| The Canadian Aviation Historical Society |
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From the Desk of the Executive |
Airventure, the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual fly in and convention, is the biggest aviation event on Earth. Over 677,000 people walked through the gates at the Oshkosh, Wisconsin, airport, between Monday 24 July and Sunday 30 July, almost 100,000 per day. Over ten thousand airplanes flew to the Oshkosh airport, the vast majority being privately owned small aircraft like Cessna 172s, Piper Cherokees, and more unusual aircraft like Vari-EZE and Sonex homebuilt aircraft. Each day is filled with seminars, an airshow, multiple flypasts, a short take off and landing demonstration, talks about featured aircraft, and acres of exhibitors selling new aircraft, aircraft supplies, and merchandise. There are areas set aside for specific types of aircraft, and different classes - vintage aircraft, homebuilts, seaplanes, and warbirds. With the increasing shortage of skilled workers, there are now exhibition halls dedicated to recruitment, women, and kids, with programmes for each. |
Planning is underway for the 2024 National Convention of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society. Help us select a location in western Canada and choose our tours. |
Jim Bell,
National Secretary, Canadian Aviation Historical Society |
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Click the button above, then click on the little magnifying glass to begin your search. |
| 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. |
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From the Desk of the Journal Editor
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Covers, feature title pages, and scale drawings centre spread images for CAHS Journal Volume 58 No 2. Click/tap on any image to see larger images on our web site).
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Journal 58-2 is now at the printers. I had intended to include more on the features in the next two work-in-progress Journals in this month's report but have had to take a short-notice medical leave, including a few days in hospital, during its preparation. I will resume with 58-3 and -4 content highlights in the next newsletter. By then, Journal 58-2 should be in the mail, if not already delivered, depending on your location. |
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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 |
The CAHS Store is still featuring the children's book about Lillian Bland, as well as the re-order of Flying to the Extremes (which we also have available in French too): see the thumbnails below for the purchasing links. We are almost sold out of the 2023 Aviation Artists' Calendar (one copy left - sale price $10 including shipping). We still have a good supply of the CAHS window sticker. This month, I would also like to use my section to highlight some of the event links that will appear in the news section. There are three galas being held this fall, two will be celebrating the accomplishments of females in the aviation industry. Check out the links below for the Northern Lights Elsie MacGill Awards Gala (21 October 2023), as well as the Elevate Aviation Inspire Gala (14 October 2023), and the third is Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame 50th Anniversary (14 September 2023). Elevate Aviation has also created a job board for people looking for positions in the industry, and they are holding an AME competition (29 & 30 November 2023) to inspire youth training in the field. I hope that these events might be of interest to you or your family as we collectively celebrate the talent in the aviation industry and try to attract more people to enter aviation careers. |
Cordially, Dr. Rachel Lea Heide, National Treasurer, Canadian Aviation Historical Society |
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Flying to Extremes by Dominique Prinet
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| Recalling some of the most memorable escapades ever conducted in the Canadian Arctic with bush planes, Flying to Extremes takes place in the late 1960s and early 1970s from a base at Yellowknife, in the heart of the Northwest Territories. Illustrated throughout with colour photographs. Click the "Buy Now" link below to learn more. Get yours for just $21.00 (GST included) plus $6.00 shipping per copy in Canada. The publisher's retail price is $24.95 plus shipping and GST. |
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Pilote du Bout du Monde: Souvenirs d'un pilote de brousse dans le Grand Nord |
| Au cours des années 1960 et 1970, le Grand Nord canadien était en pleine effervescence. Dominique Prinet, alors jeune pilote de brousse, y a effectué des vols incroyables, lui qui a transporté, par tous les temps, des pêcheurs, des chasseurs et des trappeurs, des chercheurs d'or ou de pétrole, ainsi que des blessés et des malades nécessitant une évacuation d'urgence. Illustré par des photographies en couleur. The retail price is $26.95 + tax. The CAHS will be offering this book for $21 (tax included) + $20 shipping to a Canadian address. |
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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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CAHS Sticker for Car Window
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| We have created a sticker that you can affix to a car window to advertise your support for the CAHS. The adhesive is on the back, and the sticker background is clear. Size is approximately 4" x 4". $7 each with shipping and handling included. |
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Elevate Aviation Job Board |
Elevate Aviation Job Board provides access to some of the available jobs in the aviation industry. For information on who’s looking to hire, please click here. |
Elevate Aviation 2023 Competition Team
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Elevate Aviation is looking for interested students to join their AME Skills Competitions in Canada and the United States. This year the Elevate Aviation team members will compete in the Ontario Aircraft Maintenance Skills Challenge and the Aerospace Maintenance Competition. |
Elevate Aviation Inspire Gala
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Step into the future of aviation with Elevate Aviation's annual Inspire gala on Saturday, October 14, 2023, at the stunning Aurora Jet Partners Hangar located at the Edmonton International Airport! |
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Northern Lights Elsie Award Gala |
The 14th annual Northern Lights Elsie Awards Gala will be held at the Pearson Convention Centre in Brampton, Ontario on Saturday, October 21, 2023. The Gala will recognize eight inspiring women in aviation and aerospace. |
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Royal Canadian Mint Launches New Coin |
The Royal Canadian Mint dropped a new $1 commemorative circulation coin on Tuesday, August 1 in honour of history-maker Elsie MacGill. Elsie MacGill, a trailblazer in aviation, earned an Electrical Engineering Degree, and despite battling polio during her studies, achieved a Master's Degree in Aeronautical Engineering. Notably, she designed innovative aircraft and was pivotal in overseeing the production of the Hawker Hurricane during the Second World War. To read more about Elsie, you can find a complete biography here. To read more about the unveiling of the coin and Elsie MacGill, please read John Chalmers story here. The announcement of the coin’s release was made at The Hangar Flight Museum in Calgary in front of the Hawker Hurricane. To read about the event, please click here. To learn more about the coin and how to acquire one, please click here. And to view the full collection of Elsie MacGill coins from the Royal Canadian Mint, please click here. |
