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' 1- IBetween You and Me By RUTH CHAM BERS About a Snolwbird During the holidays we had a "Snowbird" in Whitby, Captain Wally Stone, a member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) an engaging, handsome young man of 36. His dad, Ralph Stone (Stoney) was a bush pilot in nor- thern Ontario for many years. Stoney went to England as an instructor in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1944 and returned two years later to the Sault. After flying for Air- dale he becarne a pilot for Provincial Lands and Forest and they made their home at Oba Lake, north east of Lake Superior, a number of years. Wally's mother, Betsy, a courageous, spirited woman brought her small family up there 0f ten alone in the wilds while Stoney was up and away on errands of mercy and fire fighting missions. We have all heard many stories about bush pilots, exciting and dramatic but often faught with danger. Most of the wives kept a black dress hanging in the cupboard ever ready in case of the loss of a loved one. The bush pilota spent many hours in the air and many days away from home. Given hours of work were unheard of an -non-existent; they flew when called upon only to retu- -% when their mission was accomplished. An exciting and fulfilling life but one which demands ingenuity and for- titude on the wife's part. Betsy had her moments! Once when a gas lamp exploded and their home, a log cabin burned to the ground in momen- ts. Another time when a guest in their home died an agonizing death while having a heart attack. She had neyer seen anyone die before and here she was, alone with her two babies, one four, the other fourteen months with Wally, then aged four asking, "Iwhat is wrong with him?" In time Stoney returned after having flown another sick person out to find his dead friend covered with a sheet on a bed. He covered the man with a blanket, put him in the plane and flew him out into civilization. The hazards of being a bush pilot's wife! Wally who had been born in High River, Aberta; the home of Joe Clark whose family were friends of the Stones, learned to love flying at an early age. By the time he was five he flew with his Dad and I'm sure it seemed like an eternity until he was old enough to take over himself . After going to Trinity College School in Port Hope he graduated from RMC, the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario. He took his pilot training in Manitoba with the Canadian Air Force and from there to a squadron in Quebec where he flew Voodoos (C F101) for four years. In 1971, Wally went to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan as an instructor to student pilota who had joined the CAF and this he did for five years. He also taught for a safety standards unit and did student testing. From there he went to North Wales on an exchange with The Royal Air Force and for three years taught pilots how to instruct. On his return to Canada in July of this year he was posted to Winnipeg with Air Command I-eadquarters for a staff tour. Shortly after he tried out for the Snowbirds and was accepted. Wally watched the birth of the Snowbirds and was always initerested in their progress as he was in for- mation flying. There are fine flying memnbers and two others; cor- dinators 'Who set up public relations and work with the press. There are eleven aircraft and ten ground crew. The aircraft, the Tutor, a basic jet tramner used by the CAF with few modifications. The colour of course is dif- ferent as you may have seen in the wonderful picture on the first page of the Star during Christmas week - Wally [lys No. 2 plane, the second in line as you look at the picture. While doing their manoeuvres they start off by all flying to-gether and then two split off. Exit stage centre, then two solos and then they manoeuvre back. Co-ordination and timing are required, a very definite prerequisite. The distance is not great when the Snowbirds put on their show as it is with some that I have seen down south. The others fly at tremendous speeds and are out of sight in no time. This draws gasps from the crowd but 1 shouldn't think it requires as much skill. Our planes are neyer out of sight but within seeing distance of everyone on the ground. This calîs for much precision, much more than is demanded in long range flying. Wally explained why these are ideal aircraft for this pur-. pose. They are small and manoeuvrable because of design, size of the engine and thrust. Basically these planes execute aerobatic manoeuvers very safely. At the begin- ning of the manoeuvre the speed is relatively low. The Tutor executes rolîs and looping manoeuvres in a small space and so carrnes out the sequence of manoeuvres in front of the crowd. A very sophisticated form of flying. The Snowbirds have a reputation for being very good and well known and they take great pride in representing our Armed Forces. Every day they fly for two hours and once back on the ground spend time working out their plans and manoeuvres on paper. This part of their work requires much time and thought. Straight flying 1 love but rolîs and loops terrify me. However, with this man I'd take a chance and maybe enjoy it hecause I cannot imagine feeling any fear with him at the controls. I asked him about fear while in the air; a foolish question, no doubt. He telîsme no pilot is afraid and pilots don't fly with the spectre of fear hanging over their heads. Fear if it cornes is maybe when you are back down on the earth and you have time to think. If there seems to be impending danger or disaster to be dealth with it must be dealt with at the moment. Thoughts corne later. Another chap, an air force officer who had been tran- BANKERS STLJDY About 12000 students are enrolled in courses of the Institute of Canadian Bankers, educational organization of the Canadian chartered banks. ALL STOCK MUST BE CLEARED LADIES & GENTS 2 ,F BY TUE END or JANuARYI SEIKO L F TO MAKE ROOM FOR WATCHES MARKED PRICE 1980 INVENTORY___________ GENTS & LADIES I9ONE % DIAMOND I RNGS0UOFF RINGS ROYAL OFF IFIGURINES MARKED PRICE MARKED PRICE (ALL SALES FINAL) 20 SIMCO E ST. S. 723-7133 Monday- Thursday 9:30 a.m.- 6 p.m. Friday 9:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. Saturday 9:30 &.m. - 6 p.m. ITBY FREE PRESS, WVEDNES[)AY. .IANtARY 9, 1980, PAGE 5 sfered to Toronto a couple of years ago had to ask to be sent back out west and forgo his course because he told me he just couldn't face driving on 401 every day; too dangerous! A friend who spent most of his time sky diving, an army officer who had been trained to parachute could neyer sît on the children's swing as swinging made him deathly sick! These thoughts corne to mind as I write about Wally. 50 famiîliarity does not always breed contempt rnaybe it is just the opposite. This no doubt is why many of us wonder when we hear people say they are terrified of driving in large cities or on thruways. The Snowbirds fly from May until October, across the U.S.A., Canada and the Territories. If possible which il isn't, 1 would enjoy a ride with captain Wally Stone and I'm sure many boys and girls in Whitby would feel the samne way. However, we should at some time invite the Snowbir- ds to corne to Whitby as our guests and put on an exibition over out lake shore, at Heydenshore on somne special oc- casion. H IOME S IUILT PRIOR TO 1961ARE NOW ELIG'IBLI-' F'OR A W HOEINSU LATION GRANT UP TO $500-00 * ~~'PAID B Y 11/3 0F LABOUR CUSGOVERNMENTI i 100% MATERIAL COST UPTO 135001 PAID BY GOMEMENT Govern ment grant portion is due to PEE L F ENCE only wlien y;ou receive your rebute chequie. Our represen tatives will prepare ailI necessary paperwork fohr voii.I W \I: US! ONI-Y C.M.II.C. A\PPRZOX Il) (HU 5 *INSUIATION.('ALL US TODAY I'OR l)11 XILS I * -ONE WEEK INSTALLATION - *PEEL FENCE (PICKERING), LIMITED M- * -(INSU LATICIN DIVISION)- * 1976 NOTION RD., i~ PICKERING, ONTARIO LlV 2G3 683-2691 i ,GId Mr dw lqmItýmm 100menmnealam m mmilwlbGw" K4M EKA1 iAN UARY CLEARANCE SALE SA&LE NOW ON!l SAVE 25%05O off Footwear for the entire fomily. K4 M EKFOOTWEAR WHITBY MAL L Whitby M MALL Pickering I --- ---- - --- - -- -- -- - - - - - = = ý- 7-, =ý-- -7 .. ý - ý -, 77--= 1 ---