Glidepath The quarterly newsletter of the Canadian Museum of Flight 564 Issue #115 Winter, 2013

The CMF Welcomes Its Latest Acquisition, the Conair Firecat

by Terry Brunner, General Manager, Canadian Museum of Flight

Last October, the Canadian Museum of Flight welcomed into its collection a remarkable artifact, Conair Firecat #564, an air tanker aircraft recently retired from a career in fire suppression. We were delighted to receive this aircraft as a donation from the Conair Group. Since its arrival at Langley Airport, prominently parked across the taxiway from our hangar, it has certainly stimulated tons of interest and discussion.

Where does the Firecat fit in?

Let us start with the Museum’s mission statement: “BRINGING BRITISH COLUMBIA’S AVIATION PAST INTO THE FUTURE”.

It all began in 1946 when a young man, Art Seller, started the Royal City Flying Club. In 1947 Art moved the operation to Langley Prairie and after a few years he changed the name of his operation to Skyway Air Services. Business was great and his company prospered. In 1957 the Canadian Navy surplused some Avengers, which Art then utilized in agricultural spraying. He then modified the aircraft to use for water bombing: the new company was formed into a consortium, headed by Les Kerr and Barry Marsden, called Conair Aviation.

For many years, Conair has played an active role including not only fire suppression operations but also development of equipment and systems, and modification of suitable airframes. The company was particularly successful with the Conair Firecat aircraft. Today Conair, under current Chairman of the Board Barry Marsden, continues to be a leader in its specialized field.

Since the Museum acquired the Firecat, many people have asked why the Museum took it, and where it fits in with our plans. First of all, it started life as a Grumman CS-2F Tracker, which Conair modified in 1970 to be known as Firecat Tanker 64. This acquisition gives the Museum a great opportunity to become actively involved in preserving and presenting an exciting part of BC’s aviation history – aerial fire suppression using air tanker aircraft and helicopters. Indeed, this is one of the aviation stories British Columbians can be most proud of, having taken a lead role on the world stage in the evolution of fire suppression tactics, operations, airframe modification and airframe maintenance.

The Museum will maintain Tanker 64 in flyable condition by completing engine run-ups and annual inspections. The aircraft gives us a chance to show our visitors the innovative thinking that went into the re-engineering of the aircraft from dropping torpedoes and sonobuoys to dropping retardant onto forest fires. It will be a challenge for the Museum to keep it airworthy. However, we are very fortunate that we have such a dedicated group of volunteers to look after it. Our plans at present are to start it, exercise all of its systems, and preserve the interior and exterior of the aircraft. It also gives the Museum a core exhibit around which to build future displays on the innovation and history of forest fire fighting in BC, showcasing Conair as a leader in this industry.

Conair Firecat Air Tanker #64, at home at Langley Airport.

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Mark your calendars! The Canadian Museum of Flight Annual Fundraising Gala will be March 16, 2013. See Pages 7 and 8 for more info on the Gala, the 2013 AGM on April 27, and aviation events all summer. Be sure to visit www.canadianflight.org or Facebook “Canadian Museum of Flight”, and follow us on Twitter, for news and updates on events.

The CMF Firecat Story

by Bill Findlay

Dateline: September, 2012 – The Conair Group announced that the two remaining operational Firecat Air Tanker aircraft would be retired from their fleet of aerial fire suppression tankers, effective immediately. This statement was very exciting news for the Canadian Museum of Flight family, who for years had been hoping that the Museum would become the final destination for an operational Firecat aircraft.

Over the years, Bill Findlay, Museum volunteer and pilot, had kept in close contact with his next door neighbour, Ray Horton, Conair Director of Operations, to maintain a flow of up-to-date information between the two organizations. Soon after the Firecat retirement announcement, the CMF received the wonderful news that it had been chosen as the new home for Firecat #564.

Meetings then took place between Museum and Conair personnel to deal with the particulars of the transfer of ownership for tanker #564. Terms that were mutually beneficial were reached in short order.

