Victoria Flying Club
December 2006
Inside
C140 on skis in front of Awood’s hangar, early 1950’s (BCAM photo)
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Short Final
Letter from the Editor
Bears Air
Getting to Know the Earth
In My Travels
Looking Back
Martin Mars Up For Sale
Eleanor’s
The
Patrician
S hort F inal
Newsletter of the Victoria Flying Club
DECEMBER 2006 Editor:
Eleanor Eastick PatricianEditor@shaw.ca Advertising inquiries: Bob Mace (250) 361-6996 or bmace@shaw.ca Publisher: Seaside Designs seasidedesigns@shaw.ca (250) 383-7777 Published monthly. Unsolicited articles welcome. The deadline for submissions is Thursday, December 21, 2006.
Board of Directors President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Directors
Sean Steele Bob Mace Lloyd Toope Colin Dormuth Dennis Arnsdorf Jeremy Prpich Doug Marin Don Goodeve
General Manager Chief Flying Instructor
Gerry Mants Graham Palmer
1852 Canso Road Victoria, BC V8L 5V5
Phone: Fax: Email: Web:
(250) 656-4321 (250) 656-2833 (250) 655-0910 info@flyvfc.com www.flyvfc.com
Opinions expressed are those of the authors alone. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced in any format without the written authorization from the publisher or author.
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communications solutions for YOUR business
Sdesigns EASID E & photography 250.383.7777
It looks like a White Christmas out there, except that Christmas is still more than three weeks away; but by that time we’ll all be out picking bananas again – if they survived a week of cold weather that is. That winter wonderland gets pretty tiresome after a few days – I’ve even got frost on the inside of my windows. Still, cold, clear days make for good flying......... Speaking of flying – and is there anything else that we talk about and think about? – the Club is again offering its annual night rating seat sale: fly a 172 for the price of a 152 and bring a friend along to enjoy the experience. There’s nothing like night flying – it’s easy to spot other aircraft, the radio’s not so busy and the sky looks fantastic above the ambient lights of civilization. If you don’t have a night rating, now’s the time to get it!
Flight Adventures November 18 was the day of the Flight Adventures gathering and about 50 Club members showed up in the lounge for the fun and food. Don Devenney’s organization of the informative afternoon clicked off perfectly with presentations on float flying, mountain flying and aerobatics. Brad Fraser, who has just completed his Instructor’s Rating gave a little talk on flying into the US, more particularly Friday Harbor which is just a few minutes’ flight from YYJ. (See the November 06 Pat for article on KFHR.) There were draws for lots of prizes, interrupting the animated hangar flying from time to time. Many thanks go to Mary’s Bleue Moon ($25 GC), Dakota Café (GC), RPM (T shirt and desk clock), Canadian Avionics (desk set), Viking (rugby shirt), and VIH (hat and mug). The big prize winners of the day were Bill Stephenson who received one hour of dual on the sim from Pro IFR and Anne-Marie Deryaw, winner of one hour dual advanced VFC course. A darn good time was had by all, new friends were made and old friendships renewed. All that and great snacks of spareribs and munchies from the Dakota. Many thanks to Don for really getting the ball rolling on Flight Adventures. Let’s hope to do it again in the spring!
Captain Doug Speaking of seeing old friends again, Doug and Tania Bonfield dropped in to the Club to say Hi. Doug was a VFC instructor and Pro IFR’s CFI for a while before going to Central Mountain Air. He flies a Beech 1900 for CMA and is now a captain. Tania is justifiably proud of him, as are we Club members. VFC has provided CMA with a number of pilots over the years.
