CANADIAN MUSEUM OF FLIGHT NEWSLETTER ISSUE 55 Fall 1997

ART SELLER & SKYWAY AIR SERVICES LTD.
Story by Jack Meadows
reprinted with permission from West Coast Aviator Magazine

The British Columbia aviation community lost a truly great latter day pioneer with the recent passing of Art Seller, founder of Skyway Air Services. Art was a determined visionary who conceived of a flying service business while still a prisoner of war. His vision established a world class company whose influence continues to this day.

Art Seller was born in Saskatchewan on November 1, 1919. He moved with his parents to the West Coast when he was still young. Like so many of that generation he grew up fascinated by airplanes and flight. Like only a few, he followed through with his obsession.

As a teenager growing up in the depression, he washed cars, delivered bread, did any job he could find to save money for flying lessons on a Taylorcraft. Later he worked around the flying world on Sea Island, doing every sort of job to the same end. Slowly, with Gilberts Flying Services, he managed to add hours until, in 1941, he had not only his Private License but also a limited Commercial License. This enabled him to join the Royal Canadian Air Force as a pilot without further screening

He said little to his family or later colleagues about the war. As a fighter pilot flying Spitfires from Britain, soon after ‘D’ Day, on June 17. 1944, he was shot down by ground fire over the beachhead. He became a Prisoner of War in Eastern Germany. From there he managed to survive the long, hungry, desperate forced marches west as the Germans evacuated the camps and moved their charges away from the advancing Russians.

Only after his death did his son, David find a diary kept of his time in a POW camp. It was full of plans for his post-war activities, ideas for his own company and its name, even sketches of advertising designs. He already had a very clear well as engineers license. idea of what he was going to do as soon as peace allowed.

To take advantage of the post-war flying boom, almost as soon as he got home in 1945, in CMFT Newsletter partnership with Harold Foster, whom he later bought out, he formed Royal City Flying Club at Vancouver Airport. It had one war surplus Tiger Moth. Later, a second Moth was added.

Vancouver airport was becoming crowded so, in 1947, he decided to move to Langley. He might almost be considered the father of the present day bustling Langley Airport for, in 1947, it was only a grass field – an emergency landing strip for Trans Canada Airlines, with no buildings other than a couple of old farm privies Art used as offices,

Business was good. The company grew. On August 6 1947 it changed its name to Skyway Air Services. Its third employee was an ex-sailor, Percy Lotzer, who worked in the office and was later to learn to fly with the company and become General Manager. Another important acquisition was Ed Batchelor, later of B.C. Aviation Council fame, ex-RAF pilot with instructor’s rating as

By now Skyway, as a general aviation company, was doing a bit of everything pilot training (there was quite an international chentele), charter, banner towing, rental as well as buying and selling aircraft. There was a wide and changing variety of airplanes in use: Tigers, Fleet Canucks, Luscombes, Aeroncas, Piper Super Cruisers. So to have more time to develop other activities, Seller delegated to Batchelor the flying training responsibility. Here, Batchelor managed to formalize things. He set his heart on a standardized fleet for flying training and gradually achieved this with Piper aircraft. Later, there was also a parallel Cessna fleet.

“The event that caused me to broaden the scope of my activities was an infestation of aphids in the pea crop in Ladner, in 1947,” recalled Seller for Pioneering Aviation in the West. He saw some visiting American crop dunters walk away with more money than he made in a year and decided to convert a Tiger Moth for the job Ar this time, he was joined by John Anderson as spray pilot, also an engineer

For a time there was a happy double utiliza tion of some aircraft, crop dusting early and late when the wind was light, pilot training in between

But the Tigers were inadequate for the dust ing job and a number of Stearmans were added.This was the start of a development that soon equalled in importance the training activities.

A major opportunity arose from the Fraser River floods of 1948. The resulting mosquito problem needed drastic action. As Lotzer says, Skyway was there and ready. Seller and Anderson flew Stearmans from dawn to dusk spreading DDT everywhere in a way that to-day would never be allowed.

Early Langley days, the plane, the office and the all charly very bil 1947. Note the

Then, Alcan had a problem with mosquitoes at its Kemano dam project. A Skyway Tiger on floats was flown all the way up the coast to Kitimat a fear in itself to deal with the problem.