Events started to unfold quite quickly-events that required the CMF to make immediate plans for how and when to retrieve the Firecat and where to park it once it joined the Museum’s collection. The aircraft would be ready for delivery in late September or early October. Working toward this deadline, Museum personnel made the necessary flight arrangements and determined that the Firecat would be parked across from the Museum hangar, on the northwest side of taxiway Alpha. That was the only spot nearby that could accommodate the 70 foot wingspan of the Firecat.

Dateline: October 5, 2012 Ray and Bill had had many discussions over the years about the two of them being the flight crew who would operate the delivery flight – Ray representing Conair and Bill on behalf of the Museum. This plan had been in the making for about ten years! Finally, the big day had arrived. The crew met at the Conair Operations Centre early that morning and began preparations for the flight from Abbotsford to Langley. After making sure that all the necessary documents were onboard, the crew carried out a very comprehensive external and internal check of Firecat 564. The big red and white bird was given a clean bill of health!

Video cameras mounted on top of the fuselage and inside the cockpit by Mike Luedey would record all the action from start up to shutdown. What a treat to be able to use this modern, compact technology to have a permanent record of this very significant flight. The Firecat had been loaded with 7500) pounds of water earlier in the day. This allowed water drop demonstrations to be made during the flight one half of the load at Abbotsford and the other half at Langley.

Ray and Bill entered the cockpit through the overhead hatch, made sure that the entry ladder was removed and stowed, and then closed up. After a thorough check of all the “front office” switches, levers, gauges, radios, and warning systems, it was time to breathe some life into the big Wright R-1820 radial engines.

With the ground crew and fire guard in position, the flight crew confirmed all clear and signalled turning number one. Aux Fuel Pump ON, engage the Starter and count the blades – one, two, three… ten- Primer ON- eleven, twelve – Mags on BOTH… we have ignition and start up! Release the start switch, check OIL PRESSURE, adjust throttle to obtain 1000 RPM, select Fuel Mixture RICH, release the Primer and check engine instruments for normal fuel, oil, and hydraulic pressure indications. There now, that wasn’t too bad at all. Repeat the same for the right hand engine and then complete the After Start checklist.

Taxiing the aircraft to the run-up area was made quite simple by the large open ramp area at Abbotsford-unlike the confined ramp space that would be encountered at Langley, especially for an aircraft with a seventy foot wingspan.

With the run-up complete and all systems GO, Ray positioned the Firecat for takeoff on runway 01. Cleared for takeoff. Apply full power and away we go. Ray kept the Firecat close to Abbotsford airport for a return to carry out a flyby on runway 01. On this first pass in front of the Conair hangar, two of the four bomb doors were opened to drop half of the water load. Onlookers below were treated to a farewell water salute. The Firecat made one more pass to wave goodbye to the company personnel gathered on the ramp.

Now it was time to set course for Langley airport and the Canadian Museum of Flight, the new home for Tanker 564. Langley ATC Tower personnel had been briefed on the planned procedure for the arrival and flybys at the airport and were ready to coordinate flight operations. A sizable crowd had gathered at the Museum in anticipation of the arrival of this latest addition to the Museum’s impressive fleet of aircraft.

It was now just a few minutes after 10:00 a.m.; the Firecat was right on schedule. Ray configured the aircraft for the water drop and set up for a flyby down runway 19 from north to south. At midfield, just over the grass to the east of the runway, he triggered the release of the remaining half load of water in a spectacular display in front of a very appreciative crowd of aviation enthusiasts. The Firecat then circled to the west and returned for a full power, high speed pass down the runway to further demonstrate the aircraft’s capabilities. The two powerful Wright R-1820 engines created a symphony of sound for the many thrilled spectators gathered below.

Having released the 7500 pounds of water, the Firecat was now down to a landing weight that was compatible with the task ahead-landing on the relatively short and narrow runway 25. On final approach with gear down and full flaps, Ray adjusted power to maintain the airspeed at 85 knots while paying careful attention to the angle of attack indicator on the instrument panel. Then it was over the runway threshold, power off, touchdown and apply braking to get the big machine stopped. Ray skillfully accomplished all of the above with 700 feet of runway remaining – a fine display of piloting ability.

