WONZ Episode 82: Peter Tremayne

[Dave Homewood]

In this WONZ Show episode I spoke with Peter Tremayne about his flying in the RNZAF between 1957 and 1977. He trained on Harvards and then went to Devons, and onto Bristol Freighters. He then volunteered for the RNZAF Antarctic Flight where he trained in New Zealand on the Beaver and the Auster. The RNZAF Antarctic programme was cancelled before he got down there but he was posted to The US Navy's VX-6 Squadron and flew with them on the frozen continent in a US Navy DHC Otter. He later went back to Freighters and flew operations in Borneo and then in Vietnam on this type. And he transferred tothe Lockheed C-130H Hercules with No. 41 Squadron in 1968.

Peter now lives in the USA where he runs an excellent website about his aviation experiences here: www.dudesdownunder.com/index.html

He also recently joined this forum as Tinman. He has told some fantastic stories here, and I am pleased to have captured some great history with this show. We hope to do a follow-up in coming weeks too to cover his fascinating post-RNZAF flying career.

Here's the episode:

www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZ_Show_81_90.html#Peter_Tremayne

[Dave Homewood]

I just edited the above post to add the download link as it's now online

[ErrolC]

This is great stuff!
Good chunky detail on making do with old stuff, and getting top-class training for the Ice.

[Dave Homewood]

I'm glad you enjoyed this Errol. Peter is a great guest for the show, isn't he? And some really good history in this episode.

[baz62]

Yes a great interview (so far, I need to finish it off). Certainly a revelation that a civilian Auster was used for training on the Tasman(?)Glacier with Harry Wigley no less!
While I was listening it seemed familiar and I realised that it was like listening to Noel Kruse. They can both certainly tell a story well and make it interesting.

[Dave Homewood]

Hey everyone, I'll be recording the second part of Peter Tremayne's story on Tuesday morning (NZ time). If you've had a listen to his first show, WONZ Show Episode 82, and you have any questions about the many interesting things he did and aircraft he flew in the RNZAF that he covered in the first show, feel free to send the questions to me and we'll cover them in the second recording. Peter is happy to answer any queries you have about the Harvard, Vampire, Bristol Freighter, Hercules, Auster, Beaver and Otter, etc.

If you have not yet had a listen to the excellent interview I did with Peter, have a listen to it here:
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZ_Show_81_90.html#Peter_Tremayne

[Dave Homewood]

So, no questions for Peter then?

[Dave Homewood]

I just had a phone call from Peter Tremayne for a catch up. Was good to hear from him, it's been a while. He mentioned tat he has changed the domain name for his website. It is no longer www.dudesdownunder.com, and is now www.flyingkiwiusa.com/