::: 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!)

:: Collide ...

WHEN THE TORONTO ARGOS crash and burn this year (and they will crash and burn)…remember…there's always the cheerleaders…

THE RUNNER STUMBLES: Arnold and Maria…better times in Toronto—30 years ago

TAKEN IN REXDALE, sometime mid 1980, at Vic Tannys, in the very same plaza that William Shatner shot one of his famous commercials for Loblaws. And this plaza was across the street, and down the hill from the former secretive Briarcrest mansion—the last hold-out of the Arrow and Avro Canada.

The 80s. Weightlifting. Health food. Girls. Not enough, girls.

No matter.

Heady days indeed, even, for me.

But this piece is about Arnold—not me.

Even 30 years ago Arnold was no stranger to controversy. At this bodybuilding event, Arnold announced he could come back and beat anybody, anybody, in the highly competitive world of bodybuilding with only 6 weeks of training. Everyone, some very serious bodybuilders were in attendance, became instantly enraged! To Arnold's delight. Soon derogatory comments were hurled back at Arnold. Even more to Arnold's delight. Rarely have I seen Canadians act in such unison. Schwarzenegger had long retired from the barbell scene five years previous, when he had won his 5th, and final Mr Olympia.

Still, the rumors started.

Immediately.

Was Arnold coming back? Would he compete in the 1980 Mr Olympia? Arnie had been seen training but that was for one of his cheesy movies right? Right?!?!? And why was the Austrian Oak pumping iron all covered up—so no one could see what he looked like?

True to form Arnold did come back 12 weeks later—and he did win his sixth Olympia!

Everyone said the contest was rigged.

Mike Mentzer, who had won the Mr Universe contest, the previous year, with a perfect score of 300 (which has never been done since) swore he would never compete in bodybuilding again. There was no way Arnold should have beaten Mike. And although everyone tried to reason with Mike about the unfairness of life etc., true to his word he walked away from the sport, and never. Competed. Again.

The scandalosa would be re-visited through the years, but when Mike's brother Ray became quite sick and was near death, Arnold called the hospital and told Ray that if he needed anything— Arnold would get it for him. And for a while Ray's health stabilized.

The road to healing had begun—Arnold and Mike even talked on the phone a few times after Mike found out about Arnold's generous overture to his brother.

Life was good again.

Will Maria and Arnold make it back from the abyss? Can their marriage be saved?

One thing is sure—forgiveness is a direction.

And THAT is the hand that Maria will have to play out—it's all up to her now, and no one else—

And another thing is sure—Arnold's 'rendezvous days' are over—Maria can't go back to that, he'll be on a tight leash from here on in.

Arnold has to decide if he can actually do that~

(Here the happy couple is pictured together in Toronto…about five years before they married)

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

FLIGHT 621 Crash Site: And so it begins…

…the process to develop the former crash site of Air Canada FLIGHT 621 where 109 passengers and crew lost their lives when their four-engine Air Canada "Stretch" DC-8 crashed into a Brampton farmer's field.

When the field has been developed, an irregular Flight 621 cemetery will be located right over the crash point (where the airplane went nose-first into the ground), a memorial gardens dedicated to the ill-fated flight for the victim's families will be in place, and a park for visitors will have been established .

Barb Winckler, FRIENDS of FLIGHT 621, walks the lower end of the site's perimeter fence.

This is a double fence which has hay bales filling in the centre?!?!

Flight 621 was a connoisseur flight of Air Canada's that flew Montreal-Toronto-Los Angeles (YUL-YYZ-LAX).

FLIGHT 621: Brampton's WORST AIR DISASTER marked off

WELL, THERE IS no mistaking it now. Flight 621's crash site and the crash arena are now clearly marked and fenced in.

And the crash site is within the developer's site which is also now surrounded by a developer's site fence.

The bottom end of the field has a very bizarre double fence which I will show you soon enough.

Tomorrow I meet with the Brampton Fire Department Headquarters to discuss my most recent field finds which are related to their firefighting work of 41 years ago.

The bulk of the crash was contained within the fenced off area. I talked to an OPP officer who was given this eastern section to catalogue. He found human remains even this far from the impact point.

There was a torso of a male teenager that was found even farther away however, 1100 feet from the DC-8's ground impact point. The forces of destruction which come into play, in a crash of this magnitude, are just incredible—and merciless.