RCAF History Forum

[palmer]

would love to join in these discussions but I dont understand computors too well My father was station electrician at all bases Calgary and South 39 to 46, based at @ #7 SFTS Macleod. I have 50 yrs private flying,and have landed at a lot of them with an ultralight. (now 80 yrs old)

[xsbank]

My father was RAF and RCAF during the war and for a short time after. Hurricanes and Spitfires mostly. He died in 1990 and we are just now selling the family home. There is an extensive collection of books mostly about that era and I am going to clear them out. If anybody is interested, pm me. They will have to be shipped and I don't know if they have any monetary value. Let's talk?

[palmer]

I have a couple of (mystery) BCATF bases that may of interest to historians. mmWhile doing an aerial survey of all WW2 bases South of Calgary (for an author of a book) I stumpled across and photographed the remains of one five miles Southeast of Claresholm Ab. I cannot find any reference to it in local history archives. It may have been named RCAF Woodhouse, but I do not know the number. I spent several summer hours there while my dad was babysitting me.

The other one I often flew over while obtaining ny pilots licence in 1958. It was located in Southeast Calgary at about what is now Deefoot Trail and 130th Ave S.E. No trace of it remains

[Moose47]

G'day

No. 2 Wireless School located at Currie Field in Calgary used No. 1 Relief Landing Ground at Shepard, Alberta. Shepard was also used by the R.A.F.'s No. 37 Service Flying Training School based at McCall Field in Calgary.

No. 15 Service Flying Training School, Claresholm had No. 1 Relief Landing Ground at Woodhouse, Alberta.

Cheers...Chris

[palmer]

Chris; Thank you for the information on Woodhouse.....Old memories
Regarding the pic of very old, dusty planes.. In about 1958 or 60, I was allowed a quick peek into Hangar 5 at Macleod. I am almost sure this what I saw. Lots of old dirty planes, fire tenders, ambulances,staff cars and trucks,all jammed together. And, over in one corner were about five or six almost NEW (Cessna?) observation planes also rammed into each other. The one I was allowed to sit in had about 28 hours on the clock.The radios had been torn out, and any visible wires or cables were cut. The photo looks like it ma have been taked through the window in the door.
Thanks again Palmer

[Moose47]

G'day Palmer

Can you describe the "Cessnas" for me. Were they single or twin, yellow or bare metal etc.

Cheers...Chris

[Shiny Side Up]

The other one I often flew over while obtaining ny pilots licence in 1958. It was located in Southeast Calgary at about what is now Deefoot Trail and 130th Ave S.E. No trace of it remains

Are you maybe thinking of the South Calgary triangle which is still there under the perpetually "closed" NOTAM?

The last vestiges of the triangle at Currie Barracks recently disappeared under a new cond complex. It was still visible as late as about 5 years ago. As I recall, its proximity to MRC (now MRU) was what spawned the aviation program, I can't remember if the private school there was absorbed by the college or some other arrangement, but the school operated out of there prior to its closure (the triangle's closure) and the school's relocation to CYBW.

[palmer]

There sems to be a great deal of confusion about the fields in South Calgary. I believe Currie Barracks and Lincolin Park were one and the same. The runways East of Dewinton are shown some maps as RCAF Dewinton,and others show it as South Calgary. Yes, a flying school tried to operate at Dewinton,and really tried to buy the land but failed. Last time I set down there it was a Drag Race facility.

[palmer]

Morning Chris...
Having terrrible time trying operate this GD machine. The planes I saw were single engine,army type bird dog observation planes Bare metal,no markings at all that I can recall. The term L-6 comes to mind. Lots of Plexy. At the time I was only flying PA-12s and Cessna 150s so not yet too familiar with types. I was reminded yesterday that the next hangar (facing East) contained a metal foundry so I suppose that is where they were headed. Total time 20 hours, factory to foundry. At the same time I was told that large bombers (Mitchells?) were being Quote,Belly landed into huge piles of sand and dragged away to be chopped up.
Thankfully, I was living in Watson Lake YT at the time and didnt have to witness the slaughter

[Moose47]

G'day Palmer

Sounds like they were Cessna L-19's. I find it strange though that they would have been in storage there if indeed that is what you saw.

The only other type of observation aircraft that comes close to that description would have been the Auster A.O.P. Mk. 6 and Mk. 7.

