Canadian Museum of Flight

Donate

ISSUE 74 SUMMER 2002

0763_001Download

MUSEUM FLIGHT The Canadian Museum of Flight Glidepath News Members of CAPA

RED MORRIS’S TRANS-CANADA FLIGHT, JULY 1978 3000 miles from ocean to ocean….non stop

On July 1, 1978, Red Morris left Vancouver and began a 22 hour and 45 minute flight to Halifax. Sounds routine does it not? It feels like it takes that long just to get through security today. People do this sort of thing almost every day. However not too many do it IFR, very few do it in a home-built aircraft and no one had ever done it non-stop and un-refueled. Not the airlines or the military. This would establish a new Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) record.

This would be a daunting trip for most of us who have had little experience with long cross-country flights. Just imagine the maps you would have to buy to fly 3000 miles. This was in the pre-GPS era.

This was not quite as daunting for Robin (Red) Morris as he had acquired some significant flying experience before this trip. Red joined the RCAF in 1949 and soloed in a Harvard at Centralia, Ontario that April. Three years later also in April he soloed in a Vampire and followed that a month later with a solo trip in an F86. In November of the same year, he sailed on HMCS Magnificent to England. Life never got too boring for a fighter pilot in the early fifties, as there were plenty of opportunities to fly. In one instance, Red in a Sabre and two English Vampires got into a fur ball. The Vampires bumped into each other and one of them disintegrated. (The pilot was thrown clear and eventually opened his chute for a safe landing)

Later, during formation practice for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, Red, on the inside of a turn, stalled his Sabre and spun thru the formation, at one point he was canopy to canopy with another Sabre. Red continued in the RCAF and retired after 25 years of service and over 6,000 hours in 50 different types of aircraft.

Red had built the aircraft; an IFR equipped Zenith CH300 with the intent of making this non-stop trip. During the construction, he involved Chris Heinz, the designer of the CH300 in the problem of weight and fuel capacity. They had to find room for 170 Imperial gallons of fuel to feed the 180 hp Lycoming. This was accomplished by adding two additional standard tanks in cach of the wings as well as two in the cabin. One result of all that fuel was an aircraft that was 26% or 650 pounds over normal gross at take off. It was highly recommended by all at the Vancouver end that Red quit smoking, at least for the duration of the flight. Think about it.

Pepsi, Leggat Aircraft, and Edo-Aire provided major sponsorship for the project and the Zenair people allowed Red to build the plane in their factory. This gave Red almost unlimited access to knowledge, tools, and help when needed.

There were a number of people who helped at the Vancouver end of the flight and some of those are members of CMF today. Gogi Goguillot, then President of EAA Canada and Jim McRae are two that come to mind.

My job as the RCFCA/FAI steward was to seal the multitude of fuel tanks and the barograph. These seals had to remain unbroken to prove that no fuel was taken on enroute and the barograph provided a record of the altitude of the entire trip. Another helper was Beat Meyer, a Chapter 85 member from Delta Air Park. These guys got very hands-on when the long-range fuel tanks leaked when they were filled for the first time. The fuel had to be pumped back out, the tanks removed, the leaks fixed, the tanks reinstalled and the aircraft refueled. This was accomplished overnight and then the tires were pumped up to get the rims off the ramp. The next morning all went well and Red departed more or less on schedule around 7:30 AM. I had just gotten home and was in the shower when it was learned that Red had reached Hope but was returning to YVR because of a failed alternator. Once safely back in Vancouver, we replaced the alternator with a new one, and topped off the tanks and resealed them. Red left Vancouver for the second time at 11 AM.

The flight proceeded routinely for many hours over the mountains of BC and Alberta, the flat lands of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It started to get interesting in northern Ontario when some fuel calculation numbers got transposed and Red reported 70 gallons used but it was recorded as 70 remaining. Not enough to reach the goal. This eventually got sorted out, much to the relief of the ground crew and the chase plane.

Red informed me later that he had unwittingly taken a nap somewhere over northern Ontario. He remembers at one point being aware that he was significantly off his heading. He thought at the time that he’d just had a lapse in concentration. Weeks later when he received a print of his radar track, he noted a large 360 that he had done without being aware of it at the time. This little detour along with headwinds that lasted longer than forecast, (don’t they always?) put an end to his private goal of going all the way to St. Johns, NFLD.

