Mosquito Bytes
The official eNewsletter of the CALGARY MOSQUITO SOCIETY
Retain, Restore, Honour and Educate

Welcome to Volume 12 (May 18, 2009)

MEETING THIS WEDNESDAY: May 20, 7 p.m. Same place as last month: the Phoenix Foundation, #1, 2821 - 3 Ave. N.E., just north of Memorial and east of Barlow. We're open to all who wish to assist or just want to find out what is happening. Lots on the go, as per below:

COME JOIN US AT NANTON ON MAY 30: Between now and May 30 we need to put a table or booth together for our presence at the first of the Nanton Lancaster Museum's many special events. And then we could use you, your family and your friends to come out and help staff the display. From 10am to 4pm come support the Mosquito Society and enjoy the NLS's great 'Planes, Trains and Elevators' annual event. Includes Lancaster engine runs and the Rocky Mountain Model Club's Western Canadian Regional Model Contest. 10 am to 4 pm.

Please let me know if you are available to help staff the table for even a short while that day. Look for us at Nanton on their other special event days, June 27, July 18, July 23, Aug 15 and Sept. 26, as well as our appearances at theCOPA Convention at Springbank, July 18, the Airdrie Air Show, July 22 and possible Lethbridge and Cold Lake.

CALL ME, EMAIL ME IF YOU CAN HELP AT ANY: 403-235-1350, deboerr@telusplanet.net

"Back to Baddeck" Centennial of Flight event, May 31: As members of the national organization of aviation museums, CAPA, the Mosquito Society is co-sponsoring, along with the Aero Space Museum of Calgary and the AV Roe Canada Aviation Museum Association, a cross Canada flight to celebrate our 100th anniversary of powered flight. Weather permitting, on Sunday, May 31 we will welcome the arrival of a Tiger Moth flown by Gordon Jones from Nanton, at the Springbank Airport at approximately 11 am. Gordon will then pass the 'baton' to Clark Seaborn who will depart for Penhold in his Stampe to continue the next leg of the journey.

We will again have a booth set up at Springbank and need people to stand and chat. Let me know.

F for FREDDIE PRESENTATION MAY 8: BIG thanks to Patrick Mealey and the Calgary Public Library for hosting this event which was well attended and received. Thanks also to board member Stephane Guevremont for setting this up and to Barry Davison and family for the video work. A copy of the presentation will now go to some of the documentary networks to see about a full film treatment of this story.

Vintage Wings Canada has also caught wind of the F for Freddie story and posted it on their website with photo and intro on their home page at http://www.vintagewings.ca/page?s=63&lang=en-CA Our thanks to Dave O'Malley for his interest and great layout on the Vintage Wings site.

Speaking of Websites: Take at look at some of the new layout work by our hard working web guy Trevor McTavish. New stories, photos and look at www.CalgaryMosquitoSociety.com Trevor has put in a huge amount of work over the past month as our site got hit by some nasty internet bugs. It essentially required a total rebuild. Thanks Trevor. And yes, there are still a couple of formatting quirks to be ironed out (after the long weekend).

AUSSIE MOSSIES: Rather than attach parts 2 and 3 of Ken Wright's story of Australian Mossie ops to the newsletter, please click www.CalgaryMosquitoSociety.com/stories where you can find a beautiful printable book format version of the complete story on our website. Thanks again to Ken for contacting us and sharing this great story and to Trevor for his graphic design work.

We're 'Pro'! Professional, that is. We are now members in good standing of the Alberta Museums Association and Canadian Museum Associations, allowing us to build professional contacts and resources.

OTHER MOSSIE HAPPENINGS: Bob Jen's Mosquito, sister ship to our own ex-Spartan CF-HMS, has now made it across the straits to the shops of Victoria Air Maintenance for the balance of its restoration. Check Victoria's site at Victoria Air Maintenance or some great photos at Picasa. And courtesy of John Chalmers, if you want a look at the only outfit on the planet making new Mossies, check out Glyn Powell's operation in NZ at Mosquito Restoration.

Hope to see you Wednesday eve! Lots to do and lots of ways to contribute to saving our Mosquito. Thank you.

Richard de Boer
President, CMS
403-235-1350