40 Years for CANAV Books (Part 1 August 2020) + Some ancient Toronto (CIAS) Airshow Pix + Arctic Sovereignty + California Fires

Next year being the 40th in business for CANAV Books, I’ve started on a history of our operation. Who knows where it might end, but every book publisher needs to do this – there’s always an important story to be told. Too bad, however, but few in Canada have bothered. Guess why? It takes somebody with an interest to get the ball rolling. Besides … it’s work! When CANAV began in 1981, there were hundreds of members in the Canadian Book Publishers Association. Today? Few of those from ’81 still exist. Curiously, while most of the great names have faded, it’s mainly smaller publishers that have survived — Annick Press (Toronto, 1975), CANAV Books (Toronto, 1981), Dundurn Press (Toronto, 1972), General Store Publishing (Ottawa Valley, 1981), Harbour Publishing (Madeira Park, BC, 1974), Pottersfield Press (Nova Scotia 1979), etc.

While few specific histories have been published about our Canadian industry, there is a very serious, 3-volume series from the University of Toronto Press — History of the Book in Canada listing at about $240. Then, there is Roy MacSkimming’s well- researched and eminently readable 2003 general history of Canadian book publishing – The Perilous Trade. MacSkimming chose a really apt title – if nothing else, this is perilous business! The Perilous Trade should be required reading for Canadian business history courses. Too bad, but few such courses any longer require students to do any serious study – such as reading actual books, where course members will find actual knowledge.  Few other Canadian histories of the MacSkimming standard exist, but there is David Mason’s 2013 The Pope’s Bookbinder, an important history of the antiquarian and used book businesses in Canada. Try to find copies of these two key titles — try http://www.bookfinder.com. Meanwhile, in 2020 most Canadian book publishers have little-to-nothing to say on their websites about their histories. Too bad, right, but few in today’s trade have any connection with the past, and even less interest. Believe it or not, some publishing staff barely can muster the energy to sound interested when a customer calls with an order (in my experience, the bigger the publisher, the less the enthusiasm).

Getting Started

CANAV Books began with an idea about challenging the Canadian aviation history status quo, a devil-may-care attitude about the risks ahead, and some dumb notion that things would pan out. Now, after 40 years I find myself toying with a chapter about how/where CANAV Books has fit in based on the basic, old time book review. Some academic likely could earn a degree by methodically studying the vast subject of book reviews over the decades. Here, I’m just going to present a summary of CANAV’s experiences and how reviews were seminal in CANAV’s survival.

For any publisher, reviews can be nervously anticipated, once the review copies have been distributed. The results might call for a toast, but also bring a bit of stress. Publishers normally take reviews as they come, even if wish-washy, not that CANAV has had any serious negative comments for its 36 titles over our decades. On the whole, our books have been wonderfully received by the top Canadian, UK, European, US, and other worldwide aviation periodicals, and the general daily press. However, publishers can’t expect everything to go their way. For example, there crank “reviewers” exist, who are ready to pounce and tear a book to pieces simply out of vindictiveness. These pitiful kooks are to books what malicious hackers are to your home computer. The mystery is – why would a self- respecting journal or newspaper publish such a travesty? CANAV has had two of these attacks over the decades (more about this, later).

CANAV’s products have survived the test of time. Particularly, this is thanks to our original editor and graphics guru, Robin Brass. Having had a solid career in books, beginning in the UK, Robin was at McGraw Hill-Ryerson when I met him about 1975. We both then were in our early 30s. As a sponsoring editor at MH-R, he accepted my proposal for a general book about Canada’s aviation heritage. This was an idea that I had been “shopping around” since 1968, first with the famous book publicist and agent, Peter Scargill, then on my own, after Peter had run out of ideas. It didn’t hurt my cause that Robin knew a bit about aviation, for his father had been a wartime squadron commander (W/C D.M. Brass, DSO, 612 Sqn) and after the war had introduced Robin to the great Farnborough airshow. Simply entitled Aviation in Canada, the book came out in 1979, then went on to something rare in Canadian trade book publishing — five printings and status as a best-selling hardcover. Robin soon went into freelancing, with CANAV as an original client.

A Strong Beginning – The Avro CF-100 1981

Creating CANAV’s first book, The Avro CF-100, involved a serious team effort. To begin, I was in touch with many who could tell me the story of the CF-100 from personal experience, whether at Avro Canada, or, in the air force. I mainly gathered the basic information by a dogged letter-writing campaign – I still have the hundreds of letters, a real treasure “for future reference”. I also interviewed many people by telephone and in person. Masses of documents were unearthed and the writing began. As a sub-story was roughed out, usually I mailed it to some knowledgeable person to correct for errors and make suggestions, provide further leads, etc. I also scrounged for aircrew logbooks, photo albums and tech manuals. Over about 15 months, all such raw material came together and an plan for chapters was emerging. Meanwhile, I had gathered a hands-on crew of experts, whom I’d needed for production. Besides Robin, I needed a printer/binder. Knowing the game well, Robin connected me with Bryant Press, a prominent Canadian company. It dated to the late 1800s in downtown Toronto, and by this time was in a modern plant in east Toronto. At Bryant, I teamed with one of the firm’s old-time customer reps, Joe Matiasek. Joe was eminently qualified to guide me through the processes, for I knew almost nothing about the trade. He toured me though the plant and I started to get clued-in. Meanwhile, as I began feeding chapter material (manuscript, photos, etc.) to Robin, he started the page layout (book design). Next, he sent his work on to Arlene Weber and her company, Second Story Graphics on Queen St. in east Toronto. Arlene was our “page paste-up” expert, right down to making single- word corrections by cutting out each typo/change with a razor knife, then waxing the tiny corrections in place (these, of course, very much were pre-digital days).

For artwork, I connected with the great Peter Mossman, a fellow member of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society, Toronto chapter. Peter’s reputation as a fine artist preceded him, so we could not have had a better man for the job. Peter agreed to do the cover art, plus several CF-100 colour profiles to appear in the book. His art was the icing on the final product. Anyone seeing his jacket design on display in a bookstore would be hard-pressed not to stop and take a look.

CANAV’s small team beavered away to meet our deadline of having a book in print for the stand-down in September of the CF-100 in Canadian air force service. For this, there would be a grand final gathering of CF-100 people at CFB North Bay, home to 414 (Electronic Warfare) Squadron, flying Canada’s last few CF-100 “Clunks”. In aid of this, the Defunct Clunk Club had been formed and people everywhere were planning to attend the weekend. Reality check — I happened to have little cash. I had packed in my day job in June 1980 to re-do myself as a book publisher, so had only a pittance of the money needed for such a project. Happily, there always seemed to be a solution. With financial advice from an old friend, N.K. “Bud” Found of Found Brothers Aviation, I made a connection with the Bank of Montreal, where I secured a Bank Letter of Credit for $22,000 to cover essential expenses. It was great to have such top professionals nearby at every step, right down to Robin designing my flyer for advance promotions, and Arlene printing it, to the DCC supporting our project by letting its 1000+ members know that a special book was on the way.

Bits of CANAV ancient history: the agreement for my $22,000 bank loan that financed the CF-100 book, then, a typical cheque written to team members, this one to Arlene Weber’s company that did the final book set-up needed by the printer. Close to the end, her job included making hundreds of pesky corrections, some made on the very day the layout pages were going out her door to Bryant Press. CANAV being so new in the business, there were quite a few final corrections, and others that evaded detection. Live and learn!

Once “the book” reached Bryant Press about mid-July 1981, all the layout sheets were photographed. The resulting negatives were used to produce plates, which went on Bryant’s massive 72-inch Harris press. Everything finally printed, the big sheets were “folded and gathered” in the bindery, then turned into absolutely beautiful books. Going for broke, I had ordered 3500 copies, a quantity that then was typical with the big publishers for such a book. In August, Bryant delivered 3520 copies, which it even was happy to store for me at no charge – Bryant was treating me like royalty all the way. I don’t have the records today, but within a few days we had a wonderful book launching at Peter and Ruth Mossman’s place in downtown Toronto. Too bad, but no photos survive from that evening.

Wake-up call! This was my first serious invoice as a book publisher. The main items were plate making, printing the main text + the appendices on a different paper stock + the endpapers + the dust jackets, finally book binding for a grand total of $26,351.09. The book was priced modestly at $24.95. The first re-print came in November – another 2697 copies at $20,400.02. These were extra pricey due to corrections and other changes. I could see that this was not going to be a game for the faint of heart, but it was too much fun to bale out … yet!

Memories of the “Defunct Clunk Club” – the famous DCC “zapper”, the weekend schedule, an invitation.

All weekend at the DCC, I carried around a copy the book for people to autograph. Nearly 40 years later this by-now battered old artifact still brings great enjoyment. Hundreds of people signed it for me. Pete Mossman’s colour profiles were favourite pages to sign, as were those of a particular CF-100 squadron. Notice the 440 Sqn photo. Signatures include 440’s then CO, Paul Manson. Not long after the reunion, Paul became commander of AIRCOM — Canada’s Air Force. Check out the shot of the pranged CF-100. It was extra fun having the very crew aboard that day sign this dramatic scene!

Naturally, when The Avro CF-100 appeared, all involved were on pins and needles. Would the book fly, or, would it crash and burn? You can imagine our relief when it quickly sold out. Initially, we had received at least 1000 advance sales from CF-100 fans around the world (I had been doing a lot of advertising before the book came off the press). Meanwhile, glowing book reviews were starting to appear. The CANAV team was relieved – to say the least. The day that Bryant delivered our books, I wrote them a cheque for the full amount due. This cemented our relationship for projects to follow. I then was busy for a couple of weeks shuttling books from Bryant down to “CANAV Books World HQ” (my house). With the help of friends, we soon shipped all the advance orders. Len Neath’s newly-formed Aviation World (then a basement operation) did a land office business, selling something like 500 copies. The book was sold out in nine weeks, the DCC gathering at North Bay greatly helping that cause. Hundreds who attended bought their copies in the hangar, while the stationary shop in downtown North Bay sold another 500. Only in my wildest dreams could I envision selling out CANAV’s first book, but so it happened. Next, Bryant Press was delighted to re- quote me for a 2500 re-print. All the enthusiasm over the book saved my bacon. After all, those B of M funds had been dwindling and the bank was looking for steady loan payments. Somehow, things panned out, even though I was the least experienced book publisher in the country.

Of necessity, I was getting familiar with the business side of being a publisher. Here’s the August 1981 quote from Bryant Press for our 2500 re-print – imagine a neophyte publisher having the nerve to request a reprint quote the very week the first printing came off the bindery! Then, an old scrap of paste-up art used to print our announcement for the reprint. A few years later, I made a deal with McGraw Hill-Ryerson, which did a third printing (2000 copies), so The Avro CF-100 eventually totalled more than 8000 in print. This was more than just credible for a first book in a very unforgiving market “back in the day” (it’s a much tougher market in the 2020s).

Book Review Tidal Wave

Book reviews for The Avro CF-100 soon began appearing in the world press. Imagine still being on your book launching high, then receiving a review from the “United State Air Force Times” describing your book as, “One of the best aircraft biographies … possibly the best of the decade.” So it began. The leading French aviation history journal – “Air Fan” – published a superb review (No.35, September 1981), noting, “Le livre … rend magnifiquement honneur à cet avion … en plus de 300 photos de qualité irréprochable …” Writing in “Air Fan”, the respected historian, Jean-Michel Guhl, identified our book’s special features, even reminding readers how much blood and sweat go into such a project. This was a solid, all-around piece, concluding that our efforts were “complet et objectif”.

Meanwhile Germany’s leading modeling journal, “Modell-Fan” (August 1982) published its own take. Retired Arctic pilot, Roland Brandt, recently did a translation for me, revealing some very nice comments of which I had remained clueless for 40 years! One says it all: “This book about the CF-100 is one of the best publications in the genre of aviation literature. Hardly any other book measures up to the high quality standard in text and pictures.” Of course, “Modell-Fan” was blown away by the book’s 300 photos — ideal references for the model builders of the day.

Another wonderful review came from one of Britain’s and the world’s most revered journals, “Scale Models” (Vol.13, No.148, January 1982). Clearly, the reviewer had devoured the book with relish, before concluding: “The reader is taken through the development and service life in a most detailed manor. The bald facts are fleshed out with numerous verbatim accounts and the text is rounded off by a number of appendices.” The photos, charts, colour profiles, etc. are given top marks, and the reviewer concludes, “All in all, The Avro CF-100 is a beautifully produced book … Recommended”.

Britain’s highly regarded “Air Pictorial” also zeroed in on our book. As boys, we used to wait anxiously for the monthly editions of “Air Pic” to reach Canada. It had been in a 1959 issue that I first was published, so what an honour 20+ years later to receive an “Air Pic” review for CANAV’s first effort. “This is a superb book,” began “Air Pic”. “The easy style and injection of many personal accounts and anecdotes from those who made, flew and serviced the CF-100 provides an extra dimension to this work … Lavishly illustrated throughout … large, fine-art paper format … This is a book which will cause the reader some regret when he reluctantly reaches the last page.” You can see what I mean about “effusive”. A tuned-in reviewer catches on quickly when there’s a good book before him.

Being recognized by “Air Pic” was honour enough, then the UK’s beloved “Air International” stepped in with an item in its October 1982 edition. This reviewer also looked at the book’s overall qualities, such as recognizing the great Peter Mossman, who painted our colour profiles. “Air International” concluded, “The production quality of this book is excellent and it is one of the best “one type” coverage we have seen.” Meanwhile, “The Financial Post” already had observed: “Milberry’s photo- and fact- crammed book omits few of even the most trivial details of the aircraft’s history … the super collection of photos would be more than enough to delight those who flew it, or, aviation buffs in general.”

Even the crankiest reviewer was hard-pressed in 1981-82 to find anything negative to say about The Avro CF-100. In one case, I was apprehensive on hearing that a particularly “grouchy” reviewer (so he sometimes was known) at the “Toronto Star” was going to have at The Avro CF-100. This piece appeared as the Star’s lead review on October 3, 1981. In trepidation I started to read, but soon was elated. Reviewer, Ron Lowman, had been a wartime Mosquito navigator and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross. Ron concluded, “Though his book is a little technical in spots for an average reader, Milberry has nevertheless done a masterly job of research on the Clunk. The book is crammed with anecdotes from people who flew, navigated and serviced the aircraft.” Talk about dodging a bullet!

The great W.J. “Bill” Wheeler, editor of the Journal of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society (Winter 1981) concluded: “I would like to have tempered this rather glowing report with a mention of some small shortcomings; but I’ve found none. Nor has anyone among the many people I have asked been able to offer any criticism.” In another case, the Royal Aeronautical Society (founded in 1866) joined in. In its June/July 1983 edition, the RAeS “Aeronautical Journal” (likely the most respected such UK periodical) passed judgment, claiming that The Avro CF-100 provides “everything that can be said of the aircraft, the people associated with it during its 30 year life, and even the songs and poems to which it gave rise … The author describes … every inch of its development and service.” Like a truly professional book man, RAeS reviewer, W.P. Hildred, finished with praise of the book’s many exceptional features from photographs to appendices, bibliography and index.

In the history of modern aviation book publishing, few books have been so well received. Here’s a further example. In its No.63, Autumn 1983 edition, the American Aviation Historical Society centred on our book’s special features, even commenting regarding its “high quality paper”. The AAHS concluded, “American publishers should take a look at this superb presentation. Definitely a “10’”. Further? This could offend a small category of literary snobs, but we also garnered an “Air Classics” review. Of course, since “Air Classics” is American, some fans turn up their noses at it, but this was a solid, reliable, beautifully-produced periodical. It survives to this day.

To open his detailed critique in the May 1983 “Air Classics”, the reviewer observed: “Right up front we should probably qualify this review by stating that The Avro CF-100 is one of the best if not the best aviation book published in the last several years. … [it] gives aero historians exactly what they want.” Again, this serious reviewer zoomed in on the book’s features, especially liking the Peter Mossman artwork. Further support came from renowned CF-100 test pilot, Stan Haswell, in his column in the Royal Canadian Military Institute’s “SITREP” of September 1981. Then, writing in The Royal Canadian Geographical Society journal, former RCAF CF-100 pilot, William Marsh, concluded, “This book is both a remarkable historical documentary and a people story. It makes good reading and gives a penetrating insight into a 30-year epoch of Canadian military aviation.”

Besides all the mainstream publications, many that were lesser known  reviewed The Avro CF-100. A typical case was “Trident”, the base newspaper at CFB Shearwater. G.R. Jenkins, there, somehow got a copy. He had heard that a second CF-100 history was imminent (so it was – Ron Page’s excellent Avro Canuck). Jenkins put it this way: “[Page’s book] will have to be superb to top Mr. Milberry’s”.

At artist Peter Mossman’s wake in Oshawa on March 8, 2020, many examples of his superb work were displayed. Here you can see some typical side profiles, from a contemporary Hawk to one of the originals painted for the CF-100 book, some of Peter’s gorgeous aviation coins from the Canadian mint, and typical dust jackets done for CANAV. Finally, a typical snapshot of Peter (right) with RCAF WWII pilot, John Coleman, at The Brogue pub in Port Credit for the August 19, 2010 book launch party celebrating Aviation in Canada: Evolution of an Air Force.

The Canadair North Star 1982

Having survived at publishing the CF-100 book, then being buoyed by the support of readers, booksellers and reviewers around the world, CANAV decided on its next subject — the Canadair North Star. This was another landmark Canadian industrial project of the early post-WWII era. Our plan was the same – fastidiously gather the essential history, design a lovely book, then see what people thought. The Canadair North Star was launched at an exciting event near Toronto YYZ on November 4, 1982. It was a stormy night, but people had come from the UK, Bermuda, Montreal and the West Coast to take in the festivities. So keen in those days were aviation people that some old- time TCA retirees turned up in their wonderful old stewardess and captain uniforms. The Montreal contingent arrived in foul weather aboard Canadair’s corporate LearJet. (See http://www.canavbooks.wordpress.com for the details and photos, just search for North Star and you’ll find the item and many great photos.) Within a few days a hundred or so review copies were heading for the world’s aviation magazines and journals, as well as to Canada’s daily newspapers. On top of that, Air Canada president, the great Claude Taylor, packed 20 copies with him on a business trip that week to Switzerland.

CANAV Booklist Summer_Fall 2020

Now that it’s such ancient history, I can look at the invoice for the North Star book without being terrified by that big, ugly number at the bottom — $43,768. I had ordered 5000 copies, Bryant’s bindery gave me 4914. In the early 90s, McGraw Hill-Ryerson did a 2500 re-print. I still have a few of those in pristine condition, for anyone interested ( look at the above booklist, or, drop me an email larry@canavbooks.com ). Looking at the details of the invoice – it was a complex printing and binding job, for the book included foldouts + a complex foldout. About this time, Jay Miller (Aerofax) in Texas published a similar, beautifully-produced book about the X-1 planes. He was amazed that I was nervy enough to order 5000 North Stars. His book was equally a gamble, but he didn’t run 50,000 copies, as the comparative populations of Canada and the USA might have suggested. He ran 5000 in the same fear and trepidation as CANAV. Henceforth, pretty well every CANAV production has been financed by a new mortgage on 51 Balsam Ave. After 40 years, there’s still a fat mortgage owing on our recent books, but use what resources you have and – above all –don’t chicken out, right!

What the Reviewers Decided

The great “Air Pictorial” summarized The Canadair North Star about as succinctly as possible – no additional verbiage required: “A magnificent book in every respect… Highly recommended”. “Scale Models” (Vol.14, No.164, June 1983) concurred: “The usual superlatives fail to convey the quality of the 252 page book, which has to stand as a model of how to write a type monograph. It really is all here: development, use, engines, sidelights, production lists, the whole works … The author has worked a mass of technical detail into the story without allowing it to overburden the general flow of the work … the reader will find a discreet pocket attached to the inside back cover containing a folded, 3-view sectioned plan. It’s that kind of a production. … A book should be well written, enjoyable and leave the reader knowing more about the subject on the last page than he did on the first. “North Star” comes high in all three categories. Most highly recommended.”

In its March 1983 edition, “British Airways Touchdown also noticed the North Star book. Legendary BA senior purser and avid aviation photographer, Peter R. Keating, took the chance to direct fans at BA to the famous Aviation Hobby Shop, where they could buy their copy. Peter also thanked the various retired BOAC staff, who had assisted with that chapter of the book. Covering the book in the RCAF Association’s “Air Force” magazine (March 1983), reviewer Graham Wragg also liked what he read: “It’s a tremendously evocative book with something for those with a casual interest, but especially for those whose hearing is just coming back.” A bit droll, Graham, but well understood by those who had suffered the North Star’s infamous cabin noise.

The Journal of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society continued in its Vol.21, No.1: “[Milberry] has succeeded to the extent that I cannot imagine any member being without a copy … As with Aviation in Canada and The Avro CF-100 [he] has refused to let the cost factor detract from the quality of his work.” France’s highly regarded “Air Fan” also got on the band wagon with a major review with such comments as, “Le livre est magnifique, l’histoire de l’avion ne l’est pas moins.”(“The book is wonderful, the story of the plane is no less.”) Going even further, Air Fan crowed, “Remarquable. Décidément tout ce que signe Larry Milberry mérite ce qualificatif. (“Remarkable. Definitely everything Larry Milberry signs deserves this qualifier.”) Concluded “Air Classics”: “This book is produced to the highest standards – perhaps even higher than the almost perfect CF- 100 volume… Don’t miss this one.” I’ll quote one final superlative. The Italian aeronautical journal “Aerofan” put it this way: “Il prolifico autore canadese he prodotto questa volta un’altra eccellente monografia che è forse piu perfetta di quella precedente al CF-100”. This one just sings — no translation needed, right! (Nonetheless: “This prolific Canadian author produced another excellent monograph … perhaps, more perfect than the one before — the CF-100.”). Now … on the CANAV book No.3.

And the reviews go on … nearly 40 years later, our readers still are enjoying the North Star book and letting me know. One fan (ex-RCAF) this month put his thoughts in a September 2020 email: “I just finished The Canadair North Star. It is a great history lesson. It’s interesting, well illustrated and a joy to read. I liked the narratives provided by the pilots and navigators and the technical information is very good. There are also good explanations given for the politics and economy of that time and as I was reading I thought this would make a great reference for high school students and college campuses across the country. Well done!” Drop me a note if you’d like an autographed copy. Canadian readers all-in $54.60, USA/overseas CDN$70.00. Let me know if interested — larry@canavbooks.com

The De Havilland Canada Story 1983

In 1983 we published a history of De Havilland Aircraft of Canada. Our author, Fred Hotson, was the most qualified historian to do this book. After graduating pre-WWII from Central Technical School in Toronto, Fred had worked at DHC on the Tiger Moth line. With the war, he had a distinguished career in the BCATP and Ferry Command. Postwar, he was a bush pilot, flew many years in corporate aviation (Mallard and DC-3), was a leader in the early days of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society, then returned to DHC for several years demonstrating the Twin Otter around the world. Fred already had written a 50th anniversary history of DHC, when the company asked him and CANAV to produce a major book for the April 1983 rollout of the Dash 8. With Robin Brass, Peter Mossman, Arlene Weber and other  professionals, we started on a tight timeline, but somehow were able to deliver a spectacular book for the rollout. Once again, people loved what they saw, especially DHC CEO, John Sandford, who once had warned me that, if the book was one minute late for his Dash 8 event, I’d better not show my face ever again at DHC! It was a tight squeeze, but we made it with three days to spare. Just under the wire, the truck arrived from Bryant Press with Mr. Sandford’s 3000 copies (total off the bindery was 5970 of my order for 6250 copies). Waiting at DHC reception was my cheque. With that in my pocket, I drove straight back to Bryant to pay my invoice in full.

In its October 1984 edition, the monthly journal, “New Zealand Wings”, took a close look at The De Havilland Canada Story. Reviewer Janic Geelen was impressed, observing in part, “The book provides interesting reading, but the photographs selected complement the text well… Fred Hotson through his long connections with the company, is able to provide a unique insight into the affairs of employees and management … a high quality, superbly illustrated book, which is as much about the De Havilland Canada people as the products which have made the name famous worldwide.” Janic did wish that there was more New Zealand content in the book, but was intelligent enough to realize that a general book can only go so far.

Writing in the “Toronto Star” on June 25, 1983, Ron Lowman, DFC, eased back a bit on his usual prickly style to dole out some praise, saying early in his lead review, “Author Fred Hotson, a former De Havilland employee, who is also an air enthusiast, pilot, engineer, and president of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society, has produced a readable and reasonably critical “biography” of a company. The pictures alone are worth the price of admission.” After taking a few shots here and there – even at his own beloved D.H. Mosquito, on which he flew a combat tour – Ron admitted (no doubt with some pain) that, “The book is a valuable anecdotal addition to the shelves”. Ron let us off the hook again!

Another solid review appeared in the “Vancouver Sun” about the same time. Penned by the always clued-in Phil Hanson, it covered the book’s content in detail, then gave The De Havilland Canada Story high marks: “DHC is one of the world’s most respected aircraft companies and Hotson’s book does it justice.” Enough said, right! On June 12, 1983, Mike Filey, our prolific Toronto historian (to this day) covered The De Havilland Canada Story in his regular “The Way We Were” column in “The Sunday Sun”. Mike gave a nice, compact summary of the book’s content, then told his readers two key details – where to buy a copy, and that the book is, “A real treasure.” The “Financial Post” of June 25, 1983 also covered CANAV Books — The De Havilland Canada Story included –in serious fashion. We really would have been on Cloud Nine back in these days when CANAV Books was being praised around the world. Here’s the column penned by FP’s Eva Innes in “Faces & Places”:

Often over the decades we also were honoured with reviews from one of Canada’s kings of aviation news and history, the inimitable Robert “Bob” Halford. Early after his wartime career in the Merchant Navy (see Bob’s ace of a book, The Unknown Navy), he edited Canada’s aviation monthly, “Aircraft and Airport” (later renamed “Aircraft”), then, for decades published his own popular bimonthly, “Canadian Aircraft Operator”. Bob was always attuned to the latest in worldwide aviation news and was highly literate. CANAV received “CAO” reviews one book after the next as the years passed. Each review was intelligent, while critical. Bob loved Fred’s DHC book: “Beautifully produced by CANAV Books of Toronto, The De Havilland Canada Story reflects the author’s deep affection for the company, where he got his first aviation job and where, after a long wartime and postwar absence, he returned for his final years of aviation employment.” Bob concludes that: “Fred Hotson has written an absorbing and highly readable story, not easy to do when the story is a company history and the type of composition which, wrongly executed, can have the effect of a sedative.” Bob adds that no review of Fred’s book would be complete “without mention of its high production values, equal or superior than those already established by CANAV Books.” Meanwhile, “Aviation News” in the UK scrutinized our DHC book. Bottom line? The book is superb! “The Aeronautical Journal” of the Royal Aeronautical Society (October 1983) also had a look. It liked everything about our book, concluding, simply: “This is a book to delight any aviation enthusiast.” After praising Fred’s book’s many fine qualities, Enid Byford of “Canadian Geographic” added her own special point (as intelligent reviewers will do): “Of pleasure too, to an editor, was the absence of typographical errors, all too common in many books today.”

In briefer reviews “Aero News of Belgium” (No.3, 1984), “Air- Britain Digest”, “Air Classics” (September 1983), “Aircraft Illustrated” (August 1983), “Flypast” (July 1983), “FineScale Modeler” (October 1984), “Metropolitan Toronto Business Journal” (Vol.5, No.6) and “ScaleModels” (August 1983) all agreed, the latter observing: “We have always been impressed by the sheer quality of aviation titles from Canada, and the latest publication from CANAV Books can only enhance that reputation… There’s a lot for modelers here … Congrats to CANAV for their efforts and we eagerly await further publications from their stable.” In this period, any review from the inimitable “Propliner” is a serious honour. Look at Propliner’s decision regarding our 1999 “born again” version of Fred’s book — De Havilland in Canada: “The amazing selection of colour and black and white photographs is stunning. If only someone here in England could match your quality and depth of research. There were so many interesting aircraft manufacturers in England, but none has ever received the equivalent of the CANAV treatment”

Sixty Years – RCAF Anniversary Book 1984

Our 1984 landmark title Sixty Years: The RCAF and CF Air Command 1924-1984 was destined to become one of Canada’s most widely read and beloved aviation books. Following our success with three major books in less than three years, it didn’t take a brain surgeon to see that a book covering the RCAF 60th anniversary was crying out to be done. This was especially so, since no current general RCAF history existed. Time being so tight, I set straight to work, mainly to get a small group of fellow researchers busy covering the basic themes. The De Havilland book had only been delivered in May 1983, yet enough progress already had been made on the RCAF project that I had a quotation for 8000 copies from Bryant Press on February 24, 1984. It all was going ahead “at the speed of heat”, 7 days a week. So much had to be done – compile an authoritative text, find some 800 essential photos, have a team of top artists produce 94 magnificent colour profiles, get a glorious piece of cover art painted by the world-renowned Tom Bjarnason, edit and proofread non-stop, create an appendix and detailed index, plan for production and promotion, figure out funding, etc. Somehow, things stayed on the rails. Colin Clark delivered the last colour profile pretty well as the project was going out the door to the printer. Bryant Press delivered 7810 copies in the last week of August. (For Tom Bjarnason … search for him at http://www.canavbooks.wordpress.com , especially see “ CANAV says farewell to one of its original artists ).

It was a whirlwind experience, now (as they say) “the rubber hit the road”. Advance sales had been encouraging, to the extent that we shipped 2000 copies in the first week. Not surprisingly, hundreds of our newfound readers were WWII RCAF veterans. We were pretty well out of stock by spring, so I was keen to act on Bryant’s March 14, 1985 quote for a quick 2500 re-print. Sixty Years eventually would go through 5 printings and some 20,000 copies. To this day Sixty Years remains the best and the only single-volume general history of the RCAF. That will change in 2024, when we produce our sequel to Sixty Years – an RCAF 100th Anniversary book.

After more than 35 years, Sixty Years hasn’t received a negative comment in the global aviation press. Could a publisher dream of a better scenario? The redoubtable UK journal, “Aircraft Illustrated”, decided that Sixty Years was: “One of those all-too rare aviation books … a delight to read and a joy to possess and to treasure… superbly produced and printed and is likely to become a classic collectors’ item … a masterpiece”; “Air International” commented on the process of creating this mammoth book: “[Milberry] has been able to draw upon a large number of contributors. … they make up a team of researchers, photographers and writers with a unique talent and an enormous fund of resources and materials, as is evident on almost every page of the work … an outstanding product … a fascinating, deeply researched text … the photographs alone are worth the price”. “AI” provides a sharp example of “the good ol’ days” of book reviewing. As you can see, bibliophile professionals used to look much more deeply than just at the pretty pictures, flap copy, or sticker price (the latter sometimes seems to rile the weaker of book reviewers – relax, fellows, our readers will make the decision to buy — or not).

Also raving about Sixty Years from the UK was “Aviation News”, which noted, in part: “The photo coverage is as great as the written story”. “AvNews” even enjoyed the book’s occasional humorous anecdotes, then concluded: “The long, 480-page book is extremely interesting … worth every penny … a magnificent effort”. Our favourite UK journal of the day — “Air Pictorial” — also went overboard: “This is a prodigious book … with no wasted spaces … unrivalled by any other work surveying the Force as a whole.” “Flypast” had its say in No.44, March 1985: “A barrage of illustrations … backed up by a very authoritative text”. The reviewer especially noted the 37 pages of original art and the detailed appendices, finally concluding, “This … is a faithful book of reference … A worthwhile investment.”

Praise also poured from “Air Fan” (January 1985), although its reviewer seemed a bit overwhelmed: “Voilà, quelqu’un a enfin raconté l’histoire de la Royal Canadian Air Force … Fruit de plusieurs années de travail passées a compiler et à collectionner des piles et des piles de documents, le liver … se présente comme un grosse brique très illustrée Fruit de plusieurs années de travail passées a compiler et à collectionner des piles et des piles de documents, le liver … se présente comme un grosse brique très illustrée …” (“Here it is — someone has finally told the story of the Royal Canadian Air Force … Fruit of several years of work spent compiling and collecting piles and piles of documents, the book … appears as a big, very well illustrated brick …”).

“Canadian Aircraft Operator” devoted half a page to Sixty Years, summarizing its content, then concluding that it’s “a more than worthy library addition even at $50, really a bargain price for a hardcover so profusely illustrated and with such high production values”. “CAO” especially praised the extensive gallery of original aviation art. (The following year, CANAV Books donated this unique Canadian collection of 105 paintings to CF Air Command. It then became known as “The Air Force Art Collection” and ever since has adorned the halls and offices at Air Command/RCAF HQ in Winnipeg.) Sixty Years also caught the eye of Hamilton’s daily, “The Spectator”, even if ages after the book appeared. Writing on July 3, 1991 reviewer, Joe Chapman, called Sixty Years “a splendid book” that would “thrill younger readers, while the technical data will delight aeronautical enthusiasts”. Joe then sent me a letter apologizing for the brevity of his review, “for the editors are more and more restricting my column”, then finished: “I thought Sixty Years was a tour de force and many readers have told me that they bought it as a gift. It should become a treasured possession for many air force veterans and part of the libraries of many Legion or RCAFA clubrooms.” Even to this day, such venues as Canadian Legion branches often still possess a dog-eared copy of Sixty Years.

In these heady years for CANAV, one of Canada’s most popular book columns was “Brown’s Books” in the Canadian Legion’s journal, then with something like 600,00 subscribers. In the December 1984 issue of “Legion”, we received another wonderful review:

RCAF veterans and others interested in aviation or military history will be happy to find Sixty Years, edited by Larry Milberry, under the tree … an enormously detailed volume, full both of the sweep of air force history as well as massive quantities of memorable minutiae. The contributors were many, their input expert, and the total effect is awesome – more than 450 pages, 800 photos with an emphasis on people and planes, and 90 colour profiles of aircraft. Sixty Years is an accomplishment, fills a real need and will bring great pleasure to the reader … priced at a justified $50.

Talk about wrapping up the whole thing with big red Christmas bow! Few could “nail” a book review like “Brown’s Books”. It was a sad day when Legion decided that books were dead, so it was time to re-categorize the brilliant “Brown’s Books” column as irrelevant for the new century.

