The Wings Over New Zealand Show

Guest: Grant Harnish Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: 19th of February 2026 Released: 20th of February 2026 Duration: 45 minutes 34 seconds In this Wings Over New Zealand Show “Flying Boat Month” episode Dave Homewood speaks with Grant Harnish of Salt Air in the Bay of Islands. Grant owns and flies ZK-CFA, which is the only airworthy Grumman Widgeon flying boat in the Southern Hemisphere. Grant talks about operating the Widgeon, and also sistership Widgeon ZK-AVM, commercially with Salt Air at Paihia from 1992 through till 2000. And he discusses buying ZK-CFA back many years later and embarking on a big restoration that brought it back to pristine airworthy condition. He also talks about the rest of the Salt Air fleet, a mix of helicopters and fixed wing types, and their various roles. The helicopters are based on the Paihia waterfront, and the Gippsland GA-8 Airvan is based at Kerikeri Airport. Quick Links: •  Salt Air •  The

Guest: David Berger Hosts: Dave Homewood Recorded: 11th of February 2026 Released: 14th of February 2026 Duration:  1 hour 53 seconds In this Wings Over New Zealand Show “Flying Boat Month” episode Dave Homewood speaks with David Berger, who is an ex-pat British doctor who lives in Fernmount, NSW, in Australia, and works in Broome, in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. But he has a hangar at Omarama, Central Otago, and he spends a fair bit of time in this country flying his aeroplanes. He owns a Piper Super Cub, a Cessna 185 and his beloved Republic Seabee which he based here in Omarama. David talks about the history of the Seabee, and what it is like to fly. He also tells some fascinating stories of flying long distance trips around the world in the Cessna, etc. Quick Links: •  Republic Seabee •  Spencer Air Car •  The Franklin Engine Company •  SeaBear Aircraft •  Honoria Glossop The music at the end of this epi

Guest: David Wilkinson, SAANZ President Hosts: Dave Homewood Recorded: 22nd of January 2026 Released: 8th of February 2026 Duration:  58 minutes 06 seconds In this Wings Over New Zealand Show “Flying Boat Month” episode Dave Homewood speaks with David Wilkinson, who is President of the Sport Aircraft Association of New Zealand. He is also owner and pilot of a small fleet of aeroplanes, with his latest addition being a Taylor Coot flying boat that he has restored after it was close to becoming scrapped. The Taylor Coot is a two-seat homebuilt amphibious aircraft designed by Moulton Taylor, who was famous for his flying car designs. David’s example, ZK-JST, was originally built in the 1980s by SAANZ stalwart and Life Member Alistair McLachlan, who had been an engineer in the Royal New Zealand Air Force and with Air New Zealand. David talks about the history of the airframe and how he ended up acquiring it. He talks about the restorat

Guest: Andy Love Hosts: Dave Homewood Recorded: 2nd of February 2026 Released: 2nd of February 2026 Duration:  44 minutes 58 seconds In this episode Andy Love, air display coordinator of the upcoming Warbirds Over Wanaka 2026 International Airshow gives a rundown of what the public can expect to see, and he warns that tickets are selling out fast. The three-day show over Easter Weekend – 3rd to 5th of April 2026 – is looking to be a very good one with some spectacular flying acts lined up. Easter Saturday is now fully sold out but there are still General Admission and Silver Pass tickets available for Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Get your tickets here!https://www.warbirdsoverwanaka.com/httpswww-warbirdsoverwanaka-comairshow/tickets Also selling fast are the bookings for the various aircraft rides available, so go to the links on this page to make your bookings:https://www.warbirdsoverwanaka.com/flight-experience Check out the line up here:https://www.warbirdsoverwan

Guest: Paul Dalley, aka Seaplane Paul Hosts: Dave Homewood Recorded: 10th of January 2026 Released: 1st of February 2026 Duration:  3 hour 52 minutes 49 seconds In this extra-length Wings Over New Zealand Show “Flying Boat Month” episode Dave Homewood speaks with Paul Dalley, who grew up with aviation around him thanks to his grandfather Ian Henry, a well-known propeller maker. Paul talks about learning to fly, his adventures flying his Piper Cub in Japan while running a language school there, and flying air displays there with fellow Kiwi pilot Robert Fry and others. He talks about flying in Australia where he’d planned to buy a tourism flying business and how things changed. And flying in Papua New Guinea. And then he ended up purchasing a Lake Buccaneer in New Zealand and he took it up to Vanuatu and achieved his lifelong dream of becoming a flying boat pilot in the Pacific, just like Jake Cutter in one of his favourite childhood televisi

