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

Welcome to Volume 15 (August 11, 2009)

WELCOME NEWCOMERS AND THANKS to all of you who signed up as new members at the COPA Convention at Springbank last month and at the Airdrie and Lethbridge Air Shows. As you can tell, the Mosquito Society has been busy with its display at these events. A special welcome to the 40+ new members who signed up after seeing us at these events!

A big thank you as well to all of our volunteers who helped staff our display and provide support at these events: Bob, David, Bonnie, Barry, Mike, Diane, Donna, Peter, Phil, Lorraine, Rose, Clarence, Megan, Vanna, Tom and more, and an extra nod to those who drove the long distances and assumed the expense of overnighting.

In addition to gaining many new members we are making an important statement to the decision makers at City Hall about our willingness to put in the sweat equity up front. We are committed to the goals of the organization and are putting our efforts behind them. As well, we get to meet lots of interested and interesting people, spread the gospel of Mossie saving, increase our support, gain support from new sources, etc. It adds up. Thank you all.

OUR NEXT DISPLAY is this Saturday, August 15 at the Nanton Lancaster Museum's biggest event of the year, themed to honour the man to whom their airplane is dedicated, S/L Ian Bazalgette VC. See attached poster for details of the special guests, ceremonies, flypasts and special surprises. And if you want to experience what a Mosquito sounds like, be sure to catch the Lanc engine runs scheduled for 11:15 am and 3:30 pm. (Half the engines running on a Lanc sounds like a Mossie, doesn't it?).

NEXT GENERAL MEETING: Will be held on Wednesday, September 16 at the Phoenix Foundation, #1, 2821 - 3 Ave. N.E. Its summer; Lets take a break from the formal meeting stuff. But be sure to attend September's new season kick off. In addition to handling business, board member Bob O'Connor will be talking about his wartime experiences as a Mosquito navigator.

THE MOST COMMON question we get from people who stop by our display is some version of 'What is happening with the Mosquito and what comes next?' A quick summary, especially for the new members. We have stopped the effort to sell the Mosquito to an overseas buyer. Yea us! City council now has independent experts examining the Mosquito and Hurricane. The expert consultants will advise council on the condition of the airplanes, possible levels of restoration, time lines and costs. Council should have these reports in hand by the end of September. They will then issue a Request for Proposals to which we, and any other interested parties, can respond with a plan for the airplanes. Council has committed to presenting a decision, based on the proposals they receive, in March 2010.

Based on this, our job is to present the leading proposal to insure that the Mosquito is retained and restored here. Our proposal will have to include a restoration and funding plan, time lines, resources, etc. At present our thinking is to seek stewardship over the Mosquito, leaving ownership with the City, and to restore it to museum quality nonflying, but running condition and to do so in partnership with the Nanton Lancaster Museum, supported by the many people already engaged in Mosquito restoration projects in Canada and around the world.

Additional information and back issues of all Mosquito Bytes at www.calgarymosquitosociety.com

SOME OF THE JOYS of being involved in this business is sharing with others a passion for this airplane and having the opportunity to meet those whom we seek to honour by preserving it. One of those people is ex-Spartan naviagator and photographer Bob Bolivar who has 160 hours in our very airplane when it served with Spartan in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Bob and his delightful wife were on a stopover in Calgary between flights and I had a chance to spend a couple of very educational and all too short hours with this delightful and charming couple. I was left in awe with what I learned about the early days of aerial photo mapping and gained a huge appreciation for the cutting edge work that these people did with these airplanes. Bob also left us with a personally researched, detailed written record of the places he flew from in Spartan's Mosquitos, including his time in our very own CF-HMS. I remarked to Bob, that although I have been kicking the tires on this airplane since I first saw it when I was 12, he is the first person I have met who actually has time in it. My thanks to the Bolivars for stopping by and for sharing some of their story; I was charmed and delighted.

LET ME CLOSE ON A SIMILAR NOTE. Less than a year ago there was no such thing as a Calgary Mosquito Society. Paid membership is now over 140. We are incorporated. We have money, the outline of a plan, an excellent website, a place to meet, a very cool board of directors and thanks to the efforts of so many of you, a concrete shot at accomplishing our goals. I am more than appreciative and touched by your interest, support, initiative, time, expense, encouragement and passion.

Richard de Boer
President, CMS
403-235-1350