Episode Details

Guest: Kenn Cox, former RNZAF jet fighter pilot

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 23rd of February 2025

Published: 3rd of April 2025

Duration: 44 minutes, 40 seconds

In this episode we hear from Kenn Cox, the second speaker from the WONZ 20th Anniversary Forum meet at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, at Wigram, Christchurch.

Kenn was a young ‘bog rat’ Vampire pilot on No. 75 Squadron RNZAF in the late 1960s, and found himself as one of the ten pilots selected to be posted to Cecil Field in the USA in 1970 to convert onto the McDonnell Douglas A-4K Skyhawk, which had just been purchased by the New Zealand Government to replace the English Electric Canberras.

Kenn talks about the trip to the USA, the introduction to US Navy training, learning to fly the Skyhawk, and various adventures in the USA during the months that the group of pilots was there.

He also talks about operating the Skyhawk in the early days of its New Zealand service, navigating them around the country, and taking them up to Singapore for their first international exercises.

Quick Links:

• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand

• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand on Facebook

Thanks to Allan Udy for his assistance with recording this episode.

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