These activities, much more profitable than the long hours of flying instruction, helped to solidify the financial situation.

Dusting had led naturally to spraying, both crop spraying and spruce bud worm spraying. New Brunswick was suffering a severe attack of the latter and wanted help from all over the continent. Skyway’s fleet of five Stearmans few east each spring and hack each fall on the Budworm contract. As can easily be imagined “the hardest part of the whole thing” said Batchelor, “was the journey out and back”

Yang Art Seller with has first Royal City Flying Cle Tiger Moek: 1945

Another natural development was fire fighting by water bombing. In 1952, experiments were started with Stearmans It was soon clear that aircraft’s capacity was far too limited. There had been an infes tation of spruce budworm on Vancouver Island and Seller had called in three Grumman Avenger TBMs from south of the border to help He had this seen what this aircraft could do

So, when in 1957, the Canadian Navy put eighteen surplus Avengers up for sale, Seller took a chance, bid on them and got seventeen for prices ranging from $1700-$7,000. Fairey Aviation, at Victoria modified them for Skyway’s use

Apart from some very basic early 1920’s experiments with Curtiss HS2LA and Felixstowe class flying boats our of Jericho Beach, the use of aircraft for this purpose had never before been seriously tried anywhere in Canada and certainly not on this scale.

Although the idea was being developed in several parts of the U.S., Skyway and B.C. were now leaders, at least in Canada, with the idea

With two state spray hars) at Langley left right, Jabe Anderson, Art Siller, Peter Duck

Trial and error played a big part in the development of the equipment and the bombing technique. While others were attempting the same procedures, it was not just unwillingness to pass on secrets but a lack of communication that resulted in uncoordinated developments. By and large therefore, Skyway was on its own in finding the right equipment and techniques for the task.

Water bombing is a loose term often inaccurately applied. As Art’s son David points out, it is important to be reminded to distinguish between water bombing as done by Martin Mars, Cansos and later Canadair amphibians, pumping vast quantities of plain water each time, and the more selective dropping of smaller quantities of specially formulated retardant (often also containing fertilizer) by smaller aircraft. This latter technique is usually prevention or containment rather than dousing. Although Skyway’s initial experiments with the Stearmans had used only water, it is the latter process which the company was to develop so successfully.

There were numerous trial droppings on the taxi track to the east of the north end of the Langley runway. In this way the special tankage, valves and doors were developed and the best dropping techniques and accuracies learned..

By now, Skyway Air Services Ltd had as Percy Lotzer delights in saying, a larger fleet of aircraft than Air Canada even though individually rather smaller Essentially, it was in three parts the flying school under Ed Batchelor, with an offshoot seaplane training hase at Fort Langley, the spraying and bombing service under John Anderson and the administration under Percy Lotzer. Peter Deck was operations manager Art Seller coordinated and guided this conglomerate. It is a measure of the man and his personality that he did so not only successfully and as one company, but with the continuing respect and affection of everyone. Getting people to work together in this way was his biggest asset”, says Lotzer

“By now, Skyway Air Services Ltd. had…a larger fleet of aircraft than Air Canada”

Obviously, he was also a cough entrepreneur and wheeler-dealer. His son, David, says of him that he would question and probe carefully every new idea put to him but when he made his deci sinn he would stick to it and support the author. He says also that he was a fair shooter as both a parent and as a businessman

An Avenger at an early water bombing trial in Langley 60 Skyway

The Mayor of Langley said of him that he always drove a hard bargain but when you had a deal it was very fair and he would never go back on his word.

From 1960-65 the business thrived. The demand for airline pilots helped to keep the flying school busy It now had some twin Apaches and was giving IFR training. Just as busy were the Avengers which flew East each spring for New Brunswick spruce budworm control and back: again in June ready for the BC forest fire season. . At its peak, Skyway employed a hundred people for a fleet of 70 aircraft.

One result of Art Seller’s efforts was that, with the advent of the Avengers, Langley airport had become too small for Skyway. The flying school remained, with its seaplane offshoot at Fort Langley, but the spraying and bombing sections moved to Abbotsford. First No. 1 Hangar was bought then number 3 as the company continued to grow. In 1965, Seller’s activities had been rec ognized and he was awarded the BC Aviation Council’s Robert S. Day Trophy.

