ROAR of the Harvard Canada s grassroots organization devoted to keeping em flying www.harvards.com December 2013 NOTICE BOARD Inside This Issue President s Message Harvards & Heroes 2014 Banquet Notice 2014 Open House Dates Jan 18 Feb 15 Mar 15 ROAR Would you like to receive the ROAR via email? This is a full colour version in PDF format, with high resolution photos. Distribution via email will reduce postage expenses. Contact, Stacey or Vic Volunteers Require Please contact: Sandra Sparkes; sandpar@rogers.com Phone: (519) 272-1908 President's Report by Pat Hanna The flying season has pretty much ended with snow flurries and November winds howling off the Great Lakes now. But CHAA finished the season on a high note with a six-plane formation flight over Toronto for Remembrance Day services on November 11th. It was a dreary day with gusty winds, rain and snow showers and it would have been an easy decision to keep the hangar doors closed and the Harvards tucked away nicely in the hangars. The pilots brought their "A game" plan to the briefing though, and with large crowds waiting at cenotaphs in Toronto and East York, and a group of veterans at Sunnybrook Hospital, the decision was made. Six Pratt and Whitney engines fired up simultaneously and they headed for Toronto. In a steady rain, they honoured the veterans and their families with a perfectly executed fly past in the missing man formation. All on the ground looked skyward and marvelled, many with tears and raindrops blending on their faces, as the Harvards passed overhead in a thunderous roar! The very special "Wings 'n' Wheels event in September was a total success, much to our relief and delight! The day was "picture perfect" all day, albeit a little on the cool side in the shade. Many people experienced the Harvard "up close and personal" for the first time by enjoying a flight or watching the many takeoffs from the viewing area. A large number of vintage cars were also on display and everyone was having a great time. Another event of particular satisfaction was to witness the Yale take to the skies once again with Greg Burnard and Dave Hewitt doing the test pilot duties. Although the work and waiting time seemed endless while in the midst of all the maintenance issues, that is all past and we eagerly look forward to the Yale participating in a very active air show season next year. When you look upon our beautiful Mark II Harvards, do you realize that they are now 74 years old?! Next July the Harvard will celebrate 75 years in Canadian skies serving our country and then after "retirement", thrilling the air show crowds with their noise and aerobatic routines! CHAA has played a major role in preserving that symbol of adventure, war and sacrifice over the past 28 years, so we feel it very important to be the ones to host a celebration to honour the air crews, the ground crews, and the Harvard. That celebration begins on Friday June 20th and runs through Sunday June 22nd, 2014. Elsewhere in this publication, you will read a "call to service" from Gordie Hanna to consider volunteering for this once in a lifetime event. This is a trial run for the BIG EVENT being scheduled for 2039 when the Harvard turns 100 years old, but some of us will not be here then, so 2014 is our BIG DEAL! Together, we will make it an event that Cont on page 8 1 P a g e
Position Incumbent Phone Email Director- President, Chairman & Pat Hanna 519 212-6021 aviatoris@rogers.com Stores Chief Director- Vice-President Shane Clayton 519 462-2316 sclayton_1@hotmail.com Director- Secretary Robert Trowell 519 425-1510 btrow1946@yahoo.ca Director- Treasurer Ray 519 745-2661 ray@spitcrazy.com Whittemore Director, Air Display & C Ops O Edward Soye 647 998-3578 Edward@harvards.com Director & C Tech O Bill Ritchie 905 509-2776 william.ritchie@sympatico.ca Director, Building/Property Chair Shawn Newman 519 983-7994 mugwump@bell.blackberry.net & Marshalling Chief Director & Service Crew Chief Shawn Wylie 519 702-9055 S_wylie@harvards.com Director & Roar Publisher Vic Whitcroft 519 863-3601 vwhitcroft@execulink.com Director Accounts Executive Archives, Museum & Scrap Book Shane Clayton 519 462-2316 sclayton_1@hotmail.com Chairman Harvard Happenings Sandra Sparkes 519 272-1908 sandspar@rogers.com Crew Ride Coordinator & Public Robert Trowell 519 425-1510 btrow1946@yahoo.ca Relations Chief Pilot Greg Burnard Dive Recovery Team Walther Irie 519 425-4449 walt@chaa-recovery.ca Finance Committee Torben Haarbye 519 679-1733 thaarbye@fordkeast.on.ca