Jerry's friend Gordie inspects The Janes P-51 on arrival at Innotech, Vancouver, in 1977.
Photos courtesy Tony Swain
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Jerry's friend Gordie inspects The Janes P-51 on arrival at Innotech, Vancouver, in 1977. |
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L-R Gordie Mathieson, Big Jerry, and Walt Lannon, admire Jerry's new Mustang. Dan Hemsworth is in the cockpit. |
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Jerry Janes flies his magnificent restored P-51 Cottonmouth near Delta in May 1978. |
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"Funny noises?" A Swain cartoon done special for Big Jerry's 50th Birthday. |
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The P-40 in the bush! An incredible sight! |
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Jerry contemplates restoration possibilities. |
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Lannon and Harper look over the 'restored' aft fuselage. |
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The Duncan P-40 looks great on display on
Vancouver Island in August 1979. Photos courtesy Tony Swain |
Well Darn! ...I should have kept my yap shut last month about the lack of local snow in recent years.
As I write, the stuff is swirling down toward a promised 10 to 20 cm's, and this is the second lot since Christmas! The TV Weather Persons gleefully predict chaos in Vancouver during the early morning bitching hour, because B.C. drivers can't.
Just not used to it you see. Sigh.
Last we ran Bessy’s engine the battery was a bit sad, and groaned ominously, a replay of my 1971 experience... And '72, '73', '74, etc.
Just as I was considering hand-propping the big Pratt, Delta caretaker Don Watson arrived, and cheerfully offered to wind the FTZBLKG crank. A Skreetch, Pop and a Bang!... and away she went.
There's something truly magical about big rumbling engine in a big old bird. Vintage aviation, like vintage cars, is a very satisfying activity, despite the heavy logistical maintenance support load.
When Lannon Aviation left for Oliver, he took his antique Big Battery charging machine with him.... Very mysterious... It did not come in a black tin box with an
'ON / OFF' switch, as ordinary mortals expect, but had all kinds of coils, dials and thingummyjigs.
At my age, since my inspection mirror broke, it's a two man job wrestling the big pink battery out simply to check the water level. Of course the level was OK, and the two men were required to wrestle it back in, with all the lockwiring and such... Phew!
Of course I won't know if the charger did the job until we haul her out for another start, and that won't be till Spring Thaw! Apparently, just checking the 'post voltage' tells you nothing... Sheesh.
SPEAKING OF OLD BIRDS...
The mid '70's were exciting times at Delta. Gogi and Dan's Replica SE5 homebuilts were being built around the world.
The Vancouver Aerobatic Club sent reps to California to attend the Delano Aerobatic Judges School. Walt Lannon's hangar was a thriving Harvard maintenance shop and genial 'Big Jerry' Janes brought the magic of classic Warbird 'Big Iron' to life for we regular folk at Delta, who lived and breathed aviation. It was a wondrous time.
There was an exotic mix of homebuilt, vintage, warbird and regular G.A. activity at the field, who operated smoothly in friendly co-operation. We thought it paradise.
Feeding my nostalgia were a Cornell, two Tiger Moths, two Chipmunks, two T-28's, a Beech 18, and six Harvards.
Big Jerry and I shared a hangar with our Harvards, and everyone got to ride in his various fabulous airplanes, Beech 18's, B-25, whatever, usually to Victoria or Chilliwack for pie! They were halycon days for sure. We thought they'd never end.
PLUGS!!!...???
Jerry kept the coffee shop guys enthralled with his hangar stories. Like test flying his restored Mustang round and round over Chino, Dave Zuetchell driving, Jerry in the back, soaring like a bird... Then an almost imperceptible change in engine note. ..."Plugs?" ...thought Jerry.
Zuetchell promptly did a split ass diving turn and plunked it down by the tower.
The mighty Merlin had thrown a rod! Oil everywhere.
Who'd have thought it? Jerry had the rod mounted. Keeps it in his den. Eventually the fabulous Cottonmouth arrived in Vancouver, was painted in attractive Australian livery, and won the Best Warbird P-51 restoration award at Oshkosh.
Such great stuff made us alert for similar Big Iron exotic flying machines here-abouts... The proverbial 'Spifire in the Barn' sort of thing.
A guy came in my store claiming his uncle had a couple of mothballed Mosquito's in an air-conditioned barn in Alberta All he wanted was a free restored Harvard in exchange for the location.
P-40's TO GO...
George Maude had a mint P-40 Tomahawk in Victoria with the wings cut off... All he needed was a set of wings, and a blower reduction gear inspection to go fly.
Our Gang were over lickety split offering expert help and advice.
Amazingly, a set of wings were dug up in a farmer’s field, and some Americans came up and checked out the reduction gear. Unfortunately, their expertise wasn't valid in
Canada, so the desirable P-40 stayed on the ground, to become the pride of an Aviation museum in Victoria.
The P-40 is a particularly historic and desirable Fighter Plane. First into battle at Pearl Harbour during WW 2, as well as the West Coast and the Aleutians.
