Volume 35, No. 4 THE Fall Issue September 2017 Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame Featured in this Issue: ‘Salute to a Golden Age’ by Peter Robichaud Pages 6-8 ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ opens the 2017 Induction Gala Pages 12-14 Air Spray - fighting forest fires Page 22 Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame BOARD OF DIRECTORS: (Volunteers) Rod Sheridan, ON Chairman Chris Cooper-Slipper, ON Vice Chairman Miriam Kavanagh, ON Secretary Panthéon de l’Aviation du Canada Michael Bannock, ON Treasurer Bruce Aubin, ON CONTACT INFORMATION: Gordon Berturelli, AB Denis Chagnon, QC Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame Lynn Hamilton, AB P.O. Box 6090 Jim McBride, AB Wetaskiwin, AB T9A 2E8 Canada Anna Pangrazzi, ON Craig Richmond, BC Phone: 780.312.2073 / Fax: 780.361.1239 David Wright, AB Website: www.cahf.ca Email: see listings below: Bill Elliot, Mayor of Wetaskiwin, AB (ex-officio) STAFF: Executive Director: Robert Porter 780.312.2073 OPERATIONS COMMITTEE: (Wetaskiwin) ([email protected]) (Volunteers) Collections Manager: Aja Cooper 780.312.2084 ([email protected]) David Wright, Chairman Blain Fowler, Past Chairman John Chalmers OFFICE HOURS: Denny May Tuesday - Friday: 9 am - 4:30 pm Margaret May Closed Mondays Mary Oswald Robert Porter CAHF DISPLAYS (HANGAR) HOURS: Aja Cooper Tuesday to Sunday: 10 am - 5 pm Noel Ratch (non-voting, Closed Mondays representing Reynolds-Alberta Museum) Winter Hours: 1 pm - 4 pm (Please call to confirm opening times.) THE FLYER COMMITTEE: To change your address, Mary Oswald, Editor ([email protected]) contact The Hall at 780.312.2073 780.469.3547 John Chalmers, CAHF Historian Janice Oppen, Design and Layout PORTRAITS: 2 Information about The Hall Robert Bailey 3 Chairman’s Message 3 Governor General Julie Payette 4-5 1929 Mercy Flight PATRON: His Excellency, the Right Honourable David Johnston, 6-8 CAF Golden Centennaires C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D., Governor General of Canada 9-11 1967 Centennial Zoom Flights Part II 12-14 2017 Induction Dinner Photos 15 Honorary Poet 15 Medallion Casts 16-17 Golden Hawks November December 17 New Directors Russ Bannock Frank Henley to these Members: Bill Wheeler Robert White 18 Jet Aircraft Survival & Hazards October John Crichton Robert Bradford 19-20 Ten Miles From Home Julie Payette Max Ward Kathy Fox Jim Floyd Fred Moore 21 Musings - Dave Wright Larry Milberry Jim McBride January 22-23 Air Spray - 50 Years George Miller Dick Richmond 24 Loss of Two Members Chairman’s Message Rod Sheridan Dear Friends, Easy to Nominate When preparing a new nomination please On June 15, 2017 we logged another follow the procedure that is outlined on our outstanding Gala Induction dinner. With website. This makes it easier for the NRC to attendance of close to 400, 4 new members, evaluate your nomination. Don’t hesitate to but have yet to receive many submissions for an aerobatic team deserving of the Belt of call us if you need help. the Engineers and Technicians that support Orion Award, and Vancouver International and play key roles in creating the missions Airport as our hosts, Mike Matthews and the I encourage our members and the friends and machines that make travel and existence dinner committee presented us an evening of the Hall to make the task for selecting in space possible. worthy of those we honoured. the 2019 Nominees more challenging for the Nominations Review Committee to I know there are countless stories that tell Looking Ahead select New Members and Belt of Orion of accomplishments in the atmosphere yet Our next Induction dinner will take place on organizations. Take the time to look around to be told, and with them we would love to June the 7th 2018 in Calgary, and we will be you at your friends, colleagues, former celebrate more of the people that will take us announcing names of the inductees shortly. employers, those you had the honour to serve to the next frontier. But rather than discussing our 2018 dinner, with, and seek out people you feel worthy of which will receive much publicity in the Nomination. Again, We Need Your Support and Ideas weeks to come, I want to focus on the 2019 Speaking on behalf of the Nomination Induction. Broaden Our Scope in Seeking Review Committee, please send more New Members submissions for them to review. If you have Nominations Needed for New Members When I look at the current Members I see submitted a nomination, please make sure We look forward to receiving new a number of areas we may not have seen it’s up to date, don’t let it become cold. As a Nominations every year to add to the enough candidates from, specifically in Member or a Friend of