Had some photos scanned

[Gavin Conroy]

Here are a few photos I have scanned lately.
Most were taken with very old cameras including the old instamatic but thought you may find something of interest and have added more to my website.

First visit of TB 863 to Woodbourne and the first time I saw a Spitfire.
Was worth wagging school for.




Two rare machines together:

First Kahu T Bird:

View from the Cat:

Nice P40:

Cant you just hear it?

DC3 crash site in the Marlborough Sounds:

Four Bristol Freighters in formation.

Sorry for the quality of some of these and will psot more once I scan some more.

[turboNZ]

Betcha all those Frightners made a racket !!!!

Great pics, thanks for sharing

[Dave Homewood]

Superb shots! I was there the day that Stephen Grey flew the Spitfire into Woodbourne, a day I'll never forget - the first flying Spitfire I ever saw.

Gav, were you in the RNZAF or did they allow civvies to wander around the top secret Kahu Skwawk?

What was the occasion of the four Freighters, their retirement perhaps?

And can you tell the story of the DC-3 crash?

[Gavin Conroy]

Wasnt in the RNZAF but spent some time in the Army with the RNZIR.

I was an air cadet then and it was a good time to be so thats how I got that photo.
104 flight was still there and Airtourer 63 was the bas aircraft so lots of flying for us
I remember seeing an inert maverick while there and was quite amazed how big they were.

The Dak crashed on a hill side I think in the late 40s and was later blown down the hill side.
A group of us went looking for it and you can see it on some topographical maps.
I think it crashed due to having the ADF of similar set wrong.
I have some better photos so will dig them out and boy it was some very dense bush and a very steep face to get down to it and the wings and rear fuselage were there with the front section closer to the water.

As for the Bristols, that photo was taken on there last flight around town and seeing, well I should say "hearing" was quite a sight to behold.

[Peter Lewis]

capphotography said:

The Dak crashed on a hill side I think in the late 40s and was later blown down the hill side.
A group of us went looking for it and you can see it on some topographical maps.
I think it crashed due to having the ADF of similar set wrong.
I have some better photos so will dig them out and boy it was some very dense bush and a very steep face to get down to it and the wings and rear fuselage were there with the front section closer to the water.

ZK-AOE ex NZ3541 - "BOC No.1 ASU Hamilton. To No.41 Squadron, Whenuapai. To Air Secretary, Air Department 19 February 1947. SOC Harewood 31 May 1947. To NZNAC as ZK-AOE on 20 June 1947. Used as freighter. Crashed Marlborough Sounds, South Island 09 August 1948 killing both crew."

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Gav, I never knew an Airtourer was based at Woodbourne, I thought they had always lived at Wigram. Cheers.

[p40fanatic]

Gav, thanks a million for posting these! I always get a kick out of seeing some older shots of NZ birds, be they civil or military. And those shots of Mr Grey in the Spit......PHWOAR! Keep 'em coming!

[beagle]

admin said:

Thanks Gav, I never knew an Airtourer was based at Woodbourne, I thought they had always lived at Wigram. Cheers.

It certainly was there in the mid 80's as in 1984 I flew it.
The night before we had the Dance Exponents playing in the Base institute and I was very hung over the next day.
I was at ARS at the time and the CO was a Sqn Ldr Des Ashton who being an engineering officer also had a military pilots licence.
"young beagle", come with me...
For the next hour or so we did loops, barrel rolls, stall loops, the works.
I think he was trying to make me sick, but I survived the lot, enough for him to let me fly part of the way back.