Museum Newsletter
CANADIAN MUSEUM OF FLIGHT AND TRANSPORTATION. 11040 Camble Rd., Richmond, B.C. No. 14 November, 1981
A Time of Crisis
A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM has been brewing for more than three years regarding the farm storage site. Under the strict wording of Surrey’s zoning by-law, airplanes or airplane parts cannot be stored on residential property. One non-resident has made it his business during all that time to create as much of a problem for us on this matter as has been within his power to do so. Surrey council reviewed the matter in 1979, and ruled that they would allow storage in the two buildings then in place, and the rebuilding of aircraft by Ed Zalesky as a hobby.
Surrey has been understanding in not pressing the matter, as they are aware of the problems CMFT has in finding a suitable home for its collection.
The razing of the hangar at Boundary Bay Airport this summer precipitated a crisis in that it became apparent that the MoT were not going to make any effort to assist our establishing at that facility, and therefore, the temporary arrangement of storing parts. at the Crescent Road farm site would have to suffice for a while yet. Since the weather and salt air are taking a vicious toll of these airplanes, Ed and Rose Zalesky, the owners of the property took the reluctant and very expensive step of building two buildings to ease the situation as far as it was in their power to do. The first building was a shop, to be made available exclusively to CMFT for the purpose of restoring aircraft on a volunteer basis, so some will be ready for Transpo 86. The second building was a 50’x120′ storage shed, to house the airplanes and components scattered around the yard, as new material continues to arrive.
Authority for rebuilding aircraft was construed as having been given to CMFT by Surrey Council in 1979, so no problem was anticipated.
Normally, municipal farm zoning allows the use of the land as an airport, which would have covered the storage of airplanes. However, before Surrey would issue a building permit, they insisted that we sign an affidavit that we waive this right to store planes and parts. Faced with this “Catch 22” situation of trying to preserve the airplanes and trying to keep the place neat and clean at the same time, it was decided to proceed in the hope that the waiver could be lifted at some time in the future, and the building built now while prices were still within reach.
Enter the absentee neighbor, who demands that the by-law be enforced, and this is now what is happening. The ultimatum has come down that not only are we not to be allowed to store airplane parts in the storage shed, but we are not going to be allowed to restore airplanes in the shop. Further, the yard must be cleaned up. The unreasonable, and as yet unsolved problem, is that we cannot possibly stuff much more into the present buildings, and we cannot use the new ones, nor can we even take advantage of any Surrey-located storage space which might become available to us.
The options to work out the problem are limited. First, while the by-law can be changed, it is extremely unlikely that it will be in this instance. Secondly, we can plant a row of thick and bushy trees along the property line. Thirdly, we can request a zoning change to allow the operation of the museum here until such time as a more suitable home can be found.
In this instance, we need support of our application to council and the mayor. We really need all members to make themselves heard by signing the enclosed letter to council. If the nearly 400 paid up members of CMFT each send in the letter, we stand a chance of surviving this very serious and possibly lethal setback.
Please do it now. This is urgent and immediate response is required.
THE BOLY as she looked during summer, 1981, at Legend, Alberta
Bringing back the Bolingbroke, bolt by bloody bolt . . .
We are very pleased to announce that CMFT now has a Bolingbroke IVT RCAF bomber, in more or less complete condition, but needing total restoration. It is now at the storage site, thanks to a week of superman-type effort on the part of our intrepid recovery crew-Jerry Van Humbeck, Gordon Weismiller and Mark and Ed Zalesky. Jerry, Gordon and Mark each took a week off work, without pay, to make the trip to south east Alberta to dismantle, load and haul her home. The caravan consisted of the old, red flatdeck, Roy Briscoe’s trailer, Gord Weismiller’s flatdeck with boom, trailer and camper. Since there was no water, or electricity at the site, everything had to be taken in, including generator, welding gear, compressor, tools and enough food for the week.
COVER PHOTO:
Local artist Bob Banks’ print of the De Havilland Tiger Moth. Final copies have a canopy and indistinct numbers added. The print measures 22″x 29″ and is printed in full color on heavy stock suitable for framing. The Tiger is the first in “The Yellow Series” depicting the airplanes used in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan during WWII. Buy your copy from CMFT at $15 each plus 904 tax and $1 for postage.
