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Volume 44 September 2009 Number 1 http://www.cahs.ca/chapters/toronto. Canadian Aviation Historical Society Special Speakers: First Annual CAHS Toronto Dinner Meeting Gerald Haddon - Grandson of J.A.D. McCurdy Sunday September 27, 2009 Bjarni Tryggvason – Cdn. Astronaut & Silver Dart Replica Pilot Dinner at 6:30 PM Armour Heights Officers Mess $30.00 per Person – Spouses & Guests are most Canadian Forces College welcome 215 Yonge Blvd. at Wilson Avenue RSVP Chapter Secretary – Treasurer Toronto Tel: (416) 745 – 1462 Email: [email protected] Next Month’s Meeting Oct 17, 2009 Last Month’s Meeting . 2 Chapter News – September 2009 . 9 Folded Wings ........................................9 Dinner Meeting . 11 Chapter Dues Increase for 2010 . 11 New Members . 11 Electronic Observer Wings . 11 Officer’s Mess at Canadian Forces Staff College 1 Flypast V. 44 No. 1 Last Month’s Meeting is the first general interest book dedicated solely May Meeting to Canada’s beginnings in flight. His book covers Topic: Canada’s Centennial of Flight in the the development of Canada’s incredible flying printed word heritage, starting with an introductory balloon Speaker: Larry Milberry ascent in New Brunswick in 1840, and traces the Reporter: Gord McNulty activities that led to the Silver Dart, flown by J.A.D. McCurdy, making Canada’s first powered CAHS Toronto Chapter President Howard airplane flight at Baddeck, Nova Scotia, on Malone introduced a man who truly needs no February 23, 1909. The book outlines how introduction, Larry Milberry. A life member of Canadians coast-to-coast were introduced to the CAHS, Larry is “Mr. Aviation History” in aircraft, mainly at fairs and exhibitions. Then Canada. Born in Haileybury, Ontario, in 1943, thousands went on to fight and die in World War Larry has been following aviation since a boy. I --- the first great aerial conflict. Three His writing days began in 1960 with articles in Canadian airmen received the Victoria Cross. In such magazines as Air Pictorial. He co-authored 1918, Canada’s airmen came home, many Canadian Communities (1975) and Canada: looking for new frontiers. Immigrants and Settlers (1979), two widely-used Larry opened in his typically straightforward social studies textbooks. McGraw-Hill Ryerson style, telling the audience, “If you came here published his first aeronautical title --- Aviation wearing your political correctness cap, you can in Canada --- in 1979. It enjoyed five printings take it off now.” In his presentation, he took a and became the model for the subsequent broad look at Canada’s aviation heritage and CANAV Books series. Beginning with a history what’s been done, mainly in the printed word, to of the CF-100, CANAV has published 29 preserve it. As Larry said, 2009 began with internationally acclaimed titles. decent efforts to generate interest in Canada’s In covering the achievements of Canada’s Centennial of Flight, varying from one province aviators and aviation innovators, Larry’s research to another. He noted the Toronto Aero Buff has taken him to all parts of Canada and modellers put on an ace of a model display in the overseas. Although never a pilot, he has flown in lobby of the Canadian Air and Space Museum. more than 100 types from the Ford Trimotor to There is a showing of aviation nose art at the the Norseman, North Star, C-130 Hercules and Western Canada Aviation Museum. One of the Antonov 124, F-106 and CF-18, B-52, Pitts speakers at the CAHS Calgary chapter meetings Special and Sikorsky Skycrane. He is also an featured the sad tale of Mosquito “F for Freddie.” Honourary Fellow of the Canadian Aeronautics So each chapter appears to be doing something. and Space Institute and Honourary Member of The agenda for the successful 46th annual CAHS the Retired Airline Pilots of Canada. Larry has convention & AGM at Belleville and Trenton, been honoured by the Air Force Association of July 2-4, included several Centennial-themed Canada and the Canadian Owners and Pilots presentations including such significant Association. In 2004, he was inducted into restoration projects as the AEA 2005 Silver Dart Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame. replica, completed in Niagara and subsequently In 2008, Larry made an outstanding flown at Baddeck in February. contribution to the celebration of Canada’s Larry, who attended the Centennial of Flight Centennial of Flight this year by publishing celebrations at Baddeck, was pleased to learn that Aviation in Canada: The Pioneer Decades. This the fine Silver Dart replica would be housed Flypast V. 44 No. 1 2 permanently in a wing to be added to the with events such as its Flyfest in June, including magnificent Bell Museum in Baddeck. All of the the first official flight of its Lysander. Several moving parts that had to be used to make the major air shows celebrated the Centennial of