From 1965, the general economic conditions led to a downturn in the flying training demand. However, the spraying and bombing business was as busy as ever and Art Seller was looking at ex military twin-engine Grumman Trackers as possible replacements for the Avengers. However, in 1968 he suffered a stroke and decided to divest himself of the business

Art and sen David disc apcoming flight

The following year, the Abbotsford operation, the spraying and retardant bombing part of his business, was sold to a consortium led by Les Kerr, whom he had taught to fly and who had become a spray pilot with the company. The Skyway name stayed with Seller, Les Kerr’s new company was named, Conair Aviation To Art Seller’s delight it continued to grow and prosper at Abbotsford under its new management. Today, having in turn divested itself of the crop spraying business, Conair is world famous for its water/retardant bombing services and techniques and related aircraft and equipment development Under current President, Barry Marsden, it con tinues as a leader in its important specialist field

“A natural pilot, the love of flying never left him”

Art Seller continued to operate the Skyway flying school at Langley, with its Fort Langley off- shoot. He soon passed his medicals and got his license buck. A natural pilot, the love and joy of flying never left him. Earlier, he had started a glider and sailplane operation which only lasted a few years. Percy Lutzer says that in a turn, he could be looking all over the sky, but the ball on the slip indicator would never leave centre. Son David says he taught him to fly by the seat of his pants, took the fighter pilot’s view that instruistion history. As pilot and businessman he was ments are only there for very occasional reference. David reckons he is a better pilot for that

David had got a Commerce Degree as well as his commercial pilot’s license. In 1973, Art sold him the flying school whose twenty-five aircraft continued, for some years, to clock up 20,000 hours flying a year. In 1989, David, in turn sold the school (it later went bust) and at the same time, his Father sold the Fort Langley operation

David kept a Stearman from the transaction for his father to fly and Air flew this machine almost right up to his death in April of this year.

Art Seller would have appreciated the memorial fly-past held at Langley in his honour There were other sides to this busy and capable mun’s life. He was a Shriner and a Life Member of the Canadian Museum of Flight

In later years, in complete contrast to his other activities, Art Seller constructed a magndicent doll’s house filled with equally meticulously mude furniture. He gave it to the Museum of Flight to be ruffled for the Museum’s benefit. The winner, finding himself more in need of cash, asked Art if he knew anyone who would buy this magnificent object. Art Seller bought it himself with the intention of again having it raffled for the benefit of the museum.

Art Seller clearly made his mark on B.C’s very much a product of the immediate postwar free-wheeling years. That he succeeded where so many failed owed something to luck but far more to his capability, judgement and vision, not to ignore his integrity and character. Perhaps a more important epitaph comes from Percy Lotzer: “I have never met anyone who did not like Art Seller He would get along with anybody”

1957: Art on the wing of ane of the Avengers

• INSIDE
  • Art Seller and Skyways Air Services from West Coast Aviator with permission
  • Odds and Ends
  • Upcoming Events.
  • Around the Museum.
  • Museum Keeps On Truckin’.
  • On The Web: CMFs New Web Page..
  • Flashbacks………..
• HOURS
  • 10 AM-4PM. 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
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• ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES
  • General $35.00
  • Family. $45.00
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Please check the members expiry date on your newsletter mailing label. Rene by mail, telephone or visiting the mum. We accept cash, cheque Visa or Mastercard

The CMFT 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 CMFT is governed by a board of Directors which is elected by the members at the Annual General Meeting in April.

The CMF 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 Editors… Julia Retallack
Margaret Giacomello
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
E-Mail: cmft@direct.ca

