Golden Hawk Sabre to fly at CNE, Toronto, Sept. 5-7

From the Toronto Star (note links at end; via Spotlight on Military News and International Affairs):

Celebrating 100 years of Canadian flight

SUPPLIED PHOTO

A restored F-86 Sabre will be a star attraction at the Canadian International Air Show, Sept. 5-7 at the CNE.

It's one thing to restore a 55-year-old car back to its former glory and take it out for its first test run.

But a 55-year-old jet fighter?

You're certainly not going to get away with the equivalent of a couple of gentle laps of a shopping mall parking lot to see if anything falls off.

So as Vintage Wings of Canada was putting the finishing touches to Hawk One, an F-86 Sabre that first flew in 1954, Paul Kissmann was doing his homework.

Kissmann, a test pilot and one-time CF-18 Hornet pilot, was not only the Hawk One project manager but also the man who would take it off the ground for the first time.

He's expected to be one of two pilots flying the Sabre as a star attraction at the Canadian International Air Show, Sept. 5-7 at the CNE.

"There's no F-86 simulator to practice in first," says Kissmann in a phone interview as he travels from an air show in Lethbridge, Alta. to his home in the Ottawa area. "There's no second seat or dual controls. You're on your own."

Not entirely. He did have a veteran who'd flown Sabres operationally to advise him about its characteristics and quirks. Kissmann had also not only pretty much memorized the plane's manuals – "I could have quoted you just about anything" – he'd also made sure he could "chair fly" it.

"You spend enough time in the cockpit that everything is familiar to you," he says. "And then you're ready to fly.

"It was a mixture of absolute delight and concern. You want to bring the plane back all right."

As it turned out, Kissmann found the Sabre similar to the Tutor jets he trained on and which are still flown by the Snowbirds.

"It has a little more power than a Tutor and it's a little more sensitive," he says. "But it was a familiar stomping ground."

That first flight was last November and, since then, he and other pilots assigned to fly Hawk One have become more comfortable with the plane and, in the process, fallen in love with it.

"It's a real sweetheart," Kissmann says.

Vintage Wings of Canada defines its mission as "to acquire, restore, maintain and fly classic aircraft ... a particular focus is on aircraft of Canadian importance."

Hawk One first flew in 1954, though the type dates back to 1949 and became a Korean War icon in its battles with Soviet MiG fighters. Coincidentally, a MiG-17 appeared at the 2006 air show.

Flying Officer Jerry Westphal, flying the plane in a battle exercise over Morocco in 1955, scored 94 hits "air to air" with its six machineguns. This is thought still to be an all-time record.

It also flew with the Golden Hawks formation team, formed in 1959 to mark 50 years of flight in Canada and the forerunner of the Snowbirds.

The plane was "struck off" by Canadian Forces in 1970 and has spent most of its life since then in the United States.

It's back in Golden Hawks colours to commemorate the centenary of flight in Canada [see The "Century Hornet"]..

And after that?

"We hope to keep Hawk One flying for a lot of years to come," says Kissmann. "It's the only Sabre flying in Canada.

"There's a lot of work involved. Altogether, we have a team of 21. You have to corral spares and knowledge from anywhere you can find them. But we have a source for engine spares and fuel pumps so we're looking good.

"Ironically, what gave us most problems when we were getting the bugs out of the plane were the new avionics systems we'd installed."..

Organizers warn that the air show lineup can change right up to the last minute. But these are the expected highlights:

• The U.S. Navy Blue Angels, one of the world's best-known jet formation teams, with six F/A-18 Hornets.

• A World War II-era Mark IX Spitfire, one of the best fighter planes of its time – rarely seen at the CNE.

• A team of three of the other best WWII fighters: the Horsemen formation team, flying P-51 Mustangs.

• Two world-rated aerobatics soloists: Mike Wiskus and Mike Goulian.

• The F/A-22 Raptor, the U.S. Air Force's latest and greatest jet fighter [emphasis added].

• Top of the bill, of course, will be the Snowbirds – a fabulous photo opportunity wherever you choose to stand.

For more information, go to theex.com or cias.org.

Earlier posts on the restored plane, with lots of photos, here and here. More on the Century of Flight here, here, here, here and here.

And a Star video on the Snowbirds.

Update: Paul at Celestial Junk has a great title:

Sabre Rattling at the CNE

But our government won't agree to Canadian Air Force Hornets buzzing in Afstan. And note Paul's comment, more video.

Upperdate: Lots of interesting comments, including from former RCAF members, at Small Dead Animals.

Babbler's Update: Some great photos posted in this thread at a Calgary Flames fan site...

"I took these at the Westjet BBQ last week..." - Bigtime