Clear Skies, Terry

Yesterday I attended the funeral of a friend of mine.  I've known Terry McDonough for many years.  We met while volunteering at Calgary's Aerospace Museum (now, the Hangar Flight Museum). 

While talking we discovered that we were also both long time volunteers at the Calgary Stampede!  Last year Terry proudly accepted a Calgary Stampede Honourary Life Membership!  Our connection to aviation and the Stampede proved most beneficial!

Terry was a life-long aviator!  Flying with him was a real treat!  He was out to promote aviation any way he could!  With Terry's enthusiasm and drive, we were able to take a museum plane, the Cessna Ag Wagon aerial applicator plane, to both the Stampede July show and to Aggie Days!  Through Terry's efforts, we were able to put to rest many misconceptions and outright falsehoods about aerial application in agriculture!

Terry was a hard worker and a practical joker!  I fell victim to a couple of his jokes over the years.  His schemes were never hurtful and always generated bushels of giggles and laughs!  Terry's city of Calgary will miss him.  And so will many of the rest of us!  Clear skies, Terry! 

Challenges at YYC's New International Terminal

Recently, I had the experience of using the brand new "state of the art" international terminal at Calgary International Airport.  It was quite a challenge!  It is one of the most passenger unfriendly terminals I've been in!

WestJet CEO Gregg Saretsky was complaining about it in the paper this morning.  I agree with many of his concerns.  Here are my comments;

• Long walks.  Be prepared to walk long distances through a maze of hallways and huge rooms.  There's not a slide-walk or moving walkway in sight.
• Little art or decoration on the miles of corridors.  This is what prison hallways must look like!  After leaving Las Vegas from Terminal 3 there, it's quite a shock! 
• Some of the folks I was travelling with were concerned that their luggage would get lost travelling between the International Terminal and the Domestic Terminal since they understood that the two luggage systems are not connected, yet.  I was skeptical about this, but apparently it's true!  Gregg says it's like having the terminal system broken in the middle!
• Little seating at gates.  Maybe I was looking in the wrong places but I saw very few seats in the waiting areas at the gates.  After that long walk, I could have used a chair for a few minutes!
• Very few services available on the long walk to the departure gates.  I was looking for a little kiosk to buy a snack and a soft drink.  The only one I could see was most of the way up a long sloping ramp which I had just come down.  I didn't feel like coaxing these old bones back up the ramp so I did without my snack.

I agree with Gregg's critique of this new palace.  It needs to made more user friendly.  We need to have the place more welcoming to our international visitors and to those of us leaving for destinations outside Canada!

The 2017 Air Show Season Looks Exciting!

I've returned from the annual International Council of Air Shows (ICAS) Convention in Las Vegas. 

It was a great convention this year compared to a few years ago.  You will recall budget cuts prevented the American Armed Forces from participating in any airshows off their own bases.  The American jet teams, the demonstration flights, static displays, and the parachute teams were confined (or as they called it; "sequestered") to their bases.  Air shows across the continent suffered.  Many cancelled their shows altogether.  

Things have been slowly improving, but this next year looks fantastic!

Some Good Air Show News:

• The Fowlers are headin' North!  Ken and Wendy Fowler from Rocky Mountain House are forging ahead with their plans to conduct more than a half dozen full air shows and around 40 fly pasts in Northern Canada to celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary!  Most of their audiences have seen lots of bush planes but nothing like the aerobatic craft they'll see this summer!  What a fantastic way to celebrate Canada's birthday!
• The Canada Remembers Air Show in Saskatoon is back!  Brian Swidrovich who is the mover and shaker for that show, is looking to revive that wonderful air show at a new venue!  Stay tuned on this one!
• Demo Hornet to Honor Canada's Birthday!   Every year Canada paints up its CF-18 Demonstration Hornet to honor something.  This year they honored the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, in 2017 they will honor Canada's 150th Birthday.  I saw a proposed design for the bird.  Its mostly red with the stylized maple leaf symbol across the topside!  What a beautiful tribute to our country!  I'm anxious to see it all done up.
• Local Shows are Getting Ready!  Saskatoon, Lethbridge, Springbank, Abbotsford and Edmonton are planning shows this summer along with some smaller ones in the West!   Looks like an awesome air show summer!

At our banquet last Thursday evening we had a very moving tribute to the "Best Stick and Rudder Man who ever Lived;" Bob Hoover.  During the convention we also heard that astronaut John Glenn had passed away.  It was a bit of sadness in an otherwise very upbeat convention.

I know that not many of you are as "plane crazy" as I am, but if you enjoy seeing talented pilots fly amazing maneuvers in equally amazing planes, then this summer of 2017, an airshow is the place to be!  See you there! 

