Convention 2025, CAHS Editor Opportunity, Journal update, VE Day in Nanton, Pietenpol, Triumph and Tragedy, Museum Events, Wordle, Aviation Moments Quiz
The Canadian Aviation
Historical Society
The Canadian Aviation
Historical Society
June 2025 e–Newsletter
June 2025 e–Newsletter
From the Desk of the Executive
From the Desk of the Executive
CAHS Convention 2025
The Canadian Aviation Historical Society is pleased to invite you to our annual convention in Ottawa, Ontario, from Wednesday 18 June to Saturday 22 June. Join fellow aviation enthusiasts, historians, and professionals for four days of engaging presentations, tours, networking opportunities, and memorable experiences celebrating Canada's aviation heritage.
Registration is still open for the convention. You can register for the full convention for $250 or a single day for $75. Full registration includes the Wednesday evening Meet and Greet reception, presentations on Thursday and Saturday, tours on Friday, and the annual awards banquet on Friday evening. Single day registrations may be made for Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.
If you can’t attend in person, you can join us online for $50 for the Thursday and Saturday sessions, or $40 for either Thursday or Saturday.
Non-members are also welcome to attend the convention. Registration for non-members includes a one year online CAHS membership ($25 value).
Register using our online form, or visit the CAHS Convention web page. Payment must be made separately after submitting your registration. Please contact the Treasurer for details on how to make a payment using Interac e-transfer, credit card or PayPal. Cheques can be sent to the CAHS national mailing address.
The convention opens with our Meet and Greet reception on Wednesday evening. Reconnect with your friends and meet aviation enthusiasts from across Canada at this informal evening, featuring a cash bar, hors d’oeuvres, and entertainment. The convention continues with a full day of engaging speakers on Thursday. Dinner is on your own, and the evening is free time for you to explore Ottawa. On Friday we will take tours of local aviation facilities, including the National Research Council’s hangar and wind tunnel. The Friday evening Awards Banquet will see the presentation of our national awards, to recognise CAHS Journal authors and our dedicated volunteers. The convention concludes on Saturday with another full day of speakers. For those travelling to Ottawa, we recommend arriving before noon on Wednesday and leaving Saturday evening or later, to take in the local sites.
The special convention rate for the hotel has now expired, but rooms may still be available and there are several hotels within an easy driving distance. To book, you can call the reservation line at 1-800-SANDMAN (1-800-726-3626) or go to their website.
The CAHS National Convention is a can’t miss event which adds great value to your CAHS membership. It’s your best opportunity to meet aviation history enthusiasts, authors, researchers, and many others interested in Canadian aviation history.
CAHS Convention 2025
The Canadian Aviation Historical Society is pleased to invite you to our annual convention in Ottawa, Ontario, from Wednesday 18 June to Saturday 22 June. Join fellow aviation enthusiasts, historians, and professionals for four days of engaging presentations, tours, networking opportunities, and memorable experiences celebrating Canada's aviation heritage.
Registration is still open for the convention. You can register for the full convention for $250 or a single day for $75. Full registration includes the Wednesday evening Meet and Greet reception, presentations on Thursday and Saturday, tours on Friday, and the annual awards banquet on Friday evening. Single day registrations may be made for Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.
If you can’t attend in person, you can join us online for $50 for the Thursday and Saturday sessions, or $40 for either Thursday or Saturday.
Non-members are also welcome to attend the convention. Registration for non-members includes a one year online CAHS membership ($25 value).
Register using our online form, or visit the CAHS Convention web page. Payment must be made separately after submitting your registration. Please contact the Treasurer for details on how to make a payment using Interac e-transfer, credit card or PayPal. Cheques can be sent to the CAHS national mailing address.
The convention opens with our Meet and Greet reception on Wednesday evening. Reconnect with your friends and meet aviation enthusiasts from across Canada at this informal evening, featuring a cash bar, hors d’oeuvres, and entertainment. The convention continues with a full day of engaging speakers on Thursday. Dinner is on your own, and the evening is free time for you to explore Ottawa. On Friday we will take tours of local aviation facilities, including the National Research Council’s hangar and wind tunnel. The Friday evening Awards Banquet will see the presentation of our national awards, to recognise CAHS Journal authors and our dedicated volunteers. The convention concludes on Saturday with another full day of speakers. For those travelling to Ottawa, we recommend arriving before noon on Wednesday and leaving Saturday evening or later, to take in the local sites.
