The Wings Over New Zealand Show

Dave Homewood
  • 4.8 (6)
  • Aviation
  • Updated Weekly

Aviation Podcast Archive

  1. 6d ago

    WONZ 359 – Peter Pennell

    Guest: Squadron Leader Peter Pennell, retired, RNZAF Navigator Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: ‎17th of August 2026 Released: 27th of August 2026 Duration: 1 hour 59 minutes 6 seconds Dave Homewood sits down with Peter Pennell, a former RNZAF Navigator, for a chat. Peter was posted straight from completion of his training at Wigram to England where he joined No. 75 Squadron RNZAF and began conversion to the English Electric Canberra bomber. The squadron then collected six Canberra B.2’s and ferried them to their new base at Tengah, Singapore. The unit replaced No. 14 Squadron and were soon involved in operations as part of the Malayan Emergency. Peter talks in detail and tells some classic stories about those days in Canberras, particularly with No. 75 Squadron in Singapore for 2.5 years, and also about his next posting to No. 14 Squadron back home at Ohakea in the Canberra B(I).12 bombers and T.13 trainers. Peter was again deployed to Singapore with the Canberras, this time on No. 14 Squadron during the Indonesian Confrontation. After a year with No. 14 Squadron, Peter was posted to the Transport Support Unit at RNZAF Station Whenuapai where he converted onto Bristol Freighter transport planes. Once trained up as a navigator on the Freighter, he was then posted to No. 41 Squadron RNZAF, and made his way back to Singapore. The squadron was flying in support of Australian and US forces in South East Asia. He had a stint in Douglas C-47 Dakotas of No. 42 Squadron next at Ohakea, and then was posted back to Whenuapai to a non-flying role in Base Operations. He ended up having control of every aircraft movement in the RNZAF throughout New Zealand and overseas. Peter tells some absolutely classic stories, and in detailed clarity. Air to air view of No. 75 Squadron Canberra WH739 dropping bombs over Malaya.These are the first bombs dropped by No. 75 Squadron in the Malaya Emergency. Photo taken by Peter Pennell from the lead Canberra. Air Force Museum of New Zealand photo DPRSEA228-58. Above: Peter Pennell

  2. Aug 20

    WONZ 358 – Bomber County

    Guest: Dr. Dan Ellin of the International Bomber Command Centre, and Andrew Panton of the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: ‎28th of July 2026 Released: 21st of August 2026 Duration: 58 minutes 56 seconds Lincolnshire is Bomber County, remembered as the heart and home of RAF Bomber Command in WWII (even though a lot of Bomber Command stations were also situated in Cambridgeshire, Yorkshire and beyond, too.) In this episode Dave Homewood revisited the amazing Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby in Lincolnshire with Dr. Dan Ellin of the International Bomber Command Centre, which is based in Lincoln. Dan, who was last on the WONZ Show three years ago, updates Dave on everything that is now happening at the of the International Bomber Command Centre’s archive. This is an amazing and ever growing collection of Bomber Command photos, logbooks, documents and ephemera. And Dave and Dan then caught up with Andrew Panton, the General Manager of the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre. Andrew gives an update on the different things happening around the museum, including the restoration on Lancaster ‘Just Jane’, as well as plans to expand the collection and to build a new hangar and display building. He also talks about the recent visit of the Avro Anson Mk. 1 which used to be in New Zealand. Andrew also talks about their then-upcoming airshow (which took place on the 1st of August.) Quick Links: •  The International Bomber Command Centre •  The IBCC Digital Archive •  The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, East Kirkby Previous WONZ Show Episodes •  WONZ 285 Andrew Panton on East Kirkby •  WONZ 286 Dr Dan Ellin at the International Bomber Command Centre The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud. Dr Dan Ellin watching Lancaster ‘Just Jane’ complete her taxi run.

