There is an aircraft on a pedestal over top of the Creemore Legion. That aircraft is a Canadair T-33 Silver Star, Production Serial #070. It was built by Canadair, Montreal in approximately February of 1952 and entered service with the Royal Canadian Air Force directly off the assembly line, designated as CT 133070. These were the heady days of the RCAF leading up to the Korean War, and the T-Bird, as it was known, played an active role in that conflict.
I was born “plane crazy” in February of 1962. Any time an airplane went over, I looked up, and have been that way ever since. I went through the Air Cadet program and earned both my Glider and Power Pilot Scholarships. During this time, the T-33 was still in very active service with what was now known as the Canadian Forces (CF). Every time I saw a T-Bird, I thought, “That’s such a graceful airplane. I would really love to fly one of those.” As luck would have it, after I flew military transports for 20 years, the venerable T-Bird was retired from active service with the CF in 2005. As such, the T-33 has the longest service record of any aircraft in the history of our country. I was disappointed that my dream of flying that graceful aircraft would likely never be. Canada has a history of cutting up its military aircraft and selling them for scrap, and I figured that those that were not saved as “Gate Guardians,” like our Legion’s Serial 070, would meet that destructive fate. I went on flying professionally, but I never stopped thinking about the beauty and grace of the T-33.
But four years ago, the Canadian government put a block of six of the latest and best T-Birds ever to fly up for auction at CFD Mountainview. A small group of people, several who had flown the T-Bird in their youth, jumped at the chance and bought them outright, including a slew of spare Rolls-Royce Nene 10 engines and other parts. Thus was born the Jet Aircraft Museum (JAM) in London, Ontario. JAM is a bona-fide flying Museum, and the focus is on early jets.
Each aircraft, which had been “mothballed” outside was inspected and prepared for ferry back to CYXU (London, Ontario). Flown by some of the “best of the best” jet fighter pilots our country has ever produced, these aircraft were ferried out of Mountainview one by one and all landed safely at London. Next came the tedious and expensive process of dismantling the aircraft and doing a full “import inspection” by which to place them onto the Canadian Civil Aircraft Register.
During this time, I became aware of JAM and joined as a member, and possibly because of my Test Pilot credentials, was asked to become the Director of Flight Operations. Hope springs eternal for flying a T-Bird!
After four years of meticulous work and many inspections by Transport Canada, our first jet, Serial 346, was made ready to fly in late 2011. This aircraft is now in active service with the Jet Aircraft Museum. With my 50th birthday fast approaching this past February, my objective became clear: I wanted to fly a T-33 in my “half century” year and in the 60th anniversary year of the T-33 entering service. I took the JAM T-33 Pilot Ground School, wrote the exams, did the blindfold tests and met all the licensing requirements. Finally, on February 10 and 11, I flew the jet, completing my Type Rating only four days after my birthday.
What a thrill, but very humbling too! Was it worth it? Absolutely. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my wife, Jacqueline, who has tended the home fires many weekends and evenings while I got ready to “blast off” in the T-Bird.
So here’s what I’ve learned in my first 50 years: dream large, never lose focus and never give up hope. What may seem impossible one moment may fall into your lap the next.
For those other “plane nuts” out in the Hills who have an interest in flying the T-Bird or riding in the back seat as trained crew, don’t just sit there… call me, and let’s make your dreams come true too!
And next time you’re by the Legion, tip your hat to that beautiful 60-year-old lady on the pedestal, who has served our country so long and so well.