As he passed to the east of Montreal, he began to take serious interest in his remaining fuel. At one point, it looked like he might come up short and have to divert to St. John, New Brunswick. It turned out not to be the case and a very tired pilot landed in Halifax 22 hours and 45 minutes after leaving Vancouver. Robbie Hughes, the RCFCA/FAI steward in Halifax verified the seals and signatures and a lifetime goal had been accomplished. Later that week, Red did fly on to St. Johns and accomplished the second and final portion of the trip.

The following year, Red brought the “Pepsi Special” back to BC for the Abbotsford Air Show. He then spent several days thanking people for their help and taking volunteers for local flights in the record holding plane. He later donated C-GVOK-X to the museum in Ottawa and now makes his home in Dayton Ohio.

Submitted by Mike Davenport

ISSUE 74
SUMMER 2002
HANGAR #3 5333-216th STREET LANGLEY, B.C. V2Y 2N3
TEL: 604-532-0035
FAX: 604-532-0056
museum@direct.ca
www.canadianflight.org

INSIDE

  • PAGE 1 Red Monis-Trans Canada Flight
  • PAGE 2 Our Newsletter/ Upcoming Events
  • PAGE 3 Volunteer of the Quarter/ Red Morris-cont/ Breaking news
  • PAGE 4 Welcome New Members/ 2002 Board of Directors
  • PAGE 5 What’s happening in the Hangar/Volunteer Coordinator
  • PAGE 6 Science World
  • PAGE 7 Science World Coupon / Are you interested in hand-propping Museum Aircraft
  • PAGE 8

THE NEWSLETTER

The CMF Newsletter is published quarterly by the Canadian Museum of Flight. 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 CMF Newsletter. The Editor reserves the right to make changes in the manuscripts without altering the meaning.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact either Gogi or Sandy at the Museum by calling (604) 532-0035. Museum is open daily from 10:00 am 4:00 p.m.

CMF BOARD OF DIRECTORS & STAFF

  • George Preston President
  • Doug Schwann Vice President
  • Terry Wadhams Treasurer
  • Ken Knutson Secretary
  • Jeff Jeffrey Director- Aircraft Op’s
  • David McIntosh Director-Youth Initiative
  • Maureen Crockett Director Insurance
  • Jane Robinson Director-Collection Mandate
  • Capt Bill Thompson Lifetime Director
  • Sandy Tinsley Executive Director
  • C.R.(Gogi) Goguillot Manager – Aircraft Operations
  • Teresa Rhodenizer Administrative Assistance

UPCOMING EVENTS

Members Day & Quarterly Dinner Meeting

Saturday, July 20th, 2002 Happy Hour: 5:00 pm Dinner: 7:00 pm Evening Events: 8:00 p.m.

$20.00 Per Person (GST Included)

A special evening is planned Join us and enjoy a fun filled evening complete with prizes and surprises.

RSVP by 4:00 pm Thursday July 18th, 2002 We require 48 hours notice of cancellation or you will be charged for the dinner.

MEMBER’S DAY

This is our way of thanking you….the members and volunteers for supporting the Museum. On Saturday July 20, we will be hosting Members’ Day. From 1:00-4:00 p.m. you will have the opportunity to fly in either one of the Museum’s aircraft or other airplanes provided for that day. Show your current membership card and you will then be able to draw an aircraft name out of a box. You will then go for a ride in that selected aircraft. This is done to ensure that everyone receives a ride, in past years, certain “favorite” aircraft had long line ups and it was very difficult to give everyone a ride. Please note, due to the number of aircraft available, there will be a limited amount of rides and so it will be done on a first come first serve basis. Also, as all aviation related activities…..this day is subject to weather.

