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1. Western Warbirds at Penticton 1982. Dr. Jeremy Johnson’s English Tiger Moth, Bessy, Bill Bailey’s P-51, the Janes B-25 and Big Jerry’s mint P-51, Cottonmouth. |
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2. An ecstatic Mary after a ride in Bill Bailey’s P-51 at Penticton, 1982 |
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3. Eleven of a 12-plane Western Warbird Harvard crazy formation, Sandpoint Idaho,1980. Photo courtesy Abramson |
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4. Walt and Eva Lannon close on the Janes B-25 for the Oak Bay Tea Party mission,1983. Photo courtesy R. Henshaw |
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5. The B-25 Boss Captains in action, Joe McGoldrick and Bud Granley, with ‘Second Officer’ John Mrazek, right, enroute home from Harlingen, 1979. |
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6. The Western Warbird Harlingen Expedition at Gt Falls MT. Standing, L-R Unknown, Neil McLean P-51, Bill Bailey P-51, Tony Swain, Purser; Gerry Abramson, Crew Chief; Rick McDonald, Assistant Crew Chief; Capt. Joe McGoldrick, Boss Pilot #1; Vic McMann, Co-Pilot #1. Kneeling front: Ivor Oberholtzer, P-51; Mary Swain, Flight Catering; Capt. Bud Granley, Boss Pilot #2; Eleanor Bailey, Chief Lookout #1; Betty Forster, Steward's Mate, Harold Hope, Co-pilot #3. Photo courtesy Tony Swain collection |
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7. Mary enjoys view from nose of B-25 enroute to Texas. |
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8. View from the Janes B-25 on the Confederate Air Show Saga of Ross Grady and ‘What’s Up Doc’ flying the wing of Jerry Janes and Diana in their superb P-51 ‘Cottonmouth.’ |
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9. Dave Sproule’s ex BCIT Harvard 2’s cluster at the hangar at Delta last month. Photo courtesy Bruce Prior |
I can’t leave Mary for five minutes but her world spins in. Last weekend for instance. I was away to Ottawa for a regular COPA Board meet. Simple. Mary said no sweat; she’d just as soon iron and vacuum. That’s what she does for fun.
However, Big Jerry called about a Big Five–0 surprise party for Tom Rogers in his hangar at Langley. He’s an Air Canada Captain, so we figured he’s gotta be older than us, so Jerry had it wrong, and it must be a sixtieth.
Mary decided the domestic fun stuff could wait, and went to the party to check it out for me. …After all, Tom’s a good-looking guy with a T-28. Jerry was right. Fifty it is! Jeepers… Our minds are going.
Perversely, Tom had signed on for a Toronto trip that weekend, so his wife had to make him un-sign and entice him to the hangar. Guests were to wait secretly by the tower, and were then snuck over to surprise him.
The party was a huge success; with a bunch of friends from work, and a gaggle of senior citizen show pilots from the Great Western Warbirds Flying Circus, last seen in action about 10 years ago
Mary found it fascinating watching the groups of animated guys talk, talk, talk. The hangar overlooks the main runway, and the Museum of Flight’s Waco INF was doing circuits. Every time it took off, or was on finals, as if by a switch, all talk paused, eyes glued to the plane, and heads swiveled, until it was clearing the runway, or up and away.
Then the switch resets, and the talk, talk restarted. Amazing. It was the same for all the planes circulating around. Airplane guys can’t help it! Mary said it was just great.
Where to go for dinner? After much argy bargy, Jerry’s daughter Tracey suggested her and Todd’s place. Lots of room.
O.K. …J’s grandkid Carter would go with Mary to show the way in our old Volvo …and off they went chasing The Guys, deep into rural B.C.
Now our Volvo airport car is a venerable 1982 rust bucket, masquerading as a town car. Works fine for me. But it likes its little joke, and when well away from civilization, it blew it’s top, made gurgling sounds, emitted clouds of blinding steam, and sent the temperature right off the red scale.
