WONZ 257 – The Air Force Heritage Flight

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Guest: Squadron Leader Michael Williams

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 7th of April 2022

Released:  7th of April 2022

Duration: 1 hour 16 minutes 36 seconds

The Air Force Heritage Flight is the newest unit of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and in this episode we hear from its Flight Commander, Squadron Leader Mike Williams. The Ohakea-based unit consists of a mix of the RNZAF’s current Beechcraft Texan II training aircraft and a variety of WWII warbirds. They have worked up a display team routine for airshows, and also will be making special flypasts around New Zealand.

This unit replaces the now defunct RNZAF Historic Flight, and takes the goals of that previous unit to the next level. As well as a way to engage today’s younger airmen and airwomen with their service’s heritage, the Flight will also be showing the flag to the public, and hoping to inspire the next generation of RNZAF aviators and engineers.

The AFHF’s first major event happened just a few days ago when the four-ship formation of the Spitfire, Avenger and two Texans flew from Ohakea to Christchurch and back again, flying over as many towns and communities along the way as possible so that people could see them. It was a huge success with a massive engagement from the public who turned out to watch, wave, photograph and video the AFHF flying over.

Their next big outing will be in two days’ time on Saturday the 9th of April 2022, when they fly north from Ohakea to Whenuapai over loads of cities, towns and communities along the way, and then back again on a different route. For details see here:

Mike also talks about his own career in the RNZAF, what is happening with some of the aircraft that were with the old Historic Flight, and also he goes into scary detail of his major engine failure and belly landing in Harvard NZ1015, which was the catalyst for the change of direction to create this new unit.

Quick Links:

•  The Air Force Heritage Flight Facebook Page

•  The Biggin Hill Historic Aircraft Centre, RNZAF Ohakea

Video Version:

The Air Force Heritage Flight formating over the Manawatu. Closest to the camera is SQN LDR Sean Perrett in the Biggin Hill Trust’s Supermarine Spitfire IX PV202; then SQN LDR Paul Stockley and SQN LDR Stu Anderson in the RNZAF Beechcraft Texan II’s NZ1407 and NZ1409; with SQN LDR Jim Rankin in the Biggin Hill Trust’s Grumman Avenger NZ2518, known as “Plonky”. The Flight Commander, SQN LDR Mike Williams was flying the Harvard NZ1076 as the camera ship, and the photographer was Gavin Conroy who gave his permission for this photo to appear here.
SQN LDR Michael Williams in the RNZAF’s Harvard NZ1015
Mike flying Brett Nicholls’ Harvard NZ1065 (Photo Gavin Conroy)
Mike in the Curtiss P-40N Kittyhawk ZK-CAG, when he gained a rating in it with Frank Parker and Liz Needham.
Mike with Harvard NZ1015 when he took it to Warbirds Over Wanaka in 2018.

The music heard in this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim Karud

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