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February 21, 2004

Canada Lifts Grounding Of CH-149s

The Canadian Air Force is lifting a flight restriction on its fleet of 15 CH-149 Cormorant search and rescue helicopters that temporarily limited the aircraft to search and rescue operations only, following modifications to an engine fuel supply line. The individual CH-149 Cormorant aircraft (Canadian Coast Guard varient shown below) will be able to be used for training flights as soon as they are modified. The flight restriction meant that the Cormorants could only be flown for actual search and rescue missions: no training flights could be conducted until aircraft modifications were completed.

Decorated World War II aviator and "Ace" Lee Andrew Archer Jr., 84, says he dreamed of becoming a fighter pilot at an early age. The Yonkers (NY)-born veteran recalled reading comic books during his boyhood that featured illustrated stories depicting World War I duels in the skies between Germany's Baron von Richthofen and allied fliers. "I wanted to be a pilot," Archer said at a Feb. 19 National Black History Month commemoration ceremony at Veterans Affairs Department headquarters, noting that watching planes take off and land at a small airport near his family's summer home in Saratoga (NY) also whetted his desire to fly.