December 2009

Riding the Waves

When Peter Cooper ventured from his regular UK haunts recently, he discovered a Kiwi pilot living in Canada flying de Havilland floatplanes for West Coast Air—a busy Vancouver-based company.

A Century of Naval Aviation - RNAS Yeovilton Air Day

The annual air show at RNAS Yeovilton was a little bit different—and rather special—this year because it celebrated a century of naval aviation in the UK. Pacific Wings’ UK correspondent, Peter Cooper, was there in the wind and the rain to cover the event.

From Bundy to the Mount

More used to flying 300-ton airliners (and checking and training others to do the same), Ross Crawford recently joined Tim Holland, the CFI of Auckland-based Euroflight International, to ferry two tiny Jabiru aircraft across the Tasman.

Centre of Excellence

Recognised for its high standards in operating both scheduled and charter airline services, Vincent Aviation—centrally based in Wellington—also operates a busy Part 145 maintenance organisation to equally high standards.

Earlybird’s Armistice Day

Phil Lightband is the exception to the rule about there being no such thing as an old, bold pilot. Now old (technically, at least), Phil has been bold since he first flew an aeroplane at 14. He recently celebrated his 65th wedding anniversary on Armistice Day—at the controls of a plane.

Early Topdressing Memories

Bob Allen is a veteran New Zealand topdresser. Beginning in de Havilland Beavers, Bob became an early pioneer in the operation of larger aircraft and flew both the Lockheed Lodestar and Douglas DC-3 in agricultural operations.

Letters from War - Déjà-Vu

In his latest “Letter from War”, Don Harward talks about the returning memory of a past a mission—one that, perhaps, he’d rather forget.