CANADIAN MUSEUM OF FLIGHT
NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 50 SUMMER 1996
The Museum’s latest aquisition is seen here with some of the participants in the “Young Eagles” program organized by members Mike Davenport and Wernen Griesbeck
The glorious silver DC-3 that has been serving as gate guard at the Langley Airport has just been donated to the Canadian Museum of Flight and Transportation by the Friends of the DC-3. The donation took place with the generous help of 20 members of the local air port community who raised financing to effect the transfer.
The aircraft is serial #2198 and was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company in Santa Monica California in 1940. It was delivered to American Airlines, christened the ‘Flagship Texas’ and registered as NC21793. The USAF borrowed the aircraft for use in Alaska during World War II. They returned it to commercial air service in 1944.
Trans Alaska Airlines bought the airplane in 1949, converted its engines to Pratt and Whitney 1830-92’s and used it for their Seattle/Anchorage route.
In 1952 the craft was bought by Queen Charlotte Airlines and given the Canadian registry of CF-HCF. It became the first DC- 3 to be owned and operated by a home grown B.C. airline.
A few years later the plane started serving with Pacific Western Airlines under the new registry of CF-PWH. It was the first DC-3 that PWA ever operated. The restored aircraft bears the blue and yellow paint scheme of PWA and carries the name of ‘Spirit of Skeena.
After 16 years of proud service the airplane was once again transferred, this time to Trans Provincial Airlines. This was the end of her passenger carrying days. She was stripped of any usable components and was pushed into the bush off the run way in Terrace.
She lay abandoned until 1979 when Bob Surman, a founder of ‘Friends of the DC-3 Canada’, bought the airframe for possible future restoration.
It was not until 1987 that the skeletal remains were trucked and barged to the B.C. Transportation Museum in Cloverdale.
Restoration work was carried out at the Cloverdale museum until 1992 when the B.C. Transportation Museum closed and the Township of Langley invited the DC-3 to take up residence at the Langley Airport.
After the plane was trucked the short distance, restoration work continued until 1995 when the project was announced as complete at a ceremony involving the Mayor.
Now the ‘Friends of the DC-3 North America’ have passed the ‘Spirit of the Skeena’ to the Canadian Museum of Flight and Transportation. Along with the air- plane, the group has donated their club- house and workshop. This building will continue to serve as a meeting room for the CMFT, as it has been, thanks to the support of ‘Friends of the DC- 3 North America’.
Inside
- DC-3 Donation
- Message from Librarian.
- Letter…
- Upcoming Events
- New Directors..
- Administrative Contact Names. 4
- HOURS
- 10 A.M. 4 PM. Daily.
- ADMISSION FEES
- General (Age 16 thru 59). $4.00
- Senior (Age 60 up)… $3.00
- Youth (Age 6 through 15). … $3.00
- Family (2 Adult+4 youth) $10.00
- Children under 6.. FREE
- Museum Members ..FREE
- ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES
- General…. $35.00
- Family. $45.00
- Seniors. $20.00
- Students w/l.D. $20.00
Please check the members expiry date on your newsletter mailing label. Renew by mail, telephone or visiting the museum. We accept cash, cheque, Visa or Mastercard.
Canadian Museum of Flight and Transportation Directors 1996
Barry Kingston,
Blakely, Ron Chesney, Joe. Devisser, John. Elgood, Terry. Emerslund, Bill 279-2062 Krywiak, Ron. 433-6240 McWilliams, Ron, Nouch, Veryl (Treasurer). Proulx, George (President). Read, Michael. Reid, John.. Rempel, Brian.. Retallack, Keith (Secretary). Robinson, Jane
.465-1343 888-8231 277-5000 298-6374 826-2712 590-0226 465-9789 538-3836 536-7402 271-1899 946-8383 526-4969 536-3287
Lifetime Directors are Barry Johnson, Ron Stunden, Bill Thompson, Ed and Rose Zalesky.
Office/Library: Margaret Giacomello General Manager – “Gogi” Goguillot
Office phone…. 532-0035 532-0056
The Canadian Museum of Flight and Transportation is holding the next BAR-B-QUE AND VERY BRIEF MEETING
at the Canadian Museum of Flight and Transportation Hangar 5333-216th Street, Langley on Friday July 26 1996 6:00 pm bar, 7:00 pm dinner, Cost is $8.00 per person.
The CMFT Newsletter is published quarterly by the Canadian Museum of Flight and Transportation.
Contributions in the form of articles, news items, letters and photos are welcome, as are comments and criticism. No payment can be made for any manuscripts that are submitted for publication in the CMFT Newsletter. The editor reserves the right to make changes in manuscripts without altering the meaning.
Editor.. George Gregory
Contributing Editor…Barry Candlish
Photographer. ..Larry Niven
All mail and correspondence can be sent to:
Canadian Museum of Flight and Transportation. c/o The Newsletter Editor. Unit 200 5333-216th Street
Langley, B.C. V2Y 2N3
Tel: (604) 532-0035 Fax: (604) 532-0056
From the Library
Editor: The following is a thank-you note from the museum librarian that was given to me months ago but due to space constraints is just now making it into the newsletter.
The library has been moved and is located in the Atco building along with the gift shop and office. The following wonderful volunteers, Larry Niven, Mike Dohm, Ron Krywiak, Milt Lake, Keith Retallack, Kathy Kalwajtys, Jane Robinson, Sheila Chmilar, Ron McWilliams, Basil Watson, Larry Niven, Gogi Goguillot, John DeVisser, and Barry Kingston were invaluable to me in my hour of need.