Canadian Museum of Flight

• Directors
  • Butterley, Don. 576-1175
  • Chmilar, Shiela. 540-6236
  • Devisser, John.. 277-4377
  • Elgood, Terry. 279-2062
  • Griesbeck, Werner. 856-5222
  • Harris, Ted 534-7568
  • Hudak, Tony 590-1855
  • Kingston, Barry- 826-2712
  • Krywiak, Ron. 433-6240
  • McWilliams, Ron. 590-0226
  • Proulx, George. 538-3836
  • Read, Michael. 536-7402
  • Rempel, Brian 946-8383
  • Robinson, Jane 536-3287
• Founding Directors
  • Jackson, Barry 932-2367
  • Stunden, Ron 277-3827
  • Thompson, Capt. Bill. 883-2445
• Office/Library: Margaret Giacomello
• General Manager “Gogi” Goguillot
  • Office phone.. 332-0035
  • Fax 532-0056)
  • E-Mail Address cmfi@rdirect.ca
• Executive Committee
  • President George Proulx
  • Vice President Brian Rempel
  • Secretary-Treasurer Shiela Chmilar
  • Treasurer John Ried
• Standing Committees
  • Magazine Collection..
    • George Proulx 538-3836
    • Muir Adair 530-9758
  • Volunteer Coordinator.
    • Merillee Elgood 279-2062
    • Gogi Goguillor 823-6428
  • Corporate Liason John Ried
  • Public Relations.
    • Jerry Vernon 420-6065,
      • fax 420-1684
  • Special Events
    • George Prouls 538-3836
    • Jane Robinson 536-3287
  • Newsletter George Gregory 882-8016
  • Restoration. Werner Griesbeck 856-5222
  • Research
    • Jerry Vernon 420-6065,
    • fux 420-1684
  • Computer Services Micheal Read 536-7402
  • Exhibits and Displays
    • Ron McWilliams 590-0226
    • Sheila Chmilar 540-6236
  • Grounds and Janitorial. open
  • Library. …Margaret Giacomello 583-5908
  • Collections.
    • Jerry Vernon 420-6065,
    • fax 420-1684
  • Transportation Tony Hudak 590-1855
  • Meetings Prep/Entertainment open
  • Hampton (Ad Hoc) Fred Gardham 681-6886
  • Disposals (Ad Hoc).
    • Ron Krywiack 433-6240
    • Gogi Goguillor 823-6428
    • Terry Elgood 279-2062
    • Tony Hudak 590-1853
  • Casino.. Jane Robinson 536-3287
  • Lodestar John DeVisser 277-4377
  • Aircraft/Flying Committee. Gogi Goguillot (current pilot) 823-6428
  • Keeper or Aircraft Ron Krywiack 433-6240

Odds and Ends

UPCOMING EVENTS

Dinner Meeting Saturday, November 8, 1997
RSVP by Friday, October 31, 1997 @4:00 pm

Phone the gift shop for Menu and Price confirmation.

Guest Speaker Frank Quigg on “Slightly More Than Halfway Around The World”.

Gogi was away for three weeks in September, on a well deserved holiday travelling down through the States with his wife Joyce. So things have been a little slow but somehow the museum kept going, now it’s back to work

Margaret has cut down her hours due to an overload of jobs She now works Sundays and Wednesdays for the Museum, and three days a week the is to be found in the libraries at Kwantlen’s Surrey Campus and BCIT working her little heart out. Don’t work too hard Margaret!

John Reid, Geri McGrath, and Jane Robinson have been busy with the airshows and getting all the paperwork ready for our Casino. Hopefully we will get notice of it soon,

Brian Rempel, one of our webmasters, is busy trying to get input from our membership about the direction of the museum in the future. He would like to see the museum with a comprehensive business plan. If you have any ideas or opinions on the future of the museum, please feel free to contact Brian at (604) 946-8383, fix him at the museum at 532-0056, or if you are a computer nerd, at e-mail: fulcrum@direct.ca

Editor George eagerly solicits members’ contributions to the newsletter. Got something to share? Give him a call at 882-8016.

Attention Collectors!

CMF has material of various nature for sale; they include:

• a partially built Taylor Monoplane
• -two Lovings “Love”, partially built
• apartly completed Thorp T-18
• -other assets, also for sale

Phone 532-0035 and ask Gogi for details!

More Volunteers Required For Gift Shop!

The Gift Shop is one of the Museum’s main revenue producers. More volunteers means more funds for the Museum’s use.

Contact Margaret or Bev at 532-0035 for more details!

