WONZ 346 – Flying Boat Month – David Berger

Guest: David Berger Hosts: Dave Homewood Recorded: 11th of February 2026 Released: 14th of February 2026 Duration:  1 hour 53 seconds In this Wings Over New Zealand Show “Flying Boat Month” episode Dave Homewood speaks with David Berger, who is an ex-pat British doctor who lives in Fernmount, NSW, in Australia, and works in Broome, in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. But he has a hangar at Omarama, Central Otago, and he spends a fair bit of time in this country flying his aeroplanes. He owns a Piper Super Cub, a Cessna 185 and his beloved Republic Seabee which he based here in Omarama. David talks about the history of the Seabee, and what it is like to fly. He also tells some fascinating stories of flying long distance trips around the world in the Cessna, etc. Quick Links: •  Republic Seabee •  Spencer Air Car •  The Franklin Engine Company •  SeaBear Aircraft •  Honoria Glossop The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud. David Berger and his Republic Seabee, which carried the name “Honoria Glossop” The Omarama hangar, with the Super Cub and the Seabee tucked up inside. David’s Super Cub VH-YUP on a gravel bar in the South Island of New Zealand David’s Cessna A185F N185MW, ‘Honey Bun 7’, seen here at Cameron Corner, Queensland in the Strzelecki Desert. David’s sons Tom and Ed and some locals refuel the Cessna at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, in the Solomon Islands. This was a major base for RNZAF Hudsons and Venturas in WWII. Below are some of David’s videos of the Seabee operating from Lake Ohau And here is the Blue Horizons movie that David spoke about in the episode