Member Profiles

Kenneth Cecil Maclure

Birthdate: October 14, 1914
Birth Place: Montreal, Quebec
Year Inducted: 2005
Death Date: March 28, 1988
Awards: AFC, CD

“Through his superior intellect and his devotion to duty, his accomplishments as a high latitude researcher and development of a practical polar grid navigation system, he has made a superb contribution to aviation in Canada’s polar regions and safer worldwide air transport operations.”

-Induction citation, 2005

Introduction: Maclure began his career as air navigator within the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII. He was named instructor at the Empire Air Navigation School (EANS) in England, where he elaborated on a theory proposing a system of polar navigation by grid (Polar Grid System) which would revolutionize aviation in the Arctic. At that time, radio beacons and other electronic navigation aids in the North were still many years in the future. By using the astro compass along with a network of lines drawn parallel to the Greenwich meridian, Maclure succeeded in thwarting the aberrations of the magnetic compass and the rapid changes of meridians in polar region. The system was tested successfully in May, 1945 with a specially modified Lancaster bomber, named “Aries I”. The flights lasted nearly 19 hours, during which Maclure remained confined during long periods in the cold rear of the fuselage taking frequent navigation observations. The system imagined by Maclure stood out as the first real system of navigation by instruments in the polar environment, inaugurating a new era.

Kenneth Cecil Maclure, A.F.C., C.D., B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D. (Nuclear Physics) was born in Montreal, Quebec on October 14, 1914. He completed high school there and entered McGill University on a full scholarship. He graduated in 1934 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Physics.

In the fall of 1939 he was selected among the top McGill graduates to initiate the training of navigators for the newly planned British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. He joined the RCAF and began the first Instructor’s Course at Trenton, Ontario before moving to the Air Navigation School at Rivers, Manitoba.

In 1941 Maclure was posted to the Royal Air Force No. 31 Air Navigation School at Port Albert, Ontario where the RAF’s chief navigational school had been transferred from England. A recently developed Link Celestial Navigation Trainer had been installed there. It had the capability of simulating flights at all latitudes, including the polar region. This intrigued him and further stimulated his interest in problems associated with polar navigation.

Possessed with a sound background in mathematics and physics and an interest in the basics of air navigation, Maclure quickly grasped the extent of the problem and immediately set about finding answers. During the fall of 1941 his study culminated in a definitive paper on polar navigation published in October of that year. While not the first to suggest a grid overlay, he was the first to propose a method for using the grid effectively. He named it the Greenwich Grid since his proposal involved drawing reference lines parallel to the Greenwich Meridian. Acknowledging that the magnetic compass was of very little use in the polar region, he suggested that a directional gyroscope could provide a stable and practical steering reference. He then described how the procedure was to be used to maintain a desired heading using the astro compass, celestial bodies, and a constant scale chart, such as the Polar Stereographic, with the Greenwich Grid overlay. The traditional coordinates of latitude and longitude would continue to be used to identify a geographic location as well as the position of the aircraft.

Because the war demanded all available resources, and very high latitude flights were not a priority at the time, nothing further in practical terms was made of this highly significant development, although it was a matter of serious discussion at high levels in RAF, RCAF and US military circles. Even at that time, it was obvious that such a navigation technique would prove invaluable and later provide safe navigation in the high arctic for military and commercial aircraft. Maclure’s paper remained under security wraps until the end of WW II.

In October, 1941 he was assigned to oversee navigation training at the BCATP schools in Western Canada. The following year, Maclure, then a Squadron Leader, attended the first Specialist Navigation Course at Cranage, England. He then returned to Canada where he held senior navigation training positions at Air Force HQ and No. 3 Training Command in Montreal. He was now an Acting Wing Commander.

In November 1944 at the request of the RAF, Maclure again went overseas to serve as Director, Test and Development at the Empire Air Navigation School (EANS) in Shawbury, which was considered the leading allied air navigation school at the time. Planning now began, under his guidance, to test the Grid Navigation System.

In May 1945 a specially modified Lancaster bomber aircraft, named “Aries”, undertook a series of flights to both the North Geographic Pole and the North Magnetic Pole. These flights, involving 110 hours flying time between May 17 and 26, established the Greenwich Grid as a fully practical and safe routing navigation technique. One of the flights also established that the North Magnetic Pole was about 480 kilometers north-northwest of its charted position, further emphasizing the failure of the magnetic compass as a steering reference.

To obtain his instrument readings, W/C Maclure worked under extreme conditions, spending up to nineteen hours at a time confined to the rear of the fuselage where inside temperatures were almost as cold as outside - often down to minus 65 degrees.

On a flight destined for Whitehorse, Yukon the Aries stopped briefly at the RCAF Central Navigation School in Rivers, Manitoba, where the staff was briefed on the success of the Aries flights and the utility of the Greenwich Grid. Following a stopover in Whitehorse, a direct flight was made to the EANS in England, once again successfully employing the Greenwich Grid navigation technique. Maclure was the first Canadian to reach the North Geographic Pole.

Upon completion of the Aries flights, Maclure received the Air Force Cross from the RAF in recognition of his contributions as the senior navigator directing all aspects of the Aries research flights. The US Institute of Navigation honoured him with their prestigious Thurlow Award in recognition of his “outstanding contribution to the science of navigation” in 1945. He was the first recipient of this award.

On his return to Canada in 1946, Maclure was seconded to the Arctic Section of the Defence Research Board to work on arctic navigation problems. At this time, through security de-classification and the publicized success of the Aries flights, the Greenwich Grid system gained wide recognition. During 1946 and 1947, Maclure was invited to Washington DC several times to consult with the US military on the Greenwich Grid technique. His paper on “The Arctic Flights of The Lancaster Aries”, May 1945, was published as the first article in the very first issue of the US Institute of Navigation Journal in March, 1946 - a singular tribute. He was also invited to address the Royal Geographic Society in the UK on the technical aspects of the Aries polar flights. During this time, other Aries-related articles were published in various publications.

In 1948 Maclure returned to McGill University for post-graduate studies in Physics, and acquired an M.Sc. in 1950, and a Doctorate in Nuclear Physics in 1952. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation in 1949, and in 1951 he was part of the Joint Military Commission sent to Japan to evaluate the effects of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs.

From 1952 to 1953, Maclure, now Wing Commander, served briefly as the Senior Technical Officer at RCAF Station Trenton, subsequently returning to the field of test and development as Senior Test Engineer at the Central Experimental and Proving Establishment (CEPE) at RCAF Station Rockcliffe. Promoted to Group Captain in 1958, he served at Air Force HQ as Director of Armament Engineering before being posted as the Canadian Military Attaché to Warsaw, Poland where he served for three years.

