Welcome to This Week’s CANAV Books Blog

Air Force One Spotters + Canada Post on the Rampage Again + The Fabulous Lockheed Twins + The “Air Transport in Canada” book deal of the decade + The Great Janusz Zurakowski’s Autobiography + Air-Britain and the Nastiest of Nasty Book Reviews

Good day to all CANAV fans and I hope that your summer is humming nicely along so far.

Be sure to have your copy of this summer’s CANAV main booklist: 1-canav_books_may2021_lowres-summer_fall-2021

The Spotters are a Diligent Bunch … The comings and goings of Air Force One sure have been closely watched and enjoyed by millions in the UK and EU this week. Check out some of the pix & footage on the web. Google VIDEO: Air Force One lands at RAF Mildenhall for G7 conference, etc. Well worth a look at this spectacular flying machine!

Hot Off the Press for June 9! Canada Post Lays It on the Peasantry Yet Again (It’s Time to Sheer the Sheep)

Today, Canada Post announced a series of painful rate increases for this fall. If you’re feeling masochistic, you can get the ugly details from the Canada Post website. I’m writing about this to Mr. Doug Ettinger, Canada Post CEO and cc’ing my MP Hon. Erskine-Smith. Let’s see if I hear anything back — I’ll let you know. However, a few months ago I requested a replacement “Venture Card” from Canada Post. How simple, right. So far? Dead silence. But really … what a miracle it is to hear back from any Ottawa bureau, MP, etc., other than perhaps getting one of those insulting “Dear Sir or Madam” letters. Isn’t it great how closely connected and loved we peasants are to/by our masters in Ottawa? Here are my thoughts to Mr. Ettinger about this season’s postal rate hikes:

Thanks but no thanks, Canada Post. Each time you do this, you drive more small Canadian enterprizes such as CANAV Books out of business. Because of your Mafia-like rates, CANAV Books, for example, today has few USA or International customers. We used to have hundreds.

Your rates also have driven away hundreds of our domestic readers. Who will buy from us when postage exceeds the price of a book? You are out of touch and — sadly to say – appear instead to be greedy exploiters and tax collectors, instead of intelligent, clued-in, pro-Canada public servants who understand and respect Canadians’ needs and interests first and foremost.

Isn’t it ironic how the objectives of the Canada Council in promoting Canadian history, cultural affairs, etc., are directly undermined by what Canada Post does every year by punishing book publishers with higher postal rates? Aren’t the ministers involved supposed to be collaborating instead of torpedoing each other?

Too bad for your customers, for you certainly have us over a barrel, right. We small-volume businesses have few options, all things considered. Who else is going to deliver our books to Nunavut, NWT, remote areas of BC, Northern Ontario, etc?

Besides again hitting every average Canadian taxpayer in the pocket book, your actions today seriously undermine the important “Small Business” sector of our economy. Instead of giving us some postal rate relief, you’re once again happy to lead small business off for its annual Canada Post sheering.

One of our readers has made a good point. Canada Post presently couldn’t be much of a cash cow, as I earlier stated. This news release explains: “Canada Post recorded a loss before tax of $779 million in 2020, even while delivering record-high Domestic Parcels volumes.” That’ll be a story unto itself, right –volume of work soars, revenue pours in, profits head for the dumpster. With that out of the way, it’s on with the show:

The Great Lockheed Twins

Our main new item today covers the great Lockheed Twins in Canada – the L.14 Super Electra and L.18 Lodestar, with more to come in the next installment (and … if you search for it, trhere’s an earlier item about another great Lockheed Twin — the Jetstar). A bit further down there’s also the story of the great Jan Zurakowski’s autobiography, my first big aviation road trip, 400 Sqn at Camp Borden, Great Lakes freighters, and the world’s most horrendous aviation book review.

If you have an interest in northern flying, take a few minutes and search out these older blog items. Just enter the dates in the search box: June 29, 2012 … January 13, 2013 … February 27, 2017 … March 25, 2017 … and April 11, 2018. This is all solid history with loads of original photos and aviation trivia that any fan will love.

An item covering the great Lockheed Twins came to mind as I flipped through some ancient negatives. If you go back to our earlier blog item “Postwar Adverts” (find it by using the search box), you can get a bit of background to this story in the advert telling how TCA was selling off the last 18 of its 10-passenger L.14s and 14-passenger L.18s. Many of these soon were converted for corporate VIP use. In a nutshell, today’s item is about the tail end of the glory days for these great, pre-WWII and wartime airliners. Most of those with which we had become familiar already had given years of top service at CPA, TCA or the RCAF.

