January 10, 2012 - In April, 2011, Doug Roy had the pleasure of meeting with Mr. Hal Burns in Edmonton, AB. Hal is a veteran of WWII and was one of the young men who flew Canso PBY-5A FNJE, or RCAF 11094, as it was known when it flew for 162 Squadron, out of Reykjavik, Iceland.
During active duty he and his flight crew flew the Canso, escorting convoys and searching for enemy submarines across the North Atlantic. Doug said the time he spent with Hal (who was called Harry during the War) was immensely enjoyable and informative. He said he asked lots of questions and always got a ready answer.
Over the Christmas holiday, Doug again met with Hal and was able to get the following videos to share with you that show the vitality of a man who served Canada over 65 years ago, always under very extreme and dangerous conditions.
Dick Milne's Catalina (Canso) Quest
Dick Milne and his wife Heather, from England, visited Fairview and our Canso PBY-5A on June 25, 2011 as part of his quest to visit all the surviving PBYs in the world. Read more about Dick's amazing mission in our Update (Blog)
Check out the very interesting video Dennis made of his trip to Paris in June of 2011 to visit Canso PBY CF-CRR, which he flew from Prince Rupert to Sandspit as his first Captain job in 1958: http://gallery.me.com/baxendale#100085
The video has some great vintage footage of Dennis and his Crew loading passengers at the Prince Rupert, BC Airport, at that time.
Dennis can be contacted at: pby5a747@hotmail.com
The photo to the right is of Captain Dennis Baxendale - a former Canso PBY pilot and recent contact with the Canso Crew
The video below shows Rollie Hammerstedt, retired Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) from Kenora, Ontario, talking to Don Wieben about the Canso PBY and his vast experience with this and other types of historic aircraft. Rollie's knowledge of aircraft maintenance and the PBY is tremendous! The Canso Crew was very fortunate to have him with us for 2 weeks. Rollie's wife Shirley had planned a golf trip with her lady friends and was worried about Rollie being left home alone but he said, "Don't worry about me - I'm going to Fairview to help the boys with the Canso project".
Lucky for us!!
THE LAST RIVET HAS BEEN RIVETED!!!!
The video below shows Don Wieben and Mark Bach, our structural engineer for the past few years, discussing the completion of the structural repairs of the airframe and the rebuilding of the nose section of C-FNJE.
June 30, 2012 Shop Talk 1 & 2 - the boys at the Canso Shop talk about the day's work testing the hydaulic systems - lifting and lowering the main gear and nose wheel.
Testing the hydraulic systems on the Canso PBY - raising and lowering the wheels. The main wheel tires, weighing about 400 lbs. were removed to help with the lift and to check the brakes, bearings, etc. - everything looked good!
Shop Talk Video - June 30, 2012, Part 2
This past summer, we had the opportunity to have a young Aircraft Maintenance Engineer student from SAIT Polytechnic, in Calgary, here to help with the restoration of FNJE. It was a pleasure to have Patrick Kirk with us for 4 months and we really appreciated his quality work and enthusiastic work ethic. We wish Patrick all the best in the final year of his program and hope he is in some way able to be a part of the Canso's future.
We recently had a great visit with David Dorosh, from Edmonton, who has worked with PBYs and other aircraft of that vintage since the 50s. David spent two days with us at the Canso Shop, explaining numerious things about the aircraft and providing inspiration to all of us who had the time to spend with him. In the video below Don Wieben talks to David about his long time involvement with the Canso.
Click on one photo
to open slide show
Check the You Tube link below to see FNJE run-up and take off at the Yellowknife, NWT, airtanker base,
June 1998, about 3 years before the water loading accident
For more Canso videos click above on the HISTORY,
CANSO CREW or
WAR YEARS
buttons
You Tube: Don Wieben talks about getting a pair of much needed nose wheel doors
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Click on any photo to enlarge (Jato photo - Tom Steele)
You Tube below: Don Wieben talks about our Wednesday "Canso Nights" workbees
Click this link to se the Aviation Safety Network Report on the Accident:
GREAT SUCCESS - July 25, 2010 FLY-IN BREAKFAST - First in 20 years at the Fairview Airport - 21 planes in from all directions - Canso Tours enjoyed by many! - Donations to the Canso Restoration Project - THANKS TO ALL!
Click on one photo
to open slide show
Check the You Tube link below to see FNJE run-up and take off at the Yellowknife, NWT, airtanker base,
June 1998, about 3 years before the water loading accident
For more Canso videos click above on the HISTORY,
CANSO CREW or
WAR YEARS
buttons
You Tube: Don Wieben talks about getting a pair of much needed nose wheel doors
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Click on any photo to enlarge (Jato photo - Tom Steele)
You Tube right
Mark Bach shows how to use the English Wheel
You Tube below: Don Wieben talks about our Wednesday "Canso Night" workbees
FLY-IN BREAKFAST
SUNDAY, JULY 24, 2011
Help celebrate the 65th Anniversary of the Fairview Municipal Airport!