Cheers...Chris

[palmer]

Hello Chris..
Been looking through the internet, and yes L19s they were. Probably belonged to the Cdn Army, but as I said, I cannot recall any markings at all.
Why? Remember, these were the Diefenbaker years.

[palmer]

Seeing these wonderful hand-made models on the site,makes me wonder if it might be possible to find and build a Beech 18 Twin. Ordinary plastic kits seem to be non-existant on the net. I have a special relationship with tne B18, as I came within minutes of dying in one TWICE (just as a passenger) in one year. Same plane, same pilot.

I noticed that another of your members also has keen interest in the old Bugsmasher. Perhaps we could help eash other. I have inquiries out as far as Revell(Germany) but no luck thus far.
Thanks Palmer.

[Moose47]

G'day Palmer

There are a number of C-45 kits out there in various scales. I have attached two of them.

Cheers...Chris

[Pop n Fresh]

There sems to be a great deal of confusion about the fields in South Calgary. I believe Currie Barracks and Lincolin Park were one and the same. The runways East of Dewinton are shown some maps as RCAF Dewinton,and others show it as South Calgary. Yes, a flying school tried to operate at Dewinton,and really tried to buy the land but failed. Last time I set down there it was a Drag Race facility.

Calgary International Raceway sometimes called "Shepard" was ran from sometime in the sixties until the mid eighties. I had heared it was a former air base. It was located near Deerfoot and 130ave SE.
It closed when they opened the part of Deerfoot that cut off the shut down area of the track.

So if it was a triangle at some time part of it probably would have went right under what is now Deerfoot trail.

Here is a link to info about the track. http://www.dragracealberta.com/Calgary_Shepard.html

It makes sense to me that after it disappeared before Home oil bought the former Dewinton BCATP base someone, possibly Nav Canada renamed it "South Calgary" since the original South Calgary would then have become a drag strip and industrial area.

Ah, here is a wiki link. About Shepard "Sattalite" or "Relief" field.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCAF_Station_Calgary

[palmer]

What am I doing wrong? everytime I try to reply I hit submit, and get a page cannot display message. Palmer

[palmer]

Chris..

Thanks for the info on the kits, Unfortunatly no luck on either,however PH Hobby in YYc found what they said was the very last Revell. It is very nice, even to old RCAF colors

Palmer

[palmer]

To, PopN Fresh,, thanks for the to very nice links to South Calgary Very useful. A note,,,a friend (un named) was asked to land his vintage,restored plane at the raceway as some promotional deal. He did and was to be led in by a small Follow-Me car. Story goes, car made a sudden unannounced stop, plane did not, Should be some photos of that around.

Palmer

[beech 18]

March 01, 2017

Canadian Vickers / Northrop Delta

This aircraft was lost in an accident in the Queen Charlotte Islands area.

Photo found on the internet.
Photographer unknown.

[Old Dog Flying]

Heres one for you...a 443 Sqn City of New Westminster P-51 serial 9600 VC-GYB..in 1:32 scale.



This is 1:1 scale at Jericho Beach awaiting a tow through Vancouver to the PNE.

[Moose47]

G`day Beechy

Great photo, thanks for posting it. Please sir, I want more!

This Northrop Delta Mk. II was being operated by No. 120 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron based at R.C.A.F. Station Patricia Bay. The squadron, part of Northwest Air Command, was under the commanded by Wing Commander R. A. Delhaye DFC.

The accident occurred on the 14th of August, 1940. The aircraft was being flown from R.C.A.F. Station Patricia Bay to R.C.A.F. Station Alliford Bay and return. The pilot made a descending turn from 1,500 feet above the water while circling a yacht. He then made a slow medium right-hand turn while a 100 feet while still in a descent. The aircraft struck the water, bounced once, struck the water a second time, overturned and sank at Race Point, Seymour Narrows, British Columbia at 15:00 hours. All four onboard were killed. The Accident Investigation Board deemed the cause of this Category A crash to be obscure.

Pilot – C1527 Flying Officer J. G. H. Desbiens
Crewman – 12029A Corporal R. G. Brown
Passenger – C180 Squadron Leader R. C. Proctor
Passenger – C1864 Flying Officer H. L. Gordon

The aircraft behind the ill-fated Delta is a Junkers W 33/34 with Canadian Airways Limited. This aircraft was lost on the 10th of August, 1959 while in service with Skyway Air Services. It stalled on take-off on Kootenay Lake while trying to avoid power lines.

Cheers...Chris