| The Canadian Aviation Historical Society |
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From the Desk of the Executive |
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CAHS Convention 2024 The deadline for submitting presentation proposals is Friday March 15th. Please use the form below to submit your proposal or contact convention chairperson Jim Bell by email. The Canadian Aviation Historical Society is pleased to invite you to our annual convention in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Wednesday 19 June to Saturday 22 June 2024, held in partnership with the RCAF History and Heritage in recognition of the RCAF's 100th anniversary. Convention registration is now open. Full convention registration is only $225 for members and will include an optional Wednesday afternoon tour, the Wednesday reception, lunch for three days, our annual banquet, two days of speaker sessions, and the tours. Registration for online attendance will include access to all convention sessions via Zoom, but not the tours or evening events. Recordings will be made for sessions where the presenter grants permission, and these recordings will be available to all attendees after the convention, subject to technical limitations. Most convention activities will take place at the Saskatoon Aviation Museum.
The convention hotel is the Sandman Hotel Saskatoon, 310 Circle Drive West, Saskatoon, S7L 2Y5, conveniently located close to Saskatoon International Airport and just off one of Saskatoon's main roads. Situated 2.7 km from Saskatoon International Airport, the hotel features free parking, a lounge and restaurant, a business centre, an indoor pool, a hot tub, and a fitness centre. The rooms feature free Wi-Fi, TVs, coffeemakers, and sitting areas. Some rooms add pull-out sofas and/or kitchenettes. You can reserve your hotel room now at the special convention rate of only $105.00 plus taxes by calling 1-306-477-4844 and asking for reservation code "Aviation".
Known as the "City of Bridges" due to its numerous river crossings, Saskatoon boasts stunning panoramic views and picturesque landscapes. Visitors can explore the vibrant Meewasin Valley, home to lush parks, walking trails, and the Meewasin Valley Authority. The city's cultural scene is thriving with a diverse range of art galleries, theatres, and music festivals. History enthusiasts can delve into the past at the Western Development Museum or the Ukrainian Museum of Canada. Baseball fans can watch the Saskatoon Berries in their inaugural season in the Western Canadian Baseball League. Flights are available in the Saskatoon Aviation Museum's de Havilland Tiger Moth.
The convention is a great opportunity for you to renew friendships and make new ones with people who share your passion for aviation. Updates will be provided in the newsletter and on our website, cahs.com. We hope to see you there. Links to Airlines • Air Canada • Westjet • Porter Airlines • Flair Airlines Call for presentations 2024 National Convention of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society Background The Canadian Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) is holding its Convention and Annual General Meeting in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 19 - 22 June 2024. The conference will include wide ranging coverage of Canadian aviation history, including sessions exploring civilian, industrial, and military topics. Since 2024 is the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Royal Canadian Air Force, additional consideration will be given to air force subjects. Focus The convention is open to all: university students, aerospace industry professionals, academics, professionals in aviation or heritage associations, and aviation enthusiasts of every kind. Our focus will be on history, but we welcome proposals addressing current aviation or aerospace issues. Call for Presentations The CAHS invites proposals for papers to be presented at the convention. Individuals or groups should provide the following digital submission: • Topic (title) and subject • Short précis outlining the proposal, maximum 200 words • Presenter biography, maximum 200 words Submit your proposal using this form: Call for Presentations If you aren’t ready to submit your proposal, please complete this Expression of Interest form so that we will know to expect your submission. If you have any problems or questions, please contact the convention chairperson. Information to note • Presentations can utilize multi-disciplinary approaches, and may be formal academic papers or informal talks. All presentations should be in Powerpoint or Google Slides format. Presentations should be a maximum of 45 minutes in length but longer proposals can be considered. • Note that the CAHS is a volunteer, non-profit corporation. Presenters will be expected to register for at least one day of the convention, and no re-imbursement can be offered for travel or other expenses. • Submissions must be received by 15 March 2024. • You will be notified by 31 March whether your submission has been accepted for presentation. • Convention updates can be found on the 2024 Convention page. Contact Please feel free to forward and post this message widely. For more information, please contact us at the address or phone below. We hope to see you in Saskatoon. Jim Bell 2024 Convention Chairperson Email 204-293-5402 |
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Jim Bell, 2024 Convention Chairperson, Canadian Aviation Historical Society |
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From the Desk of the Journal Editor
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Our RCAF Centennial Special Edition |
