Guest: Stephen Davies Howard
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 28th of April 2024
Released:  1st of June 2024
Duration: 1 hour 2 mins 37 secs

This episode is the second of the recordings from the recent Legend Aviation WONZ Forum Meet, hosted by Bevan Dewes and Lucy Newell of Legend Aviation at Hood Aerodrome, Masterton, on Sunday 28th of April 2024.

Stephen Davies Howard was a Royal Air Force fast jet pilot, flying McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms and Panavia Tornados during the Cold War, and the latter in the Gulf War. Steve joined the RAF in 1980 straight from school and the Air Training Corps, and following flying training he flew fighter jets. He was also an airshow display pilot in the Phantom. Later in his career he moved into strategic reconnaissance, and various British Ministry of Defence roles. After commanding squadrons and stations, he was posted to Washington D.C. in the USA as the Air Attaché at the British Embassy, where he was able to fly a number of the US fighter aircraft types including the F-15 and F-16. He eventually left the RAF as a Group Captain, and joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force, where he ended up as the Training Group Commander, also with the rank of Group Captain. Since leaving the RNZAF in 2010 Steve has run his own businesses, and is Deputy Commissioner of TAIC.

In this presentation, Stephen focuses his talk on his years as a young Phantom pilot during the Cold War years of the 1980s.

Quick Links:
• Legend Aviation
• Legend Aviation Facebook Page
• The Wings Over New Zealand Forum

The music heard in this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim Karud

Thanks to Allan Udy for the loan of his audio recording equipment.

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An RAF Phantom intercepting and escorting a Soviet bomber during the Cold War.</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Stephen Davies Howard (photo Dave Homewood)</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Stephen Davies Howard (photo Phil Treweek)</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Stephen Davies Howard and the audience (photo Phil Treweek)</figcaption></figure>