# Some aviation history....



## WingsofFury (6 Jun 2020)

My apologies to the mods if I should have posted this elsewhere; please feel free to move if necessary.

I've never caught so much history in just one photo. 

Back in 2012 I was fortunate enough to attend a show at Vintage Wings of Canada's home base in Gatineau, PQ.  This photo captures the Donald “Bunny” McLarty Hawker Hurricane Mk IV, the W/C Stocky Edwards Curtiss P40-N Kittyhawk, and the Robert Hampton Gray Goodyear FG-1D Corsair flying in formation.  Not shown in the shot is the F/L William Harper Supermarine Spitfire XVI, which was trailing the formation.

As we commemorate D-Day today, I think this photo should serve to remind everyone who resides in this country we call Canada that we have a phenomenal aviation history that, if kept under wraps, will unfortunately be forgotten about like so many other facets of our military history.  

May those who fought never be forgotten.


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## NavyShooter (7 Jun 2020)

It's always amazing to see old warbirds soaring like this.  

I recall at Connaught a few years ago, there was a fly-past by a Spit, a Hurri, and the Lanc.  The entire line just stopped and looked up.  Amazing.

When I in Bisley a few years ago, the world's first A380 flew overhead...headed to Farnborough.  It was flying slow and dirty...flaps and gear down.  It was a neat experience to see something that big hanging in the air.

The allure of aircraft, and their ability to draw everyone's imagination to the sky is something that I think the Snowbirds were trying to capture with their recent cross-country flights.  

I think the CAF/RCAF would benefit considerably from having a more visible airborne presence over our nation.  The reason few Canadians know about our Navy is because we're seldom seen.  I think with the relatively limited number of aircraft Canada actually has in the air, there are likely many Canadians who have also never seen an RCAF aircraft.  My suggestion - someone in 1 CAD should make a check-off list of every Canadian town with more than, say, 3000 people, and should manage the cross-Canada overflight/ferry-flights so that at some point over the span of every - say, 3-5 years, every single town gets an overflight by an RCAF aircraft.

But...that's way off topic.

I can imagine the sound of those engines running overhead from your photo.  Awesome history.

Thanks.


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## exspy (7 Jun 2020)

WingsofFury said:
			
		

> Back in 2012 I was fortunate enough to attend a show at Vintage Wings of Canada's home base in Gatineau, PQ.  This photo captures the Donald “Bunny” McLarty Hawker Hurricane Mk IV, the W/C Stocky Edwards Curtiss P40-N Kittyhawk, and the Robert Hampton Gray Goodyear FG-1D Corsair flying in formation.



A comment and two questions. First, great photograph. Is there any chance of one with greater resolution? It would make a great wallpaper.

Second, is that the same Corsair the Hamilton Warbirds sold a decode or so ago? Or is it another aircraft all together? I recall hearing that the Hamilton one was sold to an American museum who were going to repaint it in US Navy colours. If it's a new one, kudos to Wings of Canada for restoring a Corsair in Gray's colours.

Cheers,
Dan.


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## WingsofFury (7 Jun 2020)

Dan M said:
			
		

> A comment and two questions. First, great photograph. Is there any chance of one with greater resolution? It would make a great wallpaper.
> 
> Second, is that the same Corsair the Hamilton Warbirds sold a decode or so ago? Or is it another aircraft all together? I recall hearing that the Hamilton one was sold to an American museum who were going to repaint it in US Navy colours. If it's a new one, kudos to Wings of Canada for restoring a Corsair in Gray's colours.
> 
> ...



Hi Dan,

I'm glad you like the photo. At this time I won't be making a high res version available, sorry.

This particular Corsair was being flown in Florida and was subsequently purchased by VWC and flown to their hangar in 2007.  The complete story of the plane can be viewed here -- http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/135/Mighty-Blue-comes-Home--the-arrival-of-our-first-Corsair.aspx

And here is the story of how she got her markings -- http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/147/The-royal-treatment--Our-Corsair-gets-her-colours.aspx

Cheers, 

Attila


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## exspy (7 Jun 2020)

WingsofFury said:
			
		

> The complete story of the plane can be viewed here --
> 
> And here is the story of how she got her markings --



Attila,

Thanks for sharing. Great stories. Beautiful aircraft. Good to have a flying Corsair back in Canada again.

Cheers,
Dan.


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## Old Sweat (7 Jun 2020)

My two most memorable brushes with memorable aviation memories were:

a. in public school down in the Niagara region in the pre-Korean War era, I was outside at recess when a Vampire fighter flew over our school at a fairly low altitude; and

b. In Gagetown circa 1963 we were on a 3 CIBG exercise trialing various anti-tank organizations and concepts. At pre-determined points in the exercise, the brigade group would receive an exercise stand fast and we would do that (and crash) so that the "battlefield" could be photographed for later analysis by the operational researchers. We received one such stand fast after a fairly hectic several hours (our battery had moved and deployed several times between first light and mid-morning) and I stretched out beside the battery CP for a rest. I soon became aware of the roar of a multi-engined piston aircraft and soon a RCAF Lancaster flew overhead, capturing us on aerial photographs. The sound of the four Merlins was unforgettable, and I realized I was seeing the end of an era, as our Lancasters, which were usually employed mapping the north, would soon be retired.


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