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Our RCAF Bicentennial Special Edition (cover pictured above) will be in mailboxes by early April, featuring an interesting range of articles by notable RCAF Historians. From my managing editor and design/layout perspectives, this issue was a joy to work on. Especially with the delivery of nearly all content – including images of print-production quality – arranged by guest editor RCAF History and Heritage Director Dr. Richard Mayne. On reflection, each of the 47 (42 published) CAHS Journals I have worked on thus far has offered its own particular delights. At some point during the preparation of each issue, new-to-me subjects or nuanced aspects of more well-known subjects will remind me that our nation's aviation history is vast and varied. CAHS chapter newsletters and presentations also continue to expand on this in their own ways. With this year's event approaching fast, I'm also reminded that our CAHS National Conventions have also produced historical content in the classic presentation and panel forms since the earliest years of our society. With that, I would like to encourage our presenters, presentation organizers, and newsletter authors/editors to consider our flagship publication, the CAHS Journal, as a potential new medium for the broader distribution of their work. The Journal is already the permanent home to many examples of this kind of repurposing. Fresh to mind from my 14 years at this desk are Carl Vincent's still-in-progress series on British Air Ministry Winter Trials and David Waechter's work in historicizing a number of chapters of his father's career in the aeronautical engineering realm. Both presented their work during chapter and national events before reworking it for the printed page. Journal authors have also produced simultaneous audio-visual presentations and article versions of their works. I sense that some of the material you will soon see in our RCAF Centennial Special Edition is of this nature. On initial submission, articles do not have to come to us in a finished form. A well-crafted manuscript (usually a first-draft rewrite of existing bullet-point presentation notes) and a summary of supporting illustrations will often suffice to let us know what's on offer. I remain an enthusiastic consumer of the work being done to promulgate Canada's aviation history at the presentation and chapter publication levels. I will be fulfilled to the utmost if even a small portion of that work seeks a home between our Journal's covers. While we are not yet short of works in progress toward publication, having more articles in the cache would allow us to mix a greater diversity of subjects and themes into each future issue – the mix that keeps things interesting for the broadest spectrum of readers. Help us make it happen! I encourage authors and photo essayists to contact me with any related queries. Until next time… |
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Terry Higgins, Creative Director, Website Administrator, CAHS Journal Managing Editor and Graphics Director, Canadian Aviation Historical Society |
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From the Desk of the Treasurer |
March is Women's History Month in the US, and 8 March is International Women's Day, so you will likely start to see this mentioned on social media sites soon. While Canada observes women's history in October, I don't want people to think the CAHS accidentally forgot to recognize this celebration, so I would like to point our readers to a few places you can find material on women's contributions to aviation history. A great place to start would be Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame; browse their list of profiles to see the amazing stories of Canadian women inducted. The Canadian 99s have also posted a list of Canadian Aviation Pioneers. On the CAHS website, we have an article by Crystal Sissons on Elsie McGill and the Heritage Minute that has recently been released. Also on our website, John Chalmers has written about Amelia Earhart’s Canadian Connection. CAHS Member Bill Zuk shared his research on Amelia in this podcast available online. Vi Warren Milstead wrote about flying with the Air Transport Association in the CAHS Journal Fall 1999 edition. The CAHS is still selling the Air Crazy volumes by Liz Muir, the Lillian Bland story by Haley Healey, and Alis the Aviator by Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail (see links below for purchase options). The aviation industry today is in dire need of more pilots, technicians, and air traffic controllers (just to name a few aviation careers). Consider giving a CAHS membershipto a daughter, grand-daughter, niece, friend, or student to inspire the next generation of female aviation history makers. I have finished preparing all the donation tax receipts and have either emailed them or mailed them to recipients for whom we do not have email addresses. If you haven't received your receipt by email, or if a correction is needed, please contact me. |
Cordially, Dr. Rachel Lea Heide, National Treasurer, Canadian Aviation Historical Society |
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CAHS 2024 Aviation Art Calendar |
| The annual aviation art calendar is available ($15 a copy plus $5 shipping in Canada). This bilingual calendar includes 13 full-colour images featuring a collection of civilian and military aviation aircraft. |
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Air-Crazy: Fascinating stories of Canadian women in the air |