As boys hanging around Toronto’s airports in the 50s and 60s, spotting one of the big Lockheed twins made any visit worth the day’s effort. In fact, rarely a visit passed without spotting one, especially since several were based at Malton: BA Oil CF-BAL and CF-BAO, Canada Packers CF-CPL, Imperial Oil CF-TDB, Massey Ferguson CF-MFL and CF-TDG, Noranda Mines CF-TCV. Then, there frequently were visitors . We often saw the Kenting aero survey Hudsons and L.14s, the oil company “exec” Lodestars from Calgary, then there were the many US corporate Lodestars and Venturas. There was a certain allure about each of these handsome Lockheeds. While we seemed to take for granted all the lovely exec DC-3s, the Lockheeds stood apart, somehow.

With the war over, the RCAF fleet of Hudsons and Lodestars quickly had been put on the market for civil operators or scrap dealers. This business was conducted by government-run War Assets Corporation of Ottawa. Big dealers such as the Babb Co. of New York, Los Angeles and Montreal took the lion’s share of the business, buying up fleets of Harvards, Cansos, Lodestars, DC- 3s, etc., then re-marketing them to operators from the USA and Europe to Brazil, Indonesia, etc. To follow what happened to all the RCAF Lockheeds, the ultimate source is Air-Britain’s seminal book, The Lockheed Twins (Peter J. Marson, 2001). Many other important Lockheed books are available to broaden the interested reader’s horizons, including Beyond the Horizons: The Lockheed Story (Walter J. Boyne, 1998). Naturally, much also is on the web, but start first with your books – the ultimate information goldmines. Copies of any of the Lockheed titles always can be found at such used book sites as www.bookfinder.com

For Part 1 of this presentation, I’ve pulled out a dozen of my by-now 60- year-old 2¼ b/w negatives, wiped off most of the dust, and made the scans. Most of the caption information comes from my old airport notes and several Canadian Civil Aircraft Registers of the day. Supplementing this is good info from various books, and Terry Judge’s important Canadian civil aircraft history website https://www.historicccar.ca Here you go, Enjoy the show!

Ex-RAF Hudson CF-CRJ is one of my earliest Lockheed Twin photos. Here it is in a standard ¾ front view at Malton Airport on October 9, Originally USAAC 41-23631, it was transferred to the RAF under Lend Lease to become BW769. It was delivered to RAF 45 Group (Ferry Command) at Dorval around October 1942, but some accident ensued. It then was acquired by Canadian Pacific Airline in 1946, repaired and registered CF-CRJ. CPA added six such Hudsons, but I know little about their use. Perhaps they were spares for CPA’s small fleet of L.14s. In 1949 CPA sold its Hudsons to the Photographic Survey Corp., which was more commonly known as Kenting Aviation Limited of Oshawa (base) and Toronto (offices). My earliest copy of the CCAR (1955) listed CF-CRJ, ‘K and ‘L. These served through the 1950s and early 1960s from the Canadian Arctic to South America, even distant Ceylon on aero-survey contracts. By good fortune, in 1967 “CRJ” was donated by Field Aviation of Toronto to some history-minded Newfoundlanders headed by A.J. Lewington, DFC. Thanks to this foresight, it survives today in wartime colours at the North Atlantic Aviation Museum in Gander.

L.14 CF-TCH originally joined Trans-Canada Air Lines in August 1938. Perhaps replying to the advertisement you’ll see in “Postwar Adverts”, Nickel Belt Airways of Sudbury bought “TCH” in January 1948, but this deal may have gone awry, or else, Nickel Belt suddenly re-sold “TCH” to the British American Oil Co. of Toronto. When “BA” upgraded to a Lodestar in 1953, “TCH” was sold to California-Atlantic Airways in California, where it became N66578. In December 1956 it resumed its old registration when brought back to Canada by Photographic Survey. While on an Arctic contract, “TCH” suffered an accident at Hall Lake on the Melville Peninsula, NWT in July Likely because Hall Lake had access to the summer supply barges serving the Canadian Arctic, “TCH” was shipped south for repairs. These were made, for here sits “TCH” at Malton on January 21, 1961. However, the era of such big old planes in aero survey was near its end, for companies such as Photographic Survey were starting equip with modern types such as the Aero Commander and Cessna 310 to fly many of their contracts. “TCH” went for scrap in 1962.