On his return to Canada in 1961, he was again seconded to the Defence Research Board, this time to the Pacific Naval Laboratory at Esquimalt, B.C. as head of the Electro-Magnetic Research Group (MRG). He was engaged in acoustic and electromagnetic research in ice-filled waters, a matter of extreme importance to RCAF Maritime anti-submarine operations. Unfortunately, because of the military sensitivity of much of his work at PNL, his contributions are not widely known outside of the military.

Maclure retired from the RCAF in November 1969, but he continued to serve for an additional two years as head of the MRG, which became known as the Defence Research Establishment Pacific (DREP). During this time he was conducting research in the Arctic on under-sea and ice experiments out of Resolute Bay, NWT. He also served as a part time lecturer in Physics at the University of Victoria. Then in 1971 he was appointed Chief of Defence Research Staff at the Canadian High Commission, London, a position he held for four years. In 1974 he was elected Vice President of the Royal Institute of Navigation. He returned to Canada in 1975, to the Defence Research Board as senior research and development planning officer. He was elected Fellow of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute in 1976. He retired in October 1979.

He and his wife Margaret raised four children, and upon retirement, they continued to live in Ottawa. A devout Christian, he devoted much of his time to church affairs and to helping the underprivileged and handicapped. He was active in many sports, especially enjoying swimming.

Group Captain Maclure died suddenly on March 28, 1988 while vacationing in Mexico.

Kenneth Cecil Maclure was inducted as a Member of Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame at ceremonies held in Edmonton, June 4, 2005.

Frank Archibald MacDougall

Birthdate: June 16, 1896
Birth Place: Toronto, Ontario
Year Inducted: 1974
Death Date: June 27, 1975

"His practical development of aircraft modification and utilization, in the protection and preservation of forested areas and wilderness parks, has been of outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."

Frank MacDougall received his primary and secondary education at Carleton Place, Ontario and attended Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario in 1915 until he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Artillery. After service in France at Vimy Ridge, MacDougall returned to Canada and finished a degree in forestry. Upon graduating, the government of Ontario hired him as assistant forester of the Pembroke and Sault Ste. Marie districts. It was at this time that MacDougall recognized the importance of using aircraft to protect and administer the province's parks and developed this type of air service which proved successful in not only detecting forest fires, but in fighting them as well. It was his department that was directly responsible for the development of water-bombing tanks used in fire fighting.

Elizabeth Muriel Gregory MacGill

Nickname: "Elsie" MacGill
Birthdate: March 27, 1905
Birth Place: Vancouver, British Columbia
Year Inducted: 1983
Death Date: November 4, 1980
Awards: OC

"Her contribution to Canadian and international design and engineering, her high honours, her resolve that led her to the top of her profession, have been of outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."

Elizabeth MacGill received her elementary and secondary education in Vancouver and then attended the University of Toronto. She was the first woman to graduate from that university with an Electrical Engineering Degree in 1927 and later attended Michigan University where she became the first woman to get her Masters Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from that university. During her career MacGill worked in aeronautical design and wrote numerous articles on aviation. In 1938 she became Chief Aeronautical Engineer at Fort William (Thunder Bay) and later established her own business as an aeronautical consultant. During WWII, MacGill was responsible for mass production of military aircraft at the Fort William plant and was also in charge of the engineering work related to the Canadian production of the Hawker Hurricane. In 1946 she became the first woman to serve as Canadian Technical Advisor to the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization, where she helped draft the international air worthiness regulation for the design and production of commercial aircraft.

Gerald Lester MacInnis

Nickname: "Gerry"
Birthdate: June 2, 1914
Birth Place: Amherst, Nova Scotia
Year Inducted: 1973
Death Date: March 6, 1991

"He has met and defeated every aeronautical challenge as both pilot and navigator in the cruellest of geographic arenas and his Arctic flights have proven to be of outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."

Gerald MacInnis was educated at Point Pleasant, Prince Edward Island and Montreal, Quebec. In 1941 he joined the RCAF and was posted with No. 116 Squadron at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. He later transferred to No. 117 Squadron and flew aerial patrols over the Gulf of St. Lawrence. During his aviation career, MacInnis also flew with Maritime Central Airways where he transported men, equipment and supplies in the construction of the DEW Line.

Donald Roderick MacLaren

Birthdate: May 28, 1893
Birth Place: Ottawa, Ontario
Year Inducted: 1977
Death Date: July 4, 1989
Awards: DSO DFC MC

"His exceptional success as a wartime aviator in the cause of peace, coupled with a succession of civil pioneering achievements as a first generation bush pilot and his dedication to purpose in fostering the growth of the Air Cadet League of Canada, despite adversity, have been of outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."

Donald MacLaren moved to Calgary, Alberta in 1898 where he attended Western Canada College, then McGill University at Montreal, Quebec before joining his family at Keg River Prairie in northern Alberta. In 1917 he joined the Royal Flying Corps in Canada and was posted to No. 46 Squadron, RFC in France where he became commander of the squadron within a year. At war's end, he transferred to the newly-formed Canadian Air Force in England and in 1921 returned to Vancouver, British Columbia where he organized Pacific Airways Limited. His company later merged with Western Canada Airways and he became superintendent of the Western Division of WCA. In 1937 he was employed by Trans-Canada Air Lines and in 1945 was named executive assistant to the president. He formed the first Air Cadet squadron at Winnipeg in 1941. MacLaren later became President of the Air Cadet League of Canada.

Merlin William MacLeod

Nickname: "Mac"
Birthdate: February 1, 1892
Birth Place: Olympia, Washington
Year Inducted: 1977
Death Date: December 12, 1959

"His engineering skills, coupled with inventive genius, an ability and willingness to explain his engineering principles, the self-set standards of perfections which he himself met and which he demanded of others, have been of outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."

Merlin MacLeod moved to Vancouver, British Columbia with his family in 1910. He joined Canadian Airways Limited at Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1929 as a flight mechanic and worked with bush pilots in Canada's northland. In 1937 he was employed by Trans-Canada Air Lines at Winnipeg as an air engineer, before moving to Dorval, Quebec as superintendent of production overhaul. Among his inventions were the development of the cross-over exhaust system (which provided remarkable noise reduction in the cabin of the North Star Aircraft), pneumatic de-icers, emergency fuel systems and hydraulic and lubrication systems. His development of a cowl flap substantially benefited Canadian air transport and was used internationally by aircraft manufacturers and operators. MacLeod also introduced new instruction methods in job handling and personnel training.