The aircraft rides will finish at 4:00 pm, but we invite you to stay and socialize before the Quarterly Dinner. For those who would like to stay for the dinner, Hors d’oeuvres will be served at 5:00 p.m. with Dinner being served at 7:00, Cost for the dinner is $20.00 but the Member’s day from 1:00-4:00 is FREE! ⚫

  • JUNE 30-JULY 1
    Langley Canada Day Celebrations at the Langley Airport. CMF has an extensive display on the west side of the airport along with at the Museum. We need a minimum of 20 volunteers for each day, come and spend an exciting day at the Museum.
  • JULY 6
    Delta Airport Fly-in and evening Hangar Dance
  • JULY 11 JULY 14
    Arlington Fly-in
  • JULY 20
    Members Day and Quarterly Dinner Meeting
  • JULY 26-28
    Restoration Display at Science World during Molson Indy
  • AUG 9-AUG 11
    Abbotsford International Air Show
  • AUG 12-AUG 18
    Chilliwack Mall Display
  • AUG 25
    Chilliwack Flight Fest

ARE YOU ABLE TO HELP FOR ANY OF THE ABOVE EVENTS, IF SO, PLEASE CALL SANDY AT 604-532-0035

VOLUNTEER OF THE QUARTER

Bob Fowles is known around the Museum as Mr. Reliable. He shows up faithfully every Tuesday and Thursday. His aircraft experience is invaluable along with his willingness to take on any other required task, i.e. tour guide, help setting up mall displays and special events. Bob’s assistance goes back to the Replica Avro Arrow project at the 1997 Abbotsford International Air Show. Ask anyone at the Museum and all will agree, Bob is a deserving recipient for this award.

Submitted by fellow volunteers – Milt Lake and Doug Moan

BREAKING NEWS FOR CMF

How would you like to see a Fleet Canuck among the Museum’s aircraft collection?

With a very gracious donation from Mr. H. Koelher of Langley B.C., this dream will soon become a reality. Mr. Koelher has donated funds to facilitate finding a Fleet Canuck project, and restore it to airworthy condition. Do any of you know where there is a Canuck project in someone’s garage or shop that might be for sale, if so, please call Gogi or Capt Bill Thompson. To Mr. Koelher, our sincerest thank you!

Watch for progress reports.

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERS

Al McNamara Tom Boulanger lain Higginson Ray Tessier Austin Herrmann Robert Ough David Beales Russell Bower Violet Bower Fritz Dahl Peter Dreyer Burnaby, BC Burnaby, BC Sechelt, BC Langley, BC Vancouver, BC Peterborough, ON Langley, BC Langley, BC Langley, BC Surrey, BC Langley, BC John McLean Phil Unrau Gord Naslund John Higenbottam Paul Fletcher Peter Forshaw Vangi Wall Shirley Walker Roy Willis Nancy Argyle Gordon Arborak Surrey, BC Langley, BC Burnaby, BC Delta, BC Surrey, BC Surrey, BC Surrey, BC Mission, BC Surrey, BC White Rock, BC Burnaby, BC

Our 2002/2003 membership drive is going well, and we have welcomed 24 new members since March 1st. Our goal is 200 by Feb 28th of 2003 and with your help we will get there

Back row from left to right: Jeff Jeffrey. Ken Knutson, Terry Wadhams, Doug Schwann, and David McIntosh

Front row from left to right: Jane Robinson, George Preston, Bill Thompson, and Maureen Crockett. Katty Fitzpatrick

At the Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Museum of Flight held on April 6, the following individuals were voted into office by the Museum membership.

  • President George Preston
  • Secretary-Ken Knutson
  • Vice President – Doug Schwann
  • Treasurer – Terry Wadhams
  • Director – Jeff Jeffrey
  • Director – Jane Robinson
  • Director – David McIntosh
  • Director – Maureen Crockett
  • Lifetime Director – Bill Thompson

A special thank you to Dan Holliday and Stan Stanley for letting their name stand for election, we look forward to once again seeing their names on the ballot. In addition, we would be remiss if we did not recognize the amount of time and dedication given by Don Butterley, Werner Griesbeck, Mike Davenport, Dan Holliday. and Gil Fanslau during their time serving on the Board of Directors

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE HANGAR

An old pilots joke, or, an old joke told by pilots goes something like this; “There I was, inverted at 10,000 feet with nothing on the clock but the Maker’s name.” Maybe we should say Cylinder Head Temperature Gauge cause we have a faulty one in the WACO Cabin.