  3. Aug 15

    WONZ 357 – WOB: Tangmere Aviation Museum

    Guest: Paul Waite of the Tangmere Aviation Museum Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: ‎18th of July 2026 Released: 15th of August 2026 Duration: 53 minutes 25 seconds In this episode Dave Homewood visits the Tangmere Aviation Museum and he speaks with the museum manager Paul Waite. The museum is situated on the former RAF Tangmere airfield, famous as a front line station in the defence of the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain, and as a base for numerous Fighter Command an No. 2 Tactical Air Force squadrons taking the offensive back to the Germans thereafter. In the postwar years it also became the base of the High Speed Flight of the Central Fighter Establishment, whose pilots set some of the world speed records of the 1950s. Paul Waite outside the Tangmere Aviation Museum. Quick Links: •  Tangmere Aviation Museum Website •  Tangmere Military Aviation Museum Community on Facebook •  Tangmere Aviation Museum – Founder’s Page The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.

  4. Aug 9

    WONZ 356 – Wings Over Britain: Newark Air Museum

    Guest: Howard Heeley Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: ‎15th of July 2026 Released: 9th of August 2026 Duration: 1 hour 56 minutes 54 seconds In this episode Dave Homewood visits the Newark Air Museum, at former RAF Winthorpe, situated at Coddington, just outside of Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire. Dave was hosted by Howard Heeley, Secretary & Museum Trustee, who has had a long affiliation with the museum, and was the perfect person to talk about the history of the site and the collection, and the current and future happenings there. The Newark Air Museum has an amazing collection of military and civilian aeroplanes and helicopters, and tells the story of aviation in Nottinghamshire, Britain and beyond. It also honours the wartime and postwar crews who trained on the site, former RAF Winthorpe, and the sacrifices they made. The following photos taken on the day by Dave Homewood are laid out below in the order of how the exhibits are discussed in the podcast so you can follow along with visuals as you listen. Howard Heeley with the English Electric Lightning (Photo supplied) The RAF Winthorpe Memorial Garden Blue Steel in the workshop. This was a British air-launched, rocket-propelled nuclear armed standoff missile, built to arm the V bomber force.  Hangar OneStarting with the Lee-Richards Annular Biplane replica that was constructed for the film Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines. A rare General Aircraft Monospar VH-UTH The unique Reid & Sigrist RS.4 Bobsleigh (Desford) The Avro Anson, behind the Taylor Monoplane. Saab Viggen Above: The Upkeep mine that was recovered from Reculver, in Kent, where the weapon was tested before sed on the Dams Raid in 1943. WW1 heritage items The ‘Half and Half’ Tiger Moth with half the skin off to show the construction of the aeroplane. The Gnome with a watering can, inside the SAAB Viggen The famous prototype Taylor Monoplane, built by John Taylor in his living room. The Clutton Fred, G-BJAD de Havilland Sea Venom FAW.21 The Zurowski ZP.1 helicopter Hawker Seahawk FB.3 The SAAB Safir Parts recovered from the crash site of Avro Lancaster ME846. A wall dedicated to the memory of the crew of Lancaster ME486. The plaque create by the Dutch resistance members. The propeller from No. 617 Squadron pilot P/O Lewis Burpee’s Lancaster, ED865 (AJ-S), shot down on its way to Germany during the Dams Raid. All aboard were killed. A section of original Avro Lancaster, W4964. The Saunders-Roe (SARO) Skeeter AOP.12 military helicopter XL764, which Howard admits he owned himself as a 21-year-old. Below Left and Centre: Two-seat de Havilland NF.3 Venom. Below Left: de Havilland Vampire T.11. MBA Tiger Cub 440 The Avro Vulcan Howard Heeley with the Vulcan (Photo supplied) The e Havilland Heron airliner, ‘Sir James Young Simpson’. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23ML “Flogger” and Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-27K “Flogger” Hangar Two Gloster “Prone Pilot” Meteor F8  Gloster Meteor FR.9 (Mod) The Hawker Siddeley Dominie T1 The Folland Gnat and the BAC Jet Provost SAAB Viggen AJSH 37 BAe Sea Harrier FRS.1 / FA.2, ZA176 Avro Shackleton MR.3/3 Lockeed TriStar SIM (cockpit) Sud Puma HC.1 XW208 Handley Page Hastings T.5, TG517 English Electric Canberra T.19 Radar Trainer, WH904 Blackburn Buccaneer S.1 Cessna 310, right, and MS.880 Rallye de Havilland Dove North American Harvard The Avro Ashton fuselage Westland Wessex More Photos at the Newark Air Museum Quick Links: •  Newark Air Museum’s Website •  Newark Air Museum Facebook Group The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.

