The year always starts off with a little less
action than 101 is normally used to... but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Still, while March might come in like a lion
or a lamb, 101 always comes in like gangbusters. Maintenance and modifications to our "Smugglers Inn" fish and chip wagon
can be a labour of love that occupies a large but warm spot in our hearts. If it isn't hungry bears breaking in to guzzle
yummy fish-flavoured oil, it's the tongue jack collapsing - or a bent axle! Ah well, we have a busy season lined up for the
old girl and we have her ship shape (or is that a politically incorrect term for the air force?) In fact she’s already
been on duty a couple of times this year with our crew of talented cooks serving up scrumptious seafood at the Officers mess
on 28 Mar; JR Ranks mess on 29 Mar; WO & SGTS mess 02 May … and of course the Seafood Extravaganza at the Wing on
03 May. Are we getting efficient, or what!? As always it is a pleasure for us young bucks to come back ‘home’
and look after our loveable old ‘parents’ once in awhile.
101 was also down to feed the hordes at the Fincastle
Competition and we expect a few of the Brits who showed up will be taking back stories about how amazing those Canucks are
at preparing authentic "English" fish & chips!
A few of our members were down ‘home’
to the Wing earlier on to see the models of the P-51 Mustang and the Harvard properly labelled. The models were the work of
Grant Empey and had previously been donated to 101 by his widow. The Wing is a fitting home for Grant's handiwork and he would
be pleased to see them hanging there.
Later in the spring our members once again showed
up at "home" for the April 1st Mess. Well our guys all looked extremely dashing dressed up so fine, but can anyone tell
us – did they behave themselves? It seems that the memories of that evening are a little foggy … it must be something
in the air in Comox...
Elections came and went and though there were
many intense battles fought for the hotly contested positions - surprisingly everyone remained in the postings held last year.
Hmmm... the railroad doesn't seem to be working as well as it should...
Our participation in the Lancaster memorial is
nearly complete with the plaque having been shipped to the engravers. Our members are looking forward to attending the memorial
ceremony. Maintenance of the three crash sites on the North Island is being done thanks to the invaluable help of the Canadian
Rangers and Jim and Cathy Witton. Planting flowers at the Coal Harbour cairn isn't exactly an onerous duty.... but the trek
into Lawn Point and the Dakota site can be challenging! Aerial reconnaissance of the CF-18 crash site on Brooks Peninsula
- 101's next commemoration project - has also been challenging because of the lousy weather conditions - but that's no surprise
to North Island aviators.
And finally, 101 is looking into helping out
with the 20th anniversary of the closing of RCAF Stn Holberg in 2010, and the possibility of putting up a cairn to commemorate
the old station.
Summer's just around the corner - see you soon.