But, step back and look at the whole picture, everything else is coming up roses! We received a donation of ten (10) engines from BCIT ranging from a Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp CB17 with prop, Rolls-Royce Derwent RD 2WS, and Rolls-Royce Dart Mark 3052 with prop. Delivery took two semi trailer loads compliments of Dick Boulter of Bear Crane Services. Now the question, where do we display this collection of radial, turbine, domestic and foreign engines? No sooner said than done, a covered display area has been built between the Gift Shop and Hangar. The display will be open on Monday July 1st.

Speaking of storage, we have arranged for a hangar across the field so we have accessible space for one aircraft if needed to remove from our hangar for events, plus a lot of space for smaller items.

CMF is in the process of acquiring a fully operating sixteen foot wingspan Mosquito and a scale Spitfire. These two models are magnificent, and we are honored to be the recipients of such a fine donation.

The fabric and materials to finish and paint the Handley-Page Hampden have been ordered, and under the direction of Jack Lingham work is progressing as weather permits.

The DC-3 is the “Gate Guard” for the Museum, but needs some immediate attention. We are looking for individuals to work on the trim lines etc. You would be required to work up on either ladders or on scaffolding, and so not a job if you are afraid of heights. If you are available, please call Gogi at 604-532-0035 Tuesday-Thursday.

Speaking of DC-3, the Clubhouse plumbing, kitchen and washrooms are within days of completion. A special thank you to Gil Fanslau, Bryan Carr and all others who have helped in the renovation.

Just continue to ignore the “Old Pilots” joke and we will have a great summer.

Submitted by C.R.(Gogi) Goguillot

FROM THE DESK OF THE VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

We have just started our off sight sales and information events and as always we can use more volunteers. These events can be very interesting, because of the people you can meet, and the stories they tell.

Last year I met a Lancaster pilot who told of his crew who were from all over the Commonwealth and of one particularly rough bombing run to Bremmen Germany. There were also several stories from people who were children during WWII and what the war was like for them on both sides. The child from Germany told of the night terrors caused by the sound of hundreds of bombers coming his way. The boy from the south coast of England told how his village was a rallying point for bombers and how one day two touched, and how they spiraled down while he counted the parachutes. A girl from another village spoke about how during the Battle of Britain they were cheering for the wrong side until someone told them. Even today, she felt shame but they just did not know.

We had a display at Semiahmoo Mall leading up to Armistice Day where we were able to display the book” They Shall Grow Not Old” published by the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum. This book lists all of the RCAF crew-members that did not return home. Nothing could have been more moving than to watch people looking for family members and recounting their stories. These people are aging and few people get to hear their stories. Please consider doing some volunteer work.

Submitted by Ken Knutson.

Science World exhibition explores the romance of Flight

When you think of air travel what comes to mind? Lindbergh’s record-setting flight, Billy Bishop’s battle with the Red Barron, or soaring through the skies en route to some exotic destination? Flight has always inspired the imagination and has been the basis for some of the world’s great innovations and inventions. From the plains of Kitty Hawk to the Challenger space shuttle, humanity’s dreams of flying have dramatically altered our worldview. In just over 100 years we have achieved what was once thought an impossible dream. Now anyone can hop on a plane and be transported to worlds that, previous to flight, took months or years to reach.

Because of flight we have mapped the globe, we have discovered new planets, we manage our natural resources more efficiently, and most important, we can escape the winters of Canada to the hot beaches of the Caribbean in a matter of hours. The courageous men and women that dreamed the dreams of flying have brought the world together and expanded our horizons unlike any other endeavour in human history.

Science World British Columbia’s current exhibition entitled “Flight” examines the romance and history of these phenomenal achievements. “Flight” explores the origins of flight, important figures in the history of aviation and the wide range of math, physics and science principles behind this still mystifying science.

Sit in the cockpit of a real Gulfstream business jet and learn how to handle the controls. Pedal to the sky by becoming the engine of a Gossamer Condor, the plane that pioneered human-powered flight. In the gondola of a Gossamer Condor you’ll be able to operate an eight-foot propeller by pedaling a bicycle mechanism. Instruments mounted in the front show how many horsepower they produce and their air speed.