  5. Jul 9

    WONZ 355 – Clive Estcourt

    Guest: Clive Woodward Estcourt NZ391045, Pilot, Bomb Aimer (14th of October 1917 – 17th of Aug 2017 ) Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: ‎13th of August 2013 Released: 9th of August 2026 Duration: 2 hour 33 minutes 11 seconds Clive Estcourt had been a commercial artist and signwriter in Hamilton in 1939 when the war broke out, and he immediately volunteered to join the Royal New Zealand Air Force. He was sent to the newly-opened RNZAF Station Ohakea in the Manawatu region, and became one of the very first airmen posted into that base after it opened on the 18th of September 1939. He thought when he first joined that he was going to fly aeroplanes…. they made him the station postman! He soon was sidelined to become Ohakea’s station signwriter. He was able to set up his own workshop to make all the signs on the ever-expanding station. But he was still wanting to become a pilot however, and eventually in 1942 he managed to convince the RNZAF to post him to an aircrew course, starting at RNZAF Station Rotorua for his Initial Training Wing course. He then underwent flying training on Tiger Moths at No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School, at RNZAF Station Harewood. He was then sent to Canada to continue his training in October 1942, where he continued training at RCAF Dunnville flying Harvards. But this training did not go well, and he ended up getting getting the chop from the course. Clive was remustered to Observer trade, and completed his training in Canada, before being sent to Britain where he crewed up at No. 11 Operational Training Unit, Westcott. Clive suffered a severe mishap at the OTU and was forced to bail out, which he details, and was forced to do the course again. He was then posted to No. 75 (NZ) Squadron with his almost all-New Zealand crew, consisting of: Captain – Pilot Officer John Rees “Aussie” Layton DFC, RNZAF (NZ425914) Navigator – Flight Sergeant John Christie, RNZAF (NZ4212829), aka Jack, aka BenAir Bomber – Warrant Officer Clive Woodward Estcourt, RNZAF (NZ391045)Wireless Operator/Air Gunner – Flight Sergeant Ta Tio Tuaine “Tai” Nicholas, RNZAF (NZ425658) Mid-Upper Gunner – Flight Sergeant David Onslow Light, RNZAF (NZ4212848)Rear Gunner – Flight Sergeant Leslie Dixon Moore, RNZAF (NZ421327)Flight Engineer – Sergeant F. Samuel, RAFVR After one and a half months at RAF Mepal with the New Zealand squadron, Clive and his crew were selected to be posted from No. 75 (NZ) Squadron to No. 7 Squadron Pathfinder Force at RAF Oakington. They were on Pathfinder operations from October 1944 through till February 1945. During the tour with No. 7 Squadron PFF, the Navigator John Christie was badly injured in a motorcycle accident and he was replaced by:Navigator – Sergeant. Lloyd Edward Anger, RCAF (R200903) However, due to a non-operational error by the captain when he failed to turn up for a briefing, the strict command chain in PFF saw the crew sent back to No. 75 (NZ) Squadron without completing the PFF tour. This included Lloyd Anger who stayed with the crew. They carried on with the New Zealand squadron through February and March 1945 till the original members of the crew were tour expired. Clive completed 36 operational sorties over enemy territory in total, plus several other OTU flights close to enemy territory as well where they were creating a diversion to confuse German defences. Once he completed operational flying he became an instructor at No. 17 Operational Training Unit at Silverstone and Turweston. Postwar, Clive returned to New Zealand and was a member of a Light Anti-Aircraft unit in the Territorial Air Force in Auckland, before becoming the Adjutant of No. 7 Squadron Air Training Corps in Hamilton for 17 years. He was very active in the RNZAF Association, and as a special associate member of the Mess at RNZAF Te Rapa, Hamilton, till its closure. Clive was one of the New Zealand Bomber Command veterans who was selected to be flown to London for the unveiling of the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, on the 28th of June 2012. He was the oldest veteran in the New Zealand party, aged 95. Clive passed away on the 17th of Aug 2017, two months before his 100th birthday. Clive Estcourt with his “Memory Lane” as he called it, with his favourite photos and model Lancaster. Above: Clive Estcourt during WWII. Below: Photo from RNZAF Station Ohakea in 1939. Below: Ohakea, 1940. Clive is second from left. Below: Sports at Ohakea (1939-1942). Clive seated left. Airspeed Oxfords behind. Below: Aircrew training at RNZAF Station Harewood, Christchurch. Below: Training in Canada. Below: At Westcott, England. Below: Photos of Clive and his crew taken at No. 1657 Heavy Conversion Unit, RAF Shepherd’s Grove, before they were posted to No. 75 (NZ) Squadron. Below: Target photos from operations Clive and his crew undertook, Below: Postwar photos, including with the LAA Flight Note: This episode ends abruptly simply because that is how the original recording was. The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.

