Unsung Héros

 In a speech on August 20, 1940, Winston Churchill delivered his now iconic and famous line, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”. He was of course, addressing the heroic efforts of the Royal Air Force and its pilots of various nationalities, who during World War II courageously fought in the Battle of Britain. 

The aerial battle raged for one-hundred days over the summer of 1940. A symphony of courage and determination that unfolded amidst the billowing clouds and echoing thunder of powerful aircraft engines. A sky full of Spitfires and Hurricanes, like agile dancers, pirouetting in a deadly duel with the Luftwaffe's menacing Messerschmitts. The skies above Britain became a canvas for a masterpiece of human resilience and valour. It was a battle not just of aircraft, but much more significantly, it was a testament to the triumph of human spirit against overwhelming odds. 

Eighty-three years after Winston Churchill’s speech, we still continue to ponder his words, particularly on Battle of Britain Day, commemorated annually on the 15th September. Just a small handful of the people addressed in his speech are still alive today. However, Churchill’s words are just as applicable to everyday life, in every community, everywhere.

All around us, often unnoticed, are selfless Individuals who willingly give up their own personal interests, comfort, or well-being for the greater good of society or a specific cause. This can take many forms, such as individuals dedicating their time, resources, or even their lives to help others, to resolve conflicts or advance particular social or humanitarian goals. 

Unsung hero’s seamlessly interlace every community and immeasurably enhance our everyday life. So, in an adaption of Winston Churchill’s words…”Everywhere on every day, so much is owed by so many of us to so few”.

A couple of hero's from the Battle of Britain. F/O Alan (Al) Deere (NZ) & F/O Colin Townsend Gray (NZ) - 54 Squadron RAF

Everyday heroes in our community...paramedic volunteers helping the the sick and injured. 

The summit of Mt Cook is 3724m (12.217 ft). It is literally the top of New Zealand and you can’t get any higher in the New Zealand to rescue anyone. The injured man was stuck on the very top of the mountain. 

Taupo based Greenlea Rescue Helicopter attending an accident scene where a person sustained multiple serious injuries. 

Spitfire as flown in the Battle of Britain (New Zealand Air Force Collection) 

First of May

Tomorrow is the 1st of May and ‘Down Under’, using the Southern Hemisphere colloquialism referring to New Zealand and Australia, this day signals the end of summer weather with the next winter waiting in the wings.

In a Northern Hemisphere environment the 1st of May, also known as May Day, traditionally celebrates Spring and the coming of Summer. In some countries it is recognised as a day to honour workers.

However, for myself, the day always brings to life that hauntingly beautiful song, “The 1st of May”, written and sung by Robin Gibb one of the three brothers who made up the Bee Gees. I well remember the song being released in 1969, it was the same year I begun flying as a pilot in the Royal New Zealand Airforce. 

The song’s lyrics emotionally describe the passing of time, the joy and renewal it brings and the importance of appreciating life's fleeting moments.

Now we are tall, and Christmas trees are small

And you don't ask the time of day

But you and I, our love will never die

But guess we'll cry come first of May

So no matter where you are in the world on the 1st May, whether the day is opening the door for you to Winter or Summer, it is a perfect occasion to reflect on the idea that life is fleeting and that we should cherish each moment while we can…the Bazflyers shall.

Here are some recent cherished moments in flight…

….and one for the First of May, where it is Autumn down under.

Taupō Airport

Airports exist all over the world. More than 40,000 of them in all manner of places. Some are huge and others are small. Together they cater for approximately 100,000 aircraft flights every day.

The busiest airport in the world is Atlanta International, except for just one week in July each year when that statistic belongs to Oshkosh Airport in Wisconsin. The annual EAA Oshkosh Airshow is a magnet for more than 10,000 aircraft.

In the world of airports, whether big or small, it is hardly an every day occurrence for the airport’s principal passenger terminal to close with the departure of a flight, then reopen in a new building located next door for the arrival of the next flight. This phenomena recently occurred on Taupo Airport…home base for the Bazflyers.

Change, of course, is a constantly occurring theme but transiting is often said to be the art of change. It is the important element making a successful connection from the old to the new and in this regard it can be fairly stated that moving from the old Taupō Airport Terminal to the new one was an “artful transition”. 

Taupō Airport might not be a record setter in any sense of the meaning, its definitely not a big airport, but its new airport terminal is certainly an individual statement in art. Not only is the building an architectural design reflecting Taupo’s volcanic environment, but a huge unique sculpture by famous New Zealand potter, Barry Brickell, adorns an interior wall. Saved from the scrap yard by a local businessman, Brickell’s A Study in Volcanology is one of 11 large pottery works he produced in his lifetime.

“A Study in Volcanology” terracotta mural by Barry Brickell

Commissioned by the Taupō Post Office in 1985, the imposing Brickell work stands 3.6 metres tall. It was split into two panels that sat either side of the building’s entrance. Subsequently, when the Post Office closed the panels were removed and reinstalled in a carpark where they languished until in 2014 the owner of the carpark advised it was going to be demolished.

Local businessman, Chris Johnston, has a deep interest in the arts and was aware of the significance of the Brickell artwork. It features 54 handcrafted terracotta tiles which collectively create a depiction of Lake Taupō, its surrounds and what lies beneath. It was based on Brickell’s own theory of volcanology.

Johnston arranged for the developer to let him know when demolition was planned so the artwork could be saved. Then, about a year later, Johnston got a call to say bulldozers were on the site and work was about to get underway. As it turned out the site owner had instructed the demolition contractor to take Brickell’s artwork to the landfill along with other waste from the demolition site.

Negotiation ensued. Johnston paid $4000 removal costs to become the owner of a work of art potentially worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, the tiles that made up the artwork stored in one of the businessman’s buildings, were stuck fast to large concrete panels and needed significant work to remove and repair.

Brickell died in 2016 at the age of 80. A few years later, Johnston arranged for conservation experts to remove the 54 terracotta tiles from the heavy concrete slabs they had been glued to. It was a complicated project, with a number of the tiles breaking and needing to be repaired.

The completed restoration now occupies a prominent place in the new Taupō Airport Terminal, where it can be viewed as one piece like it was always meant to be.

Final flight from the old Terminal

First flight at the new Terminal

Artful transition from the old Terminal to operations at Te Taunga Waka Rererangi o Taupō