PRIVATE FOG BANK…
Mary stopped amidst a private fog bank. With me being in Ottawa, and no one to call, naturally, she left her cell phone at home. …And out with his family, Carter hadn’t figured on needing his phone! …Sigh.
After things cooled down a bit, with steam still whisping up from behind the engine, they popped the hood, and poked about at carburetors and stuff. Mary added our emergency liter of oil just in case. What to do? Carter set off for a farmhouse to call his Mom.
Before long, the Great Western Warbirds special recovery team arrived at full song, their fancy upscale cars sparkling in the sun, and crowded protectively around ‘The Mary in Distress’ and her scruffy brown Volvo. The guys scrummed around peering at the engine muttering “Radiator core?” “Water pump bust” “Blown head gasket!” Etc etc etc… Quite a palaver!
Anyone passing by would never guess that huddled round the little old lady with a bun, and her dusty old rust bucket, were the cream of the world’s Warbird show pilots, Bud Granley, Keith McMann, and Big Jerry Janes, and three Reno Race Silver Trophy winners!
“No problem,” says Jerry, “Todd’s got lots of tools at the farm just down the road.” As if by magic, J’s son in law Todd, turned up with five gallons of top-up water, and Mary drove slowly on to his place, streaming coolant all the way.
Once there, Keith spotted a split heater hose tucked in the grunge behind the block, and prepared to do battle.
“No one’s to get filthy because of me!” Said Mary “Just call a tow truck and I’ll take it to Joe, our Volvo guy back in Vancouver.” Todd would have none of it. He had a trailer!
Our hero airplane guys were actually having a great time. Gave the day a focus. They soon had Volvo up on the flatdeck, strapped down and chocked.
Big Jerry carefully drove the recovery unit 80 odd kilometers to his mother in law’s place in ritzy Point Grey, which forbids tatty vehicles, and left it on the street overnight. Diana ran Mary home. …What a great day!
Next morning he left Volvo outside Continental Repairs in Kitsilano with a note to fix it. Todd arrived with Jerry’s car, picked up his trailer and went home.
Joe had it fixed by Monday morning in plenty of time for M to pick me up at YVR from Ottawa with a big kiss. Didn’t tell me for a couple of days, cos she didn’t want me to worry and shake my foot.
What wonderful friends! …That’s real Airplane Guys for you! Mary was thrilled at the whole thing… Beats vacuuming!
HOW WE GOT HERE, FROM THERE...
Ah… The Warbirds! What a fantastic time we had. Those were the days for sure. We thought they’d never end. Friends and readers often believe I spent many years in the Air Force, however, truth be told, Mary and I have been flying our Harvard Bessy 33 years.
That’s 21 years longer than the RCAF flew it. Hard to believe! …And 20 of those years were spent performing at air shows with the Western Warbirds in a sort of flying circus.
Yet even though my time in the military was a tremendous adventure, and I got to fly both ancient and modern prop and jet flying machines, I was in the RAF a mere two years!
And what a wonderful two years it was! Tiger Moths at a sleepy little rural village, Kirton Lindsey, in Lincolnshire. Like flying Ronald Searle whimsy machines in that movie ‘Those Magnificent Men!’
Of course, it was all serious stuff. We left there as Acting Pilot Officers, and looking back, ‘Acting’ was the operative word. At eighteen, we knew it all!
In March 1953 we hero pilots went on to Canada, across ‘The Pond’ in a straining Avro York, a mutation of the venerable Lancaster, which we thought the epitome of ‘The Empaah’ and all that.
That we suffered two engine failures and were almost snuffed by huge icing didn’t faze us a bit. We had flown the Atlantic! Not many could boast that those days.
And so it went, Harvards at Currie Field and Penhold in Alberta, mint Canadair T-33 Silver Stars at Gimli Manitoba, and finally, back in jolly England, at Merrifield in Somerset, we flew tired old Vampire 5’s and two place T-11’s. It was all a wonderful experience, and not even 21 yet!
