Host: Dave Homewood



Recorded: 2nd of March 2025



Published: 28th of March 2025



Duration: 40 minutes, 42 seconds



In this episode NZ Warbirds president Frank Parker is heard talking about flying the various WWII fighters he’s flown during his career. Frank was the first speaker at the WONZ 20th Anniversary Forum Meet at Ardmore on the 2nd of March 2025.



Frank talks about how he first got into aviation, and a little on his RNZAF career, before talking about how he got into flying and owning warbirds.



He then starts talking about getting a rating in Garth Hogan’s P-40N, which he and his wife Liz Needham ended up owning. Then he talks about flying the Supermarine Spitfire, the Yakovlev Yak 3, the Flug Werk Fw190 Focke-Wulf replica, the North American P-51D Mustang, the Bell P-39 Airacobra, and the Goodyear FG-1D Corsair. He also gives a mention to the L-39 jet, too.



Quick Links:



• NZ Warbirds Association Inc.



• NZ Warbirds Association Inc. on Facebook



Thanks to Stuart Russell for his assistance in recording and editing this episode.

































Video: You can also watch a video version of this episode, filmed by Stuart Russell for the WONZ Show, here:

Guest: Squadron Leader Paul “Skids” Harrison, RNZAF



Host: Dave Homewood



Recorded: 18th of March 2025



Published: 21st of March 2025



Duration:  1 hour, 20 minutes, 4 seconds



In this episode Dave Homewood talks with Squadron Leader Paul “Skids” Harrison, who is currently an instructor with No. 14 Squadron RNZAF on the Texan II’s, but he also has a long history as a fast jet pilot with the Royal Air Force.



Skids joined the RAF in 1985 after several years in the Air Training Corps in his hometown of Brough, Yorkshire, in the UK. He trained as a pilot on the Jet Provost Mk. 3 and Mk. 5, and progressed to the BAe Hawk.



Selected for fast jets, he was posted onto the Blackburn Buccaneer, and following a six month Operational Conversion Unit course on the type, he became operational on the type with No. 208 Squadron RAF, based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland.



Skids ended up deploying to Bahrain with the squadron as part of the RAF’s Operation Granby, the air component of the first Gulf War. He and his navigator were laser designating targets for the RAF’s Tornado fleet to drop their bombloads on.



Following the war he remained with the Buccaneer squadron till the type was wound down and retired. He then became an instructor on Hawks at RAF Valley for a couple of years.



Returning to operational aircraft, Skids did an OCU to learn to fly the Sepecat Jaguar single-seat supersonic attack aircraft. He spent time back over Iraq in this type in the policing role, as well as in Norway and other parts of the world. He then was attached to the Omani Air Force for five years, again flying the Jaguar, and other types.



A visit to New Zealand with his wife saw them fall in love with the country, and eventually they moved here five years ago. Skids joined the RNZAF, and is based at Ohakea as an instructor.



Photos from Paul “Skids” Harrison:



Work up (and down) sortie in Bahrain during Gulf War 1, on the 31st of January 1991. A Panavia Tornado leads two Blackburn Buccaneers over the desert.







A young Flying Officer Skids Harrison on day one on on the Buccaneer in January 1988.



Buccaneer, creating spluff! Circa 1992.



Day One on the Jaguar, with his course mates December 1997.



FLTLT Rob Harrison (SON) on the way to Incirlik, Turkiye, September 1999



A Jaguar over northern Scotland (not Skids flying) showing the over-wing Aim 9 missiles, c. 1998.



November – and why I don’t have one all the time. No. 208 Squadron, RAF Valley 2014.



Why the South Island is so stunning, 2022.

WONZ 20th Anniversary Forum Meet – Wigram



Guest: Wings Commander Brett Marshall, Museum Director at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand



Host: Dave Homewood



Recorded: 23rd of February 2025



Published: 17th of March 2025



Duration: 44 minutes, 49 seconds



In this episode Dave Homewood introduced Brett Marshall, the first speaker at the WONZ 20th Anniversary Forum Meet – Wigram. This event was a special gathering of WONZ Forum members and aviation fans to celebrate 20 years of the Wings Over New Zealand Forum.



Brett Marshall is an ex-RNZAF pilot who flew Fokker Friendships, Hawker Siddeley Andovers, and Lockheed C-130H Hercules transports. He is now the Museum Director at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Wigram.



Brett talks about his background in the RNZAF and with the Museum, and he gives an overview of the history of the Wigram base, which is home to the AFMNZ, and is the birthplace of the RNZAF.



He then talks about the arrival at the museum a few days before of the Hercules NZ7001 which was big news, and the plans for it and the building it will go into that he is working on raising the funding for. He also talks about the Lockheed P-3K2 Orion that will also go into the building.



Quick Links:



• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand



• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand on Facebook



• Here is a previous appearance by Brett Marshall on the WONZ Show





























The proposed new building on the left to house the Lockheed C-130H Hercules and the Lockheed P-3K2 Orion.



Thanks to Allan Udy for his assistance with recording this episode.

Guest: Craig Compain, ex-RNZAF and ex-Royal Navy Fighter Pilot



Host: Dave Homewood



Recorded: 9th of January 2025



Published: 9th of January 2025



Duration:  1 hour 57 minutes, 58 seconds



In this episode Dave Homewood speaks with Craig Compain, who grew up in Wanganui as an aviation-minded kid and ATC cadet, and he joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1992 as a pilot. His initial training began at the General Service Training School at RNZAF Base Woodbourne, in an experiment the Air Force was conducting to train Officer Cadets like Craig with the non-officer Air Force Cadets. He then joined what was the final Wings course conducted at RNZAF Base Wigram before the Flying Training Wing moved to Ohakea, learning to fly on the NZAI CT/4B Airtrainer.



