MND MacKay: The Good...and the Kittyhawk

1) The good: welcoming troops back from Afstan:

Troops welcomed home to sea of red pride

Students from Herman Street Public School, in Petawawa, turned out Friday for the Wear Red Fridays rally in Petawawa May 8, 2009.
Photograph by: David Gonczol, The Ottawa Citizen

PETAWAWA, Ont. — About 500 well-wishers rallied in Petawawa Friday for what Defence Minister Peter MacKay said was “a wonderful celebration” of “what our brave men and women in uniform do for Canada.”

It was dubbed the “Wear Red Friday Welcome Home Troops Rally” in conjunction with the return of about 1,800 troops from Afghanistan to CFB Petawawa this spring, including a contingent arriving today. A drizzle of rain that eventually gave way to sunny skies couldn’t keep away soldiers, military families, admirers and school children from saying thanks to soldiers who have served overseas.

There were dozens of service men and women who received repeated cheers from the crowd. Master Cpl. Jody Mitic, 32, lost the lower parts of both legs after stepping on a landmine in Afghanistan on Jan. 11, 2007 when he was on foot patrol with his sniper team in Panjawaii District. His wife, Alannah Gilmour, originally from Ottawa, was one of the responding combat medics when he was injured and the pair eventually started a family together in Canada.

“I get a good kick out of these things,” Mitic said. “I joined in 1994 and back then it was almost like army was a four letter word. But now, things have come full circle and people are trying to make up for lost time with us. It’s really touching to have someone come up to you and want to say thanks,” said Mitic.

Moments after arriving at the rally, MacKay crossed the parking lot of the Moncion grocery store, site of the rally, when he saw Mitic and went to chat with him for a few minutes. Mitic was in a wheelchair because he is recovering from surgery, but he is usually walking with prosthetics.

The event featured the arrival of dozens of runners who ran about 200 kilometres to the rally in an effort that raised $33,000 for the Petawawa Military Family Resource Centre. The run was organized by Commissionaires Ottawa.

Other special guests at the rally included Petawawa Mayor Bob Sweet, John Yakabuski, MPP for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, Cheryl Gallant, MP for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, CFB Petawawa base commander Lt.-Col. Bill Moore, Col. Dean Milner, commander of 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group at CFB Petawawa. Gen. Walter Natynczyk, chief of defence staff, was expected to attend but was called away to accompany Prime Minister Stephen Harper on his current trip to Afghanistan.

MacKay told the rally that it was a truly Canadian event.

“This is truly an expression of Canadians wanting to reach out and embrace and send those important messages of appreciation to our troops,” said MacKay.

“You are sending a visible signal that you support them and their families. This is an indication of the strength of feeling that Canadians have. There has been an awakening in the country to the value and appreciation of military service and our men and women in uniform are feeling it,” said MacKay.

2) The Kittyhawk: the press is doing its stuff (front page at the Ottawa Citizen):

MacKay questions value of air force fetching vintage plane for private group

Defence Minister Peter MacKay is asking the military for a full accounting of why the head of the air force authorized a C-17 transport plane to fly to New Zealand to pick up a vintage aircraft for a private organization in Gatineau.

Lt.-Gen. Angus Watt OK'd the recent flight of the C-17 to New Zealand to collect a P-40 Kittyhawk aircraft for Vintage Wings of Canada and then transport it back to Canada, MacKay said.

Vintage Wings is a not-for-profit foundation conceived by well-known Ottawa high-tech businessman Michael Potter. Although its facilities are not open to the general public, it has a range of vintage aircraft and operates those at various air shows as a tribute to the country's veterans and aviation pioneers.

MacKay said dispatching a C-17 to pick up the plane for a private organization was not a proper use of tax dollars or military resources.

"I want to get a full reporting on what exactly happened and how this decision was taken because, in my view in this difficult economic time, in any time, quite frankly, I don't think it was appropriate," he said Friday.

MacKay said he only found out about the flight on Thursday, shortly after it had taken place. He noted that military leaders run day-to-day operations, but had he known about Watt's decision to authorize the C-17 flight, he wouldn't have allowed it to proceed.

According to the air force, there were no incremental costs to taxpayers, as the C-17 was returning from a mission to Afghanistan.

The air force did not respond to questions about why a C-17 returning to Canada would have to travel through New Zealand.

The military also did not respond to questions about the cost of the flight or how much it costs to operate the C-17 on an hourly basis...

In previous cases where there have been questions about the use of air force resources, officers have noted that pilots are required to maintain a certain amount of flying hours.

