Pacific Perspective - February 2001

Delta Heritage Air Park, Christmas Day, 2001. Photo courtesy Dave Browning

One of the perks of being a Copaguy is that, from time to time, you get direct phone calls from Civil Aviation Transport government guys.
“Heh, heh, ahem? Er, yes, this is me?”...always accompanied by frantic swirling thoughts such as, “What have I done now?”
I got such a call just before Christmas from a nice sounding lady from somewhere at Civil Aviation. The gist filtered through to me that somebody wanted to take a look at my old pilot logbook? In fact they’d like to keep it a few days. Not a pretty picture!
Frantic thoughts came up with, “(Squeak), would any old logbook do?”
Reply was... “Needs to be ree-eally old, maybe 25 years?”
Squirming about was no help. I have only one logbook and it was easy 50 years old cum Wednesday.
But hey, mine’s a bit tatty! “Would they care to peruse some other logbook?”
Chuckle, chuckle, laugh from the far end of the Civil phone. “Not to worry, no one would need to know. Simply call 666-666-6666, (not the real number) ask for this strange assumed sounding name, and pick-up would be arranged.
What would you do? Pilot logs are supremely personal, legal things. One’s comfort level of assumed name type guys rooting through your aviating past is not good.
Even whilst remembering that curiosity was eventually detrimental to the proverbial cat, I called and spoke to Mr. Assumed Name. After some argy bargy, he strongly suggested that having considered others, my very own logbook was exactly the one to investigate first.
“Not to worry, if you’ll leave it with us, we’ll simply be copying certain pages, and eventually we’ll throw it away.”
“But... but... but...”
“OK, great! Heh, heh.”
He would arrange pick-up right away. “Click.”

AT THE GUARD HOUSE...
Amazing how sweaty one gets over stuff like this! Would I get a viable receipt? Were there any spelling mistakes? What was so fascinating 25 years ago? Throw it away! No way Hozaye...Yikes!
I called him back. I could deliver within the hour, with the book bolted directly to my left arm. They could observe the required page. I would leave immediately, complete with book. ...
“Just a minute,” says he, and went off to see if suitable equipment was available for such short notice. “Yessir!”
Convoluted but precise directions led me to “The Place,” a mysterious location in East Vancouver under the freeway. Somewhere I would normally decline to go. At the guard house in a cul-de-sac, I was to say “I’m looking for the North Pole to see “Santa Clause”! ...Now I ask you! Would you do this?

SENT TO THE NORTH POLE...
Sigh. That’s the trouble. Cool cats in aviation like to know what the stuff is going on. So I did this.
“Santa Clause?” said the guard, “Down the road, first right, North Pole, front office.”
The mind boggles at the thought of actually getting to see the old guy, specially after you secretly quit believing in him when you were eight.
“I’m here to see Mr. Assumed Name.”
“Oh yes, that’s Santa Clause!” She called Big Elf. You can’t just wander around the North Pole. Big Elf led me through a rabbit warren of passageways to a large hall were a whole passle of normal person looking elves bustled away doing Christmas type stuff.
Santa turned out to be a normal looking guy with a thin black chin-line beard. “Can’t be too careful here in the city... Don’t want to be sussed before the big day aye?”
I became slightly unhinged. The place was strewn with fabulous toys, toys I’d never known enough to even dream about! Huge big kid-sized luxury Grand Prix cars, fantastic working doll’s houses, fabulous games I’d never heard of! ...and this wasn’t even The Workshop. But to business.
“Let’s see the Log book. Great! Great! Just what we want. What’s this? What’s that? Just get a few pictures.”
Watch your eyes on the biggest copy machine I’ve ever seen.
“Great, great. Santa is making a movie. Santa Clause 2, and the plot calls for an exasperated pilot to toss his logbook out of a Herc lost over the North Pole. The pages fluttering by must be absolutely genuine to avoid pooh hoohing by the critics.”

YEAH, I STILL GET TOYS...
No, I would not loan my book. No matter, they would hire a person/guy to write up a whole new one, based on the fabulous info gleaned from mine. Hey, hey, hey! Even now I can see that video being played back and forth for hours at our place to see just how authentic they were!
Santa Clause’s Assumed Name, Tony Germinario, turned out to be authentic after all, and after he’d cribbed all the info they needed from my precious book. He showed me around Santa’s Workshop. Totally unbelievable. Every kind of fantastic toy was heaped tastefully about the place, really up-scale sophisticated wonderous rich kids’ stuff mixed in with all the regular toys that me and my grand-kids get. (Yeah, I still get toys.)
Toymaking tools ancient and modern lay neatly on the workbenches... Hundreds of them. Reminded me of Geppetto’s Medieval Clock Shop in Pinnochio, which I vividly recall in all it’s wonder on a Christmas jigsaw puzzle I had when I was six!
So there you go! I’ve been to the North Pole, a special guest of Santa Clause, got the tour, met the Elves, and yes, Mom, where-ever you are... We pilots do so believe in Santa Clause!