Meanwhile, in his “The Way We Were” spot in Toronto’s “Sunday Sun” for October 25, 1984, Mike Filey summed up Sixty Years as, “a 480-page book that brings together the most comprehensive history of our several air forces and uses the largest number of photographs ever assembled for a book on the subject of Canadian military aviation”. A few weeks later, in the “Toronto Star” of December 8, 1984, senior book editor, the renowned Lew Gloin, decided that Sixty Years was worth his “lead review” status. Imagine an upstart book publisher rating such a plum. Naturally, Lew gave the assignment to his tough, in-house aviation expert, Ron Lowman, DFC. Ron began by describing Sixty Years as “a six-decker sandwich for aviation buffs”, before getting into the content. As usual, his style was colourful, such as: “In this prodigious work, editor Milberry vacuumed together material from all points of the compass, tossed in some splendid color photography and let some of the flyboys have their head with anecdotes.” He then summed it up: “If father or grandfather was in the air force, Sixty Years will suit him nicely for Christmas. Only snag is that the stocking will have to be outsized and reinforced.” (Find a copy of Ron’s own best-selling book, Terror in the Starboard Seat, covering his wartime tour on Mosquitos.)

In these years, when it came to new books it was an exciting world compared to 2020. Canada’s daily and periodical publishers still were very much “book people”. On staff were sharp-minded writers waiting to pounce at the next interesting story, such as a book like Sixty Years. After all, the war still was a mere 15 years in the rear view mirror. Newspapers and radio stations were staffed by reporters who knew all about WWII, the Korean War and the current Cold War. So it was at the “Edmonton Journal”, where aviation had been prime front-page content since the 1920s. In 1984 the paper had its designated aviation writer — Ken Orr. Ken recently had served a tour as a tech on NATO duty with an RCAF Sabre squadron. Like so many young men, he had been living the dream by servicing top Cold War fighters on a frontline NATO base. Now, he was writing aviation for a lead Canadian newspaper. Ken was elated at receiving a review copy of Sixty Years from his boss with an assignment to turn in a review. Such a paper never underplayed aviation, so this became a 2/3 page story in a broadsheet paper. Here’s Ken’s write-up of February 10, 1985.

Several other publications also covered Sixty Years with similar enthusiasm, the “The Edmonton Sunday Sun” (October 7, 1984) and “Winnipeg Free Press” (September 29, 1984) included. The “Free Press” had its own old hand specializing in aviation – Fred Cleverley (1917-2010). Fred was a pre-WWII aeronautical engineer, a WWII combat veteran and, in postwar years, a private pilot. His take was typical: “The air force history is well told in both text and pictures in Sixty Years, a truly impressive book of military history.” Fred especially liked the tail end of the book, where the commander of Air Command, LGen Paul Manson, presented his ideas and hopes for tomorrow’s air force. Impressed by the review copies that we had sent around, other top columnists wrote items about CANAV, and there were radio interviews, including seven minutes “live” with the CBC’s great Peter Gzowski of “This Country in the Morning” fame. This came about after I had sent a review copy to Peter. His assistant, Sandy Mowatt, phoned to check me out, then booked me for an interview. Peter’s studio was the worst experience for a nervous little book publisher. To begin, I had been expecting a taped interview, so almost fell off my chair when Peter suddenly announced that we were “live”. Meanwhile, I was almost suffocating, since he and his all-female technical handlers were frantically smoking, creating a solid blue cloud — instrument flight rules “weather” in the studio. Regardless, I survived, and later that week the great test pilot, R.H. “Bob” Fowler, called to congratulate me. He had tuned in to the interview in the cockpit of the Dash 7 he had been testing that morning over Lake Ontario.

Here are CANAV items published in this period by two of Canada’s top journalists and book people, Beverley Slopen (Toronto Star, November 17, 1991) and Sandra Martin. Sandra’s story was a lead item in CP Air “Empress”, the airline’s in-flight magazine. About this time, Dan Proudfoot of the “Toronto Sun” ran a story with more of a local “small business” slant.

Dan Proudfoot set up this photo in our back garden. Here’s the author with children Kate, Steff and Simon. Notice the hi-tech word processor of the times. Guess what … it worked!

Besides scoring a spot on “This Country in the Morning”, I also was on air with other famous local broadcasters — Bill McNeil and Cy Strange of CBC’s hugely popular (to this day) “Fresh Air”, and Joe Coté of CBC’s lead Toronto weekday show, “Metro Morning”. On November 26, 1984 Sandy Fife of “The Globe and Mail Report on Business” took his own go at the CANAV phenomenon, pairing us with another upstart aviation publisher, the renowned Don McVicar of Montreal. Under the headline “Flying Solo No Mean Feat, Small Publishers Discover”, Sandy began interestingly: “Book publishing, like film making, is a high risk business with a glamorous image. But entrepreneurs attracted to the business by visions of prestige and quick profits are likely to be disillusioned quickly, veteran small publishers say. Larry Milberry, owner of Toronto-based CANAV Books, spends more time boxing books in his basement and worrying about bills than attending literary luncheons … Don McVicar’s Ad Astra Books based in Dorval, Que., also specializes in aviation titles, summed up his experience in the publishing field bluntly, “This isn’t a business anybody’s going to get rich at.” Sandy then pointed out that Statistics Canada reported that small Canadian publishers accounted for a mere 1.1% of the country’s $1 billion in annual book sales [$1,670 billion in 2017].

Sandy did a solid job, seeking info from professional groups, and prying into CANAV, finding out such details about the Sixty Years project as, “Milberry … raised the $40,000 needed through bank loans and advance direct mail sales”, and that sales of Sixty Years were 20% to mail order readers, 80% to “200 independent book sellers and retail chains across the country.” Peppering Don McVicar with questions, he reported, “After examining the costs, Mr. McVicar … decided not to go into the publishing business … he set up a book distribution company to handle his work … The former Royal Air Force pilot, Canadian airline owner, consultant and broker, started writing about his flying past in 1977. Ferry Command was done by Airlife Publishing Ltd. of Britain in 1981. It sold 4000 copies world- wide… By this time, Ad Astra Books was handing 10 Airlife titles in North America… [McVicar] is hoping the company will be making money this year, but if it were not for his continuing work as a consultant, he would not be able to keep operating …”

You owe us $123,277.18. Thanks … The Bryant Press! Welcome to the real world of book publishing, aptly christened (by Roy MacSkimming) as “the perilous trade”. I took on the RCAF 60th anniversary project while still on financially thin ice. However, with the CF-100 book, I had mastered the art of advance book sales. I’d launch a mail and advertising campaign in the weeks before publication. Orders would start rolling in, so the CANAV bank account would skyrocket just as the hefty bills came due. Other funds were provided via CANAV’s bank line of credit. So, when this massive invoice that you see here arrived for 7810 copies (8000 had been ordered) of Sixty Years, it swiftly got paid and the CANAV financial merry-go-round began again at square one with the next project.

By standard trade practice, Sixty Years should have been priced at $75 (a book’s sticker price then usually was determined as being five times the “plant” cost. i.e., the cost of printing and binding). However, by running a tight ship, I was able to fly with a $50 sticker price. Later editions by McGraw Hill-Ryerson went at $60, but sold out, regardless – clued-in readers know a good book and care less about the price. Meanwhile, CANAV had not yet applied for any sort of Ottawa or other “arts council” grants (neither have we done so to this day). Many Canadian book publishers seem to exist chiefly to collect these government handouts. I always figured that if I chose to gamble in the book publishing game, it would be poor form for me to pick my neighbours’ pockets in the process.

Final Word for Sixty Years

All things considered? There’s no argument about Sixty Years being the best single volume ever produced under the heading “general history of the RCAF”. It’s a real gem for anyone with a passion for RCAF heritage. A few new copies of the fifth (final) printing still are available. See the attached booklist: CANAV Booklist Summer_Fall 2020 or drop me an email: larry@canavbooks.com Watch our blog in the coming weeks for Part 2 of this series. We’ll pick it up with notes about our Austin Airways and Canadair Sabre books.

CANAV Photo Archives … A Few More Old Gems

I hope you enjoy these early photos that I shot at Toronto’s old Malton Airport – today’s famous “YYZ”. On nearly every visit there in the late 50s and early 60s, we were sure to find some nice surprise or other — a local or visiting plane to photograph, make notes about and simply marvel at. Then, there were those special days, when airshow participants would line the tarmac. In our early Malton years, these usually parked across Runway 10-28 from the main terminal by the old wartime hangars. Since the Toronto Flying Club was there, we usually simply called this “the flying club side”, although most of the WWII hangars then were occupied by corporate aircraft. September 6, 1960 promised to be one of these special days.

My airplane spotting sidekick, Merlin Reddy, and I drove out to Malton that day in his old ’54 Ford. It was Toronto’s Canadian National Exhibition airshow week, so we were looking for some excitement. Topping the bill were three impressive Vickers Valiant bombers of RAF 90 Squadron, and the US Navy Blue Angels Grumman Tigers along with the team’s R4D-8 and F-9F-8 Cougar support planes. As usual for 1960, I was shooting 120 black-and-white film with my Minolta Autocord. In those days, we tended to frame our shots a bit tight. In the first 3-4 decades of hobbyists shooting airplanes, this somehow had become one of the basic rules. Happily, we gradually realized that this was dumb (along with other of those early rules).

In subsequent years, we’d see the Valiant’s V-Bomber stable mates, the Victor and the Vulcan at the Toronto airshow. One or the other invariably turned up following 1960. To get a detailed picture of the Valiant development program, treat yourself to a copy of Brian Trubshaw: Test Pilot. An absolute gem of a book. “Trubbie” flew most of the early Valiant trials, before eventually becoming chief test pilot on the UK Concorde program. You can find copies of this fine biography on the web.

Here are shots I took of Valiant XD830 and XD871 taxiing at Malton on that September 6. The trio had arrived together, likely after a refueling stop at Goose Bay. They were in the standard RAF “anti- radiation” all-white colour scheme of the day. The squadron logo on the fin (“XC) indicates 90 Squadron from RAF Station Honington (situated about half way between Cambridge and Norwich). The low- slung Valiant was an impressive sight with its massive shoulder- mounted wing, huge 1500-Imp.gal. underwing fuel tanks and hefty undercarriage. A crew of five occupied the pressurized nose compartment. The bulge under the nose housed the ground-mapping radar. All our Valiant shots this day were real set-ups, since each plane taxied by slowly. The other two Valiants this day were XD830 and XD862. All three went for scrap in 1964-65, after corrosion was discovered through the fleet. The government decided it was time to retire the Valiant, rather than face costly repairs. Of 107 Valiants built, the only complete example is XD818, which may be seen at the RAF Museum at Cosford.

Next from September 6, 1960 are shots of three Blue Angles Grumman F11F Tigers. First is 141872 flown by the CO, CDR Zeb V. Knot (USN 1942-1974); then 141868 No.2 flown by LCDR Kenneth R Wallace (USN 1946-1974 Team CO 1961-1963); finally 141883 flown by Lt Chuck Elliott.

What a photogenic fighter plane, right. The Tiger looked great from any of the standard angles that we fans liked (often we’d circle such a plane taking several angles). 141872 now resides at the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum in Michigan. Where is 141868? Se it in the Planes of Fame Museum in Valle, Arizona. 141883 came to a bad ending on March 15, 1964. It crashed that day while attempting an emergency landing at Apalach airport in Florida. The pilot, Lt George L. Neal, died while ejecting. The Tiger’s predecessor, the F-9F-8 Cougar also was fun to photograph. Here’s the team’s Cougar 2-seater 142470 on September 6 at Malton. It was used to fly media on “famil” or photo flights, and did odd jobs, such as dashing here and there when spare parts were urgently needed. Today, 142470 sits aboard the historic aircraft carrier USS Lexington at Corpus Christi, Texas.

The Airplane Photographer’s “Rules of the Road” 1930- 1960

Through the 1930s-50s a loose association of airplane photographers (chiefly in the USA) was establishing the basic rules for this hobby. Initially, the group was called the International Amateur Aircraft Photo Exchange. Such Canadians as Gordon Irons of Vancouver, Jack McNulty and Basil Vansickle of Hamilton, and Peter Troop of Toronto were early members. You can read about the IAAPE in two articles by the well-known American photographer, Brian Baker, at: 116/616 Photographers – Areoflies

Also, see Brian’s longer article in the July/August 2020 edition of “Vintage Aircraft” ( http://www.vintageaircraft.org … subscribers only, however). My pals and I became strict adherents of these rules, when getting into airplane photography in the 1950s. My photos here reflect some of the basic rules then being strictly preached by our mentors who came out of the 1930s. Check the three Valiant photos, for example. For this exciting shoot, we were on the mandatory “sunny side” (“shadow side” was to be avoided at all cost), the foreground is unobstructed by people, vehicles and other dreaded “clutter”, there is no “unsightly” background such as buildings or wires, the horizons are straight, the aircraft markings are evident. In a word, my Valiants are all ideal “set-up shots”. If you’re one of today’s airplane hobbyists, you’ll enjoy “116 / 616 Photographers – Aerofiles”,  so track it down and have a look.

Arctic Current Events

Arctic readers take note … There’s a website with a very informative selection of daily news reports about Arctic developments, especially regarding Russian and American military happenings, including a recent exercise with RNoAF F-16s and six USAF B-52s. What does the future hold across the to

West Coast Wild Fires … here’s a good summary of how aviation is helping with this season’s West Coast wild fires:

https://graphics.reuters.com/CALIFORNIA-WILDFIRE/AIRCRAFT/bdwpkzmyyvm/?utm_campaign=website&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email

FYI …for your copy of  CANAV’s Extensive List of Misc. Books, Journals etc. contact me:  larry@canavbooks.com

Norseman + Air Canada 2020 Updates + USAF Assesses Its Arctic Stance

When we start some new research project, all sorts of material of peripheral interest to one’s new work will surface. So it is happening as I begin preparing for what will be CANAV’s 2024 blockbuster 100 th Anniversary the RCAF (if you have our Sixty Years book, you’ll know what to expect). Just this week a lot of Norseman photos popped up “out of nowhere”, so I can’t let this go by. Before these got re-buried in some filing cabinet or dark corner, I fingered them for blog use. So … let’s have a look.

In our book Norseman Vol.1, there are some wonderful photos taken at the Noorduyn factory at Cartierville. Here’s a new one that comes from a collection saved by the late, great Duncan D. McLaren, chief test pilot at Noorduyn in 1944. In the early 1990s it was my honour to visit and interview this great man in California, where he retired. Duncan later published one of Canada’s best personal aviation stories, Bush to Boardroom. See if you can find a copy at www.bookfinder.com Look at this wonderful Noorduyn photo as US military UC-64A Norsemans prepare to depart on delivery. First is 44-70362. Delivered to the USAAF on August 28, 1944, it was headed for Luke Field in Arizona. After brief service there, and storage in Georgia, it was sold as war surplus materiel to Kansas City Southern Skyways. However, it quickly was re-sold to Newfoundland Airways, becoming VO-ABW. When “Newfie” joined Canada in 1949, it became CF-GPG, but soon ended in a crash at Gander Lake on August 18, 1950 that killed Mr & Mrs F.M. Henderson. Beyond in this scene is Norseman 44-70364. Its destination from Cartierville was Alaska, where it was in service by late September. When its military days ended, it was purchased by a D.J. King of Minneapolis, but its history then dries up.

Perhaps at the same time, Duncan McLaren organized this rare US Army UC-64A Norseman formation “photo op” over Cartierville. Duncan was flying the plane second from the left.

This really is a fantastic shot for anyone seriously interested in Noorduyn history. I suspect that Duncan McLaren organized this scene showing Noorduyn test and evaluation pilots at a 1944 after work “cocktail hour”. How horrifying for today’s young pilots, eh. However, fellows actually used to whoop it up a bit after a long day on the job, testing who knows how many airplanes. These fellows all would have been qualified to fly anything that Noorduyn was building (Norsemans and Harvards), plus diverse types in the shops for overhaul. Shown are (front) Gren Joselin, (middle) Dick Fawcett, Frank Crang, Bob Ramsey, F/L Jack Arthur and Eddie Palmer, and (back) Gordon Ballantyne, Phil LaRivière, Duncan McLaren, Alfie Cockle, and an unknown air traffic controller.

Here are some of the same renowned fellows in their work clothes. In front are Gren, Dick, Bob and Eddie. Behind are Frank, Gordon and Duncan. These were roaring times for everyone at Noorduyn, where hundreds of Norsemans and Harvards were rolling out monthly.

Top Noorduyn Norseman men in 1944: Phil LaRivière chief mechanic, Hal Suddes project engineer and Duncan McLaren chief pilot. Phil remained at Noorduyn through the postwar years, and, later was involved in an effort to revive the Norseman.

Noorduyn men installing skis. Check out the sledge hammers – always handy to have for that final little “touch-up”. After all – it was a Norseman!

US Army Norseman 43-5174 at Quimet Lake near St. Jovite, Quebec while it was test plane for evaluating EDO 7170 floats. “5174” spent almost two years at Noorduyn doing such work under Duncan McLaren. Postwar, it flew in Argentina into the early 1960s as LV-AAT, then LV-FES.

“5174” on Edo 7170s with a canoe fitting being evaluated. “7170” indicated the gross weight (in pounds) permitted for this aircraft type on floats.

Norseman 43-35348 and a USAAF Beech C-45 at Ouimet Lake in 1944 during ski trials for the Bell P-63 fighter. “5348” was delivered to the USAAF at Peterson Field, Colorado in April 1944. In this pre-delivery scene, it likely was serving temporarily as a project support plane. Notice the wheel/ski arrangement on the C-45.

For the postwar civil market, Noorduyn produced the Norseman “V” – “V” for Victory. One of the first was delivered to the Hudson’s Bay Company of Winnipeg. CF-BHT was delivered in November 1945. The HBC flew “BHT” into 1955, after which there were several operators (chiefly Wheeler Airlines). Phil LaRivière was operating “BHT” at Sept-Îles, Quebec, when it crashed on June 2, 1967. By then, the log book showed that it had amassed 9265 flying hours (all such great info can be found at the magnificent Norseman website, see http://norsemanhistory.ca/Aircraft.htm You need to bookmark this very special site!

In surveying some of the great W.J. “Bill” Wheeler’s archives lately, I spotted these two Norseman photos. Bill took these shots at Kakabeka Falls near his hometown of Port Arthur/Thunder Bay on July 7, 1994. This is thought to be CF-OBG, the first Norseman “V”. Having begun in June 1945 with the Ontario Provincial Air Service, around 1960 it was at Kenora with Ontario Central Airlines, then ended in Sioux Lookout with Slate Falls Airways. Is there any news about this airframe in 2020?

In Norseman Vol.2 there’s a similar photo to this Norseman of the Swedish Air Force Museum at Lingoping. Having begun as USAAF 43-35418, it served in the UK and perhaps the “ETO” – European Theater of Operations. In 1947 it was sold in Sweden to Norrlandsflyg AB as SE-ASC. Various others flew it until it was acquired by the museum and displayed in air force ambulance colors.

In case you still don’t have your set of our by now renowned Norseman books, here’s the info and how to order. Vol.1 Aviation in Canada: The Noorduyn Norseman, by Larry Milberry and Hugh A. Halliday is acclaimed as one of the world’s most in-depth airplane “bios” and one in which any fan will revel. From early years in design to WWII. The transition to peace as the Norseman makes itself useful with bush, coast and polar operations. Writes Scale Aviation Modeller: “Packed with the kind of photographic material you won’t find on the internet … well-researched and comprehensive.” Our readers add: “I like the weaving of anecdotes with the narrative.” “What airplane fan couldn’t love it! I’m … straining at the chocks for the next installment. See our blog for more reviews 232 pages, hc, lf, 450+ photos, gloss, biblio, index. $50.00 … Vol.2 Aviation in Canada: The Noorduyn Norseman. The Norseman in Canada and around the world from war’s end to the present. From Newfoundland to BC & Alaska, Norway, New Guinea, Australia, Latin America. How one Canadian product made its mark across 9 decades. Spectacular presentation with 650 colour and b/w photos – exactly what you’d expect from CANAV. A book for anyone wanting the solid goods! 304 pp, hc, gloss, biblio, index. CDN$65.00. Canadian orders both books CDN$115.00 + $18.00 post + tax $6.65 TOTAL CDN $139.65 by PayPal or INTERAC to larry@canavbooks.com , or, or by cheque to CANAV Books, 51 Balsam Ave., Toronto, Ontario M4E3B6. USA and overseas pay in CDN dollars (USA save the 30%+ on the exchange). USA and overseas email me for shipping costs. Other questions? Send me an email. Cheers … Larry

Air Canada 2020 Overview For a really excellent look at Air Canada today, please see this top WNED Buffalo interview by former CTV news anchor, Jim Deeks, with Air Canada President and CEO, Calin Rovanescu. Guaranteed … this will be time very well spent. This program brings those two seminal TCA/Air Canada books into perfect 2020 focus — G.R. McGregor’s The Adolescence of an Airline, and Philip Smith’s It Seems Like Only Yesterday. See WNED: Episode 9 | April 5 | Calin Rovinescu – President and CEO of Air Canada.

USAF — What’s its Future in the Arctic? Also see https://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Article/Article/2281961/air-force-reveals-cold-facts-on-new-arctic-strategy/source/GovDelivery/

Canada began establishing its Arctic aviation interest/policy in 1922, when the great S/L R.A. Logan accompanied a scientific expedition that visited such far northern locations as Pond Inlet at the top of Baffin Island. See www.aina.ucalgary.ca › scripts › proe › propubnameUnfurling the Air Force ensign in the Canadian Arctic : the 1922 eastern Arctic and 1927-28 Hudson Strait expeditions / Lackenbauer, P.W. Eyre, K.C. [Calgary …

S/L Logan being particularly capable, the site that he recommended as a possible landing area at Pond Inlet actually did (post WWII) become the hamlet’s airport. So it remains to this day. The 1927-28 Hudson Strait Expedition added greatly to the RCAF’s knowledge of this vast, forbidding region (see Aviation in Canada: Evolution of an Air Force, The Creation of a National Air Force, Canada’s Flying Heritage, etc). With WWII, much more was learned, starting with an expedition using two RCAF Norsemans, something that led to the establishment (by the US military) of important airports from Churchill and Ungava to Baffin Island and Greenland. This network arose from the need to ferry airplanes from North American factories to the UK for the war effort. Subsequently, in the 1950s the Cold War saw many new Arctic bases established under the DEW Line project. By 2020, this nearly century-old evolution sees aviation as the glue holding together Canada’s Arctic real estate.

Meanwhile, from the 1950s the RCAF was operating frequent (usually monthly) Northern patrols (NORPATs) using the Lancaster, Argus and Aurora. In 1977 I was on one of these with 407 Sqn. We flew two patrols that week in an Argus from Cold Lake. Each mission was packed with objectives. What else should an Arctic nation be doing, right? Much on-the-spot info was gathered on NORPATs, then Ottawa cut the budget and patrols became fewer and fewer. In more modern times (1980s) came the establishment of very expensive Arctic FOLs (forward operating locations) for Canada’s CF-18s. These were built at Rankin Inlet, Yellowknife, Inuvik and Iqaluit. However, Canada’s commitment to such bases and other serious Arctic defence measures has been fading (the FOLs were left to deteriorate even before the USSR collapsed).

Much Arctic hoopla has been displayed in recent years by PMs Harper and Trudeau taking glitzy summer swans across the north, promising huge development, even a deep water port. These swans were little more than expensive photo and political campaigning ops. Any tangible Arctic development has been hard to measure. Meanwhile, the USA, Russia and China all are very seriously focused on the Arctic. Does Canada intend to get back into this high-stakes game, or will Ottawa sit on its hands and let our Arctic prerogatives wither? These two recent news items (the first published at “Breaking Defense”) puts the spotlight on what the USAF is contemplating for the Arctic. Is Ottawa even clued in about this? As we sit here, the only RCAF aircraft based in the Arctic remain 3 or 4 ancient Twin Otters (440 Sqn) that have been flying from Yellowknife for decades. These support our famous Canadian Rangers, but also (and infamously) have been used to take VIP flunkies from Ottawas on exotic summer fishing trips. This is not what we can call a serious Arctic commitment to Canada’s air defence/sovereignty. See what you think of these USAF papers where Canada barely gets a mention:

New Air Force Arctic Strategy May Update Planes For Polar Ops

“Historically the Arctic, like space, was characterized as a predominantly peaceful domain,” the Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett said. “This is changing.”

By   Theresa Hitchens on July 21, 2020 at 4:58 PM

A Royal Canadian Air Force C-130 Hercules comes in on final approach to Thule.

WASHINGTON: As part of its new Arctic Strategy released today, the Air Force is eyeing how to modernize mobility aircraft capable of polar operations, improve existing bases, and expand allied cooperation as it gears up to face increased challenges in the region from Russia and China — as well as the changing environment.

“Historically the Arctic, like space, was characterized as a predominantly peaceful domain,” Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett told the Atlantic Council Tuesday afternoon. “This is changing with expanded maritime access, newly discovered resources, and competing sovereign interests.”

The new Air Force strategy document, which follows from Department of Defense’s 2019 Arctic strategy, touts the service’s extensive northern network of airbases and radar stations. The study even says that the service is responsible for “close to 80% of DoD resourcing to the Arctic region.”

Now, that surprising figure is sourced to a single DoD paper from 2016, and the Navy submarine force, which regularly sails under the ice and holds an annual ICEX, might challenge that contention. As Breaking Defense readers are well aware, the Navy has been ramping up efforts in the Arctic over the past year, and new Navy Secretary Kenneth Braithwaite is a former ambassador to key regional ally Norway.

SOURCE: Air Force Arctic Strategy

In Tuesday’s event, the Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. David Goldfein, was politic enough to emphasize that the service is working closely with the other services, especially the Navy, and with the joint Combatant Commanders to ensure “seamless” joint operations in the region.

In particular, he referred to the ongoing series of Global Integration Exercises — launched by former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford — that are designed to allow more fluid operations across and between Combatant Commands. Indo-Pacific Command, European Command, and Northern Command (which covers North America) all have jurisdiction over pieces of the Arctic.

Sec. Barrett cited DoD’s familiar litany of concern with Russian and Chinese aspirations and activities in the far north.

“No other country has a permanent military presence above the Arctic Circle comparable to Russia’s. Recent Russian investments in the Arctic include a network of offensive air assets and coastal missile systems,” she said. (Of course, no country has as long an Arctic coastline as Russia, either, and Russian leaders remember the US and other Western powers staged a desultory intervention in Siberia in 1918-1920).

China, she added, is setting potentially “predatory” eyes on newly opened access to natural resources, including oil.

“China is not an Arctic nation by geography, but through its One Belt, One Road initiative It has laid the claim to an Arctic role, and has become an observer to the Arctic Council,” she said. “We’re perfectly prepared to accept fair and benevolent action there and having China as a participant, but we will be attentive to overreaching.”

The strategy, signed by Barrett, Goldfein, and Space Force/Space Command head Gen. Jay Raymond, lays out four lines of effort along with the sub-elements of each: “Vigilance in All Domains; Projecting Power through a Combat-Credible Force; Cooperation with Allies & Partners; and, Preparation for Arctic Operations.”

Barrett said that the “vigilance encompasses everything from weather forecasting and consistent communications to threat detection and tracking.” The strategy document further notes that missile defense and space capabilities — including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and all-domain awareness — also are key to the mission.

As for power projection in the region, Barrett mentioned in particular the Air Force’s deployment of F-35 stealth fighters to Alaska as critical in enhancing capabilities. The service is in the process of moving some 54 F-35s to Eielson AFB in Fairbanks.

“When the full complement of planned F-35s arrive at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska’s unparalleled concentration of fifth-generation fighters will project unmistakable influence,” Barrett said.

She also noted that the service is looking at recapitalization of Lockheed Martin’s LC-130, the ski-equipped polar version of the C-130 Hercules transport plane. The Air National Guard currently has 10 operational LC-130H aircraft, according to the service’s 2021 budget documents.

“The LC-130s have been pivotal to getting access to terrain that otherwise would be inaccessible,” Barrett said. “So the LC-130 is very important, and recapitalizing is a significant issue to us.”

“The Air Force will advance recapitalization and explore modernization of existing and emergent polar mobility platforms that are critical for reaching remote areas,” the new strategy says.

In addition, the strategy emphasizes efforts to sustain and modernize bases in Alaska and at Thule, Greenland to allow regional power projection. As Breaking D readers know, Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy, head of Northern Command, is particularly interested in upgrading command, control and communications (C3) capabilities in the Arctic. 

Raymond told the Atlantic Council webinar that one of the new challenges for Arctic infrastructure is dealing with new challenges cropping up due to the warming climate.

“What has changed is the thawing and the melting of the permafrost,” he said. “It can have significant challenges on our infrastructure. It can cause foundations of buildings and equipment to shift. It can impact the structural integrity of those facilities .. for example cause increase runway maintenance,” he said.

Goldfein stressed the strategy’s high priority to enhance operations with NATO and regional allies, including Canada, Denmark and Norway. “You know only through cooperation with our allies will be be strong in Arctic or any other location in the globe,” he said.

But he also said DoD and the Air Force should be making an effort to establish rules of the road and norms of behavior in the Arctic, and reaching out to Russia to identify mutual interests.

“So, the question is: are there areas of common interest we can find above the 66th parallel that perhaps we’re not able to find below?” Goldfein said. “There has to be a few areas of common interest that we can find where we can be better together than we are separately.”

RCAF Lancaster FM104 Update + CATP Museum Tour + Air Cadets Update (Must Read) +”A Tradition of Excellence” — a Book for Any True Fan + Good News from Harbour Air

Here’s one of the vintage b/w photos that I took at the Lancaster retirement weekend at Downsview on April 5, 1964. That’s search and rescue FM104 in the foreground with “long nose” reconnaissance KB976 beyond.

Aviation fans everywhere love the Avro Lancaster. Canadians had begun crewing on Lancasters with RAF Bomber Command as soon as the “Lanc” began operations late in 1941. The distinct RCAF bomber group formed a year later (No.6 Group) was flying Canadian-built Lancaster Xs by war’s end.

Today, I’m looking back to April 4/5, 1964 in RCAF Lancaster history. That was somewhat melancholic, being the week the RCAF retired its Lancasters. For the occasion, Lancasters KB882 and KB976 (both the long nose, Arctic reconnaissance version) and FM104 (search and rescue version) had starring roles at RCAF Station Downsview in Toronto. Many RCAF veterans attended to honour their beloved “Lanc” and walk around it on the ramp for one last time. Thanks to “Lancaster KB976 – The Full Story” (you can google it) we know all about KB976. For KB882 see such sites as Lancaster KB882 – National Air Force Museum of Canada

A shot I took of FM104 in Coronation Park on July 31, 1967. It still was looking impressive, but the following years to 1999 would be hard on this famous wartime treasure. Birds nested in it and human squatters even moved in — talk about pitiful. eh. Notice the Sherman tank and artillery display beyond.

What about FM104? Although it had gotten to the UK in 1945, it arrived too late in the war for bombing operations. It soon flew home to spend several years in storage, before being converted for its important SAR role. FM104 then put in several years at Torbay, Newfoundland patrolling Eastern Canada and the NorthAtlantic with 107 Air Sea Rescue Unit. Once retired in 1964, it was acquired by the RCAF Association and displayed for decades atop a pylon in Coronation Park on Toronto’s downtown waterfront. Nearby were some other important emblems of Canada at war – the famous RCN destroyer HMCS Haida,a Sherman tank, and an artillery piece. Eventually, Toronto’s anti-war city councilors prevailed and all these historic reminders of Canada’s revered (by most decent citizens) military past were removed.

Happily, FM104 was saved. In 1999 some avid Toronto Aerospace Museum volunteers dismantled it and moved it to Downsview airport in north Toronto for gradual restoration. Some solid progress was made, then the museum suddenly folded. Inevitably, a discussion arose about FM104, ownership of which by then was with the City of Toronto. Various museums made cases for acquiring FM104. For a few months the story became a bit of a media sensation, especially when the British Columbia Aviation Museum made its proposal. Some factions in eastern Canada campaigned to “save” FM104 from going west. However, eastern Canada already had nearly all of the country’s Lancasters. The only example in the west was in Calgary, but the West Coast had had its own impressive postwar Lancaster history. From 1952 to 1959, No.407 Squadron at Comox on Vancouver Island had operated Lancasters flying such important missions as anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, and fisheries patrols. It made sense to me that FM104 should go to the BCAM, so on January 31, 2018 I wrote this letter:

To: Ms Gabrielle Major, Registrar, Toronto Museums and Heritage Services. Dear Ms Major … I have heard that the British Columbia Aviation Museum would like to acquire the City of Toronto’s Avro Lancaster WWII bomber. This brought me back to April 5, 1964, when I attended the official retirement at Downsview airport of this very Lancaster — FM104. Since then we enjoyed the sight of FM104 when it was on display for decades in Coronation Park down on the lakeshore. In more recent times, we watched as work was done towards its restoration at Downsview with the now-defunct Toronto Aerospace Museum. It would be good to get this Lancaster out to the West Coast, since the Lancaster made a major contribution towards Canada’s West Coast defense, and search-and-rescue in the postwar years. Yet, BC has no Lancaster, while quite a few are east of the Rockies. I hope that the BCAM can meet your standards for acquiring this piece of Canadian history. I have seen the high quality work that the BCAM has done on many restorations, so the museum has what it takes. Best regards and feel free to call any time if you have an aviation history query. Larry Milberry, Publisher, CANAV Books.

One of the great photos by Grant Hopkins that you’ll see in the “Skies” magazine update covering the restoration of FM104 at the BCAM. FM104 now is 75 years old, but somehow seems to be getting a bit “younger” looking by the day.