seasidedesigns@shaw.ca seasidedesigns.net
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Short Final cont’d p.4
Letter from the Editor Dear Readers - here's a letter from your editor since no one wrote to the Patrician in November. I would really appreciate hearing from you whether you send suggestions, kudos or brickbats. I see brickbat is a pretty old-fashioned word but it means a piece of a brick used as a missile - you get the idea‌ With that little rant out of the way, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Larry Dibnah for creating In My Travels, a nostalgic look at aircraft that were new when VFC was restarted in 1946. I hope IMT will continue in 2007 and beyond; so many aircraft, so little time! Please keep up the good work, Larry. And a big thanks also to Bill Stewart for providing a number of excellent photos for the Pat during the year, including the cover for the November issue. Al Whalley, always a big booster for VFC, was a great help in supplying information and vintage photos. Barry Meek faithfully wrote Bear's Air; it is always a pleasure to read the musings of an experienced pilot. I'd also like to mention Kate and Glenn for all their photos from Arlington and Friday Harbor. And thanks, indeed to all who contributed to the 2006 Patrician, and especially to our publisher Nancy, for making it look so inviting.
Now, I wish you all a warm and relaxing Christmas holiday with friends and family and a Happy New Year!
November Mystery of the Month The photo is of the propeller of a Ryan Navion, the aircraft featured in In My Travels. This particular Navion is one flown by the Fraser Blues as part of their formation display team.
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Short Final cont’d from p 2
Thrifty’s BBQ Marcel Poland organized a lunchtime barbecue for all the Club members who use the Thrifty’s Smile Card as a way of saying thanks to them. Just by buying groceries and using the card, VFC shoppers have raised nearly $2700 for the Club. Thrifty’s deserves a big thank-you for its support, too. The BBQ’d burgers were yummy and once again, VFC members had a chance to meet, greet and eat and to see Thrifty’s BIG Shopping Cart which was towed to the ramp right outside the door.
Bursaries VFC is now able to offer six bursaries, thanks in part to Thrifty’s Smile Card program. The long-standing Betty Wadsworth and Claude Butler Awards and the more recent Mike Cooper-Slipper Award make the total up to six. Applications forms for these bursaries are available from Dispatch – or ask your instructor. Anyone who is in any stage of training from ab initio to advanced is eligible for the awards.
Passports It’s now official: we will need valid Canadian passports to fly into the US beginning January 29, 2007. The date was expected to be earlier in January, but I guess it takes time to get all this stuff organized. I’ve heard that there are HUGE line-ups at the passport office. By January 2008, you’ll need a passport to drive, walk or sail into the US.
Another Year Well, there goes 2006! Just a few shopping days till Christmas, so get on down to the VFC Pilot Shop and check out all the new and interesting stuff. Remember, you can buy things for yourself too, or certainly drop broad hints to others about the goodies that you’d like. There are lots of great books for entertaining reading as well as a huge variety of texts for on-going studies. Not to mention clocks, mugs, flight bags – cool stuff for us cool pilots. See the full page ad this Patrician.
So, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holidays to all. Blue skies, fair winds and all the best for 2007!
December Mystery of the Month What is this large visitor to VFC? It makes our fleet of aircraft look tiny.
Send your educated guess(es) to PatricianEditor@shaw.ca.
CANADIAN AVIONICS & INSTRUMENTS Calgary Int’l Airport (403) 250-5665
Victoria Airport (250) 655-0665
BOB CAMERON President
9548 Canora Road Sidney, BC V8L 3R1
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Tel: (250) 655-0665 Fax: (250) 655-0664 E: cav#2@islandnet.com
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I Know Now What I Didn’ t Know Then W
e’ve all said it before. “If I only knew then what I know now”. Some people would never have bought a Cessna, or a Piper, or a Taylorcraft, or started building an experimental airplane. Some would never have owned a Fiat, or a Yugo. Others would have never married. Or had children.
But life is all about learning, making mistakes, getting wiser, living. Anyone who has never made a mistake, never made anything. The best teacher after all is said and done, is experience. Now I know why my boss was always preaching to check the fuel caps. That’s another story. I’ve learned a thing or two about aviation, and for the most part it’s been from experience. Fortunately, I’m still here to talk about it. Every day I hear student pilots on the radio broadcasting their positions and intentions, and I think to myself how boring it must be to be flying around going nowhere. But in fact, this is the time in those student’s lives where they will learn the basics of flying, where they won’t be allowed to bury their mistakes and hide them from instructors. Later in their careers, the material they’re learning today will begin to fit together and make sense as it’s applied to the real world of aviation. They will learn the shortcuts, the items that are important and how to avoid mistakes. Who ever it was that said a pilots license is a “license to learn” was right.
