Mosquito Bytes #23

[Norman Malayney]

MOSQUITO BYTES #23, June 5, 2010

The official eNewsletter of the CALGARY MOSQUITO SOCIETY

LIKE THE LOGO? Coming soon, our first item for sale. Initiated by board member Jack McWilliam, this very dynamic emblem, designed by member Ramona Fodchuk and interpreted by Budget Promotions of Calgary, will soon be available for purchase as a lapel pin. Thanks to all. I think it looks GREAT!

CITY HALL DOINGS: Thanks in large part to the many contributions by board members Peter, Jack, Robyn, Bob, Scott, David and Barry, we submitted our response to the City’s Request for Information. It filled a 2.5 inch binder and gave the City a complete outline of our funding, restoration and display plans for the Mosquito and Hurricane.

A huge thanks also to the over 40 members who contributed resumes and skill lists which the city required as part of our proposal. Your combined experience adds up to hundreds of years of aircraft maintenance, repair and restoration time, as well as flying time, industry contact and fundraising. We have some serious strength in our human resource pool of members which now numbers over 235 people.

The basic outline of our proposal is that we are seeking stewardship of both the Mosquito and Hurricane for which we will do the fundraising and restoration, while the city retains ownership of both. This provides a no cost, no risk, win/win solution for the benefit of Calgarians and Canadians. Council is not scheduled to consider the proposals until December; after the October civic election.

WE HAVE SOME VERY COOL FRIENDS AND POWERFUL SUPPORTERS: Thanks in large part to the efforts of Scott and Trevor McTavish, we now have a number of verysignificant corporate supporters who provided letters to accompany our proposal to the city stating their willingness to contribute to our goals. These include Leavens Aviation, Stauffer Aero and one of the biggest and best home grown companies in aviation, Westjet!

JUNE and JULY MEETING DATES are the 9th at 7 pm at the Phoenix Foundation, #1, 2821 - 3 Ave. N.E. and July 14.

MOVING THE MOSSIE and Hurricane. This week the committee of city council approved a budget to move the two airplanes to a new city owned warehouse pending a decision on the future of both. The city owned warehouse where the Mosquito is stored has been sold and both airplanes have been stored for some time in far less than ideal conditions.

LINKS OF INTEREST: Last month former Spartan navigator/photographer Bob Bolivar was featured in the Ottawa Citizen. For a read click on:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa/independent+streak+sent+this+Bolivar+high+flying+c areer/3007047/story.html

Want a look at the progress on what may well be the next flying Mosquito? Here is a video update from New Zealand on Gerry Yagen’s Mosquito, originally Canadian built KA114, as it looked in December: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7gyJ7OS8-Y

SPARTAN ARTIFACT: Now in our possession is another artifact for our collection; a stock certificate for Spartan Air Services. It is made out to Walter E. and Diane Hill for 100 common shares and is dated April 10 1967.

Our thanks to the anonymous member/donor who purchased it from a dealer in Massachusetts who contacted us through our website.

With the help of many, we have put in a great proposal to the City. My thanks to all who contributed.

Richard de Boer
Prez, CMS
403-235-1350
calgarymosquito@telus.net
www.calgarymosquitosociety.com