The special convention rate for the hotel has now expired, but rooms may still be available and there are several hotels within an easy driving distance. To book, you can call the reservation line at 1-800-SANDMAN (1-800-726-3626) or go to their website.
The CAHS National Convention is a can’t miss event which adds great value to your CAHS membership. It’s your best opportunity to meet aviation history enthusiasts, authors, researchers, and many others interested in Canadian aviation history.
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.
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
From the Desk of the Journal Editor
Layout is complete for Volume 58 Number 4, and proofs will be handed off to our proofreading team by the time you read this. Select any one of the images above for more content details or ongoing delivery updates.
Within a few days of receiving and applying any resultant text changes, it will go immediately to press, and the digital (full-colour PDF) edition will be emailed to all current Traditional and Anywhere-Online members.
The digital edition will also be placed in the Members-only area of the website for instant access.
A ballot form will accompany the digital mailout for members to vote on the Best Article and Best Article Research published within the four numbers of Volume 58.
Layout is complete for Volume 58 Number 4, and proofs will be handed off to our proofreading team by the time you read this. Select any one of the images above for more content details or ongoing delivery updates.
Within a few days of receiving and applying any resultant text changes, it will go immediately to press, and the digital (full-colour PDF) edition will be emailed to all current Traditional and Anywhere-Online members.
The digital edition will also be placed in the Members-only area of the website for instant access.
A ballot form will accompany the digital mailout for members to vote on the Best Article and Best Article Research published within the four numbers of Volume 58.
Terry Higgins, Creative Director, Website Administrator,
CAHS Journal Managing Editor and Graphics Director,
Canadian Aviation Historical Society
Terry Higgins, Creative Director, Website Administrator,
CAHS Journal Managing Editor and Graphics Director,
Canadian Aviation Historical Society
From the Desk of the Treasurer
From the Desk of the Treasurer
We are just a few weeks away from the CAHS annual convention being held in Ottawa, Ontario. I have been working with our aviation artists and our graphics manager to have the 2026 Aviation Artists Calendar ready to launch and sell in-person at the convention. As has become tradition, it is a beautiful, eye-catching 13-month bilingual calendar featuring a collection of civilian and military aviation aircraft. Compared to any calendars on the market, ours is very competitively priced at $15 a copy. In the list below, you can pre-purchase a copy to pick up at the convention, or you can have the calendar shipped to your address for $6 postage.
We are still offering a number of discounted book offers, including Roger Gunn's book on Great War pilots and Peter Pigott's book on aerial firefighting. Both of these books can be picked up at the convention or shipped to your home address when you pre-purchase from the list below. Also check out the shop to see all the books still available for purchase and shipping.
Thanks for supporting the CAHS and our network of aviation history authors and aviation artists with your purchases. Looking forward to seeing many of you at the convention in Ottawa in mid-June!
We are just a few weeks away from the CAHS annual convention being held in Ottawa, Ontario. I have been working with our aviation artists and our graphics manager to have the 2026 Aviation Artists Calendar ready to launch and sell in-person at the convention. As has become tradition, it is a beautiful, eye-catching 13-month bilingual calendar featuring a collection of civilian and military aviation aircraft. Compared to any calendars on the market, ours is very competitively priced at $15 a copy. In the list below, you can pre-purchase a copy to pick up at the convention, or you can have the calendar shipped to your address for $6 postage.
We are still offering a number of discounted book offers, including Roger Gunn's book on Great War pilots and Peter Pigott's book on aerial firefighting. Both of these books can be picked up at the convention or shipped to your home address when you pre-purchase from the list below. Also check out the shop to see all the books still available for purchase and shipping.
Thanks for supporting the CAHS and our network of aviation history authors and aviation artists with your purchases. Looking forward to seeing many of you at the convention in Ottawa in mid-June!
Cordially, Dr. Rachel Lea Heide,
National Treasurer,
Canadian Aviation Historical Society
Cordially, Dr. Rachel Lea Heide,
National Treasurer,
Canadian Aviation Historical Society
CAHS 2026 Aviation Art Calendar
CAHS 2026 Aviation Art Calendar
The annual aviation art calendar is available ($15 a copy plus $6 shipping in Canada). This bilingual calendar includes 13 full-colour images featuring a collection of civilian and military aviation aircraft.
The annual aviation art calendar is available ($15 a copy plus $6 shipping in Canada). This bilingual calendar includes 13 full-colour images featuring a collection of civilian and military aviation aircraft.
