Thank You

Its not just about me...

Acknowledgements

Thank you to one and all

IT ALL STARTED AT THE AGE OF 11 , after my family moved from the northwestern Ontario pulpmill town of Marathon back to Toronto,Ontario . One new friend , was interested in building model airplanes that could fly using a tiny engine powered by alcohol or gasoline . At the same time , I was told that the white lines high in the sky over Toronto were caused by a new type of passenger airplane called a JET were passenger airliners!

So , I thank my Father (deceased 2001) for moving us to ‘Hogtown’. Dad was also instrumental in finding me summer work on DEWline supply ships operating out of Tuktoyaktuk,NWT for summers of 1961 and '62. He also gave me an Argus 35mm camera which produced pictures 1 , 2 (24 MAy 1962) & 3, 4 (July 1962) . The 4 months wages of $2,000 paid for continuing education at University of New Brunswick towards my dream of becoming an Herpetologist (reptiles & amphibians). Flying was not a part of the equation , until Miss H. Shaw another UNB student friend suggested I get airborne as cross country running not getting me anywhere fast! (her passion was parachuting !!! not for this kid ) ?

University tuition,etc plus other expenses including flying as a passenger from Toronto/CYYZ to Fredericton/CYFC about $900/year . Flying began in October 1962 . That cost me $350 after the government $100 rebate (encouraging citizens to learn to fly — RCAF needed pilots. (hadn’t been told about the rebate until training almost complete). The flying instructor was Gordon Squire (ex RCAF Meteor or Vampire pilot), who had me flying SOLO in 6 3/4 hrs. The norm at present seems to be - a minimum of 15 hours paid instruction before any chance of going solo.

My thanks go to Cliff Lewis at Orillia Air Services for teaching me the variables of flying Float Planes/Sea Planes (July-August 1967). Learned a lot, some of which involved sailboat technique (Dad began my sailing instruction in 1946 - my summers spent sailing in south east Geoirgian Bay,Ontario)

Thanks go to ABAS for hiring me in October 1968 as a Dispatcher-Pilot trainee in what terned out to be one heck of a cold long winter on BC’s wet west coast. Laid off May 1969 , my flying experience insufficient. Was hired the end of May 1969 by BCAL - as pax agt at their amphibious Tahsis/ZTS base. A few flight hours there. Six weeks later hired way back across Canada in south central Ontario by GBA @ Parry Sound,. . . they actually waited for me to get there by GreyHound Bus. (normally pilots hired off the street. 14 July 1969 -Checked out on their Piper Super Cub 'PA-18'. First real PAID flying job !! GBA upgraded me to its’ FBA2C & Cessna 180’s. GBA laid off most of its' pilots after moose hunting season on 16 October 1969, which coincided with ice formation on all fresh water bodies of water in Canada.

The winter of 1969-70 worked for a Torono area ‘flexible packaging manufacturing’ company as a Materials Buyer. When I took Easter week off to try out with CALM Air, Dad — bless his heart had to make the phone call to that company to say ‘Hugh is not coming back !’

Experience of 100+ hours in the cantilever winged Found FBA-2C in Georgian Bay & Ontario’s cottage country , which resulted in April 1970 flying the same aircraft at Lynn Lake/CYYL,Manitoba with CALM Air Limited. Due health proiblems I had to stop flying, worked as a buyer at Sherritt Gordon Mines in Lynn Lake,MB. Was let go in May 1976 when I advised my Supervisor that I would be buying a float plane to get back into flying. . .Cessna 180’s on floats could be had for $35,000. (1976) . Arnold Morberg hired me mid July 1976 to act as his CYYQ/Churchill,MB Base Mgr . He had gained contracts with Dept of Indian Affairs to fly supplies to otherwise inaccessible aboriginal communites in Canada’s sub-Arctic using a float equipped Twin Otter (DHC-6). At freeze-up , we all headed back to CYYL.

I and my girlfriend L.E.H. then went to YWG. Got a Class II instrument rating. Couldn’t get my head around total reliance on navigation instruments in the airspace!

Then in May 1977 was hired by St Andrews Airways at CYIV/Garden Hill,MB. July 1st 1977 enticed away by Don Korody (pilot mgr of API/Anishneneo Piminagan Inc - was a fun 6 1/2 months of flying. Laid off Jan 6 1978. A short 8 days in March with Slate Falls Airways at Sioux Lookout,Ontario. Late March’78 drove west in a white-out across Saskatchewan - seeking a ‘pilot position’. Ended up with a cousin on Westham Island(Ladner/Delta,BC. She & her family have made me welcome over the years since October 1968 while with ABAS.

Finally hired 10 May 1978 by Bill McCully - McCully Aviation . An interesting character. Thank you Bill for getting me upgraded on to the DHC-2 Beaver. A great aircraft. Was initially based at his Somass(Port Alberni,BC) base , then to his Tofino/TV base as an acting manager & pilot for September thru’ winter til early April 1979. (Had to leave — getting stir crazy! One of the more interesting 2 flights on the Beaver was taking off from a China Creek(Alberni Canal) pan-fry salmon fish farm - aft end of floats under water — very low overcast -maximum 200feet out of Barkley Sound , along Vancouver Island’s Juan de Fuca Strait all the way to a Fort Ward,Washington state restaurant.

Picture taking continued until that camera stolen one night from a DHC-2 Beaver when I was flying for McCully Avn (Somass River base @ Port Alberni) 1978. The camera finally replaced with a 35mm Nikon FM in June 1979 at Port Hardy while flying for Alert Bay Air Services/Gulf Air.

My thanks to Wm (Villy) Douglas for accepting me as one of the CYZT/Port Harddy pilots. We had originally met October 1968. And after my accident at Head of Knights Inlet he continued to employ me as one of CYZT’s dispatchers/pax agent. That lead me to continue in aviation until retirement 26 1/2 years later on 30 September 2005 (AirBC/Jazz/Air Canada at CYYJ/Victoria,BC.

Through all those years would like to THANK all those non-AVIATORS especially my sisters Joan & Elizabeth for their support OR blind faith in thinking that their older brother knew what he was doing so far away from YYZ home ?? Only a few of my family know Daisy M ,Greg H, Rom V S , but I value the support & trust you extend my way. This project of building a website came about because I live on a sailboat , little storage space — It was time to dispose of my aviation items . Thought the BCAviation Museum adjacent to YYJ airport in Sidney,BC. would like my collection. Gave to the Museum in August 2013 . Yes, but don’t have the space. However we would like to scan your 50 year collection of aircraft photos. A big thank you to Doug Rollins (Museum Chief Librarian) and Herb Muller (Computer Scanner) for doing that & putting 405 photos on an USB stik. That stik I showed to interested people in Sidney; one of whom was Michael Hockney - an international professional photographer, who also as a wee young lad in Englad had an interest in aircraft. He said to me YOU HAVE TO GET THESE OUT ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB FOR ALL TO SEE ! That process and project started early May 2015. Michael is also a website designer . If it wasn’t for Michael’s push , nothing would have happened . He & I have become friends - a bonus for me. After many hours & almost 3 months - we launched this site on 29 July 2015.

Again thank you to one & all. Hopefully I have not missed too many ?