WONZ 345 – Flying Boat Month – David Wilkinson
About this episode
In this episode, Dave Homewood interviews David Wilkinson about his experiences with flying boats, particularly the restoration of a Taylor Coot.
Guest: David Wilkinson, SAANZ President Hosts: Dave Homewood Recorded: 22nd of January 2026 Released: 8th of February 2026 Duration: 58 minutes 06 seconds In this Wings Over New Zealand Show “Flying Boat Month” episode Dave Homewood speaks with David Wilkinson, who is President of the Sport Aircraft Association of New Zealand. He is also owner and pilot of a small fleet of aeroplanes, with his latest addition being a Taylor Coot flying boat that he has restored after it was close to becoming scrapped. The Taylor Coot is a two-seat homebuilt amphibious aircraft designed by Moulton Taylor , who was famous for his flying car designs. David’s example, ZK-JST, was originally built in the 1980s by SAANZ stalwart and Life Member Alistair McLachlan, who had been an engineer in the Royal New Zealand Air Force and with Air New Zealand. David talks about the history of the airframe and how he ended up acquiring it. He talks about the restoration process and the various upgrades he has made during the rebuild, including the installation of a bigger horsepower engine then before. And he talks about what it has been like to learn…
More episodes of The Wings Over New Zealand Show
- WONZ 349 – The Ventura Hunters
- WONZ 348 – RNZAF Helicopter Procurement
- WONZ 347 – Flying Boat Month: Grant Harnish
- WONZ 346 – Flying Boat Month – David Berger
- WONZ 344 – Andy Love on Warbirds Over Wanaka 2026
- WONZ 343 – Flying Boat Month – Paul Dalley
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