CAHS Convention 2025

Story and Photos by Jim Bell,
CAHS National Secretary,
posted July 2025
Our annual convention this past month was a great success. We returned to Ottawa as the host city for the first time since 2013, with the Sandman Signature Ottawa Airport Hotel as our main site. A few early arrivals started the convention with a trip across town for a three hour visit to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum (CASM).
Tour of Canadian Aviation and Space Museum.
Many more kicked off their convention with the Wednesday evening Meet and Greet reception, in a room that was a little bit smaller than needed. The tight space led to our group spilling out into the hallway and causing the postponement of the planned aviation trivia game.
Convention sessions started at 8:30 am Thursday morning, with Geoff Bird's discussion of how and why certain events and aircraft enter the national consciousness. Rebecca Murray described her research into how the photo records of the Second World War RCAF Women's Division portrays them in their many roles. Erin Gregory, curator of CASM, reviewed the social aspect of the SWINTER project, where women were employed in non-traditional air force trades. Just when it looked like a theme might develop, we switched to anti-submarine warfare for two presentations. Adam Coombs described the development of anti-submarine weapons and the countermeasures developed to defeat them.
Geoffrey Bird: From Air Machines to Wings of National Memory: Finding and Revealing the Allure of Canadian Civilian and Military Aviation Heritage
Rebecca Murray: Taking a Gander for Grandma: How the RCAF’s Women’s Division is Historicized in the Photographic Record of the Second World War
Erin Gregory: The New Few: The SWINTER Aircrew Trial, 1979-85
Adam Coombs: Fighting the Third Battle of the Atlantic from the Air: The Role of the RCAF in combating Soviet Submarines
After an excellent Greek lunch, Rick Stojak and Michael Whitby, recently retired from the Department of National Defence's Directorate of Heritage and History, took a different approach to anti-submarine warfare, in Rick's case a personal one. Presentations finished for the day with Dr Bob Galway, who described the history of Starratt Airways, for a brief period Canada's largest air service. After a short break, we held our annual general meeting, and concluded for the day at 5:30 pm. The evening was free, so that attendees could visit with family or friends, or do their own exploring.
Dr. Rick Stojak and Michael Whitby: Reflections on the RCN’s Fixed Wing, Carrier Borne ASW Force During the ‘Golden Age’ of Canadian Naval Aviation
Robert Galway: The Starratt Airway Story:  How Robert Starratt Grew Wings
The Leduc Bus Lines school bus departed the hotel at 9:15 am and took our attendees to the Transport Canada hangar at the Ottawa airport. We were met by pilots of No 412 Transport Squadron. After a slight delay getting into the secure area, we were split into three groups and taken to the tour areas: one of No 412 Squadron's CC-144 Challenger business jets, No 412's orderly room, with a large collection of photo albums for our perusal, and the recently retired de Havilland Dash 7 patrol aircraft, specially equipped with an observation cockpit on top of the fuselage and a variety of sensors, which were powered up for us. Each of these was a highlight, and especially so for former navy Tracker pilot Allan Snowie, who found a photo of himself and his new bride leaving the church, when he served with No 412 Squadron. Special thanks go to Capts Crouch, O'Rourke, and Robinson of No 412 Squadron, and a representative of Transport Canada for arranging and providing this excellent tour. It was also pointed out that retiring the Dash 7 at this particular point in world history might be short sighted, and perhaps members of Parliament should be aware of this.
Two of No 412 Squadron's CC-144 Challenger jets, which attendees were able to board and see the cockpit.
David Dunsmore is briefed on the capabilities of the now retired Transport Canada Dash 7 patrol aircraft.
Capts O'Rourke, Robinson, and Crouch with Alan Snowie with the squadron photo album, with a photo from Alan's wedding.
We took lunch at the National Research Council (NRC) hangar and received an excellent introduction to the role of the NRC's aviation group by Pete Earle and his colleague Rob, followed by a detailed tour of NRC's unusual collection of aircraft: a Falcon 20 business jet, a T-33 Silver Star, a Convair 580, a Harvard, a Cessna 337 Skymaster modified with an electric rear engine, a Twin Huey, and a JetRanger. Several of these aircraft are slated for retirement in the next two years, so it is probably the last chance for us to see them up close. We took a group photo in front of the Convair, then boarded the bus. We took a slight detour to make an bonus stop at the No 437 Squadron apron, to see one of the RCAF's latest aircraft, the CC-330 Husky transport. A converted civil Airbus A330, the airplane would dwarf everything we saw today, except that there was also a visiting Emirates Airlines Boeing 777 parked beside it.
Attendees gathered in front of the Convair for a photographic reminder of a memorable tour.
