CIAS 2011 :::THE A-10 WARTHOG comes to HOGTOWN

SHE'S A BEAUTY—but she's deadly!

THE A-10 was designed AROUND the GAU-8 Avenger which is basically a 30mm cannon/Gattling gun. Think an impressive 3,900 rounds a minute! Think bye-bye tank, armoured carrier, or column of vehicles. Think Operation Odyssey Dawn and bye-bye Libyan ground forces.

A-10s are famous for taking out enemy supply lines—in 1 to two second canon bursts! That's all it takes.They pounce on and pound their victims!

The A-10 has 1,200 pounds of armour and can fly even after being heavily damaged.

Remember Kim Campbell (not Canada's laughable PrIme Minister) but the USAF female pilot whose A-10 sustained incredible damage during the 2003 invasion of Iraq? With one engine gone on her A-10, her hydraulics gone, she still flew for over an hour in this condition and made it home.

MUST SEE: www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Stories1/001-100/0016_A-10...

The stubby wings are clipped for incredible manoeuvrability at low heights and at low speed.

The A-10—I thought I was watching flew around a 50 foot building, disappeared, and then was on top of us startled photographers—before we could fire off a shot. A camera shot that is!

I said to everyone there, that if this had been war—we'd be done!

We all laughed—but one guy didn't.

I love this airplane. In my top 5 for sure.

You 'gotta love Toronto's Air Show for 2011!

::: CIAS 2011: V-22 Osprey taxis Midfield

SECOND OF TWO USMC Ospreys to visit Toronto for CIAS 2011.

I'm still see'in' the "84".

SEE: Directly BELOW—

The ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY could use a few of these. Hear Boeing has been showing these around in NOVA SCOTIA to the Feds.

First time for Boeing Ospreys to appear in a Canadian air show.

CIAS 2011: TORONTO'S AIRSHOW starts Tomorrow - Your Education BEGINS Today!

TOMORROW THE VTOL V-22 OSPREY (inset) will make its first Canadian appearance at a Canadian air show, at CIAS 2011. Insider Jenny of CIAS, hinted about the V-22 being in this years line-up—and sure enough the Osprey's attendance has been confirmed.

If you attended school in Canada—as I did—once upon a time, you likely don't know a damn thing about the 40 year ago C a n a d i a n VTOL precursor to tomorrow's pre-show favourite. Canadian history classes at the high school level are filled with leftist teachers with typical leftist tales about political do-nothings WHILE ACTUAL Canadian achievers are condescendingly ignored.

Leftists have a fascination with dreamers, you know, instead of doers. Think Obama.

So here we go folks…

LONG BEFORE the tiltrotor V-22…there was the tiltwing Canadair VTOL CL-84.

Say what?

Starting in 1957 Canadair carried out research in military aircraft VTOL possibilities. Vertical takeoff and landing, for those not in the know.

By 1963, Canadair had the kinks worked out—and started the construction of three prototypes.

By 1965, on May 7, the first "84" flew at the hands of Canadair Chief Pilot Bill Longhurst.

The CANADAIR crowd loved its newest baby and referred to the CL-84 as the "84".

GENERAL DYNAMICS which had acquired Canadair during the CL-84 developmental process added the moniker "Dynavert".

Unfortunately, after 700 successful test flights (including one where the "84" ended up landing on the White House lawn!) and after rave reviews by over 40 international test pilots, Canada was not able to secure a single purchase order. Not even with its own Canadian Armed Forces!

The Canadair CL-84 Dynavert Project was subsequently scrapped in 1974.

One "84" crashed, and the other two ended up in Canadian museums.

CL-84, CX8402 (pictured above), was retired to the Canadian Aviation Museum (CAM) in Ottawa and sits right beside the remnants of an Avro Arrow. Have you had your irony supplements for today?

NOW, I don't know what you'll be seeing when the V-22 dazzles the CNE crowd—but I'll be seeing the "84".

That's the beauty about a country, and people, like the United States of America—Americans, I repeat AMERICANS don't ever throw away technological greatness, unlike Canada and Canadians whose history is filled with such frivolity.



The original CL-84 photo is mine (purchased) and the colourized treatment was also done by moi.

CRASH! Geneseo!! Brampton Triplane (C-GDRI) NO MORE!!!

THANKFULLY THE PILOT, Joseph Auger, of Brampton Ontario, was relatively unhurt.

