Back to Newsletter Archive

The Canadian Aviation   Historical Society August 2022 e–Newsletter  From the Desk of the Executive You are invited to the 2022 CAHS National Convention in Winnipeg We are pleased to announce that the CAHS National Convention will take place in Winnipeg on Wednesday 28 September to Saturday 1 October. We have two days of excellent speakers on Thursday and Friday, and a tour of the RCAF Heritage Park and the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum in Brandon on Saturday. Flights in their historic Second World War training aircraft will be available through the museum and should be booked in advance. The convention will be held at the Holiday Inn Express Winnipeg Airport Polo Park, 1740 Ellice Avenue, Winnipeg. We have arranged a special rate of $134 per night, plus taxes. Click here to book your room. The hotel is conveniently located a ten minute drive from the airport terminal, and features a pool and an exercise room. Breakfast is included for hotel guests. The pickup for the Saturday tour will be at the hotel, and we plan to return in time for out of town attendees to be able to fly out on Saturday evening if desired. If you have any trouble with hotel registration, please email Jim Bell.   Speakers and Tours An informal meet and greet will be held on Wednesday evening, 28 September, at the hotel. On Thursday evening, convention attendees will attend a special evening at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, where we will have a presentation on the Churchill Rocket Range by Dr Roland Sawatzky, the Manitoba Museum's Curator of History. We will also have a museum walk about with some of the museum's aircraft attended by people who restored them or flew them, so that attendees can get a real feel for the work involved in putting the aircraft on display. Coffee and snacks will be available. On Friday evening, we will hold our annual Awards Banquet, where we will announce the winners of the CAHS Journal article and research awards. Saturday will start with a walk about of RCAF Heritage Park and the restoration building. We will then continue to the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum in Brandon, where we will tour the museum and its archives. We will also have two days of speakers on a broad range of Canadian aviation subjects. Thursday 29 September - sessions, 9 am to 4 pm CDT - Air Cadets, Bill Zuk; RCAF Markings, Patrick Martin; Stranraers in Commercial Service, Jerry Vernon; From Stevenson Field to WAA, Fred Petrie; A Short History of BC Airways, Jim Jorgenson; Saunders Aircraft of Gimli, Ken Kalynuk; Air Transit, Tim Cole. Thursday evening 29 September - Churchill Rocket Range, Dr Roland Sawatzky; museum walk about; at the RAMWC, 7 pm CDT (no Zoom access). Friday 30 September - sessions, 9 am to 4 pm CDT - John Mack, Robert Galway; Wop May, John Chalmers; Saskatchewan Air Ambulance, Will Chabun; Canadian Naval Aviators in World War II, Allan Snowie; John Griffin Archives, Gord Crossley; Bomber Command, Roddy Mackenzie. Please note speakers and topics may change for reasons beyond our control.   Registration The full convention registration is only $200 ($225 for non-members, which includes an online CAHS membership), and includes lunch on all three days and our banquet on Friday evening. An online full registration includes access to the daily presentations on Thursday and Friday (but not the evening presentations), for only $50 ($75 for non-members, which includes an online CAHS membership). Daily registration options are also available - check the registration form for more details. Registration is available here. Your registration will be confirmed once payment is received. Payment details are included on the registration form. Check this web page for updated information. The CAHS National Convention is a great opportunity for you to meet people from across the country who share your passion for aviation. We hope you are able to attend.   Potential sponsors of our 2022 convention are invited to contact the Convention Chairperson. Jim Bell, National Secretary, Canadian Aviation Historical Society Join the CAHS – Information for New Members… Renew or Extend Your Membership Here… Browse our Shop… Looking for a specific Journal or Article? Click the button above, then click on the little magnifying glass to begin your search. Donate any Amount… Click the button above or, if you have a smartphone, simply point its camera app at the on-screen QR code to donate via mobile. From the Desk of the Journal Editor Move disruption and a new Webmaster In the mail and in the works: The front cover layouts for CAHS Journals 57-4, 58-1, and 58-2 featuring the artwork of Franklin Arbuckle (Norseman), Ken Mallett (Voodoo), and Cher Pruys (Beech 18). With a move and office disruption in progress, not much has changed since the July newsletter (of only a week or so ago).   