A view of some of the National Research Council's classic fleet, including the Convair 440 C-FNRC, de Havilland Canada Twin Otter C-FPOK, Canadian Car & Foundry Harvard C-FPTP, and Canadair Silver Star C-FSKH.
We continued to the brand-new Porter Airlines maintenance hangar, erected in 2024. Inside were a pair of Embraer 195 E2 airlines, both missing an engine. It's a testament to the problems airlines have been having with the new Pratt and Whitney PW1000G geared turbofan engines on these airplanes, as well as on the A320neo and the A220 (formerly the Bombardier C Series). Hundreds of airlines, including these two, have been grounded for extended periods as P&W devised and carried out repairs to correct design flaws. We returned to the hotel at 3:30 pm and had free time until the banquet. We greatly appreciate the access granted to us during these tours, which is almost impossible for non-employees to get, and much more detailed than most tours would want.
Porter Airlines Embraer 195s await replacement engines in the new Porter maintenance hangar.
The bar opened at 6 pm and saw a steady rush as attendees arrived. Dinner was served at 7 pm. After dinner we had a short presentation by Jeanine Yaworsky from the KF Centre for Excellence in Kelowna. The KF Centre for Excellence is the CAHS's newest museum member, and Jeanine is one of our newest members. We announced what must have been the worst kept secret, that the 2026 Convention will be held at the Centre for Excellence in Kelowna, 17 - 20 June. Mark your calendars now. We are very pleased to have Jeanine and the KF Centre for Excellence as partners for next year's convention. Afterwards, CAHS president Gary Williams presented the William J Wheeler Volunteer Service Award to Ottawa Chapter's and National Director Mat Joost. Mat has been a dedicated supporter of the CAHS for many years and has done a lot of work behind the scenes. He served in the air force and worked in the Directorate of Heritage and History. Mat has retired to South Korea, where he is busily working on starting a local chapter, though he still has nine members to go. Congratulations, Mat, the award is very well deserved. We had no other awards to present this year, so we held our trivia game - forty questions covering military, civil, industry, government, and CAHS history. Wes Krause' team was the winner, but he admitted that Mat answered most of the questions.
CAHS Pres Gary Williams presents William J Wheeler Volunteer Service Award to Ottawa Chapter's and national director Mat Joost.
Saturday morning started off with a presentation by Captain Ed Soye and from Australia, James Kightly. James runs an organisation called Aviation Cultures, which is a worldwide aviation history group. Aviation Cultures will be our partner for the 2026 Convention, and we hope to draw online attendees from around the world. David Langlois followed with a presentation about Canadian production of the de Havilland Mosquito, with some interesting information about the construction methods of this outstanding aircraft. Ottawa Chapter president Kyle Huth presented the history of aviation in the Ottawa area, from the first balloon flight in 1858, up to present day. Brian Cotter presented some video clips and had a conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Jack Waters, retired, the 1967 Red Knight. Jack's sense of humour was a highlight. 
James Kightly (Recorded Video) & Edward Soye (In person): Introducing Aviation Cultures – Bringing People Together, Across the Commonwealth & Around the World 
David Langlois: The Mosquito - Canada's Balsa Aeroplane
Kyle Huth: Ottawa’s Flying Heritage
Brian Cotter, CAHS Toronto & RCAF Associate Historian: A Live, Hosted Conversation with LCol ret'd J. E. "Jack" Waters, Canada's 1967 Centennial RED KNIGHT
After lunch, Allan Snowie told the stories of two naval aviation casualties of the First and Second World Wars, Major Clarence MacLaurin and Lieutenant "Hammy" Gray, VC, and in the next session, Robert Forbes told the story of a famous Canadian fighter leader, Lloyd Chadburn. Our final session was a review of the RCAF and civil aviation during the 1930s, by Mat Joost. The convention concluded at 4:30 pm with a prize, a copy of The Royal Canadian Air Force: 100 Years of Service, Volume 1, kindly donated by Hugh Halliday. Laura Garrick of the Calgary Chapter successfully answered the skill testing question, to take the book home.
Allan Snowie CD: Two Naval Aviation Eras - Two Last Canadian Casualties
Robert Forbes: Lloyd Chadburn - Spitfire Leader 
Mathias Joost: The RCAF and Civil Aviation, 1929-1937
Although the convention faced some adversity this year, primarily the unexpected loss of our major sponsor, the annual convention exceeded our members' expectations, with excellent presentations and tours, and most importantly, lots of opportunities to meet old and new friends. Mark your calendars and plan to attend the 2026 Convention, planned for 17 - 20 June, in Kelowna, BC. This convention will be held in partnership with Aviation Cultures and the Kelowna Flightcraft Centre for Excellence.
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