Kenneth Barry Marsden

Birthdate: June 15, 1939
Birth Place: Vancouver, British Columbia
Year Inducted: 2009

“His visionary leadership has made Conair Group a world leader in the development of aerial fire control services, and Cascade Aerospace a specialist in fleet management, maintenance and modification services, resulting in major contributions to Canada’s aviation industry.”

Barry Marsden, D. of T. (Hon), was born on June 15, 1939 in Vancouver, British Columbia. As a child he attended school in Creston, BC. When he was growing up he was fascinated by airplanes, and by 1954 he was holding flag markers in farm fields for agricultural spray planes to aim at.

He earned his pilot licence in 1958 at Skyway Air Services of Langley, BC. He attended the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology’s Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Program, then began his aviation career as a mechanic and pilot at Skyway.

In 1969 Marsden was a co-founder of Conair Aviation Ltd., which was formed as a spin-off from Skyway Air Services. There he assumed successive positions, including Chief Pilot, Superintendent of Flight Operations, and Director of Operations. He logged more than 3,500 hours in aerial forest fire suppression and specialty spraying operations, including spruce budworm control.

Under his leadership, Conair evolved from an aerial fire control operator to become a world leader in the development of fire control aircraft and products. The Conair Firecat was developed by modifying the Grumman S-2 Tracker military surplus aircraft. The first Firecat was modified in 1978, and the first turbine engine Turbo Firecat, in 1988. In the early 1980's, the French government ordered its first fire fighting aircraft from Conair, which Marsden ferried to the south coast of France. Subsequently, France has purchased 32 Airtankers, including Firecats, Turbo Firecats, F-27 and Q400-MR Airtankers. France became one of many countries whose fire protection agencies adopted Conair's’Inital Attack' method of safely fighting the fires from the air.

During the 1970’s and 1980’s, Conair expanded significantly, and added a helicopter division to support its forest management operations and provide services for mining exploration and seismic work. Today, the fire control section operates more than 60 aircraft, primarily in Western Canada and Alaska. This fleet includes a variety of land-based retardant-carrying Airtankers, water-scooping Airtankers and Bird Dog aircraft.

In 1991 Marsden became President and Chief Executive Officer of Conair. By then the company was maintaining its own fleet of over 90 fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft, and Conair began to offer maintenance, repair and overhaul services to other operators.Marsden soon envisioned the expansion of Conair’s aircraft third-party maintenance business, and in 2000 built a state-of-the-art, 250,000 square foot hangar at the Abbotsford International Airport. This new facility iscapable of holding eight Boeing 737 aircraft at any one time. The company changed its name from Conair Aerospace toCascade Aerospace in 2001, with Marsden as CEO. Today, Cascade Aerospace has more than 650 professionals providing services to some of the largest airlines in North America, including Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and WestJet, as well as several major aircraft leasing companies.

Always looking for new opportunities and wanting to enter the military aircraft realm,Marsden and his Cascade team assembled several world class C-130 expert partners in 2004. They won a major contract to manage Canada's fleet of 32 C-130s for the Department of National Defence in 2005. This contract goes far beyond maintenance, repair and overhaul of the aircraft. It includes fleet management, all of the engineering, modification design and installations, field maintenance support and parts and supply chain management.

Marsden is currently Chairman of the Board for both Conair Group and Cascade Aerospace. These two well-respected and thriving businesses employ more than 800 people and substantially contribute to the local economy and to the aviation and aerospace industries in Canada, particularly in BC.

Marsden is an innovator, interested in furthering aerospace education. Heworked in partnership with University College of the Fraser Valley, UCFV,to develop the Technician Programs in Aircraft Structures and Aircraft Interiors. Thisinnovative model for educating students is succeeding in meeting aerospace industry needs. Conair has provided UCFV with one of its hangars to house its programs, giving it a permanent training base with room to expand its programs.

Marsden is deeply committed to the aviation and aerospace industries and to the community, and has served a variety of organizations including:

• Past Chairman and Board member of theAerospace Industry Association of Canada

• Director of theAbbotsford Airport Authority

• Director of the Industry Training Authority for the Province of British Columbia

Marsden has received many honours for his effective leadership, including the Outstanding Achievement Award in Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul which he won in 2003 at Aviation Week’s industry conference in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

In 2004 the University College of the Fraser Valley bestowed on him an Honorary Doctor of Technology degree for his long-term contribution to the Canadian aerospace industry. In 2006 he received the prestigious Médaille de L’Aéronautique from the Government of France for his innovative leadership and ability to meet the needs of the government of France for almost 30 years.In 2007 the BC Aviation Council presented him with an Honorary Lifetime Membership and the Chairman’s Award of Excellence for his substantial contribution to the aviation and aerospace industries in the province.

Barry Marsden is married to Karen, who has been especially supportive of his two older daughters, Darsi and Danielle and their children. Barry and Karenhave two daughters, Kristina and Michelle. They enjoy visiting with his seven grandchildren, who live nearby.

Marsden is a life-long boating enthusiast and spends as much time as he can navigating the coastal waters. He also enjoys fishing. He still loves to fly and recently flew a Boeing Stearman bi-plane, the same type in which he first learned to fly some 49 years ago. He is acknowledged as a man of vision and dedication. He personifies the qualities of an exceptional leader and entrepreneur, constantly striving for excellence with innovative ideas, energy and integrity.

Barry Marsden was inducted as a Member of Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame at ceremonies held in Wetaskiwin, Alberta on May 30, 2009.

2009 Induction Video - Biography of Kenneth Barry Marsden

Wilfrid Reid May

Nickname: "Wop" May
Birthdate: March 20, 1896
Birth Place: Carberry, Manitoba
Year Inducted: 1974
Death Date: June 21, 1952
Awards: OBE DFC

"The continued offering of his aeronautical brilliance in the cruellest geographic arenas, his total dedication to the cause of uniting people through air transport, and his numerous and humane contributions, have been of outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."

Wilfrid Reid (Wop) May, O.B.E., D.F.C., was born at Carberry, Manitoba on March 20, 1896. He moved with his family to Edmonton, Alberta in 1902 and attended school in Edmonton and Calgary. He left college in Calgary in 1916 to enlist with the 202nd City of Edmonton Sportsman's Battalion, and gained the rank of Sergeant Gunner. After a brief period of service in France he transferred in 1917 to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and earned his wings at the Royal Flying Corps School of Instruction (Acton). He took higher instruction with 94 Squadron, RFC. With 54 1/2 hours flying time logged, Lieutenant May was posted to the RFC 209th (9th Naval) Squadron in France on April 9th, 1918 as a fighter pilot.