  6. Jun 6

    WONZ 354 – Maximum Effort

    Guests: Don Simms and Chris Newey Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: ‎1st of June ‎2026 Released: 6th of June 2026 Duration: 55 minutes 27 seconds “Maximum Effort” was a docu-drama made by the Ministry of Information during WWII about a crew of a No. 75 (NZ) Squadron Avro Lancaster bomber based at RAF Mepal in mid-1944. In this episode Dave Homewood, Don Simms and Chris Newey discuss the making of this film, the real life characters who appear as themselves, and the Lancaster that is featured, ND752. Portions of the original film footage, along with original black and white and recently colourised photographs are used to illustrate the discussion. This all-but-forgotten film is an amazing time capsule showing life at RAF Mepal, near Ely, Cambridgeshire, which became a little bit of New Zealand back in 1944-45. NOTE: It is recommended that you watch the original 18 minute “Maximum Effort” first, and the watch the WONZ 354 Maximum Effort video. There is an audio podcast version of the latter but the video is much more satisfying. Above: Avro Lancaster ND752 of No. 75 (NZ) Squadron as features in Maximum Effort, as the Whitting Crew’s regular aircraft. This is a colourisation from an original black and white from the collection of the late Bomb Aimer and New Zealand Bomber Command Association President Ron Mayhill DFC. Quick Links: •  The Air Force Museum of New Zealand •  The Museum of Transport and Technology – Home of the New Zealand Lancaster •  The New Zealand Bomber Command Association •  The New Zealand Bomber Command Association Facebook Page Footage and original soundtrack used from Maximum Effort in this podcast are Crown Copyright but are in the Public Domain. These clips are used here only to illustrate the narrative of the podcast. Below are other publicity stills from the film, which have been colourised by Dave Homewood using a mix of ChatGPT and Photoshop, as seen in the WONZ Show video episode. The original monochrome images came from the Air Force Museum of New Zealand collection, but will have been Crown Copyright images, and are therefore in the public domain.

