April 1, 2023
Dear Members and Friends of the Museum,
Saskatchewan Aviation Museum Newsletter for April 2023
Volunteer of the Month for April 2023
Scott McGibney is our volunteer of the month. He has been a very active member of the museum and has been meticulously working on the Anson Project since it’s inception. In the picture he is seen working on the Anson with other members of the team (Scott is wearing a yellow hat). Scott is also active in our school programs and occasionally provides tours for our patrons and demonstrates our computer flight simulators. Thank you, Scott, for your support!
Our Haines Mile Pub Night was a successful evening with a great turnout. This was a fundraising event for the Tiger Moth and the money raised will be used for repairs. Our winter maintenance schedule was a busy one for this aeroplane as it is an actively flying aircraft and needs to be maintained in original flying condition to meet the safety requirements of the museum. You will see continued fundraising efforts taking place for this purpose. A big thank you to those who attended.
Volunteers Needed: The museum is currently looking for tour guides to assist with our School Programs and other areas. No special training or previous experience is required. If you like telling stories and are interested in volunteering to support us in sharing our passion for aviation, let me know.
Tiger Moth Flights – Looking for that perfect gift? Our Tiger Moth will be flying soon, and we can hardly wait for the new season to begin. The aircraft ground school has been completed and flight training is planned for early May. If you are looking for that perfect Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gift, we have you covered. You can purchase a gift card online at our website or by visiting the museum.
Tiger Moth Tickets – We are currently selling Tiger Moth tickets. In this raffle we are selling a limited number of 100 tickets for a chance to fly in the Tiger Moth. If you want to get in on this draw, the price is $20 for one ticket or 3 for $50. There are only a few remaining tickets so hurry if you want one.
Our restoration hangar has been unusually active in the past six months. If you haven’t been here for awhile, you will notice some big changes in the museum. The Avro Anson, and the Norseman are central to our restoration activities in addition to the Tiger Moth having a significant amount of maintenance accomplished to date. We have enjoyed a significant uptick in the number of volunteers at the museum due to our current restoration projects and we hope to continue this trend indefinitely in other areas as well.
The Norseman Project is progressing well. One wing is repaired and covered with new fabric. We will have the wing, as well as the ailerons, rudder, and elevators restored and covered by May of this year. It is hoped that we will be able to complete the other wing next winter as well as building components into the fuselage as we get them.
The Anson restoration project changed status. It’s status this past winter went from the research phase to one of active restoration. We are scheduling welding for some of the airframe repair early in May. Request: The restoration crew are looking for additional welding blankets to protect the floor and wall surfaces of the maintenance hanger space. In addition, we could use some soft jaw ratcheting clamps like Irwin Quick-Grip. These will be used to secure the welding blankets and will NOT be used as welding clamps. We will mark and record your loans and get things back to you safe and sound as quickly as possible after welding is complete. If you can help with a loan, please let Brian Dent know at dentfamily@sasktel.net or 306-281-7683. Thanks for your help!
The Aircraft Fabric Covering course was rescheduled and will be held on Saturday April 15th. Please let me know directly if you wish to attend.
The museum will be hosting a Spring Break-Up Party April 29th. Watch for announcements on our social media platforms. This will be an evening type event.
Our CF-JDO exhibit is planned to become part of our main indoor exhibit in the next few months. The CF-JDO story is of special relevance to our northern-most visitors, and we look forward to developing a summer program for them.
See you at the Hangar!
Brian Eikel
Executive Director
Saskatchewan Aviation Museum
306-341-4973
beikel@saskaviation.ca
|
|
|
|