BEAR’S AIR Barry Meek
guessed at the remaining fuel on board, about the weather and the length of a runway. And I’ve even left a fuel cap off. I would venture to say that everyone has a part of their past they’re not proud of. The important thing is to believe in yourself and make the most of those mistakes. Analyze and process them. Learn from them. Many times I’ve thought that wisdom comes with age. It stands to reason that the older we get, the more time we’ve had to make more mistakes. Naturally we get a whole lot wiser. I’ve never built an airplane. Never owned a Fiat. Never flown a jet. Some things were obviously not a good idea. For me. Somehow I just knew that. For some people it requires a first hand experience. There comes a time in life when you’re comfortable with what you know, what you’ve done, and most important, with who you are. All that could come much sooner but it’s only now that I know what I didn’t know then. Barry Meek bcflyer@propilots.net
There’s more to being a pilot than flying an airplane, just as there’s more to parenting than having children. Think back to your own early flying days. Wouldn’t it be nice to have known then the things you know now? Hindsight. Experience. Wisdom. Call it whatever you like, but we all eventually gain from it. I’ve made bad decisions, said things I wish I hadn’t, I’ve seen airplanes damaged, seen people die, sometimes friends. I’ve
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Getting to Know the Earth (Google Earth, that is) by Geoff Steeves As a pilot with a new portable GPS I’ve become obsessed with bringing my GPS everywhere with me. On flights around CYYJ, in the car optimizing my drive to work, even hiking in East Sooke Park, my every move is recorded in one-second intervals. But what can you do with all this information? This is where Google Earth comes in. Most of you will have probably seen Google Earth on the news. The media loves to use Google Earth to zoom in from outer space, onto news hot spots around the world. With a little detective work I discovered that GPS track files can be formatted (into KML files) and then imported into Google Earth. Even better for pilots, the tracks can be imported in 3-D, provided your GPS keeps track of altitude.
CYCW
Once the track is in Google Earth, you can rotate, pan, tilt and zoom to your heart’s content. You can examine the exact point your plane left the ground, see the accuracy of your tracks or even check that you didn’t lose any altitude during those steep turns. Following a track helps you replay a flight in your mind and if that’s not good enough for you, you can even “Play” the track and create an animation of your whole flight, all with accurate satellite images of the earth to fly over. GPS systems are a wonderful aid in navigation. By pairing a GPS with Google Earth you have a fantastic new way to visualize and analyze your journey!
d turn
Links: Google Earth free download site: http://earth.google.com/
Online tool for converting GPS track files into KML files http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/map?form=googleearth
To upload track data off a GPS and onto a mac and convert into KML format: http://www.cluetrust.com/LoadMyTracks.html
take off
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In My Travels
by Larry Dibnah
Republic RC-3 Seabee
The Republic Seabee was another product of the post-WW2 civilian aviation industry boom. The Seabee was also the first all-metal amphibian aircraft mass produced specifically for the sport aviation market. The Republic Aviation Corporation of Farmingdale, New York had been building P-43 Lancers and P-47 Thunderbolt fighters for service with the United States and its allies during WW2. As with other aircraft producers at the time, Republic had to scramble for survival following the end of the war and looked to the civilian market for new business. During the 1940’s a gentleman by the name of Percival H. Spencer who also happened to be a Republic test pilot at the time, was working on a personal design for a low cost, easy-to-build wooden amphibian aircraft which he called the S-12 Air Car. Spencer flew his amphibian only once and placed it in storage since civilian flying was sharply curtailed during the war years. Spencer eventually sold the Air Car design rights to his employer. With his help, Republic re-designed the Air Car into an all metal prototype which was designated the RC-1 Thunderbolt Amphibian. Spencer test flew the RC-1 in 1944 and later that year the company began to market the aircraft. The project was met with only limited interest however since production costs would have been prohibitive. After the end of WW2, the US military cancelled its orders for the RC-1 but did however approve the use of a navy term ‘Seabee’ for Republic’s amphibian. The Navy Seabees (C.B. for ‘Construction Battalion’) were a group of construction engineers who built roads and airfields during the war. To vastly reduce production time and costs thus increasing appeal to the civilian market, Republic set about another refinement of the Seabee design. With the introduction of radical new engineering and production techniques, Republic was able to reduce the number of components in the new design. The new model was called the RC-3 Seabee and was test flown by Percy Spencer in December of 1945. The first standard production Model RC-3 Seabee rolled off Republic’s production lines in March 1946 and only remained in production until October 4, 1947. A total of 1050 of the fourplace amphibians were built with the last ones being sold in 1948. Despite the employment of cost-shaving construction methods the RC-3 Seabee project still lost money for the Republic Aviation Corporation. A little over 300 RC-3 Seabees are still flying throughout the world today and are valued by their owners.
