HARVARD HAPPENINGS

March 2007     

CHAA P.O. Box 175, Tillsonburg, Ontario N4G 4H5

Next CHAA Meeting: Saturday, March 17, 2007: 1000-1200hrs

Guest Speaker:  Author Ted Barris will introduce his new book (released in February 2007) Victory at Vimy...Canada Comes of Age, April 9-12, 1917

Saturday, April 14 – 1700hrs: ANNUAL BANQUET & FUNDRAISER

This is an important annual event for CHAA as the membership comes together to acknowledge the accomplishments of our peers and raise funds for CHAA; if you live in the area, we hope you are planning to attend and bring your guests.

Where:    Woodstock Legion, Woodstock, Ontario

Cost:  $30.00 per person (guests are welcomed)

Tickets available from Pat Hanna (519) 658-5464 This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

...available until April 10...call or email for yours today

Guest Speaker: Paul Bowen, Aviation Photographer, www.airtoair.com

Items for Fundraiser: Sandra Sparkes (519) 634-8360   This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it m

Photos for Slide Show: send jpeg files to Bill Shepard This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

C TECH O REPORT: Bill Ritchie This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

In late March or early April there will be a Service Crew Course. Anyone interested in participating in the Service Crew is welcome to attend. There will also be a refresher session for current service crew members. On the weekend following the Service Crew Course there will be a Tow Tractor Training session. A practical driving test will be conducted following the training session. The dates for these sessions will be announced in the next issue of Harvard News.
Notice to Pilots! The Tow Tractor Training session is mandatory for anyone intending to operate the tow tractor. If you expect to fly the Harvards on days when there is no Service Crew support, please plan to attend the Tow Tractor Training session. For anyone who has past experience operating the tow tractor, a practical refresher session with Ron Rice is all that is required.

 

C OPS O REPORT: Johnny Curran This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

CHAA's 2007 Ground School began on March 10, 11 and will continue on March 17, 18th from 9:00am to 3:00pm. Bill Long is running the school and tells us there are nine attendees.

CHAA's 2007 Re-current Ground School is scheduled for March 31st 9:00am to 3:00pm - attendance is mandatory for all pilots.

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

      Almost daily I am receiving renewals, new member inquiries, and inquiries for gift certificates.

      Reminder - if you have not renewed your membership for 2007 you will not receive the March issue of the ROAR which is due out the end of this week. If you change your e-mail address, please forward your new address to me in order for all CHAA files to be updated and thus you will not miss out on the monthly Harvard Happenings and the updates on the web site.

      ADMIN OFFICER REPORT: Roy Venn This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it 519-842-9922 (Ops Room...leave a message)

Help Needed: As we approach the 2007 flying season and with the work being done by our revamped public relations and marketing group, it is becoming obvious that CHAA is going to be a busy place this summer. We already have group bookings: May 8, May 12, August 11 and Doors Open Oxford on September 8 and 9. What CHAA needs at this time is a pool of personnel who would be willing to come on board and act as "Tour" guides. This program is still being developed and will include our Fly Days. If you are interested please contact Roy at info listed above.

CHAA Website: Anyone on any CHAA Committee and / or Department wanting to add updates or make changes on various projects / plans / upcoming events etc. please forward them with all the details to: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . They will then be sent on to the webmaster and added to our website. Please take note that a concerted effort is taking place to keep the website current in all areas, from maintenance through membership, fundraising, restorations, stores - the works. It is your website and it will be as good as the information you submit to me for the webmaster. The web is a great way to get our message out and let the world know we exist.

      New Tourism Brochure: We are working to put some information in the new Tourism brochure - which will be a print document.  In the mean time the members may want to go to: http://www.cooloxford.ca/cool/report.cfm?ListType=Orgs_Base&ID=590 . It is a County on-line information site, where we are also located. I am trying to get some wordings squared away for this site and other information networks. Those we are associated with are looking for information to put in the events calendar. Transport and I are trying to get it together so as not to infringe on a) Revenue Canada's regulations and b) Transport Canada policies regarding Air Display certificates. Quite a juggling act.

      CHAA DIVE RECOVERY TEAM: Walt Irie www.chaa-recovery.ca          

      March will be a busy month for the team as we are involved in a number of activities from courses, research trips and shows.          Below is a list of activities and dates:

      March 15-18: we will be doing our annual trip to the National Archives in Ottawa as we continue with the documentation of lost aircraft from the British Commonwealth Air Training Program. Joining us this year are the members from LAMP “Lost Airman of Muskoka Project” doing research on “Little Norway” and Camp Borden.