Happily, FM104 today resides with the British Columbia Aviation Museum near Victoria International Airport. Who knows, eh, maybe CANAV’s letter helped the BCAM cause. You can see much about the museum and how FM104 is progressing by surfing the net. This week, Canada’s magnificent “Skies” magazine published the latest FM104 update. Be sure to take a look:

B.C. Aviation Museum makes progress on Lancaster FM104 …www.skiesmag.com › news › Announcements

Besides FM104, other Canadian-built Lancasters are on display at museums from Greenwood, Nova Scotia to Ottawa, Trenton, Hamilton, Windsor, Calgary and Nanton, Alberta. Hamilton’s “Lanc” at the Canadian Warplane Heritage is one of only two in the world that remain airworthy (the other flies in the UK with the RAF). Usual good wishes … Larry

 

PS … if you have a spare 6 minutes, check out Rick Mercer’s wonderful coverage of his flight in the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum Lancaster! Here is is …  https://youtu.be/CAnqbFiLbyM

 

Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum … here is a 2020 walk-around on the hangar floor of this renowned Brandon, Manitoba aviation museum. Worth a look when you get a few minutes. This is the real deal, even the hangar being a WWII original!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IONL3iMa3k&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0KI6sy7j3osyx3OiN99f2CO8j1SWRSzPTl9gtu62oop0Xmtlofy6tZTy0

AIR CADET LEAGUE OF CANADA

ANNUAL FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN

Envisioned as Canada’s premier and world class youth development movement, the Air Cadet program seeks to encourage and enhance the development of well-adjusted, civic minded youth in undertaking leadership roles in a great Canada and a better world.  The Air Cadet League of Canada’s mission is to promote Canadian youth to develop an interest in aviation and aerospace and to provide opportunities to engage in enriching program elements such as physical education, music and public speaking.

Supporting Air Cadets makes a difference in the lives of young people.  Let’s work together to make sure that every Cadet has the opportunities – Donate Today!

Click Here to Support Air Cadets, Today!

Every cadet has a story …

“My name is Warrant Officer 1^st Class Heather Blake. I am a member of 514 Air Cadet Squadron in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. When I joined cadets as a 12-year-old, thanks to growing up around members of the program, I already knew a lot of the opportunities that would be made available to me. What I could never have anticipated, however, is the way being an Air Cadet would make me feel. The camaraderie, the self-discipline, the adventurous spirit – but most importantly, the desire that comes only from the pursuit of your dreams. That is exactly what Air Cadets has allowed me to do – it not only gave me the opportunities, but it gave me the courage and the drive to both reach for my dreams and achieve them. I can never truly express how grateful I am for that.”Warrant Officer 1^st Class Heather Blake (center of photo) 514 Kinsmen Air Cadet Squadron

Your Gift … Supporting Air Cadets makes a difference in the lives of young people.  Let’s work together to make sure that every Cadet has the opportunities that cadets like Heather are so grateful to have had – opportunities that shaped their lives!

Thank you for supporting our Air Cadets and a special thank you if you have donated recently. You can donate to the Air Cadet League of Canada online with credit card or by sending us a cheque with the printable donation form also found on our website. Together we can make another 78 years of excellence and innovation in youth development programming a possibility. Yours sincerely, James Hunter, CD

************************************************************************

A Tradition of Excellence: Canada’s Airshow Team Heritage CANAV’s pleased to re-introduce you to Dan Dampsey’s ace of a book. Here at CANAV HQ, I have my autographed copy on a shelf with what I call “the finest aviation books in the world”. This truly is the most magnificently-produced Canadian aviation book, a treasure deserving a place of honour in your library. “TradEx” will give you decades of fabulous reading. Full coverage from 1919 into the 2010s of such great teams as Bishop-Barker, the Siskins, Golden Hawks, Golden Centennaires and Snowbirds. Everything from the Fokker D.VII to the Harvard, CF-100, Banshee, Sabre, T-33, Tutor, CF-104, CF-18, Kiowa – even such surprises as the Argus & Sea King in “demo” mode! Fascinating civil types also pop up. Some 2000 photos + 42 original paintings by the great Peter Mossman. You’ll revel in every page. Treat yourself & show your support for someone who put it on the line for Canada’s aviation heritage! 766pp, 4 kg, hc, 9.5×12 in., app’x, biblio, index. Your signed copy: all-in just $130.00 Order directly from Dan at afteams@gmail.com

************************************************************************

Reader comments: Ref. our 2015 blog item “A Few More Norseman Tidbits for the Fans“… our blog readers always provide valuable input, once they’ve had a look. Today, for example, I heard from someone who found an item on the blog that could make someone melancholic, but, in her case, happy, as well. She writes: “Thanks for this little bit. My father in law was the referred to S.B. Ladell. He suffered major injuries in the crash but did meet his future wife while in hospital.” There’s a lot more to aviation history than we sometimes realize, right!

Harbour Air Boosts Operations from Vancouver … Canada’s famed West Coast operator is edging back into the business. The CBC tells the story:
Preview YouTube video Harbour Air banks on B.C. tourists, adds routes

Gananoque’s “Mysterious” Canso + AN-225 Hotline + Conair from Stearman to Q400 + A Little-Remembered but Dramatic Episode of “Canada at War” + Reminder: “A Tradition of Excellence” — A Spectacular Canadian Book

For decades, many a keen member of “the aviation circle” has dropped in to the former British Commonwealth Air Training Plan aerodrome north of Gananoque, Ontario. The place had been built in the early 1940s as a relief, or, secondary field to serve No.31 service Flying Training School at Kingston (see “RCAF Station Kingston” on wiki). “Back in the day” No.31 SFTS was doing advance training mainly for RAF student pilots on the Battle, initially, then, on the Harvard, once they were available.

A relief field served several roles. Instructors could take students there from the busy Kingston circuit to practice “touch-and-goes” and other procedures; advanced solo students could do the same. If a runway incident closed a runway at Kingston, Gananoque would save the day, the same if local weather conditions closed Kingston, while Gananoque still was open. Such fields were bare bones. They had the standard BCATP runway layout, but usually just one small hangar, a few other basic buildings and a skeleton staff.

After the war most relief fields soon disappeared. Local farmers often bought the buildings and equipment (even some airplanes, if any were lying about), then the place normally reverted to agricultural use. It’s a bit of a miracle that Gananoque survived, certainly passed 1960. I don’t know how this happened, but a few such aerodromes did have temporary RCAF use postwar. Carman, Manitoba, for example, was used for aircraft storage into the 1960s. Does anyone know what purpose Gananoque served from 1945 into the 1960s?

One thing we do know is that – subsequently — the place was taken over for skydiving in 1971 when the Gananoque Sport Parachuting Centre opened. The company website is sparse about history, but does mention that in 2020 the founding family remains in charge. My last visit was in 2015, but Richard Mallory Allnutt visited in 2018, so has some more current info. His follow-up article is published on the web in “Warbird Digest”.  ere it is: http://warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-
news/the-ghost-of-gananoque-a-flying-boat-in-a-barn.html This is really tops — well research and smoothly written. Richard polished up his story with some good solid photography, so be sure to have a close read. You’ll love it! I like his reference to the old Hitchcock “North by Northwest” – the dusty road leading to the field would remind any film buff of that great classic flick.

Over the decades, owner Dave Dorosh has visited Gananoque most years from Alberta to inspect and clean up his beloved Canso. He made the trek as recently as this fall — 2020. Here are a few Gananoque photos from my August 23, 2015. Hope you enjoy them and the general story … Larry

Gananoque Photo Tour

Here’s your first general look at present day Gananoque once you pull in. This is the standard BCATP 2-bay aircraft hangar. After nearly 80 years not much has changed. Even the cladding is standard wartime cedar shingles. The ancient control tower really “makes” the scene. I suspect that most aircraft comings and goings at such a field were handled by controllers using an Aldis Lamp. It’s great how this wonderful WWII tower has survived. The tarmac at a glance appears to be original.

Judging from the sign on the hangar, the club goes back a year or two (1971).

Of course, what mainly draws the history buffs here is the Canso. I remember first visiting in the 1970s following up on a rumour about a possible Canso. This panned out – there it was, as Richard describes. Its original ID was RCAF 11093, which was built by Canadian Vickers at Cartierville in 1944. Richard outlines its basic military history. Very little has change here over the decades. Hard to believe, no! On earlier visits I always found the Canso inside with no lighting for photography. This time, however, I hit the jackpot, for 11093 was out in the air. This was a scenario that called for a series of photos.

Postwar, the RCAF retained a fleet of Cansos for such duties as search and rescue, and supporting Northern and Arctic operations. As kids we always loved to see a Canso at the airshows, especially if a JATO take-off was on the program. In 1960, however, the Grumman Albatross entered RCAF service – the Canso was on its way out. The last went into storage in 1962, but soon were in demand by commercial operators, especially when the Canso’s usefulness as a water bomber was understood. The government’s surplus sales corporation, Crown Assets of Ottawa, quickly sold off the Cansos stored at such bases as Dunnville. It was a buyers’ market. Old time Canso man, Joe Reed, once told me that he flew a Canso out of Dunnville in the early Sixties, having paid a mere $1500.

11093 close-up shots. Note how the wartime aft observation blisters have been removed and replaced on both sides by cargo doors with small blisters.

Anyone dropping in to see the Canso can’t resist spending an easy hour watching all the jump club activity. Jumpers are known for their hospitality, so no fear of being rousted off the ramp, etc. Here are some typical scenes. Sometimes 3 or 4 ‘chutes will be in the sky, if the single Cessna is the jump plane, but if the King Air or Skyvan are at work, the sky will be crowded with parachutes.

Gananoque’s jump planes in August 2015 included this vintage 1965 workhorse in “Cabotair” colours. A Cessna 182H Skylane, “GDJ” looked about as well-worn as any typical jump plane. It came to Canada from the USA in 1991. Notice – pilot’s seat only, the rest stripped out to make room for the jumpers.

Jump plane N32BA getting set for a circuit. It’s a 1969 Model B90 sn LJ475 with a pair of PWC PT6A-60A turbine engines. Then, Skyvan N192WW. Both planes were chartered from US owners and equipped for the para role. The pilots were very experienced at this demanding sport aviation specialty.

The spacious Skyvan cabin. Then, jumpers heading out ready for their one-way Skyvan flight.

The Skyvan back at base and taxiing by the Canso after another drop.

Watching some happy jumpers on the way down.

Some final views from 2015. I look forward to dropping by again to see “what gives” with Gananoque’s trademark Canso (there sometimes are rumours that it has been sold, etc.) and to enjoy all the jump school fun and games. Notice the tired old 1973 Piper PA-31 (C-GIRU) Chieftain in one photo. It has gradually been fading into the weeds. PS … yet another little know fact about Gananoque: if you drive downtown to the waterfront, you can see the old Link Trainer factory, now a condo development. Link manufactured some 5000 of its basic flight simulators here in the 1930s and through WWII.

It’s printed off a bit of a dirty old “120” negative, but here’s a shot I took of “NJL” in the early 1960s when it was dormant at Ottawa “YOW”, before going into long-term storage at Gananoque

AN-225 … World’s Most Amazing Airplane!

AN-225 Hotline … Check out this world-class, one-of-a-kind, astounding airplane visiting YYZ Toronto 30 May 2020 . A couple of weeks ago the “225” was at Montreal Mirabel via Anchorage. Notice how antonov.kiev.ua and canavbooks.com are equally shameless in their self-promotional efforts! But … at least CANAV has flown a couple of AN-124 global trips, so all you poor little critics who don’t know the joys of a real Antonov adventure kindly bow your heads respectfully!

The great Gus Corujo also covered the AN-225 at YYZ this day. Few are able to capture such an event better than Gus. You really need to have a look: http://gusair.com/htdocs/Aviation/2020/20Antonov-225-CYYZ/20antonov-225-cyyz.html

Conair — A Great Canadian Company’s History in Fire Bombing & Aerial Application. Stearman to Q400 in 5 minutes: https://vimeo.com/421329061?ref=em-share

A Little Remembered but Dramatic Episode of “Canada at War”. How Canadian Paratroops Helped Save Denmark in May 1945. See ehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWcRl7Q7pGs  

A Tradition of Excellence: Canada’s Airshow Team Heritage CANAV’s pleased to re-introduce you to Dan Dampsey’s ace of a book. Here at CANAV HQ, I have my autographed copy on a shelf with what I call “the finest aviation books in the world”. This truly is the most magnificently-produced Canadian aviation book, a treasure deserving a place of honour in your library. “TradEx” will give you decades of fabulous reading. Full coverage from 1919 into the 2010s of such great teams as Bishop-Barker, the Siskins, Golden Hawks, Golden Centennaires and Snowbirds. Everything from the Fokker D.VII to the Harvard, CF-100, Banshee, Sabre, T-33, Tutor, CF-104, CF-18, Kiowa – even such surprises as the Argus & Sea King in “demo” mode! Fascinating civil types also pop up. Some 2000 photos + 42 original paintings by the great Peter Mossman. You’ll revel in every page. Treat yourself & show your support for someone who put it on the line for Canada’s aviation heritage! 766pp, 4 kg, hc, 9.5×12 in., app’x, biblio, index. Your signed copy: all-in just $130.00 Order directly from Dan at afteams@gmail.com

CANAV’s Blog for May 9, 2020 … Where Have All the Airliners Gone? Gemini, AN-225 and Norseman Updates + Other Worthwhile History Bits

A Really Keen Photographer Covers the “Parked Airliners” Scene You’ll find it well worth looking at this outstanding album of fantastic photos. The man behind the lens  tells the sad story of what the C-Virus has done to World Air Travel. Here’s the link to open: https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-a-photographers-quest-to-photograph-hundreds-of-parked-planes-2020-5#though-initially-worried-about-heading-to-a-major-city-like-kansas-city-luten-described-the-measures-he-took-such-as-sleeping-in-his-car-and-wear-protective-masks-when-required-31

 

Hundreds of you have been enjoying our recent item covering the wonderful photos of the great Al Martin. Here’s another of Al’s always-interesting shots. So far as we know, only two Miles Gemini light twins ever came to Canada. One (G-AJKS) returned to the UK, the other became CF-HVK. Al spotted “JKS” at Toronto Island Airport some time around 1950. Here’s the story:

First flown in 1945, the Miles Gemini 4-seat light twin looked promising. Then, as the initial surge in postwar Great Britain’s recovery cooled, Miles folded in 1947. About 150 Geminis were built. Initially, G-AJKS came across on a Miles demo tour. Its arrival was impressive, since it came aboard the RCN aircraft carrier, HMCS Warrior. Once Warrior was about 20 miles off Nova Scotia, demo pilot, Jim Nelson (an ex-RAF American), flew the little Gemini off the deck to Halifax. Can you imagine pulling off such a stunt in 2020? Not a chance, right! The Gemini visited Ottawa, Oshawa and Toronto Island Airport, then back-tracked to Montreal and on to New York City. The tour and a demo flight were written up in detail in the October 1947 edition of “Canadian Aviation” magazine. One comment may explain why no sales resulted – the Gemini carried a hefty price tag of $16,000. G-AJKS was shipped home where, among other owners, it served Eagle Air Services of Baginton airport from 1955-59. Too bad, but it was scrapped in 1965.

Nothing else was heard of the Gemini in Canada until 1955, when John E. Pitt of Montreal ordered one. Pitt hoped to fly his new plane across the North Atlantic to Montreal. Happily, sanity prevailed, and the Gemini was crated and shipped by sea, then assembled at Dorval around June/July 1955. Registered CF-HVK (previously G-AJOH in UK), it sounds by the archival paperwork that Pitt hoped to convert it to US-made Continental engines. By late 1955 “HVK” was resident at Cartierville airport a few miles from Dorval. How did this unusual Canadian light plane end? Not well, but its final days suggest that John Pitt really was an adventurer, who probably would have tried an Atlantic crossing if allowed. In March 1958 he had “HVK” in Mexico. Such a long flight from Canada to Mexico in a tiny plane was uncommon in those times. Was Pitt on an exotic vacation? Was he in Mexico to sell his plane? The sad thing is, while taking off at Mexico City on March 28, 1959, he had an engine fail and crash-landed. Nothing further is known about “HVK”.

Here are two rare colour shots of “HVK” at Dorval c.1955. These were taken by the renowned John Caron of Montreal, one of the early supporters of the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association, and of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society. Notice the great setting, including the Dorval Air Transport C-46 CF-FBJ and a T-50 still in RCAF yellow. I photographed “FBJ” on the same ramp just a few years later. Sadly, it crashed disastrously in Lac St-Jean country when it got entangled in a fierce thunderstorm. Cessna Crane N60536 had been RCAF 8662 during the war. Montreal surplus airplane kingpin Wally Siple acquired it, then sold it to a US buyer. As usual, there’s often more to an ordinary airplane photo than the foreground, right!

Reader Update

Further to our Gemini blog item, Ian M. Macdonald already has been in touch. Ian had done his own research into this interesting little plane. He reported his findings in the March 2010 edition of “The Observair” (newsletter of the Ottawa chapter of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society). Ian learned that in 1946-47 a third Gemini was destined for Canada. The registration CF-EMW was reserved for it for the Bata Shoe Company of Batawa, Ontario. However, for some reason the Department of Transport in Ottawa denied importation authority, so “EMW” remained in the UK.

Ian also clarifies that for the planned trans-Atlantic delivery flight of CF-HVK, an inexperienced ferry pilot was hired. This likely explains why the DOT nixed the flight. Another Gemini did, however, reach Canada, but this story ended badly just a few hours after the plane entered Canadian air space. As Ian explains, Thomas James Binderman of Montreal purchased Gemini G-AKFU in the summer of 1965. A low-time private pilot, somehow he was authorized to fly the North Atlantic to Canada:

On August 14, 1965, Binderman left Narsarssuaq, Greenland, at 0758 for Goose Bay, NL, a 685-nm leg. His last radio communication was with Cartwright, NL, at 1425, and at 1528, fuel was considered exhausted. An RCAF 107 Rescue Unit Albatross crew spotted G-AKFU five days later; 65 miles east-south-east of Goose Bay, overturned in a bog after attempting a wheels-down landing. The pilot had survived apparently uninjured, and spent one night with the aircraft before walking away. A helicopter and foot search in all directions yielded nothing, and the search was reduced on 28 August 1965. Pressure from family and friends caused the search to restart on 3 September, and Binderman’s wife flew to Goose Bay, but he was never found, the search finally being abandoned on 11 September 1965. A number of errors were found in the navigation log and this quote from the accident report is telling: “… the distance between Narsarssuaq and Goose Bay was measured in nautical miles whereas the estimated ground speed was shown in statute miles per hour. This error in calculations would have shown the flight to be feasible; when the correct computations were applied it was evident that it was almost impossible … with the fuel available.

AN-225 World’s Biggest Air Transport Lands at Mirabel May 1, Offloads PPE,  Departs Next Day … Well Worth a Look. What a Magnificent Flying Machine!

Preview YouTube video COVID-19 RESCUE FLIGHT!! Antonov AN-225 (A225) in action in Montreal (YMX / CYMX)

Norseman update: We haven’t featured much new about the Norseman for ages. Happily, Al Bieck – a renowned Ontario government pilot recently sent along this fine old snapshot of Slate Falls Trading Co. Norseman V CF-HPY upended at Big Trout Lake in NW Ontario on February 8, 1963 (the landing had gone badly due to a misaligned ski). Once inspected, “HPY” was found to be badly damaged, so never flew again. Eventually, it was acquired by aviation history aficionado, Joe McBryan, of Fort Simpson, NWT. Due to Joe’s efforts, “HPY” has been restored and may be seen today at the Alberta Aviation Museum in Edmonton. If you don’t have your set of Aviation in Canada: The Noorduyn Norseman Story, you can order right here on the blog or via this booklist “1 CANAV Booklist Fall/Winter 2019-2020.jpg”

With 1040 pages, our famous title Air Transport in Canada has the best coverage of its subject matter of any book ever published. Since ATC was published in 1997, I’ve gathered vast amounts of subsequent material, including these historic old black-and-whites. First, CPA’s DC-3 CF-CUE on its nose. A note on this original print says “Yellowknife” (“CUE” is said to have been the first DC-3 to land at Yellowknife – I hope this wasn’t on that auspicious occasion!). “CUE” had served initially in the USAAF in WWII. At war’s end it was acquired by war surplus magnate Charles Babb, who sold it to CPA in January 1947. It moved to the Department of Transport in 1956 for a much more sedate existence, then joined Buffalo Airways in 1992. In 2020 “CUE” is in storage in Red Deer, Alberta.

 

The Hudson Bay Company’s Canso CF-BSK burns furiously at Yellowknife in one of a series of dramatic snapshots taken on February 9, 1947. “BSK” had begun as RCAF 9797. By then having logged 1698 flying hours mainly with Eastern Air Command, and by then being surplus to RCAF needs, in April 1946 9797 was sold to Charles Babb, who re-sold it to the HBC in July 1946. The HBC christened it “Polar Bear” and planned to use it for supplying and communicating with its far flung Arctic trading posts. The fire is said to have been caused by static electricity during refuelling.

 

In the 1950s-60s, the great Leslie Corness covered the Canadian aviation scene chiefly in Alberta and the Arctic. However, he travelled east and west on occasion. He would have been delighted one day c.1960 while driving through the BC interior to spot this Pacific Western Airlines Junkers W-34. Talk about a classic bushplane! CF- ATF had begun in 1932 with Canadian Airways. Some of its detailed history is covered in K.M. “Ken” Molson’s seminal book Pioneering in Canadian Air Transport. Do your best to find a copy of the gem on the web (try such sites as http://www.bookfinder.com). Finally retired, “ATF” was acquired through Ken’s efforts for Canada’s National Aviation Museum, which he then was building up from scratch. That is where you can see “ATF” today in all its glory (even though you will be hard-pressed to find any mention of Ken’s great deeds in the present museum, nor anywhere else, officially, around the Canadian aviation museum scene). Happily, this is an active effort to have Ken inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame.

 

While working on today’s blog, I also came across Leslie Corness’ dramatic aerial view of the crash of Associated Airways Avro York CF-HMY at Edmonton on May 26, 1955. This disaster is covered in detail in ATC and The Leslie Corness Propliner Collection. The accident resulted strictly from pilot carelessness. It’s fortunate that the York ended in the Calder rail yards at the end of the runway. Damage was great, but casualties were limited to the two pilots. The die was cast when the captain attempted takeoff on a 5700-foot runway, when aircraft weight and weather conditions clearly required at least 7100 feet to get airborne. Leslie heard about the crash on the radio, hurried to the airport, rented a small plane from the Edmonton Flying Club, then took off to shoot his series of now-historic photos.

Speaking of Air Transport in Canada, in the fall of 1997 the great artist, Tom Bjarnason, and I visited Bill Wheeler (CAHS No.5) in Markham to show him Tom’s original artwork for the cover of ATC. If you search for Tom on this blog, you can learn a bit about him. A solid Manitoba Icelander, Tom truly was one of Canada’s great artists. I greatly treasure this lovely world class aviation painting. Tom also did wonderful paintings for Sixty Years: The RCAF and CF Air Command (cover), The Canadair North Star and De Havilland in Canada (cover).

This is the last personal photo I have with Russ Bannock. One of Canada’s greatest aviation figures. Russ’ magnificent flying career spanned from before WWII to his fame as a leading Mosquito ace, to postwar at De Havilland Canada, where he rose to be President, to many subsequent productive decades in Canada’s aviation industry. Here is Russ in 2019 at age 100 with three of the Milberrys – Simon, Larry and Matthew. We were at the Toronto Hunt Club, where our Legion branch (Br.165) was having a monthly dinner. I first covered Russ in my 1979 book, Aviation in Canada. At the time he was President of DHC. When I asked for an hour of his time, he welcomed me instantly. We met in his office and had a fine session mainly flipping through his amazing wartime logbook. Back in the 1960s-70s, I was struggling as an upstart in the history business, so having the support of such aviation heroes and kingpins really was encouraging.

Someone else who always encouraged me was a great Don McVicar 1915-1997. A leading pilot with Ferry Command at Dorval during WWII, Don got into the hurly-burly of ferrying airplanes at war’s end, did some bush flying down the Quebec North Shore and into Labrador, excelled in heavy transport once the DEW Line project got going about 1955, freighted to Cuba during the dicey days of the 1960s US embargo, then finished with a flurry doing trans-Atlantic passenger charters with Super Constellations. Ultimately, Don tread on far too many bankers’ and politicians’ toes, so he had to fold his renowned World Wide Airways. Having hid out for a few years in southern places, he retired with his lovely wife, Loretta, to a modest apartment in Dorval, from where he wrote several wonderful books. From More than a Pilot to North Atlantic Cat to Mosquito Racer and A Change of Wings these all are real gems. See what you can find on the various internet used book sites. Here is Don at some Ferry Command event we attended at Dorval c.1982. That’s the great Beth Buchanan of Air Canada. Beth was G.R. McGregor’s long-serving secretary at TCA and ghost-writer for his TCA memoir Adolescence of an Airline (1980). Later, she oversaw the Air Canada library and archives (sadly, later dismantled) in Place Ville Marie, and supported my Canadair North Star research project in the early 1980s. Without such backers, no such aviation history projects could ever succeed. On the left is Beth’s assistant, Harold Dondonez, I on the right. Then, Don McVicar at his home in Dorval not long before his passing. Don was always happy to have a visitor, so long as that conversation was about aviation. Other than that, as NWT Air/First Air/Buffalo Airways pilot Tony Jarvis and I recall, there was a small price of admission – a few Molsons and some Colonel Sanders chicken. Here’s Don in his glory at home, surrounded by his beloved aviation library. Notice that very impressive decoration — his “Distinguished Reading Cross”. Having created the “DRC”, he awarded it to a few particular characters. Rough and ready if it came to changing an engine on a C-46, Don was a class act an author, publisher and friend.

 

Hugh Fraser — He Got an Me.262

It’s been such an honour over the decades meeting and working with hundreds of Canada’s aviation leaders, whether civil or military. Their photos keep popping up as I go through the CANAV Books Archives. Having lunch here with Canada’s renowned artist, Ron Lowry, is the great RCAF Typhoon pilot, Alexander Hugh Fraser, who had come to Toronto from Kingston to meet us at “The Feathers” pub on Kingston Rd. A Montreal boy, Hugh had excelled at flying the Typhoon with 439 Squadron. The highlight of his tour came New Year’s morning 1945. Hugh was airborne on a dawn patrol with three squadron mates when they heard on the “RT” that their base – Eindhoven, Netherlands – was being clobbered by swarms of Luftwaffe fighters. Back safely on the ground, Hugh reported to his Intelligence Officer how he just had scored two kills in the furious dogfight that ensued. He quickly had gotten on the tail of an Fw.190:

“I gave him a short burst at 10 degrees angle off and airspeed about 190-200 mph. Pieces flew off his aircraft, he caught fire, turned over on his back and went straight in at approximately E6715. By this time I had lost my leader. Somebody took a squirt at me … judging from the holes in my aircraft. At this time I saw four aircraft hit the ground, and one parachute. I was then at about 1500 feet and saw a long- nose Fw.190 in a shallow dive underneath me going toward Venlo. I dove after him. When he was about 100 feet above the ground, I was closing rapidly and took four short bursts at him. It was line astern shooting and my last burst was from about 50 yards. Pieces flew off his aircraft. I must have severed his elevator controls because he never leveled off. He went into the deck somewhere near a large windmill at about E7919. I had to break very quickly to avoid hitting the ground at approximately 400 mph. Pieces flew in every direction.”

The entire encounter (including the Typhoons briefly being jumped by some Spitfires) lasted from 0945 to 0950. Three of the Typhoons then diverted to the Allied base at Volkel. Sadly, their mate, F/L Angelini, did not survive the battle. On April 14, 1945 Hugh Fraser had another exciting operation. While on a patrol led by F/L Lyle Shaver, two Me.262 jets were encountered. Shaver quickly shot down one, Fraser the other.

In the second “Feathers” photo, Hugh is with (from his right) aviation aficionado Ralph Clint, me, Annie McKay (daughter of the great 438 Sqn Typhoon pilot, Ed McKay) and Ron Lowry. Hugh’s RCAF history is well told (along with much other wonderful material) by Hugh Halliday in our 1992 book, Typhoon and Tempest: The Canadian Story. These two archival RCAF photos are included. First, the famous RCAF PR photo with Hugh in his beloved Typhoon 5V-X “Nicky”. Then, with 439 mates Lyle Shaver and Jim Beatty discussing their Me.262 kills. Hugh died at age 75 in Montreal on October 6, 1998.

Aviation art … over the years I was honoured to work with many of Canada’s “modern” (post-WWII) aviation artists. This is a story for another day. Just for now, here’s an interesting bit of CANAV Books history. For the 60th anniversary of the RCAF in 1984, I published Sixty Years: The RCAF and CF Air Command 1924-1984. To this day, this massive and spectacular book remains the best ever history of the RCAF in a single volume. It’s also the most successful ever, having lasted through 5 printings and more than 20,000 copies. Sixty Years includes nearly 100 original paintings by those fine artists whom I was fortunate to meet at the time. Soon after the book was published, General Paul Manson, who then commanded Canada’s air force from his HQ in Winnipeg, contacted me about acquiring this collection of original paintings. We soon agreed. The paintings all went to Winnipeg, where they were framed and put on display throughout Air Force HQ. I haven’t seen the arrangement for decades, but one day while on a visit, I snapped this small plaque in the lobby. Beside it at the time was a typical piece from Sixty Years – a magnificent Ron Lowry colour profile of a post-WWI RCAF Avro 504. Nice, eh!

The Book Is Alive (No Apologies) + New Projects + Surviving in Canadian Book Publishing + A Reminder about the Ultimate history of the Bell 47+ A340s in Formation + Pandemics Today and Yesterday

Be sure to check out Pierre Gillard’s wonderful aviation blog. Keep up to date with what’s going on anywhere from St. Hubert to points around the world where Pierre travels: http://www.pierregillard.com/blog/index.html

How are the airlines doing these days? Here is a very good overview: OPINION: Aviation is being reshaped, and governments are in control

How is the book doing these days? “Good question”, as the typical radio host would reply, right. Here’s one very nice little piece that helps explain: Mike Valenti sent along this interesting bit of “history of civilization” today (April 7). One of the fathers of the internet back in the 1960s was J.C.R. Licklider. Wiki describes him as “an American psychologist and computer scientist who is considered one of the most important figures in computer science and general computing history“. While he was envisioning the internet away back then, Licklider also correctly envisioned the future of the book, penning this succinct summary. This has proven to be true, at least for the brighter members of civilized society: “As a medium for display of information, the printed page is superb. It affords enough resolution to meet the eye’s demand. It presents enough information to occupy the reader for a convenient quantum of time. It offers great flexibility of font and format. It lets the reader control the mode and rate of inspection. It is small, light, movable, cuttable, clippable, pastable, replicable, disposable, and inexpensive.” Would Marshal McLuhan — along with CANAV’s advanced thinkers/readers — ever cheer at this brilliant little prophecy. Something to think about, as our mothers used to say.

There always are projects in the works at CANAV Books. Most eventually surface as books, while others are delayed (sometimes the holding pattern lasts for years). Other brilliant CANAV ideas fade into the sunset, although the raw research gathered for them often appears in later books. Meanwhile, our classic “old tyme” CANAV titles mostly soldier on. Today (April 14) I heard from one of my readers in Finland, reminiscing about The Canadair North Star, published in 1982 “I still remember when I finally got your North Star book. I was in Victoria BC visiting friends. We went to Tanner’s book store in Sidney to see if there was a copy available. There was and I was extremely happy! That was back in 1992. A beautiful book about beautiful aircraft!”

These days, CANAV has two big projects on the go: (1)Aviation in Canada: Fighter Pilots and Observers 1939-1945 and (2) a grand history for the RCAF 100^th Anniversary. The former, obviously, is the sequel to Fighter Pilots and Observers 1915-1939.

Ancient history: CANAV is a serious publishing house that does not exist — as do most Canadian book publishers — chiefly to collect government grants. Having published 37 titles since 1981, CANAV has yet to apply for any such government handouts. It’s just not in my nature to figure that my neighbours should be paying for my projects. Instead, CANAV survives by publishing good books for which serious readers actually will pay. For pretty well 40 years this has worked, but staying above water has been a dicey little game and the game gets no easier.

Many of you have our world famous RCAF 60^th Anniversary title, Sixty Years: The RCAF and CF Air Command 1924-1984. This is the very best, single-volume, general history of the RCAF ever published. So, you know what you can look forward to with our sequel in 2024. Sixty Years comprises 480 pages of in-depth RCAF history, including something like 800 photos. It also has an aviation art gallery the likes of which has never been seen in any Canadian book. Noted the UK’s “Aircraft Illustrated” about Sixty Years: “One of those all-too rare aviation books … a delight to read and a joy to possess and to treasure… superbly produced and printed and is likely to become a classic collectors’ item … a masterpiece.” Added another renowned UK journal, “Air International”: “An outstanding product combining a fascinating, deeply researched text … the photographs alone are worth the price…” What aviation publisher receives such plaudits, so what RCAF fan couldn’t be won over?

It’s Up Hill A Lot of the Way

Over the decades I’ve seen many a dog-eared copy of Sixty Years. Readers sometimes contact me for a new copy, having worn out their 1984 “original”. With some 20,000 in print over 36 years, I call Sixty Years CANAV’s flagship book. Ironically, it’s sad how RCAF HQ remains fairly oblivious about such a downright glorious RCAF history book. I’m not making this up, but I never receive an order for any of CANAV’s RCAF books from anywhere at DND/RCAF, save maybe for a lonely, single copy when a book is new. CANAV survives, regardless, but sure could use some substantive actual air force support after our 40 year grind. Another Ottawa bureaucracy, the Canada Council, is just as discouraging. I’m not making this up either, but the Canada Council does not recognize CANAV Books as an actual book publisher. It has declared our beautiful books, that are applauded by serious aviation historians worldwide, to be inadmissible for a Governor General’s book award, explaining that CANAV has not published enough authors to be consider a “real” book publisher. What? Can you imagine such utter Ottawa arrogance/stupidity? CANAV has published 10 authors to date. How many are needed to be considered a “legitimate” Canadian book publisher? This gets more offensive when one looks at the annual Governor General’s book awards and notices how many are awarded to authors who have American publishers.

I once wrote (nicely) to the Governor General about this travesty. His reply was for me to contact the Canada Council. Fun and games with Ottawa, eh. This is all the more reason why your personal order for even a single book is extra appreciated these days. It directly helps CANAV to keep publishing. Now, let’s get “down to the nubbins”. If you don’t yet have Fighter Pilots and Observers or Sixty Years, or if you could use spare copies to use as gifts, this is your chance.

Aviation in Canada: Fighter Pilots and Observers 1915-1939

CANAV published Aviation in Canada: Fighter Pilots and Observers 1915-1939 in 2018. It’s Volume 8 and the latest in our on-going series (would I ever like to sell you a complete set, if you don’t have one). With its in-depth and original content, and magnificent photo collection, this is another grand CANAV effort. Both you and our always critical book reviewers tell me this, so I’m satisfied about this side of the business. Some readers comments about “FPO” include:

“Yours is the most amazing treatment of Canadian fighter pilots in World War I ever, and people will thank you for years to come for the photographic research, and the captions. What a great Christmas present it will make.”