I will report back on Journals in progress, and other CAHS Media related topics, including an introduction to the new webmaster, Andrea Wiseman, who will begin in the role through mid/late September.   In the meantime, any production progress or additional Volume 58 content development news will be posted on our site here.   And, in case you missed it in the last issue… A Move of Home and Office With effect from 31 August 2022, the new mailing address for CAHS Journal correspondence and editorial matters will be:   SkyGrid Studio 739 Route 105 Maugerville New Brunswick E3A 8L1   On the occasion of my wife Alison's retirement, we have sold our home of nearly 20 years in Kitchener, ON, in preparation for a move east. In farm country, directly across the St. John River from Fredericton International Airport, the new property will better accommodate our aviation-history-related editorial and design/production work in a single, large, dedicated space. It should prove to be much more user-friendly than the two house rooms (on separate floors) and one rental space we use now.   The move will involve equipment relocation and new facility modification, so there will be some downtime. The final day of operations here will be 29 August, and the first in the new location will be 12 September. However, I will do my best to keep up with any currently in-progress email correspondence with authors, photo contributors, and fellow CAHS editors during that time.   Also coincident with the move will be a change in webmaster and an improved chapter-to-webmaster "updates" reporting channel – the goal is to get chapter news and events on CAHS.com with minimal delay. I will have more on this in the next newsletter report. Terry Higgins, Creative Director, Website Administrator, CAHS Journal Managing Editor and Graphics Director, Canadian Aviation Historical Society From the Desk of the Treasurer More often than not, when you hear from me, I am talking about the need for renewals and donations in order to keep the CAHS operating. Nevertheless, today, I wish to speak about our charitable aspect.   As you know, we are an educational charity with the goal of preserving, recording, disseminating, and celebrating Canada's aviation history.  Hence, we are interested in getting more of Canada's aviation history into the hands of more readers. One way of doing so would be donating copies of the CAHS Journal to places dedicated to learning since we have a healthy stock of past issues. Although many libraries and organizations are culling their hard copy contents due to lack of space in the electronic age, we believe that there are still some libraries, schools, museums, and perhaps even Air Cadet reading rooms that might be interested in expanding their library content.   We would be pleased to hear your recommendations of places that might appreciate a donation of our back issues to plus-up their library's aviation content. Please contact me with any suggestions of names (and addresses) for Journal donations. Thanks in advance for helping the CAHS educate more people about our amazing aviation history. Cordially, Dr. Rachel Lea Heide, National Treasurer, Canadian Aviation Historical Society Yukon Wings is Still Available But Watch for a New Book Offering in September Thorough, authoritative, and filled with over 700 superb previously unpublished photographs, Yukon Wings is an illustrated history of the birth and development of the aviation industry in Yukon. An astonishing book of ingenuity, courage, and determination, by engineer, researcher, pilot and long-time CAHS Member, Robert Cameron. Get your copy of this treasure trove for only $45 (the Publisher's retail is $60) plus $20 shipping (within Canada) while supplies last. Check out the review  by Journal Editor Terry Higgins here. Get your copy here… Click/tap anywhere on the montage below to to explore all the other books that the CAHS is offering for sale! Our Society is very thankful for the support of our Corporate Members, Museum Members, Individual Donors, and from the proceeds generated by the time-limited Special Offer items in our e-shop. Aviation News and Events Alberta Aviation Museum Threatened by Edmonton City Council The Alberta Aviation Museum faces an ultimatum from Edmonton city council regarding their location in Hangar 14. To read about the decision and ways in which you can support the location and the museum, follow the link below. by John Chalmers Read more… Restored Piper Apache Unveiling in Hamilton Made an Inspiring Community Event From abandonment on the side of a highway to full restoration, the 1956 Piper Apache found by Rev. Don MacVicar in 2018 has been unveiled in Hamilton. by Gord McNulty Read more… New Life for Old Aircraft There are a number of restoration projects in the works across the province. Some of the aircraft that are being restored for future generations to enjoy are a CF-100 Canuck, a Mosquito, an Airacobra, and a V-1 flying bomb. by John Chalmers Read more… MajGen Ian Patrick: A Life Flying in Uniform Major-General Ian Patrick (Ret'd) shares the story of his life in uniform, from an Air Cadet to his time in the auxiliary force and finally the regular force, retiring from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) after his final posting as Director NORAD Combat Operation, Cheyenne Mountain.   