Another famous old TCA L.14 was CF-TCN, which had begun its Canadian career in May 1939. However, with its new fleet of DC-3s serving Canada so well postwar, in 1947 “TCN” was sold to Montreal Air Service. In May 1951 it moved west to Winnipeg for Central Northern Airways, then joined Argosy Oil and Gas of Calgary in 1956. Through the 1950s such Lockheeds were favored by Canadian oil companies. While a DC-3 offered a more comfortable VIP cabin, the Lockheeds had speed, so could reach their business destinations across Canada in Toronto, south to Texas, etc. much faster. I was quite excited when spotting “TCN” at Malton on November 25, Commander Aviation of Toronto had acquired it, so the freshly-painted “TransAir” colours were baffling. Others had title to “TCN” until in 1964 it finally went to Execaire of Montreal, an upstart corporate charter company. I’ve heard that “TCN” was Execaire’s first aircraft. The company gradually grew into Canada’s premier bizjet charter operation. Today it operates a fleet of Challengers and Globals. Does Execaire remember its humble beginning with a beautiful little 1939 Lockheed 14? I took this shot on the Airport Road side of Malton on the Sanderson Aircraft lot. Across the field (and across Runway 28- 10) you can see one of the old wartime hangars, which by this time mainly were occupied by corporate DC-3s, Lockheeds, Doves, Beech 18s, etc.

Another Kenting Lockheed 14 was CF-TCO, which had begun with TCA in July 1939, then joined Kenting in October 1947. It suffered a belly-landing at Aklavik in the Arctic in August 1959, then had another crash- landing at Cambridge Bay north of Aklavik about a year later. One can only imagine the brutal cost in manpower and expense in making major repairs at these remote sites. Around 1970 “TCO” was stored at the Bradley Air Museum in Connecticut, where it remained to the early 1990s, and where it received some storm damage. Today, it’s at the Kermit Weeks Museum in Florida. When “Hurricane Charley” hit the museum in 2004, “TCO” suffered more damage, so is not likely to be seen in pristine form in the very near future.

CF-TCO was a fine sight at Oshawa on July 9, 1960 as it taxied for takeoff. The only visible mod on these ex-TCA planes was their Hudson-type nose from where the navigator guided the pilot when they were flying photo or electro- agnetic lines. With these two views of “TCO”, you can see how photogenic a Lockheed was from any angle.

Having started as USAAC C-60A 42-56041, Lodestar CF- CPK came to Canada for CPA in July 1943. It then served the company’s far- flung routes from Vancouver, across the Rockies to Edmonton, and north down the route to Whitehorse and other points on the Northwest Staging Route. Duties included supporting wartime construction projects such as the Alaska Highway and the CANOL pipeline. With the advent at CPA of the DC-3, “CPK” was sold in 1950 to Canada Packers Ltd. of Toronto, a major meat processing company. With the market for surplus military and airline Lodestars then booming, several specialist aircraft refurbishment companies thrived at converting Lodestars, DC-3s, A-26s, etc. for executive use. These mainly were American-based, as was Remmert Werner of St. Louis. In Canada, however, Canadair of Montreal also turned out several impressive conversions from a Lodestar for Massey Harris, a Lodestar for BA Oil, a PBY-5 for Texaco and a DC-3 for Goodyear Tire and Rubber. On February 10, 1960, in the same ice- storm at Malton that led to a TCA Super Connie crash-landing (see blog item “CF-TEZ Comes to Grief at Malton”), “CPK” flew through a tree while trying to land, then diverted to Niagara Falls, NY. Soon afterwards it was sold in the US as N170L, where a list of owners ensued. Canada Packers then acquired Lodestar CF-CPL. On October 16, 1969 “CPK” was flying between Opa-locka and St. Petersburg, Florida when fire erupted. A successful crash-landing was made, but the old Lodestar was a dead loss. In this classic view, notice how “CPK” proudly flew the company logo. These still were the days when a corporate plane often showed the company colours, unlike today, when nearly all such aircraft operate in as much secrecy as possible. I photographed “CPK” running up at Malton on February 5, 1961.

