HARVARD HAPPENINGS

December, 2005      32nd Edition

Season’s Greetings!

Next CHAA Meeting

Saturday, December 17, 2005: 10:00 AM- Noon

Tillsonburg OPS Building

After a short business meeting consisting of announcements,

some brief committee reports to sum up 2005

and a surprise guest showing a video

of a recent once-in-a-lifetime aviation experience,

members will have the opportunity to socialize.

Coffee and donuts will be available

and members are encouraged to bring

 light refreshments for sharing.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Condolences: Dave Hewitt’s maternal grandmother passed away recently.  May Dave, Bob and their families know we are thinking of them. It is our hope their many memories of time spent together over the years will bring a smile to their hearts.

November’s Guest Speaker: Wing Commander John McLure

DFC, CD.  Fighter ops, NW Europe who was introduced by CHAA member Dick Moore. John spoke of initially wanting to work on maintenance of aircraft when he signed up, but there were only openings for aircrew, so that’s where he was sent.  His training began in 1940 in Mount Hope and then in PEI, followed by service with 137 RAF in England in 1941 on twin engine fighter bombers. Among other aircraft, John logged 539 hours on the Whirlwind and earned the DFC in France. He spoke about many harrowing experiences during his years of service (including instances of forced landings and flying convoy patrols using navigational equipment which left much to be desired) and said there was no real ground course; the training was quick...from the wing and directly into the air. The members in attendance thoroughly enjoyed his talk and the clear, frank answers he gave to their many questions.

Notes from November’s Meeting:

1. The Tillsonburg Ops Building is undergoing changes thanks to Roy Venn and Pat Hanna.  It is being rearranged and spruced up...these changes are long overdue and many thanks to these members and any others who have undertaken this time-consuming and much appreciated task.

2. November 11 flyovers were a great success over Toronto, Woodstock and London.  Standing on the ground at the London Cenotaph, I can tell you the crowd was silent and all eyes were on the sky for the first pass south to north and then the missing man which always brings tears to the eyes and goose bumps.  Thank you to the men and women who served for us in years gone by and continue to put their lives on the line while working for peace today.  Thank you also to our CHAA pilots and service crew who gave of their day to make November flyovers possible.  We can’t begin to tell you how much it means to the rest of us.

3. Membership was reminded of the importance of the monthly bingo monies received through the years...monies which made it possible to pay off the hangar loan last month! Thank you to all members who take the time to work at the bingos each month...your time and efforts on CHAA’s behalf are greatly appreciated.

4. A few changes made recently by the Board were announced: Roy Venn has replaced Greg Tyrell as President; Greg Tyrell has replaced Dan Cameron as C Tech O; Dan Cameron has replaced Mo White as C Ops O; Tony Donnelly has replaced Bill Long as Chief Pilot. We extend many thanks to ALL these members for their countless hours of dedication to CHAA.

Upcoming CHAA Meeting Dates: Mark your calendar

Saturdays from 10AM to Noon:

Dec 17: as described above

Jan 21: Guest Speaker Squadron leader Jack Malone, CD Flight Ops Europe

Feb 18: Annual Business Meeting

Mar 18: Guest Speaker George Johnston, Halifax Crew, Caterpillar Club, POW (Fascinating info on formation of the Caterpillar Club can be read at http://www.merkki.com/caterpillarclub.htm )

Saturday, April 29, 2006: Annual Dinner and Fundraiser: more info in the December 2005 issue of the ROAR

Unsold copies of CHAA’s 2005 calendar: Any unsold copies MUST be returned to Janis Bennell ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) by the December meeting. Thank you for your cooperation in finishing up this project. Sincere thank you to Janis Bennell and Greg and Michelle Burnard for their work on this fundraising project. (Happy Birthday to Janis!)

Fundraiser: 2006 Calendars: P Hanna, B Shepard and S Sparkes

Thank you to all members who have supported this fundraiser to date by buying one or more calendars and/or by selling them as well for CHAA. In this or any other fundraiser, there is a committee who organizes the event, but it should be the responsibility of each member to do their part to ensure the success of the event.  So again, thank you to those who have been part of this to date. 

