The Patrician NOV - DEC 2021
The Victoria Flying Club ~ Aviation Excellence Since 1946
75 YEARS IN THE AIR
Happy Anniversary to the Victoria Flying Club!
NEED HANGAR SPACE?
The Patrician
Contact Marcel at the Club to see if a hangar spot is a good spot for your plane and to get on the waitlist.
“To “T o promote flying and aviation in general, and to teach and train persons in the art and science of flying and navigating and operating all manner of heavier-than-air aircraft.” (Victoria Flying Club Incorporation Bylaws, 1946)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Tony Allen VICE PRESIDENT Adam Johnston SECRETARY Glen Rippon TREASURER Colin Williamson DIRECTORS John Ainsworth Graham Palmer Iain Barnes Don Devenney GENERAL Greg Matte MANAGER CHIEF FLYING Mike Schlievert INSTRUCTOR
CONTACT 1852 Canso Road Sidney, BC V8L 5V5
www.flyvfc.com P: 250-656-2833 info@flyvfc.com F: 250-655-0910
Editor: Kelly J. Clark vfcpatrician@gmail.com
The Patrician accepts unsolicited submissions. This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part with prior permission of the publisher or author. The opinions expressed are strictly those of the authors.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 3
News around the Club
5
New Budget, New Rates
6
VFC Flight Training Awards
7
Member Achievements & First Solos
8
75 Years of Aviation: An Abridged
History of the VFC
14
Michael Baer: Flying a Legend
17
Ground School Schedule
18
Larry Dibnah: The Gibson Twin Plane
20
Thanks for the Share
PARKING AVAILABLE! Interested in prime paved parking spaces for your aircraft? Good News: there are spots available! Secure, pull-in/pull-out, easy access. Call Dispatch at 250-656-2833 to arrange a spot or to get on the waitlist for hangar spaces!
staining and
ifetime mem
ers
15% discount on Cessna rental rates and purchases in the Litt e Pi ot Shop; 10% discount for everyone who pays fully in advance for their annua aircraft parking fees for 0 0 on
SUBSCRIPTIONS vfcpatrician@gmail.com http://flyvfc.com/subscribe-to-the-patrician
PHOTO CREDITS Front cover photo from the VFC Archives. 2
NOV NOV && DEC DEC 2021 2021
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
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News
Around the Club NEW PUBLICATION SCHEDULE
News and Events
Starting with this issue, the Patrician is changing to a bi-monthly publication cycle. That means that you'll be getting a new combined issue every other month in February, April, June, August, October, and December.
WINTER OPERATIONS
As of November 07, the VFC has returned to winter operating hours. With the reduced hours, Dispatch services are now only available from 0800 to 1700 daily. Otherwise, Line Services will remain available into the evening, unless weather prevents flying operations, and flight training can still be arranged with your Flight Instructor (depending on their availability) into the evening.
SAVE THE DATE: ANNUAL AWARDS GALA
We’ve earmarked the evening of Saturday, 22 January 2022 for the Annual Awards Gala. We’re hopeful that this can be held in person at the Mary Winspear facility provided all attendees are double-vaccinated. However, if tighter COVID-19 restrictions are reintroduced prior to the event, the back-up plan will be another “virtual” awards gala on the same date. Fingers crossed that we can conduct this in person!
HANDYMAN NEEDED
Good with your hands? We're looking for a handyman to help craft award frames for upcoming events. If have the tools and know-how, we have the supplies! Contact Marcel at the club or by email at marceppopand^flyvfc8com8
TELL YOUR STORY
The Patrician wants your stories about flight, aviation, and more! Email the editor at vfcpatrician^gmaip8com to share your story!
HAVE ANY NEWS?
