For the Oldtimers: Chinook Flying Services - Calgary

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Spandau
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For the Oldtimers: Chinook Flying Services - Calgary

Post by Spandau »

A question for some of the grey haired veterans; did anyone here ever have anything to do with Chinook Flying Services in Calgary in the late sixties or early seventies? I'm looking for pictures or stories involving any of the Aeronca Champs that the school had.
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Roar
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Re: For the Oldtimers: Chinook Flying Services - Calgary

Post by Roar »

The Champs I know they had were from a bit earlier time frame (late forties and fifties) they were CF-FMN, CF-FMK and CF-FMJ.
Also in 1949-50’s ish era Chinook was owned by Franz McTavish, Frank Clayton and Eustace Bowhay.
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Spandau
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Re: For the Oldtimers: Chinook Flying Services - Calgary

Post by Spandau »

There is quite a good book about the place written by (I think) one of the McTavish clan. They still had a Champ or two in the late sixties. Not sure when they went out of business or merged into something else or whatever. They also oddly enough had a Vultee BT-13 for awhile but I'm not sure what they used it for.
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Roar
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Re: For the Oldtimers: Chinook Flying Services - Calgary

Post by Roar »

Must have been FMK and FMJ, my family bought FMN in 1962 I believe.
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Skythings
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Re: For the Oldtimers: Chinook Flying Services - Calgary

Post by Skythings »

Here is a link to my website which may be helpful for you. On this page on the bottom right hand corner is a link to the McTavish book which does a great job on the early history of company.

http://www.skythings.ca/my-aviation-col ... ool-first/
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RossMcT
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Re: For the Oldtimers: Chinook Flying Services - Calgary

Post by RossMcT »

My Grandfather Franz McTavish, started Chinook Flying Service back in 1946.

I've emailed this page to my Father Ken and my brothers who can fill in any information you're after.
I imagine they will pop in shortly.

If you are interested in Chinook Flying Service, Trevor wrote a book on its history a few years back as "Skythings" mentioned above.
http://www.blurb.com/b/3147731-chinook- ... ook=296003

Ross McTavish
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Old Dog Flying
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Re: For the Oldtimers: Chinook Flying Services - Calgary

Post by Old Dog Flying »

I have a photo of a Chinook Tiger Moth from 1948. Of course its a model in 1/32 scale and no way of posting it.

Barney
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Spandau
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Re: For the Oldtimers: Chinook Flying Services - Calgary

Post by Spandau »

I have the book and it's highly recommended. Primarily I'm looking for any photos or remembrances of Aeronca Champ CF-KYE from the late sixties as it used to belong to my dad. I'm also curious as to what role the BT-13(s?) played at Chinook.
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RossMcT
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Re: For the Oldtimers: Chinook Flying Services - Calgary

Post by RossMcT »

Spandau wrote: Thu Nov 29, 2018 7:42 pm I'm looking for any photos or remembrances of Aeronca Champ CF-KYE from the late sixties as it used to belong to my dad.
I spoke with my father, Ken McTavish, about the Champs that Chinook had during his family's ownership (Sept 1945 - Sept 1965).

His reply was:
We never had any aircraft, Aeronca or otherwise registered as CF-KYE.

Our two 1959 Cessna 150’s were CF-KYP and CF-KYW. About that time dad bought CF-KEG, a Champion 7ec “Champ”. A student was doing a buzz job and spun it in. It was a write off and never heard if it returned to flight.
The Apache was CF-KPE. It too was written off in a mountain accident by Abraham lake (Nordegg area).

As for Chinooks 85hp champs,
CF-FMN went to the Claytons, from Airdrie, who used it for crop spraying. They were using it for crop spraying and the cluster weld near the spar/ window/wing junction failed. It crashed from ~60ft. thankfully the pilot survived. The champ was written off and stored in a barn never to fly again.
CF-FMJ was up in Fort St. John
CF-FMK was in the Nanton area.

The Tri Traveller CF-LIA was restored by Gary Hill an and exported to Australia.
Spandau wrote: Thu Nov 29, 2018 7:42 pmI'm also curious as to what role the BT-13(s?) played at Chinook.
The BT 13 was my play toy/fort. Franz bought it for its R 985 engine to use as a spare for our Anson on the Dewline.

Mom sold Chinook 20 years to the day it was incorporated on September 20, 1945. Jim Tattershaw and two other Flying Club people bought it ... ran it for a few years and then sold it to Peter Bawden. In turn, it still lives on as Executive Flight and the Springbank Air College (they had the school part of Chinook’s licences).

mct


As an aside to this, my brother Trevor said that 20 or so 65hp Champs came through the door's at Chinook over the years.
They would order up a Champ without a set buyer and use it on the line for a short time until a buyer came along.
Then order up another.

There were also cases of swapping the cost of an annual in exchange for very short term leases of A/C as student/market demands arose.
They made great tail dragger trainers and would fill in this role well.


Hope this is of some help.
If you'd like to talk with Trevor directly, PM me and I'll pass his phone number on to you or vise versa.


Ross McTavish
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Spandau
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Re: For the Oldtimers: Chinook Flying Services - Calgary

Post by Spandau »

Thanks Ross, that's really interesting. I would like to speak to Trevor and hear some more about it first hand - I'll PM you my phone number.

-KYE would have been around there in the very late sixties, maybe '67 or '68. Interesting that there were a few other -KY* registrations associated with the company. When it was sold off it also worked for awhile around Drumheller as a sprayer with a Sorenson spray rig and a tank in place of the backseat. I still have it and base it in Lacombe, just north of Red Deer. Her spraying days are over and she now lives the life of a pampered pet.

I also have your BT-13 toy. It's a parts machine for another BT-13 that I'm restoring. If you're ever up this way come visit it!

Dan
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RossMcT
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Re: For the Oldtimers: Chinook Flying Services - Calgary

Post by RossMcT »

Spandau wrote: Fri Nov 30, 2018 9:27 pmI'll PM you my phone number.
Spandau wrote: Fri Nov 30, 2018 9:27 pmI still have it and base it in Lacombe...
I also have your BT-13 toy. It's a parts machine for another BT-13 that I'm restoring. If you're ever up this way come visit it!
Dan,

I haven't seen a PM yet, so I will fire one off to you.

Why do you feel that the Champ was a Chinook machine?
Do you have the original logs or something pointing you that way?

I've been looking at flying into Lacombe for a while and this is another reason to do so!
When are you typically around the hangar?


Ross
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