On April 20, 1918, during an aerial engagement over enemy territory, he shot down one aircraft before Manfred von Richtofen, the Red Baron, attacked him. With his guns jammed, he retreated towards home with the German "Ace" on his tail. Squadron Leader A. Roy Brown of the 209th Squadron shot down the Red Baron.

At war's end, Captain May had destroyed 13 enemy aircraft, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for disregard of personal danger during his time as a fighter pilot.

In 1919 he returned to Edmonton and joined his brother Court in forming May Airplanes Limited, the first air service at Edmonton. He made the first commercial flight from May Field in Edmonton on June 2, 1919. The company engaged in barnstorming activities in Alberta and Saskatchewan and operated a flying school in Edmonton. In 1920 he received Canadian pilot's license No.7 and Air Mechanics License No.1. In 1921 he was granted a commission in the Canadian Air Force and completed a refresher course in navigation at Camp Borden, Ontario. He persuaded Imperial Oil Limited to use freighter aircraft for their Northwest Territories oil operations at Fort Norman. He and George Gorman ferried the company's two Junkers JL-6 Monoplanes from New York to Edmonton. During the next two years he flew commercially for May-Gorman Airplanes Limited, and began flying passengers into the Peace River District of Alberta.

His unshakeable faith in Edmonton's air future encouraged him to locate and establish Canada's first commercial aerodrome at Blatchford Field in 1927. The same year he founded the Edmonton and Northern Alberta Aero Club, and was named its first President and Chief Pilot. Soon he was part of the founding of Commercial Airways at Edmonton and became their Chief Pilot. The company was awarded the Mackenzie River district airmail contract and he led a flight of five aircraft on the first air mail flight to the Arctic. He was pilot of one of the three aircraft that went on to Aklavik. The 1,600 mile flight was the first winter air voyage to the Arctic.

On January 3, 1929, he and co-pilot Vic Horner flew a two-seater aircraft on wheels with open cockpit from Edmonton to Fort Vermilion, Alberta, a distance of some 600 miles, over trackless and sparsely inhabited country and for the most part through thick weather in temperatures down to -33F. The flight was performed at the request of the Alberta government for the purpose of carrying diphtheria anti-toxin to combat a potential outbreak at the isolated post of Little Red River. Urgent action was necessary and no other means of transport would have been rapid enough to meet the need. The flight was successful, and the serum did the job. The humane aerial drama captured the attention of the world press and gave further stature to Canadian "Bush Pilots". A series of mercy flights followed at the request of the Alberta Provincial Department of Health, resulting in the saving of human life. His heroism was rewarded with civic and provincial honours.

Commercial Airways was absorbed by Canadian Airways in 1931, and Wop, and his wife Vi were transferred to Fort McMurray, Alberta. He served as a Pilot for the northern services, carried airmail to communities in Northern Alberta and in 1932 the Royal Canadian Mounted Police commissioned him to work with them in the search for the man known as the "Mad Trapper". The 16-day aerial quest took him to Aklavik and through the Mackenzie Mountains ferrying passengers, food and gear to the searchers. After spotting the "Mad Trapper" and the posse from the air, he and Mechanic Jack Bowen watched the final shoot-out, and later he took a wounded man, the RCMP Inspector and the body of the "Mad Trapper" back to Aklavik.

In 1935, he was appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his numerous achievements to Canadian Aviation. The following year he was appointed Superintendent of the Mackenzie River district of Canadian Airways and was posted back of Edmonton.

Early in World War II he was appointed supervisor of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan schools in Western Canada. He also served as General Manager of #2 Air Observer School at Edmonton from 1942 to 1946. During this time he conceived the idea of aerial rescue crews to assist fliers who went down in northern British Columbia and the Yukon en route to Siberia. He recruited and trained a team of para-medics who volunteered their services to parachute into crash sites. The lives of many airmen were saved and for this the United States Government awarded him the Medal of Freedom with Bronze Palm in 1947.

In 1947, Wop May was appointed Director of Northern Development by Canadian Pacific Airlines, with the task to open air bases in the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, Alaska and northern British Columbia. In 1949 he was transferred to Vancouver as "Director of Development" for Canadian Pacific Airlines and for two years worked to open bases in the Far East and the South Pacific.

In 1951, he was transferred to Calgary as Manager of Canadian Pacific Airlines (Repairs) Ltd., and undertook the task of forming the company, recruiting employees and building the operation at RCAF Station Lincoln Park into a viable operation. The task was to retrieve, repair and test aircraft that had crashed.

On June 21, 1952 while hiking with his son, Denny, to Timpanagos Cave National Monument near Provo, Utah, Wop May died of a stroke at age 56.

Wop May has been honoured many times. The Government of the Northwest Territories named him to the Esteemed Brotherhood of the Silver Wings and the Yukon Government awarded him the Order of Polaris with Bar. Hall of Fame Member Max Ward named three of his aircraft (Boeing 707, Douglas DC-10 and Airbus A-310) the "W.R. "Wop" May". Pacific Western Airlines named it's Boeing 727 the "Wop May". The house occupied by Vi and Wop May is preserved in the Historic Park in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

W.R. May was named a Member of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 1974 with the following citation:

"The continued offering of his aeronautical brilliance in the cruelest geographic arenas, his total dedication to the cause of uniting people through air transport, and his numerous and humane contributions, have been of outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."

William Sydney May

Birthdate: December 24, 1909
Birth Place: Madawaska, Ontario
Year Inducted: 1979
Death Date: July 29, 1981

"With superlative mastery of all aspects of aircraft flight, he has displayed the highest order of professionalism over four decades, with results that have been of outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."

William Sidney May was born at Madawaska, Ontario on December 24. 1909. He was educated at Melville, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he worked as an apprentice for Canadian National Railways. In 1930, he commenced flying instruction at the Northwest Aero Marine, subsequently becoming manager and instructor for that company until it was taken over by Wings Limited of Winnipeg. After several years of instructing, barnstorming and charter flying, in 1935 he worked his way to England and was hired as a pilot by Imperial Airways Limited.

In 1936 he was assigned as First Officer aboard the line's new Short Brothers flying boats and two years later received his own command. In this, the largest aircraft of its type in world service, he flew established routes from England to Singapore, south Africa, Palestine, the Persian Gulf and Karachi. On the eastern route he was called upon to land on the Sea of Galilee, then fly across five hundred miles of open desert. His southward route carried him down the Nile River to Mozambique and Durban in Africa.

within five years with the company he had risen to command of pilot training with British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), which had absorbed Imperial Airways in 1939. During this period he had flown all of the company's routes as Captain-in-Command and had earned licences for navigation, engineering and wireless operation.