Larry and son Andrew, at the BCAM, 1991.
The four-place RC-3 Seabee was originally equipped with a six cylinder, 215 hp Franklin pusher engine mounted above and behind the cabin and driving a two-blade constant speed/reversible Hartzel propeller. Some Seabees have since had newer, more powerful Lycoming engines installed and there is even a Canadian company seeking approval for the installation of a Corvette V-8 engine in the old amphibian with promising improvement in performance. The Seabee’s empty weight is 1950 lbs and gross weight is 3000 lbs. It has a wing span of 37’-8” and length of 27’-11”. The large 75 US gal fuselage fuel tank can provide many options for loading if you don’t need more than half a tank at one time. In the air the Seabee’s controls are a bit heavy but the aircraft is rock solid and will hold steady in a turn. The Seabee has a top speed of 120 mph and a cruise of 103 mph. Fuel consumption at cruise (75%) is 15 US gph yikes! Its robust construction and great water handling characteristics put the Seabee in the same league as the Grumman line of amphibians. During 1992 I had a few opportunities to fly an RC-3 Seabee on and off the water. That was definitely the most fun flying I‘ve ever experienced!
References:
Photos:
Flying Boats for Recreation by Gladden Robert Hamilton, 1997; The Republic Seabee Owners Association; Used Planes Flight Test Special, Volume 1-Number 1, 1977. Larry Dibnah
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The following information was sent to VFC and may be of interest to our members who burn car gas in their airplanes.
Ethanol-Blended Gasoline Should Not be Used in Small Aircraft Eng ines Gasoline sold in Ontario will contain, on an annual basis beginning January 2007 an average of five per cent ethanol. Most small aircraft engines manufactured in North America are designed to run on aviation gasoline (avgas), which has a much higher octane rating than automotive gasoline. While some of these engines can be modified to run on regular automotive gasoline, owners/operators of small aircraft are advised that ethanol-blended gasoline should not be used in their aircraft, as ethanol can degrade some rubber and elastomeric fuel system components (e.g. gaskets, seals). Owners/operators who use regular automotive gasoline in their aircraft are encouraged to check with their fuel supplier to ensure that their gasoline does not contain ethanol. Individuals who want more information on the use of ethanol-blended gasoline in their aircraft are strongly encouraged to check their owners’ manuals and contact their engine manufacturer to discuss what engine modifications may be required to safely use ethanol-blended gasoline in their aircraft. Regular Gasoline is Still an Option The regulation calls for an annual average of 5% ethanol, so it is likely that consumers will still be able to buy ethanol-free gasoline. To help facilitate supply of ethanol-free gasoline, the regulation also exempts fuel suppliers from balancing the requirements for volumes of gasoline with marine, aviation, off-road, and antique vehicle end-use, provided that the end-use can be demonstrated.
for sale
Where to Get More Information For more information about the Ethanol in Gasoline regulation visit the Ministry of the Environment’s website, http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/ethanol/index.htm.