| When airplanes were first invented over 100 years ago, they were flown by men. Women weren't even supposed to be passengers. But many "air-crazy" women wanted to fly, and eventually they did - becoming pilots, stewardesses, flight instructors, and astronauts. Author and historian Elizabeth Muir tells stories about some of these courageous and determined women across Canada who contributed so much to Canadian aviation history. The CAHS discount rate is $12 (plus $6 shipping in Canada). |
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Air-Crazy, Too: More fascinating Stories of Canadian Women in the Air |
| Author Elizabeth Muir continues telling stories of determined air-minded women in Canada in her second volume, Air Crazy Too. In the early 1900s, when airplanes were first invented, women weren’t supposed to fly – not even as passengers. But many women persevered and became airplane and glider pilots. They even flew blimps. They became balloonists, skydivers, helicopter and medivac pilots, and even astronauts. |
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Libres Comme L'Air: Histoires fascinantes des pionnières de l'aviation canadienne |
| Lorsqu’on a inventé les avions il y a environ une centaine d’années, ce sont les hommes qui les pilotaient. Les femmes ne devaient même pas être à bord comme passagères. Cependant, beaucoup de femmes souhaitaient voler dans un avion. Plus tard, c’est ce qu’elles ont fait. Elizabeth Muir, auteure et historienne, raconte les histoires vécues de ces femmes courageuses et déterminées qui ont grandement contribué à l’histoire de l’aviation canadienne. The CAHS discount rate is $12 (plus $6 shipping in Canada). |
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The Story of Lilian Bland: An Amazing Aviatrix |
| The CAHS is pleased to feature this new book about the amazing life story of Lilian Bland, the first woman ever to design, build, and fly her own airplane, beautifully illustrated to inspire young readers. This delightful picture book celebrates the life of Lilian Bland, remembered both in England and in her adopted home of Quatsino Sound, on Vancouver Island, for her many achievements - especially her ground-breaking achievements in aviation. Retailing for $19.95 + tax, the CAHS is selling the book as a fund-raiser at a discount rate of $15 (plus $6 shipping in Canada). |
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Alis the Aviator - Paperback |
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| In honour of the upcoming RCAF Centennial (on 1 April 2024), author Chris Weicht continues to offer his
book DEFENDERS at the discounted rate of $45 plus $20 shipping in Canada (contact us for bulk purchases and combined shipping rates). The Defenders - RCAF Defence of Canada's West Coast and Alaska 1939-1945 is new instalment Chris Weicht's extensive Air Pilot Navigator series about narratives on aviation in western Canada. Chris will be speaking about his book at an RCAF Anniversary Mess Dinner on March 30. For information
on attending to see his speech, please click here. |
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| Wartime Lancaster pilot receives France’s highest honour |
Jack Finan, a wartime RCAF Lancaster pilot was honoured in early February for his service in the Second World War. Photos and story by Gord McNulty,
CAHS Vice President |
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Remembering Robert Bradford |
CAHS Toronto Chapter enjoyed a presentation from Kathyrn Bradford on her father Robert Bradford in early February. by Gord McNulty,
CAHS Vice President |
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| Freddie the Flyer, the story of aviator Fred Carmichael, takes a tour across the Northwest Territories. By John Chalmers CAHS Membership Secretary |
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RCAF 100th Anniversary Events |
CAHS now has a page for any RCAF Centennial event information provided to us. A link to the page (the image above) will also be placed on any CAHS Chapter webpages that have events in their area. |
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| Medicine Hat Chapter Celebrate RCAF 100! |
As a chapter of The Canadian Aviation Historical Society, we felt it was important to give the RCAF its place of honour in our community and to bring this to the citizens of our city. The Medicine Hat Chapter of the CAHS has organized an event held in the Monarch Theater, the oldest operating movie theater in western Canada. With the actual date of the establishment of the RCAF being Easter Monday, our chapter has scheduled the event for April 8th, 2024, doors open at 6:30 pm program starts at 7:00 pm. |
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| Restoration of Avro Lancaster KB882 |
In November 2016, the National Air Force Museum of Canada (NAFMC) announced that the City of Edmundston, New Brunswick had agreed to turn ownership of their beloved Lancaster KB882 over to the NAFMC. For over 40 years, KB882 had stood as a memorial to those who served in the RCAF and reminded us of Canada’s role in both the Second World War and of the remaining 20 years that the Lancaster served in Canada. The goal of the NAFMC is to have KB882 restored to its post-war Mk10AR configuration and proudly display it in their collection of aircraft. The restoration project will be completed for the centennial of the RCAF in 2024. Presentation originally given to CAHS Ottawa April 27, 2023 by Kevin Windsor. For more information about NAFMC visit here. Via Kyle Huth
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Pauline Beer is looking for assistance in her research on Nellie Neill (Abt 1880 – 1940?), with a surname sometimes spelled as “Neall”. Research so far indicates that Nellie was born in Canada, but at some stage moved to England and ballooned / parachuted in the Birmingham, Warwickshire and Pontypool, Monmouthshire areas, roughly 1902-1907.