In 1950, when Britain was at war with Germany, he captained the first flying boat from Lisbon, Portugal, down the west coast of Africa to Nigeria and into the Belgian Congo, to prove an alternate route to the one now covered by the enemy.

The following year he was assigned to the Return Service Ferry Command at Montreal, Quebec, an organization operated by BOAC personnel, and administered by the Royal Air Force (RAF). His job was to pilot high priority passengers and cargo to Britain across the North Atlantic Ocean, returning with pilots whom had previously ferried operational aircraft to the United Kingdom. By the end of World War II he had completed 280 flights across the Atlantic in modified Liberator bombers.

His foresight and planning caused the RAF to select Reykjavik, Iceland as a refueling point for westbound flights, required because of strong headwinds encountered during most of the year. He then commanded the first ferry flight to that airport.

During the latter stages of the war, he captained a Liberator bomber over the 2,200 mile route from Newfoundland to Great Britain, in six hours and 20 minutes, a speed record that lasted until the introduction of jet aircraft onto that route. In 1949 he completed flight training of the Stratocrusier at Boeing Commercial Airplane Company at Seattle, Washington. He then took delivery of BOAC's first such aircraft and ferried it to England, before training flight crews to fly that model.

A desire to return to Canada prompted his return to Calgary, Alberta in 1951, his retirement from BOAC and his acceptance of a new position with Canadian Pacific Airlines at their repair depot. In this role he test flew a number of different aircraft types. The following year he accepted a position with Queen Charlotte Airlines to establish new routes along the coast between British Columbia and the Arctic Sea.

After qualifying as captain of a Boeing 737, with 41 years of experience and 29, 000 flying hours, he retired from active piloting to take charge of Pacific Western Airlines Flight simulator program at Vancouver, British Columbia. In 1975, he retired from active aviation.

At the time of his retirement William May held a Canadian Air Transport and Engineer's licence, and a British Airline Transport, Navigator's, Engineer's, and Wireless Operator's licences. He was awarded a Master Air Pilot's licence by the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators of Great Britain in 1966. He died on July 29, 1981

He was elected a Member of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 1978 with the following citation:

"With superlative mastery of all aspects of aircraft flight, he has displayed the highest order of professionalism over four decades, with results that have been of outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."

Fred Robert Gordon McCall

Birthdate: December 4, 1895
Birth Place: Vernon, British Columbia
Year Inducted: 1978
Death Date: January 22, 1949
Awards: DSO MC DFC

"His exquisite mastery of primitive military aeronautics and his dedication to opening new routes of air travel through mountainous areas, have been of outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."

Fred McCall moved to Calgary, Alberta in 1906, completed his education there and joined the 175th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1916. He arrived in England and was transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in France. By the end of 1917, he flew reconnaissance and photographic missions. During his aviation career in the war, McCall transferred to numerous squadrons and shot down several hostile aircraft. At war's end he established McCall Aero Company Limited at Calgary and flew commercial freight and passengers throughout the prairie provinces. He later organized Great Western Airways Limited at Calgary and pioneered a mountain air route linking Calgary, Banff, Fernie and Golden. With this firm, McCall transported, for the first time by air, 200 quarts of nitro-glycerine from Shelby, Montana to Calgary to an oil-drilling operation.

Donald Stuart McClure

Birthdate: January 5, 1923
Birth Place: Moncton, New Brunswick
Year Inducted: 2002
Death Date: April 19, 2008

"His outstanding dedication to the advancement of flight training, coupled with his tireless efforts to teach and inspire the youth of Canada through the Air Cadet League, have been of major benefit to Canadians."

Donald Stuart McClure of Shediac, NB. Mr. McClure was awarded the Yorath Trophy by the Royal Canadian Flying Clubs an unprecedented sixteen times over his aviation career of more than sixty years. His long association with the Air Cadet movement, excellence in the area of flight instruction and dedication to the preservation of Canada's aviation history through his involvement with the CAHS number only a few in his long list of accomplishments and contributions.

Charles Eric McConachie

Birthdate: April 8, 1927
Birth Place: Edmonton, Alberta
Year Inducted: 2005

“His creative aptitude as an innovator, his skills as a market analyst, and his success in initiating the concept of the Regional Jet and following it through to test flight have greatly benefited aviation in Canada.”

Eric McConachie began his aviation career by joining his older brother, Grant, with CP Air. In 1958, McConachie left the company to join Canadair Ltd. During his nine years at Canadair, he was directly involved in development and marketing of the CL-540, CL-41 Tutor, the CL-44D4 Swing Tail cargo aircraft, CL-91 Dynatrac/Army XM-571 and CL-89 surveillance drone, CL-84 Dynavert, and CL-215 Water Bomber. Following the purchase of Canadair by Bombardier, McConachie suggested to the company that it take Canadair’s successful Challenger executive jet and stretch it into a passenger airliner. The introduction of the RJ has been claimed by some to be one of the most significant events in the first 100 years of aviation.

George William Grant McConachie

Birthdate: April 24, 1909
Birth Place: Hamilton, Ontario
Year Inducted: 1974
Death Date: June 29, 1965

"His dedication to purpose bridged all barriers, linking this continent with others and resulting in outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."

Grant McConachie grew up in Edmonton, Alberta and earned a private pilot's license in 1929 and his commercial license in 1930. He became chief pilot of Independent Airways at Edmonton, Alberta, a company he co-founded, then became president and general manager. Through his aerial exploration, both the Alaska highway and CANOL Project came to earlier and successful conclusions. His company utilized the radio compass and the first multi-engined aircraft. McConachie later became president of Canadian Pacific Airlines (a conglomerate of many smaller airlines) where he directed the launching of seven more international routes to Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Holland, Portugal and Spain.

John Alexander Douglas McCurdy

Birthdate: August 12, 1886
Birth Place: Baddeck, Nova Scotia
Year Inducted: 1973
Death Date: June 25, 1961
Awards: MBE

"The dedication of his engineering talents to the development of manned flight was a prime factor in the birth of North America's aviation industry and has proven to be of outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."

John McCurdy was educated at Baddeck Academy and in Ontario at the University of Toronto. He became a partner in the Aerial Experiment Association, formed by Alexander Graham Bell and worked on the design and construction of their first aircraft, the Red Wing. On February 23, 1909 he completed the first heavier-than-air machine flight in Canada. McCurdy also made the first ocean flight from Florida to Cuba and sent and received the first messages while aloft in 1911. He opened Canada's first aviation school and was chiefly responsible for the founding of the Royal Canadian Air Force along with W. G. Barker and W. A. Bishop.

