Historic Avro Lancaster bomber heading to North Saanich museum
(Submitted by Rob Hemmett)
Article from the Times Colonist, for full article visit this page.
A historic Avro Lancaster bomber will soon be heading to its new home at the B.C. Aviation Museum in North Saanich. Toronto City Council voted Tuesday to transfer the vintage plane to the museum, where restoration will start immediately.
“It’s absolutely exciting,” said museum president John Lewis. “The Avro Lancaster is an iconic aircraft with a distinguished record in war and in peace. It was a major contributor to the strategic bombing offensive in World War II. After the war, it served for many years on both coasts in reconnaissance and search-and-rescue missions.”
This Lancaster, FM104, was built in Toronto in 1944 and stationed on the East Coast for 20 years. It was retired in 1965 and displayed on a plinth in Coronation Park on the Toronto lakeshore until 1999. The aircraft was removed, disassembled and partially restored, then placed in storage away from public view for several years.
The aviation museum’s long-term goal is to see the Avro Lancaster bomber take flight, a project Lewis acknowledges could take 10 to 15 years.
“It will be only one of three Lancasters in the world that are still flying,” Lewis said. “But we believe ultimately it can be restored to flying condition. We’re under no illusion this is a major project, larger than any we’ve undertaken before, particularly because every piece of the restoration has to be done to airworthy standards.”
Victoria Air Maintenance, an internationally known firm of vintage aircraft restorers, will have overall supervision of the project. A number of local aircraft manufacturing specialists and vintage aircraft enthusiasts have pledged their time and knowledge to volunteer on this project. “We’ve had a real upsurge of interest and pledges of support from a lot of other people around the airport,” Lewis said.
FM 104 on pedestal in Toronto near Ontario Place
FM104 being dismantled in Toronto before being moved to museum (1999)
The Spirit of Skeena
Reading the stories (below) sent to us by retired “Stews” Dorothy Horton, Betty Morgan and Marlene Bradshaw, regarding their memories of working on the DC-3, reminded me that I frequently drive by a preserved DC-3 on my way to my weekly card games.
The ‘Spirit of Skeena’ has been preserved by volunteers of the Canadian Museum of Flight at Langley Municipal Airport, only a short drive from my home in the ‘Cloverdale’ area of Surrey, B.C.
Built in 1940 and originally delivered to American Airlines, it has flown under the colours of Trans Alaska Airlines and, registered in Canada as CF-PWF, for Queen Charlotte Airlines, Pacific Western Airlines, Great Northern Airways and finally Trans Provincial Airlines. 
Click on the links below for more info on the history and restoration of ‘The Spirit of Skeena’.
A very messy departure.
One lady in Moscow discovered that divorce can be a costly business when she chose to quarrel with her husband after boarding a Rossiya service to Vladivostok on July 3. She subsequently decided to leave the aircraft, in spite of efforts by the crew to persuade her otherwise, forcing the captain to halt the departure.
"A decision was made to disembark passengers from the aircraft,'' says Rossiya. This involved being towed to a remote stand, because air bridges were unavailable, and conveying the occupants by bus back to the terminal.
Rossiya says the flight was delayed for 6 hours and 500 passengers were affected; while it faced extra costs for security, cleaning and catering.
The women at the centre of the chaos blamed the beginning of divorce proceedings for her action, but Rossiya had precious little sympathy for her situation, instead taking advantage of new Russian legislation for dealing with unruly passengers.
She was charged with the Rb140,000 (US$2,200) cost of holding up the flight. There might be 50 ways to leave your lover but most of them are probably better than waiting for push back.
(Source: Flight International August 9, 2018)
|
|
|
Website: flyvfc.com |
 This photo of Mae Frame, one of VFC's earliest members, takes her first flight in the club's Fleet Canuck aircraft in 1947. |
|
Hangar 4E is deemed surplus, and after extensive negotiations with the federal government, The Victoria Flying Club purchased the hangar for three installments of $3000. This becomes the permanent home of the club. |
|
We do not sell Travel, we sell our unique experience & knowledge and we then provide Travel |
|
|
|
19 Days Greece, Black Sea - From $150 per day Athens/Piraeus, Agios Nikolaos, Haifa, Ashdod, Transit the Suez Canal, Al Aqaba, Salalah, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas, Dubai 1 departure date: October 20, 2018 Prices From: Suite $2850 USD. |
|
Seabourn Ovation *New ship 10 Days Mediterrean - From $200 per day 1 departure date: October 13, 2018 Prices From: Suite $3000 USD |
|
|
|
14 Days Pacific Coast Panarama - From $225 per day 1 departure date: December 7, 2018 Oceanview $3150 USD, Verandah $3500 USD, Penthouse $5250 USD. |
|
For more information and other deals - Call Interline Allstars to book * Interline Pricing* at 800 920.5411 Website www.InterlineAllstars.com |
|
AI = All Inclusive |
|
Sunscape Sabor Cozumel, Canto Del Sol, Riu Santa Fe, Los Cabos, Mexico. Valid to October 26, 2018 Kids (0-12) Stay FREE! From $89 USD AI PPPN Crown Paradise Club Cancun, Omni Cancun Hotel and Villas, Dreams Riviera Cancun, Riu Montego Bay, Secrets Capri, Temptation Resort Spa Cancun, Warwick Paradise Island Bahamas, |
|
Resorts: Rates are land only, quoted in U.S. dollars per person per night (based on double occupancy). Different durations are available upon request. Blackout dates may apply. Club Med Membership Fee is not included. For more information on these & other Dargal Interline specials: Call Toll Free: 1-800-690-3223. International Toll Free: (country code)-800-2832-7425 |
|
Web Site: quartercenturyinaviation.ca |
|
This Club was formed in 1952 in Vancouver by Bill Windrum, a pilot who flew for Canadian Airways out of Thunder Bay, Prince Albert and Edmonton. While a member of management at Canadian Pacific Airlines in Vancouver, Bill wanted to find a venue where people from all areas of Aviation could meet as friends to share their experiences without interference from the constraints of competition that were common in this fledgling industry. The Club Archives do not reveal how the founding members settled on ‘A Quarter Century in Aviation’ as the threshold for membership. Considering that the Wright Brothers had made their first successful flight only forty-nine years earlier, individuals with twenty-five years in the industry in 1952 would have formed a very exclusive group. The inaugural dinner meeting was held at the Alcazar Hotel in Vancouver with twenty-two charter members in attendance Dinner was $3.00, the drinks were three for a dollar and Annual dues were set at $5.00. There are over one hundred fifty registered members. These members make up a complete cross-section of the industry. Anyone who has been associated with aviation, in any form, is welcome to join this unique Club. We are always looking for new members, so please join us at one of our dinner meetings, have a great meal and meet new and old friends! The Dinner Meetings for this season will commence on October 16, 2018, full meeting details can be viewed here. |
| 2018 Executive Committee | |
| Ed Scott | President |
| Peter Van Hee | Past President |
| Bob Rorison | Membership |
| Maureen Otway | Secretary |
| Harold Thomas | Treasurer |
| Bruce Bell | Director Phone Committee |
| David Stafford | Archivist |
| Alan Rust | Web Administrator |