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Dear {tag:email},
With the 2011 Convention only two weeks away, things are certainly hopping here in Edmonton! Please read on for updates on registration, events and special guests. I am really looking forward to getting the chance to mix and mingle with attendees, as well as learn from our terrific lineup of presenters.
This newsletter is also packed with information on events happening around the country (and even in California), comments from readers, and news from our chapters and members. I hope you enjoy it!
Sincerely,
Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail
CAHS National President and 2011 Convention Chair
National News
Convention
The upcoming 2011 CAHS Convention (June 22-26 in Edmonton) is foremost in my mind as I scramble around doing last-minute preparations.
If you haven't had a chance yet, you can register for the full package until June 15. After that, you can register for day passes through us to the Friday and Saturday seminars (with a $25 late registration fee), but you will need to purchase special events tickets to Alberta Aviation Museum events (Airfest, Swing Dance, and Northwest Staging Route Dinner) at the door.
Also, please note that after June 15, we will not be accepting any more registrations for the day trip to the Reynolds-Alberta Museum and Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in Wetaskiwin due to booking requirements.
With the Canada Post unrest, please send me an email at info@cahs.ca or call me at 780-249-0750 (Mountain Time) if you'd like to register.
Journal
The Canada Post strike action and 2010 Journal schedule also led us to change our voting process for the 2010 Journal Awards. As you may have seen in a previous update, we have created a hidden page on our website where you will find online copies of the 2010 issues to review before voting for the Best Article Award and Research Award through an online survey or PDF form.
Please note that only CAHS National members may vote for the award, but everyone is invited to get a sneak peek at the Winter 2010 Journal (which is currently at the mailing house). To access the hidden page, please click here.
Website
If you've missed any past e-newsletters, you'll be happy to know we now have them all archived on the site. Click here to be taken to the page. You may have also noticed we're testing a new "CAHS Community" section, which should be functional shortly and will allow members to share photos, videos, events, and other information. We will also have a separate forum for more serious research discussions!
Chapter News
Most Chapters are on summer holidays until September, but Vancouver has one last meeting on June 14 at 7 p.m. Harry Hardy, DFC, will give a presentation on flying the Hawker Typhoon in Europe. Harry flew 96 sorties with 4 different Typhoons between the Normandy Beachhead and the Rhine Crossing.
He wore out the first one, force-landed the 2nd one when the entire squadron got lost on a move to a new base, parachuted out of the 3rd one when he was shot down, and turned the final aircraft, "Pulverizer IV" over to a new pilot when his tour ended. For more information, please contact Chapter President Jerry Vernon at cahsyvr@cahs.ca.
 The Toronto Chapter was busy recently staffing a booth at the Wings & Wheels event in that city.
Bob Winson (centre) reports that he, Keith Hyde (right), and Ron O'Brian had a great time chatting with people about the CAHS - including some former members who were interested in rejoining the fold.
Bob also tells me that they started working on the next generation as Ron's model airplane attracted lots of kids!
Member News
Keith Hyde will be continuing to inspire budding historians through an eight-week course on Canadian Aviation History this fall at George Brown College in Toronto. He also regularly draws large audiences through CAHS and library presentations, and I hear he regularly does plugs for this organization. Thanks, Keith!
In late May, we had an all-CAHS panel at the Canadian Historical Association's Congress in Fredericton, NB. The panel, "Canada's Air Force as a Learning Organization" included three of our directors: Major Bill March, Dr. Richard Goette, and Dr. Rachel Lea Heide. The facilitator was Dr. Randy Wakelam from the Royal Military College, who is another air force historian.
 Jim Lloyd is finishing up his latest video, "Flying Arrows - The Story of the Avro Arrow Flight Test Program" (DVD, 82 minutes, $29.95). If you'd like to learn more or order a copy, please contact Jim at 250-294-3905 (Pacific Time) or visit his website. Video clips from this and other titles are available on YouTube on the “aviationvideosdvd” channel.