Due to the size of the calendar and postal mailing costs, we’ve run into some glitches in getting these calendars mailed out to each member (as was our initial plan).  Instead we’ve come up with an alternative plan as follows: we’ve designated pick up sites through businesses and members where calendars are available for those who live within a certain radius of Tillsonburg.  For all other members wanting calendars, a mailout plan has been established.  Following is a list of the pickup points and the alternate mailing information:

Cost: $10 if being picked up or purchased locally; if being mailed, $10 plus costs as determined by postage

Buying Calendars Locally: Scan through this list, spot the one closest to you and make contact directly with them for the purchase of calendars.

13 Contact Areas:

London and area:

Bruce Tapp 519-668-2900

Forest City Surplus, 1712 Dundas Street, 519-451-0246

Sarnia and area:

Wayne Wilkins 519-869-8119, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

St Thomas and area:

Marion Bennell 519-633-0053

Woodstock and area:

Bill Shepard 519-421-7399

Tillsonburg and area:

Marg and Bob Hollister, 519-842-9567

Stratford and area:

Bargain Mart, 145 Erie St, 519-271-7949

Kitchener and area:

Spitfire Emporium, 666 Victoria St, 519-745-2661

Cambridge and area:

Cambridge Surplus, 336 Eagle St N, 519-653-2946

Port Dover and area:

Don Oatman 519-583-1292

Hamilton and area:

Steel City Surplus, 182 Dundurn St S, 905-526-8551

Ancaster and area:

Greg Tyrell, 905-648-2732

Toronto (The Beaches) and area:

Mish Mash, 2316 Queen St E, 416-690-3287  

Owen Sound and area:

Deals, 955 10^th St W, 519-376-9148
Anyone outside of these contact areas, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and the number of calendars you wish to purchase—through previously noted process--- will be mailed to you. PLEASE NOTE: Sandra is off to visit family and friends in New Brunswick for Christmas, December 14 to 28. Any emails she receives before leaving will be sent off promptly; those orders received while away will be mailed out on Dec 28. Yes, this is a bit complicated to say the least!  If you have any questions, feel free to contact Sandra for clarification. It is hoped all CHAA members will support this fundraiser. If you have already purchased one or more calendars, thank you!  If you are selling more to your friends and family, thank you; keep up the good work for CHAA!  Together we will keep our organization alive and our aircraft flying.

Service Unit: Crew Chief, Al Spiers This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Al checked over the journey logs of the Harvards the other day and saw the weekly flying hours were getting less and less. This is usually an indication the “flying season” is winding down and the aircraft will be put into hibernation for the winter and their annuals. To the end of November, 2005 the 3 CHAA Harvards have accumulated: 228 hrs Flying time, used 29,700 litres of fuel, 415 litres of engine oil, 285 litres of smoke oil, and 3 litres of hydraulic oil. To put that total consumption into perspective, each aircraft uses approximately 130 litres of fuel per hour of flight time and just over 1 litre of engine oil per hour. The Service Unit would like to thank the members who donated the cost of an 8ft Step ladder and the battery booster cables now being used and stored in Hangar One, leaving us with only the FLEX SOCKETS ¼” Drive SAE yet to be donated.  We hope to expand our “wish list” in the New Year and that the members will continue to support us. A special “thank you” is issued to all the CHAA members and Service Crew who volunteered their time in assisting this past year. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

What’s Happening in the Hangars: Greg Tyrell This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

AME Trevor McNally is doing the engine change on HWX and is just about finished.  Covington did what appears to be a great job on the engine repair.  Thanks to Len Fallowfield and Rick Macklem for doing the baffle clean up.  The prop should be on shortly.  Before we start annuals, we have to wait for the new radiant heating system to be installed in Hangar One.  Planes will have to be moved out to facilitate the installation.  With the new heating system there will be great savings in propane and increased comfort; so, annuals are on hold until that is done.  If you are interested in helping with the annuals, let me know by email and we will get you busy on helping out. 

Membership News: Marion Bennell (519)633-0053 This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FOR 2006:

Membership is now due. The 2006 Membership Renewal Form is available in the September ROAR and on the CHAA website (under Membership). A number of gift certificates for membership have been purchased for Christmas, and this has raised CHAA total membership for the year.  The renewals have been coming in steadily – over 120 to date.  Thank you for submitting these with the Renewal Form. 

