trains, losing mates, air to air combat, shooting down V1 flying bombs in his Tempest, and a lot more. Jim was a real character. He rose to become the Commanding Officer of No. 486 (NZ) Squadron by the war’s end. He passed away in December 2010.
Here is a video version of this episode:
Image from the CJ Sheddan log book. Squadron Leader CJ Sheddan, Commanding Officer of No. 486 Squadron, sitting in the cockpit of his “personal aircraft”, Tempest SA-M. Unknown location in Europe. Aircraft fuselage markings are 5 1/2 swastika kill marks and a Squadron Leader’s Pennant with “486” added. Part of Tempest EJ672 SA-L visible behind. Air Force Museum of New Zealand ALB198236513001
Squadron Leader Jim Sheddan DFC
Jim Sheddan, fourth from left, while he was briefly posted to No. 485 (NZ) Squadron on Spitfires. The tallest pilot on the extreme left is Les “Chalky” White, who Jim refers to in the interview, during the Tiger Moth incident. Air Force Museum of New Zealand ALB198236513035
Jim’s painting depicting his successful ditching in his Hawker Typhoon.
Jim Sheddan, centre, and his two No. 486 Squadron mates Flight Lieutenant CJ McDonald, left, and Flight Lieutenant Ian ‘Tubby’ Ross pose on the wing of Jim’s Hawker Tempest SA-M. Air Force Museum of New Zealand ALB198236513003
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudThu, 16 Sep 2021 - 1h 09min - 521 - WONZ 243 – Syd Vincent
Guest: Sydney Arthur Vincent (1924-2011)
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 1st of December 2009
Released: 3rd of September 2021
Duration: 38 minutes 58 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood has dipped into the archive and pulled out one of his early interviews, with the late Syd Vincent. At the time Syd was the President of the Fleet Air Arm Association of New Zealand, having served in the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm during WWII as a Telegrapher Air Gunner. He trained on Swordfish and then went onto fly operationally as the TAG in a Grumman Avenger crew, operating from Ceylon in the British Eastern Fleet, and then aboard the fleet carrier HMS Victorious with the British Pacific Fleet.
After the war Syd moved to New Zealand and joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force, spending 20 years as an Air Signaller. During that time he was involved in a Bristol Freighter accident at Mauripur, Pakistan, and he details this incident. He later served a further six years with the Royal Air Force.
Being one of Dave’s early interviews he was inexperienced at the time and now wishes he’d asked a lot more, however as you will hear the interview was cut short by a phone call that ended the session anyway. However hearing Syd’s memories of serving in the Avengers and the Freighter are priceless regardless.
Syd Vincent next to the mural depicting his Royal Navy FAA Grumman Avenger attacking a Japanese-held oil refinery which used to be on the wall at the Museum of Transport and Technology (Dave Homewood photo)
Syd Vincent during WWII in his flying kit. (Syd Vincent Collection)
An Avenger about to touch down on a carrier (Syd Vincent Collection)
Avenger (Syd Vincent Collection)
The results, a smoking oil refinery (Syd Vincent Collection)
Syd, left, with his crew (Syd Vincent Collection)
A telegram after the Freighter accident (Syd Vincent Collection)
The following photos show the No. 41 Squadron Bristol Freighter NZ5901 after crash landing at Mauripur, Pakistan. Personnel on board were; Flying Officer JB Randle (Captain), Flying Officer DM Lyng (Navigator), Sergeant SA Vincent (Signaller), Sergeant JG Lockwood (Engineer). This aircraft was rebuilt and flown again until it crashed and was written off in 1956. The photos are Air Force Museum of New Zealand Official shots.
AFMNZ 1983-158.3
AFMNZ 1983-158.4
AFMNZ 2008-093.7
Fri, 03 Sep 2021 - 38min - 520 - WONZ 242 – John Lamont
Guest: John Lamont
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 14th of July 2021
Released: 20th of August 2021
Duration: 1 hour 23 minutes 57 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood caught up with well known and respected airshow pilot John Lamont, while they were both visiting Ardmore Airport. As a child, John lived next to the Omaka Aerodrome and he caught the aviation bug from a young age. He joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1963, and trained on Harvards and Devons, and became an instructor at Pilot Training Squadron for two and a half years. He was then posted to No. 3 Squadron RNZAF, flying the Bell 47 Sioux first, and then later onto the Bell UH-1H Iroquois.
Posted to Singapore in the early 1970’s, he then served with No. 41 Squadron there on Iroquois. And then when he came home from that posting he returned to Wigram at the Central Flying School. He decided to leave the RNZAF and joined Air New Zealand, flying the Friendship, the DC-8, the 737, the 767, the 747-200 and the 747-400. After he left the airline aged 60, he flew helicopters commercially at Wanaka for a while.
John also got involved with NZ Warbirds in the early 1980’s, and was one of the original members of The Roaring Forties Harvard aerobatic team. In the early 1990’s he got the opportunity to fly WWII fighters with the Alpine Fighter Collection, and he later flew with the Old Flying Machine Company.
John Lamont at Ardmore Airport, July 2021. (Dave Homewood Photo)
John in the cockpit of the Spitfire Mk. XIVe ZK-XIV at Classic Fighters 2015 (Dave Homewood photo)
John in the Spitfire Mk. XVIe ZK-XIV at Classic Fighters 2015 (Dave Homewood photo)Thu, 19 Aug 2021 - 1h 23min - 519 - WONZ 241 – Long Haul: Flying Boats to 747s
Guests: Captain Neville Hay and Peter Allen
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 13th of July 2021
Released: 6th of August 2021
Duration: 2 hours 32 minutes 35 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood interviews former TEAL and Air New Zealand aircrew members Captain Neville Hay and Peter Allen, inside the Boeing 747-200 simulator that is housed at MOTAT, the Museum of Transport and Technology.
Nev Hay started with TEAL as an apprentice in 1957, and following his engineering training he was offered the position as a Flight Engineer. Peter followed the same route two years later. Both worked on RNZAF Short Sunderlands and TEAL Solents at Mechanics Bay as apprentices, and when they became Flight Engineers they flew on the Lockheed Electra, the Douglas DC-8, the Douglas DC-10, and the Boeing 747-200 fleets, and Nev continued onto the Boeing 747-400.
Whilst Pete had continued through his career as a Flight Engineer on the Electra, the DC-8, the DC-10 and the 747-200 and then moved into a management role, Nev chose to retrain to become a pilot, and he flew the DC-8, DC-10, and both 747 variants.
Both men ended up later in their careers as the top men in their trades, Peter as Air New Zealand’s Chief Flight Engineer, and actually was the last Flight Engineer the airline had. Nev was Chief Pilot on the Boeing 747-400.
Both men tell some amazing and fascinating tales and memories of flying, such as the approach into Hong Kong’s famous Kai Tak airport, Peter witnessing the re-entry of the Apollo 8 crew, flying an Air New Zealand 747 into Wellington Airport, and Nev flying HM Queen Elizabeth in 1995 on her first ever commercial flight. Nev also talks about building and flying his tiny twin-engined Cricri homebuild that he used to own.
They also tell loads of great technical information about the various airliners they had operated over the years. They also talk about what went into selecting, delivering and bringing into service new aircraft fleets, particularly the Boeing 747-200 which Peter was involved with, and the Boeing 747-400, which Nev was involved with.
Quick Links:
• Air New Zealand
• Air New Zealand History
• Museum of Transport and Technology
Huge thanks to Steve Subritzky and the staff at MOTAT’s Aviation Division for their assistance
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim Karud
Above: Flight Engineer Peter Allen and Flight Engineer and Captain Neville Hay (Photo: Dave Homewood)
Captain Neville Hay in the captain’s seat (Photo: Dave Homewood)
Peter Allen in the 747-200’s Flight Engineer’s panel.
MOTAT’s Boeing 747-200 Flight Simulator, in which this episode was recorded.Fri, 06 Aug 2021 - 2h 32min - 518 - WONZ 240 – The Piako Gliding Club
Guest: Aidan Cartwright, Gareth Cartwright, Scott Montagu, Derek Shipley and Ian ‘Iggy’ Wood.
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 10th and 24th of July 2021
Released: 24th of July 2021
Duration: 1 hour 9 minutes 48 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood spent a couple of days, two weeks apart, at Waharoa Aerodrome, Matamata, with members of the Piako Gliding Club. Interviewed are 14-year-old glider pilot Aidan Cartwright, his father Gareth Cartwright who is also a keen pilot, the club’s Chief Tow Pilot Scott Montagu, gliding instructor Derek Shipley, and club president Iggy Wood.
Quick Links:
• The Piako Gliding Club
• Gliding NZ
• Matamata Aerodrome (Waharoa)
• See lots more photos from the recording days on Facebook, here
The Piako Gliding Club’s president Iggy Wood, next to one of the club’s Puchacz gliders. Puchacz is Polish for Owl. (Dave Homewood photo)
Left to right: Gareth Cartwright, Aidan Cartwright and Derek Shipley. (Dave Homewood photo)
Chief tow pilot Scott Montagu with the Piako Gliding Club’s Piper Pawnee tow plane. (Dave Homewood photo)
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Daedalus by Kai EngelSat, 24 Jul 2021 - 1h 09min - 517 - WONZ 239 – Pioneer Update
Guest: Paul McSweeny of Pioneer Aero Ltd.
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 12th of July 2021
Released: 18th of July 2021
Duration: 16 minutes 32 seconds
In this special mini-episode Dave Homewood does a walk-around the hangar with Paul McSweeny of Pioneer Aero Ltd., to give an update on all the projects currently happening and one one its way. The team are finishing up the P-40E for an Italian client, which will fly again post-restoration very shortly. They are working on the rebuild to flight of the ex-RNZAF P-40N-1, NZ3147, which will stay based at Ardmore with owner Brett Nicholls. They are also working on the wings of the John Saunders P-40E, having built the fuselage for that project which is already down at Omaka. And they are starting another P-40E for a Netherlands-based syndicate. Also on the water right now as this is published is the fuselage and centre section of Jerry Yagen’s Douglas SBD Dauntless, which will be restored to fly by Pioneer.