aircraft airworthy will be replaced with Flight throughout the summer across Canada. near-original, obviously non-flight status, One of the most impressive took place July 4-5 components. So it will be as close to an at 8 Wing Trenton, where an estimated 60,000 or authentic Silver Dart as we’re ever going to see. more spectators enjoyed a commemorative Larry recommended the Bell museum as a weekend aviation spectacle. The Trenton must-see, along with the outstanding Curtiss ceremonies celebrated not only the 100th museum at Hammondsport, N.Y. In Montreal, in Anniversary of Powered Flight in Canada, but May, the Canadian Aviation Heritage Centre at also the 85th anniversary of the RCAF, the 60th Ste. Anne de Bellevue rolled out a near-perfect anniversary of the BCATP Memorial Gates, and replica of a Bleriot, very similar to the pair that the 25th Anniversary of the National Airforce flew during the Montreal and Toronto aviation Museum of Canada. A magnificent air display meets of 1910. The museum, located at the featured the Snowbirds and the VWoC Hawk Macdonald Campus of McGill University, is also One Sabre, the CF-18 Demo Team, and a wide restoring a Fairchild bushplane and a range of current and vintage aircraft. Bolingbroke. Much of its excellent work has been supported by the son of Hubert Pasmore, who was manager of Fairchild of Canada at Longueil. The Alberta Aviation Museum conducted some commemorative re-enactments of historical flights, despite the rigours of winter. As many as 400 people attended a Centennial of Flight dinner in April at Comox, B.C., themed around a Golden Hawks reunion. About 15 Golden Hawk pilots attended. Adding even more to the occasion, the Snowbirds and the Hawk One Sabre restored to flying condition by Centennial of Flight Demo Team at CFB Trenton Vintage Wings of Canada in the colours of the Airshow. Photo - Gord McNulty legendary RCAF Golden Hawks, practised their routine for the 2009 air show season. Larry also Larry discussed the enduring efforts made in lauded the Air Force Museum at 19 Wing, previous years to lay a foundation for Canada’s Comox, for its exceptional quality. It has what is aviation heritage. The original material from considered to be the second-finest aviation which our knowledge today emanates includes library in Canada. such resources as the records of the AEA itself. The Canadian Air and Space Museum held a Alexander Graham Bell insisted on recording successful Wings & Wheels event, the fourth and preserving in print everything that the AEA annual, in May, together with other special accomplished --- its goals, successes, failures. events during the summer highlighting Canadian There wasn’t any secrecy with Bell, in contrast to achievements exemplified by the Silver Dart, the the Wright brothers and also Glenn Curtiss and Arrow and the Jetliner. In addition, the Canadian associates. Meanwhile, the contemporary press Warplane Heritage Museum has been on a roll back then usually provided decent coverage of 3 Flypast V. 44 No. 1 anything to do with flight, starting with Canada’s were reading from a host of UK and US aviation first manned balloon ascent at Saint John, New monthlies, getting all the immediate ‘gen’ --- Brunswick, in 1840. Although copies of most in-depth articles covering technology, flying 19th century local newspapers have not survived, clubs, air regulations, military developments, there are enough in our archives coast to coast, so biographical information and so on. All of this is we know about pretty well all the pioneer balloon exceedingly valuable material for us to tap today. events and other flight developments that Canadian Air Review, the voice of the Aerial culminated at Baddeck. Larry contended that League of Canada, and Canadian Aviation contrary to what some of our “PhD aviation magazine, the voice of the Canadian Flying researchers” would say, such contemporary Clubs Association, both were circulating by newspapers by now should be viewed as a 1928. Also, by this time, people began to delve primary source for any serious researcher. More in our aviation history seriously, led by Frank H. and more archival newspapers are coming on line Ellis. He was one of the few Canadian members every day. Through the Toronto Public Library, of the “Early Birds,” someone who had piloted a for example, The Globe and Mail and The Star plane before Dec. 17, 1913 (the 10th anniversary are freely available from Day 1 --- 1844 for The of the Wright brothers’ first flight). Frank Ellis Globe in fact. Larry called a library card “a lazy seems to have been born with a love for history man’s source of fabulous information.” in his veins, gathering all kinds of material. Beyond the local press, even before the First By the mid-1930s, Canadian Aviation was World War specialized international publications publishing Ellis’ articles.

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