“Rich, nutritious, satisfying.”

“I want to express my appreciation and that of my colleagues for your championing Canadian aviation history. Thank you for your dedication.”

“Your latest book is a treasure. Congratulations!”

The last of these comments is from General (Ret’d) Paul Manson, former commander of the Canadian air force in Air Command times. Paul has been a solid supporter since 1981, and in 1984 contributed the final paragraphs that you’ll read in Sixty Years (“What the Future Holds”) on pp455-6. Such support has helped CANAV squeak by in the tightest of times.

Besides all such wonderful personal comments, Fighter Pilots and Observers has been beautifully reviewed in the aviation press. In the prime UK journal, “Flypast”, historian Andy Thomas describes “FPO” as, “beautifully-produced”, then Andy adds: “This very readable volume features good quality photographs that will appeal to Great War ‘buffs’ as well as the more general historian, and as a reference for modellers. Highly recommended.” The renowned WWI aerial warfare journal, “Over the Front” observes: “This new book’s unassuming title modestly hides the treasure of photographic and text material stored within its large-format pages … One of the true joys of this volume is the wealth of original photographs, drawn from official and many private sources. These images portray the breadth of aircraft types and the variety of squadrons manned by Canadian fliers.” Finally, writing in the USAF “Air University Press”, Dr. J.A. Boyless concludes: “The authors’ information and anecdotes convey the glory and pain of flying … The book is a window of the past … The stories of the men and machines that fought the war came alive as I read … I don’t hesitate to recommend this volume … Understanding the past assists in applying the best to the future.”

Here’s a bit more “from the trenches” … A few weeks ago I heard about Fighter Pilots and Observers from John Wiseman, one of my long-time Québecois readers:

Your book has been open full time at the kitchen table where I get reading sessions at breakfast and lunch. Wonderful photos we see so rarely of this period and fascinating reading. Being more a student of WW II era aviation, I have limited knowledge of Canada’s participation in the aerial warfare of WWI, other than the classics, like Bishop. So it is somewhat of a revelation to read about Canada’s contributions to the air war and the efforts expended — and so much tragic loss of life. Incredible to think of the wild escapades so many young guys had flying those rickety early flying contraptions. Life expectancy was in very delicate balance and it seems just the luck of the draw for any that came out alive. If a fellow wasn’t being picked off by the enemy, his wings could be just as likely fall off!

Recently, Rob Henry, emailed from Alberta with some general thoughts about aviation books and history. Wow … talk about food for thought:

One tends to forget how sparse the Canadian aviation history scene was in book form before you started producing. While there have been some very good individual stories, there really weren’t the photographic histories (and no interweb back then). Computers have definitely brought a lot to light, but I am old enough that there is no satisfaction in punching keys and looking at a screen that even comes close to holding a book and reading it. I appreciate what you (and others) have done and enjoy every word and picture in the books and journals I have collected over the years.

So … in case you are in a mood to build up your personal aviation library, or just to treat yourself to a lovely autographed aviation tome, give this offer a thought. Aviation in Canada: Fighter Pilots and Observers 1915-1939 is $50.00 ++ (all-in $65.10), while Sixty Years is $60.00, but on special at $25.00++ (all-in $38.85). Still not interested? How about both books all-in for $100.00? These two beauties give you 664 pages/3kg of the best in Canadian aviation reading. If ordering … you can pay using PayPal to this email address larry@canavbooks.com, or, mail your cheque to CANAV Books, 51 Balsam Ave., Toronto ON M4E3B6

The Bell 47 Helicopter Story … here’s a reminder about this extra special book. To be savoured by anyone with the remotest interest in aviation. Here’s a summary. For the full story, just search for the title (or … scroll back a mile): This landmark book has been very nicely printed and bound by Friesens of Altona, Manitoba. Bare bones it weighs an amazing 2.9 kg. It’s a hardcover with dust jacket. There are 730 pages with 1200 b/w and colour photos. Sincere fans of aviation history owe it to themselves to get hold of a copy … If you have not yet delved into helicopter history, a fast flip through this book will make a convert of you, so long as you have the least bit of gumption. Order your copy at helicopterheritagecanada.com or e-mail author Bob Petite in Leduc at bpetite@telusplanet.net

Something else exciting to watch … South African Airways recently folded. Here’s some wonderful footage of two SA A340s doing some very impressive formation flying in 2019: https://youtu.be/SN5ORNXlSqw

Al Martin Photo Collection — Reader Input

One of our more popular recent blog items features the wonderful 1950s b/w photos of Al Martin. One reader sums up his impressions:

I enjoyed reading your blog and looking at Al Martin’s photos. I actually had to spread it out over 72 hours and finished last night. I certainly see why you published them and  enjoyed the commentary … What I really like is how the B&W photos seem to capture not only the aircraft, but a point in time. Years ago I read an article about a modern landscape photographer who chose the B&W medium because it forces the viewer to think. Normally, I wouldn’t have looked any further at Tiger Moth CF-CHM and noticed the distant A.V. Roe hangars, if you hadn’t noted that – but there they are clear as day!

We do really need fundamental Coronavirus info. Happily, we receive good daily updates – there’s no shortage of news. Ironically, we also can get pretty maxed out with all this. To level things out a bit, maybe some historical context about “C-Virus” will be of interest. Here’s the thing — for centuries we’ve had to face epidemics. Nothing new, right. Once you’ve read this over, you may wonder a bit about a few things, such as Ottawa’s slackness in warning and protecting us in the early days of C-Virus. Of course, Ottawa already has absolved itself, and gets rewarded for its incompetence with a pay raise. Leave it to the MPs to take good care of themselves. The Toronto Sun’s Brian Lilley explains. “Well, add another roughly $2,800 to their annual salaries. For the Prime Minister, who earns double what an MP makes, his annual salary of $357,800 is about to go up by almost $5,700. In light of the COVID-19 crisis, it makes no sense and has them all looking a little out of touch.” Lilley is very kind,

Get Yourself Informed

Back to some history … if I can recommend a book for understanding today’s predicament, it’s John M. Barry’s bestseller The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History. Barry covers the horrible 1918-19 epidemic in tiny detail. You’ll absolutely revel at his in-depth treatment, although you may be frustrated that pretty well no one in Ottawa actually knows beans about this quite recent pandemic. Besides the book (your No.1 source), see the Smithsonian documentary series “America’s Hidden Stories”, then scroll for the episode “Pandemic 1918”. Well worth a look. This is the bumph for this episode: “The Spanish flu was one of the most devastating natural disasters in history, an unstoppable virus that swept the planet in 1918, killing tens of millions of people. New evidence suggests the possible birthplace was actually in America’s heartland. Witness a globe-spanning story of death and denial on an epic scale, as we visit a mass gravesite, pore over old medical records and diaries, and use cutting edge scientific research to reveal the horrific truth behind this deadly pandemic.” The 1918-19 plague ought to be the “model” and what every federal, provincial and municipal health department should have been studying since January this year. They’ve all missed this boat — big surprise.

Decades ago Canada could design, build and fly something astounding like the Avro Arrow. Now look where we’ve ended? Here we are a supposed “First World” country that’s incapable of producing something as simple as a fabric face cover. Talk about a national a disgrace! Happily, someCanadian  tech companies have been scurrying to close this gap.  Anyway … you can find an affordable copy of The Great Infuenza at www.bookfinder.com or at www.abebooks.com. Well worth your time and minor investment. You’ll be amazed at what Brown covers. For example, it’s shocking, but US Army high command tended to belittle its own Surgeon Generals in the early 1900s. Washington starved Army medical development well into the WWI years. One interesting point Brown makes contrasts this with Canada. While the US Army was establishing huge training camps on the edges of disease-infested swamps, and sending trainloads of infected recruits cross-country on packed trains, then aboard troopships for already-beleaguered France, look what Brown says about Canada: “Since 1916 the Canadian army had segregated all troops arriving in Britain for twenty-eight days, to prevent their infecting any trained troops ready to go to the front.” US Army Medical Corps kingpin, William Henry Welsh, urged the US Army to do likewise. Sadly, the Medical Corps still was not being taken seriously by US Army command. This book is hugely recommended.

London 1665

Plagues have been written about for millennia and the story from one to the next is similar. I’ve been reading Jonathan Bastable’s wonderful book, Voices from the World of Samuel Pepys. Included is much excellent coverage of the Great Plague of London in 1665. This is another book that you can find on the web, usually cheaply (under CDN$10 today April 3). You’ll learn here how similar were the problems and solutions to an epidemic in London 350+ years ago, compared to C-Virus today. People stayed at home, used whatever “medicine” was available, practiced social distancing, left town for their summer homes, even washed their hands if they knew about this practice. However, the quarantine was rather brutal. If the plague appeared in a family, its house was marked with a red cross and an armed guard was posted to prevent any comings or goings. Often, all within died horribly and alone. Here’s a brief excerpt written in 1665 by a London churchman, Thomas Vincent. Sound in any way familiar?

Now the highways are thronged with passengers and goods, and London doth empty itself into the country. Great are the stirs and hurries in London by the removal of so many families. Fear puts many thousands on the wing, and those think themselves most safe that can fly furthest off from the city. In July the plague increaseth and prevailest exceedingly. The number of 470, which died in one week by the disease, ariseth to 725 the next week, to 1089 the next, the 1843 the next, to 2010 the next. Now the plague compasseth the walls of the city like a flood, and poureth in upon it … Now the countries [country people] keep guards lest infectious people from the city bring the disease unto them … the poor are forced through poverty to stay and abide the storm.

Canada and the 1918-19 Epidemic

A final note … the Canadian newspapers from 1918-19 covered the rise and gradual decline of the horrendous flu epidemic in that period. With my Toronto Library card I can access (free) the “Toronto Daily Star” and “The Globe and Mail” archives to see each day’s news in 1918-19. Perhaps where you live, some similar public library free access to local newspaper archives exists?

It’s interesting to see how (as a rule) little epidemic news existed in 1918-19. Attached, however, is one very open account of the flu as it started to decimate Toronto in October 1918. Most of the page is devoted to the epidemic. Normally, however, all one finds in the newspapers is a tiny squib that overnight another 65 died of the flu in Toronto, etc. This was wartime-level censorship in action, and this continued for a year after the Armistice of November 1918. Have a look at the attached excerpt. Notice how familiar this all sounds, including the gutless waffling of the politicians and even some medical people; then the grassroots concerns of regular citizens about school closures and everyday issues. Thanks again and all the best … Larry

PS … failing all else, please take a look at CANAV’s great (attached) list of misc. books. It’s the best you’ll find in Canada and you probably have a bit of spare time for reading these days. No? CANAV needs and appreciates your support as always.

Flu 1918 Toronto Star October 7, 1918

2 CANAV Booklist Special Items March 2020

 

Light Planes: Al Martin’s Photographic Handiwork from the 1950s + Some Reader Reaction

In January 2006 the great Fred Hotson handed over part of his
archives to me, including what he had of the Al Martin aviation photo
collection — prints, negatives and transparencies. Fred had retrieved
Al’s collection from a garage in BC, and earlier had shared it with me,
as I researched for what in 1997 became Air Transport in Canada.
Al was born Elmore Owen Martin in Ontario’s Niagara region on
February 2, 1923. During WWII he trained in the RCAF as an air
gunner and served a tour in Bomber Command. Postwar, he became
a private pilot. We had met Al about 1960, back in the days when my
pal, Merlin Reddy, and I were spending a lot of time at Toronto’s
Malton Airport spotting planes and photographing. Al then was a
passenger agent for Trans-Canada Air Lines. He gave we newer
spotters good tips about photography and always was emphasizing
the importance of Canada’s aviation heritage. He had great tales
about such things as attending the rollout of the Avro Arrow in 1957,
and would phone us with tips that this or that exotic airplane would be
visiting Malton. In his TCA uniform, he could escort us onto the
tarmac in front of the terminal to photograph the airliners. One day he
invited us for the visit of a Lockheed 10A on the 25th anniversary of
TCA. Another time it was about the visit of the Vickers Vanguard
demonstrator. Another day he even got our sidekick, Nick
Wolochatiuk, a press flight aboard a new American Airlines Electra
during a 1960 PR visit.

Al knew the great names circulating in aviation photography from
Howard Levy to Ken Molson, Jack McNulty and Harvey Stone. In
1962 he told us about an effort to form an aviation history group. This
developed into the Canadian Aviation Historical Society. He put the
squeeze on us to attend the society’s second ever meeting. There,
Nick Wolochatiuk, Paul Regan and I became CAHS members 9, 10
and 11.

By the late 1960s Al had moved into public relations with what by
then was Air Canada. He was downtown, now, so we didn’t see so
much of him. Nonetheless, he still got some things organized,
including the week an American Airlines Ford Trimotor visited Toronto
and Al got a crowd of CAHS members out on the ramp to photograph
the Ford. Retiring from Air Canada in 1985, he moved to the West
Coast. He died at age 71 in White Rock, BC, on May 9, 1993. Fred
Hotson tracked down Al’s sister in Vancouver and retrieved his
aviation collection. If you have a set of Air Transport in Canada you
can see some nice spreads of Al’s wonderful photos on pages 718-
723.

We early Malton spotters photographed every type of airplane,
but each fellow usually had some favourite categories. Al’s included
light planes, the types he grew up with as a boy in Niagara. He
revelled in something like a club fly-in where 200 – 300 light planes
would turn up. When I bumped into him at the 1961 Kitchener-
Waterloo fly-in, Al took me up in Cessna 172 CF-JBS to shoot some
aerial photos of the whole scene. For this blog item, I’ve decided to
feature Al’s wonderful collection of light airplane photos. There’s no
great plan to this, so, if you wonder where are the photos of the
Helios, Jodels, Mooneys, etc., it’s because I haven’t yet found these
among Al’s material. It all starts right here. Enjoy the show!

Some of the first members of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society at an early meeting in Toronto in 1962. Al Martin was instrumental in the formation of this pre-eminent group. Shown are Jock Forteath, Al, George Morley, Bill Wheeler, Herman Karbe, Jeff Burch, Charlie Catalano, Harry Cregan and Roger Juniper. Then, CAHS member Sheldon Benner’s wonderful historic photo mainly of CAHS people at Malton airport during the visit of the American Airlines Ford Trimotor on June 30, 1964 (today it’s in the Smithsonian Institution). Standing are Bob Bradford, Charlie Catalano, Fred Guthrie, Terry Judge, Bill Wheeler, Peter Mossman, M.L. “Mac” McIntyre, 2 unknowns, Jack Phipps, 2 unknowns. Kneeling are the American Airlines people and (from the little boy) Sam Schlifer, Boris Zissoff, Clint Toms and Al Martin. Of these, Bob, Terry,
Jack and photographer Sheldon are the survivors 56 years later.

The War Surplus Years

At war’s end when the RCAF disposed almost overnight of thousands of surplus airplanes, the commonest to reach Canada’s civil aviation market was the de Havilland Canada D.H.82C Tiger Moth. This is not surprising, since the RCAF had taken 1546 on strength from just before WWI to 1941, when production in Toronto ceased. As soon as the Tiger Moths were offered by Ottawa’s War Assets Disposal Corporation, they were snapped up, whether by individuals for a few hundred dollars, or by companies wanting parts (especially engines) and scrap metal. Others were donated by Ottawa to Canada’s many flying clubs that were being revived, now that the war was over. We always enjoyed these interesting ex-military trainers. Al Martin photographed CF-BQT at some event at Toronto’s Malton Airport early after the war. “BQT” had been RCAF 4198. It spent its war with 15 Elementary Flying Training School in Regina, where it logged some 2143:15 flying hours. In June 1945 it was released as “free issue” to the Royal Canadian Flying Clubs Association (RCFCA) and in July the following year joined the Ontario County Flying Club in Oshawa, a few miles east of Toronto. “BQT” flew there until sold in 1952. Various owners followed, including de Havilland Canada test pilot, George Neal, who owned “BQT” 1968 to 1986. George sold it to Mr. Hindmarsh of Toronto Star fame. Sad to say, but he crashed fatally in “BQT” near Goderich on November 25, 1994. This interesting scene shows many of Malton’s wartime British Commonwealth Air Training Plan buildings. These served No.1 Air Observation School, which trained navigators on Ansons. These buildings all soon were demolished. On the far left you can just see the top of Malton’s 1938 TCA hangar, used later into the 1970s by Genaire Ltd.

Originally RCAF 3900, Tiger Moth CF- CHM went to the RCFCA in August 1945, moved to the Barrie Flying Club in July 1946, then was sold in January 1949 to Doherty Air Services of Gravenhurst. Other owners ensued including (July 1952) Charlie Catalano of Toronto. Charlie was doing aerial advertising using towed banners, but also had rigged a system whereby he could use rows of lights under a plane’s wing to flash advertisements after dark. Charlie was a keen supporter of general aviation and for many years flew his own Aeronca from nearby Buttonville Airport. He also was an enthusiastic member of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society. Sadly, his Tiger Moth came to a bad ending on August 23, 1952. By some arrangement that day, Charlie had loaned “CHM” to ex-wartime pilots Charles McKay and John Pretner. A few minutes after they took off from Toronto Island Airport, the plane spun into a backyard on Markham Street in a crowded downtown neighbourhood. Both men died. Al photographed “CHM” at Malton Airport. You can see the big “A.V. Roe Canada” sign on the distant hangars.

Since the Tiger Moth was happy on wheels, floats or skis, quite a few ended as useful bushplanes after the war. We sometimes saw one on floats at Toronto’s famous island airport. Ex-RCAF 3975 CF-CKW had spent its war at 7 EFTS in Windsor, Ontario before being donated by the government in June 1945 to the RCFCA. It served first with the Hamilton Flying Club, then had a list of private owners. Some time in the early 1960s it was sold in the USA. Al photographed it on Hamilton Bay with a Hornet Moth and a Cub. In this period there were frequent advertisements featuring such war surplus aircraft for sale. This one appeared in the “Toronto Star” of November 7, 1952: “D.H. Tiger Moth in good shape. Engine 700 hours until major, airframe, fabric, instruments and tires in good condition. Range receiver installed. C of A due March 11, 1953. Price $550. Box 65, Toronto Star, Hamilton.” A few years earlier this Tiger Moth might have be purchased from WADC for as little as $50.00. Today, a nice Tiger Moth can bring US$100,000.

In 1928 Consolidated Aircraft founder, Reuben Fleet, founded Fleet Aircraft of Canada in Fort Erie, Ontario at the US border. Here, Fleet manufactured his proven line of biplane trainers and sport planes. The RCAF had acquired 51 of the trainers by the time WWII began, then added a further 431, those being the Model 16B Finch. By war’s end the surviving Finches went on the surplus market, but were never as popular as the Tiger Moth. The only Finch we used to see around in southern Ontario was CF-GDM, which had begun in November 1940 as RCAF 4683. On June 4, 1942 it survived a serious accident at 22 Elementary Flying Training School at Quebec City, but was rebuilt. Declared surplus, it was purchased by Marc Cinq-Mars of Quebec City. “GDM” had other owners in Quebec, one being Arthur Marsh in distant Sept-Iles. In October 1950 he sold to Roy McIntosh of Stony Creek, near Hamilton. However, McIntosh seems to have abandoned “GDM”, which sat until sold in 1953 to Russell Norman, a flier who later was famous in the homebuilding world. From 1955 (when it still didn’t have even 200 flying hours) “GDM” would have a host of owners. In one case, vintage plane connoisseur, Cliff Glenister, operated it from Maple, Ontario from 1968-73. In 1991 “GDM” was sold south of the border, becoming N116TR. It last was heard of in Sandwich, Illinois.

On July 9, 1942 the RCAF took on strength its first of 1555 Fairchild Cornells. These were known in the USAAF as the PT-26, and were built under licence by Fleet in Fort Erie. The Cornell proved ideal as a BCATP training plane — the perfect replacement for the those well-worn Finches and Tiger Moths. Most Cornells flew over the prairies from such places as Virden, Manitoba. As soon as the war ended, many private pilots rushed to get their hands on a Cornell for a few hundred dollars. Al Martin photographed CF-FEA at Toronto Island Airport in the 1950s. Having begun as RCAF FV688, it was on RCAF strength from September 1944 to May 1947, then became one of 51 Cornells donated under Ottawa’s “free issue” program to Canada’s flying clubs. As such, in May 1947 it went to the Brantford Flying Club in Ontario. “Free issue” proved important at this time in getting Canada’s flying clubs back in business training the next wave of fresh pilots. In September 1949 “FEA” was bought by Jim Leggat, who recently had founded a general aviation company at Toronto’s Barker Field. John re-sold “FEA” to Sidney Klein, then a series of owners ensued. Vincent Clothier of Toronto owned it in 1955-61. Then, it fades into oblivion. In a way this is a typical scene for a war surplus ex-RCAF trainer. Note how the weeds are growing tall and “FEA” doesn’t look too active. The fellows who enthusiastically purchased such planes, often soon lost interest. The great Canada Malting Co. elevator beyond is still standing in 2020. Maple Leaf Stadium, just visible to the left, is long gone.

Another of Al’s Cornell photos from Toronto Island shows CF-GIQ. All I can find about it is that it had been RCAF 10534, and that its RCAF dates were 28-12-42 to 21-8- 46. In one War Assets Disposal Corp. advert from 1947, Cornells were offered at $650 each. The advert noted: “Single engine, low wing monoplane, fabric covered, tubular metal fuselage with plywood covered wooden wings … Adaptable for private ownership, club or school use, or light executive transport.” Re. such war surplus planes, not all who bought one were experienced, so aircraft suffered from rude usage. Although the planes were bought “for a song”, owners soon faced expenses from engine maintenance to insurance, so, many fellows quickly tired of their “prizes”. Something like a Cornell would go from one owner to the next, the price always falling. Before long, the engine would be causing problems. Wings being of wood, the weather soon was burrowing into them. Once a wooden wing spar started to go, something like a Cornell was pretty well kaput. By about 1960 when I was getting into photography, there were few Cornells, Finches, etc. left, other than a few sitting around in the weeds.

Al’s lovely photo of Cornell CF-GDG, ex- RCAF 10676, dates 30-4-43 to 8-11-46. I remember seeing “GDG in the early 1960s at its Mount Hope, Ontario base. It fooled the experts, becoming one of the last surviving airworthy Cornells in Canada. For many years it was base in Rouyn, northern Quebec with Laurent Balaux. He finally sold it to Mssrs Glover and Upham in nearby Val d’Or. The Certificate of Airworthiness (C of A) finally expired in May 1974.

There also were war surplus RCAF Harvard trainers, but there’s a different story to these. To begin, the RCAF retained hundreds of Harvards for postwar requirements. Then, it was big companies such as Aircraft Industries and the Babb Co. with Montreal offices that scooped up most Harvards from WADC. These outfits then made quick sales of shiploads of Harvards to European militaries starting to rebuild after the war – Netherlands, Norway, etc. However, there were some Harvards for sale on the general market. One 1947 WADC advertisement offered Harvards at $800, noting, “Adaptable for executive work or sportsman pilot”. The main problem with a Harvard compared to a primary trainer like the Cornell, was its complexity. Few private flyers dared step up to the hefty Harvard with its 600 hp compared to 200 hp in a Cornell. Other issues included much higher maintenance and operating expenses. On the whole, Canadian private flyers steered away from the Harvard until a new wave was released by the RCAF starting around 1960. Here’s Al’s photo of one of these. As far as he was concerned, other than a standard straight side view, this was a fine angle for shooting a Harvard on the ground. A slightly rear angle also worked well. CF- HWX had been built by North American at Inglewood, California in 1941 for the French military. By then, however, France had been overrun by Nazi Germany. The RAF then took the plane from Inglewood and somehow got it onto RCAF strength in July 1941 as AJ583. Thenceforth, it served into June 1960 when Crown Assets Disposal Corporation (new name for WADC) sold it to J-P Rheault of Trois-Rivières for $750. Various owners followed until 1986 when “HWX” joined the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association of Tillsonburg, Ontario. It flies annually with the CHAA in its original RCAF “Yellow Peril” markings. A nice Harvard these days sells for around US$200,000.

While Canada was flooded by surplus ex- RCAF training planes, a Consolidated BT-13 Valiant was a rare sight. The reason was simple – the BT-13 was not used in Canada, but was an American wartime trainer. Even so, a few trickled into Canada after 1945, some purchased just for their P&W R-985 engines. With the engine removed, the airframe would be scrapped. I found these rare photos of an Edmonton-based BT-13 in Al’s collection. I have little info, except that “GVS” was used by Dominion Skywriters of Edmonton for sky writing in smoke, and aerial advertising using an under-wing light array (in these two photos you can see this odd installation). “GVS” is listed in the 1956 CCAR, but is missing thereafter. The men behind this business were A.J. Laing and W.L.G. Greenaway. Let’s hope that someone will come up with the history of this operation. Another BT-13 was operated (1954 to around 1960) by Superior Airways in Northern Ontario to haul fish from northern lakes to Fort William for sale. I’m not sure how Al would have gotten such Western Canada pictures. We heard that he had been a ferry pilot after the war, so may have photographed such planes in those travels. Or … maybe he got to such places as Edmonton and Vancouver on his airline pass once he joined TCA. “GVS” Update: On April 8, 2020, CANAV reader, Trevor McTavish, wrote from Alberta about “GVS” having operated overhead during the Calgary Stampede. Trevor notes: “The message flashing on the light-rig beneath the wings advertised BA gasoline – a major automobile and aviation fuel dealer at the time.” That of course was the British America Oil Co. As a boy 7 or 8, I clearly remember the same basic  “BA” message. However, what we kids were watching (to our great amazement) was “BA” being painted in the skies over Toronto by some hefty biplane.

Al spotted this BT-13 at Calgary in the 1950s. Trevor McTavish has determined that CF-DRN was Consolidated serial number 7704. So far its military identity is unknown, but postwar it became N68007. It was sold in February 1953 by a Virginia Knechtel to Skyway Air Services Ltd of Langley, BC. In March a permit was issued to Skyway to ferry N68007 from Bremerton, Washington to Vancouver. After clearing customs, it flew on to Langley. “DRN” next is noted as registered to Chinook Flying Services Ltd. of Calgary as of November 13, 1956. It then fades from the CCAR. Trevor adds, “It was purchased by Franz McTavish of Calgary’s Chinook Flying Services as a source for a spare R-985 Wasp JR. motor for the company’s Avro Anson. As there were no plans to use ‘DRN’ in either the flying school or charter operations, the otherwise intact airframe was pushed into the weeds beside the fuel shack. There it became a play-toy for my father, who was a little boy at the time.” In the 2010s “DRN” was under restoration in Alberta, destined to fly again.

In 1949 this oddball BT-13 appeared across Canada during an effort to fly around the world soon after WWII. A 25-year-old Britisher, Ricarda “Dickie” Morrow-Tait (1923- 1982) was behind this, flying a Percival Proctor with companion, Michael Townend. Departing the UK from Croydon (London) on August 18, 1948, they flew eastward to India and Japan. Next they reached the isolated Aleutians and Alaska, but the Proctor would go no farther, as explained in a caption in the “Globe and Mail” of December 1, 1948: “Their plane crashed on the Alaska Highway 230 miles southeast of Fairbanks. Townend is flying to Toronto to arrange for new wings and landing gear, and Mrs. Morrow-Tait intends to get a job in an Anchorage night club to get funds to pay for them.” This got even more complicated and the Proctor was abandoned. To further her mission, Richarda tried fundraising by speaking engagements, firstly in Calgary, but this did not pan out. The duo returned to the UK, then some 1949-style “crowd-funding” resulted in the donation of N54084, a surplus 1942 BT-13. After a few months, the odyssey re-started in Edmonton (where my old pal Les Corness took his own wonderful photo N54084). This time Richarda had a new second pilot, Jack Ellis of Seattle. They flew eastward, but there was trouble here and there, as in Chicago when the local FAA grounded the plane due to fishy paperwork. When things were quiet on May 28, however, Richarda and Jack fired up, regardless, took off and flew to Toronto, where they landed without contacting the control tower (this led to a scolding, but Richarda’s radios had been u/s). At Malton it was clear that N54084 had no C of A and its ownership was unknown. The G&M reported, “There was the fact … that a British- licenced pilot was flying a U.S.-registered plane in and out of Canadian airports. The confusion knew no bounds.” The story gets crazier for, somehow, Richarda ferried the BT-13 to Buffalo for maintenance. Meanwhile, Townsend returned to replace Ellis. At some point, Richarda flew on to Montreal, then Goose Bay. Here, Richarda again stomped on the toes of officialdom. While there for fuel and rest, she had been ordered to fly to Bangor, Maine, and forget about the north – Canada’s DOT declared that such a flight (eventually) across open northern seas was illegal for a single-engine plane. Richarda agreed, but once airborne thumbed her nose at her orders and turned north. Some 7:25 hours and 800 miles later the BT- 13 was at Bluie West 1 in Greenland. For 1949 this was an unheard- of, amazingly skillful and gutsy venture in a rickety plane. A long- range RCAF Lancaster had escorted her all the way to BW-1 regardless of the nuttiness of it all. Townsend later glibly reported, “We had a straight-forward flight. Once out of Montreal we had the best weather … on the Atlantic route.” On August 18 the G&M reported that the adventurers had reached Keflavik, Iceland, then they pressed on the Scotland and south to Croydon, landing there on August 19, 1949 a year and a day after setting out in the Proctor. Richarda thus became the first female pilot to circumnavigate the globe. Hereafter, things were not perfect for her. In 1950 she bore a son by Michael and divorced her husband. You’ll have to dredge around on the web to see how her life went thereafter. She died in 1982. I wonder what ever happened to Richarda’s old clunker of a BT-13? FAA records show that its registration was cancelled in 1955. Why is there no Hollywood blockbuster movie about all this!

Soon after the war, the Canadian Army acquired Auster Mk.VI liaison aircraft. By the time I started shooting airplanes, however, these had been replaced by Cessna L-19s. Starting around 1960, I was photographing these same Austers in civil markings. Austers were always a special treat to see. You can tell by the background where Al shot Army Auster 16663. Retired in 1957, it became CF-KJP. It was flown for the next few years by Norman Corp of Campbellville, Ontario. “KJP” last operated from Selkirk, Manitoba. Its C of A expired in 2011. “KPJ” is now with the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada.

Civil Light Planes

Many new light plane designs appeared immediately after WWII, including some interesting little single-seaters. These were attractive, especially with their low “sticker” prices, low operating costs, and ease of flying. One of the more revolutionary designs was Al Mooney’s 1946 M18 Mite. Powered by a 65-hp engine, it was just 18’ long with a wingspan of 26’10”. All-up weight was 850 pounds, so “Mite” was a good name! Top speed was 138 mph, making a Mite speedier than most personal planes of the day. In the end, however, just 283 were built by the time production ended in 1954, although a few later were made as kit planes. Regardless, the Mite led the way to the classic Mooney 20 and all its follow-on versions. The first Canadian Mite was CF-HFN, seen in these Al Martin views taken on different occasions at Toronto Island Airport. Local pilot, Frank Ogden, had ordered “HFN” from Mooney in Kerrville, Texas, then took delivery in August 1953. The basic list price at the time was a fairly hefty $3695. The “3” in the side suggests that “HFN” had been in some sort of an air rally. “HFN” had a busy life in Canada, including four accidents all involving a collapsed undercarriage (these were pilot related mishaps). It looks as if Frank Ogden let a lot of pilots try out his nifty little plane, some of whom were not too skillful. Several others owned “HFN” after Ogden sold it in July 1956. Little is known of it after it moved to Quebec in 1963. It disappeared from the CCAR in 1968.

The rare Culver V traces its origins to the 1930s when Al Mooney teamed with K.K. Culver to form Dart Aircraft at Port Columbus, Ohio. Their little “Dart” 2-seater had limited success. In the late 1930s the Dart evolved into the Cadet, but early sales were only in the dozens. With WWII, the US Army adapted the Cadet as the PQ-8 target drone, about 400 of which were built by Culver Aircraft Co. Predicting a booming post-war market, Culver then introduced its Cadet V – “V” for victory – based on the PQ-8. Culver thought that the market would be insatiable for its greatly improved little cutie. Introduced in September 1947 at a $3589 sticker price, the Culver V went nowhere, only about 100 being built at the company’s Wichita factory. Culver quickly folded, its people dispersing to look for opportunities. Al Mooney, for example, went off to design his “Mite”. Two or three Culver Vs made it to Canada, CF-EHG. W.B. Riggs, F.L Wood and J.R. Wood of Windsor, Ontario imported “EHG” in April 1948. I don’t know the price paid, but about a year later the fellows must have been happy to forget about “EHG”, when they sold it to Robert J. Henderson of Willowdale (a Toronto suburb) for $800. He resold it quickly to Clyde Thorpe of Toronto. Other owners ensued, including Sten Lundberg, a former Spitfire pilot of Blind River in Northern Ontario. The last known owner was S.D. Archer of Dorval, Quebec in 1966. “EHG” last was spotted in a Quebec junkyard in 1973. Al’s photo shows it at old Hamilton airport. Al also photographed the unknown fellow on the wing at time, but he didn’t leave a note about whom this is.

Homebuilt aircraft fascinate every versatile aviation fan, and Knight Twister CF-GRK-X is an exceptional case study. This exotic little biplane racer was designed in Chicago in 1928 by Vernon Payne and first flown in 1932. Few were built and the plane’s reputation was one of being “a bit too hot”. Leon Beliaeff built “GRK” in 1949, then flew it for a few years from Cartierville near Montreal. In 1954 Beliaeff sold “GRK” to William Zegil of Fort William. While taking off there on June 13 that year, the plane was badly damaged. Al Martin saw “GRK” at Toronto Island Airport, perhaps while it was en route to Fort William. However, there’s a comment in the DOT files that “GRK” was trucked to Toronto after its accident. So … maybe this shows it after being repaired at the island? The DOT files close with a comment that the Knight Twister was sold in the USA. Plans for this vintage design still are sold by Steen Aero Lab of Palm Bay, Florida. The company notes: “The Knight Twister in any version is a true thoroughbred. While it is not like the average trainer in control response, the fact is that the design simply doesn’t need to be horsed around the sky. It is the kind of plane that thrives on smooth control inputs, and in return she will reward the pilot with smooth, perfectly-balanced performance. Properly-built Twisters tend to be very straightforward and easy to fly airplanes with excellent performance, which give great enjoyment to their pilots.” If you get curious about the Knight Twister, the Steen Aero Lab website is worth visiting. Of special interest under “History” is a 1985 letter from Vernon Page to the great Pete Bowers, designer of the Bowers Fly Baby homebuilt and a renowned aviation photographer.