Terry Higgins of Aviaeology is giving CAHS Members a  generous 15.5% discount off the price of Early Canadian Military Aircraft if they order before midnight on June 24. (Please note: if you are not currently a member, you will receive the same discount if you join the CAHS by June 24th). For more information, please go to www.aviaeology.com or contact Terry at 519-742-6965 (Eastern Time) or sales@aviaeology.com.
Another Aviaeology title, Dragons on Birds Wings: The Combat History of the 812th Fighter Air Regiment, is also half price right now!
 Chris Weicht is in the middle of his Alberta tour promoting his new book, Alberta Skies.
June 10, he will be giving a presentation on the history of aviation in Red Deer and area at the local public library. For more details on this title and Chris's other works, please click here.
John Morin-Reid may be a new CAHS member, but he has been involved in aviation for 70 years by his estimation! He is currently building 1/16th scale museum dioramas for the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.
CAHF Induction Dinner
Bill Wheeler of Markham ON, centre, who served as editor of the CAHS Journal for 45 years, receives his medal from Gerald Haddon, right, upon induction to Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame. Mr. Haddon, grandson of JAD McCurdy, was a guest speaker at the induction and assisted with presentations. At left is John Holding, outgoing chairman of the board of the CAHF.
CAHF Historian (and CAHS member) John Chalmers has provided us with photos and details of the gala. Please visit www.cahs.ca for these. There will also be a write-up with even more photos in an upcoming Journal issue!
Readers Write Back
Several people sent in this link to a YouTube music video (aka "The Beaver Ballad") about the DHC-2 Beaver. Guess everyone knows what my favourite aircraft is!
Derm Barrett sent me a link to photos of a few interesting aircraft mishaps...
Roger Beebe sent me a link to a video called "FIFI" First Flight With New Engines.
Stoney Jackson on Vancouver Island reports that:
"Bob Dyck’s Canso CF-UAW has been moved to Victoria Air Maintenance from the north side. The plan is to remove the serviceable R-1830’s from CF-UAW. The engines will then be transported to Nanaimo -Cassisy Airport installation in the ex- Saskatchewan Water Bomber #9 . Victoria Air Maintenance will make the this Canso serviceable for a ferry flight to the Evergreen Museum in Oregon. It’s going to be a challenge as this old bird has been derelict for many years.
The 443 Hornet Squadron hangar here is not going to be removed but the original RCAF Administration Building is to be demolished. It is still possible to see “Royal Canadian Navy” on the end of the hangar. It was home to RCN Squadron VU-33 before they moved to Comox in the 70’s."
John Chalmers (and his three grandsons) made it out to the Bomber Command Museum in Nanton, AB for the first start-up of the Lancaster engines this year. He says "the Merlin engines started on the first turn!" and a special guest was in attendance to mark the 70th anniversary of the Lancaster: Don Hudson, nephew of Lancaster designer Rod Chadwick.
He goes on to note:
 "Also on the program was the return of a simple gold ring worn by Wop May during the First World War. He gave it to Geoff Parker, an air gunner of the Second World War, who wore it then. Geoff flew on a Liberator, which sank a submarine, and was in turn shot down in the sea, where he survived in a dinghy until rescued. The ring was returned to Wop's son, Denny May (in photo at left), by Patsy Parker, Geoff's daughter.
To read a CTV news article about this event, please click here.
Several people also sent me links to various articles on Kate Middleton and Prince William's connections to Alberta aviation (and their visit). Here are a few:
Announcements and Events
The Smithsonian is holding a fun "Are You Smarter Than a Curator?" quiz on its website. For every question you get right, 10 cents will be donated to the National Air and Space Museum (plus you get a free sticker and bragging rights!).
Speaking of fundraisers, I received an update from Flt Lt Dave Williams of Royal Air Force Linton-on-Ouse that the RCAF Monument will be be unveiled July 8 in England, but that fundraising will continue afterwards. They are currently at the halfway mark of their 16,000 GPB target. Apparently the base of the monument - made from LaFarge Canada's granite - will look like an RCAF roundel from the air (and it was delivered in a C-130J by 426 Squadron). For more information, please click here.
Maple Flag at CFB Cold Lake, AB has been cancelled this year. For details, please go to this link.