Then I got sick and the rot set in. Spent a couple of months in an isolation hospital with bars on the little widow. Caught something ‘tropical’ in Canada, they said.
I was reduced to selling Bata shoes, and eventually help design the Royal Navy’s most modern low-level strike aircraft, the Blackburn Buccaneer… that was so successful it became the Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer, and finally, something clever from British Aerospace…
When they became obsolete, as a retirement perk, the RAF sent half a squadron of ‘em to help out in the first Gulf War, Desert Storm. I’m promised a ride in the one Mike Beachyhead operates privately in South Africa. All I have to do is get there. …More Sighs.
AND THEN – THE WARBIRDS…
But then, 18 years on, came the Harvard Owners Club gathering at Airdrie, near Calgary. A number of members complained they had other interesting airplanes like Tiger Moths, Chipmunks, and Mustangs, so the whole thing was morphed into the Western Warbirds Association.
In celebration we then took 12 Harvards on a rousing promo tour round the city, ending in a spectacular arrival at the Springbank Air Show. The tower was not pleased… Harvards “all over the sky” he said. …That was the point!
The Warbird pilots were a mixed bunch, farmers, draftsmen, teachers, company presidents, truck drivers, even corporate pilots. But their common interest in magnificent aircraft evolved during WW 2, banded them together as a family, the like of which we are unlikely to see again.
Those days you could buy a working ex-military airplane for the cost of a new-ish car. Actually restoring anything wasn’t yet a popular option, though it was becoming so in the States.
Across The Rocks in BC we became the Seagull Squadron, and flew great displays at Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Pitt Meadows and the Vancouver Sea Festival.
The Edmonton guys were the Mosquito Squadron, and the Gophers flew around Calgary.
AIR FORCE DÉJÀ VU…
Military shows made us really welcome, often put us up on the base, transported us around in compact military buses, and fed us in the officer’s mess. It was wonderful… The RCAF type nostalgia for me was incredible. And no parades!
These shows were fantastic, and all our groups strove to attend, which made for a really big show. The briefings and choreography were very serious indeed, and our procedures based on the military formation manuals appropriate to our aircraft.
Military wives didn’t always understand, and at shows, they often sat gracefully in a special viewing area guarded by a little white picket fence. They chattered away watching this husband, and that husband strut his stuff.
We all lounged around on the grass in our jeans and casual airplane flying outfits, no smart flight suits. One day at Comox, when the show boss announced our ready call, we all got up and ambled across the ramp to our planes which sparkled in the sun, looking very military.
An incredulous young female voice gasped from behind the white picket fence… “Are all those old guys going to fly all those old planes?”
Big Jerry’s wife Diana, herself a Chipmunk pilot, bridled and yelled… “They’re not old guys, they’re our husbands!”
We had a number of ex military pilots, and they could really crack about the sky. We practiced every weekend, and evolved some truly spectacular displays.
Bessy was designated Solo Pilot, and opened the show with a six turn spin. Scared the hell out of some of our friends… The Harvard really spins!
Occasionally, due to our close relationship with the EAA Warbirds of America, we were able to integrate visiting aircraft that arrived from the USA, Getchell’s Sea Fury, B-17’s, the B-24 and the occasional P-51. In the USA Pacific N.W., the Western Warbirds were very popular at Sandpoint, Olympia, Yakima, Bellingham and others.
THE OSHKOSH BE GOSH…
In 1978, we took a flight of six Harvards to Oshkosh. Jim Swartz and Bob Wilkinson from Calgary, Rolf Yri, John Mrazek, Walt Lannon, Mary and I, from Vancouver. Walt took Jerry Jane’s beautiful blue camouflaged Harvard, Honeysuckle.
Our Canadian flight flew proudly in the spectacular Warbird Show. Big Jerry took his fabulous P-51 Cottonmouth. And won the Best Mustang Restoration
A highlight was a fly-out to Washington Island for a Barbeque at Rudy Frasca’s place. Rudy is the man behind the Frasca simulators and a celebrated Warbird enthusiast.