Around The Museum

The Museum’s Link Trainer

The Link Trainer is now up and running, for a small fee you can go for a ride and pretend you are an old time aviator Milt Lake made some moveable steps which allow passengers to access the Link. Thanks Milt! So come on down to the museum and take a ride in Don Butterley’s “Baby”

The CF-100 Canuck is looking pretty good these days thanks to the hard work of the Butterleys, Don, son Keith and his grandson; alio Fred Gardham, Inky Klett and the talents of Patrick McFadden on the decals. This summer Dick Coulter of Bear Crane helped move the CF-100 Canuck from its display area in the museum to a truck for transportation to BC Place Stadium for display at the Molson Indy. It was a grand sight in BC Place for the Molson Indy

Well, the Vampire is finally complete! It sits outside at the north end of the Hangar. It took much time and effort to get it looking so great, thanks to Milt Lake, Wayne Manning, Sheila Chmilar, and Ron McWilliams. Thank you Werner Griesbeck and Dan Holliday for painting the Vampire. It looks great guys. Nice work on the decals Don Butterley.

The Hangar is now the operating room for the restoration of Dr. Pickup’s cabin Waco AQC-6. The skeleton of the fuselage is there and the skeletal wings have been attached. A lot of work still needs to be done. Come by and watch the progress.

Upcoming events: General Dinner Meeting Saturday November 8, 1997. Refreshments 6:00-7:00pm and dinner served at 7:00. Please R.S.V.P. by 4.00 Friday October 31, 1997. Phone the gift shop for Menu and Price confirmation.

Volunteer Day: September 27, 1997 was set aside as a Volunteer Appreciation Day, and those who came were treated to some flying by some of our local pilots. Thank you goes to Werner Griesbeck, George Worden our Waco INF pilot, Dan Holliday, Mike Davenport, Gil Fansiau, Stu Melvor and George Le Loup (Alias Captain Laser) for donating their time and aircraft for our volunteers. There was a small gathering in Dakota’s Cafe after the event with hamburgers and chili for all. The day turned out to be fun for all who attended.

All the events the museum participated in this summer have been a great successes especially for the exposure. We could never have paid for herrer advertising. Two events which solidified the museum’s position as a place to visit in the lower mainland were the Abbotsford Airshow and the Molson Indy. The Abbotsford Airshow emphasized the museum’s expertise in restoration, and the Molson Indy was instrumental in letting people know that the museum is alive and well and living in Langley. Many people at both events were happy to see us and were excited about visiting our new site.

Other events we attended this summer were the Pitt Meadows Air Fair which was a great success For a small venue it attracted many aviation enthusiasts and provided a very good show The Snowbirds were definitely the hit of the event.

At the beginning of July the museum participated in the July 1st weekend celebrations on the Langley Airport for Canada Day. With a few minor hitches, the event went well.

August 21st was the Chilliwack Airshow. As usual we were well received and had a good time.

George Worden goes for a ride in the Ware

RCFCBC was held on September 21 at Fry’s Corner and we were in attendance as we are every year. It was a fun day and the weather made it more enjoyable. The flying lawn mower camed quite a sensation, and was a sight to see.

A special Thank You goes out to Merriller Elgood for her tireless effort to arrange volunteers to help with gift shop sales at the various events we attended this summer. Being a Volunteer Co-ordinator is a thankless job, many times volunteers do not show up or cancel at the last minute leaving Merrillee scrambling to find someone else to fill the position. Sometimes people even complain about being asked to help at all. Those volunteers who do show up must be commended for their effort on behalf of the museum. Their donation of time certainly helped maintain the museum in its time of need and we thank them all for their generosity

• Smith, Margaret & Dave
• Danyluk, Ken & Myra
• Stelmaschuk, Coreen
• Fraser, Doug
• Hammond, John
• Girardi, Silvano
• Askin, Gordon & Irene
• Sellars, Homer & Jean
• De Visser, John
• George, Banu
• Baker, Irene & Mickey
• Offer, Mart
• Schuler, Arnold Continued page 6 Fall 1997 page 5
• Hall, Derek
• Gregory, Ross
• Zlotnik, Sonny
• Rempel, Brian
• Mosch, Aaron
• Rylatt, Mike & Teresa
• Schliffer, Mary Lynn & Seth
• Niven, Larry
• Chater, Giles
• Nicholson, Harry
• Druris, Barry
• Forster, Doug
• Abello, Gail
• Davis, Glen & Sharon
• Krywiak, Ron
• Black, Buthara
• Moreau, David
• Reid, Dee
• Swan, Lu
• Robinson, Jane
• McWilliams, Ron
• Chmilat, Sheila
• Clark, John
• Reid, John
• Proulx, George & Helen
• Holliday, Dan
• Kendall, Dick
• Elgood. Terry, Merillee & Brian
• Butterley, Don
• Hipperson, Greg & Kelly
• Harris, Ted
• Manning, Wayne

