400/411 Squadron Notices: Gathering & death of G. Georgas

Good day Gentlemen and Ladies
It's that time of year again, In just 13 days (Friday December 3) when all the guys and dolls ( That's is all you Gentlemen and Ladies of 411 ) and yes some of our fellow comrades from 400 and 2 arw can come and have a good old chat about the good things and crazy things we did. And just to catch up on how life is going in general.
The place Katz's Deli on Dufferin street almost across from Yorkdale shopping Mall just north of Lawrence
Time from 10:00 am to 3;00 pm
If you know of anyone I missed on the e-mail list please let them know and if possible please send me their e-mail address to me so that I may have it for further e-mails

J.Tapper
skipper049



George Michael Georgas


GEORGE MICHAEL GEORGAS Peacefully passed away on Friday, November 12, 2010 at North York General Hospital at the age of 77. Beloved husband of the late Jean (2009). Loving father of Greg and Susan. Dear brother of Joe, Lorraine and Stephen. George will be fondly remembered by all his family and friends. Colonel George Georgas was a former President of the Toronto Chapter of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society. George was born in Lindsay, ON attending public and high school there. He later graduated from the Aeronautical Engineering School, University of Toronto. While attending Univeristy of Toronto, George joined the RCAF University Reserve Training Plan and trained as a Pilot on the Texan, Harvard, T-33 and Vampire. After receiving his wings and the Queen's commission as a Pilot Officer he joined 400 City of Toronto Auxiliary Squadron where he flew Harvards, T-33s, Expeditors and DHC Otters over the next 22 years. George was Commanding Officer of 400 Squadron from 1957 to 1970 and was posted to No. 2 Air Reserve Wing, Downsview, which he commanded from 1973 to 1976, when he retired from the Air Reserve. During 1955, George was hired by de Havilland Canada where he eventually worked for 35 years. He was employed in the Engineering Design Department on the Caribou and in the Engineering Experimental Flight Test Department on the Caribou, Turbo-Beaver, Buffalo and a variety of experimental projects including the FHE Hydrofoil. George later joined the Marketing and Sales Department. Friends may call on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at the R.S. Kane Funeral Home (6150 Yonge Street, at Goulding, south of Steeles). A Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, November 24, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. in the Chapel. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to SickKids Foundation. Condolenceswww.rskane.ca

Mosquito Bomber Video

Great WW2 footage on the Mosquito.

Bill Bishop's 400 squadron reunion 2010

Bill Bishop's 400 Squadron reunion gathering held on August 10/10.
A wonderful time for us old "flyboys"!

Crackers - "Gracie"

A co-worker told me about this band. I'd not heard of them or the tune. There isn't much (if any) info on them, other than they were Canadian, from the 70s, and played lots of bars across the country.

Jackie Evancho - juvenile singing sensation Aug 31 on AGT

Well she did it again! Showing that she can sing with the best of them, Jackie has landed into the Top Ten on America's Got Talent.

Jackie Evancho - juvenile singing sensation

I saw this performance the night of August 10, 2010 and I'm still blown away by this 10 year old girl's angelic gift! It's amazing that such a mature, perfect, operatic voice comes out of a tiny, young body!

Vulcan Bomber takes to the air

The Avro Vulcan, one of my favourite aircraft, makes a flight at Farnborough 2010.
Looked great in the 1950's & still does!

The DiVinyls "I Touch Myself"

I loved the Divinyls song "I Touch Myself". And if you recall the "Fembot" scene from the one Mike Myer's "Austin Powers" movie, you'll recall the song played there. Watch the video below & you may love this Australian band & the lead singer, too!


Here's a NYC concert in 1991 that Christina is at her erotic best!


On TV in 1991...toned down!


And then in a 1993 concert:

CF 18 Crash in Lethbridge Alberta

Photos from the July 2010 crash of the CF-18. Thanks to Richard Simpson for forwarding these.

Homemade Flying Hovercraft

Another remarkable aircraft!