We're always looking for news, events, stories, and more! If you know of anything that should be here, let us know at vfcpatrician^gmaip8com !
www.flyvfc.com
EVENTS & HOLIDAYS NOV 16 NOV 28 DEC 6 DEC 21 DEC 24 DEC 25 DEC 26 NOV 11 JAN 1 JAN 17 FEB 1 FEB 2 FEB 14 FEB 21
VFC'S 75TH ANNIVERSARY FIRST DAY OF HANUKKAH LAST DAY OF HANUKKAH WINTER SOLSTICE CHRISTMAS EVE CHRISTMAS BOXING DAY REMEMBRANCE DAY NEW YEAR'S DAY TU B'SHEVAT / ARBOR DAY CHINESE NEW YEAR GROUNDHOG DAY VALENTINE'S DAY FAMILY DAY
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[PICTURE YOUR AD HERE] What's better than free advertising? Not much! The Patrician is giving away free spaces in each issue during 2021 to support our community businesses!
News and Events
Just email vfcpatrician@gmail.com with your ad and we'll set you up with a free businesscard sized ad space in a future issue!
VFC CHARTER SERVICE Be there in minutes!
VFC Charter offers inexpensive, on-demand, and direct transportation to places not serviced by other commercial carriers in the lower BC area. The charter service is operational in day VFR conditions. Contact us for more information on destinations and costs or to book a flight at: Email: tedk^flyvfc8com Call: 1-778-350-3213
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VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
New Budget, New Rates
As such, rates and fees will be adjusted across most of the VFC’s services. The new rates and fees will be provided separately by e-mail to all VFC members to ensure everyone is informed, with copies also being made available at the Dispatch desk. The website will also be updated in January.
www.flyvfc.com
On a positive note, the 15% discount on rental rates for the C-172SP and the recreational fleets, as well as purchases in the pilot kit shop, will continue as a reward for the commitment of our Lifetime and Sustaining members. Furthermore, the 10% discount will continue for everyone who fully pays their annual 2022 aircraft parking fees by 31 January, and the “block rate” for C-172SP rentals will also be available for those who maintain an account credit of $500.00 or greater.
FLIGHT TRAINING AWARDS
O
n behalf of the VFC Board of Directors, please note that rates and fees will increase modestly in January 2022. Although the decision to raise rates was driven by caution and necessity, it was not taken lightly. As with last year, the impacts of COVID-19 continued to be felt though increased supply chain costs as well as hikes in consumables, insurance, and other services necessary for the VFC’s regular operations. In fact, these financial impacts have been seen across the broader economy in Canada and beyond. In addressing these financial challenges, the Board of Directors has a fiduciary responsibility to its membership to ensure the long-term financial solvency of the Club while also shaping its strategic direction in adapting to changing circumstances and opportunities.
As fellow VFC members, we all want to see the VFC continue its legacy through to its centennial anniversary, having already established itself as a civil aviation icon over the past 75 years. We trust that you recognize the value of life cycle planning as a sound strategy to reinvest in key assets (or to eventually replace them)while ensuring a better financial footing to weather future “storms” such as what we’ve experienced with COVID-19. On behalf of the Board of Directors and your Management Team, allow me this opportunity to thank-you in advance for your understanding and support! BGenNRetedOGregoryC8P8Matte6CD6PhD
GenerapManager
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VICTORIA FLYING CLUB FLIGHT TRAINING AWARDS
VFC Flight News and Events NIGHT WITCHES: Training Awards Terrors of the Sky
Are you a current student or member of the Victoria Flying Club? You're in luck! All current VFC students/members are eligible to apply for the following five awards. • Signed copies of all applications must be submitted to BGen (Ret’d) Greg Matte by December 31, 2021. • Applicants are to attach a signed submission of 500 words or less explaining how they plan to make use of a Flight Training Award (if selected) as well as their future aviation goals. Please include your full name, phone number and e-mail address.