Guest: Mark Hillier Hosts: Dave Homewood Recorded: 6th of January 2026 Released: 13th of January 2026 Duration:  1 hour 33 minutes 35 seconds In this Wings Over New Zealand Show episode Dave Homewood speaks Mark Hillier, who is a recreational pilot, a historian, an author and he is Head of Operations at Spitfires.com, the adventure rides company based at Goodwood Aerodrome, Westhampnett, in West Sussex, UK. Mark discusses his background in aviation, and talks about Spitfires.com and their fleet of aircraft. That includes three two-seaters plus the Silver Spitfire that flew around the world. He also talks about his passion for aviation history, the many books hat he has written, and the veterans he has met along the way. And he talks about his close connection to the late RAF groundcrew veteran Joe Roddis, who served on No. 485 (NZ) Squadron through that unit’s whole existence. No. 485 (NZ) Squadron’s time based at Westhampnett is also detailed, and als

Guest: Warrant Officer Raymond William Tocker 73469 (18 June 1931 to 24 September 2015) Hosts: Dave Homewood Recorded: 11th of February 2013 Released: of January 2026 Duration:  1 hour 15 minutes 32 seconds In this Wings Over New Zealand Show episode Dave Homewood pulled another previously unpublished older interview out of the archives. The recording is with the late Ray Tocker, who was a good mate of Dave’s. On a visit to Ray’s place, a couple of blocks from Dave’s, Ray began telling stories of his RNZAF service so Dave gained permission to pull his recorder out of his rucksack and hit record. The result was a great conversation with Ray telling some wonderful and often very funny stories about his days in the RNZAF in the 1950s. The conversation was heavily focused on his days at RNZAF Base Ohakea working in the maintenance hangar on Mosquitoes, Devons, a Grumman Avenger, and more. And he also talks about some adventures when he was a Flight Eng

Guest: Flight Lieutenant Wilfrid Leopold “Buck” Pound NZ427559 – 21 October 1922 to 27 January 2021 Hosts: Dave Homewood Recorded: 29th of June 2013 Released: 31st of December 2025 Duration:  53 minutes 23 seconds In this Wings Over New Zealand Show episode Dave Homewood interviews WWII RNZAF bomber pilot ‘Buck’ Pound. He spent a short time in the Army in Tauranga after WWII broke out, before getting into the RNZAF. His initial training was at Rotorua, and he began flying training at Ashburton on de Havilland Tiger Moths. Next he progressed onto flying Airspeed Oxfords at Wigram. Upon passing out with his flying badge, Buck was posted to England where he flew more Oxfords, and then onto Vickers Wellingtons at No. 11 Operational Training Unit at Westcott. He and his crew, and his best mate Robbie who was another pilot with his own crew, volunteered to got to Italy. They joined No. 104 Squadron at Foggia, flying Wellingtons in the night bombing role. He talks

Guests: Reg Mitchell – No. 488 (NZ) SquadronKeith Boles DFC – No. 109 Squadron PFFHarold “Bunny” Burrows – No. 487 (NZ) Squadron, and No. 75 Squadron RNZAF, and Martial “Sonny” Gaspard – No. 75 Squadron RNZAF Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: 2nd of March 2013 Released: 25th of November 2025 Duration:  1 hour  19 minutes 23 seconds To mark the 85th Anniversary of the first flight of the de Havilland Mosquito, which took place on the 25th of November 1940, Dave Homewood has pulled an old but never before heard interview from his archive he recorded in 2013 with four Kiwi Mossie veterans. They are pilots Reg Mitchell and Keith Boles DFC, and navigator-wireless operators Harold “Bunny” Burrows and Martial “Sonny” Gaspard. The recording was made at the Museum of Transport and Technology in Auckland, and the guys share memories and tell stories from their days flying one of the greatest aeroplanes of all time