Around 1960 most of us were keen on the homebuilding movement. Of course, Canada’s first powered airplane – the “Silver Dart” – itself was a homebuilt, so we took the homebuilts seriously. Through the 1920s-30 many Canadians had built single- seat kit planes. Typical was young Fred Hotson who eventually finished a “Heath Kit” plane, most of which he bought while in high school in Fergus, Ontario. When he had a few dollars, Fred would order some more bits and pieces from the US. These would come by mail. The day finally came when his little plane, CF-BLS, took to the air. It flew very nicely. After WWII the homebuilding movement really took off, encouraged especially by the US-based Experimental Aircraft Association. Knight Twister CF-GRK-X was a pioneer Canadian homebuilding project, its owner, Leon Beliaeff, being years ahead of the official movement. About 1957 the DOT set aside the “R” registration series for these “restricted” aircraft, the first of which started appearing in 1957 (the DOT officially categorized these planes as “ultra lights”). Some designs were homebuilts from the plans, others ere highly modified production planes. Many soon were turning up at the summer fly-ins we attended – modified Aeroncas, Corbens, Druins, Emerauds, Fly Babys, Jodels, Pietenpols, modified Pipers, Stitts, Whites, etc. We knew them all as well as we knew an F-86 or a Super Constellation. After all, Al Martin had taught us to be aviation “generalists” (we didn’t think too highly of any spotter boasting about being a “specialist”). One of the first “R’ series homebuilts that we saw was this Stitts SA6B Flt-r-Bug — CF-RAK, built by P.M. Prisner in Chatham, Ontario. Many others later had the pleasure of flying this fine little 2-seater. Last heard of, “RAK” was flying from Anola, Manitoba in the 2010s, having by then been on the go for about 60 years. In 2020 it’s still flown by Jeremiah Mustard from Anola, Manitoba. The website “As cute as a bug: The Stits Flut-R-Bug – General Aviation News” tells the Flut-r-Bug story very nicely.

Two other top postwar light planes were the Ercoupe and Globe Swift. These were among the avalanche of fine new American types vying for attention in 1946-48. The general info about these can be found by going back on this blog (use the search box) to our item The Beech Bonanza at 70 and the Golden Age of Post-WWII Light Planes then scrolling passed the Bonanza to find the Ercoupe and Swift. However, to save you the trip, this is the ERCO text you’ll see there: “Two especially beloved, all-metal, 2-seat light planes mass-produced in the 1940s are the ERCO 415 Ercoupe and Globe Swift. The Ercoupe first flew in 1937. It went on sale in 1940, but the advent of war delayed production until 1946, when the Model 415 appeared with a $2665 sticker price ($35,250 in 2020 dollars). When the postwar light plane boon faltered, ERCO ceased production, having turned out an astounding 4311 Ercoupes. Happily, others took an interest and, over the decades, more were built under such banners as Forney, Alon, even Mooney. Some 5700 Ercoupes eventually flew…” Shown is Ercoupe CF-HOL which was registered in Canada on August 26, 1954 to D.E. Wilson of Springford, Ontario. Thereafter, it served many owners in Southern Ontario until listed as “Cancelled 2001-06-25”. At the time it was owned by ex-RCAF wartime pilot J.F. “Joe” Reed, one of a real “characters” of Canadian aviation. The natty Globe GC-1 Swift also was a pre-war US design, which had to wait for 1945 to get going. After rushing out more than 1200 Swifts, however, Globe ran out of money and was sold to Temco. Temco added 260 more Swifts, before ceasing production in 1951. “DXZ” was registered in Canada on September 11, 1947 then flew for some years with Fred Oystrick of Toronto. Al photographed “DXZ” at Toronto island in Fred’s “Electric Motor Service” markings and with a dedication to “Maria” on the engine cowling. It was still current about 1980, then faded. In 1989 a Bell Jet Ranger assumed its registration.

There still were many planes from the 1930s active in Canada when Al and the rest of us were avidly taking pictures in the 1950s-60s. Here’s 1937 Waco ZQC-6 CF-BDO that Al shot one day at Toronto island. Behind is the famous 1938 hangar that’s full of airplanes to this day. “BDO” first was owned by Laurentian Air Services of Ottawa, a prominent air charter and bush flying outfit. Sold in 1951, it flew a bit longer privately, then went to the Blount Feed Co. in Rhode Island, becoming N1130.

The Beech 17 Staggerwing is one of the loveliest personal planes of all time. The first of Walter and Olive Beech production planes, it first flew in November 1932. It continued being built into 1948, by when the Bonanza had totally overshadowed it. Some 781 Staggerwings were built. Many came to Canada beginning with CF-BBB of Mackenzie Air Service in late 1936. These served well in the bush and also were some of Canada’s first executive planes with such owners as the Eaton department store family, and Imperial Oil. Here is Al’s photo of Beech D17S CF-GLL early in the 1950s, when the owner was Lodestar Drilling Co. (this company still exists in Texas). “GLL” had served the US Navy in 1944-45, was sold surplus in 1946 as N67737, then became “GLL” in 1951. The 1955 CCAR notes the owner as Montague S. Hall of Hope, BC. Various owners followed until “GLL” disappeared from the CCAR in 1975. It next emerged in Colorado, where it was refurbished and became N35JM. Most recently it was on show at the Historic Flight Foundation in Seattle.

Cessna Takes Canada by Storm

Prior to WWII only four lonely Cessnas had been registered in Canada, but come 1946, this changed electrically. Cessna was ready for the peacetime market with three lovely new products – the Ce.120, Ce.140 and Ce.170. The Ce.120 2- seater went on sale in 1946 at $2695. There were 2172 delivered, but at the same time the company was marketing the more sophisticated Cessna 140 (1946 price $3245 with 4904 built). Both types were phased off the Cessna lines in 1949. The further improved Ce.140A then was built into 1951 (525 delivered). Many Ce.120s/140s came to Canada for use mainly at flying schools. Al Martin photographed this little beauty at Toronto Island Airport. The famous Wong brothers of Central Airways had brought it in new in April 1950. Hundreds of student pilots won their wings after training on “FPW”. It served the Wongs into 1961, then had a list of owners until disappearing from the CCAR in 1971.

As noted, Toronto Island was a busy general aviation airport with plenty of interesting aircraft to photograph. This was especially so from spring through fall, when many float planes could be found at the buoys and docks. Al Martin caught this typical scene c.1955. It’s a beautiful Cessna 170B with the city skyline beyond. To the right is Toronto’s tallest building of the day, the Bank of Commerce. Beside it is the massive (for the times) Royal York Hotel. Looming just ahead of the tail is the Canada Life Insurance building on University Ave. All three stand to this day, but that massive grain storage and milling complex was gone by about 1990. The 4-seat “1-70” was introduced in 1949 at $5995. Production ended in 1956 with 5173 delivered. Many remain in use in 2020. From what little I know of CF-HXK, Carl Millard imported it in 1955, then sold it to a local company, Murfin Sheet Metal Works. Last heard of around 2010 “HXK” was based at Hearst in Northern Ontario.

The “Cadillac” of post-WWII Cessnas was the Ce.190/195 series. Powered by radial engines (Ce.190 Continental 240 hp, Ce.195 Jacobs 245/300 hp), these all-metal beauties had roomy, 5-seat cabins that appealed to families and small business operators. The introductory price for a “190” in 1947 was $12,750. Some 1200 190/195s were delivered. Over the decades many served in Canada. An early example was CF-HXT, a 1951 model (sn 7679) registered first by the DOT on February 21, 1955 to Carl Millard in Toronto (Carl brought hundreds of light planes into Canada over his long career). “HXT” had various owners over the decades, including Toronto funeral director, John A. Jerrett. On May 25, 1963, he ground looped “HXT” on landing at Malton, damaging the undercarriage, wing and tail. Many such airplanes have at least one such event noted in their logbooks. “HXT” last was heard of in Courtenay, BC around 2016.

Ce.195B CF-FRO in Vancouver on September 25, 1956. For years this handsome plane served the Finning company, which had a Caterpillar equipment franchise in BC. Following an accident of October 23, 1972, “FRO” was sold to a buyer in Kent, Washington. The last heard of it was a 1996 notice in the Ce.195 club newsletter that a few of its bits and pieces were for sale. Parked behind and to the right in this fine view is a 1951 Nash Ambassador. Keen aviation fans like Al Martin revelled in everything to do with something like the Cessna lineage. They followed the least model upgrade (Ce.195, Ce.195A, Ce.195B, etc.) or local “mod”, and were sure to photograph any such changes.

In late 1955 the Ce.170 was replaced by the Ce.172, a design that brought a whole new look to the Cessna line. Gone were Cessna’s classic curved “tail feathers” and “tail dragger” look. As you can see in this view, Cessna switched to a new squared-off look, plus tricycle gear with steerable nose wheel. The new plane came on the market at $8750. The Wong brothers of Central Airways were quick to recognize where things in their world of aviation were heading, so immediately ordered one of the first 1-72s — CF-IKB. Current owner, Jim Bray, notes, “IKB came off the line at Cessna on October 28 and left for Canada on November 3, 1955”. Al’s view includes the Central Airways office. He probably set this up deliberately. In 1956 I was in Air Cadets in Toronto at 172 Squadron. My first ever airplane flight was in “IKB”. Today,  Jim, who has owned it for 35 years, keeps “IKB” at Brantford, Ontario. In 2020 its airframe time is a bit less than 6000 hours. The initial production batch of 1- 72s totalled 1178. Since then more than 45,000 have been delivered.

Cessna introduced a host of new produces in the early 1950s, the 4/5-seat Ce.180 included — one of the great light aircraft of all time. First flown in 1952, this all-metal workhorse was produced into 1981, some 6200 eventually coming off the Cessna line. Powered by a 230-hp Continental O-470 series engine (145 hp in a 1-72), the “1-80” soon was beloved in private and commercial use. It especially excelled in the bush on wheels, skis or floats. Many Canadian operators got in on the earliest deliveries (1954-56: 2003 aircraft). Al photographed CF-ICE at the island in the mid-50s. He would have been extra interested to see this lovely plane on amphibious floats. “ICE” had been registered in Canada on May 19, 1955 to the McNamara Construction Co. In 1958, however, it was listed to Executive Air Services at Malton Airport. Here it bears the company logo of Federal Equipment of Montreal (in the 1950s Federal was a key DEW Line contractor, which might have had a lease on “ICE”). For several years after 1958, R.J. McCullough of Toronto owned “ICE”, then followed various owners. “ICE” was active as recently as 2016.

Another early Cessna 180 was CF-IIX, which Al Martin shot at Vancouver. It had come to Canada in 1957 for Vancouver-based Canex Aerial Exploration Ltd., but faded from the CCAR in 1963. Survey aircraft led rough and ready careers – it was a dangerous field of operation, so I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that “IIX” had ended badly. Canex also had Beaver CF-JOE, which itself was wrecked in 1957. These days C-FIIX is a BC-based Cessna 182D. PS … in this view notice the beautiful “torpedo-back” in the background.

Al Martin photographed Ce.180 CF-HEF in Vancouver in early 1-80 times. The Bourne and Weir tire company had purchased in 1953, then operated it into 1960. It then was sold to Island Airlines, a small Campbell River operators destined to become famous on the coast. A dedicated general aviation fan such as Al could never pass up a nice set-up shot like this, especially since “HEF” bore the company name and logo so prominently. By 1966 this 1-80 was with Leask Lake Logging of Campbell River (logging companies quickly gravitated to the versatile, speedy and economic 1-80). For some reason, “HEF” is absent from 1968 onward in the Canadian Civil Aircraft Register. Often, the reason was an accident, although a plane also faded from the register if sold into the USA. Many Ce.180s still operate daily in Canada, often “out in the boonies”, where they always have been at home.

Cessna introduced the Ce.182 Skylane in 1952. A tri-gear spin-off from the 1-80, it appealed to those looking for a high-end light plane (list price was $13,750). Cessna delivered 844 in Year 1. For 1957-58 it added a further 1713. Originally N6320A off the line at Cessna, Skylane CF-IUE (perhaps Canada’s first 1-82) is seen at Toronto Island Airport when new. Keith Hopkinson of Sky Harbour Aircraft at Goderich, Ontario had imported it in 1956, then operated it for 2-3 years on behalf of the Iowa-based Sheaffer Pen Company, which had a Goderich plant. “IUE” then had a long career serving several owners in the Toronto area. Latterly, it was with North-Way Chrysler in New Liskeard in Northern Ontario. However, its C of A is listed as cancelled in 2018. For the best in Cessna history, I strongly recommend that you track down copies of Edward H. Phillips’ classic 1984 book, Cessna: A Master’s Expression, plus his follow-up (1986) title, Wings of Cessna: Model 120 to the Citation III. You are far better off with such books than depending (lazily) on google.

Stinson Endures, Piper Forges Ahead

The first Stinsons started appearing in Canada in the mid 1920s. There were four of these, all Stinson SB-1 Detroiter commercial planes (Stinson was based in Detroit). One was G-CAFW purchased for Patricia Airways and Exploration to serve the Red Lake region during the gold rush there of 1925-26. The others trickled into Canada, but accidents soon claimed them. Late in the 1930s, however, a new Stinson type was turning heads – the Reliant. With more efficient and reliable engines, and good load-carrying ability, these became popular. Then, for wartime use the RCAF acquired 25 little Stinson HW-75 Voyageurs (also known as the Stinson Model 10 and Model 105). Most of the 25 survived the war and soon were turning up in civilian markings. Here’s a typical example that Al photographed at Toronto island. You can see that the HW-75 was a bit on the dumpy side for looks. Having come to Canada in the spring of 1941, CF-DTH served the RCAF very briefly as 3487, then joined the Department of Transport in Moncton. It seems to have served there to war’s end. No longer needed, it was sold for $750 to Paul Huot of Ottawa. He quickly re-sold it to nearby Bradley Air Services. In November 1954 “DTH” was acquired by Harold Meiteen and Harvey Zellan, who flew it from Toronto Island. “DTH” faded from the CCAR by 1958.

Stinson was busy near war’s end planning its own return to the peacetime world. A quick solution for making the transition was to modernize the little 2-3 seat Voyageur. The sharp-looking Model 108 4-seater was the result. Al Martin photographed this one at Malton airport. Having come off the Stinson line in July 1947, CF-EYG was ferried to its first owner, Curtiss-Reid Flying Service of Cartierville Airport near Montreal. Within a month, however, “EYG” was with Cranbrook Flying Service in BC. Later it served the Aero Club of BC into 1956, when it was sold to Abbotsford Machinery Sales. On that July 5 it was wrecked in a takeoff accident at Vedan Lake, BC. Notice the Fleet Canuck and DHC-1 Chipmunk in the background – two other typical light planes of the times. Stinson would turn out more than 5000 “1-0-8s” in several versions with a range of engines. Many served in Canada and a few survive. A nice 1-0-8 today sells starting around US$40,000.

Another fine Al Martin Stinson 108 photo. CF-FJW was registered in Canada on May 23, 1947 for Imperial Oil Ltd. This company had been boosting the airplane for business use since 1920, when it imported two rugged little Junkers bushplanes to explore for oil in the Northwest Territories. Note the prominent Imperial Oil Ltd. markings on “FJW”. By 1955 it was in far away Norman Wells, NWT with R.G. Hattie. After moving to Taylor, BC, it went missing from the CCAR in 1960. Most recently (2005), this registration was on a Piper Navajo in Quebec. Toronto Bay in the 1950s usually was filled with floatplanes. Today, few ever are seen, other than runway-bound planes at the island on amphibious floats. In the distance across the bay in this scene is the spire (still standing in 2020) of St. Mary’s RC church on Bathurst St.

Al also caught this fine 1-0-8 at the island one day. CF-GZI was a Stinson 108-3 “Flying Station Wagon” – the last production model before Stinson was taken over in 1950 by Piper and easily recognized by its enlarged tail feathers. Imported in May 1955, “GZI” belonged to the St. Lawrence Starch Co. of nearby Port Credit – the makers of a product that in those days was in every kitchen in the land – “Beehive Golden Corn Syrup”. “GZI” was beloved at the starch company, where it served into 1965, likely as a company luxury item that got “the boss” and company executives and clients to cottages and prime fishing and hunting spots “up north”. From 1965-71 “GZI” was owned in Sioux Lookout by a well-known local operator, Norm Otto. Later, it went west to places like Uranium City, La Ronge and Yellowknife. I don’t know where it ended, but today C-FGZI is a speedy little Douglas A-4 Skyhawk electronic warfare trainer owned by Montreal-based Top Aces.

Stinson 108-3 CF-HOS runs up at Toronto Island Airport. Originally registered in Canada on September 9, 1954, it was owned by Reilley’s Lock Corp. of Toronto into 1967. Some 1760 were produced. In the mid-1970s “HOS” was in Haileybury with Carrier Industrial Supplies, but later in the 1970s I lose track of it. These days “C-FHOS” is used on an Air Canada Embraer EJ-190 jetliner. If Al had a chance to re-take this photo, I bet that he’d take 1-2 steps to the right so he could include the tip of the fin. Usually, we were a fussy about such matters of “composition”, or, “form”.

There are so many Pipers in Al’s files that I was a bit bamboozled. Let’s start with one of the oldest examples, Taylor J-2 CF-BED. In April 1937, F.H. Armitage of Hamilton imported this fine little J-2, or, “Taylor Cub” from the US. A popular Depression- era design, the J-2 had come about through a collaboration between designer Clarence Gilbert Taylor and businessman William Thomas Piper. The first successful Cub, the E-2 went into production at Bradford, Pennsylvania in 1931 at a list price of $1325. In 1935 the improved J-2 Cub appeared at an even lower price of $1270. Eventually, Taylor and Piper merged into the Piper company. More than 1200 J-2s were built, a few making it to Canada. What became of CF-BED? Nobody seems to know other than that it faded from the CCAR in 1947. The Cub story is especially well told by Edward H. Phillips in a wonderful book, Piper: A Legend Aloft. Do yourself a big favor and track down a copy.

The J-3 succeeded the J-2 at Piper. Al spotted this fine-looking example at the old Hamilton airport early after WWII. The earliest info I could find for CF-DSI is that it was registered with the DOT on August 19, 1946. I’m guessing that it was built here early after WWII by Cub Aircraft of Canada. In 1955 it was owned by a John Morris of Hamilton. From 1959 to about 1965 it was with the Halifax Flying Club, but thereafter is absent from the CCAR. Aviation fans of the day rarely could resist photographing such an inviting scene – a pretty little plane sitting well lit in the open and with an interesting background. In these days Al still was an active private pilot, and certainly would really have enjoyed flying any such Piper.

Piper L-4B CF-EEG was manufactured in Canada in 1946 by Cub Aircraft of Canada at old Hamilton airport. Happily, in his seminal book Canadian Aircraft since 1909 (get yourself a copy, this book is 100% essential for your library), the great K.M. “Ken” Molson includes a short history of this operation. The L-4 series had been used by the US military in WWII chiefly as an artillery spotting aircraft (it was a slightly modified J-3). Piper delivered almost 5000 by war’s end. To keep itself involved once wartime contracts had expired, Cub Aircraft adopted the L-4 for Canadian use. This likely was easy to arrange, since there were masses of surplus L-4 components at Piper in Lockhaven, Pennsylvania, which Piper would have been happy to ship to Hamilton. Cub Aircraft of Canada delivered 128 L-4Bs from 1945-47, promoting the type as the “Prospector”. Typical was “EEG”, which was registered with the DOT on May 22, 1947. It was part of an almost solid block of Cub Aircraft of Canada Pipers CF-EEA to CF-EEZ. All were listed as J-3C-65s except for “EEG”, the sole L-4B. From this batch the only one that seems to still be flying in 2020 is “EEI” in NW Ontario. In the first of my old copies of the CCAR (1955) “EEG” was with Gananoque Air Services in Ontario’s Thousand Islands region. By 1958 it was with the St. Maurice Aero Club in Trois-Rivières. From 1962 to at least 1979 it was with Roland Verville of Sherbrook, Quebec. He must have had countless enjoyable flying hours in this little classic. Transport Canada lost track of “EEG” years ago, but such mysteries sometimes get resolved. Such aircraft sometimes still turn up in garages and barns decades after disappearing.

J-3C-65 (65 hp) CF-DCS was assembled in Hamilton and registered on April 30, 1946. The “C” in the type indicates made in Canada. When Al photographed it around 1955 it had been converted as a dusting plane by Leavens Brothers Air Services. Each year in this period, Leavens (one of Canada’s oldest air services) had farm and forest contracts to keep several J-3s busy (these usually had been upgraded to 85 hp). This also gave many young pilots some valuable (if dangerous) flying experience. About 30 years ago Paul Apperly told me a bit about this for some brief bit I was writing that never came to light. This is that: “Beginning about 1946, Leavens converted several 85-hp J-3 Cubs and 65-hp Aeronca “Champs” for aerial spray and dusting work. Spray bars and hoppers (200-lb capacity) were installed at Barker Field. The flying was done mainly in southwestern Ontario spraying tobacco (main base at London, George Walker manager), but there also was work in the Quinte area, treating fields of corn and peas. The Champs soon were withdrawn from ag services, since the Cubs had better maneuverability, plus 85 hp. Rock Hodges and Paul Apperly were two prominent young Leavens’ pilots in this era, flying such spray Cubs as CF-BUG. When bigger contracts were under way, Leavens brought in US sprayers to help, as with Cub NR35320 of Milwaukee-based Fliteways. Hodges would go on to found General Airspray in St. Thomas, Ontario, while Apperly joined to RCAF to fly Sabres. Many lessons were learned in these early years. Liquid fertilizer, for example, was found to be corrosive on hoppers and spray components. Overall, Leavens found the ag business a hard sell — few farmers yet were ready to accept aerial application as a practical or affordable process. To offset this, Leavens found other work. In 1951-53 it used J-3s on floats and a Seabee on Ontario government contracts spraying against mosquitoes in the Muskoka region. Ontario Hydro hired Leavens to spray herbicide along rights of way to keep them weed free. Leavens also operated in Quebec and New Brunswick during Operation Budworm. For a mosquito spraying contract at Forestville on the Quebec North Shore, it converted Cessna T-50 CF- BRK. This was on-going for several years until July 11, 1958, when ‘BRK crashed fatally on operations. In 1952 Leavens ran a course at London to train 12 prospective ag pilots in all aspects of the trade, from handling chemicals to the special flying skills required. For 1953 Leavens recorded 5840 flying hours, 64% in flight instruction, 12% in spraying and dusting. The fleet included 35 aircraft of many types including three Cranes, four Stearmans and seven 85-hp Cub spray planes. In 1953 Leavens changed its focus from flying to overhauling aircraft, propellers and accessories; component and materials sales; and light manufacturing. In the 1950s it produced the last 26 Fleet Canucks. In 1972 it moved into a new facility near Toronto International Airport. In later years Leavens, always supportive of Canada’s aviation heritage, restored and flew a Waco 9 (G-CAII), which the company later donated to Canada’s national aviation museum. The museum displays another aircraft with Leavens Brothers’ roots. Its Taylorcraft BC-65 CF-BPR, restored by Harry Drover and donated to the museum in 1999, originally had been imported to Canada by Leavens 60 years earlier. Leavens closed its doors in 2012 after 84 years of service. As to “DCS”, it had various post-Leavens owners. Last heard of in 1967 it was owned by Wesley Howe and Earl Ethier in Sudbury. I don’t yet have a date, but “DCS” came to a bad ending. Wes Howe was buzzing his house near Azilda one day when he struck wires and crashed, killing himself and his passenger.

Piper introduced the PA-18 “Super Cub” in 1949. Improvements over the ubiquitous J-3/L-4 series included a 105-hp engine (compared to 65 hp) and three notches of flap. Larger engines gradually became available – 125-hp, 150-hp. The Super Cub became more of a utility plane, being so useful as a bush and agricultural plane. Many Super Cubs still operate in Canada. “GOJ” was registered on July 10, 1952 and last appeared in the 1974 CCAR.

PA-18A Super Cub CF-JAG came into Canada in 1957-58 for Sulo K. Korpela of Kormak Lumber Co. based near of Chapleau, Ontario. Not long afterwards it was with Thessalon Motors of Thessalon, a town between Sudbury and Sault St. Marie. In 1964 it was sold to Ross McNeice and R. Smith of Sudbury. In 1966 it went to Georgian Bay Airways of Parry Sound, but is absent from the CCAR from 1968. The unusual undercarriage here is a system designed by Art Whitaker of Portland Oregon. It was designed for extra rough take-off and landing conditions. I found this comment on the web from stoney727, “Art Whitaker developed the tandem landing gear right here at my home drome, Pearson Field in Vancouver WA. Before the oversized, low-pressure tires came along this was thought to be an answer for landing on rough, unimproved terrain.” I wonder if “JAG” made much use of its Whitaker gear? Canada still has many PA-18s in private and commercial use.

Besides avidly taking airplane photos, most of us back in the 1950s collected all sorts of other aviation things of interest, post cards included. Here’s a typical example that I found in one of Al’s shoe boxes that features the famous float base at Owen Sound on Georgian Bay. Shown are Piper PA-12s CF-FIZ and PA-12 CF-EUR, and Fleet Canuck CF-EBO. I can’t find any info for “FIZ”, but know from Terry Judge’s research that “EUR” came new to Canada in 1947 for Cub Aircraft of Hamilton. Cub sold it to Peninsula Air Services, a famous local operator. PAS re-sold “EUR” to local flyer N.P. Boychuk, who flew it into 1952, then sold to Owen Sound Airways. There were many subsequent owners, including one renowned fellow whom I knew – J.F. “Joe” Reed. Joe had “EUR” at Toronto Island Airport for a while in 1954-55. Eventually, it had a sticky ending. On landing on Gull Lake, Ontario on May 17, 1959, it crashed, then never re-appeared.

Piper PA-22 TriPacer CF-FVW at Toronto Island Airport. One of the truly beloved postwar Pipers, the TriPacer evolved from the PA-20 Pacer “tail dragger”, and first flew in early 1951. Sales instantly took off, outnumbering the Pacer 6-to-1. Production continued to 1964 by when some 9400 had been delivered. That year the TriPacer was replaced on Piper’s Vero Beach, Florida production line by the first of what would become an even more popular type – the PA-28 Cherokee. Hundreds of TriPacers came to Canada, where many still operate. “FVW” originally was owned by the Carl Millard of Toronto, Carl having purchased it from Safari Flying Services in the USA in September 1952. The same month Carl sold “FVW” to Len Ariss, a keen private flier who had developed the airstrip at nearby Guelph. Thenceforth, this fine little 4- seater had a long list of Ontario owners from Chatham to Blind River, Hamilton, Brantford, Centralia, North Bay, Sudbury and elsewhere. It seems to have remained in use at least into 1991, when a note in one record states that it had flown more than 2400 hours. However, “FVW” is absent from the CCAR after 1975. TC says that its C of A was cancelled in 2002.

Canada’s Own Fleet 80 Canuck

One of the big stories in Canadian aviation immediately after WWII was the Fleet 80 Canuck. Evolved from a 1940 design by Bob Noury, which Fleet bought in 1945, production initially was brisk. Fleet had just ended its Cornell production, so had the space, labour, tools and equipment, plus the incentive to jump right into what management envisioned as a strong postwar economy. Nearly 200 Canucks were sold to private and commercial operators, the sticker price initially being $3495. But production tapered as such other new civil light planes as the Aeronca 7, Cessna 120, Ercoupe, Globe Swift and Piper PA-12 began flooding Canada. Fleet, which had been so busy through the war building Finches and Cornells, lowered its asking from to $1600 when sales stalled, then abandoned the Canuck altogether. Carl Millard of Toronto bought up dozens at $1500 each, then re-sold them slowly at a profit of about $1000 each. Eventually, Leavens Brothers Aircraft of Toronto bought the Canuck rights and hand-built a final few. Nonetheless, the Canuck proved to be a gem of a 2-seater. Companies such as Central Airways at Toronto Island Airport trained thousands of young Canadians to fly on the Canuck. Al Martin photographed CF-DEE (sn 16) at Toronto island about 1950. First flown at Fleet’s Fort Erie, Ontario field on October 6, 1946, in August 1947 it was sold to Barrie Aircraft and Supplies of Barrie, Ontario. Thereafter, it had a long list of owners and many adventures. One owner (1951-53) was John Roberts, who kept “DEE” at Toronto island. He sold it to Carl Millard, who quickly flipped it to Roy Brett in British Columbia. Henceforth, “DEE” had a long list of BC owners. Today, it resides in Langley, BC.

Fleet Canuck sn10 at Toronto Island Airport in Lome Airways markings. Lome was a versatile operator in the early 1950s with such diverse interests as teaching basic flying with the little Canuck to hauling heavy loads in its gigantic Avro Tudor freighter. Having first flown on May 14, 1946, “DDY” went initially to Aero Activities of Toronto. Then, it joined Lome early in 1949. It flew there into October 1952, when sold to Trans Aircraft of Hamilton. “DDY” last appeared in the CCAR in 1958. Behind is the original Toronto Island Airport terminal, which survives and awaits restoration.

CF-EBE was famous enough for decades around Central Airways in Toronto, but is even more so today as “the” Fleet Canuck that you’ll see when visiting Canada’s national aeronautical collection in Ottawa. The great Ken Molson writes about “EBE” in his classic book, Canada’s National Aviation Museum: Its History and Collections: “After almost 24 years service with Central Airways, the aircraft was sold in 1971 to Dr. J.D. Robinson of Flesherton, Ontario, who after two years passed it on to Ernest Weller of Port Loring, Ontario, from whom the museum bought it in 1974.”

Once again, Al is docked a couple of marks for clipping off the tip of the tail of Central Airways Fleet Canuck CF-EOH sn 206. It’s in a typical Toronto Island Airport scene in the early1950s. The paint job was yellow and dark blue. “EOH” was one of 26 Canucks assembled by Leavens Brothers from leftover Fleet parts. Its first flight was February 22, 1952. Central Airways, operated by the famous Bob and Tom Wong, purchased it in April that year. As with many such little planes that had long lives, “EOH” had the occasional “fender bender”. In one case, on September 25, 1964 pilot Ricky Hicks had his engine quit. Following the forced-landing instructions that the Wongs had taught him, Ricky set down OK on the exhibition grounds close to the island airport. In 1967 “EOH” started a new career with the Edmonton Flying Club. Over the years there it suffered 7 – 8 minor accidents. In one case, on April 5, 1980, while the pilot was practicing touch and go landings on a soft grass strip, “EOH” struck a bank of crusted snow, damaging the left main gear, left wing tip and prop. On September 8, 1982, while the pilot was near Smokey Lake south of Edmonton, he landed “EOH” in a farm field with low fuel. In the process, he bent the propeller and broke off the left landing gear. In 1986 “EOH” was sold to Peter D. Moodie in Winnipeg, who continued into 2020 to enjoy this magnificent little Canadian plane.

Fleet Canuck CF-HOU sn 220 (the second last built by Fleet) at Toronto Island Airport. Wouldn’t this have made fine subject matter with Kodachrome! But … black-and-white film remained the standard in early post-WWII times, since colour film cost “an arm and a leg” back then. Canadian Aircraft Renters was another island airport resident in the 1950s. Its Canuck earned its keep in pilot training, doing tourist flights, etc. Meanwhile, the company had such bigger types as the Beech 18, Goose, Lodestar and DC-3 CF-CAR. By 1960, however, “CAR” and many similar air services across Canada had disappeared. “HOU” later was with Sudbury Aviation, then a final private owner. It faded from the CCAR in the mid-70s, after the owner discovered too much corrosion for “HOU” to be worth repairing..

Fleet Canuck CF-DQE sn 057 first entered the CCAR on June 22, 1948. Lome Airways kept it on floats at Toronto island over the summer. Those ridges on the floats identify the floats as Fleet’s own design. Many owners have enjoyed “DQE” over the decades, including (in the 2000s) aviation history researcher, Robert Stitt, on Vancouver Island.

Other Great Types of the Era: The Aeronca Line

The rugged and ever-reliable Aeronca Model 7 Champion series first appeared in May 1944, then was publicly revealed in San Diego in November 1945. With a sticker price of $2095, it was a rival for the revered Piper J-3 and such similar post-WWII types. Hundreds of “Champs” soon were in Canada whether as private or commercial planes. In April 1946 “Champ” CF- DFL came to Canada new via the busy dealer, Leavens Brothers Air Services, at Barker Field in Toronto. Leavens sold it to C.M. Birchard of Oshawa, who sold it in 1948 to the Ontario County Flying Club at Oshawa airport. There it toiled as a training plane into 1962, when it was sold to Carldon Aviation. Many owners ensued. For several years since 1992, “DFL” was owned by Jerry Billing (1921-2015) of Essex, Ontario, near Windsor. Jerry was a renowned RCAF Spitfire pilot during WWII and had pioneered postwar with such jet fighters as the Vampire, Sabre and Swift. For many years Jerry also flew a lovely Spitfire owned by actor Cliff Robertson, but he still used to crow about his Aeronca.

According to Department of Transport records, Aeronca 7CCM CF- FMK came to Canada in June 1948 for Leavens Brothers Aircraft of Toronto. Not long afterwards, Al Martin photographed it in Calgary with Chinook Flying Service Ltd. Other info says that “FMK” was purchased new by Chinook Flying Service of Calgary in 1946. There it operated as a primary trainer, rental plane, crop sprayer and even flew on floats while being used by a movie maker on a film project in the North. “FMK” holds the distinction of being the only airplane to land (on floats) on the water hazard at McCall Lake golf course immediately south of today’s Calgary International Airport (YYC). It later passed through a number of private owners and was still flying in recent years. Some 8000 Aeronca-built “Champs” were manufactured from 1945 to 1951. Others were built when Champion Aircraft, Bellanca, and American Champion had production rights.