MICHAEL COOPER-SLIPPER AWARD
Michael Cooper-Slipper was born in England January 11th 1921 and he joined the AF Squadron 605 equipped with Hurricanes, at the tender age of 17. At 19 he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for valour during the Battle of Britain. After the war he joined AVRO Canada and test few the CF-100, CF-102, and Orenda powered F-86. He also flew a modified B-47 as a test bed for the AVRO Arrow Iroquois engine. After his career as a test pilot he embarked on a career in aviation sales, first with de Havilland and then with Field Aviation.
THE BRIAN SMEDLEY AWARD
Brian began his aviation career as an Aviation Mechanic for the Flying Fireman. This led him to become a pilot for the Flying Fireman followed by the BC Government Air Services. After 24 years with the BC Government, Brian flew for Ainsworth Lumber in 100 Mile House, BC. After retirement from flying, Brian was able to follow his lifelong dream to become a cowboy. He worked for many ranches in the Cariboo his last one being the 112 Mile Ranch.
THE BUTLER FLYING AWARD
Claude Butler served as president of the Victoria Flying Club several times over the years. He was a successful businessman, inventor, and a man with many visions. His compassion and generosity knew no bounds. Claude always referred affectionately to his loving wife Jean, who was the Mayor of Central Saanich for several years, as “Her Warship.” He asked “Her Warship,” in his last moments, to do something memorable and worthwhile on his behalf for the Victoria Flying Club and this is how the Butler Flying Award was born. 6
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THE BETTY WADSWORTH SCHOLARSHIP
Betty Wadsworth joined the Victoria Flying Club in 1958 and was active in the support of general aviation all her life. As a director of COPA and a member of such organizations as BC Aviation Council and the Western Canada Aviation Museum of Flight and Transportation, her contributions have been recognized by numerous awards and citations. Betty Wadsworth maintained her connection with the Victoria Flying Club where she learned to fly, and when she died in April 1986 she left a portion of her estate to the Club. Since 1991, the interest from this grant has been awarded each year to further a member’s training, qualifications, or skills at the Victoria Flying Club.
THE MGEN (RET’D) M.S. EICHEL AWARD
Major-General (Ret’d) Scott Eichel joined the RCAF in 1963 as a radio officer. Eager to fly, he was crosstrained to pilot in 1969. Over the next two decades he flew a variety of aircraft including the DC-3, T-33, Sea King and the CP-140. He rose steadily in rank to become a General officer, but the Ottawa bureaucracy denied him his true passion – flying. He retired early in 1994, and obtained his Class 4 instructor rating so that he could pursue his love of flying as a civilian Flight Instructor. He went on to teach students at Pro IFR (Boundary Bay) and at the VFC for the next 25 years, and became well known for his captivating aviation stories as well as his mentorship. Even long after he stopped instructing, Scott could be found at the VFC enjoying a bowl of wonton soup and the camaraderie of others who shared his passion for flying.
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS First Solos
New Members
PPL Written Test Zeid Mohammed
PPL Flight Test Luke Bergen David Olsmtead Oscar Shephard Fiona Chappel Forest Kruus
Class 4 Instructor Flight Test Keiichiro Komiya Cameron Devlin
Bill Liu Antoine Bastien Emma Fedderly You Zhou Ray Cao Alison Fox Brittany Wiseman Liam McDougall Jordan Nerona Soren Fischer John Nelson Adam Sinasac Liam Mayes Blayne Negladuik Reece Liuzzo Aaron Jones Nicholas DiSalvia Skyler Atwood Tristan Bacon
Member Achievements & First Solos
Lily Russell Jayson Biggins Brenton Gibson Alastair Kuzmick Nick Meelker
Multi-Engine Rating Mami Iijima
FIRST SOLOS "Without disruption of air traffic, these fearless, forthright, indomitable and courageous individuals did venture into the wild blue yonder in flying machines. Furthermore, these skillful individuals did safely land said flying machines at Victoria International Airport, incurring no significant damage to self or machine, thus completing first solo flights."
