Membership
The Canadian Aviation Moments were submitted by Dennis Casper from the Roland Groome (Regina) Chapter of the CAHS. Spoiler alert - if you read any further than each question, you will find the answer to the questions directly below. Good luck and have fun!
The Canadian Aviation Moments questions and answers for June are:
Question: How many front-line airplanes and personnel did Britain enter WW I with? How many did they end the war with?
Answer: “England had entered the war with just 113 front-line airplanes. They were distributed between the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). Between them the two branches numbered about 2,000 crewmen. By war’s end, British air power included 291,000 crew members and 22,000 aircraft, of which over 3,000 were front-line machines. Modern air power was born during the First World War.”
Source: Dancing In The Sky – Page 26
Question: What were “second dickie” trips and what was their purpose?
Answer: “Almost immediately on his arrival, the squadron began converting to the Halifax Mark I, since no standardized heavy Conversion Unit (HCU” existed in those early days of operations. There was an apprenticeship program of sorts set up to ease the transition of new pilots into operations. The newcomers flew as second pilots to an experienced aircraft captain for a few operations, known as ‘second dickie” trips, in order to gain operational experience before taking an aircraft out on their own.”
Source: NO PROUDER PLACE – Page 63
Question: Which RCAF heavy bomber squadron was the first to form, what was it equipped with, where was it stationed , and was under the umbrella of which RAF bomber group?
Answer: “The first RCAF heavy bomber squadron to form was 405 squadron, equipped with Wellingtons, at Driffield in Yorkshire in 23 April 1941, under the umbrella of 4 group.”
Source: NO PROUDER PLACE – Page 47