During his time, he flew a wide variety of aircraft from the de Havilland Canada Chipmunk to Rockwell B-1B Lancer, from his personally owned Beechcraft Musketeer to the de Havilland Canada (Grumman) Trackers of the CAF. via Kyle Huth Check it out on YouTube… Record-setting 2022 CFB Borden, Ontario Air Show The Airshow at CFB Borden took place on 18-19 June and was a huge success! To read about the event and the aircraft on display. The CAHS National Vice President documents the event in words and images. by Gord McNulty Check it out… Pancake Breakfast - You're Invited! The Regina Flying Club is hosting a fly or drive-in Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, 10 September 2022. We would all be delighted if you were able to attend. Tickets are $10 at the door ($5.00 for children under the age of 6). Your ticket includes pancakes, sausage, fresh coffee, and orange juice. See the attached invitation for more information.   Of note, our Wings Night will follow later the same evening. Don’t forget to RSVP with myself (Alicia), for Wings Night. Please click here to RSVP.   Alicia Moffatt Regina Flying Club Elevate Aviation - Inspire Gala Elevate Aviation is hosting their annual Inspired Gala on October 1 at the Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta this year. The fundraiser will celebrate ten women leaders in various careers in aviation across Canada. For details on the event and how to purchase tickets, please click here.   If you are unable to attend the event there are other ways you can support it such as donating to the silent auction, sponsoring the event, donate, or if you would like to volunteer you can contact event organizers.   CAHS Digital Staff Canadian Aviation Moments Question 1: How many weeks/months had Billy Bishop been fighting by the time he had won both the Distinguished Service Order and the Military Cross?      Source: Canada’s Fighting Airmen, pg. 39-40 (Drew)   Question 2:  Why did the RCAF, in 1935, order Blackburn Shark IIs and what was the accident rate of all the Blackburn Sharks?                                     Source: Jericho Beach and the West Coast Flying Boat Stations, pg. 252-253 (Weicht)   Question 3: During the Second World War, what were some of the various factors that made effective bombing of Berlin a complex problem?        Source: No Prouder Place, pg. 248 (Bashow)     The answers will appear in the August 2022 Newsletter Here are the answers to June's Canadian Aviation Moments:   QUESTION 1: Which nicknames were given to the First World War German fighter pilot Richthofen?  ANSWER: “The colouring of the German aeroplanes was an interesting development of 1917. Early in the spring the German fighting machines began to appear in startling hues. Richthofen had adopted red as his distinctive colour which was the source of the names by which he became popularly known. On the British side he was commonly called “The Red Devil,” while to the world at large he had since become known as “The Red Knight.” Others quickly followed his lead without any apparent limitation on the expression of individual taste.”                                   From  Canada's Fighting Airmen, pg. 35 QUESTION 2:  What was the Northrop Delta used for in the RCAF, and how many were purchased? ANSWER: “During 1931 the RCAF became interested in a high-performance aircraft for photographic and transport operations and decided on the Northrop Delta. Canadian Vickers was asked to build the aircraft and received an order for three Deltas. RCAF Deltas were modified to accept three camera installations in the aft cabin. The cabin floor was also strengthened to accommodate heavy freight loads and an upward-rising freight door was installed on the left side of the aircraft. Canadian Vickers also designed a special set of floats to fit the three Deltas. The RCAF prototype #667 on floats, was first flown on 21 August 1936, and taken on strength on 1 September. Eventually 20 Mk.I and Mk.II Deltas were produced in Canada for the RCAF.”    