Bob Hoover Passes

It was with deep sorrow that I heard that one of my all-time heros has passed away.  R.A. (Bob) Hoover died this morning at the age of 94. 

Bob was probably the best pilot to have ever lived!  He flew in the Second World War. As a P.O.W. he escaped, stole a German fighter plane and flew it to freedom.  He was Chuck Yeager's wing man during many of that famous aviator's exploits including the breaking of the sound barrier. 

Bob flew air shows across the continent for many, many years.   He flew a brightly painted yellow P-51 Mustang though an unbelievable performance that awed everyone and inspired thousands to become pilots.  His other plane was a twin engine executive plane.  He would fly it down to the runway with its wheels retracted, shut both engines off and perform a series of stunning aerobatic maneuvers!

I first met Bob at the Medicine Hat Air Show.  When he wasn't talking airplanes and flying, he was looking for a place to go trout fishing!  Over the years he and I touched base often, usually at our annual air show convention..  He'd always have a new story to tell about something that happened in his storied career.  He knew all those who have made aviation what it is today; everyone from Orville Wright to Neil Armstrong!  He was probably the world's most active aviation ambassador.

The world is a little darker today without Bob Hoover.

Clear skies Bob! 

We'll miss you!

The Little Plane That Could

I have followed the latest Antarctic rescue with a great deal of interest and pride for my nation.  This is the third time that Kenn Borek Air of Calgary has sent a team down to the other end of the world in winter to rescue scientists at the South Pole. 

The South Pole is difficult to get to at the best of times, but in winter it is next to impossible.  The Americans fly in there in the summer months, but they stop going there when the weather starts its winter blast.   Winter down there is frightening, with extreme winter conditions coupled with total darkness. To go there in the winter you need an extremely well trained, professional crew and a very special airplane that can survive the -70 degree temperatures, blowing snow and horrible wind shifts.

Enter the Canadian-designed and built de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter or "Twotter" as many of their pilots call them.  It came from a long line of specially built bush planes, designed to fly in Canada's vast North. 

First of the line was the little DHC-2 Beaver, probably the most famous bush plane of all time.  Then came its big brother, DHC-3 Otter.  Both were single piston engine planes built to be happy on wheels, skis, or floats. 

The last in that series was the Twin Otter with turbo-prop engines.  That was in 1965!  The plane was developed from the Otter and was a huge success.  But less than 1000 were built before production ended in 1988, a relatively small number for the production of a successful plane.

Even though production ended, the sturdy little "Twotters" flew on to fame.  Now used all over the globe, they still shine as bush planes, flying in the hostile cold of the worlds polar regions.  Despite the Hollywood stories to the contrary, all three rescues made at the South Pole in the winter have been in DHC-6 Twin Otters from Kenn Borek Air!  In fact I believe Kenn Borek Air has the world's largest fleet of Twin Otters! Makes you proud to be Canadian, doesn't it?

Just a couple of notes;

•  You can see the world's second DHC-6 Twin Otter at the Aero Space Museum of Calgary on McKnight Boulevard, across from the Port O' Call Inn.  It's registry is CF-PAT and it first flew in 1965.  It was fully restored for the Museum by Kenn Borek Air who flew it for many years.
• The DHC-6 Twin Otter was so successful they are now being built again!  Viking Air of Calgary and the west coast is building brand new beautiful Twin Otters under license!  These are gorgeous, updated versions of that famous airplane!

Excellent ICAS Convention this Year!

ICAS is the International Council of Air Shows, and their convention is held every year at the beginning of December in Las Vegas, Nevada.  I've just returned from this year's convention with a renewed sense of excitement and optimism for the 2016 air show season!

The American military is back in a big way, flying at shows on both sides of the border!  They were back in a limited capacity in 2015 but they are planning to go all out in 2016.    Canada's magnificent Snowbirds have a full 2016 schedule planned. 

One of the most exciting bits of news comes from right here in Alberta!  Team Rocket, a two plane aerobatic team from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, announced that they are planning a most ambitious air show tour in 2017!

As you all know, Canada is celebrating its 150th Birthday in 2017.  Air shows are huge spectator draws.  They rate right up there with auto racing, soccer, football, and baseball in the numbers of fans attracted to air shows each year.  But the folks in Canada's far north rarely, if ever, see an air show!  Team Rocket is planning to remedy that in 2017!   They're planning an air show blitz across Canada's North to celebrate Canada's 150th Birthday!  They want to organize full air shows in the bigger centres and almost 40 fly-pasts over the smaller communities!

