Convention Report:
CAHS 2026 at Kelowna B.C. 

Story and photos by John Chalmers
July 2026
I can’t imagine a more perfect venue for our 2026 Canadian Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) Convention than the KF Centre for Excellence in Kelowna, British Columbia. Located with a view of the Kelowna airport where we saw aircraft taking off and landing, the Centre is a magnificent structure in a unique and inspirational design. It is constructed in the shape of an aircraft, and its splendid wooden construction serves as a showcase for the BC lumber industry!

The two wings of the Centre and its “fuselage” on the first floor comprise an aviation museum housing a dozen restored vintage aircraft. A large meeting area on the second floor was the space used for our convention sessions.
Beech Staggerwing displayed in front of the KF Centre for Excellence.
Jim Bell
Once again, our National Secretary and President of the CAHS Manitoba Chapter, Jim Bell, has done an outstanding job of preparing a top-notch program of presenters on a wide range of topics about Canadian aviation history. This year, the convention program included collaboration with Australian-based Aviation Cultures in recruiting speakers for the event.

Starting with a Meet and Greet social event on the evening of Wednesday, 17 June, all sessions (except for the banquet on Friday 19 June) were held at the KF Centre for Excellence. We had the second floor of the centre for ourselves for presentations. Tours given by KF staff, and volunteers introduced conventioneers to the KF hangar facilities at the airport and introduced them to the aircraft in the museum areas of the Centre.
Activity for the convention began with an aviation video quiz at the Meet and Greet social evening. After scanning a QR code on the big video screen, quiz participants in teams competed by answering questions that appeared on their phones. Overall, the evening was a fine start to renewing friendships with fellow CAHS members from coast to coast. Throughout the three days of the convention, CAHS Manitoba member Raquel Lincoln kept us all fed and watered, serving as caterer for refreshment breaks and lunches, each day putting out a fine choice of food and beverages.
CAHS Trivia Contest 2026
Richard de Boer
Presentations began on the morning of Thursday, 18 June, with CAHS Calgary Chapter President Richard de Boer presenting a very engaging account of “Warbird Hunters” searching for airplane parts in the late 1980s and 1990s. Along with fellow hunter Johnathan Spinks, Richard scoured the southern prairie provinces for the remains of aircraft that had been left there after the Second World War, retrieving parts from farmers’ fields! He and Johnathan recovered half a dozen Bolingbrokes as well as truckloads of parts for Mustangs, Mosquitoes, Lysanders, P-39 Airacobras, and P-40 Warhawks.
Jaqueline Gibbons presentation on British scientist George Cayley.
The next presenter with an online presentation was Jaqueline Gibbons, professor emeritus of York University. Her topic was the influence of British scientist George Cayley, regarded as the father of aeronautics, who designed and flew a piloted glider in 1853.
The final speaker of the morning was Allan Snowie, who came from Bellingham, Washington. A former Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) pilot who flew from aircraft carrier His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Bonaventure, and finished his career as a captain with Air Canada. Allan spoke of 17 RCN pilots and the aircraft they flew, who all lost their lives during the Second World War, and whose graves are unknown, but are remembered on the cenotaph at Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Allan Snowie
Lunch break on Thursday provided a first opportunity to “Meet the Aircraft” in the collection, ranging from a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) de Havilland Chipmunk trainer to a supersonic CF-104 Starfighter. The big feature in the first lunch hour was a run of both Merlin engines on the museum’s flyable de Havilland DH-98 Mosquito. It was introduced by former RCAF member and piper, Andy Moore, now a KF volunteer.
RCAF member and piper, Andy Moore, introducing de Havilland DH-98 Mosquito.
Tim Cole
First speaker of the afternoon was Tim Cole, who has recounted some of his vast experience as a pilot in his book, Tight Floats and Tail Winds. Tim’s presentation was about Prospectors Airways, a pioneering venture formed in 1928 for mining exploration. Tim pointed out that the company was formed when there was a shift from travel by dog teams in winter and canoe portaging in summer to faster all-season travel by air.
