Members of Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame are selected for their contributions to Canada’s development through their integral roles in the nation’s aviation history. The inductees in 2018 will join the ranks of the 228 esteemed men and women inducted since the Hall’s formation in 1973, bringing to 232 the total number of individual Members of the Hall. For more on the CAHF and the men and women who are members already, check out www.cahf.ca.
“In 2018 we will again be honouring four Canadians for their outstanding places in Canadian aviation,” says Hall of Fame board chairman, Rod Sheridan. “Their careers over several decades span a wide breadth of both military and civilian aviation. They have contributed to the building of airlines and aviation organizations, leadership in the air force, management of industry, development of aviation systems and establishment of air rescue services.”
Plans for the annual gala dinner event and induction ceremonies are well underway. “We expect another complete sell-out for the celebration in Calgary,” says Rod Sheridan, “and I encourage early purchase of tickets for this premiere celebration of Canadian aviation development.”
The four individuals to be installed as Members of the Hall in 2018 are:
- Gen Paul D. Manson, O.C., CMM, CD
- Dr. John M. Maris
- Dr. Dwight Gregory Powell, O.C.
And, of course…
Mr. John M. Bogie
Born into an aviation family in the United States, John Bogie has made his home in Canada since the early 1950s, following service in the United States Navy, work as an airport operator, and as a very young charter pilot. In Canada, he quickly made a name for his charter and resource exploration work for Laurentian Air Services and Spartan Air Services, including the flight that identified the major iron deposit at Gagnon, Quebec.
Complementing his civilian flying, in 1952 Bogie became, with Margaret Carson, a co-founder of the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA), serving as its first President and Chairman. Since that time, he has been an unswerving supporter of COPA, seeing it grow from modest beginnings to some 17,000 members.
He served in most of COPA’s executive capacities and continues as an honorary director and life member. He still attends as many COPA events as he can, now into his 90s. His COPA accomplishments include simplified medicals for pilots and aviation liability group insurance now used by commercial carriers.
John helped to create the Experimental Aircraft Association Canada organization, as well as a civilian pilot group for Search and Rescue as an adjunct to the military. Another entity he helped bring into being was the Canadian Business Aircraft Association (CBAA), first as an arm of COPA and then as a distinct entity. His Laurentian Air Services career ultimately took him to the presidency, to many initiatives to diversify its operations and to embrace the bilingual nature of the environment in which his company operated.
A subsequent stroke of initiative allowed him to buy a large consignment of ex-US Army Beavers which were rebuilt and put onto the Canadian market. This constituted the largest single aircraft purchase of its kind in Canada and made Laurentian the Canadian centre for Beaver activity. John Bogie has continued to support Canadian aviation long after his retirement in 1992. He continues to enjoy the respect and affection of the aviation community to this day.
If you’d like to learn more about John Bogie, Laurentian Air Services, and bush flying, check out my book, For the Love of Flying!