Warbird Radio Downunder! ...... My New Show!

[Dave Homewood]

I have an announcement!

As some of you will remember, I used to have a show on Matt Jolley's excellent Warbird Radio network, which is a station dedicated to warbirds, airshow pilots, military veterans and all things cool. My show was called The Wings Over New Zealand LIVE Show. It was different from my normal WONZ Show podcast in that we broadcast live on one Tuesday each month. I had a co-host who sometimes joined me on the show too, none other than fellow Kiwi living in Australia, Grant McHerron.

Sadly Warbird Radio came to a sudden end a few years back and the WONZ LIVE show had to be stopped.

Well, Warbird Radio is BACK!! Matt has resurrected the network and it has been putting out new shows for over a month now! The network no longer broadcasts live, but instead releases podcasts on the same topics as before. And Matt has very kindly invited myself and Grant to return with our show, which we are both very excited about.

BUT... our show is no longer broadcasting live, so that means I needed to come up with a new name for the show. It is now officially named "Warbird Radio Downunder"!

Grant and I hope to submit shows to Warbird Radio that will cover stories here in New Zealand, and also from Australia, and possibly from other parts of the world too that do not get covered by the US-focused shows on the network.

And available now - The first episode featuring an interview with John Parker of Hunter Fighter Collection talking about The Pat Hughes Spitfire project, and the museum collection.

www.warbirdradio.com/featured-shows-1/episode/20bc990c/warbird-radio-downunder-john-parker-ep-1

[ZacYates]

What a fantastic choice of first guest! I'm excited to listen. Well done Dave and Matt - good times ahead!

[Dave Homewood]

The second Warbird Radio Downunder episode is now online at Warbird Radio.

This episode is a recording of a presentation that former Bomber Command pilot and hero Peter Isaacson made to an audience in 2014, where he takes the listener on a bomber mission, describing all that was involved for the average bomber crew member on an average operational sortie. He also talks about the poor treatment by the British Government and the media of Bomber Command's leader, Sir Arthur Harris, and gives a perspective of 'Bomber' Harris as viewed from one of the men who flew in Bomber Command.

He delves into the baffling controversies that have been generated in recent decades about Harris and the bombing of Dresden, and other topics. And he presents some statistics that detail the losses, and other casualties, in RAF Bomber Command. A sobering topic indeed.

www.warbirdradio.com/featured-shows-1/episode/1c93ac05/warbird-radio-downunder-the-rafs-peter-isaacson

[Dave Homewood]

Somehow I missed posting this one!

Warbird Radio Downunder - Matt Henderson

WARBIRD RADIO - Warbird Radio Downunder Hosts Dave and Grant speak with Matt Henderson, who with his wife Kaz moved to Tocumwal airport's airpark in New South Wales in 2017, and then in 2019 they set up the Tocumwal Aviation Museum there.

Matt has researched the fascinating history of Tocumwal, which was one of he biggest aerodromes in the world when it was built by the Australian Government for the US Forces in WWII. By the time the construction was completed the war situation had changed, and the USAAF no longer required it. It was therefore handed over to the Royal Australian Air Force who made it into a massive repair and maintenance base for the RAAF Consolidated B-24 Liberators and other aircraft, as well as a paratroop training school, and more.

As well as the museum, and the popular cafe, Matt and Kaz also run airshows at Tocumwal, their third such event having just taken place in September 2023.

And they have just taken possession of a new addition to the museum, an ex-RAAF Macchi 326, A7-083, handed over by the Air Force on the 20th of October 2023. This episode was recorded two weeks earlier but was embargoed till the handover had happened.

www.warbirdradio.com/featured-shows-1/episode/1ee784e5/warbird-radio-downunder-matt-henderson-of-tocumwal-aviation-museum

[Dave Homewood]

The latest episode, featuring Jan and Jerry Chisum

www.warbirdradio.com/featured-shows-1/episode/2723f8e2/warbird-radio-downunder-jan-and-jerry-chisum

Warbird Radio Downunder Hosts Dave and Grant talk about Grant's visit to Hastings, near Napier in the North Island of New Zealand, during which time he caught up with Jan and Jerry Chisum at their hangar home on Bridge Pa aerodrome. Jan and Jerry own the 1920s de Havilland DH60 Gypsy Moth that Jan's father (Stan White) purchased in England and then flew down to Sydney, Australia before shipping it to New Zealand.

Fascinating as that story is, for this episode, Jan talks about their Gardan Minicab aircraft, some of the history of Bridge Pa aerodrome, and the other aircraft they've had in their hangar. And Jerry talks about his experiences flying the P-51 Mustang and B-25 Mitchell before discussing his Bucker Jungmann and the long project he's got to restore it back to flight. It's a great chat, and we thank Jan and Jerry for inviting Grant into their home which is full of aviation memorabilia.



NOTE: You can hear more of Jan and Jerry's story, including the history of the Gypsy Moth and Jan's father's story, and bush flying in Boeing 737s, in episode S02E014 on the Plane Crazy Down Under show at:

www.planecrazydownunder.com/2024/01/22/bush-flying-737s-in-alaska-a-long-haul-gypsy-moth-more-of-the-steve-padgett-story-s02e014/