Pacific Wings of Vancouver brought Aeronca 7AC CF-HUU to Canada in 1955. It likely was used for float training for junior pilots, and local light duties. It operated with several private owners into the 1970s. We used to loath having to take such a photo, which we classified as “cluttered”. Besides being driven by “content” when photographing, we also were “form” guys, so this shot of Al’s is a good example in any such discussion. But … better to take the shot and preserve the scene, than worry about a debate. Besides, airplane fans normally also love cars — check out that beautiful new 1955 Plymouth Belvedere (also the interesting “Warning” sign).

Pretty little Aeronca 11CC “Chief” CF- ICD at Toronto Island Airport in the early 1950s. This model appeared in 1945 and was widely sold until production ended in 1950. The Chief shares about 75% parts commonality with the Model 7 Champion, but is a side-by-side 2-seater compared to the “Champ” with its tandem seating. “ICD” first came to Canada in 1955 for Clayton Hutchings of Corner Brook, Newfoundland. Thereafter, it spent from 1957 into the late 1970s with the Barnard brothers (Cheminis Lumber Co.) of Kearns in Northern Ontario. I don’t know about its fate.

While most of Aeronca’s post-WWII production at Middletown, Ohio centred on the 2-seat Model 7s and 11s, the Model 15 4-seat “Sedan” also contributed to the company’s stellar success in the late 1940s. First flown in 1947, some 400 were produced to 1950, when production ended. The Sedan proved popular as a “family” plane, but also commercially as anything from an air taxi to a rugged bushplane. Several still operate in Canada, but the Sedan now is more of a collectors “antique”. Based in Wisconsin, the first Sedan — N1000H — is still was airworthy in 2020. A nice Sedan today sells for about US$30,000 (1948 price was about $4500). CF-DDA came to Canada in January 1949 for Leavens Brothers Air Services, then was sold to John H. Neilson of Toronto. He flew it into 1955, after which it had various owners. Typically, such a plane did not depreciate much. Having come to Leavens for about $5000, when it was sold in 1956 by Len Ariss of Guelph to the Brant Norfolk Aero Club of Brantford, it went for $3950. In December 1958 Canadian Airmotive of Hamilton sold DDA to Testex Ltd. of Toronto for $5950 (perhaps the price went up due to floats being included, or maybe some pricey new radio or avionics equipment?) About two years later “DDA” was sold to Victor Parentau in northern Quebec. He crashed it into a swamp on July 22, 1961, after which it was repaired and sold to Roger Coulombe of Senneterre. Later that year Roger reported to the DOT that “DDA” was a dead loss after sinking in a lake. Over the years “DDA” had logged about 1500 flying hours.

De Havilland Chipmunk

While Fleet had a spurt of activity building the Canuck in 1945-46, De Havilland of Canada introduced its own light plane – a trainer for the RCAF to replace the obsolete Tiger Moth. UK test pilot, Pat Fillingham, flew the first example at Downsview on May 22, 1946. Production ensued, the RCAF and Canadian Flying Clubs Association receiving 113, while others were exported as far away as India. Soon UK and Portuguese manufacturing ensued, the licence-built total exceeding 1000. Al photographed the first RCAF Chipmunk at Downsview c.1950. 18001 was taken on RCAF strength on April 1, 1948, then was struck off on May 6, 1959. Its activities are unknown to me thereafter until it was acquired by the great aerobatic pilot, Art Scholl, in 1968. Art modified it greatly for air show purposes, then flew it for many years as N13Y. We used to see it at the Toronto airshow in the 1970s-80s. Today, N13Y may be seen at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian Institution near Washington, DC. Essential books regarding the Chipmunk are Fred Hotson’s De Havilland in Canada, Hugh Shields’ The De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk: The Poor Man’s Spitfire, and the Air-Britain title, Chipmunk – The First Fifty Years. I recommend all three very highly – your library will be the richer if you can find these books (and don’t give me that pitiful old complaint that books are “expensive” – how pitiful that is, eh).

Chipmunks 18012, CF-CYB and 18001 in another Downsview scene. 18012 served the RCAF into the 1960s and last was heard of as C-FCYK in Manitoba in the early 2000s. “CYB” crashed near Caledon, Ontario on September 18, 1957.

Chipmunk CF-CXQ at Toronto island. It was one of a batch loaned by the DND to Canadian flying clubs to be used by wartime pilots to “keep current”. “CXQ”, by then privately owned, had a bad ending at Vancouver airport on February 7, 1968. That day a Standard Airways 707 on lease to CPA was landing from Honolulu, when pilot disorientation due to a sudden fog resulted in a dreadful crash. The 707 went out of control, careered across the airfield, ploughing up cars, parked planes and buildings – “CXQ” included. A “Globe and Mail” report quoting the head of Standard Airways said, “Neither [the captain] nor the control tower had been aware of this fog. Then, suddenly, all hell broke out.” The report adds, “The plane slewed right, away from the terminal, crashed through a wire fence, burying its nose in the Aviation Electric Pacific Ltd. building.” One of the 707 crew and a man on the ground were killed.

Some Other Beloved Types

On the same day that Al photographed Cessna 170B CF-HXK, he clicked off a frame on this lovely little Luscombe 8F bobbing at Toronto Island Airport. CF-IBH was a Lucombe 8F owned in the mid-1950s by Michael C. Sawchuk of Toronto. The following year, however, it went to D.A. Yanta in Chapleau in northern Ontario. Charles Gareau of Sudbury had it in 1961, then it suddenly disappeared from the CCAR. Luscombe is one of the great stories in the light plane universe. See if you can find a copy of John Swick’s ace of a book, The Luscombe Story. Otherwise, the story is very covered in Joseph P. Juptner’s indispensible US Civil Aircraft, Vol.7, an essential series for any serious aviation buff. The renowned Luscombe 8 series dates to 1938. About 1200 were built in New Jersey and Texas before the US entered WWII. The Luscombe really took off in 1946, a big attraction being its metal fuselage and metal-framed wing (at a time when most light planes still were fabric covered). Serial numbers since war’s end run from 1934 to 6774 (“IBH” was 6746, so was one of the last from Texas in 1950, when the original Luscombe closed its doors). The post-WWII rush to build light planes proved to be a huge flash in the pan. By 1948 most types were out of production and their manufacturers either “bust” or focusing on other products. In these years Luscombe had Canadian distributors from BC to the Maritimes, one being the great Don McVicar on Montreal. The last few Luscombe 8s (86 aircraft) were completed in Colorado in 1960. For a bit more about this general era in aviation, search at this very blog for “The Golden Age of Post-WWII Light Planes”. You’ll really enjoy this item.

A very spiffy looking Luscombe, which Al Martin photographed at Toronto Island Airport in the early 1950s. Could there be a cuter little 2-seater! So far I have no data about “GVX”, which is absent from the 1955 CCAR onward. The stylized “S” on the wheel pants and fin stood for “Silvaire”, Luscombe’s name for the Model 8. Of the many Luscombes in Canada over the decades, according to the Transport Canada CCAR website only about 10 have current C of As.

Luscombe CF-GJB served Gateway Aviation of Edmonton in the mid-1950s, then was with Central Aviation in Wetaskiwin, Alberta for many years into the early 1970s. “GJB” looks at home on skis on what likely was a very chilly Edmonton day. Its registration later was assigned to a PA-28 Cherokee.

Also keen on the personal plane market was Ryan, which built the 4-seat Navion. Designed by North American, its looks are reminiscent of the wartime P-51 Mustang. But North American decided not to challenge the postwar civil market after all, selling the Navion to Ryan in 1948. About 1200 were produced before Tusco took over c.1955 and kept the Navion alive a bit longer, modernizing it mainly in the form of the handsome Rangemaster, which endured into 1976. In the 2000s there still was interest in this fabulous design from Sierra Hotel Aero Inc. in Minnesota. SHA’s website notes: “As holder of the type certificate for the Navion, Sierra Hotel Aero, is dedicated to improving the safety, support, performance and preservation of all Navions worldwide.” See info@navion.com. As with most of the great light planes of the 1940s, there also is a Navion owners club. See navionx.org and look for the many other Navion-related sites. Shown is CF-GIY of Chinook Flying Services, Calgary. It was registered in Canada November 5, 1948. Trevor McTavish adds about “GIY” on April 8: “Chinook used GIY and its processor, Navion CF-FJC, on a variety of missions – usually general charters and sightseeing trips. Both also were used as air ambulances, as Chinook had the contract from the Alberta Air Ambulance Service. At a time with few hospitals offering specialized treatments, stable patients would be strapped to a litter and flown to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. The Navion was also well-used on powerline patrols in the Alberta Rocky Mountains on a route running west from Calgary into the mountains, down the Spray Lakes to the BC border at Blaremore (Frank Slide), then back to Calgary. Chinook sold GIY in 1954 and replaced it with civilianized Beech AT-11 CF-IBT (see Air Transport in Canada p.723). Like most planes of the era, “GIY” migrated to various owners. In 1961, for example, it was in BC with the Victoria Flying Club. Last noted by Transport Canada, in the early 2000s it was registered in Alberta to Golden Valley Grain Ltd.

Al Martin’s nice set-up shot at Toronto island of St. Catharine’s Flying Club Navion CF-HJI, which was registered first in Canada on December 15, 1953. Later owners from Quebec to Saskatchewan enjoyed this fine airplane. In recent years it was listed in Westlock about 100 miles north of Edmonton.

Always nice to see in our airport travels was any Beechcraft Bonanza. For a good overall coverage of this phenomenal airplane, search at this site for item The Beech Bonanza at 70 and the Golden Age of Post-WWII Light Planes . I can’t tell where Al photographed CF-HIB, but it’s a typical lovely looking Beech C35 “V-Tail” – sn D2948. Built in 1951, it was registered in Canada on November 23, 1953. Initially, it was flown by the great John Bogie (Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame, etc.) of Ottawa-based Laurentian Air Services. Many other Canadian owners ensued. After all its decades in Canada, D-2948 today its back in the USA as N673D.

Of all the new light planes of the mid-to-late 1940s one of the most representative is the Republic RC-3 Seabee. Invariably referred to as “an ugly duckling”, it’s endured and is greatly sought-after by sport aviators. Being all-metal, rugged and amphibious, the Seabee originally found eager fans among sportsmen, cottagers, and bush and coast air taxi services. Designed in 1940 by Percival Spencer, who first had flown in his own hang glider in 1911, the Seabee flew in December 1945. It immediately entered production at Republic, which recently had been churning out P-47 Thunderbolt fighters. Production suddenly ceased in October 1947 at 1060 aircraft, many of which were sold in Canada. Republic then concentrated on mass-producing F-84 Thunder Jets for the USAF. Subsequently, many Seabee survivors have been restored, especially with modern engines, e.g., Eric B. Robinson of Lindsay, Ontario has turned out several “new” Seabees powered by the 425-hp Corvette V-8 engine (the Seabee originally came with a 165-hp Franklin), plus other upgrades. Shown at Toronto Island c.1950 is Orillia Air Service Seabee CF-GAF. It came to Canada officially on March 30, 1948 for Leavens Brothers Aviation, a Seabee distributor. This is one of my favourite Al Martin Toronto scenes. In 1955 it was with Allan A. McMahon of Creighton Mines (near Sudbury), Ontario. McMahon ran a small local air service. Everett Makela on Sudbury told me lately that on October 14, 1954 (the day before Hurricane Hazel) he had a trip in “GAF” to a camp on Tooms Lake near Kormak northwest of Sudbury. The winds already were well up and “on the nose” as “GAF” hammered along. It took “Ev” almost three hours to make this trip and he used most of his 60 gallons of fuel. He borrowed what he could in fuel from a nearby lumber camp — 15 gallons. He then raced back to Sudbury in 45 minutes, thanks now to a helpful tailwind from pending Hurricane Hazel. That winter “GAF” was wrecked while taking off on skis from Rome Lake north of Sudbury. The cause might have been overloading, since there were four people aboard with their kit and the ski installation weighed 250 pounds. Everyone survived, by “GAF” was a dead loss. Ev and some pals later went into the bush to salvage the engine and propeller.For all the latest Seabee news visit this wonderful website http://www.seabee.info .

Seabee CF-GZX taxiing in front of the old Malton airport terminal building c.1955. Originally (1947) NC6364K with Livingston Airways of Waterloo, Iowa, it first was registered in Canada on May 28, 1951. In 1955 it was owned by C.V. Thornton of Toronto. It’s nifty how he had added some nose art. James Alton of Willowdale (near Toronto) took over “GZX” in 1957 and still had it in 2004! In modern times, “GZX” was converted to a “Beeboyz” Seabee with a GM LS2 Corvette sport scar engine, so was re-categorized as an “amateur built” plane. Last heard of in 2011 “GZX” was based at Baldwin, Ontario.

One final Al Martin Seabee … why not, right! Al shot CF-ECX at Malton at the Toronto Flying Club annual fly-in on May 15, 1951. The Seabee appealed to many small operators such as Port Colborne Air Services. “ECX” had begun with Curtiss-Reid Flying Service at Cartierville, Quebec. By 1955 it was owned by L.E. Force of Norwich, Ontario, then knocked around for years in Quebec. By 1979 it had moved to Pickle Lake in Northwest Ontario, after which I have no other info. These days C- FECX is a Cessna 185.

As high school kids in the late 1950s, I and my pals were just learning the ins and outs of aviation photography, how to keep notes and how to do research. Happily, we had some people to look up to about all this. Around Toronto at the time were Al Martin, Jack McNulty and Harvey Stone. These fellows all had wide- ranging interest, while ours at first tended to centre on military and the airlines. Sabres and Super Constellations were what we wanted to shoot. Learning to branch out was a slow process for us. I remember seeing Cole Palen’s Avro 504 A1996 at the Oshawa fly-in on June 15, 1963, but wasn’t really impressed for some dumb reason. But Al Martin, Ken Molson and the more mature fellows were all around it, looking closely at every detail. These fellows always would try to get us interested, but we could be slow learners. Happily, I did shoot off a few frames of A1996 and Cole’s other plane that day, his Sopwith Snipe. A1996 today belongs to Canada’s national aeronautical collection in Ottawa. This is a good example of a well-composed view of the “504”. It looked especially nice anywhere from a slight ¾ front angle right around to a fairly extreme rear angle. If shot from too sharp a front angle, of course much of the fuselage and tail would be obscured. The “old timers” like Al would always point out such details to us until we finally caught on. Note also how Al came in quite tightly on the sides in order to maximize the detail. Not having people standing around also made for what the experienced photographers considered to be a solid “set-up shot”. We all eventually became a bit fanatical about this and even would shoo people away (politely, of course) in order to get the ideal photo.

That’s it for this blog item. I hope you have enjoyed Al’s great photos of Canadian light planes along with the commentary. I’ll see about dipping again into Al’s wonderful negatives and prints. Meanwhile, if you have Air Transport in Canada, you can see several pages of additional Al Martin photos in several different categories.

PS … As usual, my blog readers started enjoying this item almost from the minute it appeared. Rob Henry from Alberta is typical, writing on March 25, “Fantastic photos Larry. Amazing how pictures from the 40s, 50s and 60s seem to make even the simplest Cessna or Piper look exotic. The work of yourself and some of the others from then (and now) have captured so much of the way things were, not just the planes, but the backgrounds, vehicles, buildings and so much more. Fascinating to look back and I hope the next generations find these just as important. Rob”

PPS … here’s a December 2020 offer for Air Transport in Canada that’s irresistible: At 2 volumes, 5kg and 1040 pages, ATC remains Canada’s grandest-ever aviation title. What’s covered? To give you an idea … pioneer days from 1919 to TCA & CPA, Canada’s air force from Day 1 to modern transport operations around the world, Canada’s postwar airlines: EPA, MCA, Nordair, PWA, QCA, Quebecair, Transair, etc., the DEW Line, aerial survey, aerial application, the great Canadian airliners from North Star to Q400, helicopters, SAR, government and corporate aviation. “ATC” also includes the largest gallery of original Canadian aviation art. How say the reviewers? “These volumes are possibly the world’s most inclusive ever devoted to aviation history.” (Airways: The Global Review of Commercial Flight) “The Oshkosh of aviation books.” (Aerographics). “Impressive! The word is sometimes misapplied to a book that is merely interesting, but for these two volumes, it may well be an understatement.” (Montreal Gazette). 53 chapters, 2 volumes, hardcover, 800,000+ words, more than 3500 photos, maps, glossary, bibliography, appendix, index. Sticker price? $155.00, but this special deal gets you a set all-in (shipping & tax are included) at CDN$65.00 for Canada, CDN$80.00 for USA, CDN$175 for International (surface mail only). Anyone can order via Interac or PayPal straight to larry@canavbooks.com, or by cheque to CANAV Books, 51 Balsam Ave., Toronto, Ontario M4E3B6. Feel free to call for further info 416-698-7559 Cheers … Larry Milberry, author

Books, Books, Books!

“For your edification”, attached here are the current CANAV Books lists. Feel free to treat yourself to some of these wonderful prime sources of aviation history (in a class by their own compared to the internet’s endless “quickie” info sources. Books give the true fan the solid “gen” by comparison, and the shear joy of handling an actual book. If ordering from the 2 nd list, please get in touch to ensure that your choices are still available. If outside Canada, please ask me for a postal rate. Thanks and I hope that 2020 so far is going well for you. Cheers … Larry Milberry larry@canavbooks.com

Book list 1

2 CANAV Booklist Special Items March 2020

PS …Our “2 CANAV Books list” is the best and most surprising such list in Canada. Failing all else, you’ll find that it has its own built-in entertainment value! Better to spend your spare time here than on some mindless video game (so says ye olde scribe — your inveterate publisher).

Special publications offer … “The Aeroplane Spotter” … A collection of about 200 nice copies (4.5 kg) of this renowned British weekly news sheet from “The Aeroplane” magazine. Issues are dated from 1941-48 (Vols.1 to 9), but this collection does not include complete annual sets. These newsprint issues are in good condition considering their age. Seventy+ years ago, this beloved 7.5×11.5 publication kept everyone in the business, and, all the general fans current about developments in industry, in the air war, about the airlines, airport movements, etc. The wartime issues are big on aircraft recce and military intel. Postwar, military content holds its place, while there’s more about civil aviation’s resurgence. This lot is for some serious collector starting an “Aeroplane Spotter” collection. Lot only CDN$125 + shipping. A nice price if you’ve been shopping for this publication on the web. Serious enquiries to larry@canavbooks.com

The Fans Respond to the Al Martin Photo Presentation:

CANAV’s blog publications invariably bring forth some thoughtful and informative comments from my readers. You sure have been enjoying the Al Martin item so far, but what’s not to like about such a special aviation hertitage collection, right? Here are some wonderful memories from Dennis Bedford in Alaska, that Al’s photos have stirred up:

Finally found time to sit down and read the latest on the Al Martin photo collection. All these photos and captions have brought back a lot of memories. My Dad worked for Alaska Coastal Airlines mostly on Gooses and PBYs, but he spent a lot of his “off” hours working on the types that Al photographed. Our family aerial chariot was a 1946 T-craft on floats. The airplane is still in the family, though not flying and in need of restoration. My father bought it in the late ‘40’s, used it on the first “date” with my mother, then on their honeymoon to fly the length of the Yukon river. In the attached photo from long ago, you can see dimension lumber strapped to the floats. Plywood was carried in full sheets strapped to the spreader bars. I wanted to move plywood into the lake recently and asked several seasoned float pilots what they thought about tying it onto the 185 — they all thought yjis was a really bad idea. Dad also flew in a small, wood burning “cookstove” and whatever else was needed. He said his worst load was a mattress wrapped in visqueen (plastic wrapping), which started to come loose and billow in the slipstream. It took all 65 horses for the T-craft just to stay in the air. 

Another of my memorable learning experiences was driving a Crosley car around the yard long before I was legal on the public roads. The first Mooney Mites used a Crosley car engine with a reduction unit.

Alaska Coastal Airlines bought a lot of something like 50 BT-13’s just for the R-985’s for use in Gooses. As I recall, these airplanes were located somewhere in the central U.S. Oklahoma. Coastal paid a contractor to remove and ship the engines and propellers, then to scrap the rest of the airplanes. I also recall the hulk of a BT-13 being back in the woods near Yakutat. It’s my understanding that it had been used to haul fish.

For something like $400 – $600 each, Coastal also bought a lot of R-2600’s from somewhere in central Canada, maybe Calgary.  I think there were 110 of them. They were military surplus, freshly overhauled and packed in steel “cans” charged with nitrogen. There was a road that ran off to the east of the Coastal hangar at the Juneau airport and they were stacked 2 high “as far as the eye could see” along the road. Coastal used them all up before they ceased PBY operations in the early 70’s. I think TBO (time between overhaul) was 1100 hours for the R-2600, but it was rare for one of them to make it that far. Lots of memories. Picture is the family T-craft hauling lumber for the family cabin near Haines. Thanks … Dennis

Canada’s C-130s to the Rescue – “Operation Preserve” August to December 1991

 

Good day CANAV supporters … here’s the next action-packed session on the CANAV Books Blog, but before getting into our lead story covering “Operation Preserve”, here is some important information and some fascinating bits of history.

D-Day Celebrations at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton

D-Day was so well covered this year, whether locally in one Canadian community after another, or in Normandy itself. As is a tradition, the fantastic Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton went all-out, especially with its fly-over program. Gus Corujo was there with his cameras – Gus rarely misses any aviation event in his wide-ranging travels around Ontario. Here is his CWHM D-Day 2019 presentation for you to enjoy: http://gusair.com/htdocs/Airshows/2019/19D-DAY/19d-day.html

Book Reviews

Unless someone pulls a mighty impressive new book out of the fire, Aviation in Canada: Fighter Pilots and Observers 1915-1939 will remain Canada’s aviation book of the year through 2019, likely into 2020. “FPO” is a treat for any serious aviation reader. It will you give years of enjoyment and your order will help CANAV to get ahead with Vol.9.

Here’s what the great Denis J. Calvert writes about “FPO” in the May 2019 edition of “The Aeroplane”: “This is volume eight in CANAV’s series detailing Canada’s aviation heritage. Those who have read – or own – earlier volumes will be familiar with author Milberry’s style of writing, which strikes the happy, but all too rare, balance between being easy to read and rigorously detailed … Illustrations are excellent.” Here are two other reviews to check out: “Britain at War” (November 2018) and “Flypast” (March 2019). Don’t sit on your hands, get your order in today! Meanwhile, I also attach CANAV’s current booklist – it’s well worth a look. It’s packed with a best in aviation reading, the sort the will keep your attention span being reduced to 3 minutes (by playing around way too much on the internet, right).
FYI … CANAV’s Curent Booklist is right here: 1 CANAV Booklist Spring_Summer 2019

The Rock of Gibraltar + Some Alberta Treasures

Next … recently I came across these old photos of RCAF aircraft at Gibraltar in the 1950s-60s. If there isn’t a book full of such “Rock of Gibraltar” airplane photos, someone needs to do one. Shown first is one of RCAF Air Transport Command’s famous Canadair North Stars from the 1940s-60s. Then, a “Wilf White Collection” Kodachrome showing RCAF Argus 20737, likely coming or going re. some Cold War anti-submarine exercise. I wouldn’t be surprised in the 2010s to see photos of RCAF Auroras, CF-18, Hercs, etc. with “The Rock” as backdrop.

The RCAF had first started using “Gib” in WWII, when it operated a mail service from Ottawa (168 Sqn) all the way through to Cairo, mainly using B-17s converted to transports. This pioneer effort turned into an RCAF gold star success.

As I was writing the history of Canada’s vast air transportation heritage in the 1980s-90s, I decided to include a gallery of original aviation art. Always fascinated by the amazing overseas work of 168 Sqn, I commissioned my great friend, artist and photographer, the late Robert “Bob” Finlayson, to paint a 168 Sqn B-17 over “Gib”, since 168 on the Mediterranean route stopped there countless times going and coming. To this day I count Bob’s painting as one of the treasures in Canadian aviation art. He always seemed to pull a piece together so nicely. He did his research thoroughly, then got his plane, sky and background nicely together on his board. After decades of work, I finally got the book into print – Air Transport in Canada. You can find the details in the CANAV 2019 booklist above. This is another Canadian aviation heritage book that you definitely will treasure.

Alberta Snapshots Surface

Fascinating historic aviation photos keep surfacing as the years pass. This spring Ken Townend of Calgary (one of CANAV’S earliest readers) sent me these b/w prints. First are two photos that he took of RCAF Hurricane 5414 (then with 135 Squadron at Tofino) in Edmonton in April 1945. This was a Victory Loan event on the east side of 101 Street south of Jasper Avenue. People going by could get a close look at a Hurricane, at this time frontline RCAF equipment. You can see that the passersby were keen to have a look. Notice the “Let’s Make a Clean Sweep” propaganda billboard on the street corner. In a few weeks the jig would be up for the Germans, and the Japanese soon would follow. Clean sweep accomplished!

Here’s one of Ken’s shots from a visit to Edmonton airport in the late 1940s. Shown are RCAF Mosquito KA115 and one of the RCAF’s first two Gloster Meteor jet fighters. Next, a closer view of KA115, which was struck off strength in June 1948. Notice the airport elevation on the hangar across the field – 2185 feet above sea level.

American military planes had been passing through Edmonton flying to and from Alaska since the 1920s. One day Ken Townend got to watch a squadron of USAF F-80 Shooting Star jet fighters during their refuelling stopover. Ken notes, “The US F-80s shot up the airfield, then landed from the north. At least two of them were unable to slow down sufficiently to turn off at the end of the runway, so got stuck in the gopher holes and grass. I clambered over the fence and took a couple of photos.” This view is really interesting for the Edmonton background. Since the airport closed a few years ago, nothing much remains of the old hangars, etc. The final shot is another F-80 taken at Edmonton about the same time by Leslie Corness.

Ontario Regiment Royal Canadian Armoured Corps Museum Annual Open House “Aquino Tank Weekend”

On Saturday, June 9 we attended this year’s Ontario Regiment RCAC Museum annual weekend open house at the museum’s Oshawa airport location, about an hour’s drive east of Toronto.. This was one of the most fantastic armoured history events anywhere on the globe for this season. I’m not particularly a tank/armour history follower, but certainly will be showing a lot more interest from now on. For this blog item, I’ll simply show you photos of a few vehicle types that were operating among what must have been 50+. Also … some misc. displays.

    At one point alone there were five operating ex-Canadian Army Leopard I main battle tanks on the field. There were numerous Allied and German tanks, tank destroyers, armoured personnel carriers, jeeps, artillery pieces, etc. all manned by expertly-trained operators, There also was a mass of Gulf War equipment, and Allied and German re-enactors put on a mock battle based on one of the Canadian engagements during the Liri Valley battlefield period in WWII Italy – the Battle of Aquino, May 14, 1944 (see Wiki, etc.). Here are a few photos to whet your appetite for a visit to this magnificent museum. “Impressive” does not begin to describe this museum adequately.

Thousands of these Commonwealth “Bren Gun Carriers” served the Canadian Army in WWII. Some 29,000 alone were built by the Ford Motor Co. in Canada. You can find all the details for such vehicles by checking on Wiki, etc. Besides all the “heavy metal” roaring around on the display grounds, there was at least and acre of fascinating static displays. Above is the artillery piece being towed by the Bren Gun Carrier.

Typical German hardware of WWII. The Allies had to confront such formidable armour wherever they fought from North Africa early in the war on to north Germany into May 1945.

Canada operated the British-built Centurion main battle tank (static view above) through the Cold War. It finally was replaced by the German-designed Leopard I. Next … two of the five operating Leopard Is on the field this day.

A wide view of some of the vehicles that we saw in operation during the morning action.

Several of Canada’s D-Day veterans were present. After being introduced, they made the circuit of the grounds in several types of wartime vehicles.

A German medium tank and tank destroyer on the move. Then, “German” re-enactors dismounting and setting up to drive the Canadians from Aquino airfield. This fellow is ready to create mayhem for the Canadians with his MG42.

A Bren Gun Carrier arrives with Canadian troops.

Stewart and Chaffe tanks roll out, then one of the museum’s mighty Shermans.

Canadians on the defensive. All the weapons here were operable and 100s of rounds were banged off in these realistic demonstrations. Lee Enfield rifles, Thompson submachine guns, Bren guns and side arms all were fired. Then, a German half-track on the attack.

This Canadian Army Chevy truck tows a 25-pound (87.6 mm) artillery piece and ammunition limber. The 25-pounder fired several blank rounds.

This current Leopard II recovery tank came in from CFB Borden. Then, yet another piece of heavy WWII German equipment.

Radio-controlled scale model tanks; then the large battlefield diorama where they were rolling around all day.

Some of the amazing Gulf War armour on show including (last shot) a Russian T-62 main battle tank, the much-feared type still used by Russian client states.

Nearby the tank museum (which is at Oshawa airport) is an important RCAF monument – a sparkling Canadair F-86 Sabre V. (Photos by Shannon and Marin Milberry; Blog Master, Owen Milberry)

 

Now … Djibouti 1991

CanForces C-130 Hercules 130326 taxis through the pigeons at Djibouti (formerly French Somalia) in November 1991. It was headed out on one of hundreds of “Operation Preserve” missions on behalf of the UN World Food Program. Then, Herc 130333 loading at Djibouti for yet another trip into the Ethiopian “outback”. All this food aid arrived in Djibouti by sea, then was trucked to the airport. This brought employment and cash into the local economy and organizers made the most of it. Loading a Herc with as much as 22 tons of grain or corn was never a speedy process, since it was being paid for at an hourly rate. At the offloading end, the locals weren’t in it so much for the money, so could empty a Herc in 10-12 minutes (the record during Operation Preserve was eight minutes).

Region in Turmoil

The Horn of Africa has been in turmoil for centuries. In more modern times, there was a horrendous 3-decades war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. In 2018 the warring parties finally agreed to a peace. In another infamous case (1977-78) there was all-out war between Ethiopia and Somalia, backed, respectively, by the USSR and USA. The opposite recently had been true, so the Soviet-backed Ethiopian air force went to war with US-made Northrop F-5s, while the US-backed Somali air force flew Soviet MiG-21s. The “MiGs” soon ruled the skies. The main fighting took place in the northern Ogaden region lying between the two countries: Having a dream of a “Greater Somalia”, in 1977 President Siad Barre launched his attack on the Ogaden, looking to annex this ethnically Somali territory, where the main centres were Diradawa and Jijiga. Not far across the border in Somalia was Hargeisa. Barre’s forces ploughed ahead. Just as Ethiopia was near defeat in 1978, however, it was massively reinforced by Cuban, South Yemen and the USSR. Ethiopia now turned the tide, Somalia withdrew and Ethiopia retained the Ogaden (see Wiki, etc., for all the details, e.g. such items as “Somaliland: Hargeisa – The Invisible City”). Humiliated, President Siad Barre punished his own military in the north, having many top officers executed. Like a mini-Stalin or Mao, he also led a campaign to exterminate Somali clan resistance, starving to death and mercilessly bombing his own people. This led to unrest among northern Somalis. A revolution ensued, the north eventually declaring independence as Somaliland, having Hargeisa as its capital. Barre then used his artillery and tactical MiGs to destroying much of Hargeisa. In 1991 Barre was overthrown and eventually replaced by another strongman – Mohamed Farah Aidid. Aidid ushered in his own reign of terror during another ugly period of Somalia clan violence. The United Nations interceded, establishing UNOSOM – United Nations Operations in Somalia, which would count heavily on Canada. For today, however, let’s go back to 1991 when the Horn of Africa was not so much at war (although clans still were at each other’s throats) as it was starving due to crop failure caused by drought.

Operation Preserve

At the UN’s behest, beginning in August 1991 Canada began flying food aid to Ethiopian centres from its ALCE (Airlift Control Element) at Djibouti International Airport. This was known as Operation Preserve. The mandate was to fly four relief missions per day, each carrying as much as 22 tons of food. Three CC-130 “Hercs” from Air Transport Group at CFB Trenton were provided – two for daily operations plus one back-up. The Hercs were crewed from ATG’s various squadrons and supported by about 60 personnel – airframe and engine techs, logistics people, administrative and medical staff, etc. The ALCE “opened for business” on August 7, the first mission being flown five days later. Destinations were in the Ethiopian provinces of Bale, Hararge and Tigre. “Preserve” was planned for three months, but Canada later responded to a UN World Food Program plea for an extension. In November, I was invited to visit the operation to report first hand. I had a week to get everything organized – gathering the paperwork that DND needed, studying about the Horn of Africa (geography, weather, cultures, etc.), checking out camera equipment, stocking up on film, etc. Finally, on November 24, I rendezvoused with the CF public affairs co-ordinator in Ottawa for the first leg of the trip – a 6.5-hour flight to Canada’s airbase at Lahr, Germany on a DND charter. Our transportation was Nationair’s C-GMXY, an old DC-8-62 that had begun with Swissair in 23 years earlier. The trip started in leisurely fashion, since we had some time to enjoy Lahr and the Black Forest area. Then, on November 28 we set off in 436 Sqn C-130 130323 (UN Flight 6165) with Capt Dave Ross and crew. Our destination was Iraklion, Crete, where a few hours later we landed for fuel in the dead on night.

CanForces Herc “323” during our night refuelling stop at Iraklion, Crete. Delivered to the RCAF in 1967, “323” would serve Canada for some 44 years before retiring in 2012. Within an hour we were airborne for Djibouti, where we landed at 0940 (local) after a trip from Lahr of some 3000 nm. Shuttled downtown to the Sheraton Hotel, we started with a detailed briefing from ALCE commander, LCol Marc Dumais, who also organized a bus tour of the city to get we media people oriented.

A aeronautical map section of the general area being supplied by Operation Preserve during its final weeks. The main centres that I visited are to the south – DireDawa, Jijiga and Hargeisa.

Canada’s makeshift ALCE comprised a few sea containers and tents in a grubby corner at Djibouti International Airport. Canada’s military is famous for getting the job done in such barebones set-ups. This goes back at least to the Korean War when the RCAF’s modest fleet of North Stars made hundreds of trans-Pacific supply, passenger and medevac trips with little fanfare. On any day it may have had 10-12 North Stars available. So busy were they that the USAF assumed that the RCAF must have had hundreds. So it usually goes with a Canadian ALCE – no fuss no muss, just get the job done to specs.

The inevitable crazy signpost seems quickly to appear at any distant ALCE.

The ALCE seen from a giraffe that I briefly commandeered. A spare engine (lower right) and prop always are essential for such an operation.

