International Recognition
for Canadian Mosquitos

Story and photos by John Chalmers
October 2026
A de Havilland DH-98 Mosquito under restoration at the Bomber Command Museum of Canada in Nanton, Alberta, is the front cover subject for the August 2026 issue of Aeroplane magazine, published in England. Once flown by Spartan Air Service in post-war aerial mapping surveys of Canada, the aircraft revitalization is a project of the Calgary Mosquito Society.

The fine article about the project, entitled “Third Man in a Mossie,” was written by CAHS Calgary Chapter President Richard de Boer, who serves also as the founding president of the Calgary Mosquito Society. The Mosquito is owned by the City of Calgary, but when the City planned to sell the aircraft to an overseas party, de Boer was spurred into action. His efforts led to formation of the society to save and restore the twin-engined “wooden wonder” to remain in Canada.

The splendid illustration of the Mosquito on the front cover of the magazine shows the aircraft as it will appear when restoration is complete. Commissioned by the magazine from artist Antonis Karidis, the original artwork has been acquired by the Calgary Mosquito Society to serve its own purposes. “Although there are restored Mosquitos including some in flying condition at various museums and collections, ours will be the only one in the world in civilian livery,” says Richard de Boer.
 Picture
August 2026 Aeroplane Magazine Cover.
Liberally illustrated with colour photos, Richard’s story occupies ten pages as the magazine’s lead feature article. However, the story is much more than one about preserving an aircraft built in England in 1946, known as CF-HMS in its final registration. The true value of the story is about Mosquitos that were used in flight by Spartan Air Services for aerial mapping.
A meeting at the Bomber Command Museum between John Tessier and workers on the Mosquito restoration led to first-hand accounts of Mosquito operations by Spartan Air and what it was like to fly in photographic operational flights. John recognized his father, Roger, in one of the photos displayed at the restoration site. Roger Tessier was the “third man” named in the article title, flying as a camera operator for Spartan. He started with the company as a teenager in 1955, flying from Ottawa and learning how to operate the camera. 
Complete illustration of the Spartan Mosquito art prepared for the cover of Aeroplane magazine by artist Antonis Karidis.
Roger, now 90 and a resident of Edmonton, was prompted by his son to visit the museum in 2025. This provided an opportunity for Richard de Boer and other volunteers with the Calgary Mosquito Society to learn first-hand from Roger what it was like to work with Spartan at high altitudes, helping create a new generation of accurate maps for Canada and beyond. Spartan had additional contract work in Columbia, Mexico, Trinidad, Honduras, and Kenya.
CMS Mosquito restoration.
Mosquito wing restoration.
Mosquito CF-HMS is housed at the Bomber Command Museum of Canada in Nanton, AB, for the duration of its restoration. While there, 15 to 20 volunteers are working regularly to restore it. To date, they have spent over 71,000 hours on the project since it began in 2012. Challenges have included not only restoration processes and reassembly, but locating original parts and new plywood sheeting exactly like that used when Mosquitos were being built as fighter-bombers for the Second World War. The dedication of volunteers and the first-person accounts by Roger Tessier are what help bring a 70-year-old aircraft back to life. Ingenuity is often seen in aircraft restoration projects. Shown here is a stairway built to allow crew members to work at any height on the Mosquito wing. The plywood, made to wartime specs of Baltic birch from Russia, was made in Austria and transported to Nanton.
Acquisition of the special plywood illustrates how costly it can be to undertake meticulous and complete reconstruction of a vintage aircraft. Richard de Boer says that “Each sheet is custom made to order as the Mosquito uses a variety of thicknesses from 1.5 mm to 6 mm. As well, the direction of the grain is critical with some sheets having the grain run the length of the sheet, some crosswise, and some at 45 degrees. To reskin the top of the wing, we required 13 sheets, but in 5 different specifications depending upon thickness and grain direction. Including air freight to Calgary, the plywood averaged in excess of $2500 per sheet.”

Fortunately, costs like that have been easily met, thanks to a well-planned and very successful fundraising campaign. In just under two years, with matching grants from the City of Calgary, the Calgary Mosquito Society had raised enough money to cover the cost of restoration before the work began.

Another restored Mosquito in Canada, at left below, is the airworthy warbird owned by KF Aerospace, displayed at the KF Centre of Excellence in Kelowna, British Columbia, site of the 2026 annual convention of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society. Another restored Mosquito, once known as Spartan Air’s CF-HMQ, is on static display in wartime livery at the Alberta Aviation Museum in Edmonton. It is dedicated to the memory of Edmonton native W/C Russell Bannock DSO DFC, who flew Mosquitos during the Second World War and served as commanding officer for City of Edmonton Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 418 Squadron.
Mosquito at the KF Centre of Excellence in Kelowna.
Mosquito (previously CF-HMQ) at the Alberta Aviation Museum in Edmonton.
It should also be mentioned that the August issue of Aeroplane features another extensive story about Canadian aircraft! It is a 13-page article entitled “Canadair CP-107 Argus,” by Doug Gordon. His well-researched and authoritative article recounts the history of the Argus from its design and implementation on its first RCAF flight in 1957 until its last operational flight in 1981.
Retired air force Canadair CP-107 Argus on display at RCAF Station Greenwood, Nova Scotia.
Among the aircraft on display at 14 Wing/Canadian Forces Base Greenwood, Nova Scotia, is a retired air force Canadair CP-107 Argus, that provided maritime surveillance and patrol.

Both the Bomber Command Museum of Canada and the Calgary Mosquito Society are Museum Members of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society. Upon completion of the restoration for static display, CF-HMS will be rolled out of the Bomber Command Museum in Spartan Air Service livery for a run-up of its two mighty Rolls-Royce Merlin 12-cylinder supercharged engines, each rated at 1,690 horsepower. It will be another landmark event in Canadian aviation history.
Mosquito workday at the Bomber Command Museum of Canada in Nanton.
Tuesdays and Saturdays are workdays for the Mosquito at the Bomber Command Museum of Canada in Nanton, where visitors are welcome to see the progress being made. The dedication, work, skill and infinite patience of the volunteer crew will eventually result in seeing the aircraft restored to its original appearance of Spartan Air Service when it was used for aerial mapping in Canada. 

It is rewarding to see two fine stories about Canadian aircraft in the August 2026 issue of Aeroplane. Check with your local magazine vendors to find a copy. I purchased mine from an Indigo bookstore in Edmonton, where the issue didn’t arrive until late August, so you may be able to find a copy still in the magazine rack. The magazine can also be obtained from its publisher, Key Aero. Visit its website to download or purchase a single copy or to subscribe.