Fund Raising Group Vacant Urgently Needed Harvard Hawks Vacant Membership Gift Certificates Stacey McQue 519 208-4017 happyharvard33@yahoo.ca Restorations Ron Jay 519 582-2103 ronagnes@sympatico.ca CHAA contact information: Phone 519 842-9922 or by mail at PO Box # 175 Tillsonburg, On. N4G 4H5 Upcoming Events & Meetings 2014 -- Sat Dec 21, 2013 Member s monthly meeting Christmas social -- -- Sat Jan 18, 2014 Member s monthly meeting -- -- Sat Feb 15, 2014 Member s monthly meeting -- -- Sat Mar 15, 2014 -- Member s monthly meeting Annual business meeting-- --Tues April 15, 2014 -- Member s monthly meeting -- -- Annual Banquet --- April 26, 2014-- --Tues May 17, 2014 Monthly member s meeting-- -- Fri, Sat, Sun June 20, 21, 22 --A gathering of Harvards and Heroes-- -- -- 2 P a g e
Looking for Email Addresses In order to compile an up to date database complete with names, phone numbers, addresses and email addresses we need your help. First let me re-assure everyone the database is for internal use only. None of the information complied will be use outside of CHAA. Mailing and emailing, on a rare occasion perhaps a phone call would be made to a member. Beyond these examples the database is to streamline the task of getting Harvard Happenings, The Roar of the Harvard to the membership and keeping track of the membership list from year to year and as renewals come in or as members sign up for the first time. Here s how you can help. Email your information to Vic at wikkto@yahoo.com I really need your email address as I have everything else. Please indicate if you would prefer receiving the Roar by email or Canada Post. > Juno Beach 2014 Memorial 70th Anniversary Commemorative Tour Submitted by Brian Peat On June 06, 1944, Canadian troops stormed and secured the bridgehead on Juno Beach, thereby securing a position for an assault by Western Allied forces. To commemorate the 70th anniversary of this historic day, and provide an opportunity for those wishing to honour and remember the dedication and bravery of those members of the Canadian forces who fought for their country; and those who gave their lives; Expedia CruiseShipCenters, Woodstock in conjunction with the Globus family of brands is pleased to offer a 10 day "Great Canadian War Memorial Tour" which will coincide with this special commemorative occasion. We are offering members, families and friends of the Canadian Harvard Association, Oxford County Naval Veterans Association, and Royal Canadian Legion branches in Woodstock, Tavistock, Beachville, Ingersoll, Norwich, and Tillsonburg the opportunity to be part of a group from Oxford County who will travel to Paris, France on June 02 2014 (arriving June 03 2014) to begin a 10 day escorted tour which will visit Juno Beach on June 06 2014 along with other sites, memorials, and museums dedicated to The Great War and World War II. 3 P a g e
Although other tour dates are available, this special tour BME 0603 is the only one that will coincide with the actual 70th anniversary commemoration. The tour includes two nights in Paris, two nights in Normandy area, one night Dieppe area, one night Somme area, two nights Ypres area, and one night back in Paris before returning to Canada. Great War and World War II Tour Highlights: Optional tour of Les Invalides War Museum in Paris NORMANDY LANDING BEACHES EXCURSION, MEMORIAL MUSEUM FOR PEACE, BENY-SUR-MER Canadian War Cemetery, JUNO BEACH MEMORIALCENTRE, pass by Gold Beach Mulberry Harbour, visit ARDENNE ABBEY Stop at Pegasus Bridge, cross the Normandy Bridge, visit the local MUSEUM, CANADIAN CEMETERY in Dieppe and the actual beach battle site JUBILEE CENTER, AMIENS CATHEDERAL and THE MEMORIAL TO ALLIED FORCES. See the memorial commemorating the breaking of the Hindenburg Line, the BEAUMONT-HAMEL Newfoundland Memorial Visit Vimy Ridge and the newly restored MEMORIAL containing the names of 11000 missing Canadians who died in France and have no known graves. Take a walk the restored trenches and tunnels and visit the INTERPRETIVE CENTRE. Visit the CABARET-ROUGE BRITISH CEMETERY. Menin Gate is a two block walk and it is here traffic stops at 8:00 PM every day while for playing of The last Post Visit CLOTH HALL and its INFLANDERS FIELDS MUSEUM, stop at ESSEX FARM CEMETERY. On to PASSCHENDALE, CREST FARM and the Passchendale Canadian Cemetery. Stop at TYNE-COT Cemetery the largest Commonwealth military graveyard in the world with 12000 graves and a memorial dedicated to another 35,000 missing. 