Quick Links:
• Pioneer Aero Ltd.’s Website
• Pioneer Aero Ltd.’s Facebook Page
The Video
Photos
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudSun, 18 Jul 2021 - 16min - 516 - WONZ 238 – Andy Higgins
Guest: The late Andy Higgins(Andrew William Higgins – 13 September 1931 to 2 January 2020)
Host: Dave Homewood with Nigel Godfrey
Recorded: 19th of July 2019
Released: 28th of June 2021
Duration: 51 minutes 15 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood and Nigel Godfrey sat down with Andy Higgins to record what he remembered about his days working with James Aviation Ltd on the conversion of the Douglas C-47 Dakota ZK-AZL to become an aerial topdresser. Andy worked as the draftsman on the project and was most probably the last member of the team who was involved in the conversion of the very first DC-3 topdresser in the world.
He also talks about his days as a pilot in the RNZAF, and working for other aviation firms. And he discusses his amazing collection of photos he took while with James Aviation, which were made available through the Wings Over New Zealand Forum.
Andy was rather unwell at the time of this interview, and this was to be the last opportunity to get his memories recorded before his death. This episode is pieced together from that conversation.
Andy Higgins
Andy at the draft board whilst drawing up the designs for the C-47 conversion (Andy Higgins photo)
DC-3 ZK-AZL being loaded (Andy Higgins photo)
Above and below: The hopper conversion (Andy Higgins photos)
ZK-AZL dropping a load of superphosphate (Andy Higgins photo)
Above and below: The Fletcher accident as discussed (Andy Higgins photos)
Quick Links:
• Andy Higgins’ James Aviation Photo Collection
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudSun, 27 Jun 2021 - 51min - 515 - WONZ 237 – Jack Godfrey
Guest: Jack Godfrey (1931-2019), with Jack’s son Nigel Godfrey
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 10th of October 2021
Released: 3rd of June 2021
Duration: 1 hour 27 minutes 22 seconds
Dave Homewood sat down with the well known and respected modeller and aircraft builder Jack Godfrey in October 2019. Jack talks about growing up in Auckland and the Hawkes Bay where he discovered aero modelling at a young age. While living in Hastings as a kid he haunted Bridge Pa aerodrome, and used to help the legendary Temple Martin in his aircraft restoration business. He worked for Aerial Mapping there too, before being called up for Compulsory Military Service where he became an airframes mechanic in the RNZAF at Taieri for three months. Returning to Aerial Mapping he could not settle, and so had a change of vocation and moved into an apprenticeship in newspapers.
Jack moved to Hamilton to work in the printing business, but it did not work out and he ended up moving to a new job at Aerochrome Plate grinding cylinders for aero engines. This company became part of New Zealand Aerospace Ltd., which Jack continued with. After grinding cylinders for a few years, Jack progressed to a quality inspection role. He later went back to printing.
Well know Hamilton-based aviation entrepreneur Ossie James brought Jack into set up a school programme at St Paul’s Collegiate to build a Murphy Maverick.
Jack Godfrey with his Island Flyer rubber band powered model aeroplane (Photo via Nigel Godfrey)
Next he built Jodel D.18 with Noel Bailey, ZK-JAC, which is still flying today.
Noel Bailey’s Jodel D.18 which Jack Godfrey built with Noel.
And Jack built a full sized replica of a Bristol Scout for the Armistice In Cambridge committee for a static display.
Above: Three photos from Nigel Godfrey of the Bristol Scout replica that Jack built.
Jack passed away on the 7th of December 2019.
Quick Links:
• The Murphy Maverick That Jack’s St Paul’s Collegiate Team Built
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudThu, 03 Jun 2021 - 1h 27min - 514 - WONZ 236 – Frank Parker
Guest: NZ Warbirds President Frank Parker
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 25th of April 2021
Released: 11th of May 2021
Duration: 43 minutes 04 seconds
On the 25th of April 1941, the very first North American Harvard to fly in New Zealand, NZ901, took off on its initial test flight following assembly at RNZAF Station Hobsonville. The Harvard would become the main advanced trainer for the Royal New Zealand Air Force from then on, until retirement in 1977. And following retirement several Harvards became warbirds in private hands from 1978, and this continues till the present day.
On Sunday the 25th of April 2021 the momentous first flight in New Zealand of a type that has become a firm favourite on the airshow circuit and holds many memories for generations of Kiwis in both RNZAF and NZ Warbirds service was marked by a special event at Ardmore.
The Wings Over New Zealand Forum and NZ Warbirds Association hosted an event at Ardmore to celebrate the Harvard. This included guest speakers who talked about Harvards, and also about other specialist topics.
In this episode we hear the final talk given at the event, by New Zealand Warbirds President Frank Parker. Frank learned to fly in the RNZAF in the Harvard during the 1970’s. He would later join and lead the New Zealand Warbirds Association’s Roaring Forties Harvard display team. He reminisces about some of his Harvard experiences over the years.
Then Frank turns his attention to the NZ Warbirds’ collection of WWI replica aeroplanes. These aircraft were all in the hangar where the event was held and Frank tells the story of each of them, and gives insights into their characteristics. He also talks a little about some of the WWII warbirds that he also flies, and about the future project to restore Harvard NZ909 back to flight.
Frank Parker
This talk was also videoed by Stu Russell, so you can also watch it here.
Quick Links:
• New Zealand Warbirds Association Website
• New Zealand Warbirds Association Facebook page
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudTue, 11 May 2021 - 43min - 513 - WONZ 235 – John Kelly, Peter Layne and Gavin Trethewey
Guests: John ‘JK’ Kelly, Peter Layne and Gavin Trethewey
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 25th of April 2021
Released: 2nd of May 2021
Duration: 55 minutes 49 seconds
On the 25th of April 1941, the very first North American Harvard to fly in New Zealand, NZ901, took off on its initial test flight following assembly at RNZAF Station Hobsonville. The Harvard would become the main advanced trainer for the Royal New Zealand Air Force from then on, until retirement in 1977. And following retirement several Harvards became warbirds in private hands from 1978, and this continues till the present day.
On Sunday the 25th of April 2021 the momentous first flight in New Zealand of a type that has become a firm favourite on the airshow circuit and holds many memories for generations of Kiwis in both RNZAF and NZ Warbirds service was marked by a special event at Ardmore.
The Wings Over New Zealand Forum and NZ Warbirds Association hosted an event at Ardmore to celebrate the Harvard. This included guest speakers who talked about Harvards, and also about other specialist topics.
In this episode we hear three of the talks from the event. The first is given by NZ Warbirds Association Vice President “JK” Kelly. He flies as Number 4 in the Roaring Forties Harvard aerobatic display team, and he talks about his experience as a civilian-trained pilot getting into the Harvard. JK also talks about the Part 115 rides that people can purchase in the Warbirds fighters and trainers such as the Curtiss P-40N Kittyhawk, Supermarine Spitfire Tr.9, North American P-51D Mustang and the Harvard. JK is one of the rides pilots. lastly he talks about the excellent NZ Warbirds museum displays, which he has been very instrumental in creating, and leading the team that come up with the exhibits.
Next we hear briefly from Peter Layne who reads an extract from his co-authored book about the rescue of a pilot whose Harvard ditched in the sea.
And finally we hear from Gavin Trethewey, who have been flying Harvards for 62 years and is still the NZ Warbirds solo Harvard display pilot. Gavin flew as an instructor on Harvards in the RNZAF and he flew for many years in the NZ Warbirds Roaring Forties display team. He has some great memories of the type. He also talks about the current project he is very involved with as team leader, the static restoration of an English Electric Canberra bomber. Gavin famously flew Canberras during his RNZAF career, and was the RNZAF’s Canberra display pilot, among other roles with the type. Warbirds has acquired the Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s spare Canberra, and they are now in the process of restoring it to former glory, for eventual public display at Ardmore.
Quick Links:
• New Zealand Warbirds Association Website
• New Zealand Warbirds Association Facebook page
• The Canberra Support Group Facebook page
John Kelly
Peter Layne
Sat, 01 May 2021 - 55min - 512 - WONZ 234 – Nick Sheehan and Keith Skilling
Guests: Nick Sheehan and Keith Skilling
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 25th of April 2021
Released: 26th of April 2021
Duration: 47 minutes 28 seconds
On the 25th of April 1941, the very first North American Harvard to fly in New Zealand, NZ901, took off on its initial test flight following assembly at RNZAF Station Hobsonville. The Harvard would become the main advanced trainer for the Royal New Zealand Air Force from then on, until retirement in 1977. And following retirement several Harvards became warbirds in private hands from 1978, and this continues till the present day.
On Sunday the 25th of April 2021 the momentous first flight in New Zealand of a type that has become a firm favourite on the airshow circuit and holds many memories for generations of Kiwis in both RNZAF and NZ Warbirds service was marked by a special event at Ardmore.
The Wings Over New Zealand Forum and NZ Warbirds Association hosted an event at Ardmore to celebrate the Harvard. This included guest speakers who talked about Harvards, and also about other specialist topics.
In this episode we hear two of the talks from the event. The first is from Nick Sheehan, who is currently in the early stages of a massive restoration project to return the Harvard NZ1068 to flying condition. This aeroplane is one of the WWII aircraft that had been rescued and stored by the late John Smith of Mapua, and following John’s death Nick was able to purchase the Harvard in 2020.
