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Legends of the North at Pickle Lake-Jack Hooker Memorial
Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 7:04 pm
by Antique Pilot
I attended the memorial service for Jack Hooker on July 23rd at Pickle Lake. Attached is a pic of Hooker Air and Ontario Central Airlines pilots and mechanics. Several of them go back to the 1960's and are still flying or working.
L-R: Al Ogilvie, Tony Belluz, Peter Kartuunen, Dave Buttons, Gerry Norberg, Sil Boulanger, Eddie Cull (behind Sil), Barry Houston, Jamie Biggs, Bill Carter, Rob Mallory, John Mummery. Missing from the pic is Ed Showalter who was out doing a flyby in his Beech 18.
Lots of great stories and memories.
AP
Re: Legends of the North at Pickle Lake-Jack Hooker Memorial
Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 10:22 pm
by DASBOOT
Is Pete the fin in that picture and has anyone know if John Parson is still around I was flying helicopters out of Pickle in 70-72
Re: Legends of the North at Pickle Lake-Jack Hooker Memorial
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2016 6:55 am
by Antique Pilot
DASBOOT wrote:Is Pete the fin in that picture and has anyone know if John Parson is still around I was flying helicopters out of Pickle in 70-72
Yes Pete the Finn is third from the left. Not sure where John P is.
AP
Re: Legends of the North at Pickle Lake-Jack Hooker Memorial
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2016 7:03 am
by bobo
John Parsons is still around although he is fighting a battle with cancer. He spends his summers at his home in Ontario and his winters in the Caribbean. I had an email from him recently.
Re: Legends of the North at Pickle Lake-Jack Hooker Memorial
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2016 7:05 am
by bobo
Oops, sorry about that. I was mixing John Parsons up with John Peacock.
Re: Legends of the North at Pickle Lake-Jack Hooker Memorial
Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 10:32 am
by RWD
Hi @Antique Pilot. Could you please PM me when you get a moment (I just signed up here and cannot send PMs yet). I noticed you have a wealth of information about Hooker Air Service and Pickle Lake. Dave Hooker was my grandfather, and Jack my Uncle. My mother is the oldest child of Dave & Winifred. I spent a lot of my summers in Pickle hanging around the docks (and bumming rides whenever I could). I was hoping we could catch up a bit, and maybe trade photos - I have a wall at my house with pictures of Pickle and (mostly) planes. THANKS, and apologies for the off topic post...
And @DASBOOT, I recall a chopper at Pickle, not sure of the year. It was one of those with the huge glass bubble surrounding the cockpit. This particular chopper was undergoing some maintenance, and they had the rotor off, supported by a tripod of tree trunks. Said tripod either broke, or the legs slipped, and the rotor went crashing through the glass canopy. I don't have a photo of the aircraft, but the image is clear in my mind... Thanks...
Re: Legends of the North at Pickle Lake-Jack Hooker Memorial
Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 1:57 pm
by Antique Pilot
RWD wrote: ↑Thu Aug 08, 2019 10:32 am
Hi @Antique Pilot. Could you please PM me when you get a moment (I just signed up here and cannot send PMs yet). I noticed you have a wealth of information about Hooker Air Service and Pickle Lake. Dave Hooker was my grandfather, and Jack my Uncle. My mother is the oldest child of Dave & Winifred. I spent a lot of my summers in Pickle hanging around the docks (and bumming rides whenever I could). I was hoping we could catch up a bit, and maybe trade photos - I have a wall at my house with pictures of Pickle and (mostly) planes. THANKS, and apologies for the off topic post...
And @DASBOOT, I recall a chopper at Pickle, not sure of the year. It was one of those with the huge glass bubble surrounding the cockpit. This particular chopper was undergoing some maintenance, and they had the rotor off, supported by a tripod of tree trunks. Said tripod either broke, or the legs slipped, and the rotor went crashing through the glass canopy. I don't have a photo of the aircraft, but the image is clear in my mind... Thanks...
PM sent.
AP
Re: Legends of the North at Pickle Lake-Jack Hooker Memorial
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2019 12:36 pm
by NitaMcLean
Hi, I am a granddaughter of Claude Hooker and was hoping someone would be able to give me some information on him. All I really know is that he was a bush pilot and from what I've been told, crashed near Collins Ontario. He died when my mom was quite young so I don't really know a lot , other than he was one of the founders of Hooker Airways In Pickle Lake. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Re: Legends of the North at Pickle Lake-Jack Hooker Memorial
Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2019 2:26 pm
by Antique Pilot
PM sent.
AP
Re: Legends of the North at Pickle Lake-Jack Hooker Memorial
Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2021 11:08 am
by Marie A Sparlling
Hi Nita. My name is Marie & I have a copy of the death registration for your grandfather Claude Hooker. My Dad is a Millen, Townsend & Tripp descendent & 1 of his Townsend Aunt's had a daughter that married a Hooker. They are from here in Ontario, Canada. You can email me directly at
marieasparling2175@gmail.com & I will be happy to email you that info. Take care. Marie Sparling (Iroquois Falls, Ontario, Canada)
Re: Legends of the North at Pickle Lake-Jack Hooker Memorial
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 9:09 pm
by squawk
Wow, that is a great shot. I started my career in YPL and know Al and Tony well. I was a generation after them but always appreciated their great stories. One that stands out, is Al’s recollection of the demise of Pat Air. It all happened in the span of a month with two crashes in one day and then the otter crashing on Koval street a few weeks later. The first two crashes were in minutes of each other and tragically one pilot died. That was the end of Pat Air that summer. . Bidgood has some pictures on Facebook of that tragic day.