Flying Canucks III: Famous Canadian Aviators

Patricia A. Myers is a historian at the Historic Sites and Archives
Service, Alberta Community Development, and the author of Sky Riders: An
Illustrated History of Aviation in Alberta, 1906–1945.

Flying Canucks III, the third instalment in Peter Pigott’s Famous
Canadian Aviators series, begins with a profile of Casey Baldwin. The
first Canadian to fly, Baldwin became a member of the Aerial
Experimental Association, which was formed in October 1907. Other
prominent members of the association included Alexander Graham Bell and
aviation notable Glenn Curtiss.

Pigott structures his aviator selections around important periods in
Canadian aviation history. There is a profile of Duncan Bell-Irving, a
mud-plastered infantryman in World War I who joined the air force and
became the first Canadian to receive ace status. From wartime, Pigott
moves on to exploration and bush flying, eras thick with tales of
adventure and heroism. Among those profiled are Bernt Balchen, Henry
Schade, and Walter “Babe” Woollett. The familiar difficulties
encountered by bush pilots emerge: disagreeable weather, hummocky
landing spots, rescue missions, cranky aircraft, and surly companions.

Pigott concludes with profiles of other aviation builders, including
Russ Baker, George Lothian, and Gordon McGregor. Throughout the book, he
resists the temptation to portray his chosen aviators as saints. For the
most part, he treats them as determined and resourceful people who loved
doing what they did. His book, which is supplemented with fine
photographs, is recommended for readers interested in aviation in
general and Canadian aviation history in particular.