Pilot lives childhood dream
By Nick Lewis, July 21, 2009
Reprinted from the Calgary Herald www.calgaryherald.com
CALGARY – He still remembers the day. June 6, 1959 is when Daniel Dempsey first fell in love.
He was a six-year-old Calgary boy whose parents had taken him to see the Golden Hawks, a team of Canadian aerobatic airmen who dazzled crowds below with a string of daring aerial stunts.
“I remember the day vividly because I was mesmerized,” he said Monday.
“And I recall the day before the show, my dad and I were on a gravel road not too far from McCall Field, and the Golden Hawks had to land because of strong winds. And they stopped and taxied right in front of us.
“And the guy at the very back, who later I found out was Lt. Bill Grip, waved to me. And that’s all I ever wanted to do from that moment on — join the air force and fly like the Golden Hawks.”
Dempsey joined the air force, and today, at age 56, the retired lieutenant-colonel gets to fly like the Golden Hawks, in a golden, restored F-86 Sabre.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of powered flight in Canada, as well as the 50th anniversary of the Golden Hawks air show team, Dempsey and a crew of four other Snowbird pilots will be flying and showcasing the Sabre all across Canada.
Dropping in at Calgary’s SAIT Art Smith Aero Centre on Monday morning, right at McCall Field, the former Snowbird team leader got to relive a dear childhood moment as he soared across the sky.
“I can’t believe how lucky I am; this is such a thing of beauty to fly,” Dempsey said with a grin as he stepped out on the runway.
“This is a magnificent aircraft, the one that won the Korean War. By today’s standards, it may be old technology, but back in the ’50s, it was an incredible fighter.”
The F-86 Sabre, a fast, nimble jet, was the backbone of the Royal Canadian Air Force in the ’50s and its primary air defence fighter. Crafted to outfox the Soviet MiG-15s flying in Korea, it was an incredible prestige for a Canadian pilot to fly one.
Retired Col. Gerry Morrison, 74, had that pleasure.
As he saw his plane saunter into the hangar Monday morning, he walked up to it and kissed it on its snub nose, saying he felt his heart beat faster.
“I flew this particular aircraft in 1960 when I was in training to go fly Sabres in Europe,” he said. “And again in 1967 when I was getting trained to become a CF-104 Starfighter pilot.
“It was Canada’s second-ever jet fighter, but it was by far the best fighter in the world at that time. Flying one was the most sought-after job in the RCAF. As soon as everyone got their wings, that’s what they wanted to fly.”
In 1959, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of powered flight in Canada, the RCAF created the Golden Hawks; the Sabre was the natural choice to showcase its first Canadian Airshow team.
The Golden Hawks became synonymous with acrobatic flying across Canada, and a number of young Canadians were inspired to join the RCAF after seeing pilots doing low-level flybys with their canopies open, waving to the crowd. The program was disbanded in 1964, and succeeded by The Snowbirds in 1971.
Even today, Canada’s greatest fighter aircraft commands the attention of its young people. A group of SAIT aviation mechanic students at the field Monday blinded the golden bird with paparazzi flashes as it landed, staring at it with wonder.
“I’m not particularly familiar with this aircraft, we work primarily with civilian aircraft,” said 20-year-old student Michael Cummings.
“But it’s great to become familiar with all aspects of aviation, and this plane is really, really cool.”
For Dempsey, the opportunity to fly the Sabre back to where he first fell in love with it was something special.
“It’s amazing how the memories just flood back,” he said.
“I distinctly remember standing right over there when I was a kid. This really is cool.”
The F-86 Sabre is being hosted by the NATO Veterans Organization and will be on display at the Art Smith Aero Centre today from 9 a. m. to 4 p. m. Admission is by donation, and proceeds will assist Canadian pilots who flew on duty for NATO during the Cold War.