GIFT CERTIFICATES

There are still a few days for shopping for Christmas.  A CHAA Gift Certificate for a back seat ride is the perfect solution for that person’s gift you haven’t purchased yet.  Call Marion Bennell for details.  Certificates purchased by December 15 should reach you by December 23 or arrangements may be made for pick up.

PROXIES FOR FEBRUARY’S ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING are being mailed with membership RENEWAL stickers.  If you did not receive a proxy with your renewal and wish one, contact Marion Bennell as soon as possible.

SPECIAL FLIGHT ON DECEMBER 6, 2005

The weather cooperated, and even though it was bitterly cold with a strong wind blowing straight down the runway, Dan Cameron piloted C-FWPK to take 95-year old Keith Somers of Tillsonburg for a ride.  Keith was an RCAF instructor during the war.  A number of Tillsonburg Lion’s Club members were present to wish Keith a great flight.  Keith has been a member of the Lion’s Club for over 50 years and, despite his years, still helps with the bingos.  The mayor of Tillsonburg, Steve Molnar, made a presentation of a birthday congratulatory plaque to Keith.  We believe that Keith, at 95 years young, becomes the oldest member to have flown in one of CHAA’s aircraft.  CHAA thanks the Tillsonburg Lion’s Club for presenting Keith with this gift.

Pat Hanna’s input on the December 6 late evening news coverage:

I was lying in bed last night, dozing a bit whilst watching the 11:30 news
on CKCO when, to my delight I "heard" them introduce a feature story on an
older gentleman going for a ride in a vintage warbird in Tillsonburg...I'm
wide awake now!  It was an EXCELLENT and well done article with the reporter
standing underneath the CHAA sign which hangs over the hangar doors.  There were very clear views of inside the hangars and of the Yale,  Dan Cameron (with a huge grin!) standing on the wing of a Harvard and finally some very good footage of #20242. Interviews were conducted with this older man who was given the ride by his buddies while he was sitting in the backseat of a Harvard.  CHAA was well represented in the clip and I had several people ask me today if that was the same as what I'm always talking about. Good job to whoever was involved in that!  GREAT PUBLICITY!

CHAA Stores: Greg Tyrell This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

LAST MINUTE GIFT IDEAS...hats with CHAA logo in both ball cap and Tilley style; t-shirts; golf shirts, sweatshirts, the 20^th Anniversary ball hats and so much more (great Christmas presents); available through Bruce Tapp at the hangar in Tillsonburg or by contacting Greg Tyrell by email.

Donation and Expense Notes: Ila Fallowfield, CHAA’s Bookkeeper

1. Following is a list of additional donors who made special donations for the wings: Basil Bannon, Thomas Munn, Robert Gillies, Richard Macklem, David Robinson, James Pilgrim and Wilfred Greystone Thank you to each of these gentlemen for their generous donations to CHAA.

2. Any members wanting to make additional donations to CHAA for 2005, they must be received in mail (to CHAA address as listed below) dated by December 31.  Note: it is best if they are sent by December 20 as mail does get bogged down after that.  Any donations received by December 31 will have a tax receipt issued through Ila.

3. Anyone with expense reports, these must be to Ila by December 20 as well.

CHAA Website: www.harvards.com Thanks to Lance Russwurm for his ongoing efforts to keep our site current; it features both the history of CHAA and all its latest news.  To remain informed, be one of the many who check it often.

CHAA Dive Recovery Team: www.chaa-recovery.ca  

The team would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. Thank you to everyone for supporting the team in 2005; we are looking forward to another exciting year of searching in 2006.  Be sure to check out our website for new photos, links and documents being added each month.

Bingo: For more info on how you can help with this important aspect of CHAA fundraising, contact Bill Shepard This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and visit the Dive Team site www.chaa-recovery.ca for upcoming bingo dates.

Account of the trip to bring CF-UFZ from Delta BC: CHAA pilot, Kent Beckham

Note: Harvard CF-UFZ (#20321) has recently been acquired by CHAA from Tony Swain in British Columbia, who with his wife Mary has had “Bessy” as part of their family since 1971.