Headsets f or Sale ONE AVIX, ONE AVCOMM AC-200. $150 FOR BOTH. ALSO BENDIX KING KX-99 HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER, WORKS FINE BUT DISPLAY U/S. $50. BUY ALL THREE FOR $175 FIRM. E-MAIL bcflyer@propilots.net Phone 250 247-8023
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PRIVATE PILOT Groundschool Classes held Monday and Wednesday, 1900-2200 DATE Dec
Jan
Achievements First Solo Sylvia Yzenbrandt
TOPIC
INSTRUCTOR
04
Meteorology
Bryon Thompson
Denise Sweenie
06
Meteorology
Bryon Thompson
PPL Written Test
11
Human Factors
Jason Stewart
Kerrie Martin
13
Flight Operations
James Zacks
PP License
18
Flight Operations
James Zacks
20
Navigation
Jason Stewart
Simon Dennis George Andrew
03
Navigation
Jason Stewart
08
Navigation
Jason Stewart
10
Radio and Electronic Theory
Jason Stewart
15
Review (Tower Tour/Written Seminar) Marcel Poland
17
Review (Tower Seminar)
Marcel Poland
PPL Flight Test
Instructor Flight Brad Fraser
Welcome New Members! Nancy Chown Troy Kretzul Christopher Kerr Angus Forsyth Chris Gilbert Yasuhiro Koide Cindy Quaite D.Graham Arts Dmitry Usjakov Kristen Ursel
A number of outside tie-down spaces are now available. Phone Dispatch at 656-2833 for details.
at the
Pilot Shop "CHRISTMAS IS COMING! Check out the pilot shop for gifts - lots of new stuff here in December" 9
Merry Christmas to All HHere it is again, December and the holiday season with all the smiles, the excitement, the hustle and bustle. Cards to send, gifts to buy, parties to attend and festive arrangements to make. It is sometimes easy with all the activity to just fly through the month and wake up in early January wondering, “Where did Christmas go�? I sincerely hope that each of you will take the opportunity to slow down just a bit and share with family and friends the wonder, the joy and the peace of Christmas. All of us here at the Club wish you and your families, a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year. Gerry Man t s
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Santa Flight (My thanks to this talented but unknown poet - Ed.) ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and out on the ramp, Not an airplane was stirring, not even a Champ. The aircraft were fastened to tiedowns with care, In hopes that come morning, they all would be there.
He stepped out of the sleigh, but before he could talk, I ran out to meet him with an old set of RCAFchocks. His red Flight Cap and goggles were covered with frost And his beard was all blackened from Reindeer exhaust.
The fuel trucks were nestled, all snug in their spots, With gusts from two-four-zero at 39 knots. I slumped at the Command Post, now finally caught up, And settled down comfortably, resting my butt.
His breath smelled like peppermint, gone slightly stale, And he puffed on a pipe, but he didn’t inhale. His cheeks were all rosy and jiggled like jelly, His boots were as black as a cropduster’s belly.
When the radio lit up with noise and with chatter, I turned up the PRC-113 to see what was the matter. A voice clearly heard over static and snow, Called for clearance to land at the airbase below.
He was chubby and plump, in his suit of bright red, And he asked me to “fill it, with hundred low-lead.” He went dashing in from the snow-covered pump, I knew he was anxious for “drainin’ the sump.”
He barked his transmission so lively and quick, I’d have sworn that the call sign he used was “St. Nick”. I ran to the panel to turn up the lights, The better to welcome this magical flight.
I spoke not a word, but went straight to my work, And I filled up the sleigh, but I spilled like a jerk. He came out of the Head, and sighed in relief, Then he picked up a DSN for a Shaw Wx brief.
He called his position, no room for denial, “St. Nicholas One, gear down, left onto final.” And what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a Rutan-built sleigh, with eight Rotax Reindeer!
And I thought as he silently scribed in his log, These reindeer could land in an eighth-mile fog. He completed his pre-flight, from the front to the rear, Then he put on his Flight Cap, notched it, and yelled,“Clear!”
With vectors to final, down the glideslope he came, As he passed all fixes, he called them by name: “Now Naab! Now Derby! Now Slugger and Baakin! On Comet! On Cupid!”What pills was he takin’?
