Warbird Information Exchange

I received a wonderful set of slides last weekend from Peter Allen, the new CEO of Vintage Wings. He has a tremendous aviation and corporate background -- been around general aviation a loooong time. In fact one of the slides was of people at the 1980 World Aerobatic Championship, when Canada sent a Team. Dad was Team Manager. (He aerobatted in a Stampe SV4B at that time, winning the Intermediate in Canada.)

This is a poor photo -- I held the slide up to a sunny window and Chris took a photo using the micro setting, but you get the idea.



This is what the Stampe looked like then.



What a nice surprise!

The Stampe is apart right now for recovering, so not wanting to be without an airplane, he flew THIS home on Thursday. Here she is parked at the farm.





I can't wait to see her. My brother Phil says she's a cream puff.

I still haven't flow the C-170. Every time I get a day free it rains -- the farm strip has been under water lately. But today Robin and I had a Saturday free, and a Fly-In was happening in Wiarton, so that was the plan.

Wiarton is on the Bruce Peninsula. That's a long tongue of land that sticks into Lake Huron. Which at this time of year is very cold, and generates fog. So we had to wait for a while. But eventually we poked our noses into it and made the field.

WHERE WE WON THIRD PRIZE! (There's glory for you!) It was touch and go there for a while. A certain Aeronca 11AC Chief had delusions of grandeur. But then we brought in our secret weapon, a Second Officer with incredible gravitas, and crowd pleasing professional charm, and Victory was achieved.

I'm certain it's the best fishing rod I've never used in my life.

Actually, it was a very good fly-in. There were more than enough people, lots of cars and airplanes, the sun came out and roasted the fog away, and a very devoted coterie of volunteers made the whole thing happen.

Lately Wiarton airport has been in danger of being taken over by some twit who wants to build a casino there, and the Council has been wavering, so it was rewarding to see a fine turn out. That airport has huge potential. There is space available for almost any expansion, the azure waters of Georgian Bay are within a mile, and virtually any aviation proposal would be welcomed.

Why is a casino viewed as an asset, and an airport viewed as a liability?

One services the community, and the other preys upon it.

Dave

Robin is in an Air Race. She is Navigator in a C-182 in the Air Race Classic. http://airraceclassic.org/2015race.asp

You can follow her on this site http://trackleaders.com/arc15 although it works on my iPad but not my PC. She's in #12.



Her team name is "Freakin' Awesome". (And that's just freakin' awesome.)

Anyway, they are doing very well -- it's a handicap race based on aircraft performance, so everyone has a chance to win.

Very cool. She's been obsessing over this for a month (studying charts, passing exams, drawing up cheat-notes and kneepad diagrams) so it's great to see it all actually happening.

It's a women's race.





Dave

At the end of Day 2, they made their target, Northeast Alabama Regional Airport, and appear to have been well up with the leaders.

Way to go, wife!

Tomorrow one straight shot direct to the Gulf coast at Mobile.

Dave

Way too busy lately. Not enough time for anything! But the big news was -- Robin finished Third!

This race is the descendent of the Amelia Earheart Powder Puff Derby of 1929, the Air Race Classic. And this is the first time a Canadian participant has ever place in the money. You should see her swagger!



She was Navigator. Lin H was the owner and pilot of the C-182TC. The photo doesn't lie -- both are hugely happy.







Way to go, wife. Our family have done a lot of things in Aviation, but no one has ever been in, or placed in, an Air Race!

Dave

As for me, I've been busy.

I stole the Lysander and have this wonderful commission from an investment firm in Toronto, The Lysander Fund, to display the aeroplane at Fly-Ins and Pancake Breakfasts and Airshows across Ontario. Since more of them are in SW Ont than around Ottawa, it made sense for me to move the thing closer for a while -- Edenvale.

It's kinda neat to steal a warbird...



... and stash it away.



Everybody is surprised -- and admires what you did!

I flew it to Hamilton for the FlyFest at CWH, and met the other one there. We formed half the world's population of flyable Lysanders!



It's fun to compare notes with their pilot, Rick Rickards. He's an AME there, with great insight into the operation of the engine and airframe. Very useful discussion. Verdict -- ours starts better; theirs taxis better (a little bit -- they both have lousy, lousy brakes).



And we did 2 formation flights, one with Doug Fisher, the other with Eric Dumigan.

Robin in the press today... http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/2015/0 ... ssic-event

It was a pleasure to fly with Dave at Hamilton. How many people can say they photographed a Lysander from a Lysander.

Cheers

http://www.airic.ca/html/2lysander.html

_________________
The air resounds from the Rolls-Royce roar!
To an enemy the warning is dire: here only eagles soar,
and the last thing he'll see is a mirrored Spitfire!

Thanks, Eric. Fun for me too. And we'll have both Lysanders together again for the Brantford airshow in Sept, weather permitting.

I across this photo, taken on the occasion of Wat Martin's funeral flypast, I think by Jeff H. Don't know how I missed it before.



You can see the mudguards -- which were good to have that day...



I recall landing through that section. The mudguards kept my wings clean, but the tail sure was a mess!

Dave

Doug Fisher sent me this great photo from his family album, taken in the early '70s at someone's cottage airstrip.



He said it would be Griffith's, or Madawaska. So I looked it up in the Journey Log.



And there it was! Very cool. It's lovely to have an airplane that people have photographed in the past.

Lots of Lysander flying this summer. Here's one of flying in formation to the Owen Sound Fly-In.



Lovely day. About 75 aircraft, and 3-400 classic cars.



Let me repeat, all I had to do was put this banner on the side of the aeroplane, and talk about it. That's it. Otherwise, take it away, fly it everywhere, and have a good time.



I took one of the Lysander Fund employees with me, Robin took his wife in the RV6a, and we had a great day. In fact -- we infected them -- the poor couple now plan to take flying lessons.

Meanwhile, back on the farm, my Dad is solidly in love...





... except for one weekend when they drove to Ottawa to demonstrate the Hucks Starter at the Aviation Museum.



And we joined them there.



Here is my brother Phil checking out his son Taylor on the Hucks.





Dave

Great update Dave!
It sure was cool to have you and the Lysander pull up beside me in my Tiger. Even if I didn't get any photos.
That photo at the cottage strip is a nice piece of history. Looks like a Stampe behind 'EKC.
Please give my best to your folks.

Andy