Gordon Roy McGregor

Birthdate: September 26, 1901
Birth Place: Montreal, Quebec
Year Inducted: 1974
Death Date: March 3, 1971
Awards: CC OBE DFC

"His dedication to the linking together of this nation's far-flying communities by a national air service, has been of outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."

Gordon McGregor was educated at St. Andrew's College, Toronto, Ontario and graduated from McGill University at Montreal in 1923 with a degree in Engineering. His flying career began at Kingston, Ontario in 1932 and the following year he gained his pilot's license at Ottawa. He served as a fighter pilot during the Battle of Britain in which he downed numerous enemy aircraft. After the war, McGregor worked for Trans-Canada Air Lines at Montreal and three years later was named president. He also became the principal figure in guiding the airline through its difficult years of expansion, with the result that Air Canada, as it was renamed in 1965, became one of the world's leading carriers.

Robert Billo McIntyre

Birthdate: August 12, 1913
Birth Place: Toronto, Ontario
Year Inducted: 2006
Death Date: September 23, 1985

"The combination of his knowledge of mechanical and aeronautical engineering, his superior communication and marketing skills, together with his vision and perseverance, have contributed greatly to the lasting success of de Havilland Canada internationally and to the entire Canadian aviation community."

Robert McIntyre devoted a lifetime of skill, endeavour and passion on behalf of the Canadian aerospace industry, and made a significant contribution to each de Havilland Canada aircraft production program and major department, from the Mosquito in World War 2 to the Dash 8 program, in production to this day.

2006 Induction Video - Biography of Robert Billo McIntyre

Daniel Erskine McIvor

Birthdate: August 30, 1911
Birth Place: Killarney, Manitoba
Year Inducted: 2002
Death Date: February 24, 2005

"His pioneering vision and unswerving determination to fight forest fires from the air, preventing untold loss of property and lives, have been of substantial benefit to Canadians."

Daniel Erskine McIvor of Richmond, BC. Mr. McIvor's aviation career spanned over 35 years and he logged over 11, 000 hours as pilot. Among his many accomplishments he is probably best know as the "Father of the Mars Waterbombers". His determination and foresight were tested and proven with the selection, conversion and operation of these huge aircraft for aerial fire suppression.

Alexander Daniel McLean

Nickname: "Dan" McLean
Birthdate: January 31, 1896
Birth Place: Maxville, Ontario
Year Inducted: 1974
Death Date: May 16,1969
Awards: OBE

"The total commitment of his aeronautical expertise to improving this nation's airways and airports has resulted in outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."

Alexander McLean moved to Innisfail, Alberta in 1907 and attended school in Calgary. He enlisted in 1917 in the Royal Flying Corps and was ordered to England where he served as a flying instructor until war's end. While attending the University of Alberta at Edmonton during 1919, he joined the Canadian Air Force Reserve. In 1929 the Canadian government gained his services as Inspector of the Western Airways. He organized construction of the first airways system on the prairies and completed an aerial survey of a Rocky Mountain flyway to Vancouver, British Columbia from Alberta via the Crow's Nest Pass. During 1935 he initiated a survey of possible airways through northwest Canada into Alaska and at the time of WWII, was responsible for the development of all airports provided for the BCATP. During his career, McLean also saw to the construction of a chain of airports complete with night-lighting, weather reports and radio services, which proved vital to the aviation industry.

Walter McDonald McLeish

Birthdate: September 28, 1920
Birthplace: Verdun, Quebec
Year Inducted: 2003
Death Date:January 5, 2004

"His contributions to the military as an aeronautical engineer, and his many years of outstanding leadership in civil aviation administration have been of lasting benefit to Canadian aviation."

Walter McDonald McLeish, C.D., B.Eng., M.Eng.(Aeronautical), of Baltimore, Maryland. Mr. McLeish’s career spanned the development and expansion of civil aviation in Canada. His vision for civil aviation while employed by Transport Canada led him to introduce many of the standard systems and safety procedures that are used today. Through his efforts, Canada became a world leader in aviation development.

Alan Arnett McLeod

Birthdate: April 20, 1899
Birth Place: Stonewall, Manitoba
Year Inducted: 1974
Death Date: November 6, 1918
Awards: VC

"His winning of the Victoria Cross in aerial combat must be regarded as one of the most outstanding contributions possible to Canadian aviation."

Alan McLeod enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps and completed his training in August 1917. He sailed for England and joined No. 51 Squadron, RFC as Lieutenant. He was Mentioned in Despatches for a daring operation on January 14, 1918 when he and his observer, Lieutenant Reginald Key attacked and brought down a heavily defended observational balloon. Lieutenant McLeod earned his Victoria Cross while piloting a bomber over France, before his 19th birthday.

Stanley Ransom McMillan

Nickname: "Stan" McMillan
Birthdate: October 3, 1904
Birth Place: Dryden, Ontario
Year Inducted: 1974
Death Date: March 4, 1991

"He has made outstanding contributions to Canadian aviation by the unselfish application of his exceptional skills as a pilot and navigator, despite adversity, and was instrumental in designing new operational procedures in northern Canada that have benefited this nation's growth."

Stanley McMillan moved to Edmonton, Alberta where he learned to fly with the RCAF Reserve in 1925. He joined the RCAF in 1927 and flew on northern Canadian operations for two years. He then joined Dominion Explorers Limited as a pilot, probing unmapped Arctic regions. In 1929 he shared with another pilot the honour of being the first airmen to penetrate the Barren Lands and during a downed geological expedition, he and his party trekked across frozen Arctic Ocean channels to the safety of the isolated outpost of Cambridge Bay. During his career McMillan flew with Commercial Airways, Canadian Airways Limited and Mackenzie Air Services and in doing so made the first commercial link with Alaska Airlines in 1935 and flew numerous mercy missions. In 1946, he flew aerial photographic surveys for Arctic Airlines, then formed Air Surveys Ltd. with a partner and continued survey flights for the Canadian government until 1952.

Archibald Major McMullen

Nickname: "Archie" McMullen
Birthdate: July 29, 1906
Birth Place: Gilbert Plains, Manitoba
Year Inducted: 1973
Death Date: June 13, 1983

"His quest for perfection as an Arctic airman, despite adversity, helped make the term "bush pilot" synonymous with "resourcefulness" and has been of outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."