And laying a finger on his push-to-talk, He called up the tower for clearance and squawk. “Take taxiway Charlie, the southbound direction, Turn right three-two-zero at pilot’s discretion”
While controllers were sittin’, and scratchin’ their head, They phoned up to Ops, and I heard it with dread, The message they left was both urgent and dour: “When Santa pulls in, have him please call the tower.”
He sped down the runway, the best of the best, “Your traffic’s a Herk, inbound from the west.” Then I heard him proclaim, as he climbed thru the night, “Merry Christmas to all! I have traffic in sight.”
He landed like silk, with the sled runners sparking, Then I heard “Left at Charlie,” and “Taxi to parking.” He slowed to a taxi, turned off of three-oh And stopped on the ramp with a “Ho, ho-ho-ho...”
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As we look back on a year of exceptionally clear skies it was a perfect summer to
celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Victoria Flying Club, and we at the British Columbia Aviation Museum were honoured to be able to help support this important milestone in the history of aviation at the Victoria International Airport. It was thrilling to see people’s dreams fulfilled as they had the opportunity to take a sight-seeing flight during our Open House, and then in September to enjoy the warmth and memories of a good old fashioned Hangar Dance at the Victoria Flying Club. We look forward to the continued opportunity of working together to promote flying and aviation history. All of us at the British Columbia Aviation Museum wish you a warm and peaceful Christmas, and that your New Year soars to even greater heights. Peter Garnham, President British Columbia Aviation Museum
N I G H T R AT I N G S E AT S A L E ! Take advantage of the early darkness this time of year! You can leave work, come out to the Club, work on your night rating and still be home for dinner.
Here's the Deal! Train in a C-172 at C-152 rates (Save $15 per hour) 10 hours dual, 5 hours Solo to complete the rating.
Passengers Welcome on Dual flights (bring a friend). Offer valid until December 31, 2006 Save $225 from regular price of a night rating.
Sign up today • have fun • save money • improve your skills impress a friend 12
LOOKING BACK Larry Dibnah Looks Back. Grumman Mallard Story In my opinion, the Grumman G-73 Mallard amphibian has to be the most beautiful seaplane ever built. It has often been mistaken for its older but smaller relatives the Grumman Goose and Widgeon. While the Goose and Widgeon were developed for the business executive market the Mallard was designed for regional airline operations with a crew of two and room for 10 passengers. The Mallard prototype first flew on April 30, 1946 - around the same time that VFC started up – and the first production aircraft entered service in September of that year. However, only 51 Mallards were built before production halted in 1951. Most of them ended up employed as corporate aircraft including one owned by Howard Hughes. In the mid-1960’s BC Airlines operated three Mallards up and down the BC coast. Today only 32 Mallards remain on the US civil register. The two large 550 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340 radials gave the Mallard a respectable cruise speed of 157 kts and a top speed of 187 kts. This nice looking Mallard has been meticulously restored by Victoria Air Maintenance and was photographed by Don Devenny while it visited the BC Aviation Museum Open House on August 6, 2006. This age-curled photo sent in by Al Whalley is very interesting. The aircraft appears to be a deHavilland DH-89 Dragon Rapide. The Rapide was popular as a regional airliner throughout the commonwealth countries. There are still a few Rapides flying today. The design incorporated the DH features of the day including the familiar biplane and tail empenage layout. It was powered by two de Havilland Gypsy Six engines of 197 hp each. Jim Spilsbury operated a few of these alongside some Avro Ansons and Supermarine Stranraers in his fledgling Queen Charlotte Airlines during the 1950's.
(The Accidental Airline by Jim Spilsbury is an informative, sometimes tragic and occasionally downright hilarious account of his chance foray into the airline business. I got my copy from VFC's Pilot Shop and enjoyed every word. Spilsbury at one point owned two Rapides, one of which crashed near Prince Rupert without injury to the pilot or passengers. The other Rapide had its engines removed and sold and the airframe presented to the YVR Fire Department who set it alight. Spilsbury's comment was "they didn't fly worth a damn, but they sure did burn good.") - Ed. 13
A number of outside tie-down spaces are now available. Phone Dispatch at 656-2833 for details.