Solar Plane

Solar plane lands after completing 26-hour flight
Record feat completes seven years of planning and brings project one step closer to goal of circling globe using only energy from
the sun
Eliane Engeler
Payerne, Switzerland — The Associated Press Published on Thursday, Jul. 08, 2010 5:22AM EDT Last updated on Thursday, Jul.
08, 2010 7:07PM EDT
An experimental solar-powered plane landed safely Thursday after completing a 26-hour test flight, proving
that the aircraft can collect enough energy from the sun during the day to stay aloft all night.
Pilot Andre Borschberg eased the Solar Impulse onto the runway at Payerne airfield about 50 kilometres
southwest of the Swiss capital Bern at exactly 9 a.m. local time Thursday.
Helpers rushed to stabilize the pioneering plane as it touched down, ensuring that its massive 63-metre
wingspan didn't scrape the ground and topple the craft.
The record feat completes seven years of planning and brings the Swiss-led project one step closer to its goal of
circling the globe using only energy from the sun.
“We achieved more than we wanted. Everybody is extremely happy,” Mr. Borschberg told reporters after
landing.
Previous flights included a brief “flea hop” and a longer airborne test earlier this year, but this week's attempt
was described as a “milestone” by the team.
The team says it has now demonstrated that the single-seat plane can theoretically stay in the air indefinitely,
recharging its depleted batteries using 12,000 solar cells and nothing but the rays of the sun during the day.
But while the team says this proves that emissions-free air travel is possible, it doesn't see solar technology
replacing conventional jet propulsion any time soon.
Instead, the project's overarching purpose is to test and promote new energy-efficient technologies.
Project co-founder Bertrand Piccard, himself a record-breaking balloonist, said many people had been skeptical
that renewable energy could ever be used to take a man into the air and keep him there.
“There is a before and after in terms of what people have to believe and understand about renewable energies,”
Mr. Piccard said, adding that the flight was proof new technologies can help break society's dependence on fossil
fuels.
The team will now set its sights on an Atlantic crossing, before attempting a round-the-world flight in 2013,




making only five stops along the way.
“It's absolutely not time to relax,” said Mr. Piccard.
Mr. Borschberg took off from Payerne airfield into the clear blue sky shortly before 7 a.m. Wednesday, allowing
the plane to soak up plenty of sunshine and fly in gentle loops over the Jura mountains west of the Swiss Alps.
The custom-built aircraft with its thin fuselage and the wingspan of a Boeing 777 passenger jet managed to
climb to 8,535 metres and reached top speeds of over 120 kilometres an hour.
Mr. Borschberg, a 57-year-old former Swiss fighter who was wearing a parachute – just in case – dodged low-
level turbulence and thermal winds, endured freezing conditions during the night and ended the test flight with
a picture-perfect landing to cheers and whoops from hundreds of supports on the ground.
“The night is quite long, so to see the first rays of dawn and the sun returning in the morning – that was a gift”
Mr. Borschberg said after touchdown.
Former NASA chief pilot Rogers E. Smith, one of the project's flight directors, praised Mr. Borschberg's feat of
endurance and the overall success of the mission.
“We ended up with perhaps 20 per cent more energy than we in the most optimistic way projected,” Mr. Smith
told The AP.
After completing final tests on the plane after landing, Mr. Borschberg embraced Mr. Piccard before gingerly
unstrapping himself from the bathtub size cockpit he had spent more than 26 hours sitting in.
“When you took off it was another era,” said Mr. Piccard, who achieved the first nonstop circumnavigation of
the globe in a balloon, the Breitling Orbiter III, in 1999. “You land in a new era where people understand that
with renewable energy you can do impossible things.”

Prop starting an aircraft

From Bill Humphrey:
This photo is absolutely incredible. It should be a poster for what not to do.
But can you tell what's wrong with it?



Yep, guess you spotted it, too.

Never, never try to prop-start an aircraft without chocking the wheels!
I am sure that caught your eye right away. Right.

Monty & Sweety - our current pooches

A series of videos highliting Monty the Golden Retriever, and Sweety the Portuguese water Dog. Our faithful companions for the past 10 years.

Roundel Articles

More articles from the archives of The Roundel.
Click on a page to get the readable view (come on, we're all getting older & to zoom in is good!).

Article on Annual Reserve Forces Week 1959


CF100 Night Watch





RCAF Station History of Camp Borden









411 Squadron History, From Digby to Downsview Part 1













411 Squadron History, From Digby to Downsview Part 2













438 City of Montreal Squadron History (400 Squadron's counterpart at St Hubert)

400 Squadron Memories

Here's some nostalgic 8mm clips created by The Prof & posted by Bill Bishop of 400 Squadron activity in 1959, during the Expeditor/ beginning of the Otter period. Facinating to see the lads playing baseball & playing at the beach, etc. Not unlike memories of the same activities for me 21 years later.

Cuban Spanish Phrases & Slang part 2

My most recent attempt at murdering the Spanish language, in contemporary Cuban style. What did Bill Dana use to say..."my name Jose Emenas"?

400 Squadron Reunion at Borden 2002

With reunion fever in the air for this summer's gathering, and the 80th anniversary of the squadron 2 years away in 2012, I decided to repost photos from my old website of the 70th anniversary gathering at CFB Borden that took place in 2002.