Archibald McMullen moved to Nanton, Alberta as a child and lived in several of the province's communities. He joined F. R. McCall as a mechanic in 1927 and formed Great Western Airways at Bowness, Alberta. The firm gained a distributorship for de Havilland aircraft and later formed a flying school. In 1930 Commercial Airways was absorbed by Canadian Airways and McMullen completed numerous inaugural airmail flights. In 1937 he joined Mackenzie Air Services and helped search for the missing Levanevsky party. In 1940, he served as a test pilot of repaired aircraft used in the BCATP. His experience on various aircraft types under punishing circumstances were put to use in Canada's north as a check pilot for Canadian Pacific Airlines. He oversaw the flying abilities of the line's pilots in the Edmonton district as well as those on air operations during construction of the DEW Line radar bases on the rim of the Arctic Ocean.

Robert Wendell McNair

Nickname: "Buck" McNair
Birthdate: May 15, 1919
Birth Place: Springhill, Nova Scotia
Death Date: January 15, 1971
Year Inducted: 1990
Awards: DSO DFC CD

"His leadership, courage, dedication and his indomitable will to survive were manifestations of his contribution to Canadian aviation."

Robert McNair grew up in North Battleford, Saskatchewan and was employed as a ground wireless operator. He enrolled in the RCAF in June 1940 and graduated as a pilot in March 1941. He transferred to Malta where he destroyed five enemy aircraft and damaged eight others and scored several more hits during a fierce air battle in his Spitfire over Dieppe. McNair became Squadron Leader in early 1943 of 416 Squadron and then 421 Squadron and in doing so, added eight more victories to his name. McNair's courage and bravery exhibited in WWII carried through to his civil service when in 1953, the North Star aircraft on which he was traveling as Senior Officer crashed at Sea Island, British Columbia. Although injured and soaked in gasoline, he managed to rescue and account for all passengers and crew members.

Bert William Mead

Birthdate: May 21, 1923
Birth Place: Vermilion, Alberta
Year Inducted: 1974
Awards: CD

"His record can be matched only by those airmen of high endeavour and professional calling, who have devoted their lives and skills to the benefit of the free world despite adversity, and whose contributions have substantially benefited Canadian aviation."

Bert Mead attended school in Vermillion, Alberta and later went to the University of Alberta. He enlisted in the RCAF in 1943 and graduated as a pilot in 1944. He later resigned from the RCAF to enrol in the Royal Navy as a sub-Lieutenant pilot and after the war's end, transferred to the VX-10 Squadron of Royal Canadian Navy. During this time Mead was responsible for flight testing the world's first successful automatic take-off and landing system. The project permitted military aircraft to depart from or land on an aircraft carrier in any weather, in any type of sea. He also test flew numerous types of aircraft and helped to develop the hovercraft search and rescue unit at Vancouver, British Columbia. He then joined the Ministry of Transport as the commander of the Vancouver-based Air Cushion Vehicle (ACV) search and rescue unit, where over 230 rescue missions were performed at sea by the group. He was the country's first qualified ACV pilot and assisted in writing the regulations governing their operation.

Almer Leonard Michaud

Birthdate: March 9, 1914
Birth Place: New Westminster, British Columbia
Year Inducted: 1993
Death Date: October 20, 1998

"His insistence on operational integrity and service as well as his organizational skills in both charter and scheduled airlines along with his dedication to safety in the industry has shaped the country's policy and been of considerable benefit to Canadian aviation."

Almer Michaud was educated in the Langley, B.C. area and learned to fly from his brother, Lloyd, during WWII. He joined the RCAF in 1940 and served as staff pilot at No. 2 Air Observers School in Edmonton, Alberta and No. 5 Air Observers School in Winnipeg, Manitoba. At war's end, Michaud and his brother bought out Gilbert's Flying Services and started up their own charter business. This venture proved successful and by 1973, their company, West Coast Air Services in Vancouver, had formed the first commuter connector partnership in Canada. Michaud also developed rules for air safety and prepared the Regional Air Carrier policy.

Robert Bruce Middleton

Birthdate: May 5, 1912
Birth Place: Fort Francis, Ontario
Year Inducted: 1989
Death Date: March 24, 1970
Awards: AFC

"His broad experience gained in thirty-five years of civil and military aviation has been passed on for the outstanding benefit of Canadian aviation."

Robert Middleton moved with his family to Australia in 1920 but returned to Manitoba two years later and lived in several Manitoba towns. In 1928 he took flying lessons and attained his private pilot's license in 1932. He earned his commercial certificate later that same year. Middleton was anxious to join the RAF and although refused in Canada, his attempt to join the Force in England proved successful. In 1936 Middleton began flying for Imperial Airways and in 1937 began to work for Trans-Canada Air Lines. In December 1937 he became one of the founding members of the Canadian Air Line Pilot's Association. At the onset of WWII, Middleton became Wing Commander of No. 164 Squadron and in 1943 was placed "In Command" of 168 Mail Squadron, carrying airmail overseas. In December 1944 Middleton piloted the first flight of mail to the UK and the Middle East.

Lawrence Joseph Milberry

Birthdate: October 30, 1943
Birthplace: Haileybury, Ontario
Year Inducted: 2004

“As one of Canada’s foremost aviation historians and one of the most successful and influential publishers of Canadian aviation history, he has made a significant and prodigious contribution to the recording of Canada’s aviation history, meticulously documenting with photographs the role that aviation has played in the development of Canada.”

Larry Milberry BA, M.Ed., of Toronto, ON. Born in 1943, Milberry is one of Canada’s foremost aviation historians and one of the most successful and influential publishers of Canadian aviation history. He has made a significant and prodigious contribution to the recording of Canada’s aviation history, meticulously documenting, with photographs, the role that aviation has played in the development of our country. He wrote his first book, Aviation in Canada, in 1979, then established his own publishing company, CANAV Books, and has written and published many of his own books, such as The Canadair North Star, Air Transport in Canada, and Canada’s Air Force (a four-volume set). Milberry has published works by other notable Canadian aviation historians, as well as several he has co-authored with other distinguished researchers. He was recognized by the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute by appointment as Honourary Fellow.

Vi Milstead Warren

Birth date: October 17, 1919
Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario
Year Inducted: 2010
Awards: Member of the Order of Canada

“During the Second World War she served with the Air Transport Auxiliary in Great Britain, flying 47 different types of aircraft, including trainers, fighters and bombers from factories to airfields as the longest serving Canadian woman pilot with the ATA. Later, she flew as a flying instructor and as one of Canada's first female bush pilots, a role model for women seeking careers in aviation."

Vi Milstead Warren started flying with lessons as a teenager, soon earned her private and commercial pilot licenses, and by 1941 she was one of Canada’s first female flying instructors. When civilian flying was suspended during the Second World War, in 1942 Vi was hired to fly in England with the Air Transport Auxiliary and achieved the rank of First Officer. She ferried military aircraft for the RAF between factories and assembly plants and to active service squadrons, From April 1943 to July 1945, Vi flew 47 different types of aircraft as a pilot serving the ATA.