After turning around on the runway, the Firecat and its crew headed for parking at the Museum. Taxiing along the narrow, congested ramp areas would be the final challenge before pulling into the parking spot and setting the park brake. Personnel were stationed at each wing tip to visually assure the pilots of the clearance available as the Firecat manoeuvred in close proximity to several other aircraft parked along the route.

With the parking spot now in sight, Ray taxied the Firecat by the Museum, out on to the grass, and positioned her for parking. Park Brake set, Mixtures to cut-off, Switches off, Master off, Battery switch off… silence, except for the applause from all the good folks gathered outside! To say thanks, Bill and Ray opened the overhead hatches, stood on the seats and popped out above to wave and to provide a great photo op for the many cameras being pressed into action.

What an exciting and enjoyable flight this had been. The Canadian Museum of Flight is so very fortunate to have this Conair Firecat tanker and to be able to call her one of its own. She is truly the flagship of our collection and an aircraft that is sure to be appreciated by many for all that it has done from its early military days with the Royal Canadian Navy to its recent times as a major player in the aerial fire suppression business.

Firecat #564, we salute you for a job well done! And let’s hope that aviation enthusiasts will continue to enjoy the sight and sound of the CMF’s Firecat in her natural environment- the friendly skies of the Pacific Northwest.

A Radar Plotter and the Tracker Aircraft

by Matt Offer

My relationship with the Grumman Tracker ASW (anti- submarine warfare) aircraft began in 1963 when I was assigned to DDE (Destroyer Escort) 257, HMCS Restigouche. based in Halifax.

As radar plotters working in the ship’s Operations Room, we dealt with the surface, sub-surface and air environments, and we worked with Trackers frequently. When sub hunting near the coast, we would call up a CFB Shearwater-based Tracker, whether on exercise or looking for a “bad guy”. They would request the location of our “datum” and we would vector them in for a MAD (Magnetic Anomaly Detector) run. The MAD stinger would be extended from the aircraft’s rear-end. If the MAD run wasn’t successful, we would request a JazzBerry (laying of sonar buoys) to show us the location of the submarine.

Needless to say, the situation in the Operations Room would become rather tense. As we tracked the aircraft (we had 3 main radars), we would have both the ASW plotting table and the local operation plot on line and manned. We would be receiving electronic information to the ASW table from the Sonar men in their near-by Sonar Control Room, while all air and surface information would come from the radar plotter (RP) in the ops room. The lead RP would be on the tactical radio net with the Tracker pilot as he obtained data from his operating sonobouys.

You could always recognize the engine noise of a Tracker, the loud clackity-clackity of his piston engines while they were doing a MAD vector 50 feet or less over the unfriendly waves.

The first flight of a Grumman Tracker was in December, 1952. In Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) service, the Tracker (aka CS2F 1) replaced the WWII-vintage TBM Avenger, going onboard HMCS Bonaventure in 1956. The airplane had MAD gear, ECM (electronic countermeasures), an IR (infra-red) detector; it carried Jezebel sonobuoys, torpedoes, radar ( a drop down pod), and had 6 wing hard-points for HVARS (High Velocity Air Rockets). She had a crew of four: two pilots and two systems operators, was 43’6″ long, had a wing span of 72’7″, and mounted two R-1820 engines each capable of 1525 horsepower. Her maximum speed was 280 mph, cruise 150 mph, range 1350 miles or 9 hours in the air, and she had a service ceiling of 22,000. Her war load was 4800 pounds. The RCN machines were built in Downsview, Ontario, by de Havilland Canada.

Tracker aircraft were active during the Bonnie’s run to Cyprus in 1964, in support of the UN Peacekeeping Force. At that time, the gossip was the OIC wanted to mount HVARS on all the machines in case they were needed to do ground attack. But nothing came of this as the aircraft did not leave the Bonnie while in Famagusta, Cyprus.

Our really exciting time was during the return to Halifax from Gibraltar. We were out of Portugal, with DDE 257 doing plane guard duty behind the Bonnie, while Trackers flew off the. aircraft carrier. Sonar techs were working in the Sonar Control Room (SCR), just off the Operations Room where we radar plotters worked. Sonar called the bridge to advise they had a possible datum on one of the major sonars.