Jayson Biggins Instructor: Stephen Allan www.flyvfc.com
Nick Meelker Instructor: Mike Chepesiuk
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75 YEARS OF AVIATION An Abridged History of the VFC
75 Years of Aviation A History of the VFC
By Kelly J Clark
O
n November 16th, 2021, the Victoria Flying Club celebrated its 75th anniversary.
For three-quarters of a century, the Club has provided the bold and brave with the skills and tools to take to the skies in pursuit of their dreams of aviation. But did you know that its history goes back even further than that? In fact, you could say that the history of Vancouver Island is the history of Canadian aviation. After all, the first all-Canadian plane, the William Wallace Gibson’s Twin, was built in Victoria in 1910. With its central location between Vancouver and Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver Island were prime routes for aviation and it’s really no wonder that the VFC has had such a long and
storied history. The modern VFC is the spiritual successor of a number of organizations. The first, the Aerial League of Canada, Victoria Branch, was founded in 1919 by more than a hundred aviators from the Great War. The league operated commercial flying routes and delivered mail between Victoria and Sidney, and heT ibsonG win T then and wno later the mainland, and encouraged the growth of Canadian aviation through training, air shows, and worked toward standardizing flight qualifications.
After the Aerial League came the Victoria Aero Club (VAC) in 1928. With support from the Canadian Air League and the Dominion government, the VAC was given a de Havilland Moth
heT oriaVct lyingF Club HQ has sen a tlo fo eschang ervo the s.eary 8
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VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
75 Years of Aviation A History of the VFC
The original YYJ Control Tower and the current one in 201.
for training and practice and a challenging mission: help Canada’s aviation catch up with the rest of the world. Luckily, they weren’t alone: the VAC operated alongside British Columbia Airways out of their shared space at Lansdowne Air Field. There, the organizations provided all manner of airborne training and services both local and international. This
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arrangement proved quite beneficial until March 10th, 1929, when the de Havilland Moth crashed due to an engine stall. The pilot may have survived, but the plane and the Club died on impact. The burgeoning membership soon moved elsewhere in search of aviation work. In 1931, the Lansdowne Air Field lost its license to operate commercially and the future
of flight on Vancouver Island looked dismal at best. Luckily, at least for the Victoria’s future aviators, the Second World War soon necessitated the training of new pilots. The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan required that all Canadian, British, Australian, and New Zealand aircrews were to be trained together
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75 Years of Aviation 75 Years of Aviation A History of the VFC
(CONTINUED)
in order to ensure a strategic degree of consistency and quality. Canada, for a wide number of factors, was chosen as the ideal training ground, and the Royal Canadian Air Force founded the Patricia Bay Military Aerodrome near Sidney, BC, where they would train more than 131,000 crewmen before the war’s end. Today, we know this site as the Victoria International Airport. When the war ended, returning pilots were eager to keep flying, just like their
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forebears. The Victoria Flying Club was founded in August of 1946. The VFC was able to negotiate temporary lodging with the RCAF at the Patricia Bay Military Aerodrome and officially incorporated on November 16th, 1946. From there, it slowly grew a fleet of aircraft that it used to train new pilots and encouraged commercial and private flight for Vancouver Island. In two short years, the club’s numbers swelled from thirty-eight to one hundred
and fifty and by 1965, it had grown to over three hundred and had a solid fleet: three Fleet 80s, a Cessna 150, a Beechcraft 23, and a leased Piper PA23. That year, the VFC was allowed to purchase new accommodations for its membership in the form of the old Trans-Canada Airlines terminal (which had been known during World War II as Hangar 4E. The terminal was considered a surplus structure and was let go for $3,000 (about $25,313 in 2021 dollars), which was considered a steal by all accounts. In the decades since, the terminal has been the VFC’s home base and the perfect place to train new pilots and keep its planes fit for flight. The VFC still operates out of the former Hanger 4E, though it thankfully enjoyed
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
some major renovations in the 1970s to make it the comfortable space it is today. For example: in 1971, the VFC was able to bolster its ebbing membership with the addition of a lounge and improvements to its halls and offices alongside a major air race. As membership grew, so too did the VFC’s fleet. By 1976, the fleet included six Cessna 150s, a pair of Cessna 172s, a Piper Apache, a Piper
Comanche, and a Cessna 150 Aerobat. By the 1990s, the VFC was going strong and three members brought home awards from the Webster Trophy Competition. By 1995, the Club’s membership had swelled to over four hundred and fifty with a fleet of thirteen planes, which included a host of Cessnas and a twin-engine Piper Seminole. The 2000s have brought new accomplishments to the Club.
