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ISSUE 192 - October 2011
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Wings With Strings

By Kevin Moore, Contributing Editor & Photographer
Roslin, Ontario, Canada

A Fleet Finch in a shallow, right climb out after take-off.

Earlier this summer, we visited Edenvale's "Gathering of Classics" fly-in, one of the largest in Canada. However, a fly-in doesn't need to be large to be successful and the Tiger Boys fly-in is proof of that.

Guelph Airport, from a hill at the east end of the airport looking westward down the 2500' paved and turf runways, left. You never know what you'll find in one of these hangars, from airplane parts to props, engines and models, right.

To the east of the city of Guelph, Ontario lies the Guelph Airport (CNC4) and home of the "Tiger Boys." Not a particularly large airport with two rows of hangars, one on the north side and one on the south side of the longer runway (2500' - including turf running alongside the 2500' runway), a club house, and a row of houses paralleling the north/south runway (2100').

One of a few DH Tiger Moth aircraft on the airfield, left.
A beautiful Baby Ace, "Bits and Pieces," sitting on the grass alongside the taxiway, right.

Though the airport was recently sold, the new owner has plans to upgrade the airport. Currently, the restaurant is closed and there's no fuel, but that should change again in the near future. The home of the Tiger Boys seems to be safe for some years yet.

Big boy toy and award winning DH Tiger Moth 1170 sits on the grass with little boy toy, pedal car Tiger Moth, left. Newest addition to the fleet is this beautiful DC-3, right, a large RC model that was recently donated to the Tiger Boys

Tiger Boys Museum was started by two gentlemen with a love of aviation and the de Havilland Tiger Moth. Tom Dietrich and Bob Revell are well known in aviation circles and you can't spend time at Guelph Airport with the Tiger Boys and not run into and chat with at least one of the two. They've spent years building, restoring, flying and maintaining an assortment of aircraft and have made 8 trips to Oshkosh, winning awards every time they've been, including 7 "Lindy" awards.

When flying an old biplane, such as the Fleet Finch, wearing leather flying gear and flying helmet simply adds to the nostalgia on the day, left. Some say that "real flying" involves flying at slow speeds in open cockpit aircraft, such as this Pietenpol, right.

The Tiger Boys isn't just about two people, the museum consists of an assortment of folks with a love of old time aviation. Many are pilots, many own airplanes, and some are simply fans of general aviation and the history that comes with it. No matter what your involvement in aviation, you can't help but find yourself thinking about those early barnstorming days of aviation when you spend time with these folks.

Wearing an unusual livery is this beautiful Tiger Moth, left.
A larger, modified version of the Tiger Moth known as a "Jackaroo," right.

Among the many aircraft that participate in the fly-in are several de Havilland Tiger Moth's, a Jackaroo (an enlarged version of the Tiger Moth), and a couple of Fleet Finch's. There is also an Aeronca Champ, Piper Cubs and a wide assortment of other flying machines including a super little replica, mini version of the Hawker Hurricane.

One of the most unique aircraft in the collection is this mini Hawker Hurricane replica that showed off its lines and performance with an overshoot just after the gear came up.

Some of these old airplanes still require hand-cranking in order to start them. Some have airspeed indicators on the wings that consist of a metal plate with speeds in mph and a little shovel that records the speed of the airplane by means of the wind over the wings and struts. There are open cockpit biplanes, airplanes with nothing but the most basic of instruments, aircraft that cruise at speeds slower than highway traffic, and some that were built and flown long before your grandfather or grandmother were born.

This beautiful Cessna 195 was a big hit on the day with the owner taking a few friends and fellow pilots for flights during the day, left. A rare sight is this stunning 1943 Meyers OTW that flew in for the day, seen here departing for home, right.

There's an assortment of pilots and airplanes that fly-in for the event as well. Some are old and slow, some are new and fast. No matter the airplane, no matter the age of the pilot, regardless of man or woman, boy or girl, there's something for every liking and interest. You can grab a coffee and donut in the morning and enjoy a burger, hotdog, sausage or chili at lunch. It’s a relaxing day at a quaint little airport with a super bunch of people who have much the same love of airplanes and aviation. You can stand and chat with a pilot, an aircraft mechanic, a flight instructor, a flight student, a fellow aviation enthusiast and even a budding aviation artist.

Fleet Finch climbing after take-off, left.
Beautiful Tiger Boys Champ climbing after taking to the air, right

When you're around these airplanes and people, you don't notice time passing and, before you know it, you've spent a day watching and enjoying history take to the air. The Tiger Boys simply ask for a donation when you come to the fly-in, and if you're interested you might even be able to score a flight in one of these wonderful old airplanes. It's not cheap flying and maintaining these airplanes but the love of the history of these wings with strings makes it worthwhile for those who spend hours keeping them in flying condition.

Local Guelph resident and artist Dave Paterson spent some time sketching during his afternoon at the fly-in, the unfinished product shown here, left. Enjoying it low and slow in the Piper Cub, right.

So, on a late summer day in mid-September, make the trip to Guelph Airport for the Tiger Boys fly-in. Spend a nostalgic day around flying and walking history. Take in the sights, smells and sounds. Listen to the stories of the airplanes and the men, and women, who flew them and fly them today.

DH Tiger Moth approaches on final for landing, left.
The Fleet Finch goes past on an overshoot, right.
 
Canadian Warplane Heritage B-25 Mitchell on short final with a Stinson that wasn't necessarily aware the big radial twin was behind, left. The B-25 in an overshoot, right.

 

Some of the visiting aircraft that made their way to the fly-in were this nice
Cessna 170, left, and the low wing Piper Cherokee, right.

 

One of the more unusual aircraft that flew in was this amphibious homebuilt Osprey II, left.
One of the more enjoyable of the Bellanca products to fly, the Citabria, right.

 

One of the nicest of the RANS products, the RANS S7 climbs out after take-off, left. Needing some TLC, this old Yale sits as a static display. This historic aircraft was used in the 1940s movie about the BCATP (British Commonwealth Air Training Plan), Captain of the Clouds, staring James Cagney.

 

Sporty, fast, nimble and agile Pitts climbing after take-off, left,
and at the start of a roll as he heads for home, right.

 

Whether you photograph, video or sketch airplanes, a fly-in is a great, relaxing setting to do it as seen here by hand of artist Dave Paterson of Guleph, Ontario sketching an ultralight replica of the S.E.5a

 

Nearing the end of the day, with some low cumulus cloud in the background,
the Fleet Finch turns in a slow climb out.

 

By Kevin Moore, Contributing Editor & Photographer
thestickandrudder@sympatico.ca

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