WONZ 363 – Dave Bryant

Guest: David Bryant – RNZAF Air Electrician, later Avionics

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: ‎6th of October 2026

Released: 24th of October 2026

Duration: 1 hour 27 minutes 21 seconds

Dave Homewood talks with Dave Bryant who looks back sixty years over his career in the RNZAF and beyond in Canadian civil aviation.

Dave joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force straight out of school in January 1966, on No. 23 Course ACS at Woodbourne.

He was posted to No. 2 Technical Training School (2TTS) at Wigram in Janary 1967 for his Electrical Mechanics course, EM23. The course lasted until October 1967.

Dave was posted following his course to Strike Wing at Ohakea, and joined No. 14 Squadron RNZAF, operating Canberras. Dave talks about working on Canberras on the line at Ohakea, and on exercises at RAAF Tindall, and at Tengah in Singapore.

He worked on No. 14 Squadron for two years, until he was posted back to 2TTS in October 1969 for his electrical fitters course, EF 20. That course lasted 10 months and after that he was posted back to Ohakea and into the Electrical Section where he spent a further two years.

Dave was promoted to Corporal in about 1972, and was then posted back to No. 14 Squadron again, who were by this time operating the new BAC167 Strikemasters.

He was posted in January 1974 to No. 3 Squadron at Hobsonville, which was operating Bell Iroquois and Bell Sioux helicopters. On this squadron Dave spent a lot of time away, mostly at Waiouru doing army support work. He also went on a big exercise in Townsville, Australia, as well and a couple of army support trips supporting army units in the jungle in Fiji while the airmen camped on the beach.

In December 1976 Dave was promoted to Sergeant and a few days later was posted back to Ohakea where he became NCO i/c electrical. Following a couple of years of that he moved to Avionics HQ at Ohakea where he did some training work.

He left the Air Force in May 1980 and moved to Canada, staying in aircraft maintenance jobs, mostly in the helicopter sector of aviation.

Above: Dave Bryant, sixty years apart. Left, as a new recruit to the RNZAF in 1966, and right, today in retirement in Canada.

The passing out parade. Left to right John Herd, Paul Bolton, Mike Vale and Dave Bryant. The reviewing officer is Air Commodore Gill and beside him Cadet Flight Sergeant Nigel Wood. RNZAF photo.

A bed space in A flight. Unknown photographer.

A Flight. Unknown.

4 TTS basic engineering. Unknown photographer.

4 TTS basic engineering. Gary Danvers on the right. Unknown photographer.

A Flight rifle rack. Unknown photographer.

The TV room. Unknown photographer.

The school. Unknown photographer.

Dave says, “I am sure that these photos are from when the squadron deployed to Kong Kedak a former Japanese airfield in Malaya during confrontation. My brother was a member of the squadron at that time. Not my photos.”

“Flight line at Tengah during Confrontation. Not my photo.”

Dave says, “This one features my brother. From left to right Cpl Ron Boyes electrical fitter, 2 unknown RAF personnel and LAC Jim Bryant electrical mechanic. Jim told me that they were doing guard duty and were issued 5 rounds which they had to put in a pocket as they weren’t allowed to load their rifles. Kind of like deputy Barney Fife in Mayberry. This photo has to be 1964. RNZAF photo.”

Canberra starter.

Maintenance crew at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Suva 1975. Left to right Dave Bryant, Kevin “Baggy” Dowden, ? Spencer, Steve “Shorty” Albrecht, ? Sharpe, Dick Bunn.

“Our camp on the beach somewhere near Sigatoka. There was a hotel maybe a mile or so along the beach and you could walk there when the tide was out. One evening we paid a local to take there in his canoe, it was a fantastic ride. A balmy tropical evening, the moon shining on the water, phosphorescence on the bow wave of the canoe and flying fish zooming around. We had to walk back the camp later which was not quite as good.”

Over Lake Taupo o