Four of Our Finest: The Great War Pilots Fall, Atkey, Claxton, and Quigley
Four of Our Finest: The Great War Pilots Fall, Atkey, Claxton, and Quigley
Roger Gunn has meticulously researched four lesser-known Canadian pilots of the First World War, four pilots who should be better known. Joseph Fall, Alfred Atkey, William Claxton and Francis Quigley. They led fascinating lives and Roger traces them from their beginnings in Canada to their life in the skies over the Western Front and beyond.
We are offering this book for $20.00 plus $10 shipping per copy in Canada.
Roger Gunn has meticulously researched four lesser-known Canadian pilots of the First World War, four pilots who should be better known. Joseph Fall, Alfred Atkey, William Claxton and Francis Quigley. They led fascinating lives and Roger traces them from their beginnings in Canada to their life in the skies over the Western Front and beyond.
We are offering this book for $20.00 plus $10 shipping per copy in Canada.
Fire Eaters: Aerial Firefighting Over the Last Century
Fire Eaters: Aerial Firefighting Over the Last Century
Beginning with the Canadian “H-Boats” in 1924, aircraft have become indispensable in detecting and extinguishing wildfires. Peter Pigott tells the incredible stories of the Ontario Provincial Air Service through to Dash 8-400AT air tankers and uninhabited aircraft able to fly for sixteen hours.
We are selling it as a CAHS fund-raiser at a discount rate of $26.50 plus $8 shipping in Canada.
Beginning with the Canadian “H-Boats” in 1924, aircraft have become indispensable in detecting and extinguishing wildfires. Peter Pigott tells the incredible stories of the Ontario Provincial Air Service through to Dash 8-400AT air tankers and uninhabited aircraft able to fly for sixteen hours.
We are selling it as a CAHS fund-raiser at a discount rate of $26.50 plus $8 shipping in Canada.
The Canadian Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) is looking for a new editor for its monthly electronic newsletter (eNL) which is produced to inform CAHS members and friends about CAHS events and initiatives, aviation history news, and aviation museum events and developments. The monthly pay for the eNL role will be $185. The start date is as soon as possible (likely mid-summer 2025), and the out-going Interim-Editor will provide hand-over guidance. Check out the job posting on the CAHS website specific details about roles, production tempo, and necessary skills.
Please submit your email expressing interest, with a CV demonstrating appropriate experience, by 14 June 2025 to CAHS President Gary Williams. The CAHS would like to encourage students in high school, Air Cadets, college, and university to consider applying.
The Canadian Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) is looking for a new editor for its monthly electronic newsletter (eNL) which is produced to inform CAHS members and friends about CAHS events and initiatives, aviation history news, and aviation museum events and developments. The monthly pay for the eNL role will be $185. The start date is as soon as possible (likely mid-summer 2025), and the out-going Interim-Editor will provide hand-over guidance. Check out the job posting on the CAHS website specific details about roles, production tempo, and necessary skills.
Please submit your email expressing interest, with a CV demonstrating appropriate experience, by 14 June 2025 to CAHS President Gary Williams. The CAHS would like to encourage students in high school, Air Cadets, college, and university to consider applying.
A Homebuilt Classic on Display
A Homebuilt Classic on Display
Pietenpol Air Camper C-GNDX at Saskatoon Airport, June 23 2024.
Pietenpol Air Camper C-GNDX at Saskatoon Airport, June 23 2024.
A brief report from Gord McNulty about a homebuilt Pietenpol on display at Saskatoon Airport that he noticed on the way home from the CAHS 2024 Convention.
.
Story and photos by Gord McNulty
A brief report from Gord McNulty about a homebuilt Pietenpol on display at Saskatoon Airport that he noticed on the way home from the CAHS 2024 Convention.
Among the special events held at Canadian aviation museums in May was a full day’s program at the Bomber Command Museum at Nanton, Alberta on Saturday, May 10, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. The museum’s Victory in Europe “Engine Run Day” featured engine run-ups of aircraft at the museum, music performed by the air force band from 4 Wing Cold Lake, and a flypast of a Hornet CF-18 jet from the Cold Lake base making two passes over a large crowd in attendance on a perfect day for the event.
Story photos by John Chalmers
Among the special events held at Canadian aviation museums in May was a full day’s program at the Bomber Command Museum at Nanton, Alberta on Saturday, May 10, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. The museum’s Victory in Europe “Engine Run Day” featured engine run-ups of aircraft at the museum, music performed by the air force band from 4 Wing Cold Lake, and a flypast of a Hornet CF-18 jet from the Cold Lake base making two passes over a large crowd in attendance on a perfect day for the event.