Dave Duncan, the VFC's first flying instructor. 1946. www.flyvfc.com
The Redbird Flight Simulator was released for student use in 2010 to provide stateof-the-art training to new pilots. The Redbird was upgraded in 2015 with a special seaplane program developed by the Club’s very own Peter Lagergren and Don Grovestine. By 2013, the Club’s fleet was upgraded again to make the VFC one of the most advanced fleets in Canada.
75 Years of Aviation A History of the VFC
May Frame and a Fleet Canuck. 1947.
The Wings aB nquet in the 1950s 11
75 Years of Aviation A History of the VFC 12
Recently, the Club has hit a bit of a rough patch due to the unprecedented trials and tribulations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite that, the VFC has redoubled its efforts to provide for its membership and students through inventive solutions, such as the acquisition of a host of new, low-cost planes added to its fleet. Training remains a chief priority, and the Club boasts a full contingent of highly-trained flight instructors ready to provide world-class training to both Canadian and international pilots. In fact, over the past seventy-five years, the VFC has not only trained some of the best pilots in Canada and beyond. Thanks
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to VFC alumnus Robert Thirsk, a former astronaut, the VFC can also boast training some of the best pilots in the galaxy. Today’s VFC owes everything to the tenacity and dedication of the aviators who came before it. Aviation is not for the faint of heart, but it takes more than courage to weather the trials and tribulations, wars, and bureaucratic loopholes, that punctuate the VFC’s history. So as we celebrate the Victoria Flying Club’s 75th Anniversary, let’s also honour the spirit of adventure and perseverance that have kept the Club aloft over the decades. From its humble beginnings in a muddy field, the Club now has members
across the globe and has trained thousands of pilots; from those who have flown with the stars to those who have flown among the stars. Over the years, the Club has continued to adapt and grow with the times, but its core spirit of adventure has endured. Though the Club’s fleet now boasts modern Cessna 172S aircraft and a Redbird Flight Simulator, its membership remains the same: pilots with hearts bursting with a love for aviation and a boundless lust for the adventure of open skies.
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
Here's to another 75 years of aviation, adventure, and camaraderie!
www.flyvfc.com
75 Years of Aviation A History of the VFC
Happy birthday, Victoria Flying Club.
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FLYING A LEGEND
Michael Baer's Spitfire Experience by Michael Baer
FLYING A LEGEND
"Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth, And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings...”