Concluding event Day One was the first panel discussion presented by Aviation Cultures, on the topic of “Aviation Museums: Selecting What Stories to Tell.” Moderated by Edward Soye, speakers included: Erin Gregory and Valerie Wood of the Canada Aviation and Space Museum; John Weatherseed, founder of the Vintage Aviation Team in Caledon, Ontario; Jonathan Scotland, editor at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography and Historian for Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame. All members of the panel spoke of the challenges in deciding what stories to tell or display.
Left to right are moderator Edward Soye, Jonathan Scotland, John Weatherseed, Valerie Wood, and Erin Gregory.
First event of the day on Friday, 19 June, saw attendees divided into two groups for a walking tour that took participants from the Centre to the hangar line to see the facilities and projects underway at Kelowna Flightcraft. Among the aircraft seen at Kelowna Flightcraft hangars was a Hercules water bomber from Coulson Aviation in for servicing.
Coulson Aviation's Hercules water bomber at Kelowna Flightcraft for servicing.
Back at the KF Centre, Jim Bates of Tacoma, Washington, presented a comprehensive story about the Hawker Hurricane fighter and its association with the RCAF and production in Canada at the plants of Canadian Car and Foundry during the Second World War. Jim’s lifelong interest in the Hurricane and study of it began when at a young age he saw one fly in 1984 from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum at Mount Hope, Ontario.
Jim Bates
Jerry Vernon
First speaker in the afternoon of 18 June was CAHS Vancouver Chapter President Jerry Vernon, a former Squadron Leader with the RCAF and a long-time researcher and writer of Canadian aviation historical topics. Jerry presented an extensive account of the amphibious flying boat, the Grumman Goose, and its service with the RCAF, which purchased its first Goose in 1938 and flew that type until 1956.
Aviation enthusiast and widely published writer, Martin Keenan of the CAHS Toronto Chapter, spoke on “The de Havilland Comet: A Canadian Story.” By 1952, Comets were flying international flights with Canada Pacific Airlines (CP Air), as well as flying with British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), and Air France. In 1953, when the RCAF acquired its first Comet, it became the world’s first air force to fly jetliners and flew them until 1963. The RCAF was also the first to operate scheduled service of Comet to fly military personnel across the Atlantic Ocean.
Martin Keenan
Aviation Cultures President James Kightly
The day’s presentations concluded with the second panel presentation organized by Aviation Cultures, represented at the convention by President James Kightly, from Lancefield, Australia, who moderated the panel, and Phil Vabre, who had also come from Sydney, Australia, to participate in the convention. The topic for the second panel was “Aerodromes and Airlines” and examples of cultures associated with them.
Panel member Jane Ferguson, one of the founders of Aviation Cultures based in Sydney, spoke online of “Debating the Boundaries of the Human in Thai Aviation.” When an “angel child” doll became popularized as having a child’s spirit, the dolls were treated like children. Thai Smile Airlines required that if a seat on a flight had been purchased for them, they were to be treated like humans and served meals! Jane’s presentation explored the resulting problems raised for aviation. When a doll was found be used for smuggling drugs, the practice ended of treating dolls like real people!
Jane Ferguson & Nik Zimmerman
Panelist Captain Nik Zimmerman, a helicopter pilot of the RCAF and presently based in Gagetown, New Brunswick, spoke of RCAF Station Abbotsford of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) 1943-1945, which accommodated two flight training units. Nik spoke of the establishment and service of the Abbotsford base, and also how it became in effect an integral part of the Abbotsford civilian community, which funded and built a large recreational centre on the base.
Yasaman Lotfizadeh & Kimberly Fraser
Panel member, Yasaman Lotfizadeh, an Instructional Designer in the KF Aerospace Training Department and an Iranian Canadian, spoke of the historical and cultural connections in “Airline Branding: Iran Air’s Mythical Homa Bird & Air Canada’s Maple Leaf.” She drew comparisons and similarities in function and culture of the designs used by the airlines, as well as explaining criteria needed for effective use of logos in airline recognition.