Day 1 - Sat. Nov. 26/05: Greg Burnard and I were delayed at YYZ by a late B767 arrival. Further delayed by a right engine mechanical condition. Delayed again by deice requirement. Finally arrive YVR before dark. Tony Swain takes us to see Bessy at Delta (CAK3). Treated to a king's dinner courtesy of his wife Mary - Home cooked BC Salmon dinner. They put us up at a close Bed & Breakfast. Tony picked us up predawn in the rain. 2 pounds of bacon with breakfast. Spent all morning packing Bessy. Following another of Mary's meals (homemade soup and sandwiches to go) we decided to strike out before we gained so much weight that we wouldn't get airborne. Tug couldn't pull her through the BC rain soaked grass so I started and taxied her to the pumps. Take off with max effort cleared the trees with ease - hope we didn't leave any ruts!
Day 2 - Sun. Nov. 27/05: Complex airspace once airborne. Delta is located in the eastern portion of Bounday Bay's control zone thus special procedures must be followed. Couldn't get high enough to clear Langley or Abbotsford so we squeezed around them. Isn't GPS wonderful? Once over the Fraser River valley, starting into the rocks, the weather lifted somewhat. Passed the last paved strip, Chilliwack (CYWC), noting its close proximity to town & Highway # 3. Started decending due to broken weather by Hope, B.C. Mountain valley turn with flaps at Hope Slide. Backtrack to Chilliwack. Overnight at the Cootie
Inn. Walked into town for dinner. 0.9 hours airtime.
Day 3 - Mon. Nov. 28/05: Up at 4 A.M. - 7 A.M. on my watch. Walked to the
airport under the stars and moonlight. Greg on one end of the tie-down rope
and I on the other removed all frost. Turned tail into sunlight. Had
pie for breakfast. Good pie. Homemade pie as a matter of fact. Airport
restaurant named "I Fly For Pie". Departed under clear skies. Reached full
throttle at altitude climbing at 120 knots through 8500 feet. Leveled at
11000, and had to throttle back for cruise. 140 knots true airspeed. What a
suprisingly strong and smooth engine! Got to see Hope Slide and Manning
Pass today, but unfortunately undercast at Princeton (CYDC). Talking to
Kamloops RCO on 126.7. Was informed all airports were now overcast.
Searched for a hole; no luck. Princeton was 1600 feet overcast, but this
layer met the valley floor where we were. Minimum charted recommended
turn-around altitude is 5500 feet in this part of the valley as the deeper
you go the tighter the turn required. We couldn't go down for a look. We
knew they still had hot pie at Chilliwack, and Hope B.C. had no winter
maintenance on its sod strip. The choice was inevitable. We gained more
weight on our return to Chilliwack. 1.2 hours airtime.
Day 4 - Tues. Nov. 29/05: Weak high-pressure ridge has been replaced by low from the south. Awoke to cloud and snow. Although in a valley, it looked like the prairies, for the valley floor was flat here and the rocks were always concealed. We had deep dish Dutch Apple followed by borrowed brooms from the Bell 47 boys to clean Bessy. We couldn't keep up. Slight clearing trend as promised never materialized.
Day 5 - Wed. Nov. 30/05: More of the white stuff in time for Christmas. Tripple-low moving in, we're moving out. Rain forecasted for all of December after the 5th. Bummed ride to bus depot. Greyhound milkrun via Abbotsford, Langley, Coquitlam, South Vancouver. 2 hours on bus. Cars can do it in 1+15. Airport shuttle to downtown left us on a sidewalk in the snow to transfer to airport. Missed 1 P.M. flight as we had no reservation or tickets. Caught 2 P.M. arriving Toronto 9:23 P.M. Checked-In Bag confusion resulted in 45 min. wait. JAZZ oversold to London, so Jill drove us to Woodstock and Michelle transferred Greg at the Tim Horton's at 11:30 P.M.
SUMMARY: CF-UFZ...Tough looking airplane, excellent performance and well maintained - diamond in the rough. Currently based at Chilliwack, owned and operated by C.H.A.A. Will be coming east again on the 2nd attempt, after Christmas. Oh, did I mention they have pie?

 

Mailing Address for CHAA:

Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association
P.O. Box 175, Tillsonburg, Ontario N4G 4H5

Thanks to those who have contributed to the 2005 issues of this newsletter.  Your efforts to keep the membership informed are appreciated.  If anyone has submissions for inclusion, they are welcomed at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

 Until 2006, clear skies, smooth landings and happy holidays!

Scroll down the page for December's Harvard Happenings