Another dedicated volunteer that must be recognized for his unfailing loyalty to the muse um, his appearance in the office 3 days a week, and at every event the museum attends is our venerable President, George Proulx. His unwavering dedication to the museum goes without saying. and many times by many people he is taken for granted. With George’s expertise and unflagging energy, the gift shop is flourishing. We always have a substantial inventory to sell at all our events, which George, with the help of few volunteers, manages to select and prepare for sale. Then, after each event, he counts it and records what was sold. The inventory that has been on consignment goes back to the supplier and the rest is stored or placed in the gift shop for sale. It is all very labour intensive and rarely acknowledged. Thank you George!

A letter to Gogit

Dear Mr. Goguillot

Thank you very much for the photos showing the progress on rebuilding of the Waco. It is recognizable once again and Jack would be pleased.

I had hoped to get out to Langley this summer but picked up an upper respiratory bug which was hard to shake.

Yours truly Lilla Pickup

ABBOTSFORD AIRSHOW

The Canadian Museum of Flight would like to thank the volunteers that took time out of their busy schedules to help restore Allan Jackson’s Arrow to display condition. Without their help the restoration may not have been possible. Here they are in alphabetical order (if any of your names have been spelled incorrectly, let me apologize now):

• Belanger, Michel
• Heath, Art
• Miller, Shane
• Butterley, Don
• Jones, Dave
• Moan, Doug
• Canway, Lee
• Kenny, Sam
• Murphy, Mark
• Cieckiewicz, Todd
• Kerpan, Ron
• Poulin, Steve
• Coles Webb, Mike
• Kran, Darrel
• Robson, Bill
• Condra, Kevin
• Kulba, Ken
• Spentza, Jim
• Dempster. Allan
• Kulla, Ken
• Terrault, John
• Dueck, Ben
• Long. Mike
• Thompson, Steve
• Evans, Scott
• Mason, Howie
• Weber, Matt
• Fowlrs, Bob
• Merriman, Nicholas
• Wilmott, Kevin
• Gardham, Fred
• Merriman, Rusty
• Zanatta, Steve
• Harms, Stephen
• Miller, Jerrod
• Zylenko, Dan

The Avro Arrow was quite a success for the Museum and the Abbotsford Airshow. The Arrow definitely stole the show. It looked amazing, one could visualize it taking off as it taxied down the runway. Thank you to Allan Jackson for allowing us the opportunity to work on such a beautiful project. Work on the Arrow is still continuing, as there were a few details left unfinished before the Airshow. Next year, the Arrow will again be on display for the 1998 Abbotsford Airshow

Lastly, we would like to thank those who piloted aircraft during our Volunteer Appreciation Day. The pilots, with their aircraft, are as follows:

• Gil Fanslau Piper PA12 Super Cruiser
• Werner Griesbeck Fairchild 24K
• Mike Davenport. Stinson 108-3
• Jim McRae Aeronca Champ
• Dan Holliday Citabria
• George Worden Waco INF
• Stu McGiver Piper Cherokee
• De Potter. Harvard
• Ted Harris RV-6
• Dr. Bob Baldock. Cessna 172
• George LeLoup (aka Captain Laur). Hughs 269c

Visit the C.M.F. Giftshop

Besides our selection of books and other aviation paraphernalia, there is a wide selection of mugs with various witty anecdotes and catch-phrases. As well, hand-made mahogany aircraft models of seven different aircraft are currently available, but special orders on most aircraft are being taken. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery.

Museum Keeps On Truckin’

Dick Coulter of Bear Crane has been a life-saver in job after job way back to the move from Crescent Road. Not only is he an expert in loading and moving huge and heavy loads, Dick often forgets to bill us. It is people like Dick who make an operation such as ours possible.