A few minor adjustments and mechanical problems on the trucks on the way over. The group left at noon on sunday, Oct 10, and arrived there Monday night just before dark, after a slight navigation problem resulted in a delay on a back road in prairie gumbo. A very interesting time was had trying to back up and turn around the flatdecks and 30-foot trailers on a single lane, private road. The red truck decided to blow a high pressure line on the power steering-lots of smoke, but it made it to the correct farm after dark, and all went out to inspect the Boly.
THE TWO RIGS loaded and on their way home.
Chunky soup was on the menu for supper and then into bed.
Daylight at 7:20, with lots of frost but clear. A survey of the airplane, then the equipment was unloaded for a start on the dismantling. The engines came off at the mounts relatively easy and were hauled over via Gord’s truck and A-frame to higher ground for later loading. Working on the tail section was like Rubik’s cube-apparently easy, but lots of thought and time required. Thirty-five years of sitting, even on the prairies, made some nuts impossible to get off, and some of the screws had been used more than once, making heads gouged and slots worn. Liberal application of WD-40 really did help.
Where nuts were impossible to get at, we had to resort to chiseling, grinding and drilling, which was very time consuming. The tail section was built as an assembly, and mounted onto an aft fuselage section approximately 3 feet long, which was then bolted and screwed to the main fuselage. The plan was to take if off at this joint, but proved impossible under the circumstances. In the interim, Jerry and Gord were drilling the main wing fairings and studying the front of the fuselage. It was decided to do a “nose job” (remove the forward section at the factory joint just at the centre section front spar) to get the centre section out.
Before retiring that night, we had a planning session and a very important discussion about sleep, and its lack, due to Jerry’s loud snoring, sometimes accompanied by Ed.
The morning of day 2 dawned bright and frostless with no wind. We attacked the Boly again and the nose came off as planned, except for a few lines. We all whacked at the impossible-to-get-at tail attach bolts from the outside, while Mark was inside giving advice and direction. With Mark and Jerry heaving and humping, the tail finally came off intact. One small triumph was the removal of the right hand centre section fairing. The Brits used nuts (not anchor or rivnuts) in the most inaccessible places, necessitating the use of the light plant, drill, grinder, chisels, etc.
THE ENGINES are off, tail is off, fairings are off and the “nose job” is in progress.
During the day, the owner of the airplane, Rudy Yancie, came along. He was to try to pick up a power steering line for us, as he was on his way to Lethbridge, 65 miles away, and back the next day.
Day 3 rose bright and warm, with no frost, and a beautiful dawn, all sent over by Rose during the prior evening’s phone call. We tackled the left hand centre section fairings, drilled off the bomb bay doors and started taking off bolts from the centre section to the fuselage at the front and rear spars, and also belly keel section. The whole day was spent grinding, drilling and unwinding nuts. Some places required up to 3 feet of %” rachet extensions to get at some of the hidden nuts holding the spar to the fuselage.
We received a visit from another brother of the owner family just at dark, as Gord was on one side prying the main aft fuselage section away from the centre section, while Mark was on the other side on the tail end by Jerry and Ed. It finally came apart well after dark.
A very welcome invitation to the brother’s house for a bath, which by this time, we really needed. We celebrated the success of the venture with a bottle of coconut rum. We also fixed furnace, wasn’t vending, discussed the attributes of CMFT
The next day was again warm and sunity. We picked up the main fuselage aft section with the A-frame and hauled it to the marshalling yard. Last was the centre section. We were worried about tipping if over and damaging the front end. Mark and Jerry had a “spring line” anchored to an old wagon to prevent this, but as Gord had hooked up the rigging well, it came over easy, with no problems, and this was hauled to the marshalling yard as well.
The site was carefully gone over and left reat and clean. We then concentrated on loading the centre section vertically on edge on Gerd’s shorter, lower trailer, checking to make sure it was less than maximum height for bridges, tunnels and over-passes. Gord and Jerry welded brackets. onto the trailer and attached the centre section by the engine mount bolts, so it was solid and wouldn’t move. The two engines were picked up and placed between the landing gear legs, in a vertical position on the plywood deck and anchored. The main fuselage gear legs were placed in the centre of Roy’s long trailer. Wings then stacked vertically on each side and secured with steel braces in case of wind gusts. The fuselage nose section was loaded on the deck of the red truck on one side, the welder on the other and the stabilzer and elevator on the overhead racks. All the lumber and steel and other equipment were loaded on the truck and about 4:30 we were ready to head home.
