904 (Lake Chapala-Mexico) Wing
Air Force Association of Canada
Send site suggestions to webmaster@904wing.org
Last updated
April 19 2012
Newsletters
Program
October 2010 |
PRINT (PDF File 34) |
In This Issue:
- President’s Message
- Executive Council
- Meet the Members – President Mike Briscoe
- Wing Program 2010-2011
- Editor's Comments
Dear Members of 904 ( Lake Chapala-Mexico) Wing
You have elected your executive council for 2010-11 of which I am proud to be your President. On behalf of the Executive Committee and myself, thank you for your confidence. There is little change in the faces of your members on the Council except for myself and Harry Wylie coming aboard and the elimination of the snowbird representative position. A couple of minor changes in responsibilities are reflected in the list on the next page.
The first major decision we made was to change the Friday meetings and beer calls to Thursdays. We chose to do so because of the many activities at Lakeside that take place on the weekends that have an effect on attendance at our meetings and events. With probably 99.9% of our members being retired we felt it does not matter what day of the week we get together. So this way we can all enjoy more of our AFAC activities. So far the response has been positive.
At all times we will welcome your comments and suggestions. Those given us in writing will be discussed and answered by the Executive Council.
Please watch your e-mails for updates on upcoming events such as "Remembrance Day" and the "Welcome Back BBQ". And also check our website at http://www.904wing.org/ under the "Program" button for when the next meeting and beer calls are.
Hoping to see many of you next week at the Nueva Posada for our Oct. meeting with a special guest speaker.
Mike Briscoe
| 904 Wing Executive Council for 2010-2011 | |
| President | Mike Briscoe |
| Past President | Don Slimman |
| 1st Vice President | Harry Wylie |
| Second Vice President | Martin Inwood |
| Secretary | John Prichard |
| Treasurer | Ken Reppen |
| Newsletter | Don Slimman |
Meet the Members - President Mike Briscoe
A Short History Of John Michael Briscoe
Born June 28th, 1945 at St. Joseph's Hospital, Toronto Ontario Canada
I was raised in the 'original' village of Meadowvale, ON near the outer marker for what is now Hwy. 05 at Pearson International Airport. In those days it was just "Malton Airport".
As a young teenager my interest in aviation was fuelled watching the Avro CF-100s flying over our house and witnessing the test flights of the Avro Arrow. I knew then that one day I would be a pilot; I just went about it in a different way.
In the early nineteen sixties I enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy and was selected and trained as an 'Air Rigger' (airframe mechanic) in the Fleet Air Arm serving at HMCS Bonaventure: Canada's last aircraft carrier. During this time, in the spring of 1964, we were part of the UN forces transporting the Canadian army's Royal Dragoons and their equipment to Cyprus for one of their numerous peacekeeping roles. It was during my time in the service of the navy that I learned a very important lesson: that it was a lot more fun to fly airplanes than it was to fix them. And so, while in the service, I completed my Private Pilot Licence at Halifax airport prior to re-joining civilian life in 1965.
I completed my commercial flying training at the Brampton Flying Club, which was then located close to downtown Brampton Ontario, near the "bad boys'" correctional facility. (I had no personal ties with that facility.). I continued to obtain my instructor's rating and taught at Brampton until joining forces with Trevor Acfield selling Beechcraft aircraft for Field Aviation in Toronto. I obtained an aerobatic endorsement on my instructor's rating in order to demonstrate the aerobatic Beechcraft and did all aerobatic Beechcraft demonstrations to the Canadian Air Force prior to their purchasing the 'Beechcraft Musketeer' as a trainer to replace de Havilland Chipmunk. And that is as close as I ever came to flying for the Canadian Air Force!
Since then I have had a variety of flying jobs which include corporate, bush flying (which involved conservation patrols, fish surveys and water bombing patrols, moose and deer surveys and water bombing forest fires flying the de Havilland Turbo Beaver, Otter and Twin Otter on floats, wheels and skis, and flying for the airlines (passenger and cargo).
My original Airline Transport Licence number was YZA 1555 prior to the MOT screwing it up and making it too long for any of us to remember. It was changed to AA67868. The original number meant that I was the one-thousandth, five hundred and fifth-fifth airline transport pilot in Canada. Now we are just a number.
All of my flying has been interesting, challenging and rewarding. I flew for two of the best corporations in Canada - Inco and Trans Canada Pipelines, operating Jet Commander, Gulfstream II, Lockheed Jetstar, and Falcon 50. While flying for Inco I ferried a Twin Otter from Toronto to Indonesia. I flew for Wardair, during which time I flew for Air France under contract from Wardair. Wardair was bought by Canadian Airlines, so I ended up flying for that company after returning to Canada from France. Since retiring from Canadian Airlines, Air Canada bought out Canadian, so now I receive my pension from Air Canada for whom I have never flown! The current Air Canada is a result of many Canadian airlines having been bought out over the years.
Since my initial retirement from Canadian I have flown for Noranda Mines, operating a Boeing 737 combi into the Arctic; a Learjet 55, Royal Airlines; and two Cargo Carriers: ICC International and Cargojet
For the various airlines, I flew the Boeing 737, 727, and Airbus A300.
A few years after my first wife passed away I met Sandi Allin and said, "To hell with this; I'm going to marry Sandi and live in Paradise". And here I am.
I have a step daughter Ginny and a daughter Laura. Ginny has three sons; Laura has five.
Through my marriage with Sandi I also have three stepchildren to enjoy - Debbie, Doug and Gerry - and four step-grandchildren.
Do I miss flying? A little, but I just fire up my Microsoft Flight Sim, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
Wing Program - 2010-2011
The entire year's program can be found by clicking the Program Button, lovingly managed by Ellen Okunsky. Snowbirds may be interested to know that we maintain an active summer program, with Beer calls each month. Battle of Britain was again commemorated by the Wing, with a quiz on the events associated with that historic campaign. The winner was Charlie Smith, one of our American members, with Bill Watt as the runner-up
Editor's Comments
Having taken over from Bob Rowlatt as Editor of Slip Stream, I am aware that I may have got off to a shaky start by missing the normal September deadline. I can only say in extenuation that I only just returned from a month-long house exchange in Spain. Taking over from Bob, who faithfully and effectively performed the function for six years, will be a real challenge. I know that I speak for all our past and present members when I congratulate him on a job well done. Thank you, Bob!