The second speaker is the well known and much admired display pilot Keith Skilling. Having served in the RNZAF and trained on Harvards in his early days, Keith has some great stories about them. He also became involved in the Roaring Forties Harvard Display Team, and went on to lead the team for several seasons. He talks about the Harvard with some wonderful memories, before moving onto the topic of flying with the Breitling Fighters warbird display team, with Ray Hanna and other elite warbird pilots.
Keith Skilling talks about flying Harvards, and flying with the Breitling Fighters team
Nick Sheehan talks about Harvard NZ1068
These talks were also videoed by Stu Russell, so you can also watch them here.
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudMon, 26 Apr 2021 - 47min - 511 - WONZ 233 – Malcolm Campbell
Guest: The late Malcolm Graham Campbell (5 Oct 1934 – 27 Nov 2020)
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 12th of April 2013
Released: 14th of March 2021
Duration: 57 minutes 50 seconds
In this tribute episode Dave Homewood releases an old interview he did with the late Malcolm Campbell, who was well known as a pilot, airline founder and owner, and aviation entrepreneur.
Malcolm won a flying scholarship aged 15 while still a schoolboy in Palmerston North. He got a job with a computing firm, but was called up into the Air Force as a pilot under the Compulsory Military Training scheme of the 1950s and trained at RNZAF Station Taieri.
On leaving the RNZAF he moved to Hamilton and became a topdressing pilot for James Aviation in Fletchers. However following an accident in a topdresser he gave away this somewhat dangerous career and went to the more stable role of instructing with Waikato Aero Club.
In 1969 Malcolm and his wife Joan decided to start their own flying school, and they bought the famous Airtourer ZK-CXU, which Cliff Tait had just flown around the world, for this new venture – Eagle Flying Academy. The business grew from there till they had six aircraft, Cessnas, Piper Cubs and Piper Tripacers. They also registered the companies Eagle Airways and Eagle Air Maintenance, which would later become a big part of their lives.
Malcolm tells the story of his involvement in Eagle Airways over the decades, and its expansion and buy outs. He also tells a few interesting and amusing stories from around Hamilton Airport.
Note: Three years after this interview, Air New Zealand decided that Eagle Airways would cease to operate. The company disbanded on the 26th of August 2016.
Above: Joan and Malcolm Campbell. My thanks to Steve Lowe of the 3rd Level New Zealand Blog for permission to use this photo.
Quick Links:
• Eagle Airways history on the 3rd Level New Zealand Blog
• A tribute to Malcolm Campbell on 3rd Level New Zealand Blog
• Eagle Airways on Wikipedia
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudSun, 14 Mar 2021 - 57min - 510 - WONZ 232 – Gulf War 30th – W/C Bob Henderson
Guest: Wing Commander Bob Henderson, RNZAF, retired
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 5th of January 2021
Released: 17th of January 2021
Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes 33 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood talks with former RNZAF Wing Commander Bob Henderson, who was the Commanding Officer of No. 40 Squadron RNZAF from 1989-1993.
Bob discusses his Royal New Zealand Air Force career, flying the Douglas C-47 Dakotas, Fokker F-27 Friendships, and the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, etc. But a fair amount of the interview focuses on his experiences as the mission commander for New Zealand’s transport commitment to Operation Desert Storm. Under Operation Fresco, two of No. 40 Squadron’s Herk’s were working alongside five RAF C-130’s, based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Bob headed up one of the crews that flew the two RNZAF Hercules into the war zone on a daily basis through Operation Desert Storm. A fascinating and largely untold story of New Zealand’s experience in the First Gulf War.
Bob also discusses his subsequent aviation career with Air New Zealand, and in world gliding circles.
A note: Just confirming some dates that were questioned in the interview – the ground war finished on the 28th of February 1991 and Bob’s crew arrived back at RNZAF Base Whenuapai on the 12th of April 1991.
This episode is available both as an audio podcast and as a YouTube video. It was recorded using Zoom, so the visual quality is not 100%.
Above: Bob and his crew at King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during Operation Desert Storm. No. 40 Squadron RNZAF Lockheed Hercules NZ7003 is behind them. L-R: Back; Flight Sergeant Bruce Melvin (Flight Engineer), Sergeant John Buchler (Air Loadmaster), Wing Commander Bob Henderson (Detachment Commander and aircraft captain). Front; Flying Officer Kevin McEvoy (Navigator), Sgt Ty Cochran (Air Loadmaster), and Flying Officer Mike Morgan (Co-Pilot).
Above: “RAF Operations Desk” – the centre of operations for the RAF/RNZAF C-130s. This was Bob’s RAF ‘oppo’, Wing Commander Peter Bedford.
Above: A Kuwait Desert Landing Strip – the view out the front window of the C-130 while sitting on one of the numerous 3000 ft long sand strips the RNZAF Herks used in the Kuwait desert to achieve troop changeovers.
Above: Bob, left, on the ground at Kuwait International Airport with RAF Group Captain Geoff Simpson, 1st of March 1991.
Above: The official homecoming at RNZAF Base Whenuapai. From the left are the RNZAF Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Peter Adamson, Bob’s wife Eileen Henderson, W/C Bob Henderson, and Air Chief Marshall Sir Patrick Hind, RAF.
Sat, 16 Jan 2021 - 1h 45min - 509 - WONZ 231 – Alan Harrison
Guest: Squadron Leader Alan Harrison, retired
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 9th of February 2019
Released: 8th of January 2021
Duration: 1 hour 21 minutes 32 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood talks with Alan Harrison about his service in the Royal Air Force through the 1960’s, 1970’s and early 1980’s. Alan trained and served initially as an Air Signaller, and spent a considerable time on Avro Shackleton maritime patrol bombers.
He then trained as a Navigator-Radar Operator, and following several courses he was posted to No. 101 Squadron RAF, flying as part of a crew on Avro Vulcan bombers.
Alan talks in depth about both the maritime and the nuclear bomber roles, and what it was like to be part of the Cold War strike force.
My thanks to Mike Cater who set up this interview, and huge thanks to Stuart Russell who helped with the sound quality with the recording.
This episode is available as both an audio podcast episode and as a video, via YouTube.
Alan Harrison (Photo by Dave Homewood)
Fri, 08 Jan 2021 - 1h 21min - 508 - WONZ 230 – Harley Cadwallader
Guest: Harley Cadwallader
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 14th of October 2020
Released: 8th of December 2020
Duration: 1 hour 5 minutes 30 seconds
Harley Cadwallader was a career topdressing and spray pilot. He learned to fly at his home airfield of Masterton with the Wairarapa Aero Club, on Tiger Moths. He started in the agricultural aviation industry as a loader driver with Wairarapa Air Services, working with a pilot who was topdressing with a Cessna 180. All the while he was working towards his own commercial pilot’s licence.
On gaining his CPL he was sent by Air Services to Beryck Dalcolm’s topdressing school. Then on return to the company he began actual topdressing operations on a de Havilland Canada Beaver.
He moved to Fieldair and continued to fly from Masterton’s Hood Aerodrome in a Beaver for them. Following a break from flying for a few months he then re-joined Fieldair as a pilot, not based at Napier.
Harley remembers an incident where he was a passenger in Beaver ZK-BFN with Fieldair chief pilot John Riddell. They crashed on take off and were both injured due to the aileron cables being crossed during the aircraft’s overhaul.
Sometime after recovering from that incident and continuing to fly his own Beaver, Harley was promoted to fly a Fieldair DC-3 topdresser.
Harley lost his medical for three years as a result of the accident earlier causing issues, but he eventually regained his licence. By now there was a downturn in the industry in New Zealand, and so he took the opportunity to travel to Libya for a job training pilots how to spray crops.
On return to New Zealand he worked for Fieldair at Dargaville for a couple of years, and then a big downturned saw Harley decide to return to Africa, this time spraying wheat crops in the Sudan. He did two seasons there, and whilst there the famous BBC television documentary ‘Into Africa’ was filmed, following the exploits of the Kiwi and British pilots who flew the Cessna Husky ag planes there.
The next job was flying two seasons topdressing in Australia, based at Crookwell, NSW. Whilst there Harley trained up to fly as an aerial firefighter, in a PZL-Mielec Dromader, but never ended up fightig any real fires.
Harley and his wife Juliette then purchased a motel, and they ran that for around five years. He continued to fly on call flying a Fletcher for Johnson Air Services. This was his last flying job. After selling the motel he worked for a surveyor for 10 years.
Harley finishes the interview with a story of a fire onboard his DC-3 topdresser in the air!
Above: Harley Cadwallader in November 2020, during the interview. (Photo Dave Homewood)
Above: Harley in a Fieldair Beaver (Photo via Ryan Cadwallader)
Above: Harley with a Beaver (Photo via Ryan Cadwallader)
Above and below: Harley in the Fieldair DC-3 (Photos via Ryan Cadwallader)
Above and below: Harley with his Fieldair DC-3, ZK-APK, which is now beside State Highway One at Maungaweka (Photos via Ryan Cadwallader)
Above: Harley with a Husky in Africa (Photo via Ryan Cadwallader)
Above and below: Harley ‘water skiing’ in a Cessna Hu...Tue, 08 Dec 2020 - 1h 05min - 507 - WONZ 229 – Karl Kjarsgaard
Guest: Karl Kjarsgaard
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 13th of September 2020
Released: October 2020
Duration: 1 hour 18 minutes 23 seconds
In a slightly different topic from the usual WONZ Show in this episode Dave Homewood talks with Karl Kjarsgaard of Canada about his efforts to ensure the Handley Page Halifax bomber is not forgotten by Canadians, and the world.
Karl is a former airline pilot who realised in the 1990’s that whilst many of the aviation museums in Canada have Avro Lancaster bombers in their collection to represent his nation’s huge part on RAF Bomber Command, in fact the aircraft that most Canadian bomber crews flew was the Handley Page Halifax.