We started moving west towards Lethbridge, arriving there at dark, and continued on to Calgary. Strong headwinds in spots and the weather forecasting westerly winds of up to 100 km steady for the next day. A stop in Calgary for Chinese supper at 10:30 and it was decided to push on towards Banff to try to avoid the winds. Overnight was at the Exeter Cement plant area, east of Canmore, to the accompaniment of a howling wind in a provincial park.
Friday morning’s breakfast was pretty sparse- 3 slices of bread total, some milk and juice. A real let-down from Gord’s usual breakfast of bacon and eggs, or steaks and all the trimmings. It was a slow and uneventful 40 mph trip home, with down to second gear up some of the long, steep hills, with one stop for road construction near Golden. We arrived home about midnight and flopped into bed.
Saturday morning, the A-frame was erected and the components were unloaded at the farm storage site. Communal tools and equipment were sorted out and Gord and Jerry left for the trip back to Port Alberni.
Gord, Jerry and Mark, your work and effort are appreicated by all of us in the museum. Gord isn’t even a member, but supporters like him are sure welcome. Gordon’s truck was a fantastic piece of equipment. It seemed bottomless in its source of supply. Whatever we needed, we just had to dig deeper and we’d find it.
RUDY YANCIE, one of the family who made available the Boly to CMFT.
Mark wants to make sure that everyone knows that his “old man” spent all his time taking pictures and talking. Ed doesn’t agree to the “all” part, but defends his taking the pictures as he wanted to document the whole thing. Unfortunately, there were no facilities for night pictures as when the fuselage was actually split.
We wish to thank the Yancie family for allowing us to recover the aircraft so that it can be put on display, rather than be vandalized further, and this important example of our heritage lost.
UNLOADED AND IN PLACE at the Crescent farm storage site. Quite an accomplishment, and our hats are off to (I. to r.) Mark Zalesky, Ed Zalesky, Gord Wiesmiller and Gerry Van Humbeck.
POOR TURNOUT AT DIRECTORS MEETING
Not much interest was shown at the last directors’ meeting as only 6 people showed up. The four Vancouver Island directors can be excused, but where were the other 16 local directors? As we become more organized and more decisions have to be made, we will need the input and opinion of all directors. Attend the meetings to assure best possible decision making. Some of the current directors’ terms are up this April, as bylaws call for a maximum of three years consecutive directorship. These people become eligible for re-election in April, 1982. There will be places on the board for at least 8 new members for this reason alone.
CATALOG OF GOODIES FOR CHRISTMAS
Typesetting and pictures weren’t ready in time for inclusion with the last newsletter. Please look it over and get the gifts you need for your aviation- minded friends (and yourself) from CMFT. You get a 10% reduction for the months of Nov. and Dec. on all items and you help out the museum. All proceeds go to improve the library. How about a museum membership as a gift? An application form is included with this newsletter.
LONG RANGE ASSISTANCE TO CMFT
Many people have expressed a desire to help, but are not in a position to do it. They need all their money just to survive, and all their time goes into making a living. May we suggest that these people make some sort of provision for a small (or large) donation to CMFT in their will, either cash or goods. We’re going to be here for a very long time, and your children and theirs will benefit.
TRANSPORT NEEDED FOR VERTOL HELICOPTERS
We haven’t had any offers to help move the Vertol H21 from Fort St. John to Vancouver, nor the one at Arnprior, Ontario, which has to come to Vancouver. They both have to be moved, as owners of the property want to be rid of them. Where are all you people who claim we don’t call on you when a retreival project is needed?
Tremendous turnout to workbees gratifying
A work bee was organized for Oct. 4 to try to reshuffle airplane parts in buildings to make more floor space, in an effort to get more items in from the weather. Twenty-two members, relatives and friends showed up and really put a dent in the list of jobs needing doing. Several shelf units were built, also a good wing rack and general moving of boxes. Thanks go out to George Spence, Larry Thompson, Wayne Cromie, Ted Harris, Al Jurek, Marj Nicol, Rob Kennedy, Tony Neyedli and his friend Norman, Bruce Peterson, John Moutray, Colin, Lyn and Sean Walker, Jimmy Fuchs, Bruce Duncan, Doug, Barbara and Christina Pomeroy, Bert and Colin Prothero, Mark, Ed and Rose Zalesky. April Zalesky took on the task of feeding hamburgers, hot dogs and cheeseburgers to the crew in shifts for lunch. Marj brought muffins for coffee breaks and April made sure there was lots of hot coffee to go with them.