On May 2, the KF Centre for Excellence hosted a Speaking Series: Triumph & Tragedy featuring Richard de Boer. The presentation was in honour of the 80th anniversary of V E day and the tragic Mosquito bomber 'F for Freddie' crash in Calgary two days later. We filmed it and uploaded the 1.5 hr talk to our YouTube channel.
Provided by Emma Jones,
Marketing and Communications,
KF Centre for Excellence
On May 2, the KF Centre for Excellence hosted a Speaking Series: Triumph & Tragedy featuring Richard de Boer. The presentation was in honour of the 80th anniversary of V E day and the tragic Mosquito bomber 'F for Freddie' crash in Calgary two days later. We filmed it and uploaded the 1.5 hr talk to our YouTube channel.
This is the signature event that The Hangar Flight Museum is best known for, and for good reason! It’s the best weekend of the year to visit them. This year is the 12th anniversary, presented by Custom Electric Ltd. and it’s also the 50th Anniversary year for The Hangar. Join them for a vehicle show and shine, flying crafts, a balloon artist creating airplanes with balloons, and entry into the flight decks of a few of their aircraft. Don’t forget to wear closed-toe shoes to enter the airplanes – safety first! Tickets are available both online and at the door, and dads get in free when accompanied by a paid admission.
This is the signature event that The Hangar Flight Museum is best known for, and for good reason! It’s the best weekend of the year to visit them. This year is the 12th anniversary, presented by Custom Electric Ltd. and it’s also the 50th Anniversary year for The Hangar. Join them for a vehicle show and shine, flying crafts, a balloon artist creating airplanes with balloons, and entry into the flight decks of a few of their aircraft. Don’t forget to wear closed-toe shoes to enter the airplanes – safety first! Tickets are available both online and at the door, and dads get in free when accompanied by a paid admission.
Helicopter Weekend
28 & 29 June 2025 10AM-4PM
Helicopter Weekend
28 & 29 June 2025 10AM-4PM
New for this year is Helicopter Weekend at The Hangar Flight Museum. Join them for a highlight on the helicopters in their collection, including sitting in the Sikorsky Dragonfly! Plus, LR Helicopters is joining them with helicopter city tours for $95/person. These flights are first come first serve, and will be weather dependant. It’s a great way to get up in the sky in a helicopter for the first time and get a new perspective of Calgary.
New for this year is Helicopter Weekend at The Hangar Flight Museum. Join them for a highlight on the helicopters in their collection, including sitting in the Sikorsky Dragonfly! Plus, LR Helicopters is joining them with helicopter city tours for $95/person. These flights are first come first serve, and will be weather dependant. It’s a great way to get up in the sky in a helicopter for the first time and get a new perspective of Calgary.
Here are the questions and answers to this month's Canadian Aviation Moments:
Here are the questions and answers to this month's Canadian Aviation Moments:
Question 1: What was the linked crew escape from the Arrow, and why was it required?
Source:
Arrow Countdown,
pg. 28 (Zuuring)
Question 1: What was the linked crew escape from the Arrow, and why was it required?
Source:
Arrow Countdown,
pg. 28 (Zuuring)
Question 2:What was the convenient deciding factor in sorting out the elementary trainees in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP)?
Source:
Wings For Victory,
pg. 98 (Dunmore)
Question 2:What was the convenient deciding factor in sorting out the elementary trainees in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP)?
Source:
Wings For Victory,
pg. 98 (Dunmore)
Question 3:Which raid was the furthest afield during daylight that was sent by RAF Bomber Command and was entirely a 6 Group effort except for the Pathfinder Force?
Source:
No Prouder Place,
pg. 424-425 (Bashow)
Question 3:Which raid was the furthest afield during daylight that was sent by RAF Bomber Command and was entirely a 6 Group effort except for the Pathfinder Force?
Source:
No Prouder Place,
pg. 424-425 (Bashow)
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!