A few steps from the ALCE, CanForces Herc crews chitchat between missions. The Operation Preserve Hercs this week were “326”, which had an airframe time of 30,433.1 hours as of December 1; “333”– 19,325.6 and “337” — 9445.7. There’s plenty of fun on such an operation. Some cocky 429 Sqn graffiti artist sent this message to the other squadrons at Djibouti.

ALCE commander LCol Dumais (right) with some of his staff at Djibouti.

My first trip from Djibouti began at 0400 on November 30 with a bus ride to the airport with the Dave Ross crew. Things were a bit dicey right away, since some rough-looking airport security fellows with AKs pulled me into a guardhouse, while the crew went ahead. Problem? Who was this Canadian not in uniform? After a few minutes, one of my crew returned to straighten things out. Soon I was around the table at the ALCE taking in the briefing. It was still dark as we climbed out of Djibouti en route to Jijiga, a distance of 144nm. This is how most days began – get out of Djibouti ASAP, so as to land with at destination just about sunrise.

Capt Dave Ross (right, aircraft commander) during mission planning about 0500 just before we headed for Jijiga on November 30. Left is S/L John Barras (nav, RAF on exchange with 436 Sqn). Standing is Sgt Dave Preston (ALCE operations), then, Capt Pete Stolz (pilot). Next, three fellows from the other early crew: LCol Jim Skinner (OC 413 Sqn), Capt Frank Costello (nav) and Capt Vince Schurman (pilot). An old joke about flight planning and paperwork noted that a Herc would not be dispatched ‘til the weight of the paperwork equalled the weight of the plane itself!

Under call sign “Canuck 36”, the Dave Ross crew was airborne at 140,000 lb at 0545. We touched down on Jijiga’s rough little strip (Runway 03-21, barely 2500 feet) at 0630. One of the first things that caught my eye was a crowd of local men heading towards us out of the dusk. These fellows were keen to load the trucks with the 19 tons of corn we had just flown in.

Workers get busy offloading 800 x 55-lb bags. Unloading was competitive, each man hustling as many sacks as quickly as possible. Sightseers from nearby were milling around taking in the excitement on which – in a way – their lives depended.

Herc “333” soon joined us at this dusty airstrip.

S/L Barrass and Capt Ross inspect one of the many dud artillery and tank rounds scattered over Jijiga airport, where fighting during the earlier Somali invasion had been intense.

The flight deck of Herc “333”at Jijiga with flight engineer Don Levins, pilots Rich Pittet and John Pedneault of 435 Sqn, plus UN field worker, Tracy Buckenmeyer.

Our visit to Jijiga soon shaped up beautifully for photography. Here are two more views of “326”. In the second, S/L Barrass is monitoring the start-up. We were airborne again at 0700 this time at 98,000 pounds heading back to base to collect another load. The return trip totalled 1.7 flying hours.

Capts Ross and Stolz in their front office – best seats in the house! As a rule, pilots alternated seats on each leg.

Typical desert between Djibouti and Jijiga. In a good season, this land could produce plenty of food, sometimes even a surplus. In 1991, however, draught was the problem, so there was little sign of any crops or anything green. Notice the small family farm enclosures. The homes are rounded huts mostly made of local materials.

Back at base I joined “Canuck 29” 130333 bound for Diredawa with a 429 crew under Capt Vince Schurman with LCol Skinner of 413 Sqn. Here, “333” loads at Djibouti. We departed at 0845, landed at Diredawa (a distance of 135 nm) at 0930, left again at 1005 and were wheels on back at Djibouti at 1045.

LCol Skinner piloting “333”. Our load in this trip was 20 tons of wheat (400×110-lb bags). Then, a grab shot as we scorched across Diredawa, a city (at this time of some 350,000. Notice the Dechatu River and the railroad (one of few in this part of Africa), which connects Diredawa to Djibouti.

Offloading scenes at Diredawa on November 30. It wasn’t always clear where all this food aid ended. Word was that some was regularly siphoned off to local bandidos, according to accepted local customs. Hauling food grains around was not the best thing for the “care and feeding” of a C-130. S/L John Barrass told me one day about how loose grain readily germinated under a Herc’s floorboards. This could cause damage and expensive clean-up. I no longer wondered why loadmasters sometimes were seen vacuuming the heck out of their Hercs. Another issue was insects, which thrived in sacks of grain and inevitably infested airplanes, making fumigation necessary.

Diredawa was another good place to photograph the CanForces at work, but something else caught my eye. The place was a major military base. There were fighters all over the place, but how to get access? Someone got me an escort onto the MiG-21/MiG- 23 tarmac, but no photos allowed. I could see that there was no activity– the MiGs simply were basking in the sun with nobody in sight. I heard that these MiGs had been used on some recent operations flown by Communist Bloc mercenaries. Apparently, the jets were some sort of rentals, and always ready to relocate to the next war or uprising. There’s a story here, but someone “in the know” will have to write it. In the distance I also could see MiG-15s and -17s. What a hot spot for the aviation geek, eh! Here’s a view of 8800×150 foot Runway 15-33. Notice the MiG compound in the mid distance.

It was OK to photograph this abandoned Aeroflot MI-8 at Diredawa. The MI-8 first flew in 1962. Some 7300 of this astoundingly versatile and reliable helicopter were manufactured. Many were exported to USSR client states and still do great work.

On departure in “333” I was able to grab some “quickie” shots of the MiGs. I wonder if those 15s and 17s are still there? Warbird collectors would go wild if there was a chance of an acquisition.

Our shadow rips along a dried river bed around Diredawa. Back at base I quickly teamed with ”Canuck 29” for another trip to Jijiga in “333” with the Dave Ross crew. We departed at 1245, were airborne for home from Jijiga at 1350 and back at “Silo Ops” (the ALCE ops tent) at 1545. Along the way I learned a few interesting bits of trivia, including how Op Preserve’s C-130s had been lightened from a basic empty weight of 82,000 lb to 75,000 lb (so they could carry more payload); and how there was a strict notice that no aircraft enter Djibouti air space below 15,000 feet (without prior notice). Any lower and who knows what might happen. Maybe an intercept by the French AF Mirages based at Djibouti?

Crew do some on-the-spot fix to “326” while we were at Diredawa on December 1. Ingenuity is the mother of invention, as they say, but this was not a job for strict union workers, that’s for sure. I also made a trip this day to Jijiga in “333” with the 435 Sqn crew of Capt John Pedneault. Here they are at day’s end back at “Silo Ops”: Capt Rich Pettet (pilot), Capt Rolly Tassé (loadmaster), Capt John Pedneault (aircraft commander), Maj Tom Whitburn (nav) and Sgt Don Levins (flight engineer). Although I met many young aircrew on this operation, at this time Capt Tassé was one of four ATG commissioned “loadies” and talk about experience. Having joined the RCAF in 1955, he transitioned from the C-119 to the C-130 in 1962. Prior deployments included Biafra, Congo, Gulf War I and Peru on earthquake relief. By now he had 6200 flying hours on Hercs plus about 2000 on Cosmos. He also had been chief loadmaster instructor at the CF Tactical Airlift School in Edmonton. Where could the RCAF get such experience today? Pretty well impossible.

Herc 326 departs Jijiga on December 1, 1991. Aircraft take a good beating on such operations, where landings and takeoffs always are “max” efforts, e.g. full brakes, flaps and reverse props for landing after landing. Once our Hercs finally go home to Canada, you don’t even want to hear about the cost of repairs.

December 2 was an exciting day. At 0525 we were off Djibouti in “326” as “Canuck 36” under LCol Dumais with Capt Jacques Dufort, the rest being from Dave Ross’ crew. At 0600 we landed at Jijiga, where the runway was one long mud puddle after heavy overnight rains (we might have gone through with this landing because of low light masking the ugly runway conditions). A few minutes behind us, along came “Canuck 29” under Capt Vince Schurman, who first did a low pass to inspect conditions. We on the ground all were watching with interest. Would “Canuck 29” give it a go? Someone commented, “We’d be hard-pressed to find anything around here to drag them out of the mud – if worse comes to worse.” Here (in the distance) Vince banks into his downwind leg to try a landing.

Here’s part of the scene as “Canuck 29” splashes down, slithers through a mass of giant birds and mud, then gets squared away and taxies in behind “326”. Nothing to it, right! Someone reported later that several birds had left wings, fuselages, undercarriages, etc. on the runway. These photos were hard to really wire, considering the poor light, also the limits of 25 asa and 64 asa Kodachrome back in these prehistoric days of (actual) photography. Our own departure from Jijiga was briefed as a “soft field takeoff, 95,000 lb” with a proviso: “We’ll only return to this strip if we really, really have to”. On leaving Jijiga, LCol Dumais detoured to Degeh Bur for a low-level inspection and video of the runway re. possible relief flights. We noticed the wreck of an old DC-3 beside the runway. LCol Dumais did a touch-and-go to get a feel for the runway surface, then turned north for Djibouti.

LCol Dumais flies “326” to Degeh Bur on December 2, as RAF S/L John Barrass (nav) looks on. Then, Capt Dufort at the helm on the same trip.

On Day 1 at Djibouti I spent some good time watching the technical staff change an engine on Herc “337”. Here they were in a remote place doing sophisticated work out in the blazing African sun, but this really was no big deal for ATG. After all, what’s it about? Training, experience and dedication, three hallmarks of Canada’s military. First, here’s the big picture with “337” on the ramp. Then, MCpl Bob Gauthier atop the troubled engine, and Cpl Jeff Hamilton gathering some wrenches.

Contemplating the new engine. Then, the prop is readied for installation. Finally, the new 4000-shp Allison T56 engine is run up for the first time as the airport fire brigade stands by. Job in the bag in 12 hours, no sweat!

Djibouti is a fascinating place. Take some time and read up about it in the “interweb” (the world of the 3-minute attention span, right). This is a place where, in the main market, we saw such eye-popping displays as AK-47s for sale for a few American dollars, gold in any form one might desire, and raw elephant tusks stacked up ready for anyone with the cash – save the elephants be damned. It’s also where we enjoyed a pizza one evening where our host was a retired Foreign Legionnaire. On the wall was a pair of snowshoes that, as a young soldier on winter exercise in northern Quebec one year, he had brought home. Yes … Djibouti is “something else”. But it must be much changed today, when the main foreign influence is China, not France. The airport itself is a busy hub with many civil and military aircraft to photograph. Djibouti being a former French colony and still (in 1991) a French Foreign Legion outpost, I wasn’t surprised to see this 747 “Classic” on the ramp. F-BPVA was Air France’s first 747, having been delivered in March 1970. Majestic as it was, it went to the boneyard in 1994.

The French military also was evident in Djibouti, but I couldn’t get permission to visit. Mirage fighters were coming and going on some sort of counter-insurgency missions, and this Breguet Atlantique was present, patrolling the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea. There also were some Transals. One day I watched one of these “mini Hercs” take off and disappear into low cloud. Not long afterwards, a large number of Foreign Legionnaires came floating down onto mid-field, having completed a jump in complete “IFR” conditions.

Ethiopian Airlines seemed almost to be Djibouti’s national airline. Seen are 707 freighter ET-AIV, 727 ET-AHM and Lockheed L-100 Hercules ET-AJK. Delivered originally to Braniff in 1967 and later with Trans Mediterranean, “AIV” served EAL 1985-98. Sold then into the DRC, it was wrecked at Kinshasa in Y2K. 727 “AHM” came new to EAL in 1979, serving there into 1992. It migrated to Canada in 1997, where it served Cargojet of Hamilton as C-GUJC into the 2010s. Herc “AJK” was a jack-of-all-trades, frequently doing UN relief operations.

Alyemda was operating scheduled Dash 7 service across the narrow straight from Yemen to Djibouti. 7O-ACM had been sold new to Alyemda in 1980. Dash 7 No.31 (of 113 built in Toronto), “ACM” lasted into the early 2000s, but eventually went for scrap.

Originally delivered to Yemen Airways in 1976, 737 “200 Series” 7O-ACU was seen almost daily at Djibouti. It served into the early 2000s before retiring.

By 1991 the impressive Cessna 208A Caravan was making welcomed inroads throughout Africa. 5Y-ZBZ (s/n 201) had arrived in the region on October 24 for Mission Aviation Fellowship. Using long-range tanks, Tony Pettinger had ferried it across in 46 flying hours. First, he collected “ZBZ” from Cessna in Wichita, then flew it to Bangor, Maine, where two 180 gallon ferry tanks were installed in the cabin. These supplemented the 165-gallon tanks in each wing tank. He next flew to St. John’s, Newfoundland, then to Birmingham in 12:05 hours, finally on to Southend, Luxor and Nairobi. For another Caravan (HB-CKK, Red Cross) also doing relief duty here, the engineer was Anil Patel of Montreal. A graduate of Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Anil previously had worked for Bearskin Airlines and norOntair in NW Ontario, then went to Africa in 1984. He noted that there were about 100 Canadians doing relief work at this time for NGOs in this region. These seemed to be loosely under the “Horn of Africa Committee” of the Canadian International Development Agency in Ottawa.

Another bit of “Canadiana” at Djibouti in 1991 was this clapped out DHC-4 Caribou. Delivered new in 1971 as JW9013 to the Tanzanian Air Wing, nobody around the airport seemed to have any history for it, other than that it had made a very hard landing here one day. The airframe was hopelessly bent, so the Caribou was abandoned. At this time, several local young men were using “9013” for low cost housing.

Off the end of Runway 09 at Djibouti in 1991 lay another off-beat bit of aviation history – some superannuated French Air Force F-100 Super Sabres cooking in the Africa sun. Look at the massiveness of this scrap yard. I wondered why the local government hadn’t turned all this into millions of dollars in scrap business? Since China now holds sway in Djibouti, perhaps it’s finally been shipped off for recycling. You can see that a lot of the photos that I’ve used here are grab shots. As any day unfolded, there were endless subjects to photograph, so I had to have cameras ready. Things could come and go in a flash. This was not a great job for the photographer who is anal about photographic form. For me? I was happy, since I’m mainly content-minded. Shoot first, shoot fast!

Around the pool at the Sheraton one evening I met some fellows from the Mission Aviation Fellowship, a Christian organization doing good works in the Horn of Africa with Caravan 5Y- ZBZ. Eventually, I asked about a flight to see what was doing with the MAF, and this quickly was OK’d. Early on December 3, I met my MAF contacts at the airport – Ramesh Peshavaria (seen at the controls of “ZBZ”), Tony Pettinger and Tad Watts. At 0905 we took off on the 133 nm flight to Hargeisa, capital of the unrecognized state of Somaliland (formerly Italian Somalia). We climbed to 10,000 feet, cruised smoothly along, then landed at 1000. Here “ZBZ” sits at the Hargeisa terminal.

 

What caught my eye instantly as we taxied in at Hargeisa was a row of three Somali AF F-6 tactical fighters (Chinese-built MiG-19s). The story behind these old warbirds was not a pretty one, for they had been “flying artillery” for Siad Bari’s repressive regime, bombing nearby Hargeisa into rubble in recent times. An F-6 could make bomb run after bomb run through the day, since its targets were just a few seconds/minutes away. Nobody was around who could give me any actual details, although a very poor- looking fellow on crutches told me that he had been an F-6 pilot “back in the day”. It’s not always too easy to get people in such countries to talk openly.

MiG and a Mil-17 hulks at Hargeisa. As I polked around this corner, some friendly fellows in the distance yelled for me to clear off, warning that there still were land mines in this patch of the airport. I made my way back to the tarmac taking very long strides!

A bird’s eye view of the airport terminal from “ZBZ”.

General views around Hargeisa on December 3, 1991. The city had been a ghost town since 1988, the main population having fled across the border to Ethiopia. We were told that the population was about 70,000, but this was starting to rise as people began filtering back home. Thousands had died here, but the survivors were set on making a new beginning. First, an aerial view from “ZBZ”. This neighbourhood still looked uninhabited. Today, Hargeisa is home to more than 600,000 and has great prospects.

A local fellow with his camel. Then, two young men employed in Hargeisa’s de-mining “industry”. Many Somalilanders had become land mine victims during the region’s horrible times, as in 1988-91. One-legged people were everywhere, and humans and animals still were been killed by mines in and near Hargeisa. Alf Slingsby of the UK de-mining company Rimfire showed us samples of neutralized mines supplied to Siad Bari’s brutal forces by arms dealers from many nations. His teams were recovering about 1000 mines per month, and there was no end in sight for the process.

While climbing out from Hargeisa bound for home base, we spotted a herder with his goats. Raising and dealing in goats, cattle and camels remains the region’s chief economic activity. Then, a typical scene en route. This area is desert and mountains with the prominent Durdur River system. This is really wild country. We were back at Djibouti at 1415 to face the only glitch of the day – Djibouti customs officials were unhappy that I had “illegally” crossed into the non-existent nation of Somaliland. My passport was confiscated, but was returned later in the day for a small fee.

Another day I joined a convoy driving across the back country to a vast refugee camp in the middle of nowhere – Dharwanaji six miles from the Somaliland border. The place housed 121,000 homeless people, but was overseen by armed hoodlums. Here’s a grab shot looking ahead at our convoy just as there was a panic about a possible ambush. Our “guns-for-hire” suddenly were fanning out, weapons ready.

The panic arose due to a traffic hold-up at this crossing, where a heavy water truck headed for Dharwanji was bogged down. All was well. Note the machine gun atop the pick-up, and the camels in the distance.

Even out in such sparse backcountry there was plenty to see. We passed a battleground littered with Soviet-era tanks destroyed during the recent Ethiopia – Somalia shoot-out. Cameras were not welcomed, so I kept a low profile. Here, we pass a pick-up loaded “to the gunwales” with militiamen.

En route we stopped briefly in the hamlet of Lafaisa. First, a street scene as a local water cart passes on its rounds. Then, typical Lafaisa housing, boys tending cattle, and camels at work. Little wonder that wherever we travelled, people would shout “Canada (or USA) Number One” and sometimes ask what we could do to help them get out of wherever they were stuck.

Finally, we reached Dharwanaji. This is what we saw spread out to the horizon — thousands of grubby little huts called “akuls” or “aqals”, and people mainly just waiting passively for their next meal.

Just inside the gate sat a mountain of thousands of grain and corn sacks. We heard that the camp had formed when refugees poured in from Somalia starting in February 1991. Under the gaze of the “camp mafia”, the UN was feeding the place. There was a daily limit of 500g per person, except for children and pregnant women who received a bit extra. People were dying almost daily of starvation and disease. Armed militiamen guarded the food aid and seemed to have control as to how it all got distributed.

A couple of Dharwanaji honchos guard the entrance to the camp strongman’s office.

Keeping more than 100,000 desperate people alive … this is what it was all about, including what Canada’s Hercs were doing so far from home. This was the scene at one of Dharwanaji’s six feeding centres. Mothers and children are having their turn in this session. But things perpetually were on the edge. In the second photo, an infant has just been declared dead, said to be from malnutrition.

Food prep in the kitchen tent; then a scene in the medical clinic. Among people’s endless health issues at Dharwanaji, tuberculosis was rampant.

Other camp scenes. You can show your kids these pictures next time they start complaining about anything, right! Besides barebones care provided by the UN and NGOs in this region in 1991, there was a longterm effort to resettle the refugees. Most of those at Dharwanaji in 1991 gradually returned to Somaliland, from whence they had come.

My visit to Djibouti ended on December 4 when I boarded Herc “334” at Djibouti (UN Flight 6166, Major Wayne Davidson and crew). First we flew to Larnica on Cyprus (7 hours) to pick up passengers and fuel, then continued to Lahr (Capt Pedneault and crew, 5.5 hours). I continued back to Ottawa on December 6 aboard Nationair 757 C-GNXU.

Operation Preserve summary: flying from their Djibouti ALCE, from August 12 to December 12, 1991 Canada’s C-130 Hercules flew 853 food aid missions to points in hard- pressed north Ethiopia. Some 16,000 tons of grain and corn were delivered. Summarizing things, LCol Marc Dumais noted, “The operation was an overwhelming success thanks to the planning that went into the initial recce and to the professionalism and positive attitude of the personnel who were assigned to the mission”. Canada’s air force would go on to many further such humanitarian mission from the collapse of Somalia, when the warlords took over, to Rwanda, hurricane relief in Honduras … on and on to the present. Through the week of June 3, 2019, RCAF Hercs were busy evacuating forest fire- threatened Pikangikum, a town of 3800 in Northwest Ontario (55 miles north of Red Lake). One of the great aspects about travelling around the world with the Canadian Forces was meeting so many exemplary Canadians proudly wearing the uniform. It’s been fun keeping in touch over the decades and seeing how people finished their careers. LCol Marc Dumais, for example, retired to “Civvie Street” in 2012 as MGen Dumais, Commander of “Canada Command”.

 

 

Here’s Your CANAV Blog for March 30, 2019 … Eric G. Smith … A Bit about Books … “Fighter Pilots and Observers” Updates … Some Grand Citizens of Canadian Aviation … More Beech 18 History … Arizona Boneyard (Thank You Pierre) … Civil Canadair Sabres

Wing Commander Eric G. Smith, Distinguished Flying Cross, United States Air Medal

Eric Smith as a young wartime Mosquito pilot in the UK with 107 Squadron.

One of the very fine men of the RCAF died in Navan (near Ottawa) last week. Eric G. Smith plain and simply was a gem of a Canadian, so please take a moment to read about him below. I was honoured to have met Eric in the early 1980s, when starting research for a history of the Canadair Sabre. Eric could not have been a friendlier and more encouraging fellow. He put up with my phone calls, letters and visits, helping to ensure that the book eventually would be a good one. In all the subsequent years, he and I kept in touch and had many a pleasant time together at such events as the annual BBQs of the Canadian Fighter Pilots Association, Commonwealth Aircrew Reunions, or at one thrash or another at the Gloucester Mess in Ottawa. Here is a summary of this fine gentleman’s life:

These first two photos of Eric appear in Vol.2 of Canada’s Air Force at War and Peace. I’ve left the caption in for this one, so that you can get a sense of what such young Canadians were doing to help shorten the war. If it meant giving your life, then that was part of the deal.

Eric’s obituary: Eric George Smith S/L (Ret’d), loving husband of 65 years to Dinah Rosaleen (Cole), passed away peacefully March 30th, 2019 at the Ottawa General Hospital in his 99th year. He was a loving father to Erin Zintel (Smith) and a kind-hearted father-in-law to Bob Zintel. Eric was a proud and loving Grandpa to Sarah and Kristen Zintel. Eric will be remembered by his many nieces and nephews. Eric was a friend to so many who  remember his sense of humour, storytelling and how he always had time to have a conversation. Predeceased by his parents George and Mary Ann Smith; his brother Sidney (Thelma); sisters Inez McFadden (William), Muriel Greenidge (Herbert), and Mavis Rothwell (Norman). Born January 26th, 1921 in the town of Navan, Ontario, Eric was educated at Navan Continuation School, Vankleek Hill Collegiate and the Ottawa Normal School (Teachers College). Eric taught school in Carlsbad SS#12 when he was 19 years old. In 1940, Eric assisted the Police in apprehending John Miki who murdered police officer Harold Dent in Navan. On July 1st, 1941 Eric enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He reported to the Manning depot, Toronto on August 27th, 1941. He was then transferred to Trenton, Belleville, Portage La Prairie and Camp Borden where he received his flying wings. Eric was commissioned on July 17th, 1942. In April 1945, Eric received the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). His citation reads as follows: “This officer has completed a large number of operational sorties. He is pilot of exceptional ability who has never let either adverse weather or enemy opposition deter him from completing his allotted tasks. He has inflicted considerable damage on enemy lines of communication,  mechanical transportation and rolling stock. He has at all times exhibited great determination, initiative and daring and set an inspiring example by his fine fighting spirit and devotion to duty”

Eric while on secondment in Korea with the USAF in 1952. Then, a page from his log book in that period, when he was flying the F-86 Sabre, battling it out with Chinese air force MiG- 15s.

While he was Chief Flying Instructor with No.1 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit at RCAF Station Chatham, teaching young pilots to fly the F-86, F/L Smith and the OTU Commander, S/L Bill Smith, flew this suitably painted “The Smith Bros” Sabre. These two photos can be found in The Canadair Sabre.

In 1952, Eric began instructing on Sabre F-86 jets and was invited to participate in the Korean War as an exchange pilot with the U.S. Air force going up against Russian MiG’s. In 1952, the U.S. government decorated Eric with their U.S. Air Medal : “Squadron Leader Eric G. Smith distinguished himself by meritorious achievement while participating in aerial combat as a pilot of an F-86 aircraft, 4th Fighter interceptor Wing, Fifth Air Force, flying missions against enemies of the United States, from 10 September 1952 to 14December 1952. While flying combat air patrol and various other type missions deep into enemy territory, many times against a superior number of enemy aircraft, his dedication to duty and demonstrated skill were a magnificent contribution to the successful completion of the assigned mission. As a result of his fortitude and courage on these occasions he has brought great credit upon himself, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the United States Air Force.” Eric was the Commander of Sqn. No 413 from January 12th, 1959 to February 2nd, 1961. Over the course of Eric’s distinguished military career he was honoured and awarded the following medals: • Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) • 1939-45 Star • France and Germany Star • Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp • Volunteer Service 1939-45 • Korea Medal • Canadian Volunteer Service Medal for Korea • United Nations Korea Medal • CD Canadian Forces Decoration • United States Air Medal • Korean War Veterans Association Medal • Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal • French Legion of Honour at the French embassy in Ottawa. In March 1953, while stationed in Chatham New Brunswick, Eric met Dinah Rosaleen Cole. They were married in Toronto on May 16th, 1953. Eric retired from the RCAF in August 1968 and moved to a farm 7 miles south of Kemptville where he and Dinah took up farming. Eric sold real estate for Albert Gale Real Estate from 1971 until his retirement in 1991. In May 2001, Eric and Dinah moved back to his home town of Navan. Eric enjoyed both playing and watching hockey. Eric played hockey for the winning Navan team in the 1946 Bradley Cup in which he scored five goals. Eric’s other favourite sport was curling which he played up until 2015. Eric was a proud member of the RCAF, SPAADS, Branch 632 Canadian Legion, Orleans, 410(William Barker VC) Wing RCAFA, Knights of the Round Table, Masonic Lodge Maitland Chapter, Tunis Shriners, Legion of Honour and the Navan Curling Club. The family would like to thank the Ottawa General 5th floor nurses and doctors and Eric’s family doctor – Dr. Bujold. The family would also like to thank the care at home from SE Health/Access Care and Champlain LHIN. Family and friends are invited to visit at the St. Laurent Chapel of Hulse, Playfair & McGarry, 1200 Ogilvie Road (at Aviation Parkway), Ottawa, on Friday, April 5, 2019 from 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm. A Funeral Service will take place at St. Mary’s Anglican Church, 3480 Trim Road, Navan, on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at 11 am. As an expression of sympathy, donations to St. Mary’s Anglican Church would be greatly appreciated by the family: P.O. Box 71, 3480 Trim Road, Navan, Ontario K4B 1J3. Interac transfers can also be sent at St.Marys.Navan@outlook.com.

Eric and I while visiting the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa for D-Day celebrations on June 6, 2014.

 

On April 19 the Ottawa Citizen followed up this very nice tribute to Eric written by staffer Andrew Duffy:

Navan’s Eric Smith among only Canadians to fly combat missions in both WWII, Korea

Andrew Duffy

Updated: April 19, 2019

Photos of Eric Smith courtesy of his family. jpg

Even among fighter pilots, Eric Smith was a rare breed. The Navan, Ont. wing commander was one of the few Canadians to fly combat missions in the Second World War and Korean War — and receive decorations for both. “He was in an exclusive little club,” said Canadian aviation historian and author Larry Milberry.

Smith received a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for the valour he showed in flying more than 50 low-altitude night fighter missions over France, Belgium Holland and Germany during the Second World War. He received the U.S. Air Medal for “his fortitude and courage” in flying 50 combat missions in the Korean War while on secondment to the U.S. Air Force.

Smith died last month at The Ottawa Hospital from pneumonia. He was 98. “I liked everything about him,” said his widow, Dinah Smith, 87. “He could talk to anybody from the lowest rank to a general.”

Eric George Smith was born on Jan. 26, 1921 in Navan, Ont., about half an hour east of Ottawa. His father was a farmer and a veteran of the First World War. Eric often accompanied him as he delivered milk and cream by horse-drawn wagon to Ottawa. An accomplished student, Smith graduated from teacher’s college, Ottawa Normal School, and took a job at a small schoolhouse in Carlsbad Springs. The Second World War interrupted his fledgling career.

In July 1941, at the age of 20, Smith enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force, determined to be a pilot. At 5’6’’, he narrowly met the height requirement. “If he wasn’t going to be a pilot, he didn’t want to be anything else,” said his daughter, Erin Zintel. Smith had heard his father’s stories about the mud and misery of trench warfare, she said, and he wanted nothing to do with the regular army. He trained in Toronto, Trenton, Belleville and Portage La Prairie before earning his pilot’s wings at Camp Borden. After still more training, Smith became a pilot instructor at No. 2 Service Flying Training School at RCAF Station Uplands — one of 231 sites opened in Canada to train pilots, navigators, gunners and flight engineers for the war.

Smith spent more than a year instructing young pilots before preparing for his own combat duty: He was sent to England in early 1944 to learn the dangerous art of low-level flying. Posted to No. 107 Squadron RAF, Smith flew his first night sortie over occupied France on Aug. 26, 1944. It was his first experience with night fighting. Smith’s logbook — he flew 58 missions — shows that he attacked troop transports, rail yards, warehouses, ammunition dumps, boats, trains, even a V-1 flying bomb, often while under attack by German anti-aircraft units. “Every one of these trips was literally death-defying: low-level Mosquito missions at night looking for anything German that moved,” said Milberry. “A lot of Mosquitos didn’t come back because they flew into wires or trees or towers.”

On the evening of March 5, 1945, Smith was one of only two pilots to get into the air because of dense, low-lying fog. The other pilot died that night in a crash landing. In April 1945, Smith was awarded the DFC with a citation that read: “He has at all times exhibited great determination, initiative and daring, and set an inspiring example by his fine fighting spirit and devotion to duty.” After the war, Smith returned to Canada and enrolled in university. But after a year in school, he decided to return to the air and to the RCAF. In 1952, he accepted a secondment to the U.S. Air Force to fly in the Korean War. Smith flew an F-86 Sabre jet on 50 combat missions, which took him deep into enemy territory and pitted him against Russian-built MiG fighters. Then a squadron leader, he was one of 22 RCAF pilots to fly in Korea. It’s believed he was the last surviving member of that exclusive group. Smith once told an interviewer how the high-flying MiGs would attack from out of the sky. The MiGs could climb to 50,000 feet while the Sabres couldn’t get above 42,000. On one sortie, he said, a MiG dropped right onto his tail. “But he was a very poor shot I guess,” Smith said of his narrow escape.

After returning to Canada, Smith was stationed in Chatham, New Brunswick, where a late season blizzard changed his life. In March 1953, during the storm, he crashed his car into a snow bank on RCAF Station Chatham. Two women went to see if he was OK. Dinah Cole, on her way home from the midnight shift as a fighter control operator, was one of them. “He ploughed into a snowbank right in front of me,” she recalled. “I opened the car door, and I said to him, ‘Can I help you? Can I phone somebody to pull you out?’ “He took a look at me and said, ‘No, but you can keep me company until someone comes, though’ … That was smooth.” The two were married five weeks later. Cole, then 21, had to quit her job since Smith was her senior officer.

Smith went on to serve in the RAF Air Ministry in London and to command RCAF’s Squadron No. 413 at CFB Greenwood. He retired as a wing commander in August 1968 and bought a property in Kemptville so that he could return to farming. He also sold real estate. In May 2001, Smith and his wife moved back to Navan to be closer to their only daughter, Erin, and their grandchildren. Smith continued to curl — it was his favourite sport — and to collect stamps and coins well into his 90s. During his career, Smith flew more than 30 airplanes, including the CF-100 twinjet fighter. “He knew how to fly and he knew his airplanes inside out,” said Milberry. “Like any of the good ones, he could fly anything.”

 

 Fighter Pilots and Observers Updates

Since we launched Fighter Pilots and Observers last October, our readership has been pleased overall with the book. Of course, there are bound to be a few questions and  comments about factual details. WWI aerial warfare historian, Colin Owers, in Australia,  makes these points: For the photo of the L.V.G. on page 39, Colin points out that the airplane shown actually is a modified postwar example: “This is a civilian L.V.G. C.VI post-Armistice. Note the extra person in the elongated cockpit.” Next … for what I call a D.F.W. on p.64, Colin notes: “I am sure that the aircraft in the bottom photo is an L.V.G. C.V.” The same goes for p.106: “This is a D.F.W. C.V.” Thank you for this, Colin. If anyone can add further regarding updates/errata, please drop me a note — larry@canavbooks.com

Why Are People Arguing about Books These Days? It’s Getting a Bit Dumb, Really

There’s always some good chitchat around the circuit about books – those beloved emblems of wisdom, knowledge, art, sheer beauty and pure joy. Books have been with us for millennia. Anyone with half a brain knows that they never can be replaced, no matter how many dunderheads rant and rave against them, try to belittle publishers and authors, and boringly spew that old rot about “everything” being on the web. What a farse, eh, and talk about pitiful!

Here’s a good one from this week’s “Toronto Star” (March 27, 2019). Columnist Heather Mallick is on a bit of a book tear, pointing out how, try as she might, she can’t give her personal books away, not even to the local USED bookseller. She admits, “so I’m bagging them … and dumping them beside the blue bin”. Gads … what sort of books does she read or are they contaminated by the plague? Here at CANAV, used books are beloved, and sales have been a key part of the operation for decades. These sales help greatly in fundraising to finance the next CANAV project. Thank you, devoted readers, who can’t wait to see what’s lately been added to the CANAV used book list. Anyway, Mallick wonders if books have become “a social embarrassment to be disposed of by stealth in the dark of night”. There’s a buried suggestion here that no one with any sense would be caught with a book in the house. She mentions that, apparently, it’s now a big thing with real estate agents and house stagers to get every book out of sight when preparing a house for showing. Books just spoil everything, don’t they. Finally, Mallick drops books and wanders off to chatter about her minimalist lifestyle, the woes of Trump and China, and other far-out stuff.