Experience different methods of flight as you take the controls of a model helicopter to uncover the differences between fixed-wing and rotary flight, or be blown away in a real wind tunnel and discover which wing shapes create the most lift. Learn about lighter-than-air flight, including balloons and blimps by controlling the air temperature and release time of a model hot-air balloon. The younger jet-set (toddlers and children under 5) will enjoy a visit to the pretend-airport, where model planes, buildings and landing strips provide an interactive play area simulating a real airport.

‘Flight’ explores the entire spectrum of air travel, from experimental early aircraft to the high-tech world of today’s modern jets. The exhibition promises to inspire the sense of the wonder and hope so connected to the history of flight and aviation.

For more information about Science World’s exhibits and shows check out their webpage at www.scienceworld.bc.ca

Free Child’s Admission for Canadian Museum of Flight Members

Cut this coupon to receive one free child’s admission when accompanied by one paid adult admission.

An amazing experience awaits you at Science World and the Alcan OMNIMAX(r) Theatre. This season fasten your safety belts and prepare for landing as Flight touches down at Science World and be carried aloft with On The Wing, an historical exploration of natural and mechanical flight on Vancouver’s largest screen in the Alcan OMNIMAX Theatre. Open daily. Not valid with any other promotions or group admissions, nor during the Molson Indy Weekend (July 26-28, 2002) www.scienceworld.bc.ca

24 hour recorded information (604) 443-7443 Valid from May 25 to September 2, 2002 ! Quebec Street at Terminal Avenue at the Main St/Science World SkyTrain Station SCIENCE WORLD BRITISH COLUMBIA A OMNIMAX

You may be asking yourself, why all the information on Science World? Not only is Science World a wonderful interactive place to visit, but during their “Flight” exhibit, you will find various items and artefacts from the Canadian Museum of Flight on display. This partnership will be continuing until September and we encourage our Members to make use of the coupon provided and visit this new exhibit. Come by on Indy weekend and say hello to your fellow members.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN HAND PROPPING AIRCRAFT? The Aircraft Operations Committee would like to welcome individuals who are interested in learning how to start our aircraft to attend a “Hand Propping Course”. If you are interested, please email museum@direct.ca, or call 604-532-0035

There’s a story behind these pictures. An Aussie doctor had difficulty starting his aircraft. It had a dead battery. So with ignition on, a little choke, and brakes OFF, he attempted to start the aircraft by swinging the prop [pretty standard procedure for prop job types…except the brakes].

It started OK. But since the brakes were off, the aircraft rolled away from him. At high taxi speed, its titanium blade spinning at 85% max RPM, it cleaned up about six light aircraft belonging to a local flying club before coming to a stop. The above photos show the last aircraft attacked by this runaway airplane. The damage was just under 2 million dollars [US].

Page 8 GLIDEPATH NEWS The Museum welcomes donations of used AVIATION BOOKS for the Library and to sell in the Gift shop. Support the Museum by donating your previously read material. You will receive a Tax-Deductible Recept. WW1 AERO (1900-1919) SKYWAYS (1920-1940)- historical research infomation on panoor aarsplanes, engines, parts your wants and deposals man on content pr echnical dhawings and data scale modeling malenal news of oueant publications Sample issues $4 each BUILD ONE! A REAL ONE! So strutors or POV, a computer program to generate a 3 vew Irm a protograph Published by WORLD WAR 1 Ceroplanes, INC. 15 Crest Pepin, NY 1201073-0479 SAFEFLIGHT CONSULTING MULTI-CREW STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES COURSE This certificate course includes: eight (8) hours ground school, ⚫ eight (8) hours elite two-station simulator and introduces pilots to the commuter airline, Corporate aviation multi-crew environment. Call Captain Gordon Wilson, course instructor Why pay more! COMPETITIVE RATES GROUND LEVEL UNITS YOUR LOCK-YOUR KEY – ALL UNITS JUST YOUR SIZE BUDGET MINI STORAGE For all your storage needs 604-521-3636 HEATED STORAGE AVAILABLE RESIDENT MANAGER VISA & MASTERCARD Coquitlam, B.C. 163 Schoolhouse Street ADVERTISING RATES 1/4 page.. ..$50.00 1/2 page.. $75.00 Full page… 50 words or less $100.00 CLASSIFIEDS Members……. $10.00 General………..$15.00 Your ads will assist the Museum Programs and introduce your product to our membership.