1000 graves are of Canadians including one Victoria Cross recipient. Details regarding other included and optional sightseeing experiences are available upon request. ***Pricing for this tour only is CAD$2799.00 per person based on double occupancy with a single supplement of CAD$1026.00. Additional nights in Paris before and after the tour may be available at additional cost. Pricing includes hotel accommodation at select hotels based on availability at time of booking, Great War and world War II Highlights with inside visits and special features noted in UPPERCASE above including admission charges as applicable, daily buffet breakfasts (9) including tea and coffee, 4-three course dinners with wine which include a welcome dinner in Paris, land transportation in fully air-conditioned motor coach, headsets throughout the tour, and free WI-FI on the motor coach and in most hotel lobbies. Pricing does not include airfare***, airport taxes (where applicable), any airline excess baggage fees, meals not included in the itinerary, all items of a personal nature, beverages including tea and coffee (except breakfast), wines, liquors, soft drinks, etc. and tips to Tour Director, driver, Local Guides. 4 P a g e
***Current airfare pricing is coming in at CAD$1000.00 to CAD$1300.00 per person for flights leaving Toronto on June 02 and returning June 13. Any modification to flight dates or departure location will affect prices. Depending on interest, we will contact our Air suppliers to obtain a group price for airfare. For those interested in visiting London, England, a 3 day extension with transfer to London via Eurostar Train is available at additional cost. Additional nights in Paris prior to, or after this tour are also available at additional cost. Bookings for this special tour will not be open until mid-september and this particular tour will sell out quickly. Those interested are requested to contact Brian Peat or Bill Shaw at Expedia CruiseShipCenters, Woodstock to request their names be added to the advance registration list. Brian Peat, Cruise and Vacation Consultant Bill Shaw, Franchise Partner Expedia CruiseShipCenters, Woodstock Expedia CruiseShipCenters, Woodstock Email: bpeat@cruiseshipcenters.com Email: billshaw@cruiseshipcenters.com Phone: 519-537-8333 Phone: 519-537-8333 Toll Free: 1-877-436-8333 Toll Free: 1-877-436-8333 Direct: 519-535-8656 Direct: 519-320-1309 A Look at CHAA s Restoration Crew I visited CHAA s restoration crew recently to get a feel for what the team of volunteers work at each Tuesday and Saturday. CHAA has a very diverse group of people who are able to use multiple talents to not only restore CHAA s aircraft but to do lawn maintenance and building upgrades. Today I watched and photographed several examples of how all of the out of the ordinary, sometimes unnoticed tasks get completed. Thanks to a great group of guys for a job well done! > From detailed assembly to parts cleaning, CHAA s restoration team does it all. 5 P a g e
Sign Bessy the next time you visit the CHAA facility. She is in need of a makeover! CF-UFZ better known as Bessy now sports several signatures with plenty of room for yours. Next time you are at the hangar or if you see Bessy at an event, stop by and sign your name or that of a loved one. It will take many signatures to get her painted. 6 P a g e
Horvath Auto Parts form Tillsonburg, donates new signs for CHAA s Hangars and Flight Ops CHAA s crew prepares and installs news signs around the hangar. Bob Hollister installs a new Flight Ops Sign. L to R Bob Hollister George Bennell Colin Ridgewell Ron Jay Bill Cron Ted Widigh Murray Hearn 7 P a g e
CHAA Hosts South West Oxford Fire Department from Station Two Shawn Wylie represented CHAA and guided first responders from station two in Brownsville through the facility at the Tillsonburg Regional Airport. Fifteen firefighters and three trucks attended and toured both of CHAA s hangars as well as attending a thirty minute power point orientation that discussed and described various aircraft components. Station two is assigned to respond to incidents that take place at the Tillsonburg Regional Airport. Because of lack of familiarity of the grounds and aircraft the firefighters were happy to attend and gain knowledge needed should a mishap occur at our location. It was interesting to hear some of the questions they asked. Questions such as, how do the doors open if the electricity is out or what is the fuel capacity in each of the tanks. I also noted the disbelief at how small the standard Harvard fire extinguisher is. Shawn commented that we work very hard at getting these airplanes restored and back together in their original form while the fire fighters seemed to only think about how they might get them apart in an emergency. The Brownsville station team came away with a much better understanding of the aircraft, the cramped space in the hangers and what they might expect to encounter should an emergency really happen. A win, win situation, I think we are in good hands.