From Jericho Beach and the West Coast Flying Stations, pg. 249 QUESTION 3:  How legitimate and important a target was Berlin by RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War?  ANSWER: “But how legitimate and important a target was Berlin, this epicentre of the Third Reich? Not only was it Germany’s administrative capital, it was also the nerve centre of the Nazi military-industrial complex. Along with housing the headquarters of all branches of the military services, there were nearly one hundred separate military barracks and depots in the area. And with all its rail lines, airports and its sophisticated canal system, Berlin was also a hub of the national transportation network. The city’s huge Siemens complex was a cornerstone of the national electrical industry, as were Daimler-Benz, the ten AEG factories and the Bosch, Lorenz, Blauplunkt and Telefunken plants, all of which produced essential electrical components for the Wehrmacht. Furthermore, an ultra-secret facility in the suburb of Dahlem, the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics Research, housed the primary German atomic weapons development program. Additionally, the sprawling Alkett factory in Spandau produced self-propelled guns and half the Wehrmacht’s fields artillery. Borsig, one of Berlin’s pioneer industrial firms, made rolling stock, locomotive, and heavy artillery. A DWM (German Weapons and Munitions) factory in the northern district of Wittenau produced small arms, ammunition, and mortars. Tank chassis rolled off the assembly lines at the Auto-Union factories at Spandau and Halensee. BMW’s Berlin Branch produced a variety of military vehicles, while Heinkel, Henschel, and Dornier made bombers, attack aircraft, and airplane components.”                                                                          From  No Prouder Place, pg. 247   Chapter News Select a chapter to discover what they have been up to since the last newsletter. Many of our Chapters remain very active on Zoom with presentations every bit as good as they would be if we did not have pandemic restrictions to deal with! Special Thanks To Our Supporters In addition to its members, contributors, and newsletter subscribers, the CAHS is thankful for the ongoing support of its Corporate Members, Museum Members, and Partner Organizations, as well as the many individuals and organizations whose financial donations are so generously given.   If you would like to become a Corporate Member or Museum Member - or if you know an organization that might like to join - we are always happy to receive new applications. Please use the hyperlinks above to learn more about our corporate members and partner organizations.  Corporate Members: Corporate Partners: Aviaeology Publishing / SkyGrid Studio CANAV Books Northern Lights Awards / Elsie MacGill Foundation The RCAF Association Vintage Wings of Canada   Museum Members: Alberta Aviation Museum Billy Bishop Home and Museum Bomber Command Museum of Canada Botwood Flying Boat Museum British Columbia Aviation Museum Calgary Mosquito Society Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre Canadian Historical Aircraft Association The Canadian Museum of Flight Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum Comox Air Force Museum First In Last Out Great War Flying Museum The Hangar Flight Museum Harvard Historical Aviation Society Montreal Aviation Museum National Air Force Museum Quebec Aerospace Museum Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada Shearwater Aviation Museum Western Development Museum Follow us on Facebook and Twitter e-Newsletter Archive If you have changed your mailing or e-mail address, please get in touch to keep us up to date. Contact the Membership Administrator here. To enquire about membership payment records, contact the Treasurer here.   Click here to renew immediately online, or to join as a new member. If you would like to register or renew by mail, printable forms are also available in the bottom area of this page on our site.   If you have any aviation history-related news or events to share, please contact our newsletter editor here.    Please feel free to forward to friends and family members, or encourage them to sign up on our website to receive the newsletter directly for FREE.    We hope that you enjoy receiving this monthly newsletter and find the contents informative and enjoyable. If you no longer wish to receive it for any reason, please use the unsubscribe option below to have your email address removed immediately from the mailing list. The Canadian Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) P.O. Box 2700 • Station D • Ottawa • Ontario • K1P 5W7 visit us at www.cahs.com The CAHS is incorporated as a Canadian Registered Charity under a Federal Charter with the business registration number 118829589 RR001

Back to Newsletter Archive