Returning home to Ontario, Vi was working as a flying instructor when she met fellow pilot Arnold Warren, destined to become her husband. She found work as Canada’s first female bush pilot, and in that capacity flew prospectors, miners, lumberjacks, hunters and fishermen to remote locations in the North. In 1950 she and Arnold reactivated the Windsor Flying Club. After a twelve-year stretch of wartime andcommercial flying, Vi continued flying for pleasure while working with the Ontario Water Commission until her retirement in 1973. Honoured as a pilot and role model for women in aviation, Vi was inducted as a Member of the Order of Canada in 2004.

Vi checking her Fairchild Husky Vi with one of her favourite aircraft - the de Haviland Mosquito Climbing into the cockpit of a Harvard Vi Milstead Warren Vi with some of her fellow ATA pilots

2010 Induction Video - Biography of Vi Milstead Warren

Jack Moar

Birth date: August 13, 1905
Birth Place: Maniwaki, Quebec
Year Inducted: 1974
Death Date: April 26, 1977

"His contributions as an airman in converting wilderness areas into habitable communities, and his pioneering night airmail flights to improve the nation's communications system, despite adversity have been of outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."

Jack Moar attended school at Semans and Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and learned to fly with the RCAF in 1924. In 1929 he resigned from the RCAF to join Western Canada Airways and when WCA instituted the night airmail service across the prairies, he piloted the inaugural flight. In 1937 Moar, with several other pilots, formed Skylines Express Limited where he scheduled air services between Toronto, Ontario and Winnipeg, Manitoba to service the mining communities. The following year he became operations manager of Yukon Southern Air Transport based at Edmonton, Alberta and later joined Aircraft Repair Limited in Edmonton.

Angus Curran Morrison

Birthdate: April 22, 1919
Birth Place: Toronto, Ontario
Year Inducted: 1989
Date of Death: June 30, 2003

"His dedication to the betterment of the Air Transport Industry has been of outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."

Angus Morrison, educated at Upper Canada and Bishop's College, served with the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps in the UK, North Africa and Italy and became a pilot before demobilization. He founded and operated his own firm, Atlas Aviation Ltd., in 1947 in Ottawa, Ontario. In 1962 he became president of the Air Transport Association of Canada (ATAC) where he lobbied for more liberal government regulations of Canadian air transportation and aviation training. He established the Instructor Refresher Courses which were jointly developed by the RCFCA and ATAC.

Redford Henry Mulock

Nickname: "Red" Mulock
Birthdate: August 11, 1886
Birth Place: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Year Inducted: 2010
Death Date: January 23, 1966
Awards: CBE, DSO and Bar

"In the First World War, he served in the Royal Naval Air Service and was both the first Canadian and first RNAS member to become a fighter pilot ace. Recognized for his leadership qualities as well as his skill, he displayed 'indefatigable zeal and energy,' with increased responsibility as the highest ranking Canadian airman in the war, and post-was continued his association with military and civil aviation."

Redford Henry "Red" Mulock graduated in engineering from McGill University in Montreal, joined the army in August 1914 and was shipped overseas. In January 1915 he transferred to the Royal Naval Air Service, received his pilot's certificate and was commissioned as a Flight Sub-Lieutenant. By May he was flying in combat, carrying out fighter patrols, photo reconnaissance, directing naval gunfire and using parachute flares to spot artillery fire at night. On September 6, 1915, Red Mulock was the first Canadian pilot to attack a submarine. He became the first Canadian ace and the first RNAS pilot to score five victories or more.

In 1916, Red was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, and with the formation of No. 3 Naval Squadron, he was appointed as commanding officer. Still flying in battle, he was awarded a bar to his DSO. His responsibilities and rank continued to rise and with the joining of the RNAS and the Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force, he became a group caption in charge of a bomber group. following the war he was honoured as a Commander of the British Empire. Red Mulock then joined Canadian Airways Limited and rose to the rank of Air Commodore in the RCAF Reserve.

2010 Induction Video - Biography of Redford "Red" Henry Mulock

Raymond Alan Munro

Nickname: "Ray" Munro
Birthdate: July 14, 1921
Birth Place: Montreal, Quebec
Year Inducted: 1974
Death Date: May 29, 1994
Awards: CM

"He has consistently displayed a dogged persistence in overcoming every aeronautical challenge facing him, and despite adversity has made outstanding contributions to Canadian aviation in several areas of flight."

Raymond Munro was educated in Canada and the United States and commenced flying at Toronto, Ontario in 1937 and joined the RCAF in 1940. During his career in aviation, Munro was posted as a Spitfire pilot for day intruder work in France and bomber escort duty, then served as a night fighter pilot on the North Sea patrol. Following this he became a flying newsman for 17 years. He was later selected as Expo ' 67 Polar Ambassador and flew a single-engine aircraft through the high Arctic to honour Canada's pioneer bush pilots. He is one of Canada's most distinguished parachutists and holds the highest international license. He made 528 descents by day and night as chief instructor and design tester for North American Parachute Company.

Andrew Charles Mynarski

Nickname: "Andy" Mynarski
Birthdate: October 14, 1916
Birth Place: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Year Inducted: 1974
Death Date: June 12, 1944
Awards: VC

"His winning of the Victoria Cross in aerial combat must be regarded as one of the most outstanding contributions possible to Canadian aviation."

Andrew Mynarski was educated at Winnipeg, Manitoba and later employed as a leather worker. He enlisted in the Winnipeg Rifles in 1940 and transferred to the RCAF the following year. In 1942 he trained as an air gunner. He transferred to No. 9 Squadron, RAF and in 1944 joined No. 419 Squadron where he complete 12 operational flights. During service with this squadron, Mynarski was awarded the Victoria Cross. On June 12, 1944 Mynarski and the crew aboard a Lancaster bomber were sent to attack a target at Cambrai in France. The aircraft came under heavy attack and both engines failed. As the plane lost altitude, the crew bailed out while Mynarski tried to save the rear gunner trapped in the turret. Mynarski's attempts were unsuccessful and finally he jumped from the flaming aircraft but not without a final salute to his comrade. Mynarski was found with his clothes and parachute still aflame and later died from his injuries. The rear gunner miraculously survived the crash and explained that had Mynarski not stayed behind, he would have most certainly escaped death.

© Copyright in the portrait drawings of the honoured members of the Aviation Hall of Fame, which were prepared by Mrs. I. Coucill are the property of Mrs. Coucill.