Three distinguished individuals are to be inducted into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 2004.

John Lawson, Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Hall, announced that Thomas C. Cooke, Larry Milberry and Walter 'Babe' Woollett will be formally recognized as Members of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame, and that the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute (CASI) will receive the Belt of Orion Award for Excellence. The ceremony will take place at the Induction Dinner to be held at the Delta Hotel Meadowvale, Mississauga, on June 12, 2004.

THOMAS C. COOKE, D.F.C., A.F.C., of Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Cooke was born in 1919. During WW II, he was instructor with the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, flew Canso amphibians, and during one patrol sank a U-boat off the coast of Iceland. For this feat he received the D.F.C. In 1946 he began a 37-year career with the Ontario Provincial Air Service, rising to serve as Director of the OPAS for 11 years. During this time he was instrumental in developing equipment and procedures, including a float-mounted carrier for transporting canoes and bulky materials on float planes, and an effective method for pick-up of water by skimming the surface of a lake and precisely dropping it onto forest fires, helping to make Canada a leader in forest management and fire control. He is a founding member of The Ontario Bushplane Heritage and Forest Fire Educational Centre (The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre) in Sault Ste.Marie.

LARRY MILBERRY, BA, M.Ed., of Toronto, ON. Born in 1943, Milberry is one of Canada's foremost aviation historians and one of the most successful and influential publishers of Canadian aviation history. He has made a significant and prodigious contribution to the recording of Canada's aviation history, meticulously documenting, with photographs, the role that aviation has played in the development of our country. He wrote his first book, Aviation in Canada, in 1979, then established his own publishing company, CANAV Books, and has written and published many of his own books, such as The Canadair North Star, Air Transport in Canada, and Canada's Air Force (a four-volume set). Milberry has published works by other notable Canadian aviation historians, as well as several he has co-authored with other distinguished researchers. He was recognized by the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute by appointment as Honourary Fellow.

WALTER 'BABE' WOOLLETT, O.B.E. (1906 - 1998) A former RAF pilot, F/Lt. Woollett emigrated in 1929 to fly for Fairchild Aerial Surveys at Lac-a-la-Tortue, Quebec. He became a famous bush pilot while helping to open up the Chibougamou goldfields area, pioneering aerial survey mapping and 'drop mail' assignments, as well as carrying out many dangerous rescue flights. During WW II he helped develop the model for Air Observers Schools for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) and served as Supervisor of all AOS training schools operated by CP Air in eastern Canada. He received an O.B.E. for this distinguished service. Woollett was appointed supervisor of the eastern Canada division of CP Air after the war, and played a major role in CP Air's worldwide expansion, developing CP Air's first international route over the South Pacific as well as other international routes.

CANADIAN AERONAUTICS AND SPACE INSTITUTE (CASI)

CASI is selected to receive the Belt of Orion Award for Excellence to honour this organization's outstanding contributions to the advancement of aviation in Canada.

The Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute (CASI) originated in 1954 as a non-profit scientific and technical organization devoted to the advancement of the art, science, engineering, and applications of aeronautics and space in Canada. It provides a focus for communications and networking among the aeronautics and space community and fosters national pride and international esteem for Canada's accomplishments in these areas. The structure of the Institute allows members to be served through its branches in major cities across Canada. CASI honours outstanding achievement in Canadian aviation and aerospace each year by conferring a variety of awards and distinctions, such as the prestigious Trans-Canada (McKee) Trophy, the C.D. Howe Award, and the McCurdy Award. The Council further recognizes the contributions of exceptional individuals by the appointment of Honourary Fellows.

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Call for Nominations:

Each year, Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame calls for nominations for new members of The Hall, as well as nominations for organizations to receive the Belt of Orion Award for Excellence. The criteria states: "Membership in Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame shall be restricted to those persons (or organizations) whose aviation or aerospace contributions have been of major benefit to Canada." Any person may make a nomination. For forms, call The Hall at 780-361-1351, email at cahf@telusplanet.net or write to Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame, Box 6360, Wetaskiwin, Alberta T9A 2G1.

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