After a rough landing, on Saturday July 9, in which Mr. Auger's Fokker DR-1 Triplane (C-GDRI) did cartwheels through a New York cornfield, the lucky pilot was able to walk away from the crash with only a broken arm! In the 18 year history of the Geneseo Air Show there's only been one other crash. That too involved a World War I replica. A Fokker as well.

As fate would have it, the third accident at this airshow would happen the very next day, on Sunday and involved an Beechcraft Bonanza. That mishap was attributed to pilot error.

All right back to the tri-plane, which is, actually is, a replica.This replica made from Fokker plans was operated by Great War Flying Museum in Brampton. The Fokker Triplane had been participating in an re-enactment dogfight when suddenly the aircraft suffered an engine failure. The pilot was able to bring the plane down successfully…but as she was landing…its wheel snagged something, and then violently flipped over on impact.

The airplane is a complete write off.

The picture I have posted is from BETTER TIMES at last year's Brampton air show (Great War Flying Museum Open House and Fly-In) approximately 9 months ago.

Here's a crash photo: www.airliners.net/photo/Fokker-Dr-1-replica/1949320/L/

Thank God, the pilot is all right…but it still remains a very sad loss of an absolutely fantastic airplane.

A flying replica this grand, this precisely detailed, is the result of thousands of hours of devoted work, both by its owner and Museum club members. Sad, indeed ~

::: HAMILTON AIR SHOW 2011::: The Arrow and Marc-André Valiquette

YOU KNOW that's the one thing about an air show, hardly anyone ever talks about—you just never know who's going to show up. Who…you may run into.

It's not just about the airplanes.

An air show is also about the people who attend. Some attendees will be the guy next door. Others, could be celebrities. Others, could be world-renowned collectors.… And, hey that's just who I ran into. Marc-André. Yes, that MA—the world's premier Avro ARROW collector! Marc-André Valiquette. Right there, at the show! If he doesn't have it—he's seen it!

SO if you also ran into Marc-André, you have have been able to buy any of his three Arrow books (the third in the series is in the pic above) and get them signed. Marc-André also has a very nice embroidered Avro Arrow sewable patch that he has designed, and has made available to the general public.

But folks, we're just scratching the surface here.

REMEMBER Marc-Andre is the world's premiere collector of all things Arrow and/or Avro (Canada).

This guy has the control yoke from Arrow 205!

And there it is in the pictures. That stick was the main drawer to Zura's flying office, the Arrow.

Just don't think for a minute that's the only Arrow part he owns! But it is DAMN significant, isn't it!!

After I held the 'stick' and was flying the Arrow high above Hamilton, Marc-André snapped me back to this world by telling me a secret about the Arrow that I didn't even know!!

I know that, in and of itself—that's kinda' hard to believe since I've been inhaling stuff about the Arrow ever since I was a newborn—but he shared an important secret with me that I captured in the above photos…but will remain mum about!

It affects Arrow collectors everywhere.

Ain't I, a *whistle, *whistle, !@#$~

Sorry.

And then Marc-André told me something that I had only dreamed about. That I hoped would somehow come true. And it has. It did.

There are a few collectors, outside of the regular Arrow collecting community who have, well, between them…about half an Arrow.

How could that be, you ask? Well, when you aren't married—you don't have a wife to answer to—and you can get away with stuff. You know, stuff like storing the front landing gear of one of the Arrows in your living room, keeping a Sparrow missile in your kitchen, etc. Before you know it‚ you've squirrelled away half the airplane on your property!

Now THAT is the kind of hoarding I like to see!

But, you better let him tell you that story…

Marc-André will be releasing his fourth and final book in his Destruction Of A Dream series about the demise of the Arrow and Avro Canada in the fall (the readership are cued for a round of applause at this point). THIS SERIES would be better described as the Encyclopedia of the Arrow! And remember each book is rendered simultaneously in both official languages of the Dominion of Canada, that is, in both French and English.

Marc-André Valiquette will be be promoting his fourth book when it is released this November.

MA has informed me that he will be going on tour with his Arrow parts, his books, and other Avro related artifacts starting in the fall.

MA will be giving his Arrow presentation next year at the Brampton Museum when it officially re-opens to the public. That opening should be in the spring, upon completion of its incredible two year restoration odyssy. Can't wait! Not only will Marc-André's Arrow presentation be great, once again, you never know who will show up at these things! Remember that.

::::: FUNNY, never did figure out…

…what she was looking' at ~

::: HAMILTON AIR SHOW 2011::: Here Comes Trouble!

