Guest: Anthony Galbraith and Stephen Carruthers

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 23rd of February 2025

Published: 23rd of May 2025

Duration: 48 minutes, 34 seconds

In this episode recorded at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, during the WONZ 20th Anniversary Forum Meet held there on the 23rd of February 2025, we hear from Anthony Galbraith and Stephen Carruthers on their project to bring the 1928 Gloster Grebe biplane fighter back from extinction.

They have formed the SHW Aviation Trust, named after Sir Henry Wigram who had donated the money that purchased the New Zealand Permanent Air Force’s first Grebe. The trust is working to gather parts, remnants, drawings, photos, and history of the Grebes and the people who flew and maintained them.

Quick Links:

• NZ501 Gloster Grebe on Facebook

• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand

• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand on Facebook

The music is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.

Here is a video version so you can see the slides.

Guest: Chris Newey

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 2nd of March 2025

Published: 19th of May 2025

Duration:  47 minutes, 23 seconds

In this episode we hear a presentation given by Chris Newey, who talks about his latest book The First Flight – The Origins of the New Zealand Bomber Squadron.

The book covers the New Zealand Government’s purchase of 30 new Vickers Wellington bombers in the late 1930’s, and the creation of a special unit, The New Zealand Squadron, who formed in the UK to fly them. Made up from RNZAF members and New Zealanders who had been serving in the Royal Air Force, they were to train up on the new type and then ferry them across the world to New Zealand in five flights of six.

However the gathering clouds of war put paid to that original plan, and the aircraft and men were offered to the British Government in August 1939 to form part of Britain defence should war come. In April 1940 the New Zealand Squadron was renumbered as No. 75 (NZ) Squadron RAF, and the beginning of a legendary fighting unit began.

Chris has done extensive research into the New Zealand Squadron and its originals, and along the way he has discovered a lot of previously unknown history, and dispelled a number of myths. The book is highly recommended.

The First Flight: The Origins of the New Zealand Bomber Squadron
By Chris Newey

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Aviation Books Ltd. (2 December 2024)
Hardback/Paperback: ‎ 177 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1915335493
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915335494
Dimensions – 27.9 x 21.6 x 1.3 cm

Available online from:

The Great British Book Shop (hardback only): www.thegreatbritishbookshop.co.uk/products/the-first-flight

Amazon (soft cover only): www.amazon.com/gp/product/1915335493/

Local (NZ) stock of the hardback version now available – you can contact Chris Newey at [email protected]

The per copy NZ price is NZ$56.35 (incl. GST)
– add $12.50 for packaging & postage – economy tracked courier, anywhere within NZ
– add $5.70 for Rural Delivery

Thanks to Stuart Russell for the video and sound recording.
The music is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.

Guest: Rob Booth

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 2nd of March 2025

Published: 13th of May 2025

Duration: 30 minutes, 18 seconds

In this episode we hear a presentation given at the Wings Over New Zealand 20th Anniversary Forum Meet at NZ Warbirds Inc., Ardmore, by Rob Booth, a former Warbirds pilot and owner. He is talking about the Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 ZK-SFR, which he and fellow NZ Warbirds pilots Steve Taylor and John Greenstreet brought into New Zealand in 1986, and had restored to fly. Later Grant Biel bought into the syndicate when Steve and John dropped out.

The restoration was carried out at Ardmore by Bruce Coulter, who was assisted by Warren Denholm (then of Gulf Aeronautics, now much better known as owner of Avspecs Ltd.).

The aircraft was very popular on the New Zealand airshow scene through the 1990s, during which Rob was the main display pilot of the Sea Fury.

Here is a video version of this presentation, filmed by Stuart Russell for the WONZ Show.

Quick Links:

• New Zealand Warbirds Association Ltd

• NZ Warbirds Association of Facebook

Here is a previous WONZ Forum Meet presentation by fellow Sea Fury owner-pilot Steve Taylor talking about the aircraft. https://youtu.be/chasI7W-tMU?si=SfDvyXVBaQ5R3bsm

Thanks to Stu Russell for the recordings.

Photos below are from Rob Booth’s collection, and show the aircraft when they purchased it, and the restoration and then when it was flying around New Zealand.

Guest: Andrew Brian of the Helicopter Heritage Museum

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 23rd of February 2025

Published: 4th of May 2025

Duration: 32 minutes, 24 seconds

In this episode we hear from Andrew Brian of the Helicopter Heritage Museum. This is a talk given by Andrew during the Wings Over New Zealand 20th Anniversary Forum Meet held at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand in Christchurch.

