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ISSUE
62 - April 2009
Over 8,000 Total Ads Listed
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SHOOT FOR THE STARS |
By Kevin Moore, Contributing
Editor & Photographer
Roslin, Ontario, Canada |
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T-33 #573 sitting on the tarmac at CFB
Mountain View after it’s run-ups were completed. |
In the post-war era jet aircraft
were still in their infancy and development, though progressing
well, had not completely taken the place of piston engine
aircraft. The spitfire, mustang, gannet, and sky raider,
among many others, all flew well into the 1960s and 1970s
but jets were getting faster and more advanced and soon,
propeller driven fighters were relegated to tasks such
as training, target-towing and even target aircraft. |
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A photo taken of a retired training T-33
after it’s final flight into CFB Mountain View, summer
1984. |
Early jet trainers and fighters
had many successes and many failures. One of the most successful
jet aircraft was the American designed Lockheed T-33 Shooting
Star, which made its first flight in 1948. Derived from
the single seat version, the F-80, this two-seat fighter-trainer
became the mainstay of the USAAF jet pilot training well
into the 1970s. |
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On the left, retired
but newly purchased T-33’s sit out the cold, snowy
days of winter awaiting their pilots who will take them to
their new homes. Two of JAM’s aircraft, T-33 #346 on
the left, and #573, sitting on the snow-covered tarmac at
Mountain View after their run-ups, right. |
The Royal Canadian Air Force also
flew a version of the Shooting Star, however, the airplane
was built in Canada by Canadair and was known as the CT-133
Silver Star. The RCAF T-33’s, also affectionately
known as T-birds, were a favourite amongst pilots, even
today some 20+ years after they were retired from service. |
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Covered in snow, the mainstay of the Canadian
Airforce’s aerobatic display team Snowbirds, the Canadair
Tutor. With no hangars left for storage, the airplanes sit
out in the weather until such time as either the complete
airplane is needed as a replacement or parts are stripped
to keep others flying. |
In the 1970s and early 1980s, many
old RCAF and CAF airplanes such as the CF-100 Avro Canuck,
CF-101 Voodoo, and the T-birds, to name but a few, were
flown into CFB Mountain View, about 10 miles south of CFB
Trenton (home of Canadian Air Force 8 Wing). Dozens of
these old birds were put in storage for years inside vintage
World War II hangars. Some were stripped and used as parts
airplanes. Some were dismantled, cut-up and sold for scrap
metal value. Some were dismantled and packed away for possible
future use. Some were stored as they were, covered, engines
inhibited, and were all but forgotten. |
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RCAF Avro
Canuck, CF-100’s sitting on the tarmac at Mountain
View in 1983/84 before being scrapped, left. A Canadian Air
Force Voodoo after its final flight into Mountain View in
1983. The aircraft was put into storage and eventually scrapped. |
The base was built during World
War II for the BCATP (British Commonwealth Air Training
Plan) and the original hangars were in a poor state of
repairs. Since the mid 1980s, and throughout the past twenty
years, most have been demolished leaving the aircraft outside,
exposed to the elements. Thankfully, interest in purchasing
some of the old jets stored at Mountain View grew and collectors
from the USA and Canada snapped up close to 20 of the old
T-birds. |
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T-33 #573 at
rest in front of stored Tutors, left. T-bird #346 sitting,
cockpit canopy open, after her run-ups earlier that morning. |
One such group calls itself the
Jet Aircraft Museum, The T-33 Group of Canada or JAM for
short. Affiliated with the CHAA (Canadian Harvard Aircraft
Association) based out of Tillsonburg, Ontario, JAM has
purchased six T-birds for the museum which is located in
London, Ontario. Eventually, all six aircraft will make
their way to London once restorations are completed and
they’re ready to fly.
Recently, on a cold winter’s day in January with
a morning temperature of –18C/-5F, several members
of JAM made their way to Mountain View from all parts of
Canada and even the USA, to do some last minute tinkering
on three of their T-33s. The hope was to be able to fly
at least one of the T-birds out of Mountain View and off
to London, Ontario.
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Awaiting a trip
to the flightline for her run-ups, #573 sits in glow of the
morning sun on a bitterly cold winter morning, left. Being
trucked out for run-ups by the ‘ground crew’ techies,
right. |
Airplanes were rolled out of one
of the last two remaining old hangars first thing for run-ups,
checks, and taxi tests before making any flights. T-33
#573 was the first trucked into position and pilots Turbo
Tarling and Larry Ricker, former RCAF/CAF T-33 pilots,
took their positions in the cockpit, ran through their
pre-start checklists, and with the assistance of ground
support technicians, started up. After full power run-ups
and checks and re-checks, #573 was signed off as ‘good
to go.’
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Pilots Larry Ricker
and Turbo Tarling readying themselves in the cockpit of T-33
#500 before start-up, left. One of the ground technicians
on the wing assisting with preparations for run-ups, right. |
Turbo Tarling, more than 25 years
retired from the Canadian military, finds his home in Cold
Lake, Alberta. An accomplished military pilot with 7655
hours on type, Turbo is also known for his impressive photo
of a Canadian CF-101 Voodoo he shot from his own Voodoo
in an afterburner take-off when only feet off the ground.
Larry Ricker, who flew the T-33 as a reserve member of
the Canadian military (756 hours on type) and who is currently
an airline pilot on the 767-300 and Captain flying with
Air Canada, resides in Moncton, New Brunswick.
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Turbo Tarling
descending the aircraft ladder, left. Larry Ricker in the
cockpit during run-ups on #500, right. |
Then T-33s #500 and #346 were also
put through their ground run-up paces and, apart from a
few minor snags, were also signed off as good to go. Unfortunately,
lack of co-operation from certain folks meant that a recent
dumping of approximately 10” of snow was not cleared
from the old runway and so, though a perfect flying day,
the airplanes were pushed back into their hangar to await
another suitable flying day …..and for cleared runways. |
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Running checks
from the manual, Ricker runs through a checklist while Tarling
does the same from the back seat, to ensure the aircraft
is ready to go, left. Jet exhaust billows from the rear nozzle
during full power run-ups, right. |
Departure days have now been tentatively
set for sometime in April 2009 for the above 3 T-birds
as well as two American owned aircraft. Soon enough, these
wonderful old jet aircraft will again take to the skies.
In the follow-up story, we’ll delve more into the
preparation of the aircraft to get them to flying readiness
and where the next instalment of their flying days will
take them. |
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After run-ups
and checks are completed, the airplanes are returned to the
hangar until the runways are ready for take-off, hopefully
some time in April. |
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Larry and Turbo
discussing the days events in the warmth of the hangar, left.
In the air, the T-33's tip-tanks look fairly sleek but, on
the ground, they’re actually fairly large and bulky
holding 192 imperial gallons (229 US gal.) of jet fuel each,
right. |
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At full power
blowing the fresh fallen powder 60 feet or more and melting
what doesn’t blow away, left. The pilots sitting cozy
and warm in the cockpit during run-ups and checks, right. |
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