Edmonton, a very long time ago, was where I encountered the Goose while I was a student of photography at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in the mid-60s. During my two NAIT years, I was also suitably impressed by the (rather dicey) practice landings and takeoffs of Max Ward's first jet, CF-FUN, a Boeing 727, at the Municipal Airport.
Returning to Edmonton in 1981, I quite enjoyed the air facilities in and around that city. I learned quite early on about the St Albert Industrial Airport situated just north and a bit west of St Albert, where we lived. This little strip is not to be confused with Villeneuve Airport further west that became the general aviation airport for Edmonton. On my first visit, I encountered a couple of Harvards, a de Havilland Dove, lots of light planes and the three B-25s owned and operated by Gerry and Mel (G&M Aviation). These two fellows operated an aircraft maintenance business out of a Quonset hangar on the field during the winter months. They purchased the three Mitchells for a water bombing contract with National Parks to patrol Wood Buffalo National Park in the far north of Alberta. They flew that service out of Fort Smith, NWT.
I often went out to the airport in the spring time to watch the old bombers being roused from their winter sleep. Some interesting folk showed up, usually with half ton trucks with travel trailers, and all of them pretty senior in age. Tri-focal glasses were not unusual. These were the fellows who came out of retirement each spring, who drove to St Albert and got the Mitchells up and running, and then piloted the aircraft on the contract. Once everything was a go, one of the planes was flown over to Namao airport (RCAF at the time) where it was filled to capacity with avgas. Returning to St Albert, its fuel load was pumped out and shared with the other two aircraft. Then, everyone and the Mitchells flew up to Fort Smith. But the boys didn't initially stay there as they were ferried home in a Cessna to collect their trucks and trailers which they then drove up to the Fort for the duration of the contract.
It was an intriguing place to spend some time, largely for the people I met. I got to know the crew folk rather well and even helped out as I could from time to time. Got to sit in the co-pilot seats as the Wrights were wound up to max while being tested, the right-hand prop tips flashing no more than two feet from me. But also of interest were the "strangers" who just happened to show up from time to time. Are you in aviation, I would ask, and the answers were such as "Yeah, I fly a Hercules for the UN in Africa right now but I knew Gerry and Mel would be running up the Mitchells, I had some time off, so I came to see them." "I'm an Air Canada 747 pilot but I knew the Mitchells would be..." and so on. The strange allure of rotary engined airplanes. Gerry told me as I left one day that the planes were, in fact, their pensions. I hope they made out okay with them.
The pictures on my website of the Mitchells are just six of about 120 slides that I made one spring. In the first shot (Mitchell Morning), all three of the aircraft are included. Just count up the landing gear. The third shot is of Gerry and Mel watching the takeoff of one of the aircraft for Namao for fuel. These pictures are treasured memories of my younger days.
The Mitchells were all sold on and are now fully restored to wartime condition with three aviation museums.
Returning to Edmonton in 1981, I quite enjoyed the air facilities in and around that city. I learned quite early on about the St Albert Industrial Airport situated just north and a bit west of St Albert, where we lived. This little strip is not to be confused with Villeneuve Airport further west that became the general aviation airport for Edmonton. On my first visit, I encountered a couple of Harvards, a de Havilland Dove, lots of light planes and the three B-25s owned and operated by Gerry and Mel (G&M Aviation). These two fellows operated an aircraft maintenance business out of a Quonset hangar on the field during the winter months. They purchased the three Mitchells for a water bombing contract with National Parks to patrol Wood Buffalo National Park in the far north of Alberta. They flew that service out of Fort Smith, NWT.
I often went out to the airport in the spring time to watch the old bombers being roused from their winter sleep. Some interesting folk showed up, usually with half ton trucks with travel trailers, and all of them pretty senior in age. Tri-focal glasses were not unusual. These were the fellows who came out of retirement each spring, who drove to St Albert and got the Mitchells up and running, and then piloted the aircraft on the contract. Once everything was a go, one of the planes was flown over to Namao airport (RCAF at the time) where it was filled to capacity with avgas. Returning to St Albert, its fuel load was pumped out and shared with the other two aircraft. Then, everyone and the Mitchells flew up to Fort Smith. But the boys didn't initially stay there as they were ferried home in a Cessna to collect their trucks and trailers which they then drove up to the Fort for the duration of the contract.
It was an intriguing place to spend some time, largely for the people I met. I got to know the crew folk rather well and even helped out as I could from time to time. Got to sit in the co-pilot seats as the Wrights were wound up to max while being tested, the right-hand prop tips flashing no more than two feet from me. But also of interest were the "strangers" who just happened to show up from time to time. Are you in aviation, I would ask, and the answers were such as "Yeah, I fly a Hercules for the UN in Africa right now but I knew Gerry and Mel would be running up the Mitchells, I had some time off, so I came to see them." "I'm an Air Canada 747 pilot but I knew the Mitchells would be..." and so on. The strange allure of rotary engined airplanes. Gerry told me as I left one day that the planes were, in fact, their pensions. I hope they made out okay with them.
The pictures on my website of the Mitchells are just six of about 120 slides that I made one spring. In the first shot (Mitchell Morning), all three of the aircraft are included. Just count up the landing gear. The third shot is of Gerry and Mel watching the takeoff of one of the aircraft for Namao for fuel. These pictures are treasured memories of my younger days.
The Mitchells were all sold on and are now fully restored to wartime condition with three aviation museums.