CAHS Marks 60 Years in Aviation History

Report by John Chalmers
CAHS Membership Secretary
posted June 2023
In 2023 the Canadian Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) marks its 60th anniversary of recording, preserving and sharing aviation history in Canada.

The CAHS publishes the quarterly CAHS Journal as a high-quality and authoritative aviation history journal. As well, our monthly online newsletter is distributed to 900 members across Canada. An annual calendar features images of original paintings by Canada’s leading aviation artists. Our annual convention brings together aviation history enthusiasts from across the country. This year the convention will be held from June 21-24 in Kingston, Ontario.

Topics covered in the publications and at the annual conventions deal with all aspects of civilian, commercial and military aviation from its earliest days to the present. Whether it is about the beginnings of aviation in Canada in 1909, combat stories from the First or Second World War, biplanes flown by bush pilots, or the development of jet airliners and new fighter aircraft, the CAHS has shared those stories. 
“We are proud to carry on our mission to remember Canada’s history in every aspect of aviation in celebrating this milestone anniversary and look forward to many years ahead in recording significant accomplishments in aviation,” says CAHS president Gary Williams.
This year’s convention will bring together members from ten CAHS chapters from coast to coast. As well as seeing presentations in the convention programme, attendees will take a trip to RCAF Station Trenton to tour both the base and the National Air Force Museum of Canada.

Sheldon Benner, president of the Toronto chapter, learned about the CAHS from a fellow worker at de Havilland Canada, and became an original member in 1963. “I’m extremely proud of our organization, and the work we do,” says Benner. “My membership in our Society has offered many opportunities to meet aviation-minded people who are interested in preserving Canada’s rich aviation history.”

New members are welcome and non-members of the CAHS are likewise welcome to attend the convention, June 21-24. Registration for personal attendance has now passed, but can still be done for online attendance via Zoom video. Information and details are at: https://www.cahs.com/cahs-national-convention-2023.html

The image of our Journal shown here is the cover of the Summer 2019 issue showing a painting by well-known Canadian aviation artist, Robert Bradford, C.M. It shows a Fokker Super Universal Aircraft, G-CASK, which holds a special place in Canadian aviation history. It is shown at the shore of the Slave River, NWT, near Fort Smith in 1928. It had been flown by famed bush pilot, C.H. “Punch” Dickins, who just completed the first aerial crossing of the NWT barren lands.

Bob Bradford was a special friend of the CAHS, named as our patron, and who generously contributed his fine art to both our newsletter, the Journal and our annual calendar. He will be well remembered and dearly missed by the aviation community.

Bob’s most recent contribution to the CAHS calendar was of an Avro 504K biplane trainer taking off from the airfield of the RCAF Camp Borden station in 1924, which appeared in the April 2022 issue of the calendar. On obituary for Bob Bradford can be seen when you click here. A biographical article about Bob is posted at the web site of Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame, that can be seen when you click here.
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