With the Old Man’s permission, we call up the Air Boss on the Bonnie and request a Tracker to run a MAD pattern over our datum. We pass needed information to the Bonnie’s Operations Room. The Tracker, in the bright sun, does his MAD run over our datum point, while the Sonar crew closes up in the SCR. We also close up our operations room crew on the run. Our sonar crews are monitoring their 3 major sonar systems and smiling.

Bingo. Contact 22 says he has live MAD over the datum and therefore we have a submarine. Where no submarine is supposed to be; we checked for friendly submarines and none were in the area.

We continue working the contact and say Good Bye to the Bonnie and the great Tracker pilot and his crew.

The situation was strained for about 3 days and 2 nights, with continuous sonar and operations room attention. The Old Man worked in the ops room during the time we had the sub, which we ID’ed as a Russian “Foxtrot”, a long range diesel-electric. And they had a great skipper. It was very tense, but both sides knew the rules of the game… no “High Noon” show down. We were working a “Hold Down” on the submarine, keeping them down until they had no choice but to surface and snorkel for air for the crew and engines (to recharge the batteries).

When they surface you take photos and let them know you caught them. And of course they would do the same to you.

I also worked with the Trackers while on board the Bonnie on our cruise from Cyprus to Gibraltar via Malta. On the aircraft carrier, we manned the Operations Room and dealt with the Trackers, giving vectors, weather, etc. We also trained in the air traffic office just off the flight deck where senior RPS worked the aircraft on to the tossing & twisting Bonnie. Three RPs worked three radar displays: the most forward Plan Position Indicator (PPI) would display the long range radar, the second the medium range, and the last PPI would be the one at which the RP talked the Tracker down to the flight deck.

It was a very tense and focused job, talking on the radio to the aircraft, watching the glide path, and bringing the plane all the way in, from about 50 miles, to the flight deck. It was a scene of “musical chairs” in front of the PPIs. You would start at the long range PPI, move to the medium range PPI, and then to the last one. Not only were you staying on task, chatting on the radio, but also continually changing chairs. All the while the ship is moving at various speeds, through rough seas, wallowing in sea swells, the deck tossing, which makes doing your job a tad harder. Teamwork was the key.

Want to read more Tracker lore? Check out: http://www.aviation.technomuses.ca/assets/pdf/e_GrummanCS2F-CP121Tracker.pdf

Conair Firecats and Fire Bombing in British Columbia

A Book Review, by Bruce Friesen

For visitors to the Canadian Museum of Flight, it is hard to miss the impressive red and white aircraft parked across the taxiway from the hangar. A Conair Firecat, they are told. But what is that? And why is that important to the history of aviation in British Columbia? The Firecat will help the Museum tell one of the most important British Columbia aviation stories, the story of fire suppression using air tanker aircraft and helicopters, a story in which British Columbia continues to play a prominent part on the world stage.

Fortunately for those intrigued by the sight of the Firecat, and wishing to delve deeper into that history, Linc W. Alexander has written an absorbing account of his involvement in the evolution of fire bombing from its inception through to 1996. Even more helpful for British Columbia aviation enthusiasts is the fact that British Columbia-its landscapes, weather, aircraft, personalities – figures prominently in Linc’s recollections. The book is called “Fire Bomber into Hell: A Story of Survival in a Deadly Occupation”; it was published by BookLocker.com Inc, in 2010. It is available in the Museum gift shop, or directly from the publisher’s website.

First tried in California, in 1955, aerial suppression of forest fires was a major activity in British Columbia by 1959, and Langley’s very own Skyway Air Services was already taking a lead role. Skyway evolved into Conair Group Inc. which to this day is on the cutting edge of air tanker development and operation. Along the way, Conair converted Grumman Tracker naval anti-submarine warfare aircraft into the Conair Firecat. What a rich history is behind that aircraft the Museum is so proud to display!

