For our February Members event, Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre was delighted to welcome special guest speaker Geoff Piper, who delivered a captivating presentation on Squadron Leader James “Spud” Clinton Francis Hayter DFC & Bar (1917–2006).

Visitors to the Dangerous Skies exhibition will recognise Hayter as the dashing young pilot accepting a glass of champagne — but behind that striking image lies one of the most remarkable survival stories of the Second World War.

Born in New Zealand, Hayter flew with the Royal Air Force throughout WWII. His wartime career was marked by extraordinary resilience, including being shot down during the Battle of Britain. Over the course of the war, he cheated death an astonishing 19 times through crashes, shoot-ups, and even a dramatic escape from the German army. His courage and determination earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar.

Due to limited space, Geoff’s presentation at Omaka was held exclusively for members. We are now pleased to share the full recorded presentation below so a wider audience can experience this extraordinary story.

Geoff Piper first encountered Hayter’s story while visiting Omaka from the UK two years ago. After seeing the exhibition, he was inspired to learn more.

“I was hooked because he parachuted into my town and landed about 500 metres from my house,” Geoff explains.

Hayter had been shot down over the Weald — the very area where Geoff lives. That remarkable coincidence sparked an in-depth research journey. Geoff undertook an extensive study into Hayter’s life, including meeting Hayter’s niece in New Zealand, uncovering personal connections and historical records that revealed the full scope of his extraordinary wartime experiences.

“This talk is an amazing tale,” Geoff says. “The story of a WW2 Kiwi pilot who flew for the RAF for the whole of the war: Jim Hayter DFC and Bar. After much research, I found that his story was amazing. He was a survivor. and I tell the tale of his career, including him cheating death 19 times through crashes, shoot-ups and an amazing escape from the German army. I present this with a fully illustrated PowerPoint presentation. I think that you will be astonished at his story.”

Geoff’s background makes him a natural storyteller. A retired physics teacher, he has spent a lifetime teaching and presenting.

“I have loved my life teaching and presenting lessons. I always like to add humour to my talks as I did in my lessons on the basis: if I enjoy it, the audience will.”

His lifelong love of aviation led him to serve as Officer in Charge of CCF RAF cadets for 33 years. After retiring at 65, he achieved a long-held ambition by gaining his private pilot’s licence.

Having already delivered his presentation in several venues across the United Kingdom, Geoff returned to Omaka to share his findings with the aviation community here — the very place where his journey of discovery began.

If you ever get the chance to hear Geoff speak, we highly recommend you take it! Everyone in the audience, including plus ones, had a brilliant time and left with more stories to tell. We cannot wait to hear what inspires Geoff's next presentation.

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