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: “Experience with CF-100 crew ejections were not great. Often the pilot got out without the navigator…many were killed. In a single seat airplane, should the pilot decide to eject he should be out and clear of the fuselage within one second. When two crew members are involved this can take as long as 13 seconds. The second party may resist ejection because he wants to know what is happening, he may not agree with the order to eject, or he may simply refuse to eject. In the case of the Arrow, there were two clear reasons why the escape delay should be minimized. One is for aerodynamic reasons. If the damping control fails in the Arrow, a diverging yaw condition can develop very quickly at high altitudes. Any delay beyond three seconds was considered too late – the aircraft could suffer structural failure. The second reason is one of low altitude during takeoff and landing when power, structural, control, lack of fuel, to name a few conditions would require ejection within a few seconds. This was amply demonstrated with several low level CF100 accidents. To overcome the hesitation to eject, it was proposed, for the Arrow programme, that a linked escape would: 1.Reduce total crew escape time to 2.5 seconds. 2. Permit the pilot, with one control, initiate escape, and to 3. Eliminate navigator hesitation or refusal.”
Source:
Arrow Countdown,
pg. 28 (Zuuring)
ANSWER 1: “Experience with CF-100 crew ejections were not great. Often the pilot got out without the navigator…many were killed. In a single seat airplane, should the pilot decide to eject he should be out and clear of the fuselage within one second. When two crew members are involved this can take as long as 13 seconds. The second party may resist ejection because he wants to know what is happening, he may not agree with the order to eject, or he may simply refuse to eject. In the case of the Arrow, there were two clear reasons why the escape delay should be minimized. One is for aerodynamic reasons. If the damping control fails in the Arrow, a diverging yaw condition can develop very quickly at high altitudes. Any delay beyond three seconds was considered too late – the aircraft could suffer structural failure. The second reason is one of low altitude during takeoff and landing when power, structural, control, lack of fuel, to name a few conditions would require ejection within a few seconds. This was amply demonstrated with several low level CF100 accidents. To overcome the hesitation to eject, it was proposed, for the Arrow programme, that a linked escape would: 1.Reduce total crew escape time to 2.5 seconds. 2. Permit the pilot, with one control, initiate escape, and to 3. Eliminate navigator hesitation or refusal.”
Source:
Arrow Countdown,
pg. 28 (Zuuring)
ANSWER 2: “'In countless cases, a man’s susceptibility to airsickness became a convenient deciding factor in sorting out the trainees. The borderliners with strong stomachs stayed in training, the others washed out. It was one easy way of deciding the matter, but an inefficient one. Bill Sweetman was by no means the only pilot to experience queasiness and nausea when first subjected to loops and dives, or even straight and level flight; in fact, it is probably true that most trainees suffered similarly. However, nine out of ten eventually become inured to the peculiar motions of the air.”
Source:
Wings For Victory,
pg. 98 (Dunmore)
ANSWER 2: “'In countless cases, a man’s susceptibility to airsickness became a convenient deciding factor in sorting out the trainees. The borderliners with strong stomachs stayed in training, the others washed out. It was one easy way of deciding the matter, but an inefficient one. Bill Sweetman was by no means the only pilot to experience queasiness and nausea when first subjected to loops and dives, or even straight and level flight; in fact, it is probably true that most trainees suffered similarly. However, nine out of ten eventually become inured to the peculiar motions of the air.”
Source:
Wings For Victory,
pg. 98 (Dunmore)
ANSWER 3: “The following day, Bomber Command was sent the furthest afield it would venture on a daylight raid during the war. This was a maximum effort of 230 aircraft---134 Lancasters, ninety Halifaxes and six Mosquitos---directed against the Englsdorf and Mockau railway yards at Leipzig, another Thunderclap target. And, except for thirty Lancasters and the six Mosquitos from the Pathfinder Force, this raid was entirely a 6 Group effort. The weather was clear, the defending flak only moderate, the bombing accurate and the casualties were light, with only one Lancaster and one Halifax lost in action, a 415 Squadron Halifax from East Moor and a 433 Squadron Lancaster from Skipton.”
Source:
No Prouder Place,
pg. 424-425 (Bashow)
ANSWER 3: “The following day, Bomber Command was sent the furthest afield it would venture on a daylight raid during the war. This was a maximum effort of 230 aircraft---134 Lancasters, ninety Halifaxes and six Mosquitos---directed against the Englsdorf and Mockau railway yards at Leipzig, another Thunderclap target. And, except for thirty Lancasters and the six Mosquitos from the Pathfinder Force, this raid was entirely a 6 Group effort. The weather was clear, the defending flak only moderate, the bombing accurate and the casualties were light, with only one Lancaster and one Halifax lost in action, a 415 Squadron Halifax from East Moor and a 433 Squadron Lancaster from Skipton.”
Source:
No Prouder Place,
pg. 424-425 (Bashow)
Chapter News
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!
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
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