> Southwest Oxford Fire Fighters from Brownsville Station President s message continued will be recorded in the annals of history as "their finest hour"! As usual, we plan to kick off the new season with the Annual Fund Raising Banquet and Auction to be held at the Woodstock Legion. When you get your new 2014 calendars, please mark down Saturday April 26th and plan to attend this fun filled time. World renowned historian, author and storyteller, Ted Barris will be our guest speaker for an unprecedented third time! Tickets will be on sale at the February member's briefing and will be $30.00 each. As we head into the winter season, it is a busy time in the hangar as several Harvards will be undergoing their annual maintenance inspections. If you like getting black fingernails and dirty 8 P a g e
hands, the service crews would be pleased to have you join them on Tuesdays and Saturdays, working together to get the aircraft all ready for what looks like a busy 2014. This past year was a witness to our dedicated volunteers that helped in service and maintenance by keeping all six Harvards flying with very few snags throughout a busy season...truly amazing! It won't be long until ground school starts in late winter/early spring and pilot s refresher courses prepare the pilots for the upcoming year. Sincere and heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who supported CHAA this past year, either by financial assistance through the various fund raising activities or by volunteering time and energy. Special thanks to the "behind the scenes, out of the spotlight" volunteers who quietly go about doing the various jobs that no one seems to notice or care about. Truth is, we DO notice and we DO care and we THANK YOU! On behalf of your Board of Directors, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years in 2014! > 2014 Annual Fund Raising Banquet and Auction Saturday, April 26th, 2014 Woodstock Legion, 576 Brant Street, Woodstock, Ontario Meet 'N' Greet at 4:00 PM Dinner served at 5:00 PM Tickets are $30.00 each (available after February 1st, 2014) DEADLINE: April 15! RSVP! Special Guest Speaker: World renowned Historian, Author, Storyteller Ted Barris Tickets available from Pat Hanna Cell: 519-212-6021 E-Mail: p_hanna@harvards.com *Also available at www.harvards.com (via PayPal) For auction donations of cash, gift certificates and items of interest please contact Sandra Sparkes via E-Mail: sandspar@rogers.com 9 P a g e
Videographer Roger Cross "enjoys" the challenges of air-to-air" movie making..."where's my hat?", "Why is it so darn noisy?...i had a headset!", "Sure is windy..." Roger did get it all together again and continued his video shoot successfully! Pat Hanna photo A busy ramp at "Wings and Wheels" First "public" appearance at CYTB of the Clayton "Harvardmobile" Two month old James Hanna all decked out in his flying gear enjoys his Harvard education. Watching the Harvards takeoff brought tears to his eyes...literally! 10 P a g e
Harvards and Heroes By Gordon Hanna Imagine, for a moment, seeing dozens of Harvards all together at our home of Tillsonburg. Now stop imagining, and start planning! If you haven't heard, we are planning to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Harvard aircraft in Canada by hosting "A Gathering of Harvards and Heroes" at our base in Tillsonburg on June 21-22, 2014. We've invited 144 aircraft (really, their owners/pilots) from all over North America to join us for this event; trust me, it's going to be big! To give you an idea of what to expect: there will be flying demonstrations, formations, and other activities on both Saturday and Sunday, and it will all be open to the public. Since we are expecting this to be a big event with flights, food, fun, and more we need people to help us put it all together. That's right! We want people like you to help us with set-up and tear down, parking, vendors, security, liaisons, etc. No matter where you are at the event, you can be sure you'll see the action, have fun, and create memories for years to come! We at CHAA are proud of the volunteer spirit of our organization, and we're certain this will be another example of that spirit. For more information on volunteering, or if you would be interested in lodging an aircrew in your home, please contact Gordie Hanna at gordie.hanna@gmail.com. Second test flight of Yale 3399 For the second time this season the Yale was test flown in preparation of joining the fleet on line in 2014 11 P a g e