The Royal Canadian Air Force operated 15 squadrons of Halifax in their own No. 6 Group of Bomber Command, and Canadians also served in the type with other squadrons. There were also over 40 RAF, 3 RAAF, 2 French and 2 Polish squadrons operating the type across Bomber Command, Coastal Command, and Transport Command, plus some Special Duties units.
With only one unrestored Halifax at RAF Hendon, which was recovered from a fjord, and a ‘bitsa’ restoration at the Yorkshire Air Museum, Karl decided to find one for Canada. He located and, with a team, recovered Halifax Mk. VII NA337 from Lake Mjosa in Norway. That aircraft was restored back to pristine condition and is now on static display in the National Air Force Museum of Canada, at Trenton, Ontario.
Next Karl set about recovering a second Halifax, LW682, from a swamp where it had crashed in Belgium, to recover the bodies of the crew.
And now his current project is to recover Halifax HR871 from the Baltic Sea off the coast of Sweden. The plan is for this aircraft to end up fully restored to taxiing (though not flying) condition at the Bomber Command Museum of Canada, at Nanton, Alberta. Work is already well underway on a centre section and a collection of Bristol Hercules engines for this aeroplane.
Quick Links:
• Halifax 57 Rescue
• Rebuildshop on Facebook
• The Bomber Command Museum of Canada (Nanton)
• The Bomber Command Museum of Canada Curated Public Group on Facebook
• The National Air Force Museum of Canada (Trenton)
• The Story of Halifax NA337
• The Handley Page Halifax on Wikipedia
Fully restored Halifax NA337 in the National Air Force Museum at Canada with a line up of Halifax veterans (Photo via Karl Kjasgaard)
Karl on top of NA337 during its recovery (Photo via Karl Kjasgaard)
A colourised photo of a wartime Halifax with all its aircrew, ground crew, bombs and support equipment (Photo via Karl Kjasgaard)Tue, 29 Sep 2020 - 1h 18min - 506 - WONZ 228 – Alistair Marshall and Rod Dahlberg
Guests: Alistair Marshall, and Rodney Dahlberg
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: Al recorded 10th of September 2020, Rod recorded 13th of August 2018
Released: 24th of September 2020
Duration: 1 hour 39 minutes 15 seconds
In this “MOSQUITO SPECIAL” episode Dave Homewood talks again with Al Marshall, the team leader of the exciting current move of the world famous Mapua de Havilland Mosquito NZ2336. The aircraft was saved and stored for six decades by John Smith. Following John’s death in August 2019, his family have decided the Mosquito should go on public display in the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, Blenheim. Al has been put in charge of the team of volunteers who will be moving the precious Mosquito from Mapua, west of Nelson, the 180 km trek east to Omaka Aerodrome in coming weeks. He is also running the programme to clean up and repaint the aircraft to prepare it for public display. He talks about the project and also about their Omaka Warbird Rescue Givealittle fundraiser to help make this happen, and the new Facebook group where you can follow the events. Links to both are below on this page. This has different content from the last episode, though a little of the information is repeated.
Following the brief chat with Al, Dave then presents an interview with former RNZAF pilot Rod Dahlberg. Rod joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in January 1949, and learned to fly Tiger Moths and then Harvards at No. 1 Flying Training School at RNZAF Station Wigram. During this period he experienced his first crash during night flying in Harvard NZ1064, writing it off on the 12th of September 1949.
He was then posted to No. 14 Squadron at Ohakea for multi-engine conversion in Airspeed Oxfords, and then returned to Wigram for the final phase of his training at the Instrument Weather School, flying Oxfords and Harvards.
On the 26th of July 1950 Rod was posted to No. 75 Squadron at Ohakea. An operational squadron, they were flying the de Havilland Mosquito fighter-bomber. During his almost two years on the squadron Rod had a couple more very dangerous incidents, including putting Mosquito NZ2329 on it’s belly, losing a gear door, and somehow recovering from a deadly spin from the top of a loop.
On the 1st of April 1952 Rod moved to No. 14 Squadron, who were now flying de Havilland Vampires. He served with the squadron at Ohakea and on deployment to Cyprus for a Middle East peacekeeping in the canal zone. In Cyprus he also converted to and flew the squadron’s Gloster Meteors, and spent a good amount of time flying to and from Egypt.
Returning to New Zealand in April 1953, Rod decided to leave the RNZAF and by September that year he was flying Tiger Moths with Airspread Ltd. or Tauranga. He continued to fly as a topdressing pilots for several decades till his bad back forced him to give up flying. Rod also co-owned an ex-RNZAF Harvard for many years, NZ1096.
Above: Rod Dahlberg on the day of this recording in front of his painting of him and good friend Dave Cohu in their Mosquitoes. (Dave Homewood photo)
The result of Rod’s first accident, Harvard NZ1064 which he hit trees in during night flying. Rod Dahlberg Collection
Rod in a No. 75 Squadron Mosquito taken from F/Lt Annand’s aircraft.Rod Dahlberg Collection
Rod’s Mosquito after the wheels collapsed. Rod Dahlberg Collection
Please note: Currently this site is experiencing issues with the photo layout. I am hoping this can be rectified soon, and when it is,Thu, 24 Sep 2020 - 1h 39min - 505 - WONZ 227 – Alistair Marshall and Tony Williams
Guests: Alistair Marshall, and Sidney Arthur “Tony” Williams
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: Al recorded 10th of September 2020, Tony recorded 8th of August 2018
Released: 11th of September 2020
Duration: 1 hour 4 minutes 29 seconds
In this “MOSQUITO SPECIAL” episode Dave Homewood talks first with Al Marshall, the team leader of the exciting current move of the world famous Mapua de Havilland Mosquito NZ2336. The aircraft was saved and stored for six decades by John Smith. Following John’s death in August 2019, his family have decided the Mosquito should go on public display in the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, Blenheim. Al has been put in charge of the team of volunteers who will be moving the precious Mosquito from Mapua, west of Nelson, the 180 km trek east to Omaka Aerodrome in coming weeks. He is also running the programme to clean up and repaint the aircraft to prepare it for public display. He talks about the project and also about their Omaka Warbird Rescue Givealittle fundraiser to help make this happen, and the new Facebook group where you can follow the events. Links to both are below on this page.
Following the brief chat with Al (which will continue in the next episode) Dave then presents an interview with Tony Williams, who joined the RNZAF in 1945. He flew ten hours in Tiger Moths before the war ended and he was demobbed. However he rejoined the Air Force in 1948 as a Navigator trainee. He completed training as a Navigator-Wireless Operator in Avro Ansons at the Air Navigation School at Wigram. He was then posted to No. 14 Squadron at Ohakea to continue operational training in the Airspeed Oxfords.
In February 1950 Tony was posted to No. 75 Squadron where he would become a Navigator-Wireless Operator on the de Havilland Mosquito fighter-bombers.
Tony remained with the squadron through till February 1952, when he then underwent an instructor’s course at the Air Navigation School at Wigram. He began instructing at that school in May 1952, but in July 1952 he joined the Devon Ferry Unit, who went to Britain to ferry one of the new de Havilland Devons to New Zealand for the RNZAF. He and F/O Innes ferried Devon NZ1806 From Hatfield in England to New Zealand. This took up July through to September 1952.
More instructing at the ANS followed and then Tony returned to England for his second Devon Ferry, this time he and F/Lt Jeffs ferried NZ1813 to New Zealand. That took in January to April 1953.
Following a brief return to ANS, Tony then got his original wish to return to training as a pilot. He was posted to the Grading School at RNZAF Station Taieri to fly Tiger Moths, and then the Flying Training School at Wigram on Harvards. On completing his flying training Tony was selected to become a flying instructor so did a Central Flying School instructing course, and then from July 1954 he was instructing at the Flying Training School.
In April 1955 he was posted back to the Central Flying School, now as an instructor, to train pilots how to instruct others. During his time there he was sent to Australia to undergo a course at the RAAF’s School of Air/Land Warfare.
In May 1957 Tony was posted to the Fighter Operational Conversion Unit at Ohakea to undergo a course on flying the Vampire fighter jet. And the following month he joined No. 75 Squadron on the same station, now flying Vampires operationally. He became a part time member of the FOCU staff too, training other pilots in between his regular squadron duties.
In January 1958 Tony became one of the first two RNZAF pilots selected to fly the En...Fri, 11 Sep 2020 - 1h 20min - 504 - WONZ 226 – Cliff Taylor
Guest: NZ44090 Aircraftman Clifford Noel Taylor, Aircrafthand (Tech)
Host: Dave Homewood, with Gary McGuire
Recorded: 19th of November 2019
Released: 27th of August 2020
Duration: 1 hour 4 minutes 29 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood and Gary McGuire have a chat with WWII veteran Cliff Taylor of Pukekohe. Cliff was born in Palmerston North, and grew up in Wellington. He studied aeronautical engineering, and he got a job with de Havilland New Zealand Ltd shortly after they opened at Rongotai. He is quite likely the last living member of their wartime staff at the time of this podcast’s release.
Cliff joined the Army and served for a while, but with the influence of his uncle Lew Taylor, who was a pre-war RNZAF pilot with some standing in the service, he managed to switch to the RNZAF. Eventually he got overseas and served in the Pacific on Green Island with a Ventura Servicing Unit.
Cliff was a prolific athlete, representing New Zealand at the 1950 Empire Games were he won Bronze in the men’s six miles event; and also competed in the three miles event. He also boxed, and e raced cars well into later life. In fact he’d just finished a gym session before this interview, aged 96!
This episode is a little different and less formal than the usual WONZ Show. It was recorded up on Pukekohe Hill Reserve, overlooking Pukekohe township – during a picnic lunch. There’s a bit of background noise from birds, the breeze, and race cars on the Pukekohe track. So please forgive the slightly different take on this show.
Cliff Taylor during the interview recording. Photo Gary McGuire.