It took many boxes, much grunting and groaning, a lot of questions such as; “Why are we keeping this stuff?”, answered by, “Don’t ask, just box it and move it.” When the unloading of the trailer was complete, at Langley, the Atco was filled to the brim, with no room left for a gift shop or office. Now the library is on its way to being ready.
Thank you to all who helped, if I have forgotten anyone please forgive me and give yourself a pat on the back. George, thanks for supervising! Members are welcome to visit the library as soon as it is open..
Margaret Giacomello Librarian
Letters
I think the time has come to add another facet to our very excellent Museum. As a licensed ‘ham’ and an old Wireless Operator Air Gunner, I am inspired to help form a unit of radio operators, to work within the CMFT operation.
Right now, I am not sure if I am the only licensed operator within the group. If there are others, I would like to hear from them, and try to gauge support for this idea.
As you know, Wireless Operators played a strong part in the air-crew operations of the RCAF, as well as with the ground forces. They were proficient in Morse Code, and had basic knowledge of radio theory.
I would like to hear from Air Force vetrans with this kind of experience, as well as members of the C.M.F.T. who are presently licensed.
The purpose of the Club, as I see it, is to add another dimension to our Museum, and one which will organize an operations room. We would stage special events to spread the news of our museum to ham-operators around the world, and stage contests of interest to hams all over North America.
Another benefit would bet to try and revitalize some of the old radio equipment in our collection, and create a worthwhile public display of historic communication methods.
If you feel this idea has merit, and can contribute to its development, please give me a call, or leave your name and number at the Museum office.
By the way, if you do not have an Amateur License, and are interested in getting one, we may, if there is sufficient interest, start a class of instruction, preparing you for the necessary exam, leading to a license.
My number, at home is (604) 888. 3281. Call sign-VE7IBO.
Joe Chesney Fort Langley
UPCOMING EVENTS General Meeting Friday July 26 Langley Museum Site Formula 1 Air Racing Boundary Bay Airport August 17-18. Wings and Wheels Pitt Meadows Airport September 15
Volunteers Desperately Needed For Gift Shop! The Gift Shop is one of the Museum’s highest revenue producers. If we don’t have enough volunteers we will have to reduce our hours and thus our income. Contact Margaret at 532-0035 for more details!
“Pioneering Aviation in the West” NEW PRICING! Announcing a special new price of only $11.95 for the museum’s own special history of aviation in BC CMFT Newsletter Summer 1996 page 3
Administrative Contacts
George Proulx Ron Krywiak Keith Retallack Vice President.. Secretary 932-2367 277-3827 Barry Jackson, N.Vancouver .883-2445 535-1841 Ed Zalesky, White Rock. 535-1841 7402 Executive Committee President Lifetime Directors Ron Stunden, Richmond Bill Thompson, Pender Harbour. Rose Zalesky, White Rock Board of Directors Ron Blakely. George Proulx, White Rock.. Joe Chesney 538-3836 888-3281 John DeVisser, Richmond. Terry Elgood.. Bill Emerslund. 277-5000 279-2062 298-6374 Barry Kingston. Ron Krywiak, Burnaby 992-0055 532-0035 433-6240 Ron McWilliams Veryl Nouch. Keith Retallack, New West. 465-9789 463-3703 526-4969 Michael Read, White Rock. John Reid, Richmond. Brian Rempel Jane Robinson.. Committee Information Magazines, George Proulx. 538-3836 Special Events, George Proulx. .538-3836 Newsletter Editor, George Gregory. .882-8016 Restoration, Sheila Chmilar. 532-0035 Research, Jerry Vernon 420-6065 543-9935 Photo Archieve, Ingwald Wikene Computer Services, Michael Read. 536-7402 Exhibits Ron McWilliams. 590-0226 Library, Margaret Giacomello Collections, Jerry Vernon. 420-6065 Transportation, Tony Hudak. Bingo 590-1855 Looking for volunteer! Hampden Project, Fred Gardham .681-6886 For more info call the Volunteer Co-ordinator, Keith Retallack. ..526-4969 Parts Disposal, Ron Krywiak… 433-6240 532-0035 465-1343 590-0226 90-0226 536-7402 271-1899 946-8383 536-3287
The C.M.F.T. is a non profit society dedicated to the preservation of aviation and transportation heritage (Society #32,035). Membership can be obtained by paying the required dues. Charitable status allows for the issuance of tax deductible receipts for donations of artifacts, goods and money. The C.M.FT. is governed by a board of Directors which is elected by the members at the Annual General Meeting in April.
New Directors Elected at Hangar Dinner
At the April Annual General Meeting the museum’s membership elected 15 new Directors from a slate of 17 nominees. Their names are listed in the updated Administrative Contacts list (see above). The museum would like to thank all the nominees for their participation in the election.
The composition of the new board reflects the Museums growth into Pitt Meadows with several of the directors being residents from the Pitt Meadows area.
One of the most exciting aspects about the meeting and dinner was that it was held at the Langley hangar. Aircraft and exhibits were pushed against the walls and the tables were set up in the middle of the display area.
This change from the traditional site at Yic’s Restaurant resulted in a record attendance of over 125 members and guests.
Hosting the dinner at the Museum required contracting the services of a caterer. This resulted in a slightly higher cost per person but seemed worth the expense.
Mystic Catering served a delicious meal and their white clad servers looked very elegant against the backdrop of antique aircraft.
Congratulations to the doorprize winner who won the fabulous Robert Bailey print “Unscheduled Arrival” which depicted a mosquito mission of CMFT member and ex-director Jack Meadows
A vote taken by applause indicated that the event was a success and that the next meeting should be held at the Museum as well.