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| From Laurentian Air Services to Airtransit |
Pilot and author W. T. "Tim" Cole shares stories from his career in aviation, from bush flying in Northern Quebec and Labrador in the 1960s to flying with Canada's cutting edge STOL demonstration airline of the mid-1970s. via Kyle Huth |
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| Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame 50th Anniversary |
Join Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame to celebrate their 50th Anniversary! An exciting golf tournament, BBQ, Ceremony, and Induction, join us for two days of celebrating aviation and aerospace history in Canada! by Katherine Simunkovic, CAHS Newsletter Editor
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Lifetime CAHS Member (membership number 67), Toronto Chapter President, and CAHS Journal Editorial Board Member Sheldon Benner passed away on 4 August 2023 in Toronto. Sheldon was a dedicated volunteer in a number of organizations, with Canadian aviation history being a particular labour of love. Toronto Chapter Director Ken Swartz has assembled an In Memoriam page on our site, celebrating the life and times of his friend and colleague. Read more… |
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Frederick Moore’s Passing |
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With a heavy heart we share the sad news of Frederick Moore’s passing. Born in 1928, Fred was a prominent figure in Canadian aviation. Graduating from Royal Roads Military College, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and became a Qualified Test Pilot, contributing to the development of key aircraft such as the Canadair T-33 Silver Star and Avro CF-100. Fred's innovation extended to flight simulators, transforming RCAF training. His civilian career included roles in companies like Northwest Industries and Okanagan Helicopters, where he played a significant role in the international growth of the helicopter industry. His influence continued with CHC Helicopter Corporation, where he served as Senior Vice President. Fred's passion for flying endured throughout his life, and he was inducted into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 2014, a recognition of his lasting contribution to aviation. We pass condolences on to family and friends. To read a complete biography of Fred's life, please click here. |
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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 were the duties of No. 13 Naval Squadron, commanded by Canadian Collishaw, during the First World War?
Source: Canada’s Fighting Airmen, pg. 85 (Drew) |
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| Question 2: What 2 conditions did the Prime Minister of Canada (Mackenzie King) insist on before he would agree to a complete agreement on the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan? Source: Wings For Victory, pg. 44 (Dunmore) |
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| Question 3: In what respect was the Halifax bomber far superior to the Lancaster bomber? Source: No Prouder Place, pg. 279 (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 greatly intensified German submarine campaign had become a very serious menace to the British, and units of the Grand Fleet bombarded the two submarine stations of Zeebrugge and Ostend at increasingly frequent intervals. The duties of No. 13 Naval Squadron before and during these bombardments were twofold. It was the duty of the airmen to protect the fleet from attacking aeroplanes, and also to watch for enemy submarines which could be seen so much more easily from the air than from the ships themselves. Their second duty was to protect the observation machines which controlled the fire of the ships by wireless. These observation machines, flying above the place which was being shelled, directed the fire of the guns on important points of the enemy’s defense, and particularly on the basin at the end of the canal where his submarines lay. A third duty, independent of the operation of the fleet, was to attack by bomb from the air the submarines themselves which lay in harbour and the workshops nearby which were used for repairing them.”
Source: Canada’s Fighting Airmen, pg. 85 (Drew) |
ANSWER 2: “They were finally close to complete agreement. The British were understandably keen to wrap up the last details. But King insisted on two provisions: the satisfactory completion of financial talks then going on in London between British officials and T.A. Crerar, the minister of mines and resources and resources; and a statement from the British asserting that the BCATP was the most important of all Canadian military commitments. King needed such a statement for home consumption, for the inevitable battles in Parliament and as something to wave in the face of angry voters who might complain that Canada’s ground forces should be larger and more powerful. It took time to arrive at the right wording. Obligingly, Kingsley Wood, the British secretary of state for air, declared in the House of Commons that the BCATP “may in the opinion of the United Kingdom Government prove to be a contribution of the most essential and decisive character.” King wanted something stronger, something including the statement: “The air training plan should take priority over all other Canadian commitments not already entered into.” Chamberlain provided a paragraph that said just that; but he added a few lines to the effect that large Canadian land forces would also be welcome.” Source: Wings For Victory, pg. 44 (Dunmore) |
ANSWER 3: “However, they garnered a reputation as a sturdy aircraft, one that would do its best to get its crews safely home. And in one critical respect, the Halifax was far superior to the Lancaster: crew survivability in the event of categorical destruction in combat. At issue was the Lancaster’s relatively confined fuselage, crew movement over that notorious main wing spar, and the size and location of the emergency escape hatches. For the period from January to June 1943, the overall emergency egress to survivability rate was 10.9 percent for the Lancaster and 29.0 percent for the Halifax. A broader-based statistic, which included the later Halifax variants, showed that 18.8 percent of Lancaster aircrew survived being shot down to become POWs, whereas 34.7 percent of Halifax aircrew survived. The Halifax was popular with those who flew in it, it could absorb a lot of battle damage and still get its crews home, and it floated well when ditched. And when crash landings occurred, the way it tended to break up at its various construction joints occasionally saved the occupants.” Source: No Prouder Place, pg. 279 (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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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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