MacKay did not discuss the costs involved with the flight to New Zealand, but noted "our office, when we learned of this, got in touch with the air force. We expressed displeasure." Photos of the P-40 Kittyhawk being loaded into an empty Canadian C-17 in New Zealand were posted on a webpage for aviation enthusiasts. At least one of those posting at the site raised the question about who paid for the transport. The photos of the P-40 being loaded into the C-17 have since been removed from the site. In a recent strategic assessment, Watt noted that the air force is dealing with ongoing financial pressures.

In response to a Defence Department request to reduce five per cent of his budget, Watt responded with options ranging from shutting down the Snowbirds aerobatic team to reducing the amount of time C-17s would be available to support military units.

Potter of Vintage Wings said the aircraft will benefit Canadians as it will be used to highlight the contributions of the country's pilots, including veteran ace "Stocky" Edwards, who flew the same type of aircraft during the Second World War. More than $1 million has been spent restoring the plane, he added.

"It's a matter of striking a balance," Potter said. "Surely no one would argue that we shouldn't do these things, that people who are doing these things with private- sector funding shouldn't be given support where it's possible to do so?" He said it was decided to use an aircraft to transport the P-40, rather than putting it on a ship, to ensure that the rare aviation artifact wasn't damaged in transit.

"If people are to suggest this was not good use of DND funds, I would challenge you not to mention that this relieved Mike Potter, who is a well-known wealthy guy, of some costs," Potter noted. "They're going to connect the costs and I dare say you will make it easier for them to do that. That's why these stories get legs that they don't deserve to have." Vintage Wings highlights Canada's aviation heritage by acquiring, restoring, maintaining and flying classic aircraft. It will have an open house on June 6 at which it hopes to display the P-40 Kittyhawk. Pre-organized group tours can also be arranged.

Potter said a significant amount of Vintage Wings funding is spent on support for Canadian Forces events such as flying historical aircraft over various military ceremonies. It also offers at no charge tours for Canadian Forces personnel, such as engineers from the Royal Military College.

"The air force just loves to death the thought that people are doing this kind of thing," Potter added. "It's a fundamental part of ensuring morale, unit pride and efficiency of the modern air force." "We don't demand anything back," he added.

MacKay said preserving Canadian heritage of all types is important. "But you have to balance that with the cost associated," he noted. "And I think the average taxpayer, the average Canadian looking at this on balance would say that's not what military resources should be used for." Potter also noted that Vintage Wings plans to send the P-40 and other planes down to the Oshkosh air show in the U.S. The P-40 would not have made that event if it had to come from New Zealand by ship, he added. At that event, thousands of Americans will see the aircraft and hear from Canadian veteran pilot Stocky Edwards about Canadian contributions to the Second World War, he said.

Photos here of the plane being restored and flying, in New Zealand, one of them below:

...
After the Flight Test hours are flown off, the Kittyhawk will be shipped to Gatineau. Expect to see it (flying, we hope!) at the first Vintage Wings of Canada Open House, June 06, 2009 [emphasis added].

More photos of the plane, now fully painted, here--one below:

The plane is this one:

Vintage Wings of Canada, Status of the Wing
2 April 2008
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
...
Kittyhawk Mk IV, RAAF s/n A29-414, c/n 28589
The Kittyhawk is not yet in the hangar in Gatineau, but rather it is undergoing restoration with Pioneer Aero in New Zealand. Dave Hadfield visited Pioneer Aero last January to inspect progress made and he commented “The fuselage is generally complete. The empennage is attached. The instrument panel is in. The engine is hung, though the connections not yet run. The wings are making steady progress in the jigs being built one piece at a time. They are the 5-spar wings which explain the aircraft's Second World War ruggedness. All the parts are there, or are being fabricated. Once the wings are finished, it's really just a matter of assembly and control runs.” It is estimated the airframe will be painted at Pioneer in April or May with an expected arrival at Vintage Wings in August or September [looks like things got speeded up, including the, er, transport]. Hadfield continues, “The test pilot will be John Lamont, of Wanaka. Pioneer is a very good operation. This will be their 9th or 10th P-40, and the staff and management really know their stuff. Believe me, I asked a lot of questions!”..

Via Spotlight on Military News and International Affairs: two maps, one direct route from Afstan, other via New Zealand (though how many stops in all might be involved for each route is a question, the flight from Afstan would certainly not be non-stop).

Lt.-Gen. Watt (who will be retiring shortly) has been under some public fire recently; it might have been wise to get political clearance (Clarence) for the C-17 flight.

Vintage Wings has also restored for flying an F-86 Golden Hawk Sabre (video here of it flying).

Update: Some informed comment at Milnet.ca.