Tiger Moth CF-CJO first aircraft to land at the Fairview Airport
Thank you all! Great Success - lots of planes arrived from all around the country
Click this link to se the Aviation Safety Network Report on the Accident:
We just received these old photos of Santa's PBY Sleigh, about 1952, from Craig Benbow in New Zealand (Henry Dechant's son-in-law). Thanks Craig - nice to see Santa getting around in style! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all from the Canso Crew and FARS
North Pole Express, circa 1952
Looking for parts - Don Wieben and some of his family recently visited the site of C-GFFJ, which is a Canso PBY-6A near Sioux Lookout, Ontario. Don had a great day crawling around the remains of this old aircraft!
History: Operated by Sonora Flying Service, Columbia, CA 1962-1966 with tailnumber N6456C, airtanker no.38. Jack R. Ulrich of Chiloquin, OR. bought it in 1969. It was with Hemet Valley Flying Service
(Hemet, CA) from 1972-1978 where it flew as tanker E84 (later simply 84). It was damaged by fire while on the ground at Stockton, CA in 1977. N6456C was obtained by Flying Fireman Ltd of Sidney, BC in June 1980; registered as C-GFFJ and flown as tanker 9. It crashed and was destroyed during water pick-up near Sioux Lookout, ONT., July 12, 1981
Click on one photo
to open slide show
Check the You Tube link below to see FNJE run-up and take off at the Yellowknife, NWT, airtanker base,
June 1998, about 3 years before the water loading accident
For more info and pictures visit Abandoned Wrecks of the North: http://www.ruudleeuw.com/search116.htm
For more Canso videos click above on the HISTORY,
CANSO CREW or
WAR YEARS
buttons
You Tube: Don Wieben talks about getting a pair of much needed nose wheel doors
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JATO (Jet Assisted Take-Off) rockets came in many types and were used to shorten the takeoff of aircraft in short field or overload conditions. They were among the first practical applications of rocketry, and much early development of rocket technology by JPL, Aerojet, Goddard, and others was devoted to JATO applications.
1943 May 1 - . Launch Vehicle: JATO.
•JATO tests. - . Nation: USA. Summary: A PBY Catalina, fitted with two liquid-propellant JATO rockets developed at Annapolis, took off with 20 percent reduction in run. Liquid-propellant JATO was abandoned by Navy in 1944.
JATO tests. - . Nation: USA. Summary: A PBY Catalina, fitted with two liquid-propellant JATO rockets developed at Annapolis, took off with 20 percent reduction in run. Liquid-propellant JATO was abandoned by Navy in 1944.Check out the Blog for info about how the Canso Crew came to get a JATO!
WHAT'S A JATO
Click on any photo to enlarge (Jato photo - Tom Steele)
Photos below showing Don Wieben and Joe Gans, April 2011, just finished loading the last of the Canso PBY parts purchased last fall in Naniamo, BC. These parts had been stored in an old Sea-Can at the Naniamo Airport for several years.
photos by Marg Wieben
Click this link to se the Aviation Safety Network Report on the Accident:
Fairview Aircraft Restoration Society is very pleased this month to extend Birthday Wishes to two of our Canso Honourary Flight Crew Members. We were very honoured that these two gentlemen, Bruce Olson, of Edmonton, AB and James McRae, of Yarmouth, NS and their family members, travelled to Fairview, AB June 16-18, 2017 to witness the "first flight" of the fully restored Canso PBY.
On November 24th, 2019 Mr. Bruce Olson will celebrate his 100th Birthday, at his home with well wishes pouring in from friends and relations including special recognition from RCAF, Ottawa.
On November 28th, 2019 Mr. James McRae will celebrate his 102nd Birthday at his home in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, along with family and friends. James flew RCAF 100094 home to Canada from Iceland, after WWII.
Wartime Canso PBYs (right) in Patricia Bay, near Victoria, B.C. Squadron Leader Bruce Olson, shown above, was flying the Canso in the center of the formation.
From the Save the Canso archives:
From the FARS' archives
A few years ago we received these wonderfull old photos from Craig Benbow in New Zealand (Henry Dechant's son-in-law), of Santa's PBY Sleigh (circa 1952) Thanks Craig - nice to see Santa getting around in style!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all from the Canso Crew and FARS
North Pole Express, circa 1952
From the FARS' archives
FARS is sad to report the loss of one of our "Honourary Flight Crew" from the First Flight of the restored Canso PBY C-FNJE, formerly known as RCAF 11094.
RCAF Flight Officer Peter John Austin-Smith
May 11, 1933 - December 27, 2019
With the notice of his passing, Peter's daughter, Barbara, included the following verse:
"Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew."
Wheels up. Safe flight Dad.
Fairview Aircraft Restoration Society wishes to express its condolences to Peter’s family. We were so very appreciative of his support of the Canso project and pleased to have him as part of our Canso Crew.
Peter flew this Canso for the RCAF, hauling supplies into the Arctic for the construction of the Distant Early Warning Line, aka DEW Line, during the height of the "Cold War" in the 1950s when there were fears of a Soviet Bomber attack on North America from the north.
Rest In Peace, Peter