There’s an revealing thing about this edition of the “Star”. After plodding through the Mallick column, I flipped a few pages only to find a “Wall Street Journal” story about Michelle Obama’s recent life’s story, Becoming, published by Penguin Random House. Sales have topped 10 million copies in 5 months – a world record for this genre through all the centuries of books. So … methinks the book is probably in OK shape for at least a little while longer. Ergo … will you strange people out there please stop bothering us about the book supposedly being “dead”, “useless”, “environmentally hazardous”, etc? I doubt that you could even get Homer Simpson to agree with your moronic campaigning.

Some More Kings of Canadian Aviation

Speaking of books … probably 98% of recorded Canadian aviation history is found on the printed page. So, if you don’t have a good library of Canadian aviation books, basically, you’re in the dark about the topic. CANAV has published almost 40 titles since 1981. On the whole, these all are about people first, i.e., the folks who designed, built, flew and maintained the  planes. I’ll never live long enough to write about all those who still have not yet been covered. I still have innumerable photos of these fine citizens and every once in a while, like to show you a few on the blog. That gets a little more of the story told. Here are some old photos that recently popped up. First, seen at a CANAV book launch in 1991 are two of the most important figures in Canadian aviation history. On the right is K.M. “Ken” Molson (1916-1996), the most influential man in all of Canadian aviation, when it comes to history.

Having moved to Toronto as a boy from the “Montreal Molsons” (following family tragedies in the 1930s) Ken went on to earn his aeronautical degree at the University of Toronto. His first job was working on the Lysander line at National Steel Car at Toronto’s old Malton airport. There he remained through the CF-100 and CF-105 eras, then went to Ottawa to establish Canada’s national aeronautical collection. As the collection’s first curator, Ken set the tone that you still get when touring it more than half a century later. It all starts with the magnificent collection that Ken passionately assembled of the classic planes that “made” modern Canadian aviation back in the day – the HS-2L, Bellanca, Fairchild, Junkers, then on to the Norseman, Stinson, Beaver, Lockheed 10, DC-3, etc. Ken also laid the foundation for such other museum themes as the great aircraft of WWI. His influence is astounding.

The museum as you see it today is a glorious tribute to Ken Molson, but you’d hardy know it – the man barely (maybe not at all?) is even mentioned in the place, considering that it ought to be named in his honour. Ken also wrote several of the seminal histories of Canadian aviation, books that should be on your shelves. If you don’t have them yet, check under “K.M. Molson” at http://www.abebooks.com, where you can also order your personal copies. Ken became a true supporter of my own efforts. As the years passed, he was gradually keener to supply material I needed for various projects (it took a few years for anyone to be embraced by Ken). Here, Ken is chatting with another King of Canadian Aviation, Robert “Bob” Bradford, who succeeded Ken at the museum. A wartime RCAF pilot and to this day an active aviation artist in his 90s. Bob has an Order of Canada and is a member of Canada‘s Aviation Hall of Fame. There’s finally a move afoot to get Ken inducted in the Hall. Strange that he’s not yet a member, right. The funny thing is that he only recently was nominated and you can get in until someone starts the ball rolling.

Here’s another old snapshot that grabbed my eye lately while flipping through some files. This one dates to our 1990 book launch for The Royal Canadian Air Force at War 1939-1945. On the right is William Harold David “Wild Bill” Meaden, DFC, whose story as a Bomber Command pilot is told in the book. On the left is the great aviation artist, Ron Lowry, who painted the front cover art of this best-selling title. Centre is Robert Finlayson, who painted the back cover art (which depicts a scene from Bill’s tour – the night his crew shot down a Ju.88). All three of these fine citizens have left us. Such old pictures are intrinsically important, but sure can be melancholic at the same time.

Last Saturday (March 23) we attended Carl Mills’ funeral. Carl saved so much of our history from the trash heap, as with his magnificent history of the Banshee jet fighter in the RCN. He also did a massive amount of original work unearthing all the details about Canada’s airmen who fought in Korea. In recent years he had been working diligently on the history of 400 Squadron. Included in that task, he built several important scale dioramas (masterpieces of art) and commissioned several wonderful paintings by some of Canada’s top aviation artists. Just a few days earlier, I learned that the great Peter Mossman, the artist who painted the cover art for our first three books, also had died.

CAHS Nostalgia

The Canadian Aviation Historical Society was founded in 1963 to preserve Canada’s aviation heritage. I attended the second ever CAHS meeting and have membership No.11. The society thrived through the decades with chapters across Canada, a magnificent quarterly journal, newsletters and annual conventions. Sad to say, but the CAHS has been up against a lot in recent years. Like many such organizations, it’s hard hit by the aging (and passing) of members, and the difficulty of pulling in new members. Not helping matters, the society was riven by unnecessary internal strife in more recent times. How dumb was that, just when CAHS people should have been extra supportive and out there beating the bushes for members, etc., instead of fomenting civil war in its own ranks. But such things happen when folks lose sight of the big picture and start beating their own irrelevant little drums.

Here’s a historic photo going back to early CAHS days (1960s) in Toronto. In front in this group of CAHS pioneers are Art Marcopoulis, John Ham, Roger Juniper, Charlie Catalano, Bruce Gowans and Doug MacRitchie. Behind are (standing) Ernie Harrison, M.L. “Mac” McIntyre, Jeff Burch, George Morley, Al Martin, Frank Ellis, Elsie Ellis, Terry Waddington, Clint Toms, Bill Wheeler, Don Long (in front Bill) and Boris Zissoff. Each of these brought a unique aviation background to the society, and each worked diligently to build the society into a world-class organization. To my knowledge only Bruce, Ernie and Bill are still with us in 2019.

Love the Beech 18? Then This Is for You!

If you scroll back a few pages you’ll see our blog item “The Enduring (Indestructible?) Beech 18”. Well, as any true fan knows, we can never get enough Beech 18 coverage, so this week I’ve put together a series of superb photos taken mainly in the 1970s by the great Toronto-based photographer, Joan Turner. Almost annually, Joan and her brother, Bill, would make a driving tour across Northern Ontario to cover the bush flying scene. Invariably, they would find a good number of Beech 18s. Of course, they could be sure of finding the usual old standards, as they clocked up the miles from Sudbury westward – to Chapleau, Sault Ste. Marie, Wawa, around Lake Superior to the Lakehead, then westward to such haunts as Ignace, Fort Frances, Nestor Falls, Sioux Lookout and Red Lake. The whole experience must have been 100% fun. Take a look at these wonderful stock Joan Turner photos.

Some 50 years later, several of the fine old Beechcrafts that Joan covered are still at work, still turning heads with their classic great looks … and still making money, right. As to the captions, you might wonder from where so much Beech 18 trivia possibly could originate. There are many important sources, as any aviation bibliophile will know – just look in the books. Yes … in those actual amazing things made out of paper, ink and glue. Try on Air Transport in Canada, for example, where you will find 100s of references to Canada’s Beech 18s (ATC presently is on sale at CANAV Books at $60 off, check right here: 2 Blog CANAV Booklist Spring_Summer 2019 Then (as mentioned in our earlier Beech 18 item) there’s the world’s top Beech 18 book, Beech 18: A Civil and Military History by Robert Parmerter. By far the single most important website is that of Australian historian, Geoff Goodall. For this goldmine, google “Beech 18 Production List”. There are so many other sources for the keen reader and fan (weenies need not apply, of course). So … strap in good and tight, here comes “The Joan Turner Beech 18 Gallery”. To see a photo full screen, just click on it.

One of Canada’s Beech 18s that served longest with the same owner was CF-HHI, which had served originally with Florida Airways in 1946. Having joined International Nickel/Canadian Nickel Air Services of Sudbury in 1953, “HHI” served the company in the exploration and executive roles into 1974. The great George Cramer, who had flown Sunderlands through WWII, was chief pilot for most of this Beech’s career. Today, “HHI” is C-GZCE. Painted in RCAF wartime colours, it flies airshows and hops passengers with the Canadian Warplane Heritage of Hamilton. Joan photographed “HHI” at Ramsay Lake, Sudbury on August 8, 1970.

Visiting Sudbury on August 5, 1972, Joan photographed this lovely privately-owned Beech “Super 18”, CF-ZYT. Built in 1960, it initially had been N9941R with Wiles-Holloway Inc. of Baton Rouge. It next served a Houston drilling company, then was sold to Don Plaunt of Sudbury, whose business interests ranged from forestry to radio/TV to a mysterious fleet of DC-6s in California. In 1977 “ZYT” was sold in Alaska, becoming N741GB. Soon after, however, it suffered a forced landing and never flew again.

On September 16, 1977 Joan found George Theriault’s lovely Beech 18 CF-KAK looking photogenic at the dock at George’s tourist base near Foleyet, northeast of Chapleau along Hwy 101. “KAK” is a really historic Beech, having begun in 1944 as RCAF 1418. After serving several other carriers over the decades, in 2019 “KAK” was with Pacific Seaplanes of Nanaimo, BC. In 1994 George Theriault published his personal story all about life and flying in the Canadian Shield. I recommend that you track down a copy — Trespassing in God’s Country: Sixty Years of Flying in Northern Canada. It’s a beauty.

Much earlier (September 12, 1971) Joan had spotted “KAK” at Toronto YYZ soon after George Theriault acquired it from Keir Air Transport of Edmonton. “KAK” was always noted for its pointed nose — different for the average Beech 18. Retired bush pilot Joe Sinkowski of Red Lake points out that Green Airways’ Beech CF-GNR also had this off-beat mod.

CF-PSU coasts in to the Air-Dale dock at Sault Ste. Marie on September 2, 1972. “PSU” had begun with the USAAF in 1944. Once surplus, it was purchased in 1956 by the Aircraft Instrument Co. for $6125 and became N8011H. Having served various US owners, it came to Air- Dale in 1963. Serving there reliably until 1979, it migrated to Alaska as N1047B. After many adventures, it ended in Anchorage at the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum. The museum website notes: “The Beechcraft Model or Twin Beech, as it was better known, first flew on January 15, 1937. It was configured to carry between 6 and 11 passengers. The aircraft was in production for 32 years, with over 9,000 aircraft being built. N1047B arrived in Juneau, Alaska in 1979. After some modifications it was sold to Alaska Coastal Airlines Corporation of Juneau in 1982. On Sept 30, 1987 N1047B was sold to the Alaska Aviation Museum and flown to its current home at the museum. The aircraft … is installed on Edo floats and represents the configuration the aircraft was in while assigned to the 10th Search and Rescue Squadron at Elmendorf AFB during the 1940s.”

That same day at Air-Dale (always a key stop for any spotter touring Northern Ontario), Joan photographed CF-AIR-X. “AIR” had begun in 1952 as RCAF Expeditor 1506, and first appeared on the Canadian Civil Aircraft Register in 1967. By this time it had been consigned to the weeds at Air-Dale. Why it carried an “X” registration isn’t know. However, take a look at the airframe. It looks as if it might comprise two different Beech 18s. Something like that could have required an “X”. The rudder paint job suggests a former Royal Canadian Navy Expeditor. There always are these mysteries for the spotters to research.

 

Westward we go … another Beech 18 in Joan’s files is CF-YQB. She took this shot on September 27, 1976 at Thunder Bay/Lakehead Airport. “YQB” had been RCAF 1553 from 1952 to 1968, when it was declared surplus. In 1970, O.J. Weiben (Severn Enterprises, Superior Airways, etc.) of Thunder Bay acquired it from Crown Assets Disposal Corp. — the government agency in charge of selling off surplus Canadian military equipment. In this period Beech 18s were selling for as little as $2000. “OJ” operated “YQB” in the bush until selling it in Florida in 1987. There it briefly was N9062Z, then returned to Canada a year later, picking up its former ID. Based at Inuvik near the Arctic coast, it operated under various banners, finally being with Arctic Wings and Rotors. In July 1994 it was reported destroyed by fire.

Formerly RCAF 2379, CF-ZQH was another of the many Expeditors acquired cheaply by O.J. Wieben. This Expeditor must have been extra nice, for “OJ” used it as his personal plane from 1971. “ZQH” crashed on October 4, 1981. Retired bush pilot, Joe Sinkowski, recalls: “It was Orville’s personal airplane for getting around from Thunder Bay to places like Pickle or Wiebenville. There were very few whom he trusted to fly it, mainly some of his DC-3 captains. ‘ZQH’ was operated only on wheels. It was sold with the company after Orville passed away. I can’t recall the exact details, but someone put it into the bush somewhere north of Armstrong, when flying from Fort Hope to Thunder Bay.” Joan photographed “ZQH” at Thunder Bay on September 27, 1976.

Beech 19 CF-RVR of Slate Fall Airways at Sioux Lookout on September 19, 1977. “RVR” began in 1944 as a USAAF UC- 45B, then was delivered under Lend-Lease straight to the Royal Air Force. Next, as fast as the paperwork could be stamped, it was transferred to the RCAF as Expeditor 1402. It served into 1964, then was struck off charge. It was purchased in 1965 via CADC by Manitoba’s Ilford Airways. It next served Slate Falls (1970-84), then other outfits until joining Air Rainbow of Nanaimo, BC in 1991. While taking off from Nanaimo on January 27, 1992, it crashed disastrously, killing seven of the nine people aboard.

Airplane boneyards are always fascinating places to visit for spotters, photographers, artists and other aviation fans. On September 19, 1977 Joan Turner dropped by this old bushplane “cemetery” in Sioux Lookout. Included in the general mayhem was a Cessna, a very tired old Norseman, and Slate Falls Airways Beech CF-DLN (ex-RCAF 2334 1952-70).

Joan photographed Green Airways’ famous Beech 18 CF-GNR in its yellow-and-green paint job at Red Lake on September 20, 1977. Formerly RCAF 2318 (1952-65), “GNR” later served Larry Langford’s Vancouver Island Air. In August 2013 it was noted as having logged 18,173 flying hours. In 2014 it was sold. At that time, Larry told me, “Our last Beech C-FGNR went to a collector in Belgium of all places. She flew 50 hours on that trip without a problem. Longest leg was over 8 hours Iceland to Scotland. Owner, Taigh Ramey, and a Canadian pilot, Brad Blois, did the trip. Still the nicest aircraft on floats I have flown.” With this odyssey “GNR” became the only Beech 18 to have flown the North Atlantic on floats. Its registration today is N1XW.

CF-XUO of Ontario Central Airlines at Red Lake also on September 20, 1977. Ex-RCAF 2329, it served OCA 1974-84, then wandered all over the place from Nunasi-Central Airlines to Green Airways, Pickle Lake Air Service, Kelner Airways, Beaver Air, Ignace Airways and (today) Showalters Fly-In of Ear Falls not far south of Red Lake.

Yet another clapped out ex-RCAF Expeditor (or, “Exploder”, as some called it back in RCAF days), CF-ZNQ had been RCAF 2339. It briefly was listed to Pembina Air Services of Morden, Manitoba in 1972, then joined Harvey Friesen’s Bearskin Airlines in 1974. Joan saw it at Red Lake/Cochenour airport on September 20, 1977. Doesn’t look as if Bearskin ever flew it, but probably just used it for spare parts.

CF-PVC was another well-known northern Beech 18. As RCAF 1546 (then 5186) it was one of the last RCAF Expeditors in service. From Crown Assets Corp. storage in Saskatoon, in 1971 it was sold to Northern Stores, mainly to serve the 219 nm route between Red Lake and Big Trout Lake, hauling groceries and supplies. Here it is derelict at Red Lake on September 20, 1977. It’s a fair guess that it finally went for pots and pans.

Lake-of-the-Woods country. One of Rusty Myers always-handsome Beech 18s: C-FERM at Fort Frances on September 25, 1976. “ERM” had been RCAF 1487 from 1951 to 1967. Rusty Myers picked it up in ’67, then operated it into the 2000s. It was only the advent of the Cessna Caravan that spelled the end of the classic Beech 18 at Fort Frances. To this day “ERM” sits derelict at Fort Frances alongside “BGO”, “RVL” and “ZRI”.

Ex-RCAF 2336 CF-BGO at Fort Frances on September 23, 1977. It served Rusty Myers from 1970 until a disastrous accident on July 6, 1996. I don’t know the details other that that “BGO” apparently crashed in the bush. Happily, all 5 aboard survived.

An unknown ex-RCAF Expeditor at Fort Frances on September 23, 1977. At this late date, this could only have been a Rusty Myers “hangar queen” used for the occasional spare part. Joan walked around it looking for any sign of former ID, but found nothing. When tallying all the superannuated RCAF Expeditors in Canada, it’s clear just how resourceful/prudent Canada’s (usually tight-fisted) northern air carriers were when it came to an opportunity such a military surplus Beech 18s. Everyone knew how tough and reliable the Expeditor was, and how cheap it was to buy in via Crown Assets Disposal Corporation. Also, by 1968 people knew how a Beech could do just about any ordinary job on floats or skis, whether on the BC coast, in the mountains, across the prairies or anywhere northward all the way to the Beaufort Sea or Ungava. Just for fun, if you check the March 31, 1972 Canadian Civil Aircraft Register you’ll see the following Beech 18 versions listed: AT-11 – 3, C18S – 7, C-45 – 13, D18S – 40, E18s/G18S – 12, ex-RCAF 3N, 3NM and 3T trainers – 62. Total 137. These were based everywhere from Victoria to Prince George, Watson Lake, Calgary, Edmonton, Yellowknife, Hay River, Inuvik, Winnipeg, Morden, Pine Falls, God’s Lake Narrows, Flin Flon, Fort Frances, Red Lake, Sioux Lookout, Kenora, Big Trout Lake, Pickle Lake, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Sudbury, Toronto, Ottawa, St. Félicien all the way east to Gaspé and Dartmouth. Truly, the Beech 18 deserves its place as one of Canada’s great general-purpose air transports and bushplanes.

CF-GXD in Rusty Myers’ “Back 40” at Fort Francis on September 23, 1977. I can’t find much about this Beech 18, other than that it had served Canada’s Department of Transport in the 1950s-60s (it’s still in the standard gray-with-white-and-yellow DoT colours). Its Rusty Myers stint was 1970-76.

C-FTBX was flying for Canadian Voyageur Airlines when Joan spotted it at the dock at Fort Frances on September 26, 1976. A 1952 Model D18S, it began as N481B with Ohio’s Aetna Freight Lines. Owned these days by veteran bush operator Neil Walston, “TBX” has been dormant in Nestor Falls in recent times, but can quickly go back to work any day some work materializes.

Joan photographed this attractive Beech at Fort Frances on September 23, 1977. “XIR” initially was a 1944 USAAF UC-45F, then had a civil aviation career in the US. As N963J, for example, it served Four Lakes Aviation in Wisconsin. It came to Canada for Rainy Lake Airways in 1968, serving there into 1984, but subsequently was scrapped. Some tales of “XIR” + such other Beech 18 horror stories (and much, much more of the Norseman, DC-3, 748, etc.) as the 1975 crash of OCA’s Beech “XVF” are extremely well told in Sam Cole’s wonderful book covering a bush pilot’s “life and hard times”, Switches, Instruments, Radios and Rudders. This is another “must read” for anyone with a love for northern aviation. I’ll mail you a copy for $48 all-in. Simply email this amount by PayPal to larry@canavbooks.com

A fine view of CF-SRE (ex-RCAF 1486) at Nestor Falls, Ontario on September 25, 1976. Since joining Silver Pine Air Services of Pine Falls, Manitoba in 1970, “SRE” has been hard at work. It’s presently dormant at Selkirk, Manitoba.

C-GEHX in the colours of Warren Plummer’s famous NWT sport fishing operation, Great Bear Lodge. “EHX” had been RCAF 1512 from 1952 to 1968. It later was listed to Minto Airways of Edmonton. I’m not certain about the lineage thereafter, but Minto seems to have owned the plane to about 1986, leasing it out to such operators as Silver Pine Air Services, Sabourin Lake Airways, North Caribou Flying Services and La Ronge Aviation Services. In this period it might have been on a sub-lease from Silver Pine to Plummer. Joan photographed “EHX” at Pine Falls, Manitoba on September 4, 1982. It’s presently based at Nestor Falls and expected to be at work this season.

The famous Arthur Fecteau operated various Beech 18s over the years from his base in Senneterre, Quebec. These would have been important connecting his mining industry clients (and others) with Quebec City, Montreal, Noranda-Rouyn, Timmins, etc. Here is his Beech 18 CF-JIR at Amos, Quebec on August 19, 1954. Too bad for us, but Joan didn’t often get into Quebec. Who was covering that vast domain aviation-wise? “JIR” was ex-RCAF/RCN 1449. Arthur operated it from 1974, then sold it to George Theriault. George quickly sold it to a US buyer, Jeno F. Paulucci, a famous Beech operator in Florida. After many years as freighter and tanker N792LP in Florida, it made its way to Minnesota in 2006. Alongside Beech 18 N33JP, it still spends its summers serving the tourist trade from its base near Duluth.

One of Canada’s great Beech operators was Carl Millard of Toronto. I saw the first of Carl’s “18s” on my earliest visits to Malton airport in 1955 and they still were there right into the 1990s. Joan photographed CF-WGP at Malton/Toronto/YYZ on September 12, 1971. “WGP” had started in 1946 as executive Beech NC44631 with Stanolind Oil & Gas in 1946. Carl acquired it in 1967, then operated it into 1992, when he sold it stateside. As N70WW it was seen derelict in Oregon in the early 2000s. For the story of Millardair you really need a copy of Millard and Me: A Young Man’s Journey from Turbulence to Triumph. Included in this ace of a book is a ton of hardcore and hugely entertaining Beech 18 history for the serious reader, along with much lore of Millardair’s DC-3 and DC-4s. If you’d like a copy, email $36.00 (all-in price) by PayPal to larry@canavbooks.com

Millardair’s CF-SIJ (ex-RCAF/RCN 2312) at Toronto YYZ on July 5, 1969. Check all the re-skinning recently done, plus the newly-installed cargo door (the RCAF did not have cargo doors on its Expeditors). Carl Millard also beefed up his Beech 18 wings with a wing spar mod developed by his old pal, Dave Saunders, one of Canada’s genius aeronautical engineers (father of the Saunders ST-27, etc.). “SIJ” later had a string of Quebec operators from Airgava of Schefferville to Transfair of Sept- Iles, Para-Vision of St-Jérome and finally (in the 2000s) Aero-Dynamic of Mascouche.

What in the world, eh! This super-modified Beech 18 had been RCAF 2301 in 1952-66, then became CF-URS with Joe Lucas’ Aircraft Industries of St. Jean, Quebec. This company had a dream of offering the old Expeditor –- so many of which were flooding the market –- in a revitalized form powered by Canada’s new PT6 turboprop engine. Although several US-made PT6 Beech 18 would follow, “URS” was the original. First flown with a pair of early PT6A-20s, “URS” was called the Jobmaster. Later, it was converted to Volmar tricycle undercarriage. Aircraft Industries, meanwhile, folded its tent after many years as a Canadian leader in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul. “URL” migrated to the USA in 1970, becoming N10VT. It went into the air cargo business and, oddly, reverted to its tail wheel configuration. The Hamilton Aircraft Co. extended nose was added in 1976. On June 19, 1978 N10VT (operating with Great Western Airlines) had an engine failure and crashed on nearing its destination of Windsor Locks, Connecticut from Albany, NY. The crew survived. The turbo-Beech 18 really was not a huge success. The mod cost a pile of money and the PT6 burned a lot more fuel than a Beech 18 with standard R985 engines. In this Joan Turner photo “URS” is at Hamilton, Ontario on September 7, 1968.

Beech 18 N3199 owned by K&S Aircraft of Fort Lauderdale at Cape May, New Jersey on August 23, 1971. N3199 had begun as a wartime USAAF AT-7. The USAF had it remanufactured in 1952, then it became N3198G in 1959 with the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics. It may have been converted to a tri-gear Beech in that period. In 1972 it became N106A and disappeared from the US Civil Aircraft Register in 1988. There were not that many tri-gear Beech 18s by comparison with the standard tail draggers. Another visible mod with N3199 is the 3-bladed props.

Joan Turner always was happy to photograph anything with wings. This set her apart from (and above) those photographers who would boast “I only shoot Canadian civil” … or US military, or F-16s, or B-52s, or airliners. You get the idea. These latter would never know the enjoyment that Joan got in shooting homebuilts, Aeroncas, Bellancas, Cessna, Pipers, and – if the chance arose – a B-52. So the sight of a US civil Beech 18 was a pure opportunity. While Joan was revelling in Hamilton, Ohio at the Waco convention on June 29, 1980, she happily shot off a few frames on this E18S Super 18. N87HA had begun in 1956 as N3787B with Southern Airways. It joined Hogan Air in 1980, hence the new registration with an “HA”. In 2019 this historic Beech is N8711H in Puerto Rico with Seven Stars Air Cargo. As I was writing this on March 27, FlightAware noted that N8711H that day made a return flight from San Juan to Beef Island, logging 1 hour 16 minutes.

Another remanufactured wartime Beech, this example served the US military again from 1953. In 1960 it became N3734G then quickly came to Canada and was converted for aerial surveying by Spartan Air Services. I first photographed “MJY” at Kenora on September 6, 1961. Joan’s shot dates to Ottawa International Airport on September 9, 1973. Looks like a derelict Queen Air just beyond. You can see “MJY” today on display at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage in Sault Ste. Marie.

Through the 1970s-80s ex-RCAF Expeditors could be spotted from coast to coast. Some went on to useful careers in civil aviation, but many eventually were parted out and scrapped. While visiting Rockcliffe airport in Ottawa on June 4, 1972, Joan spotted CF- ZYH and ‘YI. Here is “ZHY” still bearing RCAF serial 2302. Note the lovely Citroen Ds19 in the background. “ZYH” seems to have done no further flying, but “ZYI” was sold into the US in 1994, becoming N20R. It’s listed as struck off the USCAR in Mission, Texas in 1991.

Former DoT Beech 18 CF-DTN was in Joe Kohut’s Capital Air Surveys markings when Joan saw it at Carp on August 22, 1970. Earlier, “DTN” had been RCAF 1500 (1951-1959). Following a contract somewhere in Africa, it ended in Scotland and today is G-BKRN over there, painted in US Navy colours (google Beech D-18S G-BKRN Naval Encounter).

Another important Beech 18 operator in Canada was Bradley Air Services of Carp, Ontario – an airport a bit west of Ottawa. Bradley pioneered in the Arctic starting in the 1950s, then built up its fleet to include the DC-3, Twin Otter and HS748 (see Air Transport in Canada). Bradley eventually evolved into today’s First Air of Ottawa. Joan Turner saw CF-TAE at Carp on October 9, 1972. A G18S “Super 18”, “TAE” had come to Canada in 1960 for Transair of Winnipeg. It later served Bradley 1970-85, so would have had enough adventures to fill a book. In 1985 it joined Toronto-based Air 500, a small company set up by former Millardair pilot Dennis Chadala (author of Millardair and Me). Having been parted out due to wear and tear, “TAE” was struck from the CCAR in 1989.

Being expert in the air photo business, Bradley made good use of the AT-11, the WWII US military bombardier/gunnery/navigation training version of the Beech 18/C-45. It acquired CF-KJI in 1957 and seems to have operated it for about a decade. Joan photographed it derelict at Carp on October 9, 1972.

Even in the 2000s the bones of a Beech 18 sometimes still can be found moldering away. Joan photographed these ruins at Carp on August 22, 1970. You can see how the good old phrase “in the weeds” applies in this case.

The founder of Bradley Air Services, Russ Bradley, had a partner, Weldy Phipps. Weldy eventually left to compete in the Arctic with Bradley as Atlas Aviation. Not surprisingly, he made good use of the Beech 18. Joan spotted Weldy’s Beech CF-AMY at Ottawa Uplands on August 21, 1970. “AMY” had begun in 1946 as NC44639 with the State of Illinois – it was the governor’s VIP plane. It came to Canada in 1958 for Automotive Products of Rimouski, then joined Atlas at its Resolute Bay base in 1966, from where it operated to about 1974. Last heard of in the 2000s it was stored somewhere around Winnipeg. Norm Avery wrote the Weldy Phipps biography – Whiskey Whiskey Papa. Used copies of this excellent book can be found at http://www.abebooks.com

Arizona Boneyard

Recently, the intrepid Pierre Gillard of Longueuil was wandering around in the great southwestern desert enjoying the natural environment and great food & hospitality to the fullest. But he also was covering (in his usual scrupulous detail) the local aviation scene. Here is just a small sample of what Pierre found to photograph this time. It’s a formerly busy water bomber base, but now more of a boneyard – Gila River airport in Arizona. You’ll be amazed at what old airplanes still can be found, so google here to see it all: http://www.pierregillard.com/blog/index.html

Civilian Canadair Sabres

Not long after the RCAF declared its classic Canadair F-86 Sabres surplus in 1968, a large flock of them was bought up by civil operators. Most migrated to California, where they became target drones, chiefly for Flight Systems based at Mojave. Many of these eventually were shot down during “SAM” (surface-to-air-missile) development trials. Others ended with museums and warbird collectors, and even found work as chase planes. Boeing operated both the Canadair Sabre and Canadair T-33 as chase and photo planes during many airliner development programs from the 747 onward. Lockheed used an ex-RCAF Sabre chase plane during the L1011 program. Show here from the CANAV Books Collection is Boeing Sabre Mk.6 N8686F (ex-RCAF 23363) accompanying 747 prototype N7470. If this was on the first flight, the date was February 9, 1969. The 747 is hanging its gear, so the Sabre is using loads of flap plus speed brakes for low-speed control. Both these super-historic airplanes now reside with the Museum of Flight in Seattle. In the second photo, L1011 N31001 is accompanied by Sabre Mk.5 N8544 (ex-RCAF 23241). This was the second L1011 to fly (first flight February 15, 1971). It later served Eastern Airlines, then a list of other global air carriers. It was scrapped in Miami around Y2K. While on some sort of a mission from Mojave on March 23, 1986, N8544 was damaged and subsequently scrapped. Several ex-RCAF Sabres still fly as warbirds in the US. If you’d like an autographed copy of CANAV’s best-selling book, The Canadair Sabre, order using PayPal via larry@canavbooks.com The all-in price with this offer is $46.00. The Canadair Sabre often has been described (all things considered) as the best of the world’s many F-86 Sabre books. I still like what France’s prestigious “Air Fan” journal said about our book when it first appeared. To “Air Fan” The Canadair Sabre was “The aviation literary event of the year”. If you still don’t have a copy, you’ll thank yourself for ordering one today at the price of a few beers.

Some rusty remains of CF-AIR-X still could be found at Air-Dale in 2009. (Ian Macdonald)

Some Beech 18 fans speak up … Readers have been enjoying our blog of late, and quite a few have commented. Here’s some Beech 18 input. Ian Macdonald adds a bit for CF-AIR-X, noting that some parts (a wing section included) still were sitting in the weeds at Air-Dale in 2009. If memory serves Ian correctly, the “X” in the registration possibly had to do with float or ski trials. John Gilbert writes, “Great pics of the Beech 18s, Larry. I see DTN is among them. When I worked at the Aircraft Radio Workshops (Ottawa 1959-61, Toronto 1962-66) we had several Beech 18s used for flight checking. Thanks for the memories (and for all the good books).” Clarke la Prairie adds, “Thanks Larry. That’s a fascinating read on your blog. I followed the link to order the book Whiskey Whiskey Papa. Looking forward to this read about Weldy Phipps.”

Blain Fowler was reminded of his own Beech 18 love affair: “My first airplane ride was as an Air Cadet in 1958. We flew in an Expeditor at CFB Penhold.  Quite a thrill.  I was hooked.  I remember looking down at swathed grain fields and thinking they looked like giant finger prints. About thirty-five years ago, I bought ex RCAF Expeditor 3NM, 2344, out of a farmers field north of Edmonton. It looked similar to 2302/ZHY in your photo collection. It had been given to a composite high school by the air force and was subsequently acquired by the farmer. He had taken very good care of it, although it had not flown or been on the civil register since SOS. Both engines had been run frequently and were in beautiful shape, as was the whole machine. Everything worked, not even a burned out light bulb! Since this was just before I bought the Corsair, I never got around to getting it flying and finally sold it to another Warbird fellow. Had a bit of fun with it while I had it, loading it up with “the boys” occasionally, everyone with a headset, and taxyed it up and down the runway.  Round engine fans are a bit crazy! Loved your blog.”

Paul Manson, who once commanded Canada’s air force, writes to us: “I really enjoyed your latest blog. As always, so much good reading, and superb photos, especially the material on the old Beech 18/C-45/Expeditor. Back in 1962/3, when I was a student on the Specialist Navigator course in Winnipeg (as a token pilot), I did much of my practice flying on the Expeditor as co-pilot. Just checked my log book to see that I had time in the following C-45s: 2334, 1567, 1598, 1461, 2351, 1489 and 1502. Great experience for a jet fighter pilot!”

Wayne MacLellan reports: “Thanks Larry … that brings back memories. We had three Expeditors at Portage-la-Prairie, when I was a T-33 instructor there. As I remember, they were used for senior officer flying proficiency (with a qualified pilot), x-country training (picking up lobster on the east coast, transporting curling teams, etc). When I got my pink slip from Mr. Hellyer I manged to get a Beech rating towards my civilian commercial ticket. When I got to Qantas and they spent three months teaching me how to build and fly a DC-3, my 200 hours of Beech experience came in handy.”

Bob McCaw, one of the many solid Austin Airways people from post-WWII years, mentions two things regarding the blog. First … that Austin didn’t operate the Beech 18. Second … that around the time Stan Deluce’s White River Air Service bought out Austin, White River was operating Beech E18S CF-ANA on a passenger sked between Timmins and Kapuskasing (it’s a hop, skip and a jump between these two centres). Before long, White River became the main contractor in the Ontario Government’s NorOntair, and the Twin Otter took over on all such routes. “ANA” served White River 1970-74, then flew with various operators from Laurentian Air Services of Ottawa to Skycraft of Oshawa. In 1993 it became N5847 with “One Way Ride” in Pennsylvania (let’s go flying with them eh!). Today it’s privately owned in Vacaville, California as N5867. Here’s a photo of “ANA” that I took Toronto YYZ on May 15, 1971. While in Air Niagara colours, it apparently was owned by the Port Colborne Flying Club, which in turn had it on lease to White River. It’s not always easy to figure out such a plane’s historic details. For example, in the Canadian Civil Aircraft Register 1970-74 “ANA” is listed as owned by White River.