Foreword by Bob Fish author of Hornet Plus Three Fire Bomber Into Hell A Story of Survival in a Deadly Occupation

As his fascinating story unfolds, Linc weaves together a rich skein of events and people and technology and airmanship. He says:

This book is the inside story of the inner workings of this business. It details the development of a phenomenally successful method of Initial air attack on newly-discovered fires called “One Strike”. It describes the various bomber attack methods and how they are carried out.

That sounds pretty dry and heavy. However, he then adds:

[You will sit beside me in the cockpit to experience walls of fire never seen any other way, plummet down steep mountain sides and dive into the firestorm maelstroms we have all seen on TV.

which doesn’t sound dry at all.

The author delivers on both his promises, educating while surrounding the reader with engrossing images and ideas. I learned far more than I expected, about a wider range of topics, while avidly turning the pages to learn what happened next. Anecdote after anecdote entertains the reader, while expanding his or her appreciation of mountain weather, aircraft behavior, the practice and hazards of fire bombing and much more. The human side is always visible, whether it is living with the rest of the team at a fire base in some remote commitment to getting the job done, and staying safe.

Linc’s first fire bombing job was during the summer of 1959, flying a Stearman out of Blue River. He found:

The reality was nobody knew anything about Fire Bombing; airplanes were sent everywhere to drop on their own with no supervision or evaluation of results… The fires raged… The airplanes didn’t do any effective bombing.

Within a few years, the reader learns, all that had changed.

The next summer he joined Skyway, flying Grumman TBM Avengers from Kamloops: he remained with that organization through the 1967 season. A multi-year swing through several U.S. states, and operators, deepened his understanding of fire bomber operations. In 1974, he returned to BC, to Conair. flying the Douglas A-26, the Firecat and, for the last 18 years of his career (1978 to 1996), the Douglas DC-6B.

Heading downhill, just over the treetops, one wing in the smoke, a Conair DC-6B lays a retardant pattern just beside (not on) a forest fire. Linc Alexander explains it all.

Throughout the book, Linc provides his assessments of each of the aircraft he flew on air tanker operations. His first exposure to a Tracker conversion was as a contract expert to de Havilland, passing judgment on the aircraft’s pitch-up behaviour. His explanation of this process is an excellent example of the kind of clear, understandable airmanship information salted throughout the book:

A phenomenon called pitch-up occurs with Fire Bombers shortly after the load is released…. A large mass of dense fluid dropped from an airplane is, in effect, the same as placing a large barn door into the slipstream: the air pressure behind this “door” drops substantially. Air rushes in from all sides to equalize this area of low pressure. The air coming in from the bottom or sides is of no consequence to what happens with the airplane. The down-flow of air from above the load causes the pitch-up. It pushes down on the aft fuselage as well as the horizontal stabilizer and elevators.

Having explained the mechanics, he points out some of the variables – speed, size of load, aircraft configuration, and aircraft design – and the piloting skills required. Hazards, and the practices to manage them safely, are a major focus of the entire book. Fortunately, Linc was able to advise de Havilland their Tracker conversion was safe, and to demonstrate the appropriate control inputs during the drop sequence.

Of the Tracker’s flying characteristics, Linc writes:

It has excellent maneuverability both loaded and empty. Simply put, it’s a pleasure to fly.

He goes on, however, to discuss in detail what he calls the community, or the internal battle between his love of flying, his aircraft’s “unforgiving side”:

Pulling a little g in a steeply banked turn (sixty degrees or more), however, will demonstrate to the pilot that the stick shaker, the warning horn and the stall may all happen together… And once in a stall, everything happens so quickly there is no time to take recovery measures.

Throughout this book, numerous vivid stories bring home to the reader the vigorous manoeuvring that is a normal part of mountain fire bombing: by this point Linc has made it very apparent “a little g in a steeply banked turn” is an essential part of the job. Conair addressed this flaw in the Firecat’s flight characteristics by developing (with Rosemount Instruments) a Stall Margin Indicator. The author concludes:

The dangers will never go away, but an SMU/AOA indicator at least gives the pilot indispensible knowledge that immeasurably contributes to his safety.