On June 29, 1960 we again were skulking around Malton. When checking out the wartime hangar line, the magnificent Massey Ferguson Lodestar taxied in. What a shot it made with that great background of afternoon cumulous cloud. Ordered originally by LAN Chile, the Lodestar had been diverted as a C-57 to the USAAC, was delivered in April 1943, then loaned to CPA, where it became CF-CPJ. In August 1944 it moved to TCA, becoming CF-TDG. In 1948 it was converted by Canadair for the Massey Harris farm implement company of Toronto, and later was upgraded to Learstar specs, e.g. with the long, slim nose. Massey Harris soon became Massey Ferguson with a corporate fleet at Malton including the Learstar, Super Ventura CF-MFL and D.H. Dove CF-GYQ. By 1960 some flashy new turboprops were appearing in Canada. Massey Ferguson’s three older planes soon were replaced by one of the spectacular new Grumman Gulfstreams, CF-MUR. “TDG” briefly was registered in the 1960s to Execaire of Dorval, then ended its days as an attraction in a Montreal children’s park. Sadly, vandals spoiled TDG’s retirement when they set it on fire!

Lodestar CF-INY fires up at Malton on October 6, 1961, then is seen landing on Runway 23 date not known. Originally USAAC C-60A 43-16444, “INY” had spent the war with the Free French Air Force, then returned to the US in 1951, becoming N94539. It went to American Liberty Oil Co. in 1954, then became N30R with Continental Oil. In April 1956 it came north to become “INY” with Hudson Bay Oil and Gas of Calgary. It returned to the US in 1962 as N7994A, after which it faded into obscurity.

BA Oil’s glorious-looking Learstar CF-BAO at Malton on June 29, 1960. Starting as USAAC C-60A 42-55903, it served at a glider school, maybe as a tow plane. It was sold as war surplus in August 1945, becoming NC44886. There were various owners until Bill Lear acquired it in 1954 to make his first Learstar (N16L). Lear sold this flashy new conversion to BA Oil in February 1955. BA eventually became Gulf Oil and acquired a Convair 440 for its Toronto base. “BAO” still was registered to BA Oil in 1966, then was sold to the Clairtone company in Toronto. In 1968 it went to Newfoundland’s famous Lundrigan family, where it stayed into 1971, then returning to the US, becoming N41CA. Last heard of “BAO” was owned in Plymouth, Michigan, from where it finally was de-registered in 2012.

Another oil industry Lodestar visiting Malton from Calgary: CF-IAX had begun as USAAC C-60A 42-32181. Early after the war it went to Mexico, returned to the US in 1954 as N4652V, then moved to Calgary in 1965 for the California Standard Oil Co. It returned to the US in 1963 to fly as N3779G for such companies as Coast Redwood Products. “IAZ” is one of the rare former Canadian Lockheeds to have survived – it may be seen in RAF colours at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, California. I can’t find the exact date when I shot “IAZ” on the Genaire ramp at Malton c.1960.

Our presentation finishes with the first Lodestar the I ever photographed. CF-TDE of Southern Provincial Airlines was based at Toronto Island Airport when I shot it there on September 26, 1959. Having joined TCA in October 1942, it later served BA Oil as CF-BAO (a previous “BAO” to the later Learstar), then reverted to “TDE” when sold to Canadian Aircraft renters, the parent company to Southern Provincial. This company then was searching for a raison d’être as a small charter airline, but soon realized that this market did not yet exist. “TDE” was sold in 1960 into the US as N9063R, then moved on to Peru to work in aero photography.

“Air Transport in Canada” — An Offer You Can’t Refuse

No Canadian aviation books covers the Lockheed Twins better than Air Transport in Canada. This massive (1030 pages, 2 volumes, 5 kg, etc.) title is a real treasure (see the details and reviews in the attached booklist). Besides everything else under the sun, “ATC” covers a long list of Lockheeds in their roles as airliners, executive planes and aero survey workhorses. You’ll be happy to hear that “ATC’s” $155++ sticker price no longer applies at CANAV. You can get an autographed set for yourself or an aviation pal for $65.00 all-in delivered anywhere in Canada. Really, no kidding! (USA CAD$80.00 all-in, International CAD$160.00 all-in)

Pay directly to larry@canavbooks.com with PayPal or Interac. Or … post a cheque in Canadian dollars (or US$ equivalent) to CANAV Books, 51 Balsam Ave., Toronto, Canada M4E3B6 (email me if any questions larry@canavbooks.com)

Janusz Zurakowski – Not Only about Flying

At long last here is the life story of the great Avro Arrow test pilot, Janusz Zurakowski. Originally written by Janusz in Polish, it’s now in English. This is what we’ve been awaiting for decades — the great man’s story starting with his boyhood, education and early years in the Polish Air Force. With the sudden fall of Poland in 1939, Janusz joins thousands of Poles escaping to the UK to continue the fight. The RAF/Polish fighter squadrons in the Battle of Britain help turn the tide against the Luftwaffe. Janusz shoots down several enemy planes and commands Spitfire squadrons. Late in the war he attends Course 2 at the Empire Test Pilots School.

