Launching 'Wings over Australia'!

[JDK]

G'Day everyone,
We’re launching a very special event, inspired by the success of this forum and the Wings over New Zealand Podcast series.

It’s Wings Over Australia (WOA). We’re launching the appeal here, and we want your help in making WONZ’s 2015 offshoot a success.

The plan, developed by Grant McHerron of ‘Plane Crazy Down Under’ and myself, James Kightly (JDK / Vintage Aero Writer) is to bring Dave Homewood to Melbourne in November and to host him at my place, from where we’ll visit museums at Tyabb, Moorabbin, Point Cook and the B-24 Restoration facility, before visiting Temora for the Warbirds Down Under airshow. On top of that, we’ll also visit Canberra for the Australian War Memorial and maybe the AWM Treloar storage & restoration centre.

I'm covering costs of looking after Dave while I'm hosting him and driving, and Matt Austin has kindly offered to host us while we visit Temora. What’s left is to fund-raise money to get Dave from Cambridge, NZ, to Australia.

It should be fun, but it’s definitely going to be a lot of hard work as Dave will meet and interview a very interesting selection of veterans, aviators and historians in the Australian aviation and military history scene and record material for a special set of Wings of Australia episodes of his famous WONZ Show podcast.

(Here’s a quick link to some earlier WONZ podcasts that the Wings Over Australia shows should be similar to: Wings over Wairarapa show www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZ_Show_21_30.html#Ep30_WOW
Classic Fighters 2013 Airshow www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZ_Show_41_50.html#Ep_42_Classic_Fighters .)

Dave will also be introduced to Air Force veterans, warbird owners and restorers, museum experts and others interested in old aeroplanes in Australia, and you'll find numerous similar interviews already on the WONZ Show site at:
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZ_Show.html

But we need your help to make it happen. We’ve set up a ‘Give A Little’ account:

givealittle.co.nz/cause/wingsoveraustralia

and we need cash donations and, where appropriate, help in kind is welcome too.

We are looking at a range of rewards for donors. Donors of NZ$20 will get a personalised ‘thank you’ from Dave and a specially chosen set of images relating to the trip. For larger donations we are currently considering some options and are keen for suggestions and help.

There will also be an ‘Australian wing’ WONZ Forum Meet, probably at Temora on the Saturday night, but Dave’s keen to meet up with any forum members who can catch us as we travel too. Be in touch!

So we need you to make this possible. Please dig deep to fund this, and any other help that can be used will be gratefully taken on board. Current target is NZ$1,000, which should cover all cost we can’t avoid.

We plan to have a ‘helpers’ page acknowledging those that have made it possible, as well as acknowledging all donors that we can.

Any funds excess to the minimum costs we are working to will be passed over to the future running of WONZ, so it’s a double good cause.

Regards,
James

The Donation link: givealittle.co.nz/cause/wingsoveraustralia

[JDK]

And here's a note for the team & supporters at the moment:

Dave Homewood – Podcaster, Roving Reporter

Pete Anderson – Support, Guide, Liaison, Donor
Matt Austin – NSW Host & Support
Errol Cavit – NZ Host, Advice, Support, Donor
James Kightly – Host, Transport, Guide, Original Idea
Grant McHerron – Podcasting Support, Advice, Original Idea
Zac Yates – Support, Advice, Donor

[Deleted]

I don't know how much Support and Advice I've been able to give thus far, but this is a wonderful initiative and I hope every forum member chips in where they can. I LOVE the WONZ Show in its different forms and the idea of an Australian mission really gets me excited as there are so many amazing people, projects and locations to cover.

Like James said, dig deep folks!

[scrooge]

JDK, can you or an admin change the font colour of the hyperlinks- that will make them standout.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks James and all those involved in this. I must say it came as a real surprise, and a bit of a shock, when James phoned me recently and told me he and Grant were cooking up this plan to bring me to Aussie and show me around their museums and take me to their best warbird airshow. It took a bit of convincing from James before it dawned properly on me that it could really happen. I feel very humbled and amazed that these great people think enough of me to arrange all this. I appreciate everyone's help in arranging this and especially the donors who are making it happen, hopefully.

If this all comes together, I pledge to do my best to record some really interesting "Wings over Australia" shows, take loads of photos and film clips to share with you here, and to host some sort of WONZ Forum Meet in Aussie - maybe two, Temora and Melbourne area? It has been great to have our many Australian-based members here for the past decade and it would be wonderful to meet many of you in person.