The fourth speaker of the day’s concluding panel was Kimberly Fraser of Sherwood Park, Alberta. Kim’s topic was “100 Years of Flight at Canada’s Oldest Operating Airport.” The Cooking Lake airport near Edmonton has served since a Vickers Viking landed on the lake in 1926. Expanding over the years and with a landing strip as well as a seaplane base, the airport will mark its centennial in September with a special event and gala evening. Tied with the celebrations will be the launch of Kimberly’s book about the history of the airport, entitled Wind Beneath Their Wings.
Friday, 19 June events concluded with the usual banquet that is always held at CAHS conventions. A feature of the event is the presentation of awards. Clark Seaborn, of the CAHS Calgary chapter, received the C. Don Long Award from CAHS President Gary Williams for the best original article in the CAHS Journal. Dick Pickering of the CAHS Montreal Chapter and Ken Swartz of the CAHS Toronto Chapter were both recipients of the William J. Wheeler Volunteer Service Award.
Clark Seaborn (left) receiving C. Don Long Award from CAHS President Gary Williams.
Dr Robert Galway delivering CAHS William Wheeler Volunteer Award to Ken Swartz.
Banquet entertainment was in the form of a showing of a half-hour video about Odyssey 86, the round-the-world flight of a Douglas DC-3 in special livery to publicize the 1986 World’s Fair, held in Vancouver. Seen in the video was Barry Lapointe, founder of KF Aerospace and the man behind the building of the KF Aerospace. The DC-3 passed through various owners in the next 40 years until discovered in Florida by Barry, who brought it to Kelowna for restoration and new paint job like the original. In flying condition, that 90-year old aircraft is displayed at the Centre looking magnificent and ready to take to the air!
Douglas DC-3 used for 1986 World's Fair "Odyssey 86".
The Annual General Meeting on 20 June began with Gary Williams banging the gavel to start the meeting. The convention was attended by nearly 60 people in person with nearly 30 sitting in online. As always, a major feature and an important component of the meeting is the Treasurer’s report. It was presented online by Dr Rachel Lea Heide from her home near Ottawa. While the CAHS nationally is sound financially, topics that the Board is keeping close attention to include catching up on the CAHS Journal publication delays, operating costs and membership fees/renewals, and future endeavours for our Society.
Gary Williams
Dr Rachel Lea Heide
Picture
Rénard Fortier presenting “Game On! A Brief Look at Aviation-themed Board Games."
Following a morning break, an online presentation by Rénard Fortier was “Game On! A Brief Look at Aviation-themed Board Games.” Retired as Curator from the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in 2021, Rénard explained that the wide interest in aviation-related board games arose following early advancements in flight. Produced by several countries in several languages, games were popularized by events such as round-the-world flights and some even served propaganda purposes during the Second World War.
David Waechter
Delivered online was a presentation by David Waechter about the early history of “Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Toronto.” A graduate himself from the University of Toronto (U of T), and whose father was an aeronautical engineer who worked at Avro Aircraft, David spoke of the U of T’s advancements in aeronautical engineering where interest in the subject began in 1909 when a lecture was given by Casey Baldwin of the Aerial Experimental Association, the organization that put the Silver Dart in the air for Canada’s first powered flight in February of that year.
The final presentation of the morning was by Mark Peapell, a founding member of the Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum at Halifax, and president of the museum’s association. Called “The Malton Lankys,” Mark’s presentation shed a great deal of light on untold stories of wartime Lancaster bomber production at Victory Aircraft Limited at Malton, Ontario. The first Canadian Lancaster, the “Ruhr Express,” was rolled out on 6 August 1943. The presentation included photos of Lancaster production that have seldom been seen. Included were accounts of many key personnel who contributed to the production of 430 “Lancs” in Canada of a total 7,377 built. Of those only 17 survive, 10 of which were built in Canada.
Mark Peapell
LCol Bruce Sutherland (photo from Jerry Vernon)
Retired LCol Bruce Sutherland who flew as a pilot from HMCS Bonaventure in the 1960s, spoke about “Hunting Russian Submarines in the Cold War.” His presentation centred on a CP-140 Aurora crew flying over a Russian nuclear missile-carrying submarine in August 1985.
The third and final panel presentation organized by Aviation Cultures was moderated by Phil Vabre on the theme of “Cold War and Beyond.” Dr Richard Goette, an editor with Airforce magazine and professor at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, dealt with the role of the RCAF in the Congo in 1960 as part of a United Nations peacekeeping mission. 
Dr Richard Goette (photo from Dr Richard Goette)
James “Ted” Rolfe retired as a Captain with the RCAF after a long career as a helicopter pilot. His subject was as a Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter pilot’s perspective deployed with the United States Army’s Desert Shield and Desert Storm operations in 1990-91 as well as his connection to flying Chinooks in Afghanistan. Following retirement, Ted flew as an air ambulance pilot and volunteers at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada in Winnipeg.
Jeff Schultz (photo from Jerry Vernon)
The third panelist for the final session of the convention was Jeff Schultz on the topic of “Forgotten Valour: Canadian Pilots and Aircraft in Korea.” Jeff’s presentation dealt with the role of the RCAF pilots in the Korean War, 1950-53. The RCAF had 22 fighter pilots who flew over 1,000 missions with the United States Air Force, bringing down MiG aircraft and earning various medals and accolades.
Phil Vabre, Bruce Sutherland, and Ted Rolfe (photo from Jerry Vernon)
As with many other CAHS conventions, those of us in attendance benefited from the work of very well-qualified speakers who gave presentations with high-quality illustrations. I encourage fellow members to attend our 2027 convention, potentially in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Attendance in person has advantages of renewing friendships and making new contacts, and broadening your knowledge of Canadian aviation history. Online attendance can be done from home, anywhere in Canada!

With a total of 14 sessions in the program, plus a tour of KF facilities, an opportunity to see the vintage aircraft displayed at the centre, and a Friday evening banquet at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel, my descriptions have had to be necessarily brief. Nevertheless, I hope they give readers an idea of excellent work done by the CAHS and Aviation Cultures. As well, I hope that someday more of our members will have opportunity to visit the splendid KF Centre for Excellence in Kelowna. Thanks to everyone involved for the memorable experience!