Thu, 27 Aug 2020 - 1h 04min - 503 - WONZ 225 – Lou Larsen – Rukuhia Graveyard
Guest: Lou Larsen
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 17th of December 2019
Released: 18th of July 2020
Duration: 1 hour 9 minutes 43 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood sits down with Lou Larsen, the adopted son of the late Rukuhia scrap dealer Jim Larsen. The Larsen family owned the aluminium smelting business situated on the edge of former RNZAF Station Rukuhia, now Hamilton Airport, in the Waikato. Jim Larsen bought up over 500 surplus RNZAF aeroplanes – P-40 Warhawks and Kittyhawks, Corsairs, Hudsons, Venturas, Avengers, Catalinas, etc., and they were cut up and smelted to make aluminium ingots.
Lou was a child there when this began and over the twenty year period of the operation he grew up literally amongst the old aeroplanes, and got involved in the smelting process himself.
The following photos were taken by Dave Jenkinson, and were kindly supplied by Warwick Jones of the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Hamilton Branch. They depict scenes at the Larsen aircraft graveyard.
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudSat, 18 Jul 2020 - 1h 09min - 502 - WONZ 224 – Laurie Hamlet
Guest: WWII veteran Cpl John Lawrence Ernest Hamlet (known as Laurie), NZ416754, RNZAF Instrument Repairer
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 30th of November 2019
Released: 5th of July 2020
Duration: 1 hour 28 minutes 24 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood chats with Laurie Hamlet, who was born and grew up in Auckland. Before the war he was apprenticed to an auto-electrician firm. In December 1941 he joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and was to train at RNZAF Station Harewood in Christchurch for his recruit training course, and then was posted to RNZAF Station Hobsonville, in Auckland, to undergo training as an Instrument Repairer.
Following completion of his instruments course at Hobsonville he stayed on at that station at the Aircraft Assembly Unit, and worked on assembling aircraft that were arriving from overseas by ship in the Port of Auckland for service with the RNZAF. These included the last Hawker Hind to arrive in New Zealand, and he also worked on assembling Lockheed Hudsons and Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawks.
He was then posted back to Harewood where he continued to assemble Curtiss P-40’s which were now also arriving from the US factories via the Port of Lyttleton.
Laurie’s next posting was to RNZAF Station Whenuapai in late 1942 to join No. 15 (Fighter) Squadron who were at that time preparing to depart for Tonga. They were the first RNZAF fighter squadron to deploy to the South-West Pacific.
The squadron went up by ship and they took over an ex-USAAF squadron of P-40E’s, which had not been looked after very well. The Kiwis grounded the aircraft and gave them a good going over to get them up to RNZAF standards. The squadron then began training with the aircraft, and preparing to move over to Espiritu Santo.
Laurie served with No. 15 (F) Squadron in Fiji, Santo and at Kukum Field at Guadalcanal. He was then returned to New Zealand and was posted to the Maintenance Wing of No. 2 Service Flying Training School, at RNZAF Station Woodbourne.
He then spent short stints in the Instrument Sections at RNZAF Station Ohakea, and No. 1 Repair Depot at RNZAF Station Hamilton.
Then another Pacific posting came, and Laurie joined No. 5 (Flying Boat) Squadron at Luganville on the Segond Channel at Espiritu Santo. However he was placed into the squadron detachment at Funafuti in the Ellice Islands (now Tuvalu). He was working on Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina flying boats in this squadron.
Laurie’s last posting was to RNZAF Station Ardmore, and was working on Chance Vought F4U Corsairs there till the end of the war and into 1946 before being demobbed.
He then returned to his auto-electrician trade. Then in 1967 he joined Air New Zealand. He worked on the Lockheed Electra, the Douglas DC-8’s, the McDonnell Douglas DC-10’s, the Boeing 747’s and the 767’s. He retired in 1989.
The following photos are from Laurie Hamlet’s personal collection:
A No. 15 (Fighter) Squadron P-40 somewhere in the Pacific
Laurie Hamlet in 1942
Laurie’s course mates at Harewood during his Initial Training Wing induction
Names on the back of the above Harewood course photo
No. 15 (Fighter) Squadron P-40E’s and Harvards at Whenuapai
One of the P-40’s that No. 15 Squadron took over in Tonga – see here dug in purposely in preparation for an impending cyclone
1943.Sun, 05 Jul 2020 - 1h 28min - 501 - WONZ 223 – Typhoon Legacy 2020
Guests: Ian Slater, Cameron Wallace, Graham Allan and Martin Oldfield
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 7th of June 2020 (6th of June 2020 in Canada)
Released: 7th of June 2020
Duration: 1 hour 6 minutes 26 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood catches up with Ian Slater of Typhoon Legacy Co. Ltd in Canada and gets an update on the truly exciting restoration of the Hawker Typhoon JP843. Joining Ian in this episode are team members Cam Wallace (Aircraft Maintenance Engineer ), Graham Allan (Aircraft Maintenance Engineer and research guru) and Martin Oldfield (Design Engineer).
We hear about the progress that has happened since the last time the Typhoon project featured on the WONZ Show, and the current status and happenings.
Quick Links:
• The Typhoon Legacy Co. Ltd Website
• The Typhoon Legacy Facebook Page
• The previous WONZ Show – Episode 108: Typhoon Legacy
Hawker Typhoon JP843
Ian Slater – Project Lead
Left to Right: Graham Allan, Martin Oldfield and Cam Wallace
The fuselage fixture (Image Ian Slater)
Fin rib production and tooling (Image Ian Slater)
Monocoque frame sets (airworthy for JP843 and static for the Jet Age Museum in the UK). (Image Ian Slater)
The Rolls Royce Merlin III, left, and the Napier Sabre(Image Ian Slater)
Above and below: The tailwheel assembly that Martin and Ian referred to in the discussion. Ian says, “The item we had problems with is the “T” extrusion shown in the second image, this little part saved the day, and we were able to match it to the profile from the Hawker standards.” (Images Ian Slater)
Above and below: The wing that the team found thanks to a Facebook post after its arrival at the workshop. (Images Ian Slater)
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudSun, 07 Jun 2020 - 1h 06min - 500 - WONZ 222 – The Forum 6 – Virtual Forum Meet 1
Guest Speakers: Mike Nicholls, James Kightly and Charles Davis
Host: Dave Homewood, with Technical Support from Phil Treweek
Recorded: 17th of May 2020
Released: 1st of June 2020
Duration: 1 hour 47 minutes 1 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood hosts the first ever WONZ Virtual Forum Meet, via Zoom, as a result of the Covid 19 lockdown. With everyone in isolation and major travel restrictions in place at the time of conception, the usual style of a WONZ Forum Meet was out of the question, but thanks to Zoom it can now happen online.
In this experimental Virtual Forum Meet there were three main speakers with different topics. They were:
Mike Nicholls (with John Saunders) on the John Smith Collection
James Kightly on the Archaeological Survey of a Brewster Buffalo crash site in Australia
Charles Davis on the history of the BAC167 Strikemaster, and on his own example
There’s also a video version which is probably better to view than listening to the podcast, click below.
The music at the end of the audio version is Wild Flower by Joakim Karud
Quick Links:
• The John Smith Collection Thread on WONZ
• Buffalo Stories from Vintage Aero Writer
• Strikemaster 72 on Facebook
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudMon, 01 Jun 2020 - 1h 47min - 499 - WONZ 221 – Eddie Leaf
Guest: Edward Leaf, Air Gunner
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 6th of December 2019
Released: 2nd of May 2020
Duration: 53 minutes 24 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood chats with WWII Air Gunner Eddie Leaf, who served with the Royal Air Force in Vickers Wellingtons, Short Stirlings, Handley Page Halifax and Avro Lancasters.
Eddie was born in the UK but grew up in the USA during the Depression years, and returned to Britain before joining the RAF. Postwar he moved to New Zealand.
His daughter Christine also sits in to help Eddie with his fading memories.
Eddie’s wartime bomber crew on No. 90 Squadron in the Summer of 1943: Left to right are Roy Mitchell (Mid-Upper Gunner), Harry Sherman (Wireless Operator), Eddie Leaf (Rear Gunner), Charles Corley DFC (Pilot), Bob Ludham (Flight Engineer), Arthur Beresford (Bomb Aimer) and Cyril Paul (Navigator). From Eddie Leaf’s Collection.
Eddie Leaf during his RAF days. From Eddie Leaf’s Collection.
A photo of the English-born members of the New Zealand Bomber Command Association who were treated to a trip back to the UK to tour museums and visit the Bomber Command Memorial. Here they were visiting the Avro Lancaster ‘Just Jane’ at East Kirkby. Left to right are Harold Panton, owner of ‘Just Jane’, Eddie Leaf, Des Hall, ?, Wally Halliwell, Harry Cammish and Doug Williamson. From Eddie Leaf’s Collection.
Eddie Leaf, standing left, with his daughter Christine, talks with Ron Mayhill (back to camera) and Jonathon Pote, with Keith Boles DFC in the foreground at an NZBCA veterans morning tea in December 2019.Photo Dave Homewood
Eddie greeting Keith, with Ron and Christine looking on. Photo Dave Homewood
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudSat, 02 May 2020 - 53min - 498 - WONZ 220 – Neville Worsley
Guest: Neville Worsley
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 9th of February 2020
Released: 17th of April 2020
Duration: 51 minutes 4 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood chats with longtime pilot Neville Worsley about his long career in flying as a commercial pilot in aerial topdressing and tourist flying, and his hobby as a recreational pilot and sport flyer.
Neville flew all sorts of topdressing aeroplanes including the early Fletcher, the Airtruk, the Beaver and the Douglas DC-3 all around New Zealand. In the tourism industry he flew out of Rotorua in the Tiger Moth and Pitts S2. He has also test flown a lot of aeroplanes among the 80 or so different types he has flown.