Andrew talks about how he literally stumbled into the saving, restoration and preservation of helicopters that have flown in New Zealand, and the various types he has rescued. His hobby has developed into a proper scale collection with the backing of businessman Daniel Smith.

As the talk had a very visual component, the photos shown on Andrew’s PowerPoint have been added to a YouTube version of the talk, and also are displayed below.

Quick Links:

• The New Zealand Helicopter Heritage Museum website

• The New Zealand Helicopter Heritage Museum on Facebook

• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand

• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand on Facebook

Thanks to Allan Udy for his assistance with recording this episode.

The music is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.

Guest: Mark O’Sullivan

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 17th of April 2025

Published: 26th of April 2025

Duration: 1 hour 26 minutes, 42 seconds

In this episode Dave Homewood sits down with warbirds pilot Mark O’Sullivan at Omaka to talk about his aviation passion. Mark was born and bred in Blenheim, and he learned to fly with the Marlborough Aero Club at Omaka Aerodrome. His desire to fly warbirds had been sparked when he was a kid and saw Robbie Booth flying his Sea Fury at an airshow at Woodbourne.

Mark talks about getting into flying the Tiger Moth and Nanchang in the local syndicate, and then he progressed onto flying Harvards, with Frank Parker in Harvard NZ1065 (ZK-ENF) from Ardmore, and the local Omaka-based ex-SAAF Harvard II, 7660, ZK-XSA. He then had the opportunity to purchase 7660, and this Harvard became the basis of what would later become the basis of his collection.

He also owns a Cessna C185F which he calls the family wagon, which he uses to go places with his wife Kate and children George and Mila.

Mark also purchased the ex-Wanaka “Red Bull” Pitts S-2B Special, which he rebuilt himself and got it flying again as ZK-STX. He now flies it for fun, and he has been working up New Zealand’s first Pitts Special formation display team with Andy Love, Lincoln Jones and Ross Brodie. This is a great up-and-coming team to watch out for at airshows in the future.

And perhaps Mark’s best known an most loved aeroplane is the Yakovlev Yak-3U “Steadfast”, ZK-YOV, the small fighter with the big radial engine, and the awesome smoke trails that form rings and shapes in the sky. Mark initially owned Steadfast in partnership with fellow Omaka resident Ronan Harvey, but recently Ronan sold his share to another partner. Mark displays Steadfast at warbirds airshows around the country and has wowed audiences at airshows such as Classic Fighters, Warbirds Over Wanaka, Wings Over Wairarapa, and recently also Ardmore’s Warbirds On Parade open day.

Quick Links:

• St Clair Estate Wines

A selection of photos of Mark in Steadfast taken at Warbirds Over Wanaka 2024 by Dave Homewood

Guest: Steve Subritzky

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 2nd of March 2025

Published: 11th of April 2025

Duration: 44 minutes, 35 seconds

In this episode we hear a presentation given by Steve Subritzky and Dave Homewood about the world’s last existing Vickers Vincent biplane bomber. Steve, who is the Aviation Manager at the Museum of Transport And Technology (MOTAT), has been piecing together the puzzle that is the world’s only Vickers Vincent for many years in his spare time after work, without the aid of any drawings as they no longer seem to exist.

The Vincent, minus its wings (which are still yet to be restored), had been transported from North Shore Airfield down to Ardmore to go on a special temporary display in the New Zealand Warbirds Hangar from March to May 2025, so it was on display during this event.

Dave gives a background to the Vincent as a type, and details the specific aircraft, NZ311 (previously K6357 with the Royal Air Force). And then Steve details how it was rediscovered and dug out of the ground on a riverbank in Marton after being buried for over two decades. Steve talks about the restoration of this rare aircraft, and the challenges along the way.

Quick Links:

• New Zealand Warbirds Association Ltd

• NZ Warbirds Association of Facebook

Thanks to Stu Russell for the recording.

Below: Photos from the event, taken by Phil Treweek.

And below is a video version of the presentation, filmed by Stu Russell.

Guest: Kenn Cox, former RNZAF jet fighter pilot

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 23rd of February 2025

Published: 3rd of April 2025

Duration: 44 minutes, 40 seconds

In this episode we hear from Kenn Cox, the second speaker from the WONZ 20th Anniversary Forum meet at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, at Wigram, Christchurch.

Kenn was a young ‘bog rat’ Vampire pilot on No. 75 Squadron RNZAF in the late 1960s, and found himself as one of the ten pilots selected to be posted to Cecil Field in the USA in 1970 to convert onto the McDonnell Douglas A-4K Skyhawk, which had just been purchased by the New Zealand Government to replace the English Electric Canberras.

Kenn talks about the trip to the USA, the introduction to US Navy training, learning to fly the Skyhawk, and various adventures in the USA during the months that the group of pilots was there.