Mark Your Calendars!
- Vintage Wings of Canada's Yellow Wings tour is now underway. To find out
 when they will be in your area, please click here.
- The Hawk One tour schedule is now available.
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June 11: American Aviation Historical Society is hosting James Douglas, son of Donald W. Douglas (of Dakota fame) at 11am at 15211 Springdale St. in Huntington Beach, California. The event is free and open to the public, but please contact AAHS President, Kase Dekker at GoAAHS@aahs-online.org to RSVP.
- June 15-17: the Air Force Historical Workshop is in Trenton, ON with the theme "On the Wings of Peace: Air Power in United Nations Operations. The keynote speaker will be Senator Romeo Dallaire. More details here.
- June 16: Marc-Andre Valiquette is holding a free presentation on the Avro Arrow at the Air Force Association of Canada - 413 Wing (230 North Murray St. Trenton, ON).
- June 19: Hamilton Air Show. For more details, please click here.
- June 26: Alberta Aviation Museum's last AirFest will feature Hawk One, Vintage Wings of Canada biplanes, military vehicles, and vintage cars. Also it will be hosting a 1940's swing dance on Friday, June 24 and a Northwest Staging Route dinner on Saturday, June 25 (followed by the CAHS's Stage & Screen show!)
- August 19-20: Waterloo Air Show featuring the Snowbirds, Skyhawks Parachute Team, and the CF-18 Demonstration Team. Information here.
- October 19-21: Canadian Council for Aviation & Aerospace is holding its 20th Annual Forum and AGM in Winnipeg, MB.
- October 29: Feeling adventurous? Depart on a 21-day trip from the UK to New Zealand (with stops in Asia and Australia) in a DC-3 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Jean Batten's historic flight. More info at www.dc3-antipodes.com.
Researcher-to-Researcher
Will Chabun has the following request:
"I'm looking to contact former RCAF pilot/civilian helicopter pilot Charles O. Weir, author of the 1977 memoir Vertical Ascent: adventures of a helicopter pilot. Anybody with tips can contact me at atlargewc@yahoo.ca."
Skywards
 Sydney "Syd" Clay, treasurer for the Prince Edward Island CAHS Chapter, passed away May 27 at the age of 90. As President of the Chapter - and friend of Syd's - Andy Anderson said, he was intimately connected to aviation history:
"He was one of 'Trenchard's Brats', served in the RAF both in the UK and here in Canada during the second great unpleasantness, remustering prior to the end of the war to aircrew and becoming a Spitfire pilot. He returned here after hostilities and worked for Maritime Central Airways."
To read The Guardian's obituary, please click here.
 George Elliott, a Manitoba Aviation icon, passed away May 26 at the age of 78. The following write-up was forwarded to me by Bill Zuk of the Manitoba CAHS Chapter:
"Shortly after the Second World War, George Elliott began work in transportation in the RCMP Marine Division operating out of Halifax, as a radio operator on sailing ships. He then worked in the air industry, first as a radio operator moving on to managing small airports in northern Canada.
George had a lifelong love of nature that was shared by his wife Joy and their entire family; he recently fondly recalled his time in the Arctic and the north.
He eventually became the Superintendent of the Winnipeg International Airport, then run by the Ministry of Transport. He followed that tenure by four years as Regional Manager of Operations for Transport Canada, Central Region. In 1978, he was appointed the General Manager of the Winnipeg International Airport, holding that position until his retirement in 1989.
His positions and achievements include: Executive Director, the Western Canada Aviation Museum, 1989- 2002, Founding member, Board of the Winnipeg Airports Authority, Director, Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame, Director, Manitoba Aviation Council, past President, Canadian Aeronautical Preservation Association, past Chairperson, Commissionaires Manitoba.
Named 2001 Manitoba Transportation Person of the Year, 2010 National Honoree, Canadian Aeronautical Preservation Association Heritage Award."
{tag:email}, I hope you have enjoyed this issue of the CAHS e-newsletter. Please feel free to send in your questions, comments and submissions for future newsletters at info@cahs.ca.
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