DID I SAY THAT?
Way back in 1975 when I was neophyte Western Director of EAA Canada, Mary and I put together a no budget slide and tape show about flying for fun, entitled “Sport Flying Around Vancouver,” sent it off to selected people and offered it elsewhere for $30 per set. At 20 minutes it could be readily shown to audiences large or small, in any home, schoolroom, council chamber, church hall etc, using a standard carousel projector and tape recorder. It was my first attempt at bringing our sport to “the people” in a friendly manner.
COPA’s Editor of the day, Bill Peppler, was kind enough to feature it in an editorial about the sad fact that one of our biggest problems was that outside of the flying fraternity, so little is known or understood about general aviation. He emphasized that one of our prime tasks was to educate the general public about our sector of aviation, and how it benefits the communities and country at large... And it still is.
Our little shows received brief delighted attention, before being stored away in various musty cabinets, usually without ever being shown to the intended audience, the non-aviation people and local councils. My set is missing the tape and a number of slides. I show this version around once in a while, and am astonished how well it is received! It is, after all, vintage stuff these days. ...And Mary and I do look rather shy and svelte!
Peppler quoted some of our EAAC Western thoughts, included with the show, that he felt especially pertinent at that time. They are still pertinent today.
“What is the major problem which sport pilots have when dealing with politicians and public servants? It is one of identity. Who are we? What do we do? Why should we expect any special privileges or support? Everyone knows that airplane owners are wealthy, like yachtsmen, and can therefor well afford to pay whatever costs may be involved in pursuing their hobby.
This image is our enemy. It is this image that forces us to fight our own battles, pay top price for facilities, and to be looked upon by many as wealthy playboys.
Our problem is one of communications; letting people know that flying is a genuine recreational activity which appeals to a broad cross-section of Canadians, not simply the well-heeled few. The great attraction of the sky is freedom from everyday boredom. It is the ultimate Sunday drive. Yet the idea of flying for mere enjoyment has not been well presented. This is what we must strive to correct.”
Even more so today, we need the flying clubs and schools to ponder this message, and do more than simply talk about getting the word across to the public. The recent new TV shows like “Flightpath,” and “Wings Over Canada,” are showing the way. Sadly they are not available everywhere. Maybe our brave little slide show should go on a simple video, and the country flooded with them. We got to do something. ...Do you have a set stashed away? It’s almost a collectable!

BUMP IN THE NIGHT...
Remember your first long trip to Oshkosh or someplace with your new airplane, new wife, and new adventures? A young couple, who shall be nameless, set off on such a trip from B.C., arrived late at a strange airport and found a nice quiet smooth spot by the tiedown to set up their tent. It was so romantic. Tender words, a bit of a cuddle, goodnight kiss, stifled yawns, and off to peaceful sleep after a big flying day.
Suddenly, at three in the morning, a huge terrifying domed monster rose up under the tent floor, and tumbled them out of bed! They fled screaming into the night, the tent heaved and shuddered in the gloom, groping for its victims. They sat wide-eyed, huddled by the plane till dawn, when inexplicably, the monster subsided and faded away as suddenly as it had come.
Surprise! They’d pitched the tent dead centre over the head of an automatic night lawn sprinkler! Stuff happens.

DELTA...
I’m writing this January 2, 2002 and it’s been a wet winter at Delta, but we had some really enjoyable social gatherings, with many opportunities to fly when the wind died down. Two doors blew right off the old hangar by the coffee shop in the middle of the night, and caretaker Don Watson and Phil Bill struggled to put them back up. Thankfully, the tenant Navion escaped damage.
The Annual RAA Chapter 85 Wine and Cheese was a great success with over 85 people attending. This was a pot luck affair and it’s no secret there was lot’s more choice than just cheese! Of course my regular readers will appreciate that Mary’s Special Poached Road-Kill food regime meant I was only a disinterested spectator at this extravaganza.
New Years Day turned out to be a wonderful surprise, with many Delta Pilots turning up for coffee and goodies in the Old Coffee Shop. They came to chat, laugh, pay rent, and enjoy the cheerful family atmosphere. It really is a marvelous place. Come and see us. Weekend afternoons!
Other news we are following: The caretaker and watchman’s lodges have been re-settled, leaving a lot of landscaping still to be done when the weather improves.
We look forward to a busy year, and whilst the hangars are full, there are numerous inexpensive grass tiedowns available, and we welcome new tenants for our Delta Family. The Committee hopes to see you at some great events in 2002.

AND OTHER REMINDERS...
Don’t forget to think about who in your circle of aviation friends might be deserving of a prestigious COPA Award. Time is running out for the 2001 nominations to be presented at Red Deer, Alta. in June. COPA likes to honour those who unselfishly support the spirit of COPA ideals. Elections are also in the cards for some of our regions. Ensure that your candidate has the interests of all COPA’s many groups in mind. Having one burning project to support is all very well, but COPA members are all round enthusiasts flying for individual personal pleasure, sport and business. Directors need to debate many different aspects of aviation without bias, and its not easy.

THE PENHOLD RE-UNION...
Old NATO Trainee friends have been showing keen interest in the proposed get together at ex-4 FTS
Penhold/Red Deer in conjunction with the COPA Convention, June 21 to 23, 2002. Some interest is coming in from the UK. Ads have been placed in Air force Veteran Magazines, here and in the UK. Please pass the word.
Contact Convention Chair Sherry Cooper by mail, PO Box 323 Penhold, AB, Canada, T0M 1R0, or E-mail Sherry at: scooper@skywings.com.

FEEDBACKS...
Further to my old story telling, thanks for all the nice comments on my December tale of a Christmas Past in London, Ont... It was so nice, and makes my COPA work so much more rewarding. Unfortunately the timing was such, that some of you replied in the midst of a virus blitz at my end, and so I deleted a number of messages that seemed to reference that in particular.
Thank you anyway... I enjoyed reading it “for real” too! If anyone was actually there in 1953, or recalled anything that expected a response, please re-send your E-mail. Was there a McCollom? If so, do try again. ...And I guess that’s it for now... Fly Safe...

Tony Swain has been a COPA member for over 20 years and has been an active participant in many aviation groups. He flies many types of aircraft and is concerned about the rights of sport pilots.