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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 30, 2014 13:31:50 GMT 12
 Hi everyone, I have been working behind the scenes with John Kelly ("JK"), Vice president of the New Zealand Warbirds Association Inc. at Ardmore, to put together a very special Wings Over New Zealand Aviation Forum Meet at the home of warbirds. The details so far are thus: Date: Sunday 28th of September 2014 Start Time: 10.00am Venue: New Zealand Warbirds Hangar, Ardmore Aerodrome Tickets: $20.00 per head - contact me at dave_daasnz@hotmail.com to register for your tickets Activities will include: Guest Speakers - we are lining up some very interesting people to speak, including warbird pilots Gavin Trethewey, Brett Nicholls and (subject to availability due to his airline schedule) Warbirds President Frank Parker. Also world renowned warbirds restorer Warren Denholm, and world renowned aviation photographer Gavin Conroy. A few more names will be added to this list soon. Meet The Warbirds Folk: This will be a great opportunity that you don't usually get at airshows and the likes to meet the pilots and ground staff of NZ Warbirds in person and talk with them about flying various warbirds or about the association, etc Get Up Close: You'll be able to get right up close to the warbirds aircraft collection, and possibly even have a guided tour from someone who owns, flies or operates the aircraft Warbirds Rides: There will be an opportunity for you to book a bucket list ride in many of the warbirds. Ardmore is the main centre for warbirds rides. Have you ever wanted a ride in a Spitfire, Kittyhawk, Mustang, Strikemaster, Dakota, etc? More details will be posted soon on this. Very Special Event: We are planning a really special thing to hopefully happen during this Forum Meet. We cannot reveal just yet what it is, but believe me you'll want to be there to see it. Forum Meet Raffle: It wouldn't be a forum meet without the usual raffle, now would it. If you have anything to donate to the raffle as a prize, please let me know. WE NEED TO KNOW RIGHT NOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WANT TO COME ALONG We may have to limit numbers if we get a huge response to this. So please right now indicate to me if you definitely plan to come along, and how many friends or family members will be coming with you. I am really excited about this particular forum meet, we've had some awesome ones in the past but I really think this could be a stand out above them all. Get in quick to go on the list and secure your tickets! Contact me on dave_daasnz@hotmail.com |
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Post by suthg on Jul 30, 2014 14:27:47 GMT 12
Response sent for two.
Graeme
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musice
Warrant Officer
harms way - only way to go!
Posts: 41
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Post by musice on Jul 30, 2014 14:33:23 GMT 12
coming with graham S ;-)
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Post by baz62 on Jul 30, 2014 16:08:35 GMT 12
Yep the Tods are coming. Email sent.  |
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drpc
Flight Sergeant
Posts: 25 
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Post by drpc on Jul 30, 2014 17:02:40 GMT 12
Just about to send the email
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 30, 2014 17:40:38 GMT 12
Thanks all !!
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Post by ZacYates on Jul 30, 2014 20:43:13 GMT 12
Sounds fantastic, count Sam and I in. Email inbound.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 30, 2014 21:09:32 GMT 12
OK
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Post by ErrolC on Jul 30, 2014 22:13:17 GMT 12
Sounds great, count me in!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 31, 2014 20:27:18 GMT 12
OK. Another highlight for this even that I hope will work out is I will be working with Peter Wheeler of the NZBCA to try to get along several kiwi veterans who served in RAF Bomber Command during WWII. We will ask a few of them to sit in on a Question And Answer Panel, so you guys and girls - the aviation enthusiast public - can put questions to these guys about what it was like to fly in the likes of Wellingtons, Lancasters, Mosquitoes, etc in combat and on operations. We'll try to get a few different crew positions in the mix, not all pilots of course.
They all have amazing tales to tell, and people these days get so little opportunity to actually ask the veterans questions and talk with them directly. So Now is your chance.
At this stage we cannot reveal who these veterans will be, it all depends on which ones are 'serviceable' on the day, but start thinking up questions, write them down and bring them along on the day.
Feel free to offer ideas and suggestions for the day too. We've already got lots lined up so no guarantees but we'll consider all ideas offered. have we anyone who'd like to exhibit some aviation art, photos, models or other such items on the day, for example?
