MEMBERS’ MONTHLY MEETINGS: 10AM to Noon

All members are encouraged to attend these meetings. Guests are welcome.

Saturday, January 21

Guest Speaker: Gerry Younger from Guelph. Gerry is a former Aerobatic Champion and has operated one of Canada’s premier Aerobatic schools in Kitchener for several decades. He has a great Harvard story to tell.

Due to poor weather, our December Social had to be cancelled. We will be holding it at this meeting, so bring your munchies to share. Coffee and water will be on hand. 

 

Saturday, February 18: Members Meeting

Guest Speaker: Lisa Bishop who is the Governor for Eastern Canada’s “Ninety-Nines” –women in aviation

 

Saturday, March 18: Annual Business Meeting

2017 FLYDAYS: 9AM – 4PM

Saturday, May 13

Saturday, June 10 – (COPA for Kids at the terminal)
Saturday, July 15
Saturday, August 5
Saturday, August 26 – Annual Wings and Wheels *Sunday August 27 – Rain Date if necessary
Saturday, September 30 – CHAA Volunteer Appreciation BBQ

HARVARD GROUND SCHOOL: Scott McMaster scott@mcmaster.ca

Saturday, March 25 & Sunday, March 26. Contact Scott for details

CHAA PILOT MEETING/REFRESHER: Scott McMaster scott@mcmaster.ca

Saturday, April 1 at 9AM   Contact Scott for details

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL: Tracy Reddy 519-404-4843 tracyreddy@yahoo.com

Unless you are a Life or Sponsor member, CHAA Membership was due on December 31

Renewal Methods include:

— Print the membership form and hand it in at a meeting OR mail it to CHAA along with your Cheque or Visa/MC info. http://www.harvards.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/CHAA-MEMBERSHIP-APPLICATION.pdf

— On our website:  http://www.harvards.com/product-category/memberships/

— By phone, contact Tracy (info above).  Your Visa/MC info will be taken as payment.

 

FUNDRAISING APPEAL: Mel Blundell  mel-aviator@hotmail.com

For your convenience, there are three methods of donating:

— Cash or cheque donation handed to Ken Mist or Mel Blundell (along with the form contained in the fundraising appeal emailed January 16)

— Cheque or Visa/MasterCard info mailed to CHAA’s Fundraising Committee Box 175, Tillsonburg ON N4G 4H5 (along with the form)

— On our website: http://www.harvards.com/product-category/donations/

 

CHAA UPDATES & ASKINGS: Pat Hanna aviatoris@rogers.com

— Melanie Burden has taken on the role of “Air Display Coordinator” and will be working directly with Bjarni Tryggvason, Scott McMaster and Terry Scott. All enquiries regarding air displays, fly-ins and flypasts must be directed to Melanie first, please!  Melanie will no longer be “Backseat Flight Experience Coordinator” and we are very thankful for a job well done!

— As a result of that move, we need a volunteer to be the “Backseat Flight Experience Coordinator”. Responsibilities include booking backseat rides and coordinating the flight with Flight Ops. Accurate record keeping and communication skills are essential. Please contact Pat Hanna if you are interested.
— Also, looking for individuals to volunteer as the “auction committee” for the Annual Awards Banquet and Fund Raising Auction in April. Responsibilities include collection of items to be auctioned, set-up of auction tables for silent, ticket and live auctions and the recording of funds. Please contact Pat Hanna or Sandra Sparkes for more details.
— We need an auctioneer for our live auction at the banquet. Unfortunately, our in-house auctioneer Terry Scott has a previous commitment and cannot attend. Do we have a member who will act as auctioneer or do you know an auctioneer who does “charity auctions”? Again, contact Pat, please.
– The Board of Directors is actively seeking new Board Members. If you are interested in serving CHAA in an administrative way, please contact Pat. No previous experience is necessary as long as you have a sincere desire to keep the dream alive…to keep our Harvards flying!