S
o goes the opening lines in a very wellknown poem by John Gillespie Magee Jr, a young RCAF pilot who was killed in 1941, shortly after the writing of “High Flight”. When I was a twelve-year old, the entirety of the poem was cut-out from some magazine or other and taped to my wall, in a bedroom whose ceiling bristled with all the airplane models I had built, suspended by thread in battle action settings. The cut-out featured an image of my most revered and coveted fighter plane, a Supermarine Spitfire, climbing vertically to join the “tumbling mirth”. To do such a thing was only a dream, and I could not possibly have imagined then that nearly fifty years later, I would climb into the back seat of the most famous fighter plane ever built to wheel and soar and swing through those “footless halls of air”. I no idea that such a thing was possible for mere mortals, until my brother-in-law dropped an innocent comment one day, informing me that there existed in England two-seater Spitfire trainers in which I could fly. It took me a nano-second to determine that I would do this on
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my sixtieth birthday, at that time two years away. As it turned out - fortuitously so, given the advent of the Covid pandemic and the cessation of pretty much everything - I Just. Could. Not. Wait. And so in June of 2019, my wife and I travelled to England. Within our itinerary was only one item for me, really, and that was a trip out to the Heritage Hangar at Biggin Hill, south of London. Biggin Hill was an extremely important front-line fighter base during the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940, with fighters rising daily to meet the bomber streams heading to London, just to the north. Today, what were grass strips are asphalt, and the airfield is home to F1 racing, with cars shipped around the world by very large air transports. However, on this day it was just me and Jeremy the pilot, strapped into MJ627, ready to take off. This Spitfire was more
than a trainer. It was a combat veteran, seeing action in 1944 with a Canadian squadron and, in fact, shot down an enemy fighter over Holland only two days into its service life. After the war it was converted into a Trainer, which meant that as I strapped into my parachute and harness in the very narrow confines of the rear seat, I had a set of duplicate controls, and could watch them move as Jeremy flew. I had briefly wondered if I would suffer some sort of claustrophobia or something when climbing into this very narrow space and having a bubble canopy closed over my head. Far from it. I knew I had the option to call the whole thing off and be refunded, right up until the start of the engine, but when that Rolls Royce Merlin coughed to life and the airframe shuddered, a thin cloud of exhaust blew back over my canopy and I could smell
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
be like to actually take off in a Spitfire. But no, there was no pause. Jeremy nosed the plane straight down the runway, the engine roar increased steadily as he opened the throttle, and we were away. The noise of that engine, bleeding into my aviation headset, was tremendous. Being a soundman my whole adult life, I could not help but wonder at the effect this constant roar would have had on a fighter pilot’s hearing. But of course, they had We taxied out to take-off, and bigger things to worry about. I for the first time I was aware of could not tell the moment this the nature of a trainer. I could beauty left the ground behind, see the rudder pedals moving it was that easy and smooth, forward and back, in opposition, effortless, and I don’t mind in exactly the same way the saying I was pretty choked up. To treads on an elliptical trainer see the ‘green and pleasant land’ would, as Jeremy swung the unfold below me as we rose was nose left and right in order to see quite a moment for me, knowing the taxiway ahead, explaining this same landscape south of this as he did so. When he London was lousy with Heinkels swung left and on to the end of and Dorniers and Messerschmitts the main runway, I assumed I overhead in the summer of 1940. would have a moment to catch my breath, to still my beating We climbed out of the mist and heart, to wonder what this might headed for clearer skies. I had
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picked a date in late June that I assumed would be a fine one. I was wrong, and as we travelled out from London that morning, my wife and I were watching the sky and the forecast which was calling for some really nasty weather in some parts of the south, and there was no guarantee I would get off the ground. As it happened, we had barely left the ground behind when the airfield was pummeled by a cloud burst and steady rain, although I didn’t know this at the time. Once we were airborne and settled, Jeremy turned the controls over to me, unbelievably, and I gently banked a few times to the left and right, scanning the sky for other aircraft, pulling up the nose when required. I was amazed at the gentility required on the spade, or control column. It needed only a very light touch to control this airplane, and I was surprised that I barely felt anything at all of
FLYING A LEGEND
it and hear it, I felt like I was born to it. The thrill of that simple shudder and quiet roar at startup is hard to relate. The experience of so many young men dashing across grass toward their fighter, climbing in and firing it up, perhaps even as the enemy was overhead, must certainly have been a thrill, but of a far more dangerous kind and I was aware of that in the cozy confines of my seat.