Sign Bessy Campaign Update By Shane Clayton Since we began the 'Sign Bessy' fundraising campaign back in March, we've come a long ways towards getting our favourite lemon-yellow Harvard repainted. For those who have read about the campaign, but are not totally sure what it is, here is a brief explanation. For a minimum donation of $20, you can actually put your signature and or message directly onto Bessy's wings or tail. Many people have signed on behalf of a loved one, or in memory of a late family member. The ultimate goal is to obtain approximately 2000 signatures to reach our fundraising goal of $40,000. Most people are surprised by the cost of repainting, but this cost includes the stripping and cleaning of the airframe, the paint itself, the stencils for the period-correct markings, and the labour required. On top of that, the canopy Perspex and rubber that has become brittle with age will be replaced, along with some of the Dzus fasteners that have become corroded and hard to use. When she emerges from the paint shop, the only thing that will remain the same is the 'CF- UFZ' on the tail. :-) To help with this goal, she's been the designated 'static' Harvard at all of the Open House Flydays this year, doing double duty with cockpit tours as well as being available for signatures. She's also been flown to several events this summer, including the Great Lakes International Air Show in St Thomas and the Gathering of the Classics in Edenvale. Bessy even has her own page on Facebook, where you can follow her throughout the flying season. - www.facebook.com/signbessy - Starting this past month, we now have the added bonus of being able to take donations via PayPal on the new website - http://www.harvards.com/sign-bessy-campaign/ - A donation to the campaign in a loved one's name would make a great Christmas gift for that person who is hard to shop for! As of mid-november, the Campaign is at 96 Signatures and just over $2,900 raised! Awesome job everyone, but we still have a long ways to go! 12 P a g e
Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association Notice of 2014 Annual Business Meeting Take notice, the Annual Business Meeting of the members of the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association will be held at Tillsonburg, Ontario on the 15 th day of March, 2014 at the hour of 10:00 a.m. local time to: Confirm acts of the Directors and Officers Receive the Annual Report of the Association including the audited financial statements Receive reports of committee chairs as published in the Annual Report Appoint auditors for the upcoming fiscal year Elect Directors If you are unable to attend the meeting, but wish to send a proxy, please use the form below. Issued this 1 st day of December, 2013 By Order of the Board of Directors -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association Proxy: Annual Business Meeting of Members The undersigned, a member in good standing of the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association (CHAA), hereby revokes any previous proxies and appoints or failing him/her or failing him/her the President or Secretary of CHAA as his/her proxy to attend the annual meeting of the members of CHAA to be held on the 15 th day of March, 2014 at Tillsonburg, Ontario at 10:00 a.m. local time to vote, execute, consent and otherwise act for the undersigned in the same manner and with the same effect as if the undersigned was personally present at the meeting. The undersigned hereby undertakes to ratify and confirm all that the said proxy holder may do by virtue hereof. This proxy includes the power and authority to vote on all matters that may come before the said meeting. 13 P a g e
Dated: The day of, (year) Print Name Signature of Member TO BE VALID ALL PROXIES MUST BE MAILED OR EMAILED BY MARCH 1, 2014 to: CHAA Annual Business Meeting c/o Robert Trowell Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association Box 175, Tillsonburg ON N4G 4H5 btrow1946@yahoo.ca 14 P a g e