WONZ Forum Meet - NZ Warbirds Ardmore 2017!!

[ZacYates]

Unfortunately family commitments mean I can't attend this time, so I hope everyone has a great time. Looking forward to photos and podcasts of the proceedings!

[drpc]

Just emailed Jessica for my ticket

[Dave Homewood]

Hi All, those of you who are coming to this event, I need to you please pay for your tickets now and send me the names of yourself and anyone who is coming so you and they can be added to the guest list. So far only a small handful of people have actually confirmed and paid up, so it's not looking good. Please make the payment of $20 per person to my account ASAP:
Bank: Westpac (Cambridge)
Account Name - D.G. Homewood
Account Number - 03 1568 0001262 00

Please let me know by email at [e-mail] when you've paid and the names to add to the list. Many thanks.

[suthg]

Just paid for two Maybe more yet...? LOL!

[Dave Homewood]

I have literally just got off the phone with an RNZAF officer and I am pleased to say that he assures me we will have some representatives joining us at the Forum Meet from No. 40 Squadron RNZAF, to give a presentation on current operations. Fantastic. More on this when I have more details.

[Dave Homewood]

I am very pleased to announce that we've secured another guest speaker, former test pilot and record breaking ferry pilot Cliff Tait will give us a talk on his flying experiences. I for one am really looking forward to this. The AESL Airtourer that Cliff flew around the world is on exhibit in the Museum of Transport and Technology. This will be a rare opportunity to hear Cliff tell his story and show his slideshow, so don't miss out. Get your tickets now!

[Dave Homewood]

Now confirmed, FLTLT Dave Natapu, a co-pilot on the C-130 Hercules with the mighty No. 40 Squadron RNZAF, will speak to us about current operations of the squadron. He is recently returned from deployment from the Middle East so this should be a really interesting talk.

[camtech]

Hmm, wonder if his father is/was Tony Natapu - ex Avionics and great all round sportsman?

[bae]

Be fun to have this to read ......


www.mossgreen.com.au/content/catalogues/MG138_Cat_Flipbook/?page=1

[skyhawkdon]

Mar 21, 2017 15:34:26 GMT 12 camtech said:

Hmm, wonder if his father is/was Tony Natapu - ex Avionics and great all round sportsman?

I seem to recall a Chris Natapu in the mob as well?

[Dave Homewood]

For those who may have been considering possibly coming along to this, but have not yet made up your mind, just bear in mind this is probably going to be the only formal WONZ Forum Meet this year, there is no intention to run any further events for the rest of the year and if by chance one does happen, it won't be in Auckland. So if you're sitting on the fence, decide now, and if you decide to come, contact me immediately.

By the way, due to disappointing numbers, the DC-3 flight has sadly been cancelled. A real shame when we were made such a good discount offer to do a unique flight.

[suthg]

Oh Bother!! I was looking forward to my third flight in a DC3, the last was in 2015 from Masterton with Chatham Air.

[Dave Homewood]

Just some housekeeping for Saturday:

LOCATION: The new Warbirds hangar where this is being held, for those who do not know, is the former Hawker pacific hangar at 75 Harvard Lane, on the corner with de Havilland Lane. It is the huge white roofed building in the centre of the attached Google satellite image:



There is limited parking in front of the hangar off Harvard Lane, and also in the carpark behind the Warbirds Clubrooms nextdoor (the dark roofed building right of the hangar in this shot) but if these are both full by the time you arrive please park sensibly so as to not block any access around the airport. A suggestion is you can park beside the old Warbirds hangar and walk the short distance over if necessary. You can just see the corner of that hangar top-right so it's an easy walk.

LUNCH: Please either bring a packed lunch or you can nip down to the cafe. There will be a sausage sizzle on, but not till 3pm when the bar opens.

RAFFLE: If you have any aviation or related items you'd like to donate for the raffle, please bring them along and we'll add them into the prize pool. Proceeds from the raffle will go to the Missing Wingman Trust, a great cause. Please also remember to bring a pocket full of gold coins for the raffle tickets.

