Reid,J.W.(windy) D.F.C. RCAF/RAF Group Captain WW2

[JohnReid]

When the conditions were right I have also seen him take off from one end of the runway with Charlie Hillard at the other end,in a super cub heading straight for one another and then both do an quarter roll at the last moment to clear wing tips.
He would also often finish his routine by climbing a couple of thousand feet ,shut down the engine ,spin and land dead stick and taxi right up to where Bill Sweet was standing announcing the show.No sweat,literally !
I can still see him in the cockpit headed straight for the ground where dad and I stood with the poles and not knowing if he would pull it out negative or positive or even at all!

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

My early introduction to the cockpit.
Things were a lot different in the early days.Whenever I traveled I always tried to get "up front" with the crew and ride in the jump seat.Actually my first recollection of flying was sitting on the knee of the captain of a Super Connie and actually handling the controls flying back from YVR.
Out of Barbados I actually got to sit in the left seat of a "North Star" and fly it.I remember my mother saying to me as I returned to the passenger cabin " I thought that there was something going on weaving through the sky like that".I hardly ever remember flying without grabbing the jump seat especially for landing and take off.ATC was also fun to listen to.I also often went on pilot training and competency tests riding in DC3's on up when dad was doing check rides.Imagine doing that today !

[JohnReid]

I remember one evening sitting at home and flight ops called to speak to my dad.It seems that there was a Viscount (which he was check pilot on at the time)flying around YUL burning off gas with a main gear stuck up.
Dad said "come on" and off we went to the ATC tower.After talking with the pilot for awhile and trying everything to get the gear down,it was decided to just leave down what they had and hold the wing off the ground as long as possible before grinding to a halt.It proved to be the right thing to do with minimum damage to the airplane.
I even got to sit in on the de-briefing of the crew which was cool .Dad said that this happened all the time during the war.

[JohnReid]

Don McVicar
I first met Don McVicar in a cold hangar at Dorval.At the time dad was searching for a spot to rebuild the Travelair (rent free of course)Don owned some airline or another flying north in Canada and south to Cuba.While the hangar proved to be too damn cold and dark to work in, Don himself was a really warm guy.
I remember dad pulling his leg and saying "McVicar I flew the Atlantic when there were no nav aids,for you guys it was a piece of cake."
Later I met him again at a Ferry Pilots reunion in Dorval.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]