That sentence captures beautifully not just the technical issue at hand, but the author’s thoughts overall on the profession he so obviously loved-knowledge contributes to safety. Read the book, and you will come away with a deeper appreciation of what it means, or can mean, to be a pilot.

While I was on final the fire head changed; the smoke lifted and there was a tunnel of clear air along the head…. The heat was so intense that the flames went straight up even though there was a fairly strong wind… At about two hundred feet above the flames, the wind won out and sent the smoke curling down to meet the tree tops a few hundred feet downwind from the fire head. Natural forces had conspired to create a tunnel of clear air. As I entered the tunnel, I was completely mesmerized by the sight. A wall of fire much higher than our altitude was a brilliant orange- red and the flaming trees emitted an eerie hissing roar. The sound became surreal as it was superimposed on the throbbing rumble of the engines. My adrenalin built up as we were enveloped in the otherworldly colour of the flames, the dome of fire and smoke that enveloped us, and the intense radiant heat. The right wing tip wasn’t really touching the fire, but it felt as if we were that close… We were awed by the spectacle.

An excerpt from “Fire Bomber Into Hell”

TechTalk II – The Waco AQC-6 Cabin

Waco AQC-6 Cabin, CF-CCW, was in the spotlight on February 2, as the CMF hosted TechTalk II, the second in a series of in-depth examinations of aircraft from the Museum’s collection.

The intent of the TechTalk series is to provide aviation enthusiasts with a bit of a look “under the hood” of a specific old aircraft. Event organizer Vic Bentley explains: “Organizing an educational event at the Museum is a challenge. Who will be the audience? What is their aviation experience? What are their interests? Should the information be aimed at the keen Air Cadet who has already read almost everything he can get his hands on regarding aircraft-or is it aimed at the ‘armchair pilot’ who enjoys watching old classic aircraft fly overhead as he works in his garden? It is difficult to be totally sure that you are talking to the right level – so the speakers have to be ready to answer a whole range of questions. The research that goes into a project like this is sometimes tedious but always educational for the compiler, and certainly rewarding for the speakers.

TechTalk break – animated conversation, a great spread of snacks and coffee, and an excellent selection of door prizes to be browsed (on the table on the right).

While the audience may feel that they have learned some new things, be assured that the speakers have also had the same experience.”

It was evident that, for the group of about 25 participants in TechTalk II, presenters and audience alike, Vic had hit the mark. Everyone was full of energy and enthusiasm as the discussion flowed back and forth during the various presentations and equally during the breaks in the formal program. Mike Luedey wrote, “I thoroughly enjoyed all the presentations and took home quite a bit of knowledge as well. It sure was impressive to learn more about all the work that went into the restoration of our Waco Cabin. There’s a great deal to be proud of there as that aircraft represents a lot of important people each time it takes to the sky. A living legacy if you will.”

Vic provided a brief history of the Waco Aircraft Company, and fitted the Cabin series in to that chronology. He struggled manfully to explain the Waco model designation coding system, but perhaps that was a superhuman task. Bill Findlay examined the flying characteristics and capabilities of the AQC-6 through description of two long missions completed by the Museum Waco Cabin over the past few years a round trip to Alberta, and another to Vancouver Island. Rick Church shared with the audience some of the details of design and construction of the aircraft, and some maintenance challenges particular to old radial engines. Last, but not least, Dave Beales led the audience through his daily inspection of the aircraft, using that process to draw out some of the interesting details and foibles of the aircraft.

A Jacobs L4 engine, retrieved from storage and cleaned up for TechTalk II, with the Waco Cabin in the background.

Attendee appreciation was evident on the day. Chris Ryan’s thoughts were typical. He said, “listening to Rick Church I learned more about how a radial engine works and about some of the problems associated with tuning them in 10 minutes than I had ever known before… I think the TechTalk series is one of the very best things our museum does. It is outstanding!”

Well done, and thanks, Vic and team!

Two lucky winners of a flight in the Cabin are eagerly awaiting a less foggy day to enjoy aviating in the style of old.

Don’t miss TechTalk III: North American Harvard, coming up this summer!

The Canadian Museum of Flight is excited to welcome the Aero Gourmet Kafé, opening soon in the northwest corner of the Museum hangar!