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FLYING A LEGEND
the airframe in that column - I expected something to vibrate or shake or do something that told me I was screaming across the sky. Perhaps that unbelievably light touch was a result of the constant vigilance of the maintenance crew, the careful attention paid to every aspect of this airplane. As thrilling as that was — to fly a Spitfire (sort of), scanning the sky in all directions, looking out not for enemy bombers or fighters but simply other aircraft in this uncontrolled airspace — the best was to come. After about five minutes of my flying, I asked Jeremy if he could do something “a little more swoopy”. Apparently, you don’t have to beg a modern-day fighter pilot flying a legendary aircraft. I watched the throttle, mounted on the cockpit wall to my left, push forward, and could hear the engine comply. We smoothly and effortlessly rolled and climbed and swept the skies over Kent, and I couldn’t believe I was there, that this was happening. It’s truly a hard thing to process, to achieve a dream and remember all of it. In the cockpit were mounted two GoPro cameras, one in front of me, the other behind, and when I look at that footage today, I can recall that emotional feeling, but, just as with a dream, the details begin now to escape me. The feel of my seat, being strapped to a parachute, the instrument panel shaking, the spade between my legs, the
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closeness of it all, the cramped conditions which nevertheless could not contain my joy. But I wish I could remember with photographic clarity what my surroundings looked like. When you are bound to the ground and see a Spitfire charge overhead across your limited field of vision, it is so very fast. When you’re in that Spitfire, and you climb and roll and sweep, you have no idea how fast you’re going, or where you are in space. We climbed and rolled, yes, but I have no clear picture of what that might have looked like from the ground. Until we did two Victory Rolls. There is no escaping that image; the effortless rotation, the corkscrew. The picture below is the moment when I realized this wasn’t just another half-roll and we'd be going all the way around. I could have flown all day, but all dreams must end. I had flown with some personal effects belonging to my in-laws, whose legacy afforded me this opportunity. My father-inlaw was a Canadian serving in England during the war, and my mother-in-law was a born and bred Londoner, who survived the Blitz with her family, losing her home, and spending time alongside thousands of others taking shelter in the London tubes. Returning to Biggin Hill, it was clear we had missed a lot of rain, and flew through the remnants of the system to touch down on a wet runway, apparently skidding a bit as
we did so, in a howling wind. This I overheard Jeremy say to the ground crew, but for me, it was simply a bittersweet reunion with the earth. As our wheels returned to tarmac, I said a prayer of thanks to my in-laws, and today, reflecting on what was the most exhilarating experience of my life, I am so very grateful that the impatience of my nature sent me to England a year before my sixtieth birthday. Had I been able to wait, had I been able to contain my excitement at the very idea of achieving this childhood dream, I would be bitterly disappointed today. The arrival of the worldwide pandemic meant I could not possibly have flown in a Spitfire last year, let alone the aircraft necessary to get there. Like any exhilarating experience, I suffer from the desire to repeat it. Indeed, I will again “chase the shouting wind along”. When I first learned of the possibility of flying in a Spitfire, it shot to the top of my ‘bucket list’, and really, was the only item. And now, there it is again, just above the “sunsplitclouds... high in the sunlit silence”.