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Post by corsairarm on Jul 31, 2014 21:54:34 GMT 12
Count me in please Dave. I shall send email on the weekend.Ta
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 3, 2014 16:49:15 GMT 12
Prepare for the "Very Special Event" to be revealed very soon. Hopefully tonight!
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Post by spongebob206 on Aug 3, 2014 18:32:18 GMT 12
Sounds and will be awesome Thank you  Will discuss with the wife tomorrow and confirm. Cheers mate |
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Post by beagle on Aug 3, 2014 20:05:00 GMT 12
Yep the Tods are coming. Email sent. there goes the " non auster theme" |
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Post by baz62 on Aug 3, 2014 21:56:43 GMT 12
heh heh heh  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 4, 2014 11:53:09 GMT 12
I can now reveal the special event...We have been working behind the scenes to set up something really very special. Many of you will have met WWII RNZAF fighter ace Alan Peart at our 2011 and/or 2014 Forum Meets, or you'll have heard his WONZ Show recording, or you may have read his excellent book From North Africa To The Arakan, about his wartime experiences. Alan is one of only four New Zealand fighter aces known to still be alive, and he's still fit and well at 92 years old. He recently remarked to Larry Hill in a conversation that he'd like nothing more before he dies than to have one more fly in a Spitfire. This set Larry to thinking, and the result is we are going to do our best to make it happen. And better still, we are going to try to make this happen AT the next Forum Meet on September 28th!! So we are raising the money required to make this very special flight happen. Larry has set up a donation site here: www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/AlanPeartDFCWe need your support please. if you can only give a little, give a little. If you can give a lot, please do. The plan is for Alan to be taken up for his flight in Doug Brooker's lovely Spitfire Tr.9 by NZ warbirds President Frank Parker of Warbirds Adventure Flights, and as it's during the Forum Meet anyone attending the meet will be able to see this absolute magic moment happen, should we achieve the goal to get Alan airborne. We also hope that we can get a Harvard up with them, flown by NZ Warbirds Vice-President John Kelly, with none other than Gavin Conroy in the back seat, to take some air to air shots of Alan airborne with Frank! Gavin has pledged that should we achieve this, anyone who donates $25 or more will be sent a photo from the flight in high resolution via their email, which they can then print out as a wonderful souvenir. And Larry has also pledged that anyone who donates over $100.00 to the cause will receive a copy of the limited edition print that Ron Fulstow painted of Alan Peart battling the 20 plus Nakajima Oscars over Broadway, as seen in the banner. If you are going to donate an amount that entitles you to these souviners please ensure when donating you tick the right boxes so your name shows, so we know who to send them to. Also if I am not likely to know you by name (because you post here under a different username) please email me to let me know you donated over $25 or $100, and the time so we can check it, and I can add you to the distribution list. dave_daasnz@hotmail.com So please help us to get Alan up in the Spitfire, and come and join us on the day to see it happen. And spread the word about this to all your friends who might like to donate towards making this piece of history happen. www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/AlanPeartDFC
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Post by Andy Wright on Aug 4, 2014 12:27:19 GMT 12
Dave, I have some cash sitting around from my last NZ trip. Can I send it over to you as a contribution to Alan's flight?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 4, 2014 12:35:17 GMT 12
You'll need to send it to Larry, he's collecting the dosh. I'll send you a PM through FB, Andy.
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Post by Andy Wright on Aug 4, 2014 12:39:03 GMT 12
Cool, cheers, Dave. I've been carrying it around in my wallet thinking/hoping I'd be able to spend it with a quick follow-up visit but that hasn't happened. Just surprised myself when I looked and found NZ$60. There must have been a reason why I 'forgot' about it and now I know why.
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Post by baz62 on Aug 4, 2014 12:47:11 GMT 12
I was going to get another set of shelves from SuperCheap for the hangar but think I'll donate it to Alan's flight instead. A very worthy cause and look forward to seeing his face sitting in a Spitfire again! EDIT: Done. I see we are closing on the first $1000 with a total of $880 so far. I've put the link on Facebook so hopefully get some more donations! |
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Will discuss with the wife tomorrow and confirm. 
