By Skies Magazine | June 11, 2014 Estimated reading time 5 minutes, 36 seconds.
I knew I was in the midst of some high-powered aviation knowledge at the 51st National Convention of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) when, while watching a slide show on Saskatchewan’s aviation history, a picture of a vintage twin-engine aircraft popped up and I quipped “There’s goes Sky King’s airplane”, referring to a TV program from the 60s. I was immediately corrected by a gentleman next to me who quietly stated: “No, that’s a Beech 18. Sky King first flew a Cessna T-20, and then a Cessna 310.”
That was my educational introduction to the entertaining and enlightening CAHS, held June 4-7 in Regina, Sask. This year’s theme was “Canada’s Aviation History – the View from the West”, and the outstanding lineup of speakers and presentations certainly lived up to the billing.
The agenda included two full days of presentations on the people, planes, places and plans that are such a colourful and noteworthy part of our country’s history. Attendees were also treated to tours of 15 Wing Moose Jaw, 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School, and the Moose Jaw branch of the Western Development Museum, home to over a dozen historical aircraft and the Vintage Aircraft Restorers group.
Will Chabun, one of the conference organizers; told me, “You are going to find a lot of people here with encyclopedic knowledge of Canadian aviation, who are making a major contribution to preserving Canada’s aviation heritage.” That was an understatement, as throughout the conference it was evident a lot of hard work and research had gone into making this a memorable event.
One central theme was the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, with presentations including John Higenbottam’s “Relief Landing Fields of the BCATP”, and Bill Zuk’s illustrated talk on “For the Moment,” a 1993 feature film on the BCATP.
There were a lot several fascinating presentations covering memorable aviators. Deana Driver told the wonderfully amusing tale of “Walter Williams, a pioneer prairie airman,” Linda Kort gave an engaging presentation on her father, Maurice Falloon and his year in Burma with RCAF’s 436 Squadron, and Richard Mayne had a presentation on the RCAF’s venerable C-119 Flying Boxcar.
National CAHS president Gary Williams noted that when the Regina chapter was planning the event, it wanted to get a strong lineup of speakers, presentations and topics, and that homework paid off in spades. “Every year, we work hard to keep the event a great balance of education and fun, and we were very thankful this year to all the presenters who did such a great job for us in achieving that goal”.
Saskatchewan was another central theme during the conference, with expat Regina native Bill Cameron’s tale of his start as an air cadet and a 38-year career with Canadian Pacific Airlines, alongside John Chalmers taking us on a voyage of discovery of who’s who in Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame, with a focus on Saskatchewan.
One eye-catching item was “The Avro Arrow and Why Dief Made the Right Decision.” Presented by University of Saskatchewan professor Russell Isinger, it was an engaging and factual overview of the complex decision-making that went into what appeared to be an abrupt cancellation of this program in early 1959, not long after the start of flight testing. That decision, along with the subsequent destruction of the existing prototypes, spawned what was, and still is, one of the most controversial and hotly debated topics in Canada’s aviation history.
The three-day event wound up with a highly entertaining evening banquet on Saturday, June 7, with guest speaker Todd Lemieux, a Saskatchewan-born and -bred farmboy who went on to a very successful oil patch career. Lemieux delivered a fascinating account of the growth of Vintage Wings of Canada from initial conception to becoming one of Canada’s most dynamic not-for-profit charities.
For those not familiar with the Canadian Aviation Historical Society, head over to its website at www.cahs.ca. With chapters across Canada, the CAHS is the premier organization dedicated to preserving Canada’s flying heritage. Check out your local chapter and join in the fun. You’ll find a warm and inviting group of aviation enthusiasts who are making a difference in preserving the stories of the intrepid men and women and machines that make up Canada’s colourful and fascinating aviation legacy.