PROGRAMME: At this stage the programme is this, although it's subject to change on the day:

9.45am Door Open - please do NOT come in before this time, we'll be setting up
10:00am Start - Welcome from myself and from John Kelly, Vice-president of NZ Warbirds Association
10.25am - Cliff Tait (test pilot and ferry pilot)
11.10am - Stan Walker (WWII Sunderland pilot)
12.00pm - Lunch
12.30pm - Flight Lieutenant Dave Natapu (No. 40 Squadron RNZAF Hercules pilot)
1.10pm - Steve Taylor (Sea Fury owner/pilot)
1.50pm - Harvard Display (weather permitting)
2.10pm - Geoff Cooper (DC-3 pilot) Talk and DC-3 Walkaround
3.00pm - Bar Opens, Raffle Draws, and possibly further flying items

[feuer]

Mar 5, 2017 19:17:42 GMT 12 spiderw said:

I hope to be there. As luck would have it I am in Auckland that weekend. My Dad flew with 490 out of Jui, Sierra Leone.

Hi Spiderw, come and introduce yourself on the day. I know Dad would like to meet you and find out who your dad is/was.

[Dave Homewood]

Well I'll be leaving in about 15 minutes to head up to Ardmore for the big day. See you there for those coming. It should be a great event I think. I'll be out of touch for the rest of the day. Cheers!

[baz62]

Looks like you had some Harvards putting on a show while you were there? Or it's an old post on Facebook?

[Dave Homewood]

Just got home a little while ago, and I must say what a great day we had. Fantastic venue, fantastic hosts at NZ Warbirds, fantastic guest speakers, and a great crowd of people. Thanks so much to John 'JK' Kelly and his team from Warbirds, and to Bruce Cooke and Jessica and Geoff Cooper from Fly DC3! (the flight did happen in the end).

And a special thanks to the wonderful guest speakers, Cliff, Stan, Dave, Steve and Geoff, every presentation was brilliant.

Thanks too to the Roaring Forties team for the Harvard display for us, marvellous! And it was wonderful to see Frank and JK take up the BE2c and Liz take up the P-40N at the end. Sadly most of the forumites had left by then to travel home but it was magic to see the BE2c in the circuit.

It was great to catch up with many friends and see lots of familiar faces who always make the effort to come along to these things, and also nice to see some new faces too. Thanks to everyone who came along and made it a special day.

Lastly thanks to those who supported the raffle for the Missing Wingman Trust. We raised $200!!

[suthg]

Thanks Dave - a wonderful get together and such great and interesting speakers and some good humour too! The weather responded and it turned into a lovely day. After a couple of Lo-Cal beers, I still needed a coffee in Huntly and one in Hams on the way home - saw my daughter and her husband too Home by 8pm.

[Dave Homewood]

Here are some photos I snapped today, I hope others have better photos:


Warbirds Vice President and Forum Meet Co-Organiser John "JK" Kelly opening the event


Sorry not a great photo, but a great pilot, Cliff Tait


WWII Sunderland pilot Stan Walker giving a marvellous talk


Current No. 40 Squadron Hercules pilot Dave Natapu, right, checking out ex-No. 40 Squadron Hercules pilot Geoff Cooper's logbook. Geoff is centre, talking with former Whenuapai Fire Master Kevin Farley.


Forum stalwart Errol Cavit


Dan Barnett


Les Bilcliff chats with Dave Natapu


Everyone getting settled back in after the lunch break


Flight Lieutenant Dave Natapu from No. 40 Squadron RNZAF




Steve Taylor talking about the mighty Sea Fury

[Dave Homewood]

Cliff Tait with the prototype Airtrainer ZK-DGY which he had so much to do with back in the 1970's




We came out to the front of the hangar to await the Roaring Forties Harvard Display




A late lunch for the Dakota crew, Jessica, Geoff and Yongxi


The Harvards arrived