Guests: Air Commodore Nick Osborne

Hosts: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 8th of October 2025

Released: 8th of October 2025

Duration:  1 hour  41 minutes 29 seconds

In this episode Dave Homewood interviews Air Commodore Nick Osborne RAAF, known to all as Oz.

Oz is a former fast jet pilot in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, who then transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force in 2002. He talks about training in the NZAI CT/4B Airtrainer and the BAC 187 Strikemaster Mk. 88 jet, before being posted to fly Skyhawks with No. 75 Squadron during a particularly busy period with exercises and other work.

He had a varied career thereafter, including an exchange posting to the RAAF flying Aermacchi 326’s and Pilatus PC-9s, becoming staff at the Central Flying School and a member of the famous Red Checkers aerobatic team, and also instructing on RNZAF Aermacchi MB339CB’s with No. 14 Squadron.

He was made Commanding Officer of No. 2 Squadron at Nowra, NSW, in Australia, on one of the best postings in the RNZAF. He then went to Kosovo in a UN role as a peacekeeper. And at the end of his stint there he was promoted and appointed to become Commanding Officer of No. 75 Squadron which he took up on his return to New Zealand.

He would be the final commander of that famous squadron, and he talks about that period of the RNZAF losing its Strike Wing.

In 2002 Oz transferred to the RAAF, and joined No. 76 Squadron at Williamtown, instructing on Hawks. Over a period of a decade h worked his way up to become C.O. of that unit before heading to Afghanistan in charge of a drone reconnaissance unit.

He finally ended up in non-flying staff roles, and he continues to work for the RAAF now as a Reservist with the rank of Air Commodore.

Quick Links:

•  The No. 75 Squadron Association Facebook Page

•  A previous episode that Nick appeared in briefly, WONZ 120

The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Air Commodore Nick Osborne (from Nick’s Facebook page)</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Above: Air Commodore Nick Osborne during the Zoom interview.</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Passing out parade of No. 8/81 Air Crew course on the parade ground at RNZAF Base Wigram.
Group Captain Max Hope presenting Pilot Officer Nick Osborne his Pilot’s badge.
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nick’s Pilots course 8/81, Strikemaster phase, in front of No. 14 Squadron Strikemaster NZ6366. RNZAF Base Ohakea. L-R: Back; D Post, Nick Osborne, AR McGuire, DL Houghton, TDW Lang. Front; DB Saggs, HJ Kim, MG Woodhouse, Rod Fortune, PFA Muysert. OhG2750-82</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nick as a Skyhawk pilot (from his Facebook page)</figcaption></figure>

Below: The North And South article from February 1987

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Below: Don Simms has kindly provided the following photos of Nick’s RNZAF service from his archive:

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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Above: 75 Sqn Exercise Vanguard: – Wing Cmdr CO 75 being interviewed by TV3.</figcaption></figure>
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