Page 23 - December 2018

The pilot asked Jack, who had experience at the
controls thanks to his time at 2 WS, to take over while
he went to the tiny bathroom at the rear of the
aircraft. When the pilot came back, he calmly lowered
the undercarriage and flaps in order to slow the
aircraft. “This reduced the static so he could hear the
navigational beam which commercial pilots used.”
In time, the pilot picked up the beam and followed it
home “The only problem left was the mountains. We
flew along for quite some time in silence before he
began descending. When we got down to about 500
feet, there was Pat Bay right below us. Talk about
relief.”
Jack, incidentally, went on to study economics,
worked in a hush-hush capacity for the Defence
Research Board and was a senior researcher on
Justice Emmett Hall’s Royal commission that
eventually recommended the adoption of compulsory
universal medical insurance – what we now call
medicare – across Canada. He joined the economics
department at what’s now the University of Regina
and taughts for several decades, retiring as the
department’s much-loved professor emeritus. He
passed away on Oct. 31, 2018.

(This article was written by Will Chabun of the
Regina chapter of the Canadian Aviation Historical
Society. For more information, go to www.cahs.ca)

QUESTION: What was the attitude of the British
officers of the Imperial Royal Flying Corps (IRFC)

training plan in Canada during the First World War
Our next event is our joint Christmas party with the
toward the Canadian press and Canadians in general?
RCAFA 600 Wing. It takes place on Saturday,
December 15, 2018, reception at 5:30 and supper at ANSWER: “The attitude was common among many
630.
British officers who, unlike Hoare and Allen, held both
This banquet will be at the Harbour Landing Village in the press and Canadians in low regard. Lieutenant
the main floor Perks room. Washrooms and a bar are Colonel Burke was not untypical when he wrote of
right in the room. Space is limited to the first 40 Canadians: “There are a number of men who would
people. Our guest speaker for the evening is Ed make good pilots, but only a small proportion …
Willett, author of a recent book on the exploits of a would make officers.” Burke thought Canadians
First World War aviator. lacked the character and breeding to make

The cost of attending this fine Christmas event is only “gentlemen” and recommended the Canadian flyers
be made sergeant-pilots.”
$40 per person. You can pay at the door, but you
must RSVP before Dec. 8 to
mailto:cahsregina@hotmail.com?subject=Christmas SOURCE: Dancing In The Sky, Page 234
Party tickets