Jim Barclay | Historic Motor Racing & Airforce Blog

5 Sqn Diamond 9 Flypast Civic Ceremony

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A doused Sqn Ldr Jim Barclay with ‘champers’ bottle and Joanie Barclay on right, daughters Nicola, Tracey and Steph (in lower front) and 308th TFTS aircrew after Jim’s final F4 flight, Homestead AFB, Florida 26th January 1982

01 Jun

RNZAF/USAF F4 Phantom Exchange Posting 1979-1982 – Sqn Ldr Jim Barclay RNZAF

Sqn Ldr Jim Barclay F4E Phantom II AF66-309 309th TFS,...

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The remains of the fuselage centre section and severed main wheels of an RNZAF Hastings CMk3 – either NZ5802, or NZ5803. Some of the cockpit windows are just visible through the cockpit entry door as seen in the middle of the centre-fuselage section. Jim Barclay photo Ohakea July 1969

29 May

The Last Battles of Hastings: 1969 and 1971, at RNZAF Base Ohakea

RNZAF Hastings in service - The RNZAF operated four Handley...

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Transit from Darwin to Amberley at about 27,000 feet over the arid Barkly Tablelands – 75 Sqn A4K Skyhawk NZ6209 – Sunday 10th June 1973 – photo by Jim Barclay

01 May

Flying RNZAF Skyhawks on Exercise Blue Denim, and ‘Riding a Mirage’, Darwin

May/June 1973, by Jim Barclay Flt Lt Jim Barclay strapping into...

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75 Sqn Vampires – Hauraki Gulf 13 Apr 70

15 Apr

Flying Vampires with 75 Squadron 1969 – 1970

My introduction to flying in Vampires with 75 Squadron (Sqn)...

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Feature RNZAF Skyhawk Camouflaged Drop Tanks

23 Mar

Skyhawk stories – Drop Tanks and a Flash-fire

A4 painted drop tanks - what some may think is...

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1964 Wigram 18 January #25 Dennis Marwood Humber 80

16 Sep

Tasman Cup F5000 Racing – Dennis Marwood

1967 - Dennis Marwood – photo Euan Sarginson Dennis Marwood was...

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1985 #77 Tiga CG84, #70 Tiga CG85 – Le Mans 15 16 Jun 85

20 Jul

A Tribute to JAMES Howden Ganley (HAMILTON, NZ)

James Howden Ganley was born in Hamilton, New Zealand, on...

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1974 BayPark 29 Dec 74

10 Jul

Tasman Cup F5000 racing – Kenneth (Ken) James Smith OBE (Auckland)

Ken Smith was born in Orakei, New Zealand, on 11...

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RNZAF A4 Skyhawk

24 Apr

RNZAF Skyhawks – A Short History

RNZAF Skyhawks – A Short History Compiled by Jim Barclay with...

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History Of Bmw Motoracing

17 Sep

BMW Motorsport in New Zealand – A Brief History

There are two versions of this brief history of BMW...

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Oscar

23 Sep

Oscar, The Baron of Maungaraki

In about 1993, Oscar was born into this world as...

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Merv The Gnome

17 Nov

Merv – My exciting holiday at Ohakea 1987

Gidday. My name is Merv. I’m a Gnome. I was...

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About Jim

Jim Barclay is a former RNZAF pilot who flew a number of jet fighter aircraft including the Vampire, Strikemaster and Skyhawk, as well as the F4 Phantom with the USAF. In his service career, he held responsibility in a variety of positions including Commanding Officer of Number 14 and 75 Squadrons at Ohakea, Base Commander at RNZAF Base Auckland and Defence Attaché in the NZ Embassy, Washington DC. He also served as Project Manager for the purchase of the Aer Macchi 339 jet trainer aircraft, and attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in London. After 36 years of service Jim retired in 2001 in the rank of Air Commodore. He was awarded the Air Force Cross for outstanding leadership in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 1986.

Jim spent a little over five years from 2002 until 2008 as CEO of the Child Cancer Foundation of New Zealand. Under his vision and leadership the profile and brand of the Foundation was raised to be the number one children’s charity in New Zealand (Colmar Brunton 2007).

An avid motor sport enthusiast, Jim attended his first race meetings at Levin in 1956 and he has followed the sport nationally and internationally since then. He now owns and races a 1961 Historic single-seat racing car.