      On March 11 & 25 the team is taking a course on Side Scan Sonar from Ken McMillan of McQuest Marine. Side Scan Sonar is used in underwater searches by creating images of the lake bottom by emitting sound pulses emitted from a tow fish. For more information on this technology and how it used please visit http://www.abc.se/~pa/mar/sidescan.htm

      March 31^st we will at “Shipwrecks 2007” in Welland with a display about CHAA and the Recovery Team. For more information on the show visit their site at http://vaxxine.com/advtech/shipwrecks/sw2007.htm

      We also invite members to check the calendar on our website for upcoming events and historical facts about aircraft used in BCATP (British Commonwealth Air Training Plan) by clicking on "This Month" just below the calendar.

2007 CHAA Dates (reported to date):

-Saturday, March 17 –1000-1200hrs: MEMBERS’ MEETING

-Saturday/Sunday March 10, 11 & 17, 18 - 900-1500hrs: 2007 CHAA GROUND SCHOOL

-Saturday, March 31- 900-1500hrs: 2007 CHAA RE-CURRENT GROUND SCHOOL

-Saturday, April 14 - 1700hrs: ANNUAL BANQUET AND FUNDRAISER

-Tuesday, April 17 – 1930hrs: MEMBERS’ MEETING

-check the ROAR for more updates

Reminder to book all meetings for Ops Room through Roy Venn This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

     BINGO: The 2007 Bingo dates are: Thursday, April 26, Monday, May 21, Thursday, June 14, Thursday,July 5, Wednesday, August 29, and Tuesday, September 18. To help with this very important aspect of CHAA fundraising (held in London ON) contact Bill Scott at 519-474-1731. Following is a letter from Bill in regards to CHAA Bingos:

Hello Fellow CHAA Members, 

I would like to take this opportunity to give you some information on volunteering for CHAA bingos.

I am responsible for doing the call-outs for the bingos, which means I contact members and ask them to come help us out.  (I thoroughly enjoy the task since it is a way for me to keep in touch with fellow CHAA members.)  We are required by Lucky Days Bingo to have enough volunteers present to sell cards, collect used cards, take care of the paying customers and ensure that the night runs smoothly.  To do this we need, at the very least, 12 volunteers per bingo. If we can't get enough people to make the night run smoothly, Lucky Days will give our slot to some other group permanently. Month after month we have to rely on the same small group of people to come out.  Believe me, they are really dedicated to working at bingo.  We have members who have worked them for more than 20 years, and we have members that drive many, many miles to be here.  Due to age and illness this number is dwindling.

Given the membership of CHAA and in particular the members living in and near London I am finding it difficult, if not down right impossible to enlist the minimum number of volunteers we need each month.

CHAA realizes a great deal of income from the bingo. (In 2006, Bingos realized 17000 for CHAA.)  It would be a tragedy to lose our ability to hold these bingos simply because we cannot find enough people willing to work a few hours a night 3 or 4 times a year.  It need not be a monthly thing on your part.  If I can get enough people willing to sign up and show up it could be on a rotating basis of only 3 or 4 times per person per year. Please, contact me and sign up.  It really is easy to do and lots of fun.  You get to see fellow members and do something important for our renowned organization, Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association. Bingos are held at Lucky Days Bingo, First St. (off Dundas St. E) London at 6 PM.

I can be reached at: 519-474-1731. If I'm not at home, PLEASE leave your name and number and I'll get right back to you. Hoping to hear from you. Best regards, Bill Scott

CONGRATULATIONS:  On February 17, 2007 Canada’s own Major Deanna Brasseur was inducted into the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame in Orlando Florida.  As many of you will know, Major Dee Brasseur was one of the first two female pilots in the world to fly F-18 Hornets and has logged over 2500 hours of flying.  (Further info is readily available through Google.)  We congratulate Major Brasseur on this recognition of her accomplishments.

THANK YOU: to Murray Hearn and Mike Kite for the great job they did revamping the members’ meeting room; their efforts are truly appreciated.

IN THE NEWS: CHAA member Bob Hanna was interviewed recently on radio and in newspapers about his wartime experience aboard Canadian Destroyer HMCS St. Laurent (the first major class of warship designed and built in Canada).  Thank you, Bob, for your efforts during WWII.

Until next time, clear skies, safe flights and smooth landings!

Sandra Sparkes, CHAA Member