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Post by general on May 14, 2011 22:30:24 GMT 12
I will also offer my salaams to you and your 'team', Dave. You did a great job on expanding the whole theme into a most informative and entertaining day. I thoroughly enjoy meeting those in the hairyplane community, big and little ones, and this was no exception. Of particular note was the respect and consideration offered these veterans. They revive memories of my Dad. Looking forward to doing it again. Maybe I'll get to catch up with others from the forum and talk longer! Never enough time in a day. But I do look forward to more time for travelling, hopefully to visit with some of you.
Also must give special mention to Andrew. Many thanks for the Wanaka video.
Regards
Ross "General" McArthur
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Post by general on May 14, 2011 23:05:21 GMT 12
Thought these might bookend the day. DAK on her way home.
Not a lot of room left on the card in my itty pocket camera.
Regards
Ross
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2011 8:52:36 GMT 12
What a great day .. the flight on Betsy was awsome ... the whole event was great thanks to Dave and his team ... really enjoyed listening to the veterans ... thay love recounting there time in the services to an attentive audience ... nice to meet more members of the forum .... the food that was served was plentiful even with Darren Masters attention to a certain plate of salmon thingys.
Will post photos with comment soon
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 15, 2011 9:14:47 GMT 12
I just had a phonecall from Charlie Christiensen, the veteran who flaked out and had to leave in an ambulance. He says he's right as rain now and apologised for all the fuss. He wanted to let me know he's ok. It was good to hear from him. He was sad he missed the rest of the day.
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2011 9:32:22 GMT 12
I just had a phonecall from Charlie Christiensen, the veteran who flaked out and had to leave in an ambulance. He says he's right as rain now and apologised for all the fuss. He wanted to let me know he's ok. It was good to hear from him. He was sad he missed the rest of the day. That's good to hear Dave, I thought about him last night and wondered how he was |
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WayneB
Warrant Officer
Posts: 41
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Post by WayneB on May 15, 2011 10:16:54 GMT 12
Thank you Dave and everyone else for a wonderful day. Amazing stories of an era that most of us can only imagine what it must have been like to have been there.
The flight back was great with the setting sun in the west creating magical views out of the port windows. Good to hear Charlie is doing well. Beat wishes to all.
Good to hear Charlie is doing well. Best wishes to all.
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Post by kb on May 15, 2011 10:32:09 GMT 12
Wonderful day and thanks to all. Hard to add anything to what has already been said.
It's great news to hear that Charlie is OK.
I bought my first aviation print after hearing Alan's account of the incident. Paintings don't normally do anything for me but when one has had the incident explained by the person involved it makes a huge difference as it then exudes personality!
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 15, 2011 10:38:46 GMT 12
I am really pleased that Alan Peart concentrated his talk mainly on the war in Burma as this is a theatre of war that gets the least coverage and most people wouldn't realise there were a lot of kiwis there fighting in the air war, people like Alan. His stories and his storytelling are great.
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Post by Peter Lewis on May 15, 2011 10:49:26 GMT 12
One of the speakers yesterday commented about the differences between aircraft and women. One of these points of differences is, he claimed, that women do not come with an operating manual. Last night I was told that this is not so, and I was presented with a copy of the current woman manual. I attach a copy here for you to consult, should you ever suffer a mid-flight crisis.  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 15, 2011 10:54:37 GMT 12
And that is only Volume One of the set! ;D
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Post by northcro on May 15, 2011 10:57:21 GMT 12
Alan Peart's talk was most fascinating. Just shows the high standard of Alan's skills as a pilot to escape that number of Japanese Army Air Force Oscar's determined to down him and yet survive to tell the story, along with the considerable hardships of the hostile environment he and others had to endure in that theatre of operations. Amazing.