He also talks about operating the Skyhawk in the early days of its New Zealand service, navigating them around the country, and taking them up to Singapore for their first international exercises.

Quick Links:

• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand

• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand on Facebook

Thanks to Allan Udy for his assistance with recording this episode.

Below: Some more ephemera from the early days of the RNZAF Skyhawks, via Don Simms.

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 2nd of March 2025

Published: 28th of March 2025

Duration: 40 minutes, 42 seconds

In this episode NZ Warbirds president Frank Parker is heard talking about flying the various WWII fighters he’s flown during his career. Frank was the first speaker at the WONZ 20th Anniversary Forum Meet at Ardmore on the 2nd of March 2025.

Frank talks about how he first got into aviation, and a little on his RNZAF career, before talking about how he got into flying and owning warbirds.

He then starts talking about getting a rating in Garth Hogan’s P-40N, which he and his wife Liz Needham ended up owning. Then he talks about flying the Supermarine Spitfire, the Yakovlev Yak 3, the Flug Werk Fw190 Focke-Wulf replica, the North American P-51D Mustang, the Bell P-39 Airacobra, and the Goodyear FG-1D Corsair. He also gives a mention to the L-39 jet, too.

Quick Links:

• NZ Warbirds Association Inc.

• NZ Warbirds Association Inc. on Facebook

Thanks to Stuart Russell for his assistance in recording and editing this episode.

Thanks to Phil Treweek for the photos.

Video: You can also watch a video version of this episode, filmed by Stuart Russell for the WONZ Show, here:

Guest: Squadron Leader Paul “Skids” Harrison, RNZAF

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 18th of March 2025

Published: 21st of March 2025

Duration:  1 hour, 20 minutes, 4 seconds

In this episode Dave Homewood talks with Squadron Leader Paul “Skids” Harrison, who is currently an instructor with No. 14 Squadron RNZAF on the Texan II’s, but he also has a long history as a fast jet pilot with the Royal Air Force.

Skids joined the RAF in 1985 after several years in the Air Training Corps in his hometown of Brough, Yorkshire, in the UK. He trained as a pilot on the Jet Provost Mk. 3 and Mk. 5, and progressed to the BAe Hawk.

Selected for fast jets, he was posted onto the Blackburn Buccaneer, and following a six month Operational Conversion Unit course on the type, he became operational on the type with No. 208 Squadron RAF, based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland.

Skids ended up deploying to Bahrain with the squadron as part of the RAF’s Operation Granby, the air component of the first Gulf War. He and his navigator were laser designating targets for the RAF’s Tornado fleet to drop their bombloads on.

Following the war he remained with the Buccaneer squadron till the type was wound down and retired. He then became an instructor on Hawks at RAF Valley for a couple of years.

Returning to operational aircraft, Skids did an OCU to learn to fly the Sepecat Jaguar single-seat supersonic attack aircraft. He spent time back over Iraq in this type in the policing role, as well as in Norway and other parts of the world. He then was attached to the Omani Air Force for five years, again flying the Jaguar, and other types.

A visit to New Zealand with his wife saw them fall in love with the country, and eventually they moved here five years ago. Skids joined the RNZAF, and is based at Ohakea as an instructor.

Photos from Paul “Skids” Harrison:

A young Flying Officer Skids Harrison on day one on on the Buccaneer in January 1988.

WONZ 20th Anniversary Forum Meet – Wigram

Guest: Wings Commander Brett Marshall, Museum Director at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 23rd of February 2025

Published: 17th of March 2025

Duration: 44 minutes, 49 seconds

In this episode Dave Homewood introduced Brett Marshall, the first speaker at the WONZ 20th Anniversary Forum Meet – Wigram. This event was a special gathering of WONZ Forum members and aviation fans to celebrate 20 years of the Wings Over New Zealand Forum.

Brett Marshall is an ex-RNZAF pilot who flew Fokker Friendships, Hawker Siddeley Andovers, and Lockheed C-130H Hercules transports. He is now the Museum Director at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Wigram.

Brett talks about his background in the RNZAF and with the Museum, and he gives an overview of the history of the Wigram base, which is home to the AFMNZ, and is the birthplace of the RNZAF.

He then talks about the arrival at the museum a few days before of the Hercules NZ7001 which was big news, and the plans for it and the building it will go into that he is working on raising the funding for. He also talks about the Lockheed P-3K2 Orion that will also go into the building.

Quick Links:

• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand

• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand on Facebook

• Here is a previous appearance by Brett Marshall on the WONZ Show

Thanks to Allan Udy for his assistance with recording this episode.