Nellie appears in the Who's Who of Ballooning with her surname spelled Neall:
NEALL, Nellie (F) BRITAIN (1880?1940)
p: Professional balloonist; Protégé of FLEET.
f: First recorded ascent 1 Jun.1903. ***Epic flight 6 Jun.1906 From Pontypool. Made a rapid ascent with a torn balloon. Her leg was caught in a rope, holding her upside-down. She succeeded in climbing the rope, releasing the parachute, and landed safely. Nellie seems to have started ballooning in 1902, stopped in 1907, and disappeared! Pauline wonders if she returned to Canada. The article above mentions that Nellie was born in Canada. There is a slightly "prickly" reference to Ireland, begging the question is she of Irish Heritage? Perhaps her parents emigrated from Ireland to Canada and then she later came to England?
Pauline has located many newspaper articles (with articles on the British Newspaper Archives website and also on newspapers.com) about Nellie's ballooning exploits, but cannot locate her place and dates of birth in Canada.
Anyone with information on locating an exact place and date of birth for Nellie Neill (Neall), is asked to please reach out to Pauline at her email address. |
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Artwork by Rupert Shephard, © 1944. IWM ART LD 4141 |
| Women and the War in the Air |
Despite the restrictions on women’s participation in the war, some women did manage to find a seat in the cockpit of an aircraft. |
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The Northern Lights Aero Foundation is pleased to announce eight recipients of the fifth annual Captain Judy Cameron scholarship for Canadian women in aviation. |
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Canadian Aviation Moments |
Here are the questions and answers to this month's Canadian Aviation Moments: |
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| Question 1: What unusual request did William Barker, a Canadian pilot in the First World War, make when he was made commander of the newly formed 139th Squadron?
Source: Canada’s Fighting Airmen, pg. 165 (Drew) |
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| Question 2: Why did the officials of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan deserve so much credit? Source: Wings For Victory, pg. 56-57 (Dunmore) |
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| Question 3: When was the majority of the Second World War tonnage dropped and where was it dropped? Source: No Prouder Place, pg. 313 (Bashow) |
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Spoiler alert - the answers to this month's questions follow. Skip the rest of this section and come back later if you wish to guess/research the answers first. Good luck and have fun! |
ANSWER 1: “The work of the one flight of Bristol Fighters attached to the 66th had been so good that for some time the desirability of having a complete squadron of this type had been apparent. The request for a new squadron was granted, and on July 14, the new Bristols arrived and the 139th Squadron was organized with Barker in command. He was promoted to the rank of major on the same day. A most unusual concession was made to Barker in his new squadron. He preferred the single-seater Sopwith Camel and asked to be permitted to lead the Bristols in his old machine. Doubtless due to the fact that he stood head and shoulders above any other British, French or Italian pilot in Italy at the time, his request was granted. He sometimes flew a Bristol on reconnaissance patrols but most of the time he led the squadron in his Camel.”
Source: Canada’s Fighting Airmen, pg. 165 (Drew) |
ANSWER 2: “Much credit is due the officials who made an early start on the whole complicated business. In October, before the negotiations that led to the creation of the BCATP had even begun, officials of the Department of Transport and the air force discussed the selection of airfield sites. They reasoned that, once the site selection was completed, engineering plans could be developed during the winter, with construction starting in the spring. An embryonic system of airports was already in place, the beginnings of the cross-Canada airline network that had been established before the war by the energetic minister of transport, Clarence Decatur Howe. In addition to the municipal airports, there were what was known as “100-mile” fields, located approximately everyone hundred miles between the municipal fields in the thousand-mile stretch of bush and muskeg north of Lake Superior between North Bay and Winnipeg. With little additional work, these fields could, if needed, be quickly readied for training purposes." Source: Wings For Victory, pg. 56-57 (Dunmore) |
ANSWER 3: “Therefore, except for a number of isolated cases, losses were relatively light, particularly during the last nine months of the war in Europe—when the majority of total wartime tonnage was dropped. Over two-thirds of the wartime bomb tonnage was dropped on the Greater German Reich from 1 July 1944 onward." Source: No Prouder Place, pg. 313 (Bashow) |
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! |
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Special Thanks To Our Supporters |
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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: |
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Follow us on Facebook and Twitter |
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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. |
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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 |
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