He and his sons fly an Acro Sport II ZK-CAW these days. Neville is a keen member of the Sport Aircraft Association of New Zealand, the Hawera Aero Club and the Tiger Moth Club of New Zealand.
This was one of those recordings where the opportunity arose and we grabbed it while we could. The venue was the Hawera Aero Club rooms, where unfortunately there was a little background noise from other club members and visiting pilots. But it was worth getting Neville’s story recorded regardless.
Here is a selection of photos from Neville’s career, thanks to Bernice Hintz and Les Worsley for kindly supplying them. All photos are copyright Neville Worsley.
Neville Worsley preflight checking the Acro Sport II ZK-CAW
Neville with de Havilland DH82a Tiger Moth ZK-BCI
Neville in Piper PA-18A Super Cub ZK-BOX at Stratford in 1962
Neville climbing into an Air Contracts DHC-2 Beaver
Fieldair Beaver ZK-CZO in the snow
Neville with DC-3 topdresser ZK-AWO at Woodbourne
Neville with DC-3 topdresser ZK-APB
Checking the oil on a DC-3
Neville dropping a load of superphosphate from ZK-AWO near Napier
A Fieldair DC-3 dropping its load on a hilltop
Neville in de Havilland DH89B Dominie ZK-AKY
Neville, left, when flying tourists from Rotorua to White Island
Neville with the Acro Sport II biplane ZK-CAW at Dannevirke
Neville with Vans RV-4 ZK-RVG
Neville with his sons and ZK-CAW at Taumaranui
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudFri, 17 Apr 2020 - 51min - 497 - WONZ 219 – Te Kowhai Xmas Party
Speakers: Dave Starr, Gavin McIvor and Des Gyde
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 8th of December 2019
Released: 3rd of April 2020
Duration: 1 hour 34 minutes 19 seconds
This episode features presentations made in front of a live audience at the 2019 Wings Over New Zealand Christmas Party, held at Te Kowhai Aerodrome, Hamilton.
The speakers are:
* Dave Starr talking about topdressing Douglas DC-3’s, with a focus on the Te Kowhai resident DC-3 ZK-AZL. * Gavin McIvor, a member of the team who are striving to preserve the very historic ZK-AZL* Des Gyde, talking about his 50 years in aviation, including private flying, and his years in the Royal New Zealand Air Force as a Safety And Surface technician, then a Helicopter Crewman, and next an Air Ordnance technician, and more.
Anyone wishing to help with the restoration of Douglas DC-3 ZK-AZL should contact Gavin McIvor at ztcaldina53@gmail.com
Quick Links:
• Te Kowhai Airfield
• Te Kowhai Aerodrome on Facebook
Photos below all courtesy of Phil Treweek
Douglas DC-3 ZK-AZL
Dave Starr
Gavin McIvor
Des Gyde
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudThu, 02 Apr 2020 - 1h 34min - 496 - WONZ 218 – Lucy Newell – Canadian Bush Flying
Guest: Lucy Newell
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 18th of February 2020
Released: 29th of March 2020
Duration: 51 minutes 44 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood chats with Lucy Newell, a young Kiwi commercial pilot who is currently bush flying in Ontario, Canada. She is piloting Cessna Caravans off gravel strips and floatplane DHC-2 Beavers off lakes.
Lucy began flying seven years ago and on gaining her commercial licence in Christchurch, she became an instructor at Wanaka for several years. There she loved the mountain flying and the challenging winds. She also was introduced to flying vintage aeroplanes there and she regularly flies Tiger Moths when the opportunity arises.
In 2019 Lucy began working as a commercial pilot in Canada for Wilderness North Air, which has broadened her experiences as a commercial pilot with lot of interesting flying and adventures.
Lucy is a member of the Tiger Moth Club of New Zealand and also a volunteer with The Vintage Aviator Collection.
Sadly since this episode was recorded last month, the Corona Virus crisis meant that Lucy will not get back to New Zealand in April, and the Wanaka airshow she planned to fly in has been cancelled. Lucy is still in Canada and continuing to fly the Caravan at the time this episode is released, and still plans to return to flying the floatplane Beaver in May 2020.
Quick Links:
• Wilderness North
Above: Lucy Newell next to the beloved DHC-2 Beaver that she flies in the Canadian summer. (Photo Lucy Newell)
Above: An example of the cargo being loaded into the Beaver by Lucy on one of the wilderness cabin trips. (Photo Lucy Newell)
Above: The Beaver with a kayak roped to the float struts. (Photo Lucy Newell)
Above: Beavers at the dock. (Photo Lucy Newell)
Above: One of the fishing cabins in the wilderness. (Photo Lucy Newell)
Above: The Cessna Caravan that Lucy is flying though the winter. (Photo Lucy Newell)
Above: The Caravan. (Photo Lucy Newell)
Below: The DHC-3 Otter, a turbine engined version, which also flies with the company. Lucy hopes to gain a rating on it soon. (All photos Lucy Newell)
Lastly, the wonders of Ontario, Canada. Sunset on the lakeside. (Photo Lucy Newell)
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudSat, 28 Mar 2020 - 51min - 495 - WONZ 217 – Ian Sexton – WWII Radar
Guest: Ian Munro Sexton, WWII RNZAF Radar Mechanic, then Pilot (Ham Radio Call Sign ZL1PZ)
Host: Dave Homewood
Also Sitting In: Bevan Dewes and Paul Radley
Recorded: 16th of March 2020
Released: 27th of March 2020
Duration: 1 hour 3 minutes 40 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood sits down 99 year old veteran Ian Sexton, who served as a Radar Mechanic with the RNZAF during WWII, and later in the war he remustered to train a a pilot.
Joining the RNZAF in 1941 and training to be a Wireless Mechanic, on completion of his training in that field he was offered the opportunity to move into a top secret field, which when he accepted the offer turned out to be Radar. He trained as a Radar Mechanic and was posted first to the top secret Radar site at Piha, and after a time there he moved on to another new site at Maunganui Head. They were keeping watch over the Tasman Sea approaches
Then Ian was selected to be part of a new team who were to be the first ground directed interception Radar unit at Guadalcanal, arriving there in February 1943. This unit was plotting the incoming Japanese night bombers and giving commands via a US ground base to the US night fighter pilots to aid their interception of the bombers. Their work greatly reduced the affect of Japanese bombing at Henderson Field.
Next Ian was sent back to New Zealand to prepare a new Radar team who were to head up to New Georgia, but during this he became ill from the anti-malarial medicine they were given so he did not return to the Pacific.
Instead In remustered to aircrew, and began training as a pilot. He gained his pilot’s brevet and completed his Service Flying Training School course on Harvards, but with the war almost over the RNZAF called a halt to training and he sat out the last month of the war waiting to be released.
Ian remembers lots of incidents, both with radar and other happenings he witnessed, such as the B-17 crash on take off from Whenuapai, and the Hudson hitting the hangar also at Whenuapai.
Postwar Ian picked up flying again from Pukekohe East for many years. He is also still a keen ham radio operator, and he compiled two volumes of memories sent in by around 50 ex-Radar operators and mechanics, members of the Radar Reunion Society. The books and called Radar Stories from the R.N.Z.A.F., 1939-1945 Vol. 1 and 2.
Above: Ian Sexton in March 2020 (Photo Dave Homewood)
Ian in a de Havilland DH82a Tiger Moth during his flying training (Photo Ian Sexton Collection)
Above: Ian in a North American Harvard during his flying training. (Photo Ian Sexton Collection)
Here is an excellent short film on the Piha Radar Station made by Auckland City Council
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudThu, 26 Mar 2020 - 1h 03min - 494 - WONZ 216 – The Forum 5
Guests: Aaron Pearce, Aaron Patchett, and Fletcher McKenzie
Host: Dave Homewood
Insert: Grant McHerron and Doug Hamilton
Recorded: 5th of February 2020
Released: 6th of February 2020
Duration: 1 hour 43 minutes 40 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood is joined by Aaron Pearce, Aaron Patchett, and Fletcher McKenzie in this semi-regular The Forum episode.
Aaron Pearce is the Chief Flying Instructor and Manager at South Canterbury Aero Club, Timaru. He has a passion for instructing new pilots, and for aviation in general. He also runs the very popular Kiwi Pilots page on Facebook. He was recently awarded the Grand Master’s Medal by the Honourable Company of Air Pilots in London.
Above: Aaron Pearce
Aaron Patchett is a pilot based at Omaka, where he enjoys flying some of the classic aeroplanes such as the Boeing-Stearman Kaydet, the Yak 52, the Pitts Special and the de Havilland DH83 Fox Moth. Aaron also works for Classic Aero Machining Services, building all sorts of parts for aeroplanes, all the way up to complete Gnome rotary engines.
Above: Aaron Patchett
Above: Aaron Patchett in the Pitts Special, the memorable flight that he talks about (Photo Tracy Dixon)
Fletcher McKenzie is a former advertising guru who set up Leading Edge Media making aviation themed films and DVD’s. He produced FlightpathTV which has been viewed in over 60 countries around the world. He has written a series of books called Lessons From The Sky, and he enjoys flying as a private pilot. Fletcher also has an aircraft parts business and is a board member of the New Zealand Aeronautical Trust.
Above: Fletcher McKenzie
Quick Links:
• South Canterbury Aero Club
• South Canterbury Aero Club on Facebook
• Kiwi Pilots
• The Honourable Company of Air Pilots Incorporating Air Navigators
• Classic Aero Machining Services
• PMH Aviation on Facebook
• FlightPathTV
Wed, 05 Feb 2020 - 1h 43min - 493 - WONZ 215 – Charles Darby
Guest: Charles Darby
Hosts: Dave Homewood, Bevan Dewes
Recorded: 19th of August 2019
Released: 31st of January 2020
Duration: 1 hour 3 minutes 47 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood and Bevan Dewes sat down with the legendary Charles Darby at his home in Auckland. Charles has always had a passion for historical aviation since he was a child and used to spend a lot of time as a kid at the graveyard of WWII aeroplanes at Rukuhia in Hamilton. He would eventually be involved in the recovery of P-40E NZ3009 from there, an aircraft that went on to spend time in MOTAT before being restored to flight and becoming a regular on the British and then the New Zealand airshow scenes.