What a fantastic plan!  I volunteered to help out wherever I can. Stay tuned for more details coming up.

Overall I found this year's convention full of optimism and excitement.  Now we need to get ready for the spring!  Clear skies!

Home Again!

I have just finished my last air show tour!  This time it was Abbotsford, then Chilliwack, and finally Villeneuve up near Edmonton.  All were super air shows with no accidents or injuries.  Now we have to go through the thousands of photos we took all the shows this summer! 

I'll be updating my website over the next while, with some of the highlights and photographs from a very exciting air show season here in Western Canada.  Stay tuned.

Aero Space School at the Museum

I was very pleased to once again volunteer at the Aero Space Museum of Calgary located at the south-east side of the Calgary International Airport.  They operate a program called Aero Space School there in conjunction with Campus Calgary. 

Calgary students (mostly Grade Six kids) spend a whole school week at the museum, learning about aeronautics, space exploration, aviation in general, and Alberta's fascinating role in aviation over the past hundred years.

I hope to volunteer once each week when my schedule permits!  Folks who know me call me "Plane Crazy," so talking to the kids about my favorite topic is most enjoyable for me and I think they have fun too.

If you would like to visit the Museum, it is located across McKnight Boulevard from the Port-O-Call Inn.  There are over twenty full size aircraft on display there, some of which have been fully restored!  There are many stories told and heroes to meet there.  I hope you'll visit some time.

A Friend Lost

I lost a friend, yesterday.  I was shocked to learn that air show pilot and friend Eddie Andreini was killed yesterday at an air show at Travis Air Force Base in Solano County, California. 

Eddie was an incredible pilot and performer.  He was small in stature but big at heart.  He performed in many different aircraft but he was probably most proud of his recently acquired P-51 Mustang.  During the past three or four year,s he's flown the gleaming P-51 at many air shows to thrill so many. 

Eddie was killed in an accident involving an inverted ribbon cut.  He was flying another of his aircraft, a beautiful Stearman, at the time.

My thoughts and prayers go to Eddie's family.  We have certainly lost a great man.

Plane Silly!

I received an email from Airdrie MLA Rob Anderson the other day, asking me to support a Wildrose petition demanding the Alberta government sell off their fleet of four small business planes to save money. 

I refused to support this short-sighted move.

It is true that the current government, specifically former Premier Alison Redford, have been perceived as grossly misusing the planes.  But selling them off would be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. 

Alberta is a big and vibrant province with things happening all over, and the provincial government needs the mobility to get around.  I don't think chartering and renting aircraft is the answer. 

It is true that some other provinces (namely, New Brunswick) have eliminated their government aircraft fleets.  But there are differences between those provinces and Alberta.  I think the Wildrosers would be better off asking for changes in the policies governing the use of these aircraft.  Suggestions;

• Tighten up use of the aircraft to make sure they are used for Alberta Government business only.
• Make them available to ALL those sitting in the House, including the Wildrose caucus - after all, they are Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition!  They should also be available to top level government officials.
• Have the pilots complete an extended log entry for every flight.
• Have an annual report available to all MLAs showing who flew where and for what reason.  That could be extracted from the log book entries.
• Retire the older aircraft and possibly reduce the fleet to two or three planes from the now four.

The cost of supporting this fleet of four aircraft is the price of doing business!
 

Alberta's Team Rocket

One of North America's premier aerobatic teams is from right here in Alberta!

photo by Ray Courtman

Team Rocket pilots fliy the Harmon Rocket monoplane, an all metal home built monoplane based on the popular Van's Aircraft RV-4. The aircraft's lightweight and huge power gives it tremendous performance on the airshow stage.

To manage these two mighty mites of the air, I introduce to you Ken Fowler and Eric Hansen.  Ken grew up in BC, and joined Canada's military at an early age.  He toured North American airshows as a crew member for the big yellow DHC-5 Buffalo aircraft. I think it was then when he got hooked on airshows and airshow performing.  He is now airport manager at the Rocky Mountain House Airport and one of the pilots of Team Rocket.

Eric Hansen grew up in an aviation family and got his pilot's license at a very early age. He now is a flight instructor in his hometown of Cold Lake, Alberta. He is also a dentist there, and he is the other half of Team Rocket.

Ken and Eric perform very close together and very fast. Many of their maneuvers have them going head-to-head, crossing at airshow center stage!  This, by the way, includes their takeoff, when they begin their takeoff roll from either end of the runway!

Both Rockets look very similar in the sky but up close there are many differences inside and out. The easiest way to tell them apart is that Eric's aircraft has its rudder on the vertical stabilizer [tail] painted in a checkerboard pattern while Ken's aircraft's rudder has the logo of Rocky Mountain House emblazoned on it.