He was then sent to Ohakea for the advanced course on the Aermacchi MB339C Macchi jet, before gaining his wings and being posted to No. 14 Squadron, on the path towards strike jet training. After time on the Macchi, Craig was posted to Royal Australian Navy Base Nowra (HMAS Albatross), to convert to No. 2 Squadron RNZAF’s TA-4K Skyhawks. Following the conversion course he stayed on with the squadron and took part in many exercises around Australia.



Returning to New Zealand, Craig was next posted to No. 75 Squadron RNZAF, again flying Skyhawks. He talks about the two Exercise Vanguards that he took part in up in Malaysia and around Asia, and adventures he had in the Skyhawk.



By late 1999 he was on an instructor’s course and then was posted to the Pilot Training Squadron, training pilots on the PAC CT-4E Airtrainers. It was while he was there and looking forward to returning to fast jets that the Labour government cancelled the General Dynamics F-16 deal, and then dismantled the RNZAF Strike Wing. Craig found himself out of a job.



He travelled to London and approached the Royal Navy with the hope of flying for them. Like the Skyhawk, the Sea Harrier was another jet fighter that had long been a childhood dream of his to fly. Luck was on his side and he was accepted quite readily, and very soon found himself doing the year-long Harrier conversion course.



Eventually Craig became operational on the Harrier, and served with the famous No’s 800 and 801 Naval Air Squadrons, embarking at different times upon all three aircraft carriers that were in service at that time, HMS Invincible, HMS Ark Royal and HMS Illustrious. He talks about his first carrier landing in a Harrier, having a major aircraft issue during the Red Flag exercise in the US right next to Aera 51, instructing pupils on the Harrier and more. He also talks about flying both the Harrier and the Hawk through the famous Mach Loop. He also flew numerous types of aircraft in training roles, and for a while flew the Sea Harrier in airshow displays in its last season, until scaring himself too much at a Biggin Hill Air Fare and quitting the display flying.



Craig experienced another career ending political move when the UK government decided to scrap the Sea Harriers. He left the Royal Navy and very nearly joined Virgin Galactic in a flying role, which may have led to him becoming New Zealand’s first astronaut – but an unexpected turn of events before he got there saw him end up in the City of London’s financial district working for a hedge fund firm.



When the Global Financial Crisis hit, Craig then returned to flying when a position came up as pilot of a Challenger private jet. He worked through a few different business jet jobs till landing a dream job as private pilot to Sir Richard Branson. He talks about how that job took him around the world a...

Guest: Dr. Adam Claasen



Host: Dave Homewood



Recorded: 12th of November 2024



Published: 28th of November 2024



Duration:  1 hour 17 minutes, 26 seconds



This episode is a recording of a presentation given by historian and author Dr. Adam Claasen at the Resthaven Community Hall in Cambridge, on the evening of Tuesday the 12th of November 2024.



Adam was talking about the subject of his latest book “GRID”, about the life of Air Commodore Keith Logan “Grid” Caldwell, CBE, MC, DFC & bar, Croix de guerre. The book was recently released by Massey University Press, and covers Grid’s life of adventure as a fighter pilot in World War One, where he became New Zealand’s top scoring ace, and his days between the wars leading the New Zealand Air Force (Territorial) and a key member of the Auckland Aero Club.



And then in World War Two Grid took on leadership roles, commanding both the main flying training stations, Woodbourne and Wigram, and then spending time as the RNZAF representative in London and in India.



Grid Caldwell (1895-1980) was a wonderful Kiwi hero, a tenacious fighter and a great man. Adam’s talk gives an entertaining and insightful look into Grid’s life, whetting the appetite to read more in the book. ‘GRID’ has been listed among the top 10 life story books of the year by The Listener. If you wish to get a copy, the book can be purchased here or all good book stores:















Above: Dr Adam Claasen. Below: More of Adam’s books.













A line up of Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a aircraft of B Flight, No. 74 Squadron, Royal Air Force, at Clairmarais South airfield, France. (Image from the Keith Logan Caldwell personal collection. Air Force Museum of New Zealand)

Guests: Elliott Marsh-Healy, Huw Hopkins, Greg Marsh, Harry Measures and Oliver Stevenson



Host: Dave Homewood



Recorded: 12th of November 2024



Published: 12th of November 2024



Duration:  1 hour 18 minutes, 21 seconds



In this episode Dave Homewood talks with the team behind the brilliant new magazine, The Vintage Aviation Echo. Joining Dave on this show are the magazine’s editor, Elliott Marsh-Healy, sub-editor Greg Marsh, editor-at-large Huw Hopkins, photographer and visuals lead Harry Measures, and graphic designer Ollie Stevenson.



The guys talk about their background in aviation, and their passion for the warbird scene – both the aeroplanes and the people involved. They speak about how The Vintage Aviation Echo came about, first as a fantastic website and now as a gorgeously printed in-depth magazine. And the team also discusses the UK airshow scene and the warbird restorations that they most look forward to seeing in the air in the near future.



And as an exclusive to The Wings Over New Zealand Show, we get to see the first preview of an article that will be upcoming in the future Volume II, that will be out around May 2025. To see this preview, you can watch the YouTube version of this episode below.








Elliott Marsh-Healy



Greg Marsh



Huw Hopkins





Harry Measures



Ollie Stevenson








Quick Links:



• The Vintage Aviation Echo site



• The Vintage Aviation Echo on Facebook



• Fighter Flights for New Zealand and Australian sales of the VAE



• Oliver Stevenson – Wartime Artwork
























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