the Hall, you are the active submissions our Nomination Review the area of Engineering and the broader ones we count on to build the roster of who Committee (NRC) diligently reviews. If you Aerospace Community. Canada has a more will become the next Honoured Members of have previously submitted a Nomination for recent history of contributions in the world Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame. consideration please take the time to update where aerodynamic forces and terrestrial your submission. restrictions apply less and present new Best wishes, challenges. We have honored our Astronauts Rod Our New Governor General - Julie Payette - An Astronaut, Member of Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame, and More! Mary Oswald There’s great pride in Canada in seeing Julie Payette installed as Canada’s Governor General! She is a multi-talented lady and a short list includes that she is multi-lingual, has two engineering degrees and computer specialization, is a jet pilot, made two trips to the International Space Station, in 1992 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, and in 2009 aboard Endeavor. As an astronaut, she has realized her childhood dream and is an inspiration to all. Her advice to young people is to find their passion and work towards accomplishing what they want to be in life. She is looking to the future, and we with her! Among her many honours, she was inducted as Member of Canada’s Aviation photo courtesy Canadian Press Hall of Fame in 2010. 3 The 1929 Mercy Flight Denny May Photos: The Wop May family collection (Note: This is a true story of life in Northern with staple provisions such as bannock, The R.C.M.P. Alerted to the Danger Canada in December 1928, a story of potatoes, bacon, tea, sugar, coffee, and beef. Someone traveling by dog team ahead of the survival, of desperate rescue, of commitment They brought wild duck feather robes and a Grays alerted Fort Vermilion of the arrival of to helping one’s fellow man in need.) few bear hides to put under themselves on the party. Approximately 10 miles (16 km) the ground at night. To keep warm, a long fur from Fort Vermilion they were met by the Bert Logan, a Hudson’s Bay employee, parka topped their heavy clothes. RCMP and told not to enter the village with and his wife were well respected in the the body. Bobby Gray stated: “This was the communities of Little Red River and Fort A Long, Cold Trip only time I ever saw Dr. Hamman lose his Vermilion. They had been transferred from Up-river from Fort Vermilion, the river was cool.” They then proceeded to the Anglican Fort Simpson, North West Territories to Little glare ice, and to the dismay of both men, Cemetery, just east of the settlement, where Red River, Alberta with the Hudson’s Bay Joe LaFleur fell through the ice. They had they left the body. Company. to return to Fort Vermilion, and weren’t able to leave for Peace River until three days A Faster Way to Travel Illness Strikes later. The trip was very cold and slow as When Dr. Malcolm Bow, Deputy Minister After returning from a holiday in Quebec, temperatures dipped to -50 degrees Celsius. of Health, received the telegraph from Peace Mr. Logan was unpacking a trunk of clothing It took the two men four days to get to the River, he immediately contacted “Wop” May, to distribute to the settlement when he settlement of Carcajou on the river, and a pilot who was visiting family in Calgary. became very ill. Mrs. Logan, a nursing sister another four days to travel by land to Peace Wop did not hesitate, and replied “We’ll of the Gray Nuns, recognized the illness as River. The trip was about 280 miles (450 km), go tomorrow”. He called Vic Homer in diphtheria. and they arrived in Peace River on New Years Edmonton and asked him to get their aircraft Day. The two men delivered their message, ready. Their aeroplane was an Avro “Avian” She asked William Gray and his son Bobby and were immediately placed in the hospital biplane, on wheels - hardly appropriate for to go the 45 miles (70 km) up river to Fort in Peace River to recover from the flu. flying into Northern Alberta in mid winter. Vermilion for Dr. Harold Hamman. The father and son immediately set off on the Meanwhile, the Grays rested for a few river highway, but first they had to test the ice days at Fort Vermilion, and gathered some as it was the first trip they had made on the supplies and mail for the their trip back home river that winter. The doctor traveled by dog to Little Red River on December 24, 1928. team back to Little Red River with Mr. Gray, They spent the first night at Clement Paul’s and upon seeing the patient, confirmed that sawmill, and to their horror the next morning he had diphtheria.