The war over, Janusz’s joins Gloster as a test pilot first flying the Meteor, then the Javelin. Politics at Gloster leads him to Canada, where he becomes chief test pilot on the Avro Canada CF-100 program. Starting in 1957 he adds to his renown by making the first flight of the CF-105 Arrow. Finally, we hear from the great man himself about the Arrow – this you need to know. This exciting period suddenly ends with the demise of the Arrow, which Janusz had flown 20 times. The book finishes with the post-Avro years. Janusz keeps up his interest in aviation, but focuses on family and the famous Zurakowski summer resort in Barry’s Bay, Ontario. This is a really important addition to understanding and enjoying Canada’s aviation heritage. You’ll enjoy this well- crafted book with every page you turn.

224 pages, softcover, photos. $30.00 all-in (USA and International CAD$40.00) Pay directly to larry@canavbooks.com with PayPal or Interac. Or … post a cheque in Canadian dollars to CANAV Books, 51 Balsam Ave., Toronto Ontario M4E3B6

Air-Britain Goes After CANAV Books: The Nastiest of Nasty Book Reviews

We ran this item last time around. If you are new to our blog, for the full context you can scroll back and read the series covering the history of CANAV Books since 1981. For now, I want to keep this item front and centre, so all our visitors can get an idea about how organizations such as Air-Britain and their so-called book reviewers can be ever so nasty, deliberately causing real damage to small publishers such as CANAV Books over here “in the colonies”.

As expected, Air-Britain has not issued an apology to CANAV, but we live in hope. The “reviewer” himself has not yet crawled out from his slimy depths. Here’s the story:

So far there are 40 years of CANAV titles – 40 years, 39 books. As you have seen over this 7-part series, all have been eagerly received by readers and reviewers alike. Few aviation publishers have had such grand reviews. This leads us to scratch our heads at a review published by one of the world’s most respected journals, “Air-Britain Aviation World”. No serious aviation researcher can get by without Air- Britain’s books and other incomparable publications. We all lean in Air- Britain.

A particular review of Noorduyn Norseman Vol.2, appeared in Air- Britain’s June 2014 edition. Here at long last is my response to this outright attack against CANAV Books and myself by supposed professionals. Somehow, the Air-Britain train came off the tracks for this one. Instead of publishing a serious piece, the reviewer (sounding much like the fellow “reviewing” Pioneer Decades)and his publisher seem more like really angry people with some personal score to settle. (I equate the reviewer and Air-Britain, since they combined to produce this travesty.)

First some background: In its December 2013 edition, “Air-Britain Aviation World” published a so-so review of Norseman Vol.1, describing it as “well illustrated and full of personal accounts”. We can see, later, that this anonymous fellow has distain for the “personal” side of a book, as he demeans our Norseman Vol.2 for making use of personal accounts. This may trace back to the standard Air-Britain book, where references to human beings can be scarce to find among the masses of dates, places, and tail and serial numbers.

Next, this reviewer diminishes himself and his publisher by grumbling about how “expensive” the book is. Even worse, he rues the day that the second volume arrives, implying that no reader will be able to afford such a horrendously “expensive” pair of books. This sounds like someone with zero knowledge of book publishing. He apparently doesn’t even realize that most Air-Britain books cost more than our Norsemans! I’m looking for some logic here, but not finding any.

What devoted lover of aviation books ever fusses about sticker price? The book is the thing, the price is inconsequential, other than for those few idiosyncratic and obsessive cheapskates. They have a problem, but it’s not our. The question for a professional book reviewer is: how is CAD$50 “expensive” for such a large-format, beautifully turned out/costly-to-produce book? After all, $50 is not out of line these days even for a paperback! What gets into a “reviewer’s” head to make such a doltish comment? Notes this clueless person, “the two volume set will be expensive and we would have preferred to see the whole history combined in one book at this price”.