=☆= The MEMPHIS BELLE =☆=

The Belle makes a grand landing.

It ain't often CANADIANS get to see a real live B-17 at a Canadian air show. Hamilton was visited by two!!

Very few people know that the RCAF took on strength and operated six B-17s in bare-metal finish during WW II!

WARBIRDS! ::: HAMILTON AIR SHOW 2011

From VINTAGE WINGS of CANADA,

"The Hurricane Mk 4 of Vintage Wings of Canada is painted in the markings of RAF 6 Squadron, “The Flying Tin Openers”, which operated the Hurry in the “tank- busting” and ground attack role. Many Canadian pilots flew the cannon-equipped tank-buster variant with 6 Sqn. on operations in North Africa."

Last Mark Hawker Hurricane IV in existence!

::: HAMILTON AIR SHOW 2011 :: FIREFLY Gets the Girl

Yup.

::: HAMILTON AIR SHOW 2011:: HELLDIVER

THE HELLDIVER doesn't land so much as it belly flops…

(just kidding)

Cool Naval airplane.

And the ONLY ONE still flying today! Comes to the Hamilton Air Show in CANADA to usher in Hamilton's return to the air show world.

What the readership may not know is that CANADA made Curtis SBW-1 Helldivers during WW II at our Canadian Car and Foundry plant in Fort William, Ontario. The first one rolled out of the factory on July 29, 1943.

HAMILTON AIR SHOW 2011: RCAF Harvards and the BCATP

ASK CANADIANS about the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and they haven't got a clue.

HOWEVER it was under the BCATP in WW II that Canada grew up as a nation. We would never be the same again.

CANADA, a nation of only 11 million at the time…was entrusted with training the air power arm of the British Commonwealth. So from all over the globe British subjects came to Canada—and left as trained airmen to fill up positions in the squadrons of the RAF and the RCAF (6th Group).

It was Canada's greatest test as a nation. And we passed it graciously. It was Canada's finest hour!

WINSTON CHURCHILL called Canada the "linchpin of the Commonwealth". Without Canada supplying trained airmen, without the Canadian Army stomping all over Europe, without the Canadian Navy keeping the supply lines to Great Britain open, and without the efforts of the Canadian Merchant Marine—the British Commonwealth would have unravelled.

Four hundred years of history and heritage would have been lost.

The leftist wingnuts can read and rant all about Louis Riel—but my Canadian history books start with WW II and the BCATP and end in 1962 with the formal death of Avro Canada.

TWO SUMMERS ago my neighbour came over to borrow a book on gardening. As he perused my mighty book collection he noticed a book on Canadian history.

"Hey Arrow, somebody has vandalized your book, here. Seriously, man!"

"Someone has ripped out like about three quarters of its pages! Who would brutalize a book like this?"

"A true Canadian" —I responded.

"Care to explain this?!"

"No."

(If you don't get it now, you never will)

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) springs to life again at the Hamilton Air Show 2011!

I thoroughly enjoyed the HARVARDS. My dad (deceased) in his early RCAF years spent a lot of time with these 'yellow birds'. So a son comes to an air show to remember a father who never failed to take him to an air show—every single summer.

USAAF's 'Memphis Belle' arrives in style: HAMILTON AIR SHOW 2011

YOU'LL HAVE TO WRITE your own commentary—I'm too tired!

I will say this.

Very few people know that the RCAF took on strength and operated six B-17s in bare-metal finish during WW II!

'nuff, said—

HAMILTON AIR SHOW 2011: Babe and the B-17!

HAMILTON AIR SHOW 2011: Babes and Warbirds!

HAMILTON AIR SHOW 2011: :::The Present Contemplates the Past :..::..

:::The Present Contemplates the Past :..::..

DISINTERESTED BUDDY had no idea his girlfriend knew so much about BALL-TURRETS on a B-17G!

Now—you know!

<<<:: The MAKO SHARK ::>>>

The JET AIRCRAFT MUSEUM (JAM) came to the air show and brought their 'new' Mako Shark T-33.

KIDS loved this 'T'!

Some kids (as you can see) really understood the Mako Shark.

When it was all said and done ::: The HAMILTON AIR SHOW (2011)…

…was a lotta' fun—

TOO LONG has ::: the HAMILTON AIR SHOW ::: been gone from the scene.