Charles was invited by American tycoon David Tallichet to lead expeditions into the Pacific islands to locate and rescue WWII aircraft from there. He and Monty Armstrong recovered around 25 aeroplanes, including Bell Airacobras, Curtiss P-40’s, Bristol/DAP Beauforts, CAC Boomerangs and Supermarine Spitfires.
Also discussed is Pacific Aircraft Restorations Ltd, a company that Charles set up with the late Jim Pavitt to restore P-40’s. That company later became Pioneer Aero Ltd which is still restoring warbirds at Ardmore Airport, Auckland.
Charles also talks about his late friend John Smith, of Mapua, who collected several old aeroplanes and saved them from being scrapped.
And of course Charles has written three books. RNZAF The First Decade is a classic, as is Pacific Aircraft Wrecks. And more recently he has written Australia’s Liberators.
Above: A photo of P-40’s at the Rukuhia aircraft graveyard in the 1950’s or early 1960’s (Photo Dudley Payne, via the late John Scullin)
Above: P-40E NZ3009 (ZK-RMH) which was rescued from Rukuhia, seen here at Classic Fighters 2017, with Stu Goldspink as the pilot (Dave Homewood photo)
Above: ZK-CAG, the P-40N A29-448/A29-1050 recovered from Tadji, Papua New Guinea, in 1974
Above: A recent photo from December 2019 of Charles Darby, left, and Peter Wheeler, right, at MOTAT. Charles and Peter were both part of the AHSNZ Auckland Branch that recovered Kittyhawk NZ3009 from Rukuhia, and they were catching up here for the first time since those days. Photo Dave Homewood
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudThu, 30 Jan 2020 - 1h 03min - 492 - WONZ 214 – Malcolm Flack
Guest: F/Lt Malcolm Flack RAF, RNZAF (retired)
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 1st of December 2019
Released: 19th of January 2020
Duration: 47 minutes 20 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood climbed into the cockpit of the Handley Page Hastings in the workshop of MOTAT – the Museum of Transport and Technology – in Auckland with 97-year-old Malcolm Flack, to record his memories of flying in WWII and postwar with the RAF and then the RNZAF.
Born just south of London, Malcolm joined the Royal Air Force in 1942, and was selected to go to the USA and trained in the U.S. Navy system flying Stearman and SNJ’s, and he progressed onto flying PBY Catalina to complete his flying training.
He then returned to Britain and converted to Oxfords, before going onto Wellingtons to complete his Operational Training Unit course. He was then posted to a Short Stirling squadron who were tasked with lowing Horsa gliders. The war ended before Malcolm was able to fly operationally with gliders, but he stayed on in the RAF.
Soon after the end of the war he was posted to an Avro York squadron, with RAF Transport Command. When the Berlin Airlift began Malcolm flew as Second Pilot in Yorks operating into Berlin for a number of trips. After a break from flying working in a ground role, he did a captaincy course, and then returned to the Yorks now as a captain. He flew another 100 operations into Berlin during the Airlift as captain.
When the Airlift finished Malcolm converted to the Handley Page Hastings, and continued to fly with Transport Command around the world as far as Singapore and Japan and back to Britain.
Following an accident in the Canal Zone in a Hastings, Malcolm sought a change and became a instructor. He was training pilots on Harvards and Oxfords, and then on two-seat Meteor jets.
When his time in the RAF came to an end in 1955 Malcolm decided to enlist with the RNZAF and he flew a further four years as a Hastings pilot, before retiring to become a school teacher.
Special thanks to Charles Darby who set up this interview, and Steve Subritzky of MOTAT who allowed us to access the Hastings cockpit, allowing a unique place for Malcolm to reminisce about his Air Force days.
Above: Malcolm Flack, 97, back in the cockpit of a Handley Page Hastings that he flew during the 1950’s. (Photo Dave Homewood)
Above: Malcolm after the interview, standing under the DC-3, with the Hastings cockpit where the interview took place in the background. (Photo Dave Homewood)
Quick Links:
• The Museum of Transport and Technology
• MOTAT on Facebook
• The Handley Page Hastings
• The Avro York
•Sun, 19 Jan 2020 - 47min - 491 - WONZ 213 – Nathan Bosher
Main Speaker: Nathan “Barf” Bosher
Other Speaker: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 1st of September 2019
Released: 12th of January 2020
Duration: 46 minutes 05 seconds
In this final talk given at the 2019 Wings Over New Zealand Forum Meet at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Wigram, Christchurch, the museum’s resident Safety And Surface Technician Nathan “Barf” Bosher talks about applying paint to the collection’s aeroplanes. Barf’s fascinating talk goes into the whys and wherefores, the methodology, the chemical principles, and the decision making and planning involved in a historical Air Force paint scheme, whether it’s for a static museum aircraft or a flying warbird.
Above: Nathan ‘Barf’ Bosher during his talk on painting historic aeroplanes. (Photo Phil Treweek)
Photo by Dave Homewood
Photo by Phil Treweek
Below are Barf’s slides from his PowerPoint presentation:
Quick Links:
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Website
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Facebook Page
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudSun, 12 Jan 2020 - 46min - 490 - WONZ 212 – Barry Lennox
Main Speaker: Barry Lennox
Other Speaker: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 1st of September 2019
Released: 4th of January 2020
Duration: 1 hour 1 minute 14 seconds
In this talk given at the 2019 Wings Over New Zealand Forum Meet at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Wigram, Christchurch, Barry Lennox gives a fascinating and very technical history of the design and science behind the atomic bombs used at the end of WWII, their deployment and their effect.
Barry Lennox beginning his talk (Photo Dave Homewood)
Barry Lennox during his presentation (Photo Phil Treweek)
Barry Lennox during his presentation (Photo Phil Treweek)
Below are Barry’s PowerPoint slides:
Quick Links:
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Website
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Facebook Page
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudFri, 03 Jan 2020 - 1h 01min - 489 - WONZ 211 – Paul Harrison
Main Speaker: Squadron Leader Paul Harrison (RNZAF, rtd)
Other Speaker: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 1st of September 2019
Released: 1st of January 2020
Duration: 56 minutes 13 seconds
In this talk given at the 2019 Wings Over New Zealand Forum Meet at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Wigram, Christchurch, S/Ldr Paul Harrison talks about his long and interesting career in Communications of varying types with the RNZAF, in Signals and in Public Relations.
Paul is also a journalist, historian and author. Since 2000 Paul has been a regular correspondent for NZ Aviation News. Since his first published book in 1995, he has co-authored four books with Brian Lockstone and now with the publishing of SEEK AND DESTROY in 2018 has a total of 13 published works.
Above and below: Paul Harrison giving his presentation on the day (both photos courtesy of Phil Treweek).
Quick Links:
• Seek And Destroy – The History of No. 3 Squadron RNZAF
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Website
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Facebook Page
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudWed, 01 Jan 2020 - 56min - 488 - WONZ 210 – Alex Liggett – Mosquito HR339
Main Speaker: Alexander Liggett
Other Speaker: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 1st of September 2019
Released: 5th of December 2019
Duration: 38 minutes 3 seconds
In this talk given by Alex Liggett, President of Ferrymead Aeronautical Society, at the recent Wings Over New Zealand Forum Meet at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Wigram, Christchurch, we hear about the de Havilland Mosquito FB.VI HR339.
Alex gives an overview of the history of the aircraft in wartime and postwar service, it’s period languishing on a Canterbury farm and the project’s recovery and ongoing restoration to static condition.
Quick Links:
• Ferrymead Aeronautical Society’s Website
• Ferrymead Aeronautical Society of Facebook
• Ferrymead News on the WONZ Forum
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Website
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Facebook Page
Above: Alex giving his presentation (Photo Phil Treweek)
Alex used a Powerpoint Presentation with his talk and he has kindly provided the slides for listeners to see here to help understand what he’s talking about.
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudThu, 05 Dec 2019 - 38min - 487 - WONZ 209 – Buck Harrison – Helicopter Crewman
Main Speaker: Warrant Officer Keith “Buck” Harrison, RNZAF Retired
Other Speaker: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 1st of September 2019
Released: 31st of October 2019
Duration: 51 minutes 51 seconds
This is the third episode from the recent Wings Over New Zealand Forum Meet at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Wigram, Christchurch. We hear a talk given by Buck Harrison who joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1973 as an aircraft technician, and he worked on Dakotas, Strikemasters, Skyhawks, Iroquois and Airtrainers. He then decided to retrain as a Helicopter Crewman, which was an elite aircrew role.
Buck talks about the intensive selection and training process that he went through to become a ‘Crewman’. He then details some of the more interesting missions he was involved with, from search and rescue to firefighting to Navy and Army liaison, and from police work to VIP flying in Antarctica to working with the Department of Conservation (D.O.C.).
Quick Links:
• The Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Website
• The RNZAF’s Facebook Page
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Website
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Facebook Page
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Twitter Feed
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Thread on the WONZ Forum
Buck used a Powerpoint Presentation with his talk and he has kindly provided the photos for listeners to see here to help understand what he’s talking about.
Warrant Officer Buck Harrison, Helicopter Crewman
Buck working on a Strikemaster.
Buck, left, working on a Skyhawk.
Winching practice on the back of an Interisland ferry.
The Iroquois winch.
Low, hard and fast!
Stretchers rigged three high in the helicopter, and troops unload or load equipment during manoeuvres with the New Zealand Army.
A remote landing area during a search and rescue effort.