Guest: Squadron Leader Geoffrey Maurice Rothwell, DFC+Bar, BC Clasp, CDeG1940 + Palme(Bel), COdLeoll + Palme(Bel), LdH (Fra). RAF 42726, RNZAF. WWII. POW#58653 April 1920 to 5 November 2017 Hosts: Dave Homewood Recorded: 4th of March 2015 Released: 9th of November 2025 Duration:  1 hour  22 minutes 56 seconds In this Wings Over New Zealand Show episode Dave Homewood interviews [...]

Guests: Air Commodore Nick Osborne Hosts: Dave Homewood Recorded: 8th of October 2025 Released: 8th of October 2025 Duration:  1 hour  41 minutes 29 seconds In this episode Dave Homewood interviews Air Commodore Nick Osborne RAAF, known to all as Oz. Oz is a former fast jet pilot in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, who [...]

Guest: Malcolm Laird Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: 29th of September 2025 Published: 30th of September 2025 Duration: 1 hour 52 minutes, 48 seconds Joining Dave Homewood on the Wings Over New Zealand Show this episode is Malcolm Laird of Ventura Publications. Malcolm has spent decades working in aviation publishing and the model aircraft industry, and is one of New [...]

Guest: John Gaertner Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: 14th of September 2025 Published: 14th of September 2025 Duration: 1 hour 27 minutes, 58 seconds John Gaertner has had a long career and life in aviation, working as a research assistant for the Smithsonian Institute’s National Air and Space Museum, as an airline clerk for TWA, and [...]

Guest: Mike Murray Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: 6th of September 2025 Published: 7th of September 2025 Duration: 2 hour 11 minutes, 57 seconds Mike Murray is one of the founders of the King’s Cliffe Airfield Museum. RAF King’s Cliffe was a wartime Air Force station in Northamptonshire. It is located 19 kms west of Peterborough, and lies between the [...]

Guest: Matt Wilcock Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: 17th of August 2025 Published: 19th of August 2025 Duration: 1 hour 16 minutes, 43 seconds Matt Wilcock was born and bred in Hamilton, New Zealand, but he moved as a child to Edmonton, Alberta, in Canada. Having a lifelong interest in aviation, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, [...]

Guest: Squadron Leader John Barry (Retired) Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: 11th of August2025 Published: 13th of August 2025 Duration: 1 hour 1 minutes, 39 seconds John Barry was born and bred in Wanganui. Upon leaving school he went to the Teacher Training School, and planned on a career as a school teacher. But while he [...]

Guest: Simon “Kermit” Rea Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: 6th of August2025 Published: 7th of August 2025 Duration: 1 hour 24 minutes, 57 seconds Simon Rea grew up in Hawera, New Zealand, as an aviation enthusiast. When he left school, he did a little bit of flying with the Hawera Aero Club, before he joined the RNZAF as a pilot. [...]

Guests: Sjeord “Chewy” Bakker, Tony “Chipps” Chippendale, Keith “Buck” Harrison, John Lanham, Paul McSweeny, Rene “Red” Redmond. Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: 20th of July 2025 Published: 23rd of July 2025 Duration: 1 hour 39 minutes, 21 seconds In this episode Dave Homewood chats with six ex-RNZAF members who were involved in the restoration and operation of the world’s only remaining [...]

Guest: Ian Quinn Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: 13th of July 2025 Published: 14th of July 2025 Duration: 1 hour 19 minutes, 55 seconds In this episode Dave Homewood chats with Ian Quinn, aka ‘chinapilot’ on the Wings Over New Zealand Forum – https://rnzaf.proboards.com Ian started his aviation career volunteering as a schoolboy at the Wellington Aero Club [...]

Guest: Martin Hedley Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: 2nd of March 2025 Published: 27th of June 2025 Duration:  32 minutes, 38 seconds In this episode we hear the final presentation given at the WONZ 20th Anniversary Forum Meet at Ardmore. The presenter is Martin Hedley, foreman at Pioneer Aero Ltd., the warbird restoration company at Ardmore. And he is [...]