I need ideas and suggestions please - who would you like to hear included in the shows? Who would you like to hear from the Australian warbird community, Australian-based veterans (I note that because there are several kiwi vets over there too), Australian aviation museum folk, and any other suggestions. Also what places would you suggest are worth a visit around the Melbourne, Canberra or Temora regions just to give me an idea of places to help with my planning (aviation-related or otherwise).

NOTE: If anyone out there in NZ, Australia or anywhere with aviation-related products, services, businesses or related ventures like museums, warbird rides, etc, wishes to make a donation of $50 or more to this cause, I can record an audio advert for that business/product/service/museum etc to be aired in each of the Wings Over Australia episodes, and the other regular WONZ podcast episodes released during the rest of 2015, plus a clickable banner advert to your website here on the forum. If you are interested in this offer please PM me.

Andrew, I have looked into and tried changing the font colour for links but I cannot work it out. It's all different under the V.5 version of Proboards and I couldn't get it to work I'm afraid. I'll set up a banner soon to make the Give A little site a bit more prominence.

[JDK]

Thanks for the suggestion Scrooge, I've also tried and failed to make the links more prominent. Can't seem to at the moment, but I'll have another try.

And as I'm sure most forumites agree, Dave does a terrific job here, and has been a real driver for recording and sharing New Zealand and world aviation history, much that would've been lost without his effort. Like many others, I'm proud and pleased to help Dave get further - in this case literally - on this task, and as ever, we're looking for other great helpers from the forum and beyond.

Let's make this happen!

[Deleted]

Hear hear - WONZ is a priceless resource and a great community to boot, so I'm proud to help Wings Over Australia.

Interview suggestions? Be careful what you ask for, Dave!! Judy Pay immediately springs to mind, Allan Arthur (hopefully he and his P-40 will be at Temora), Matt Denning (ditto for Temora), Steve Death, Ewan and/or Dave from the Moorabbin museum, just from the top of my head.

[Mustang51]

JDK, Wonderful idea by you and Grant. I shall certainly donate something. Perhaps for larger donations a candelit dinner with Dave....... just joking. I am very happy to be involved and hope that I can get Dave interviews with a few of the luminaries at Temora. Shall be a bit busy there but I am sure for an early arrival I can get some of the pilots to talk about themselves. Should interview Andy Bishop as well.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Zac. I don't personally know any of these people you suggest so I'll be relying on my Aussie friends to help set anything up with them, if it is possible.

[Darren Masters]

I am going to see the B-24 restoration on Wednesday (will share pics) but hey, different story. I am happy to donate some staff travel sectors to Dave during the dates (will still have to be paid for). Unfortunately I cannot fund them as I have just had one and a half months of work with a crook ear but the staff travel will be a lot cheaper than confirmed fares Happy to help out with accomm also if I am in MEL at this time Say the word...

[JDK]

Thanks all. Darren, that's really helpful, can I ask you to talk to Dave direct?

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Darren!

I'm not sure what that means but I'm sure you'll let me know.

[JDK]

I think this:



Needs to have a new text: "Who said this Dave can't fly to Aus?"

[Darren Masters]

Jun 22, 2015 16:20:10 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Thanks Darren!

I'm not sure what that means but I'm sure you'll let me know.

Staff travel my friend (on standby) so will have to check loads. Can't totally fund it but happy to contribute

[Darren Masters]

To give you an idea on price. You MAY be able to find cheaper confirmed. I have put in dummy dates...

[skyhawkdon]

What a brilliant idea. Donation just made!

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Don!! I appreciate it!

I note most of the donors are just leaving their name as Guest Donor, so I don't know who you were that have kindly given so far, but many, many thanks everyone!

[JDK]

Thanks Skyhawkdon, Wayno, Zac and Errol! Yes, as Dave says, we are very grateful to all donors. We are certainly going to have some neat rewards to donors who gave NZ$20.00 or more, so please leave your names if you don't mind, and we'll have you on the list.

Otherwise PM Dave with your name and donation (time and amount) and we'll be happy to add you to the list.

[JDK]

Up to NZ$320 as I write, so it looks like we should get there - great!

[Dave Homewood]

No chicken counting please Mr Kightly.