ETOP HA A Ra ee ates etm ee RR me a ae naa meee

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THE RAY BAN REDS .

Page 3 - Airshow Supplesicat, Vanderboo!, B.C., July 24 aad 25

“Canadian twosome dazzles crowds

Watching Rod Elis and Bill

Cowan of the Ray-Ban Reds per- -"

form dazzling aerobatics in their

customized biptases, few people -

would guess what the two pilots
consider the worrisome part of
"their unusual “hobby”. :
~ “It's getting to the shows, hav-
ing to fly cross country in all
torts of weather coriditions”",
says the 38 year old Ellis.
Cowan, who with his team-
mate will perform at. the
Vanderboof Airshow. July 24th
and 25th, explains that the actual

displays of close formation
“perobatic flying have been work- .
ed out to split second precision in.

‘long hours of practice.
‘The 39 year old Cowan notes:

“There's nothing seat of the -

pants about the dual formation
manoeuvres people sce in our
act, Every move has been polish-
ed and re-polished over and over
again.”

The Ray-Ban Reds, sponsored

by Bauch and Lomb Inc., the...
- maker of Ray-Ban sunglasses, -

are the country's onty civilian

- aerobatic team.’ .
Both Bilis and Cowan bring a

wealth of flying experience to
their part tine hobby. Both men,
who live in Vancouver, are pilots
for CP air; and they are former

: WAYNE DEORKSEN

Canadian Armed Forces pilotsas
well,

“After flying an alttiner, get-
Ung behind the controls of our
Pitts 2-SA biplanes is = way to
relax”, sald Cowan. '‘It’s like

driving a high powered sports car

after commuting in. the family
sedan," ;

- Bilis, a pilot on cP Al's boe-
ing 747's, points out that. the
“Jumbo"’ jet welghs some

778,000 pounds compared to the

biplanes’ 1,500 pounds, The.
DC-10's that Cowan files for CP
Alr, welgti some 550,000 pounds.

The Pitts S-2A's have been

eo
ry

Lycoming engines and the wings
have. been modified to’ inctude
symmetrical ailerons that permit
roll' rates in excess of 225 degrees
per second. The team’s aircraft
crulze at 180 miles per hour plus,
using about ten Imperial gallons
of fuel per hour, Cruising range
is approximately 400 miles.
“Getting to air shows and-

“other events at which wo perform.

actoss-Canada and in the U.S. .
can take a. lot. of refuelling ©
stops”, sald Eilis, “but that can
be part of the fuii"’..

_ While. ptlil serving with’ the
Canadian Armed Forces, Cowan

anda fellow pilot pooled their

The chairman. behind Airshow. 82

. VANDERHOOF —

“Rnergetic” Is a good descrip--
tien and so is the word.
“dynamhic”, “Community mind °
ed” and. “adventurous” are also

apt depictions,

Together,’ these adjectives"

paint'a verbal portrait of Wayne
Deorksen, Chairman of the 1982
Airshow Committee.

As well as being in charge of
‘organizing the nationally known
extravaganza this summer,

Deorksen 7 one of the driving
forces on the Board of Directors
‘of ‘the Blue Mountain . Flyers
Club, the parent: organization
that puts on the’ two day ex-

travaganza. .
He has held a number of pos

tions on the executive since the
Clob came into being and has
been heavily involved with the
Airshow since it first originated.

An experienced’ private pilot
with a night endorsement and

: 1970's with his wife, Wendy:

300": 40 hours of flying under
his belt, Deorksen says he never
thought of learning to fly until he -
travelled to-Burope.in the early

While. there, they - visited:

“several ‘well known aviation |
museums, and Deorksen came
- home with a “burning urge to.

“fly": He was also instilled with a
long term interest In the history
of aviation, particularly the ad-
vancements made during World

Wer’ Two.

cally himaelf an tigitation
ie” bene prides himself on
owning one of the best libraries

“ea'the history of flight in the

Nechako Valley.

Deorksen received his private
pilot's licence at Altair Aviation
in Pitt Meadows soon after his

return to Canada, After livingon |’

resources and enthusiasm to”
form an serobatic team flying
the Pitts Special 5-1, a one seat
biplane, on weekends and
holidays.: Rod Ellis bécame the
team’s lead pilot in 1975. That
year, the team acquired the twin
seat bi-planes they fly today.

Ellis’ involvement in airshows.

also began in the service, fying
with the Canadian Armed Forces
Golden _Centennaires"
* serobatic team. ) a “Red
Knight” in 0 7-33 jet.

the B.C. coast for the better part |.

of a year, he returned to |.”
Vanderhoof, his hometown since .

his pre school days.
A couple of years later,. in

CN | 1975, Deorksea ¢0-founded the

Wi Deorksen, Chairman of this summer's Alrshow, Is one of the original founders of:
_ the Blue Mountaln Flyers Club. .