PSSST! WANNA BORROW A MITCHELL?,,,
In 1979, Big Jerry said to me, “Tawney… Ah’m takin’ the 51 down to the Confed show in Texas, and ah’d sure like to have mah 25 there as well. Why don’t you and Mary get a bunch of the guys together and take it down?” Say again!
“I can’t even fly a B-25, never mind take one to Texas!”
“No problem,” says Jerry, “Just get somebody that can!” Hey, way to go. I’d flown in em on test flights at CP Repairs, the RCAF DND mod shop at Calgary.
So it came to pass that 12 and a half of us borrowed Big Jerry’s B-25 from Bellingham, and flew it to Harlingen Texas, for the Great Confederate Air Force show… (John only went one way). Joe McGoldrick and Bud Granley were our Boss Flight Captains, and we were all on the roster for second officer. It was a great adventure! …And I got great pictures! …Just can’t find them.
Four Mustangs joined us at Great Falls, Montana, Big Jerry, Bill Bailey, Neil McLean and Ross Grady with ‘What’s Up Doc’ for the leg to Denver.
I got the night approach into the black hole of Fort Collins, through scary icing conditions. The engine only quit once. Thirteen hands grabbed the carb heat knob! Joe’s instructions to me were…
“If we gotta go around, just push all the knobs through the panel.” Says he…”How will I know to do it?” says I… “You’ll know!” Says he. Lot’s of my sweat and tire screeching later we were all off to dinner with the gang.
The fuel guy at Tulsa impounded the airplane cos he couldn’t face having to split the gas bill among 13 Canadian credit cards. Big Jerry soon sorted him out. “Get Real!” With the B-25 and all the Mustangs, he’d never sold so much gas!
At Shreveport, Louisiana, Canadian Warplane Heritage President Dennis Bradley President joined us with his Corsair, and the CWH TBM Avenger. We all went out for a big Catfish dinner with Jerry’s Mom, a feisty lady indeed!
HARLINGEN TEXAS…
To fly in the CAF show you have to qualify, and we got psyched up for this, by practicing formation all the way down the Gulf Coast, over Houston and all.
Our arrival at Harlingen really wowed the ‘Colonels’ enjoying Happy Hour by the B-24. They parked us in a line of B-25’s next to a Heinkel 111, all decked out in Luftwaffe livery. Looked really nice up close… Not nearly as sinister as I remembered as a small boy when they “Row Wow Wow-ed” overhead during the Blitz on Hull in WW 2!
In the parking lot among the cars there was even a scruffy Bf 109, with a flat tire and the cowls missing. Talk about being in the seat of history!
At the huge hangar banquet later, the Head Colonel announced… “After thet harrarv’l show during happy awah by them Crazy Canuks, ah think y’all agree, they kawalafaa!”
Our job in the show was to come in with four other B-25’s, a B-24, and a Marauder after the Tora Tora Tora piece, and bomb Tokyo to ratchet! Harvards dressed as Zero’s zoomed about everywhere shooting us down. The B-29 dropped the pseudo atomic bomb, and the show was over. Great Stuff.
The return trip was more direct, Amarillo, Cheyenne, Great Falls and Bellingham. What an incredibly memorable flight. A Mitchell flies at 207 Knots, at 130 Imp gals/hr, and carries 812 gals.
My records show we burned 2863 U.S. gallons, plus what we got at the show, and used 111 U.S. dollars worth of oil. Total cost, (including 12 personal sick bags) was $3607.49 U.S., which came to $313 per person. Hotels, meals and rental cars were extra. What a fabulous time.
And I didn’t even mention being ‘sort of’ lost at night, the exploding battery, the fire, or Bud’s alligator encounter. But what the hey! We truly showed ‘The Flag.’
AND SO…
Over the years, the most popular shows were the military venues at Comox, Namao, Cold Lake and Portland’s Fairchild AFB SAC base. While it lasted, we had wonderful shows at Vanderhoof, Lethbridge and Sandpoint.