Previously run by a third party, the immensely popular regional air show became a losing venture. So it had to end. Once the middleman took his cut, there wasn't much left for the museum.

AND that—just wasn't right.

So the CANADIAN WARPLANE HERITAGE MUSEUM did what it always does…MADE THINGS RIGHT! It took over the event, it took back control, and hosted its own air show!

Proceeds will go to CWH this time. As they should. What great work they do keeping Canadian history alive!!!

Great job Warplane!!

I had an EXCELLENT time!

For those who DIDN'T go…we don't hate ya', we'll just never forgive ya' ~

::: HAMILTON AIR SHOW 2011 :: June 18 -19

PLUS, LOTS, LOTS, MORE…

• Canadian Memorial Flight (Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane)
• Mock dogfight by World War I replica aircraft
• Aerobatic act of Bill Carter including his trademark inverted & knife edge ribbon cut (Pitts S2S)
• Salute to the British Commonwealth Training Plan by Tiger Moth, Stearman, Cornell, Finch and up to a 10-plane Harvard formation
• HEAVY BOMBER FORMATION of Lancaster, two B-17 Flying Fortresses & B-25 Mitchell
• Formation of two rare Canadian Lysanders
• Hamilton Sport Parachute Club skydivers
• Canadian Harvard Aerobatic Team
• Many rare World War II aircraft including Helldiver, P-40 Warhawk, Firefly, Corsair & P-51 Mustang
• Victoria Cross Flight (Lancaster, Canso, Corsair)
• Almost 20 additional static aircraft on ground display
• PLUS aircraft rides, flight simulators, food vendors & souvenirs available onsite

BE THERE…or BE SQUARE!

JAN BURTON: Self-Directed Flight 621 Researcher

A LOT OF AIR CANADA DC-8 artifacts take a little research to identify original form and function.

Rarely do any scream Douglas DC-8.

Even more rarely would any pieces of DC-8…that we find…be READILY identifiable by the general public.

Well—here's one.

Everyone knows what this is…what this was.

JAN BURTON found this only a week ago…

It is the air conditioning nozzle that can be found right beside the overhead lamp that is available to all passengers from the comfort of their seats. AIR CANADA DC-8s had two interior styles. The Second Douglas Jetliner Interior, or the update, placed these air nozzles ABOVE the passenger seats. In the original Air Canada DC-8s the air nozzles were found in the seat backside, directly, in front of you.

MIKE MENTZER: Deceased, 10 Years Ago Today

BODYBUILDINGS GREATEST LOSS…so many would say when he stopped competing after the 1980 Mr. Olympia. But Mike, Mr. Heavy Duty, went on to dazzle the weightlifting masses with his controversial training plans. Fit for Life is loosely based on Mentzer's HEAVY DUTY™ System. Less is more. 45 minutes a day in the gym, 4X a week. Not three hours a day, six days a week, like Arnold and the 'boys'. Later on, Mike trained Dorian Yates who went on to become Mr Olympia for 6 years running.

Mike was born and raised in Pennsylvania, by mom and dad, who were Mennonite descendants! And Mike, himself, was ex-USAF!

I met Mike and talked to him almost 31 years ago which was captured in the picture on the left at Vic Tanny's SUPERFITNESS in Rexdale, Ontario.

Toronto.

I wasn't putting on much size or weight, was somewhat at a standstill…until I met Mike here and purchased the first draft of his training programme. A little over a year later, I was thirty pounds heavier, and had problems sleeping because my arms were too big! Mike's intense, highly disciplined system didn't work for everybody—but it worked for me!

Ten years ago today June 10, 2001 Mike finished filming his new DVD, Mike Mentzer's HIT (High Intensity Training) Exercise Video (with Markus Reinhardt). Mr HEAVY DUTY™ was dead a few hours later! Mike, an avid fitness and philosophical writer, was found slumped over his typewriter by his bodybuilding brother, Ray.

Sadly, Ray also died two days later from complications of Berger's Disease!

The Mentzer's took the bodybuilding world by storm when they arrived, and yet again when they died suddenly in 2001. RIP Mentzer brothers—

UPDATE: Accidentally DELETED my original post which WAS uploaded on June 10, 2011.

New MENTZER photo generous courtesy of famed bodybuilding photographer, Garry Bartlett. Garry took the RIGHT SHOT , which I think was one of the best Mentzer photos ever —when Mike competed in an IFBB event in Montreal in 1979.

(left photo taken, by me, with a horrendous Agfa 110!)