May 2026 Lunch

Our Chairman Norman Rodda welcomed a slightly smaller number than usual, probably due to early holidays, and reminded us of the passing of Austine Young, not only one of our longest serving members at twenty four years but also the person who introduced the most new members.

Our meal was a Pork Chop with Cider Apple Sauce, Herb Diced Potatoes and Braised Cabbage, followed by a delicious Key Lime Pie.

After lunch Bill Scott introduced Geoff Piper to tell us about "The 19 Lives of Squadron Leader James "Spud" Hayter" the amazing WW2 Kiwi Fighter Ace.

Geoff a retired physics teacher discovered Jim Hayter whilst visiting the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre in New Zealand. Geoff found out that Jim Hayter had parachuted into his home town about 500 metres from his house and decided to investigate further.

Born in New Zealand, Hayter flew with the Royal Air Force throughout WWII. His wartime career was marked by extraordinary resilience, including being shot down during the Battle of Britain. Over the course of the war, he cheated death an astonishing 19 times through crashes, shoot-ups, and even a dramatic escape from the German army. His courage and determination earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar.

Thank you Geoff for a fascinating talk and for documenting Jim Hayter's 19 Lives.

For those of you who missed Geoff's presentation you can watch the whole talk on the Omaka Aviation website www.omaka.org.nz Search under the News section.