A real classic, it was Lannon's special favourite. In Edmonton, Ross Grady even built and flew an exquisite replica.
A BIRD IN THE BUSH...
So when Bob Harper came up with a tale of a Hawk in a backwoods junkyard near Duncan, we all leapt in our flying machines and sped over there. The cab driver laughed at us. "Fighter in the bush... You'll be lucky!"
The address was Industrial Archeology, and there was a big prop at the gate. The lady said, go ahead and take a look, its back there in the trees beyond the old steam engines and farm machinery. We wished we'd brought machetes.
We picked our way over the archeologist collectibles, through the undergrowth and LO! ...There through the bush appeared the unmistakeable silhouette of a P-40. Whoops of joy!!! Pride of discovery, predictions of being in the air by years end, etc. Then we were there, eagerly exploring the jewel, drinking in the technology, emitting little shouts of joy, etc, etc.
FLYING BY MICKLEMASS???.....
Slowly reality penetrated our sculls. There were some missing bits, some pseudo bits, and, well, a general state of grunge and hopeless disrepair.
The wings had been shorn off with an axe, and stood to one side. The cockpit was an empty black hole, the empennage appeared to have come from a trashed Bolingbroke, and the inside rear fuselage was a welded up framework of iron pipe. ...Sigh and multi sigh.
We poked around for a long long time, trying to convince ourselves there was sufficient airplane left to have it flying by next Micklemass... But reluctantly decided to leave it be, took our pictures, and headed home.
"Told you so..." said the taxi man. ...Then, about a year later, we heard it was restored and on display by the highway near Duncan, and after? We understand the famous
Bob Diemart bought it, intending to get it flying! Way to go!!!
If anyone could, he could... And so it disappeared into the Mists of Time. Where is it now? Anyone know?
COPA AWARDS... HEY! HEY! HEY!...
Remember we need to thank those who made our flying easier, or more pleasurable last year, or those who go beyond normal business and volunteerism, or who fight anti- aviation forces.
We need to honour those who found it necessary to take personal heroic action. We at COPA need to recognize the good these people do for us and General Aviation.
Do nominate any such fine folk in your area, please keep it brief, and spell out the particular reason this person should receive such a prestigious Award.
We need the Who, the What, the Where, Why and When! Names, addresses and phone numbers... Send the info to COPA HQ at copa@copanational.org ...Thanks!
GOOD OLE GEORGE...
The Delta Christmas season is traditionally a time when friends and family gather to share exuberant bon-homie, eat hot sausage rolls, turkey and cake, over a stimulating glass of hot punch in the RAA Roundhouse.
Things were kicked off this year by a magnificent surprise birthday party for highly respected Chipmunk and Glasair pilot George Spence, RCAF Retd and BC Tel retired.
He surprised us all by turning 80! The nerve! ...Like Eleanor, we all thought he was a mature 45!
More than a 150 people turned up, including family, old work mates, and flying friends. On arrival, he thought it a heck of a turnout for the Fly-in Committee meeting! George certainly found out who is friends are!
RAA Chapter 85 Christmas party was equally well attended and chocka block with grub. Supposed to be wine and cheese, but the ladies tend to ad lib.
New Year's Day, the Airpark admin committee, DAPCOM, held a great open house with more grub, social discourse and all. This is really excellent use of the Regional District Park, and caters to many families of the area.
DAPCOM Secretary Bruce Prior, his pilot wife Jean, Mary and I were guests at the Greater Vancouver Regional District Parks Cammidge House Christmas Feast, for even
MORE scrumptious eatables. (Mary is becoming concerned about the gradual erosion of my Road-Kill diet. Such nonsense!).
The gathering included senior admin Parks staff and others we work with through the year, as well as the various Park volunteers who do so much to keep the parks friendly.
We were not only honoured to be there, but pleased to have the opportunity to say a few words of appreciation to the GVRD Regional District for their support.
We're told our Heritage Airpark is unique, and much admired by other parks people across North America!
LANGLEY LIGHT-UP...
The Langley Flying Club 'Lighting Up' party is a popular local event. Lots of food and nosh to celebrate the DC-3 illuminations.
The old Dak is spruced up real nice and looks out over the airport road, just in front of their excellent double width trailer clubhouse. The pilot, a genuine Ho! Ho! Ho! Santa peers from the side window.
Twinkling blue lights festoon the old Bird, as if engulfed in St. Elmo's Fire! Fantastic. The blue glow bathes the diminutive Flying Flea huddled under the starboard wing.
It's a grand sight.
Many years ago I recall this old Dak up at Terrace, tattered, stripped out, and looking very sad indeed. Nice to know she now has a friendly home.
END BITS....
So that's it for now... Take care, and don't forget to keep your eyes peeled for the various Town Hall Meetings that will ponder administration policies for everything from fly-in access to BC or Canada Parks, to the reorganization of the airspace we fly in around our favourite airports.
Unless we stay alert... our available space will diminish till there's no point flying at all. Then a bunch of controller guys could have nothing to do! ...Think about it.
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.