2011 Forum Meets

Waitangi weekend is the Great Plains fly in at Ashburton so I wouldnt be around for a Cambridge meet, later would suit me better

I'm Blenheim based, so feel free to look me up at any time Dave

Christmas is NOTHING compared to Classic Fighters!! ;D

Today I have spent some time restoring and updating a page that used to be on my website but i took off a couple of years back as I thought it was no longer topical and was taking up space. However I've had a change of heart and reinstated is as it is history. It was the November 2004 Air Force Reunion that I arranged here in Cambridge, which acted as the Official Launch of the Wings Over Cambridge website. It also acted as a good way to meet a lot of the veterans who I'd interviewed by phone, and a great way to get many veterans together in one place where lots of friendships of old were renewed. Also very specil on the day was a great talk by fighter pilot Bryan Cox who was born and bred here in Cambridge, and most special of all was the dedication and unveiling of the Air Force Memorial Plaque that I'd had made, which is in Jubilee Gardens next to the Town Hall.

Here is the page with lots of photos:
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Reunion.htm

All this happened before the forum existed, that was born five months later. Since then we have had Cambridge Forum Meets which have seen aviation enthusasts from all over NZ come here for a similar sort of do, guest speakers, a natter, etc and all based around the website - and these have been pretty jolly successful too. As I looked back at the 2004 reunion the following thought occurred to me.... and I would like to run it by you all for some thoughts....

I would love to host another get togetehr for the WWII veterans. many have died since the 2004 event but there are most certainly still some around, both in Cambridge and in other areas. What would the forum members think if maybe we combined the next Cambridge Forum Meet into becoming also an Air Force veteran's reunion?

Maybe some of you guys who will be travelling from outside of Cambridge might like to bring along some veterans from your area. Many of you will probably know some ex-Air Force types at the aero club, RSA, bowling clubs, and other places you socialise at. They don't necessarily have to be Cambridge veterans like the 2004 event was, but if there are some ex-Cambridge guys who'd want to come down from Auckland or Tauranga, etc, maybe we could arrnage a car pool too, and forum members could become veteran minders.

Maybe Peter's great chaps from the Bomber Command Association might like a day out, maybe even the Dakota could be chartered for it, just some thoughts here. Really I'm thinking we could have a big forum event where people bring a veteran along and give them a nice day out. We could arrange it properly with a meal in a local restaurant, or hire out part of the Town Hall like in 2004. There may be a door charge to cover hall hireage or food or whatever but we can work out these details later.

It would not be too different from what the forum meets have done before although we obviously wouldn't take 90 year olds down to the Rukuhia dump. Maybe we can select a few of the veterans to give a little talk just like we had that at the last Forum meet, (although they were post-WWII war vets). So it wouldn't be too different as I say, but it might give a lot of our elderly aviation enthusiasts and war heroes a day out with like minded people, something really special for them. I know they all loved it in 2004, and I'm sure Ray Tocker (who spoke at the last forum meet) would get behind it as he's our RSA President.

What do you all think?

Dave , thats a great idea especially as we have vets in Matamata, Hamilton and TeAwamtu and a drive to Cambridge isnt as daunting as to Auckland. We need about 4 to 6 weeks notice as most of our members are not on email so its post and phone calls. Keep us posted.

Please can I get some more feedback on this idea. i have done some thinking and made some enquiries, and I think the idea of holding a forum get together here in Cambridge that is also a day especially for WWII veterans is most certainly a viable and exciting ipportunity. however I have to ask what other people think, I do not want to do a load of work and find out no-one's interested from the forum because they are not keen on spending a day with veterans, or whatever. Please can I have some feedback asap on the following:

- If I arranged this eventg for around May-June 2011 would that date range suit people or is there too much else on?
- Are you actually interested in coming along to this forum meet?
- Does the idea of having WWII veterans make it more interesting? Or conversely does it put you off coming?
- Are you happy to pay a fee that will help to pay for the venue hire and the meal? I doubt it will cost much more than last year's meal anyway.
- If you are keen to come is there anything you'd like to exhibit? Models, photos, artwork, your latest book/s, etc?
- Would you fly in to Hamilton? If yes, would you need a lift to Cambridge?
- If you are driving from centres outside of Cambridge, would you be willing to car pool and bring along other forum members or veterans?
- Do you actually know any veterans personally who you think might enjoy the day out?

Please post your thoughts and ideas here now so I can work out if this is a good or bad idea, and if good, I can crack onto the organisation. Thanks.

Thanks Errol.

Dave, I too would love to attend such an event. I would be more than willing to give a ride to any vets who would like a ride down from Auckland. A small fee wouldn't be a problem.

I'm a starter Dave and the fee isn't a problem. I could bring someone down.