The annual ‘Get Togethers’ moved around some, including Vernon, Penticton, Oliver, Crystal Lakes MT, Nelson, Salmon Arm, and Fairmont Hot Springs.
Those Seagull pilots during the year who demonstrated memorable skill in difficult circumstances were awarded the beautiful Sweaty Goggle Award, the keepers for which are collector items!
They were awarded for successful ditchings, surviving engine failures, amazing forced landings, and other commendable stuff. The other Squadrons had Broken Prop awards and the like.
During the heydays, the Western Warbirds had a fleet of 3 Tiger Moths, 5 Chipmunks, 4 Beech 18’s, 2 B-25’s, 6 P-51’s, 2 Corsairs, 22 Harvards, 5 T-28’s, 3 Sea Furies, a Vampire, a Sabre, and some other bits and bobs. It was a truly exciting group.
But as with all things, times change, people grow older, regulations become more confining, and eventually the logistics of co-coordinating the scattered membership for more demanding show requirements became too much for the volunteers, and the Flying Circus faded away into small local groups.
We had our joys and our sad tragedies, yet, despite the difficulty in scheduling our diverse and scattered membership, we were tops in the air show world. What a wonderful 20 years! We were The Western Warbirds!
HARVARDS HERE, THERE, EVERYWHERE…
Delta regulars were astounded to see three new Harvards appear at the field. Actually they are at Dave Sproules’ restoration shop next door. They are Mark 2’s which have spent the last 40 years of their life at the BCIT Aviation Tech School being pulled apart, put together, and run up and down by trainee Aviation Maintenance engineers.
They look in pretty good shape, though the panels are rather bare! David said he’ll work slowly through them getting them in shape one by one. He’s done it all before when he and his Dad ran Air Combat Experience a few years ago with three Harvards fitted out with video cameras.
Those aircraft were all sold eventually, and it will be fascinating to watch the progress of the present gaggle. Bessy has been peering over there! She’s lonely you know.
DELTA…
Delta’s season opener this Easter Sunday is our regular monthly breakfast social, followed by our Good Neighbor Open House when we invite local folk to drop by and chat with our pilots.
Airplane owners will be urged to pull their planes out for people to see, and be available to answer questions about the plane, the airpark, and personal flying in general.
We work very hard at the Park to make visitors welcome, and the committee are preparing for our report to the GVRD to support renewal of our rental agreement that for the next five years, or more.
Working with the Regional Parks is an exacting business, and your committee is to be commended for the amount of dedication they show on your behalf.
From time to time we find it necessary to remind some users that the air rules for the park are for real, and pilots should review Delta’s circuit procedures in their Canada Flight Supplement before coming to visit. Most everyone has been very good about this, and we thank you.
The committee plans to plant a small tree in the Lodestar Park in memory of our wonderful friend, artist Toni Onley. Many of his Delta friends attended the moving memorial service held in downtown Vancouver at the Four Seasons Hotel and the reception at The Vancouver Art Gallery. Reading his excellent autobiography ‘Flying Colours’ makes one even more aware of the extent of Canada’s loss.
PARKS ACCESS…
I heard on the CBC the other day that talks between the BC Parks people and the BC Float Plane Association were still moving along, with the Parks making encouraging talk about access.
A big contentious issue has been the requirement to give a few months advance notice of intent to fly into a park, which of course we all know is impossible to do, due to vagaries of weather, time available off work, and simply the press of life and circumstances for flying folk.
Keep your eye on these proceedings, as your input may be needed in a timely manner. We must keep on top of these things.
COPA is in correspondence with Canada Parks nationally about the very same subject. Traditional flight routes would be seriously compromised if such sweeping changes are implemented. The bureaucratic channels are ponderous indeed for those of us who try to protect your interests in these things, and we will need your support from time to time. So stay on alert guys! We’ll call when we need you.
And so I guess that’s it. Stay cool, and Fly Safe…