When he's not swanning aroundinSpitfires6Michaep isavoiceoverar…strecording forcpientsintheAmericasand Europefromhishomestudio inVictoria6BC8Checkouthis website: w8michaepbaervoice8com
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
GROUND SCHOOL SCHEDULE PRIVATE PILOT LICENCE GROUND SCHOOL PPL #21-15: NOV 29/2021– JAN 07/2022 Mondays, Tuesdays, & Fridays (18:00 - 21:30)
COMMERCIAL PILOT LICENCE GROUND SCHOOL CPL #21-12C NOV 24/2021 – JAN 30/2022 Saturdays & Sundays 09:00-12:00 & Wednesdays (18:00-21:30)
Ground School Schedule
PPL #21-16: JAN 10/2022 – FEB 11/2022 Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays (18:00 - 21:30)
Individual scheduling requests are available for Private Pilot Licence, Commercial Pilot Licence, Mountain Awareness Training (MTA), Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (Drone) Courses (RPAS) by request. Individual tutoring is also available for PPL and CPL upon request. Confirm your attendance by contacting: Chief Flight Instructor Neil Keating: (204) 291-9667 Brenda Miller: (250) 656-2833
VFC MENTOR PROGRAM There's no better gift than knowledge. Do you want other pilots to fly with, split flight cost, share knowledge, or get help getting to a new airport for the first time? Find potential mentors and their resumes posted on the Mentors bulletin board beside the Dispatch counter. Contact details are on each mentor's resume or you can email mentors^flyvfc8com for more information. Interested in becoming a mentor? There's always room for more experienced pilots! Send an email to mentors^flyvfc8com for more information on how to join up! www.flyvfc.com
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The Gibson Twin Plane And Early Flight in BC
The Gibson Twin Plane and Early Flight in British Columbia by
Larry Dibnah
BC Aviation Museum
T
he history of Canadian aviation all began with the well documented first flight of the Silver Dart in Baddeck, Nova Scotia on February 23, 1909 with Mr. J.A.D. McCurdy at the controls. The aircraft was designed in the USA and built by Alexander Graham Bell’s Aerial Experiment Association. The Silver Dart went on to make the first passenger flight in Canada later in 1909. Only a year later, and more significant to British Columbia, the first powered flight in this province occurred on March 25, 1910 on Lulu Island near Vancouver. The pilot was Mr. Charles Hamilton flying his American built Curtis pusher biplane. Later that same year another ‘powered
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flight’ event took place in British Columbia. However, this flight was not only significant to BC’s aviation history but to Victoria’s history as well. A totally local venture, the Gibson Twin Plane, designed, built and flown by Mr. William Wallace Gibson of Victoria, first took flight at the Dean family farm in Saanich (later to become Lansdowne Field) on September 8, 1910. Gibson also designed and built the 6-cylinder air cooled engine for his aircraft. After making a fortune in the mining industry, William Wallace Gibson moved from the prairies to Victoria in 1906 and began to raise money for the development of an aircraft engine. His first 4-cylinder engine was completed by 1908 but
was a failure due to severe vibration. His next engine design was in 1910 and featured 6-cylinders. The new engine ran very well and produced 60 hp. This actual engine is presently on display at the National Air Museum in Ottawa. That same year, Gibson decided to design and build an aircraft that could be powered by his new engine and so he quickly went to work on the Twin Plane. The design included two 20 ft. tetrahedral-shaped wings, one behind the other, and each covered with silk. The wing positions could be moved by means of adjustable fittings. The elevator was located at the front of the plane and could be operated by a control stick. The rudders were located at the rear of the
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aircraft again on November 24, 1910 for a distance of 200 feet! Gibson re-designed the Twin Plane soon after his first successes. The new aircraft featured a series of long, narrow wings of solid spruce mounted vertically like a Venetian blind. Bad weather in Victoria forced him to move first to Kamloops, BC then to Calgary where his assistant made several long flights in August of 1911. The last flight covered a distance of about one mile but crashed on landing. By this time, William Wallace
Gibson had exhausted his resources and could not afford to continue his aerial pursuits. A full scale replica of the early Gibson Twin Plane is on display at the BC Aviation Museum here at the Victoria International Airport. Also, there is a monument dedicated to Gibson’s first flight and it is located at Lansdowne Middle School Annex on Richmond Road.
The Gibson Twin Plane And Early Flight in BC
plane and were controlled by two stirrups which, in turn, were fitted to Gibson’s shoulders and moved as he twisted his upper body. Lateral control was accomplished by moving the control stick side-toside thus warping the wing shape – much the same system as employed in the earlier Wright Brothers Flyer. The Gibson Twin Plane was built within a few months and first took flight on September 8, 1910. This first distance was a meager 25 feet but after Gibson had made a few modifications to the airframe he flew the
Reference: The British Columbia Historical Quarterly, 1939
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