SAT., OCT. 24 Again, great co-operation from the members. Gordon Dann and Bill McGarrigle took on the task of wiring the shop, with Rick Hunwick checking out lights. Terry Elgood and Mike Weeks got the itchy job of insulating.
SUNDAY, OCT.25-Colin Walker moved the shop windows up to bench level from the knee level at which the contractor insisted on installing them. Ken Nevile-Smith, Brian Weeks, Ted Harris, Al Jurek, Marj Nicol and Tony Neyedli turned out to carry on with the work in the shop, yard cleanup and other neat jobs.
SATURDAY, OCT.31-The Monsoon season arrived! 60mm of rain in 24 hours. We’re all getting pretty experienced at this, and the work seems to go a little faster, and there is a glimmering that all the effort is beginning to take effect. At the end of the day, we actually ended up with quite a few square feet of space. Wayne Manning, Bill Bain, Rob Kennedy, Dave Bennett and Mike Latimer all pitched in to muscle parts and pieces around, and created racks and such to make better use of the storage space available.
SUNDAY, NOV. 1-More cleanup and more racks, and immense struggles with long, heavy and awkward wings and unwieldy fuselages and slithery parts. While there is still a very long way to go in the cleanup and sorting out, it really is beginning to look better. Sunday’s crew were Bill Bain, Dave Bain, Rob Kennedy, Wayne Cromie, Bruce Peterson, Bill McGarrigle, George Spence Ross Gregory, Doug Pomeroy and the three Zaleskys.
Other people who would have been most welcome were unable to tear themselves away from the games on TV and trips to Seattle. Work bees will continue every Saturday and Sunday until the job is done. We cannot afford to lose all that we have worked so hard for up til now. We are going to try to save as much as possible of the material, and to try to tidy up the storage site. We’ve been accused of being bad neighbors by one individual only all others are happy and supportive. We are trying to show Surrey that we really are trying to comply and clean up the outside material, but the few of us that always show up could use more help! While some of the jobs are dirty and some are hard work, some are not. There is something to do for everyone.
Favourable reaction to new format
We have had a very good response to the new, professional looking newsletter. A few changes have been suggested, which are being incorporated. We will continually try to improve its content, but as mentioned in previous newsletters, we need material to print. We are especially looking for stories involving Western Canadian or Northern aviation pioneers, preferably with pictures, but if you have an interesting item, pass it along. We’ll use it if we can.
COMPUTER NEEDED
In order to carry out the project, we will need a computer one of the better home minis would be adequate. If you know of any that are for sale at a reasonable price and still under warranty or in good condition, please let us know. Our advisers tell us that the Apple or Pet are OK, but we’d like to get knowledgeable advice on which computer would be best for the price for our application. The computer will be purchased by Ed and Rose Zalesky and its use donated to CMFT.
VANCOUVER ISLAND BRANCH
$600 was added to the Auster restoration fund as a result of the Mayfair Mall display there this summer. The raffle was not too successful as ticket books were not distributed to members. The Reno trip went to Neil Asselin, who elected to take cash instead. Jack Sanderson donated $50 to cover the cost of making a film tape of the Mosquito film. Thirteen members hiked up to a Liberator wreck site Oct. 3 and 4. The auster rebuild project is coming along slowly, and contributions towards the restoration fund from any Auster fanciers would be welcome. Spencer Davies showed a selection of slides covering European museums and fly-ins visited last summer. Bob Reckeweg, president of the V.I. branch, has left to take on a job in Texas, and has been replaced by Tom Palmer. Tom is really putting in the effort to make the branch successful. Island residents are invited to join our V.I. branch. Write or phone Tom at 1469 Jamaica Rd., Victoria, B.C., V8N 2C9, or call 477- 5706. Channel 10, Victoria, will be doing a series of shows on CMFT soon. Viewers in this area please watch for it. Ed and Rose Zalesky and some other head office directors plan on a personal visit and meeting in Victoria in the next few months to go over planned projects and concerns.
WANTS, NEEDS DEPARTMENT
We need tarps to cover good stuff that will have to go outside to make room for airplanes. Any size, any color, all welcome. We also need a small forklift for inside the building. Also, the Zaleskys are looking to buy, at a reasonable price, a larger one for outside work, which will be made available to CMFT as required. A fairly good typewriter as a gift or on loan, with standard size type is needed. Should have capacity to take carbon ribbon. Double steeldrum wood heater needed for shop or the hardware and doors to make our own. Also need a supply of wood for same.
MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
When we remind members by mail, they respond by renewing. When we don’t renewals slack off. Please check the mailing label on this newsletter. The number at top left is your membership number and the one at top right is the date it expires. Please don’t wait for a notice (they take time and money), send along your renewal. Fees are still $12 annually, plus $3 voluntary postage fund donation. Lifetime memberships are $300.
CORRECTIONS TO NOTICE OF MEETINGS
Notice of general and directors’ meetings were incorrect as listed in the Sept. 16th, 1981, minutes, and are correctly listed as follows:
GENERAL MEETINGS: Nov. 18, Jan. 20, 1982, March 17, April 14 and May 21. Meeting place as usual at the Richmond Arts Centre, Minoru Gate, Richmond, at 7:30 p.m. The April 14th meeting is elections night, so be sure to attend.
DIRECTORS MEETINGS: will be held Dec. 17, Feb. 18, April 14 and June 17, 7:30 p.m. at the storage site on Crescent Road unless otherwise notified, except for the April 14 meeting, which will be held prior to the general meeting. Time and place will be announced later.
FLEET FINCH MOVED
The Fleet Finch has been moved from Langley Airport to Barry Jackson’s barn for the winter. Thanks, Barry. That saves us $85 per month, and the directors elected to spend that money on part time help for Rose, as the paperwork is starting to pile up again.
LIBRARY ORGANIZATION
Ken Turner has been picking away at the mountainous job of indexing the collection of magazines, but he lives a long distance away, and it’s expensive to travel back and forth. We have made application to Manpower under a subsidy program for people, but do not know if the project will be approved. If it is, is means we’ll have three full-time jobs at minimium wage rates for 4 months, starting immediately. If it isn’t approved, we’ll have to go the part-time route at no salary for anyone who is willing to help out. If you want to work in the library full time, let Rose know at 536-2465, so that in the event the project is approved, we’ll have people ready to start. In any event, there is much indexing to do and we welcome anyone who can volunteer a little time, fairly regularly to doit. It is best done here, but can be done at home. Once the work has progressed to the point where it is practical to do so, the entire indexing will be set up on computer for fast retreival, and we are also looking for volunteers to help with that job. We have an offer of programming the system from a friend, and one or two of our own people are into computers and have offered help. The feeding in of the information can be done on your own time schedule, once original training is complete, but it must be done at the library.
MEMBERS ON THE MOVE
Marj Nicol will be away from home for at least one and maybe two years on a teaching job in China. She’ll be in Peking and is plugging away at trying to learn Mandarin before she leaves in a month or so. We’ll miss you, Marj, and wish you every success in your venture. Marj will be looking for aircraft for us from Chinese sources. Ken Swartz is in Israel for a year. We miss his literary prowess. Keep your head down, Ken!
MUSEUM JACKETS
If enough of you are interested, we will pursue the possibility of obtaining “Wonder Jackets” with CMFT woven crests. These are light-weight, insulated jackets excellent for work or any outdoor activity. Price is expected to run about $27 each. Please let us know.
CALENDAR PICTURES
Once again, we are appealing to you to come up with pictures, preferably of the actual airplanes in our collection, or others of the same type. The calendar idea is still alive, but because not a single picture was turned in when we made the appeal last spring, it was not followed through.
DOORS, WINDOWS DONATED
Our thanks go out to Frank Stevens for the donation of a sliding glass door and three windows for the shop, and to Larry Byrnes, National Aluminum Products, Langley, for the donation of the four tall windows that Colin Walker knows so well. Your help goes a long way towards conserving much needed cash for acquisition and restoration projects.
MEMBER SKILLS FILE UPDATE
The Members who comprise CMFT are our strength and our ability to proceed with the carrying out of the goals of providing a completely family-oriented aviation and transportation museum. Your skills and your help are needed. Our record-keeping and organizational skills are constantly improving and we have reached the point where we want to consolidate and update the information we have. Would you please complete and mail back the short form following. It helps us a lot when we are in need of skilled people to advise and carry out specific jobs.
Priceless Piper To Be Rebuilt
CMFT HAS A PIPER L4 (military version of the J3 Cub) which will eventually be restored for use by members. Flying time will be credited in relation to hours of volunteer work performed.