Working with the Department of Conservation (D.O.C.).
Carrying timber for a D.O.C. hut.
Transporting a section of a prefabricated D.O.C. hut
Working with the monsoon bucket and firefighters.
Thu, 31 Oct 2019 - 51min - 486 - WONZ 208 – The Tiger Moth Club of New Zealand 50th Anniversary Fly-In
Guests: Loretta McGarry, Bob McGarry, Amanda Rutland, Jim Lawson and Keith Skilling
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 19th of October 2019
Released: 25th of October 2019
Duration: 56 minutes 43 seconds
On the weekend of the 18th to the 20th of October 2019 the Tiger Moth Club of New Zealand held a special commemorative Fly-In at Taumarunui Aerodrome, in the heart of the King Country. This event marked 50 Years since the club formed with its first Fly-In at the same airfield back in 1969.
Dave Homewood was there and he took the opportunity to interview members of the club, to talk about the past, and the present and future of the club, plus some other aviation topics.
We hear from Loretta McGarry who was one of the founders of the club, who talks about those early days, and also her background in aviation from catering at Whenuapai Airport to fabric work and engineering on topdressers and classics like Piper Cubs and Tiger Moths.
Next up we hear from Bob McGarry who is another of the Tiger Moth Club of New Zealand’s founders. Bob talks about his memories of those early days too, and also discusses his life in aviation and the Simmonds Spartan that he rebuilt.
Tiger Moth pilot Amanda Rutland talks about the upcoming Tiger Moth Safari that is being planned for February 29th till the 13th of March in 2020, all around New Zealand.
And past president and well known engineer Jim Lawson talks about his experiences with the Tiger Moth Club if New Zealand and his background and lifetime in aviation.
Finally, the President Keith Skilling talks about the club, and his experiences, plus a little about what he’s up to these days since he retired from Warbird display flying.
Quick Links:
• The Tiger Moth Club of New Zealand Website
• The Tiger Moth Club of New Zealand Facebook Page
• The Taumarunui Aero Club
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudFri, 25 Oct 2019 - 56min - 485 - WONZ 207 – Andy Love on Aerobatics
Main Speaker: Andrew Love
Other Speaker: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 1st of September 2019
Released: 11th of October 2019
Duration: 35 minutes 19 seconds
This is the second episode from the recent Wings Over New Zealand Forum Meet at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Wigram, Christchurch. We hear a talk given by Andy Love about aerobatics. Andy is a pilot and instructor with a passion for aerobatics, both flying them and the history of this medium of flying. He’s also an airshow display pilot, a warbird and classics pilot, a volunteer with The Vintage Aviator Collection, and a member of the team behind Warbirds Over Wanaka.Andy talks about the New Zealand Aerobatic Club and the various competitions that he is involved with organising and competing in. He also talks about the aerobatic competition scene around he world, and he gives a fascinating insight into the history of aerobatics and how various manoeuvres used in combat, competitions and airshow displays came about.
Above: Andy during the presentation
Quick Links:
• The New Zealand Aerobatic Club
• The South Island Akro Fest Facebook Page
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Website
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Facebook Page
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Twitter Feed
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Thread on the WONZ Forum
During the talk Andy also screened a short promo film for the New Zealand Aerobatic Club. You can view a version of that below:
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudFri, 25 Oct 2019 - 35min - 484 - WONZ 206 – Louisa Hormann on The Guinea Pig Club
Main Speaker: Louisa Hormann, Archives Technician at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand
Other Speakers: Dave Homewood and W/C Brett Marshall
Recorded: 1st of September 2019
Released: 25th of September 2019
Duration: 39 minutes 50 seconds
This is the first episode from the recent Wings Over New Zealand Forum Meet at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Wigram, Christchurch. We hear an introduction from Dave Homewood, and a welcome to the crowd from Wing Commander Brett Marshall. And then the first speaker of the day was Louisa Hormann who works as an Archives Technician at the Museum.
Louisa makes a fascinating presentation based on her research into The Guinea Pig Club, whose members were burn victims that were being treated using pioneering plastic surgery techniques at the RAF Hospital at East Grinstead. Louisa details the background of the surgical techniques and the club, and she talks about the New Zealand connections with all four of the main surgeons. She also gives some personal stories of New Zealanders who were members of the club. Also discussed is how the work of the surgeons and the members of the Club are remembered today in the museum context.
Above: Louisa Hormann during her talk (Photo Phil Treweek)
Above: Louisa Hormann during her talk (Photo Phil Treweek)
Above: Among the club’s many social exploits was the monthly publication of The Guinea Pig magazine. The illustration in the Guinea Pigs’ thought bubble would change every issue. From the collection of the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.
Air Ministry Pamphlet for the First Aid and Early Treatment of Burns in the Royal Air Force (1944 above; 1956 below, first and second editions). From the collection of the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.
Above: Diagram from May 1944 first edition of First Aid and Early Treatment of Burns in the Royal Air Force. From the collection of the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.
Above: The McIndoe Memorial Statue at East Grinstead was designed by renowned British sculptor Martin Jennings and unveiled in June 2014. © Copyright Peter Trimming and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
Above and below: Vernon Mitchell in the early stages of burns surgery and during reconstructive surgery, after an aircraft accident. From the collection of the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.
Above: Jack Williamson’s scrapbook contains photographs and notes about his treatment at Ely Hospital. From the collection of the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.
Quick Links:
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Website
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Facebook Page
• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Twitter Feed
•Wed, 25 Sep 2019 - 39min - 483 - WONZ 205 – The World of Jimmy Ward VC
Main Speaker: Des Underwood
Other Speakers: Jack Best (Introducing the event), Greg Brownless (Mayor of Tauranga)
Recorded: 6th of September 2019
Released: 15th of September 2019
Duration: 1 hour 25 minutes 52 seconds
In this episode we hear a recording from the Fourth Annual Jean Batten Lecture, presented by Des Underwood to the Bay of Plenty Branch of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Aeronautical Society. The venue was the Boeing Room of Classic Flyers NZ Museum.
The topic of this year’s lecture was ‘The World of Jimmy Ward VC’. Des gives a background to the man, New Zealand’s first Victoria Cross recipient in WWII, awarded for his daring act in climbing onto the wing of a Wellington bomber while in flight to douse the flames of an engine fire. He covers Jimmy’s background and life before and in the RNZAF, the wing fire, and his sad death. Also Des covers the RAF at the time,the bombing war, and much more.
Quick Links:
• Royal Aeronautical Society – Bay of Plenty Branch
• James Ward VC on Wikipedia
• Classic Flyers NZ Museum Website
• Classic Flyers NZ Museum on Facebook
Jimmy Ward VC with his Victoria Cross medal ribbon
Jimmy Ward in the cockpit of a Wellington bomber of No. 75 (NZ) Squadron RAF
The foot holes made in the wing and fuselage by Jimmy when he ventured out to couragiously fight the fire in the starboard engine, whilst also fighting the freezing cold airflow over the wing
Above: Des Underwood delivering his lecture on The World of Jimmy Ward VC
Video VersionPart One
Part Two
Part Three
Here are the videos that Des tried to screen and sadly had technical difficulties with:
NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim KarudSun, 15 Sep 2019 - 1h 25min
Afficher plus d'épisodes
5Podcasts similaires à The Wings Over New Zealand Show
Conversations ABC listen- Global News Podcast BBC World Service
- El Partidazo de COPE COPE
- Herrera en COPE COPE
- The Dan Bongino Show Cumulus Podcast Network | Dan Bongino
- Es la Mañana de Federico esRadio
- La Noche de Dieter esRadio
- Hondelatte Raconte - Christophe Hondelatte Europe 1
- Dateline NBC NBC News
- 財經一路發 News98
- La rosa de los vientos OndaCero
- Más de uno OndaCero
- La Zanzara Radio 24
- L'Heure Du Crime RTL
- El Larguero SER Podcast
- Nadie Sabe Nada SER Podcast
- SER Historia SER Podcast
- Todo Concostrina SER Podcast
- 安住紳一郎の日曜天国 TBS RADIO
- アンガールズのジャンピン[オールナイトニッポンPODCAST] ニッポン放送
- 辛坊治郎 ズーム そこまで言うか！ ニッポン放送
- 飯田浩司のOK! Cozy up！ Podcast ニッポン放送
- 吳淡如人生實用商學院 吳淡如
- 武田鉄矢・今朝の三枚おろし 文化放送PodcastQR
![アンガールズのジャンピン[オールナイトニッポンPODCAST]](https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts126/v4/a3/d0/03/a3d0036b-fb99-56ad-928e-2fdabbea43b6/mza_8898289893618631728.jpg/300x300bb.jpg)
Autres podcasts de Sports et Loisirs
- Peggy Fo Show Peggy Chen
- 5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce BBC Radio 5 Live
- Superscoreboard Bauer Media
- Formula 1 Podcast 3Legs 4Wheels F1
- Blood Red: The Liverpool FC Podcast Reach Podcasts
- BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Podcast Immediate Media
- Six Tackles With Gus 9Podcasts
- Missed Apex Formula 1 Podcast Missed Apex Formula1 podcast
- REX rova | REX
- Tailenders BBC Radio 5 Live
- The Daily Telegraph NRL Podcast Daily Telegraph
- Talk'n Pops Mike & Josh
- NH Radio Sportcafé NH
- 詭哭郎嚎 郎祖筠 & FMTaiwan製作團隊
- Marc-Marie & Isa Vinden Iets Marc-Marie & Isa / Tonny Media
- The Late Braking F1 Podcast The Late Braking F1 Podcast
- Gardeners' Question Time BBC Radio 4
- Stacking Pennies with Corey LaJoie NASCAR
- We Got The Chocolates Leigh Drennan, Mitch Drennan & Andrew Gode
- Gardening Talkback 2NURFM
