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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1363.PDF
FLIGHT, 21 September 1956 515 TORONTO'S BIG FLYING DISPLAY U.S. and French Participation THE BIGGEST air show yet staged in Canada provided avaried display of both military and civil aircraft for over250,000 spectators at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto on September 7 and 8. British, French, American andCanadian machines were flown over the city and the Lake Ontario waterfront of the 350-acre exhibition grounds. There can be few Canadian cities more air-minded thanToronto, which is hardly surprising in view of its close contact with the aircraft industry. Three major firms—Avro Aircraft,de Havilland Aircraft of Canada, and Orenda Engines—and many ancillary companies are located here. Many of the spectators atthe display remembered with enthusiasm last year's show, at which a star item was the formation of three Zlin Treners fromCzechoslovakia. This year's international display was the fourth such con-secutive show at Toronto. For the first time French aircraft participated, the Fouga Magister jet trainer making its NorthAmerican debut. Another innovation this year was that the air display was presented on each of two days—the final two daysof the Exhibition. For the first time the Canadian public saw aerial refuelling.Various units of the United States Air Force and U.S. Navy were seen at the show, including a group from the U.S. EighthAir Force stationed in north-eastern U.S.A. This group brought a Boeing B-47 bomber and KC-97 tanker, flying the two aircraftalong the waterfront in a low-level refuelling operation. Another novel item was the appearance of the world's biggest bomber, theten-engined Convair B-36, which was flown to Toronto from the same base. While no startling new aircraft were seen at the show, peoplein central Canada had their first view of the latest addition to the Canadian Navy, in the shape of U.S.-built McDonnellBanshees from the Halifax Naval Air Station. This group of six aircraft put on an aerobatic display at more than 600 m.p.h.,including in its performance a number of tight turns in forma- tion. The machines also flew by at slow speed to show how theyalight on the flight deck of a carrier. The two-hour display started with a fly-past of 28 Canadianaircraft in groups of seven. These were led by Canadian-built Lockheed T-33 Silver Star jet trainers, followed by British-builtde Havilland Vampires used by the R.C.A.F. Reserves, then by R.C.A.F. Avro Aircraft CF-lOOs and a group of Canadair-builtNorth American Sabres. The show ended with the first appearance outside the UnitedStates of the U.S. Navy's "Blue Angels" aerobatic team from Pensacola, Florida, flying Grumman F9F Cougar fighters. Thisgroup flew in formation of four and in solo displays, carrying out eight-point rolls and flying wing-tip diamond and otherformations. They ended a thrilling performance with smoke- plumes in red, white and blue trailing from the Cougars' wing-tips. Early in the show on September 7, the arrival was announcedof a record-breaking flight by an R.C.A.F. CF-100 from Torbay, Newfoundland, to Toronto, made in only 3 hr 8 min. The air-craft was flown by F/L. S. S. Hassey with F/O. R. C. Davidson as navigator. The pilot brought greetings from Premier JosephSmallwood of Newfoundland to the International Air Show. Following the opening fly-past of 28 aircraft, a T-33 SilverStar gave an exhibition of aerobatics. This was followed by a demonstration flight showing normal and jet-assisted take-offfrom the Lake Ontario waterfront by a pair of PBY Canso flying- boats. Development in speed in recent years was shown to thepublic in speed runs by a World War II R.C.A.F. Mustang and one of the latest examples of the Canadian-built Sabre. For many Canadians the fly-past of four Lockheed Neptunesubmarine-hunters was the first time they had seen this latest addition to Canada's coastal patrol armament. The machinesflew past with their seven-million-candlepower wing-tip search- lights switched on.The Toronto-produced Avro Aircraft CF-100 twin-jet inter- cepter, which weighs some 17 tons, put on a display of aerobaticsfor the crowd. This was followed by a fly-past of two types of training aircraft, the Harvard and the T-33 Silver Star. Freighteraircraft were next shown—two Fairchild C-119 Packets and a Canadian-built North Star. More runs followed by R.C.A.F.aircraft, including a demonstration of jet-assisted take-off by A mixed formation of F-86s, T-33s (trailing smoke) and CF- 100s about to perform a "Prince of Wales's feathers" break-away. T-33s, and a massed smoke-trailing formation by T-33s, Sabresand CF-lOOs. De Havilland Aircraft of Canada next displayed its well-provenBeaver and Otter, giving demonstrations of how these aircraft can land and take off from the water in about 150 yd. Themachines were equipped with floats, two of the installations being the amphibious version. The U.S.A.F. display began with a formation fly-past by fourF-86D Sabres from the 15th Fighter Group at Niagara Falls, New York. This was followed by the flight of the B-36 and therefuelling operation. Then the French Fouga Magister made its first North American public appearance with a brisk aerobaticdisplay. From the Glenview Reserve Base at Chicago, Illinois, a groupof four Grumman F9F Cougars gave a display of formation flying—at an estimated 750 m.p.h. The group had made theChicago-Toronto flight in 39 minutes (on regular scheduled air- line service, two hours by Viscount). There followed the RoyalCanadian Navy's demonstration of its new Banshees, and a fly- past of a number of civil types comprising Cessna 182 and 310,de Havilland Heron, American-built Royal Gull (of Piaggio design), Piper Apache and Aero Commander 680.Next, from a New York base, came the Starfire and Scorpion fighters of the U.S.A.F. showing the types of aircraft on duty24 hours a day at major United States cities—and along the international border, in connection with the three lines of radarwarning networks operated jointly by Canada and the United States. The show ended with the display by the "Blue Angels"aerobatic team of seven aircraft. On September 8 the annual race for the Governor-General'sCup was held for aircraft of less than 4,000 lb gross weight. A 203-mile navigation contest with five turning points, the eventwas won by Mrs. Dorothy Rungeling in a Cessna 170, who com- pleted the course in one hour and 31 minutes to receive the cupand the $500 prize. The only static exhibits at the Exhibition having any connec-tion with the air show were two British turbojets, an Avon and an Olympus, which were on view at the British Government display.The R.C.A.F., R.C.N. and the Canadian Army also had recruit- ing displays at the Exhibition, at which were illustrated the variousbranches of the Services. The R.C.A.F. showed a D.H.C. Otter, open for inspection by the public, and the Navy had a large modelof its new aircraft carrier.
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