How Air-Britain’s editor accepted this submission boggles the mind. Nonetheless, he approved it and our book now officially is condemned as “expensive”. This is doubly stupid when, as mentioned, one looks at Air-Britain’s very own list of books. This is too funny. Here is a sampling of recent Air-Britain  titles, each by no means over-priced, yet ll pricier than our Norseman books. The Air-Britain staff and board should be ashamed of themselves for accusing CANAV of producing unfairly-priced books: Auster Production History £39.95 (approx. CAD$69.50)

Bristol Fighter £59.95 (approx. CAD$104.00)
Piper Aircraft £52.55 (approx CAD$95.00)

By comparison, Norseman Vol.1 is a bargain, especially considering its premium production qualities – the paper, glue and ink of any book. I’ve purchased many Air-Britain books over the decades and have never given thought to their sticker prices. These prices always are fair. To the true aviation bibliophile, we need all such books, we love them, we buy them. What does price have to do with anything? Another point about Air-Britain’s line of books … they are prized for their content, but rarely for their production qualities. Is this really what bothers Air-Britain about CANAV? That Air-Britain books are not beautifully-produced? I’m just floundering for an explanation here. With Air-Britain books, the paper and binding always are cheap. I have several which, after years of use, are falling apart (not that I care). However, show me a CANAV book that isn’t holding up. So … what is the logic with this so-called Air-Britain book review?

Its mind made up about “expensive” books, and with little interest in our Norseman books’ content, Air-Britain then lay in wait for a year for Norseman Vol.2. Finally getting his hands on a copy (but perhaps not, by the final look of his “review”), the reviewer was eager to tear Vol.2 to pieces – the only person in the world to date with such a twisted passion against our books.

“We have to say we are disappointed”, he begins, starting straight in about the price. This fellow is a laugh a minute. Then he attacks Vol.2 for not including enough about Norsemans outside Canada. Really? There is a mass of information and piles of photos, including a beautiful stand-alone chapter. How does this fellow put it? “We would also have expected more recognition of Norsemans outside North America than a couple of photos.” Here he really tips his hand – this is not a book review, it’s a personal, belittling attack by him and Air- Britain on a particular author and a particular publisher. Mr. Anonymous then moronically complains about no mention in our book of the Widerøe /Norway story. In fact, there are five pages devoted to Wideroes/Norway, all this good material gathered with the help of several competent Norwegian aviation historians, including an old-time Widerøe Norseman pilot. One wonders just how much further an author must go to please the hard-nosed, implacable people at Air- Britain?

Air-Britain continues by ranting that the French Norseman conversions are not included. No? Kindly see p.291. It then bemoans the lack of a production list. Of course, much of what Air-Britain produces is straight production lists and thank goodness that that is their passion – the rest of us need all that good material. So … where is CANAV’s Norseman production list?

CANAV Books knows all about production lists. From “Day 1” with our CF-100, North Star and Sabre books, etc., there are detailed lists galore in the appendices. All the top UK periodicals over 40 years have raved about our magnificent production lists.

However, Norseman Vol.2 already was at 304 pages. To add a production list and do it justice would have meant a good 40 extra pages, so made publication tougher to finance. Nonetheless, had a superb Norseman production list not already existed, CANAV certainly would have gone beyond the limit and included one. Anyone knowing CANAV understands that. However, our “reviewer” is so clueless as to be unaware that the very best Norseman production list imaginable already was available in 2014 at  noorduynnorseman.com  (today’s  norsemanhistory.com ). Had this doltish fellow simply read the Preface of our book, he would have seen this explained. Right there on Page 8, I praise this world-class production list and urge all to go there for what further they may require about individual Norsemans. (This makes me wonder … did Air-Britain actually ever have a copy of our book in its hands? It appears not.)

With such a beautiful, professional resource as  norsemanhistory.com  at one’s finger tips, CANAV was saved the huge extra cost of creating a Norseman production list and the months/years of work and cost required. Of course, there is no way that our “reviewer” might grasp any of this. But the Air-Britain staff and board surely understand such things, so why did they become partners in this nasty business?

To put the icing on his cake, look how this travesty of a book review ends: “The author seems to have little interest in the history of the aircraft and concentrates on the soft and easy focus on personal anecdotes and experiences and some pretty pictures.” So ends what likely is the most damning and utterly moronic so-called review in aviation book publishing history. Shame on this nasty dimwit and on Air-Britain, which is hugely diminished in the eyes of decent, intelligent, objective readers, historians and others who love good books.

By permitting such garbage to stink up the pages of their normally superb journal, the Air-Britain staff and board have done their organization a wretched disservice. Sadly, in pushing their role as an anti-CANAV outlier, they effectively managed to blacklist our Norseman books in the eyes of Air-Britain readers. They also turned booksellers against CANAV. Are they proud of this? This simply smells too much of being a planned conspiracy between Air-Britain and its “reviewer” to torpedo CANAV Books, certainly to keep our books out of UK bookstores, at which – sadly to say — they succeeded. What a poor show altogether.