Owner Arnold Klappe introduces himself and his intriguing menu plans:

Welcome to the Aero Gourmet Kafé, Why the K in Kafé? I dunno really, just thought it might start some conversations. Like, Arnold you spelt it wrong, or, who’s your typist, they can’t spell, or, my favourite so far, why do you always have to be different? It’s the most common, and, to be honest, I like being different. You will find a lot of different things in the coming weeks and months in our menu. We’ll start small, but over time you will find that, while it sounds normal, it’s not. So we’re going to start you off easy, try our Burger, after a taste testing we came up with our custom in house blend of Beef, Pork, Ostrich, and Camel. Yup you read it right. This blend surprised all of our tasters and it won hands down. In addition you may want to try our Hoagies. One is a blend of Venison and Wild Boar with a hint of Orange, the other is an incredible Lamb and Rosemary. Forget the Ketchup as well; try one of them with the Yellow Sauce. Don’t ask, just trust me….

The Canadian Museum of Flight CANADIAN MUSEUM OF Bringing British Columbia’s Aviation Past into the Future

Volunteers Welcome!

The Canadian Museum of Flight is always looking for new volunteers. We are always in need of history and aviation enthusiasts of all kinds, for aircraft restoration, gift shop operations, facility maintenance, and many other tasks. No experience is necessary. We invite everyone, from young students to retirees, to join the team. Please contact the Museum General Manager, Terry Brunner, at 604-532-0035.

Aviation Events – 2013

Photo Credits:

Front page, top and centre: Mike Luedey, Yellow Drum Productions. Page two: Mike Luedey. Page three: top, Mike Luedey; bottom, provided by J. Allan Snowie. Page four: Canadian Forces photo. Page five: Conair Group Inc. Page six: lower left, Bruce Friesen; upper right, Vic Bentley.

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The Glidepath is published quarterly by the Canadian Museum of Flight; Editor Bruce Friesen. Contributions of articles, news items, letters and photos are always welcome, as are comments and suggestions. Note that no payments are made for any items published.

Museum Help Raise the Roof New on our GRAN DOOR PR A PRIZE rater 2 2013 Dinner & Auction Saturday, March 16th, 2013 Doors Open at 5:30 pm Dinner at 7:00 pm Silent & Live Auction Canadian Museum of Flight Hangar 41, 2133056th Avenue, Langley As from Christies Life Assembly) 604-532-0035 or 604-230-1560 $85.00 per ticket CANADIAN MUSEUM OF FLIGHT STREET CARTAL Mark your calendars! Notice of Meeting The Canadian Museum of Flight 2013 Annual General Meeting will be held on April 27, 2013 This meeting will transact the formal annual business of the Canadian Museum of Flight: Election of Four Directors Adoption of Financial Report Adoption of 2012 AGM Minutes Members in good standing 30 days prior to the meeting are eligible to vote. 6:00 p.m. start. O.K., sounds a bit dull, but we usually have lots of great conversation and a few jokes from MC Bill Findlay. Please attend, we need your support. For more information on Canadian Museum of Flight collections and events, please visit our website at www.canadianflight.org and the Museum Facebook page “Canadian Museum of Flight”. Please consider supporting our work. Join us as a Member, volunteer, or make a financial contribution. Yes, I want to support the Canadian Museum of Flight! MY CONTACT INFORMATION: Name: Address: City: Province: Postal Code: Telephone: email: OPTION 2: A MONTHLY CONTRIBUTION I would like to donate $ once a month □ for months, or until I tell you to stop I would like to make these monthly donations by credit card: Credit card issuer (e.g. VISA). Credit card #: Credit card expiry date: Signature: OPTION 1: A ONE-TIME GIFT Donation amount: $ by Cheque Credit Card Credit card issuer (e.g. VISA) Credit card #: Credit card expiry date: Signature: Date: Signature: I authorize the Canadian Museum of Flight to withdraw these monthly donations from my bank (“voided” cheque is attached). I understand I can cancel my monthly contributions at any time by contacting the Muscum at 604-532-0035.