VFC
Smile Cards The Victoria Flying Club is very excited to partner with Thrifty Foods in their successful
Smile Card Program. Pick up your Smile Card today and 5% of all your Thriftys grocery purchases will go towards creating scholarships and awards for VFC members.
Just Imagine! If 100 members spend $100 per month at Thriftys, VFC could award $6000 per year in new bursaries. Pick up cards for your family and friends too. This is a great opportunity for VFC members. We thank you for your support!
L indair Ser vices Ltd
Smile Card total to date $2690
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PRINT WHAT YOU NEED WHEN YOU NEED IT! 905 Fort St (at Quadra)
www.lindairservices.com 14
Martin Mars up for Sale TimberWest Forest Corporation, owner of the Martin Mars water bombers and Forest Industries Flying Tankers Ltd., the arm which runs the tanker service announced last month that the planes are up for sale. The Hawaii and Philippine Mars have been based at Sproat Lake for over 40 years and the hope is that the bombers will stay in the area if they sell. As a condition of the sale, TimberWest will ask that one of them, upon retirement will be donated to the city of Port Alberni as a heritage attraction. As it is, the huge planes are a great tourist draw and provide a number of important jobs in the area. The decision to sell was precipitated in part by Weyerhaeuser’s withdrawal in 2001 as a financial supporter (of Flying Tankers Ltd.) which meant a cut of $ 1.2 million and the layoff of 20 people. The Martin Mars mainly service the Island, but have been flown elsewhere to assist in forest fire fighting. If the bombers leave Sproat Lake, TimberWest will rely on charter helicopter companies and BC Forest Service to provide fire-fighting on its lands. Forest fires can be fought by other aircraft, but the beauty and elegance of the Mars is hard to match. There were only five Mars built in the early 40s for the US military and they were put into service as general purpose transport. By the late 50s, all the Mars had been taken out of service and were destined for the scrap heap when four of them were bought, in airworthy condition for $ 100,000 by MacMillan Bloedel in 1959. Thousands of parts, including ultimately 35 surplus Wright Cyclone engines and spares were
LYL just after refit at Pat Bay, 1963
bought for next to nothing ($135 and $600 each). On August 8, 1959, the Marianas Mars arrived at Pat Bay, followed by the Caroline Mars on August 27th, the Philippine Mars on September 5th and the Hawaii Mars on September 12th. There was still much crew training to be done and the “gentle giants” still had to be refitted as water bombers before beginning the job for which they were purchased. The Marianas Mars and her crew were lost in a tragic accident while attending a fire 30 km west of Nanaimo in June of ’61. Horrified onlookers saw the port wing of the Mars drop suddenly and strike a tree, sending the aircraft into a cartwheel and crash. The Caroline Mars was quickly pressed into service and staunchly vindicated her role as a heroic fire-fighter. The noble Caroline was struck by the violent winds of a hurricane while atop her beaching gear at Pat Bay in October of 1962. She was securely anchored to her tie-downs by half inch steel cables, but the force of Hurricane Frieda that night snapped the hawser and the rearing aircraft dragged the other through its retaining clamp and Caroline careened across the airport. At dawn, the sad wreck of the Mars was seen in a crushed, cracked and twisted state; she was written off and scavenged for spare parts. The Philippine and Hawaii Mars were all that were left of the little fleet and they still continue to fulfil the role of water bombers. Just about everyone who lives on Vancouver Island has seen these magnificent birds in the air and on the water at Sproat Lake. We owe them our loyalty and gratitude. Let us hope that they do not leave the area.
LYL on Sproat Lake, 2003
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See the world… from our point of VIEW!!
at the
Pilot Shop "Christmas is coming! Check out the pilot shop for gifts lots of new stuff here in December"
Increase your confidence • Aerobatic Course* • Adventure Rides • Emergency Manoeuvres Training
Discovery Ride
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Join us for breakfast or lunch…inside & patio seating 101-1852 Canso Rd 16
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250.655.9395
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• Tax and financial planning • Rapid refunds (electronic filing) • Personal, corporate and estate tax
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Call Dispatch at the club for further information
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