Probably one of the most spectacular performances Ken and Eric do is their night pyro show!  Picture two aircraft performing perfect synchronized aerobatic maneuvers at night with fireworks shooting out from racks mounted under the wings!   To my knowledge this is the only dual nighttime aerobatic show in existence.

As Albertans we all have to be proud of this home-grown talent.  Don't miss a chance to see them fly!

Sean D. Comes to Airdrie

One of the air show industry's most accomplished aerobatic pilots is Sean D. Tucker.  Sean is known for his wild aerobatic maneuvers, and his presence on the air show stage.

photo by Ray Courtman

I had almost given up hope of ever seeing Sean D. in Alberta, but I was pleasantly surprised when the Airdrie Air Show announced that he would be coming to perform there, this past July.  Sean only had one airshow scheduled in Western Canada, and Airdrie was it!

I have known of Sean for many years, and have watched his performances on video.  I had the privilege of attending an airshow safety seminar in Nashville, Tennessee, a few years back. Sean D. Tucker was one of the feature speakers, there.  I was impressed with his ability to perform aerobatic maneuvers that looked incredibly dangerous, but always had a high degree of safety built in.  For every maneuver Sean performs, he has calculated way out if he runs into trouble.

At Airdrie this summer, Sean's performances were impeccable.  Every maneuver was crisp, and in front of the crowd.  His aircraft is a purpose-built biplane, with a huge amount of power and a bright red paint job.  A superior smoke system traces his progress through his complicated routine.  I photographed him each time he flew and I did briefly meet him after the Sunday show.  I never tire of watching a very professional and very skilled pilot perform!

For airshow aficionados - and those who just like to come and watch the occassional air show - Sean D. did not disappoint!

Other commitments made Airdrie my first show of the 2013 season.  What a fantastic start!

Great Air Show Season!

The summer of 2013 turned out to be an excellent airshow summer! It was a "different" kind of year for air shows across North America.

Problems with the American government in Washington DC forced all American military aircraft to stay home! This meant that there were no demonstration aircraft, nor demo teams such as the US Navy's Blue Angels or the US Air Force Thunderbirds, and no visiting American military planes on the static display line. The only jet fighter display was the Canadian CF-18 Hornet Demo Team, and the only military jet aerobatic team performing were the Canadian Snowbirds.

Over the next few days I will be reporting on some of the happenings at air shows across Western Canada.

Despite the lack of American aircraft, Western Canadian airshows in 2013 were some of the best I've seen - ever!  Stay tuned here!

The Feds are just plane stupid!

Sixty years ago the Liberal government decided we needed a new advanced fighter plane for the R.C.A.F.   They poured millions of dollars into the development of the fabled Avro Arrow amidst screams from the opposition over the cost of the new plane and inside deals.  The Conservatives were elected to form the next government and promptly cancelled the Arrow program.  The cancellation cost the federal government tens of millions of dollars in payouts without one plane to show for it.   Canada eventually leased substandard jets from the U.S. to take the role the Arrow was to perform.

Fast forward to the 1980s.  The Conservative government decided we needed a new helicopter for the Canadian Armed Forces.  They poured millions into a program to build the European EH-101 helicopters here amidst screams from the opposition over the cost of the new plane and inside deals.  The Liberals were elected to form the next government and promptly cancelled the EH-101 program.  That cancellation cost the federal government tens of millions of dollars in payouts without one helicopter to show for it.  Canada eventually bought EH-101 helicopters from Europe (we call it the Cormorant) to replace the Labrador helicopters for search and rescue.

Now to a few years ago.  The Conservative government decided we needed a new advanced fighter jet for the R.C.A.F.  They’ve poured millions into the development of the F-35 Lightning II amidst screams from the Opposition over the cost of the new plane and inside deals.

Does anyone else see a pattern here?

I Know I'm Plane Crazy

This blog was set up to deal with issues and concerns around the Village of Beiseker, however some of you have asked me about my little aviation business.  So, here's the scoop. 

I've been interested in airplanes and aviation for as long as I can remember.  I learned to fly in the late 1970s at the Springbank Airport.  For the last 30+ years I have been attending air shows all around Western Canada and photographing the planes. 

Twelve years ago I set up my small business selling photographs and Aero-Kards.  Aero-Kards are like hockey cards except they feature planes and pilots.  We have almost 200 different cards in print with another 24 coming out in a few weeks!  Our cards are sold at gift shops all around North America!  They are also sold at air shows and on line thru my website.

To find out more visit my website at raycourtman.com.