The museum would like to thank Dick for all the help he has given the museum in the past. Dick has been responsible for moving aircraft and other large items that needed lifting by crane to trucks etc. for transportation. If it wasn’t for Dick’s efforts, the museum may never have been able to make the move to Langley. He has also been a big help moving planes etc. to events for display. Thank you very much Dick for your continual contribution of time and expertise on the museum’s behalf, your help is much appreciated.

Many, many thanks,Dick!

Pictures, from the top Dick Coulter (Bear Crane) centre- supervising loading and transport of CF100 BC Place

Not me, but tun multi ten crane lift CF100 fuselage at it begins its journey to BC place and the Melson Indy, country Bear Cran

Dong Moun, assisted by John Clark, both CMF – unters, decide to go over instead of around t CF100 depart

Donations

• Helicopter Parts and manuals:
  • Roy Willis
• Shop Supplies and Tools:
  • Don Butterly
• Material
  • Pat O’Donnell
• Tools
  • Inky Klett
  • Sonny Zlotnik
• Radio Equipment
  • Ron Stunden

CMFT: ON THE WEB

IN THE LAST ISSUE of the Canadian Museum of Flight’s Newsletter, we included an article that listed some of the internet addresses of aviation museums that have their own webpage. Since that article appeared, many of our members have contacted me asking the same question, “Why doesn’t the Canadian Museum of Flight have its own web page? Well, I’m very pleased to announce that the Canadian Museum of Flight’s webpage is now complete and on line at http://web.idirect.com/-cmft/index.htm?

A brief description of what you’ll find when you visit the Canadian Museum of Flight’s webpage as an ever growing collection of articles and colour images that tell the visitors to our webpage who the Canadian Museum of Flight is and what we do. The site includes articles on the museum’s collection of aircraft, the restoration projects, photos of members’ aircraft, a list of museum events, links to other interesting aviation pages and a whole lot more.

It’s our intention to have the museum’s webpage become a tool not only to promote our museum, but to serve as a new medium to help tell the story of Canada’s aviation history and to educate visitors to our site on the people and planes that helped build our country.

For anyone interested in submitting an article, photographs or perhaps you have a good idea for the webpage, or if you would like to know about our sponsorship and advertising opportunities that are available on the museum’s webpage, please call Brian Rempel at (604) 946-8383 or E-mail to cmft@direct.ca or fulcrum@direct.ca I hope you enjoy your visit!

WW1 AERO (1900-1919) AND SKYWAYS (1920-1940)

Two Journals for the restorer/builder and serious modeller of early aircraft Sample Issues $4 each, 1 year subscription $25; Overseas $30

• -information on current projects
• -news of museums and airshows
• -technical drawings and data
• -historical research
• -workshop notes
• -information on paint/colour
• -photographs
• -aeroplanes, engines, parts for sale
• -scale modelling material
• -news of current publications
• -your wants and disposals

Sole distrubuters for P3V, a computer program to generate a 3 view from a photograph Published by WORLD WAR 1 Aeroplanes,, INC.

15 Crescent Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 USA (914) 473-3679

FlashBacks

• Twenty-five Years Ago (1972):
  • 27 July 1972: The McDonnell Douglas YF 15A Eagle made its first test flight
• Fifty Years Ago: (1947)
  • 16 August 1947: The prototype DeHavilland Beaver, CF-FHB-X, was test-flown at Downsview by W/C Russ Bannock. This aircraft was later bought by Russ Baker and served for many years with Central B.C. Airways and Pacific Western Airlines, it is now on display at the national Aviation museum. Ottawa.
  • 24 November 1947: The prototype North American XF-86 Sabre, the USAF’s first swept-wing jet fighter, was test flown.
• Sixty Years Ago: (1937)
  • 02 July 1937: Amelia Earhart disappeared in the pacific Ocean on her attempted around the world flight in a Lockheed Electra, this flight was re-enacted in a similar aircraft in 1997
• Seventy-five Years Age: (1922):
  • 04 September 1922 Jimmy Doolittle completed the first coast to coast flight in a single day, from Florida to San Diego in 21 hours, 19 minutes.
  • 18 October, 1922: Brigadier General Billy Mitchell ser a new air speed record of 222.97 mph in a Curtiss R-6 racer.

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