400 Squadron Party August 10th 2010. Richmond Hill Ontario

The following is from Bill Bishop's Propwash Blog
and all Downsview alumni are welcome to attend.
Please contact Bill to join the party!



400 Squadron PARTY TIME IS DRAWING NEAR !
Well comrades it looks like the making of a great get together. We currently have 34 confirmed attendees.

The date is TUESDAY, AUGUST 10th in Richmond Hill, ON. We will be ready to receive guests starting at 10:00am. Lunch will be served from noon until about 15:00 and dinner from 18:00 until about 21:00.

Lunch will consist of bbq German sausage (with or without bun) and bbq shrimp with garlic lime butter dip or lemon butter dip (no garlic). Bill Bishop will be the Chef for lunch. Red or white wine will be available for those who wish same.

Dinner is our featured meal and will consist of 10oz range feed beef steaks done to your liking. This will be accompanied by bbq mixed veggies (tomatoes, spanish onion slices, zucchini slices, chopped yellow and red peppers, and chopped celery) with secret herbs and spices. There will also be "Patatas Bill" which is bbq potatoe slices with spanish onions, cheeses, and secret herbs and spices).

The meat is being supplied by James MacIntosh (son of comrade Gerry MacIntosh - deceased) who is the marketing manager for Scotch Mountain Meats. James will be the Chef for dinner with Bill acting as his sous chef for the veggies and "Patatas Bill". James will cut the steak to your liking while Garry (who was feeling left out) will act a security guard to ensure no one puts their clammy paws on da grub !

There will be an assortment of finger foods and snack food (assortment of nuts, etc) available throughout the day.

Each attendee is requested to purchase a $15 raffle ticket to defray the cost of food.

Bill Wenham (Air Canada) is a very accomplished artist and has most kindly donated a 21" x 29" acrylic on illustration board painting of a De Havilland Chipmunk (listed at $1,200) which will be won by one of the raffle ticket holders. Draw will take place following dinner.

Bill Wenham has donated the painting shown below to be used as a prize for the $15.00 raffle tickets being sold at our 400 Squadron Bash on August 10th.




It can be seen, along with Bill's aircraft, and other paintings at the St. Catherines Art Association site.

Proceeds of the raffle of this painting will be used to cover the cost of the food at the party and, any amount left over will be donated to Lynn Kuzyk's (Freddy K's wife) project to provide Tim Horton Coffee cards to our troops in Afghanistan. (see Letters from Kandahar post for details)

Anyone who is not able to attend our party on August 10th can purchase a raffle ticket by mailing a cheque in the amount of $15.00 made payable to Wm. H. Bishop (I promise I won't run off with the money), and mailed to Bill @ 1513-5565 Cornwallis St., Halifax, NS B3K 5K9 to arrive prior to July 25, 2010. I will mail a stub of your ticket to the return e-mail or snail mail address you provide. You will be notified by phone should you be a winner so please include a number where you may be reached.

Finally, Bill Wenham has agreed to donate up to 50% of proceeds from anyone in the Squadron family who purchase one of the other three remaining aircraft paintings he has listed at the St. Catherines Art Association Site. AND, he advised he is willing to negotiate the price (within reason) for serious shoppers. Any donations received will be applied to Lynn & Fred's Kandahar project. I have expressed, on behalf of the Squadron's members, our sincere appreciation to Bill for his donations.
The three unsold paintings are depicted below:








Please take the time to view the Directions To Party post which contains a map, photos, addresses and phone numbers.

While a limited supply of white and red wine will be available for meals, you are asked to bring liquid refreshment of your choice .... unfortunately it ain't nickle beer night at the mess this time around.

Please feel free to send a link to our PropWash Blog to any Squadron Members you feel would be interested in attending. They will be most welcome.

And it's not too late to join the List of Attendees yourself.

See ya on the 10th of August !

Yesterday's Thoughts

Some musings on an email about Captain Kangaroo & Mister Rogers war records.
You can't believe everything on the internet but sometimes it nice to...

Highway of Heroes - The Trews

This video & the Canadian band behind the song (The Trews) has been gaining a lot of attention. Rightfully so...

Joe Hall - Vampire Beavers

Someone requested more Canadian comedy tunes from Joe Hall, so here's another classic,
Vampire Beavers.

Sandals Varadero Cuba

One of our favourite haunts is Sandals Royal Hicacos in Varadero Cuba. We've been to the resort 3 times and many times to Cuba since 1994.
Here's some photos from our recent trip there at the beginning of May.





















































Pelican