_ Chairman’s ‘welcome to area

By Wayne Deorksen.
“On behalf of thé 1982
Vanderhoof Airshow

" Committee, I would like.
to welcome you to this:
year’s acrial extravaganza”

July 24 and 25.
Our two. day entertain-

ment package is chock full"

of world class acts such as
- the Ray. Ban Reds
. (formerly the. Canadian
-Reds), the Royal -EBagte
Squadron, | Bob Bishop

and his Acrojet, Al Hauff'.

and’ his super serobatic
‘Pitts Special, the Brew

Agee at alider biplane act

and more.
This year, a number of

sponsors have helped us to ©

put on the Airshow.
Special thanks. go to

Pacific Western Airlines,

the  Vanderhoof ' Co-op,

they Aluminum. Company .

of; Canada, - Fraser
Beverages: Bottlers of
Crush, the Village | of
Vanderhoof and Labatts
Breweries. :

The members of. the
Committee would also like

Blue "Mountain Flyers Club with

. five other - dedicated private.

‘pilots, Since then, the non-profit
society has grown by leaps and
bounds and branched out into
several fields, .

- The Airshow is still the major
yearly event, although the group
has been involved in the Omineca

-Loggers’.-Sports and the CI
Challenge Cup . snowmobile

‘Deorksen, the past president
_of the. Vandrifters Snowmob
Club; was-the originator an
chairman of the Challenge Cup
Series in 1978, ‘79 and '80. In
1979, he was also. the co-
chairman of the Loggers’ Sports.
- “That same year, he established
Gemini Productions, a local con-
cem with a growing reputation
for bringing first rate entertain-

.ment to Vanderhoof. —

In the past two or three years,
‘the promotion company has
presented country and rock con-
certs, a complete rodeo and a
number of Tough Guy competi-
tions. One of the amateur boxing
productions included the’ first
Women’s Elimination Card in
Western. Canada, and drew a
record crowd of more than 1500
spectators to, Vanderhool's
“ recreation centre.

“Deorksen's day. to - day ;

"schedule seems tightly pac
ai te Kal dove demend. of his
family owned Husky station, his

‘ favourite hobby ‘and his. extra”

‘curricular interests, He says he

- still finds time to relax; however,

volved | in this’ summer's -

Airshow. Without them, °
the annual event could not.
run as smoothly as it tradi-
tionally does,

I would like to extend |
my personal thanks to the .
Committee’. and all the
volunteers who have spent
hundreds of hours prepar-.

ing for the Airshow. We.

started work last fall, soon‘:
after the 1981, show was
completed. 9

‘We hope you have as

_to thank all-the clubs and _
organizations. that are in-

usually at home with his wife and

daughters Elizabeth, 5, and ;

Amanda, 3. They havea 160.acre '
farm on Sturgeon Point. Road,

several miles cast of Vanderhoo f.

Want more.

Information? | |

Want more information on the
upcoming Vanderhoof Alrshow?
Call the Blue Mountain Flyers

“Hanger at the Vanderhoof: Air- ”

port during working hours at

” §67-9095, Or call Airshow Chair-.

man Wayne Deorkeen at

During the summer airshow
season, they base their aircraft at -

different times in Vancouver or |

Toronto, a way of cutting down
the flying tims to get in shows in
eastern or western Canada and in
the United States.

. “The performances are a bob-
by for us, not a business. The
sponsorship by Bausch and
Lomb allows us-to cover the
costs of the aircraft and things
like

Bon Grantham has been the Mayor of Vanderhoof for five
youre, He le ale a private pilot and a member of the Biue

Mountain Flyers Club.

Wh

Mayor's Message.

Welcome to Vanderhoof. On behalf of our council
and myself, I sincerely hope your stay is a joyous one,
and that you get an opportunity to explore and a
preciate our beautiful Nechako Valley, This year’s air

- show ‘promises to be even better than before. - ~*~.

I would lke to extend my congratulations. to the ©
organizers of the airshow, and to the president and ex-"

Sincerely,
Dou Grantham
Mayor

. ecutive of Blue Mountain Flyers. I «wish you asafe and.
successful airshow. .

Thureday, July 15, 1982.

“PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

; _ This Alrshow supplement is produced & published by tha .
‘Omineca Advertigar.Ltd., publishers of The ExpreserBucle te &: -
Courlar,.Box-1007, Vanderhoof, B.C. :

This publication is a supplement to the Prince George -
Citizen, Terrace Dally Herald, Peace River Block News, Fri. -
day, July 18, 1882; Tha Quesnel! Observer, Willams - Lake

’ Tribune, Thursday, July 15, 1932: The-Smithers  Interlor ”
Naws, Houston Today, Burns Lake Diatrict News, Wednes:|
ay, July 14, 1982; Omineca Expresa-Bugle & Caledonias.
Courler, ‘Wednesday, duly 14, 1982 & Nechako | ‘Chronicle;: :

a Any reproduction in whole or part, without the condent of
“the aald company, Is exprecaly prohibited.

maintenance and hotel. -