CHAA NECAS NEWS: Terry Scott  t_scott@harvards.com

CHAA will be in full force at the annual North East Council of Air Shows (NECAS) conference at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station in Niagara Falls, New York January 27-29. President Pat Hanna, COpsO Bjarni Tryggvason and Public Relations Director Terry Scott will represent CHAA at this valuable gathering of air performers, producers and suppliers from the eastern part of the United States and Canada.  CHAA’s Bill Shepard, Ken Mist and Melanie Burden will also be there in their roles with the CAF Red Tail Squadron.  The NECAS conference gives CHAA the opportunity to promote itself, make valuable connections and secure appearances at air shows across the region. For more information on NECAS and the conference, visit necas.org .

 

CHAA AIRCRAFT RECOVERY TEAM: Walther Irie  walther.irie@gmail.com

Happy New Year to our membership!  The CHAA Aircraft Recovery Team is looking forward to another busy year! Below is a list of some of this year’s activities and we encourage any member WHO hasn’t been involved with the team to come out and join us!

  1. Our first team meeting will be Sunday January 22 10:00 AM at the “The Dive Academy” located at 1380 Speers Rd. in Oakville, Ontario. We welcome everyone interested to come out and get the inside scoop on our research, training, searches and aircraft recoveries.
  2. Our Boat Rebuild Project is underway and we are asking for donations and volunteers. We have a 21 foot aluminum search boat with cabin being that will be our platform for doing side scan sonar searches, launching ROVs (Remote Operate Vehicles) and dropping scuba divers. Any boat related items you wish to donate to the project would be truly appreciated. The boat has already been blasted and repainted and this year we are doing the wiring along with mounting two new outdrive motors.
  1. The ROV Project – The team has a working ROV capable of going down into 500 feet of water along with 3 other ROVs we are rebuilding with the capability of depths to 1200 feet.

During the warmer months we do ROV Operator training at a large quarry located at Carmeuse Operations in Beachville. The quarry is over 90 feet deep with plenty of room to maneuver the ROV. If you want to be involved with underwater searches but are not a scuba diver here is your opportunity to join in!

  1. Update on recovery of Harvard 2963 – To date the team has recovered a few small artifacts from the crash site of Harvard 2963 located in Lake Erie. These artifacts were used to help the Dunnville Museum develop a preservation process that will allow them to display the aircraft as it was found on the lake bottom. This summer we will be looking to recover larger artifacts from the crash site and welcome CHAA members to participate in the recovery and transportation of these items for Dunnville.
  2. As we do the recovery of artifacts of Harvard 2963 we are also planning to host a course on artifact recovery and preservation as related to aircraft materials. The course date is September 17 to 18 (Sunday and Monday). With Sunday’s being an introduction course on aviation archeology including hands on workshops on artifact preservation. Monday’s course will be more in depth for those wanting to advance their knowledge. Megan Lickliter-Mundon will be the instructor for both days of this course. Her biography: Megan Lickliter-Mundon is an archaeologist and museum professional with a broad range of experience in the heritage sector. During the course of her archaeological career, Megan has directed or participated in terrestrial and underwater projects in the US, UK, Mediterranean, and the South Pacific. Her studies with the Nautical Archaeology Program at Texas A&M University specialize in deep water and aviation archaeology, conservation studies, museum studies, and heritage preservation. She has successfully planned, raised funding for, and executed two major underwater aircraft survey and recovery projects and has worked with teams from NOAA, NHHC, WHOI, DPAA, and NPS. Prior to returning to graduate studies for her PhD she was the director of a local aviation history museum housed in a historic air terminal. She volunteers for and has served on the board of several non-profit museum organizations and is dedicated to museum development. Megan’s primary projects with Freeman Ryan Design involve strategic planning and interpretive and inventive exhibit design for heritage objects.

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Warm greetings to those who have been going through illness or surgery; our thoughts are with you at this time and always.

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Several members have lost loved ones in the last weeks. Deepest condolences;

may precious memories bring a smile to your heart.

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Thank you to all CHAA Volunteers and especially to those who are stepping up and taking on extra responsibilities within our Association.

Every Member matters.

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Final note, several “update files” downloaded onto my laptop just prior to creation of Harvard Happenings today. Sigh…have not been able to find a thing without searching for what has seemed like hours!  It’s a good thing I am alone in the house, the air is blue!

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As always, wishing you clear skies, smooth flights and safe landings,

Sandra Sparkes, CHAA Member