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Post by corsair67 on May 15, 2011 12:07:15 GMT 12
Good to hear that everyone had a great day, and also good to hear Charlie has made a swift recovery - must be all that Viking blood pulsing around in his system.  Will have to dig my copy of Alan Peart's book out of the unread book pile now after reading the comments on his talk. The pile just keeps getting bigger - one book out, three books on. |
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Post by Darren Masters on May 15, 2011 12:32:48 GMT 12
Good to hear Charlie is doing well Dave. One of my highlights was one of the older gents saying to me (not sure of his name) as we were looking at the models, he said "When you get to my age there will be models of aircraft you fly in now on display and you will think to yourself, how did that ever fly"? So so true and I'll never forget those words. Wish I had got his name. He must have been the most elderly gent there.
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Post by baz62 on May 15, 2011 13:39:05 GMT 12
Sounds like I better make an appearance next time to add the added Baz touch to proceedings. Hope there's a forum meeting group photo! ;D
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 15, 2011 13:48:53 GMT 12
We never got a group shot. It was suggested but a) there were over 80 people and not enough room really to do it, and b) we had no time to assemble everyone. By the end half the people had drifted off home. Hopefully we'll see more shots of the speakers and crowd here very soon from Ralph, Richard and others. I didn't get a chance to even take a single photo.
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Post by general on May 15, 2011 16:31:57 GMT 12
Count me in on the A&O team for the next one, Dave. Might I hazard a guess you'll be planning to have those who didn't make it this year? I'm on the prowl for better photog gear and wouldn't mind at all doing the pics. Or, still, have a couple chaps snapping the happy campers. A relatively 'small' group like the Cambridge day still involves a ton of detail stuff. Might be an idea to chuck around on who could do what, comms via back channel, where even one guy doing one small thing would ease the load. I know we're fairly much self-motivated and self--organised people, as a whole yet, for those few with an uncertain confidence in a group setting, a visible "Entertainments Officer" could add a wider cohesion to the milling crowd. I'm only spit-balling here, throwing out ideas. Blame it on the innate engineer/oraginser in me. Regards Ross |
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Post by Tony on May 15, 2011 16:52:33 GMT 12
Adding to the plaudits
Dave......
as well as Dave's 'Little Helpers' who assisted, Dave's mum (for the yummy cake) - and the lovely girls who tended the bar, looking after us with quiet consideration:
Please accept the congratulations from myself and son, Blair, for a fantastic day filled with memories from the Veterans.
It was great to meet a few of the many (such is usual with a one day meet though).
On a personl note, I was hoping to catch up with Ben Heffer & Reg Mitchell (and his speech but I fully understand the needs of the aged) but such was not to be.
Congratulations to the DAK crew for - a: supporting the forum. b: making the trip possible, c: providing a really entertaining flight.
Dave - I also know that the DAK crew were really humbled by your generosity in handing over the proceeds of the raffle.
Once again thanks - I was a pleasure to finally meet you.
Edit: BTW Dave, could you please pass on our best wishes to Charlie Christiensen - and NO he was not a bother. These things happen.
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Post by Darren Masters on May 15, 2011 17:55:23 GMT 12
I'm sorry I did not bring my ADS-B demo I was going to. Would have worked Dave as there was windows there and would have got a signal. Will save it for the Ardmore gathering perhaps.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 15, 2011 18:10:41 GMT 12
I cannot believe I am going to say this...
Due to the overall success of the event yesterday there are already murmurings of another organised forum event in the nearish future (ie this year). We are considering something in Auckland, and there we may be able to get along some of the Auckland-based veterans who had to miss this one; and also try to get that talk from Reg Mitchell. Auckland is a long way to come to Cambridge for the veterans so maybe we should take the event to them.
Any ideas and suggestions are most welcome. Anyone keen?
By the way I must thank the Cambridge Club staff for their excellent hospitality. And I also want to thank tose forum members who transported veterans to the event too.
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Post by Bruce on May 15, 2011 19:01:50 GMT 12
I guess Ardmore would be the most logical location (Warbirds or an Aero Club). those of us with aircraft from further afield could fly in, and perhaps visit some hangars afterwards...
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