  7. May 28

    WONZ 353 – John de Hoop

    Guest: Flying Officer John de Hoop (RAF 1810752, 191161) Wireless Operator-Air Gunner Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: ‎19th of November 2013 Released: 29th of May 2026 Duration: 1 hour 6 minutes 13 seconds John de Hoop was a Londoner who joined the Royal Air Force in 1943, and trained as a Wireless Operator-Air Gunner. The following year he was posted to No. 75 (NZ) Squadron at RAF Mepal, as a Wireless Operator on Avro Lancasters, in the crew captained by New Zealand pilot F/Lt Wylie Wakelin DFC. His final few ops were flown with S/Ldr Bob Rodgers as his captain. This recording was made at the time using Skype, as John lived in the UK. It was recorded as part of a wider WONZ Show project I was working on at the time that ended up not proceeding to completion. So it seems like it’s about time to share it with listeners. John passed away on the 7th of August 2016. John de Hoop (Photo via Dee Boneham) Two more photos of John, from Dee Boneham. Quick Links: •  John de Hoop obituary on the 75 (NZ) Squadron Blog •  The Wylie Wakelin Crew on the 75 (NZ) Squadron Blog •  The Bob Rodgers Crew on the 75 (NZ) Squadron Blog The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.

  8. May 24

    WONZ 352 – Les Olsen: RNZAF Armourer

    Guest: Warrant Officer Leslie James Olsen N74992 Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: ‎18th of March ‎2026 Released: 24th of May 2026 Duration: 1 hour 55 minutes 48 seconds Les Olsen joined the RNZAF as a Boy Entrant in January 1952. He trained as an Armourer in 1953, and ended up working on numerous units and squadrons over the next two and a half decades, working on guns, cannons, ejection seats, helicopter winches, torpedoes, turrets and more. Les serviced armament equipment on Vampires at Ohakea, Canberras and Iroquois at RAF Tengah in Singapore, and he was one of the first Armourers to work on the new Lockheed Orions when they arrived at Whenuapai in 1966. He talks about being on the duty crew when No. 75 Squadron RNZAF Canberra WF915 went missing in a storm off Malaya and F/O David Finn was killed. (Les misremembered the Canberra’s serial number.) And he talks about being the first RNZAF member to drop a torpedo since WWII. And he tells lots of other great stories. Les is also the Armourer trade’s historian, keeping records of all the RNZAF Armourers through the decades right back to the beginning of the trade. He talks about how this came about and what records he keeps, including theories about service numbers for Armourers early in WWII. Anyone who can add information, photos, memories, documents or anything else that might help Les’ research, he can be emailed at laurelesnz@gmail.com Les Olsen’s Boy Entrants Course. Members of No. 5 Draft, Boy Entrants School, practicing drill. Boy Entrants School, RNZAF Station Woodbourne. L-R: Front rank; Joe Wipani, Murray McIvor, Kerry McKee, Gerard Brown.2nd rank; Les Olsen, Gordon Browne, Bert Sergent.3rd rank; Murray McIvor, Bruce Moonie, Dave Jowett.4th at back: John Barrow (part obscured), Keith Libline. (It’s his hat on ground at right).Air Force Museum of New Zealand photo DM233-52, 08/06/1952 Les Olsen’s Boy Entrants Course. Members of No. 5 Draft, Boy Entrants School, watching General Service Instructor, Corporal Lionel Piggott, demonstrating the correct stance for firing a rifle during Weapons Training at the Boy Entrants School, RNZAF Station Woodbourne.L-R: Brian Churcher, Kerry McKee, Murray McIvor (part obscured), Keith Libline, John Barrow, Bill Moore (at back), Murray Hutchins, Colin Carr, unknown, Milton Mathieson, Bert Sergent, Les Olsen, Keith Turnbull, Alan Powell, Gordon Browne (at back), Bruce Moonie, Joe Wipani, Phil Jones.Air Force Museum of New Zealand photo DM234-52, 09/06/1952. Trainee Armourers watching the instructor, Mr. Frank Field, describing the parts of a weapon. No. 1 Technical Training School, RNZAF Station Hobsonville. This would have been the course before Les’ one, as he was still at Woodbourne on this date, but it nicely represents his Armourer trade training. Air Force Museum of New Zealand photo DM278-52, 17/07/1952 Quick Links: • The Royal New Zealand Air Force The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.

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