Last Avro Arrow Pilot Passes
Fri Jul 28, 2006 1:23 pm
Avro pilot touched the sky but remained down to earth Zosia Bielski, CanWest News Service; National Post
Published: Friday, July 28, 2006 Article tools
Font: * * * * TORONTO -- A memorial for Don Rogers, chief test pilot for Avro Canada throughout Canada's golden age of aviation, marked the end of an era Thursday.
Rogers, 89, died of cancer last week in Toronto.
"Modest and unpretentious to a fault, he grew larger than life by staying down to earth," remembered David Willer, son of Murray Willer, who helped build the Canadian version of the Avro Lancaster bomber.
Willer, a self-proclaimed "child of Avro" and aircraft historian, recalled highlights from Roger's career, and the legacy of Avro.
In the late 1940s, Rogers became Avro's chief test pilot and took the helm of its promising new jet, the C-102.
The C102 Jetliner was the first jet-powered passenger liner in North America although the Korean War brought its production to a halt.
However, before that happened, in April 1950, Rogers flew the Jetliner from Toronto to New York in a record 58 minutes. The crew was paraded through the streets of Manhattan.
The legendary Howard Hughes put the family up for six months when he test flew the jetliner with Rogers in Culver City, Calif., in 1952.
"He took great pride in being a test pilot for the Jetliner," said Paul Cabot, curator and manager of the Toronto Aerospace Museum.
Meanwhile, the Avro C-105 was a twin-engine supersonic fighter aircraft designed and built in Toronto. Five were made and test flown. The Arrow became an icon of Canada's golden age of aeronautical development in the 1950s.
The Diefenbaker government scrapped the project and on Feb. 20, 1959, otherwise known as Black Friday, the company laid off almost 15,000 people, destroying all of the aircraft soon after.
The original four who flew the Avro Arrow, or CF-105, have all passed away.
Peter Cope died last year, Janusz Zurakowski _ the first test pilot to fly the Arrow _ died in 2004; Spud Potocki in 1996; Jack Woodman in 1987. Lorne Ursel was supposed to be the fifth man to test-fly the Arrow, but only got to taxi it before the project was cancelled.
Rogers lived in Etobicoke, Ont., with his wife June, not far from the former Avro plant, now Orenda Aerospace, which still makes gas turbine engines at Pearson International Airport.
Rogers was born in Hamilton on Nov. 26, 1916. He got his pilot's licence when he was 20.
With the onset of the Second World War, Rogers took the Royal Canadian Air Force instructor course, joining National Steel Car _ later renamed Victory Aircraft _ as a test pilot. During the war, Rogers flew some of the factory's legendary Lancaster bombers to England.
When Victory Aircraft became A.V. Roe Canada in 1946, Rogers became the company's chief test pilot.
After Black Friday, Rogers went on test-flying for de Havilland, and continued to train pilots until he was 70. He clocked 12,000 hours on 30 different types of aircraft.
National Post
© CanWest News Service 2006
===============================================
Its a shame the Arrow was to never be further developed!
Godspeed On Your New Journey Don Rogers.
Robbie
Published: Friday, July 28, 2006 Article tools
Font: * * * * TORONTO -- A memorial for Don Rogers, chief test pilot for Avro Canada throughout Canada's golden age of aviation, marked the end of an era Thursday.
Rogers, 89, died of cancer last week in Toronto.
"Modest and unpretentious to a fault, he grew larger than life by staying down to earth," remembered David Willer, son of Murray Willer, who helped build the Canadian version of the Avro Lancaster bomber.
Willer, a self-proclaimed "child of Avro" and aircraft historian, recalled highlights from Roger's career, and the legacy of Avro.
In the late 1940s, Rogers became Avro's chief test pilot and took the helm of its promising new jet, the C-102.
The C102 Jetliner was the first jet-powered passenger liner in North America although the Korean War brought its production to a halt.
However, before that happened, in April 1950, Rogers flew the Jetliner from Toronto to New York in a record 58 minutes. The crew was paraded through the streets of Manhattan.
The legendary Howard Hughes put the family up for six months when he test flew the jetliner with Rogers in Culver City, Calif., in 1952.
"He took great pride in being a test pilot for the Jetliner," said Paul Cabot, curator and manager of the Toronto Aerospace Museum.
Meanwhile, the Avro C-105 was a twin-engine supersonic fighter aircraft designed and built in Toronto. Five were made and test flown. The Arrow became an icon of Canada's golden age of aeronautical development in the 1950s.
The Diefenbaker government scrapped the project and on Feb. 20, 1959, otherwise known as Black Friday, the company laid off almost 15,000 people, destroying all of the aircraft soon after.
The original four who flew the Avro Arrow, or CF-105, have all passed away.
Peter Cope died last year, Janusz Zurakowski _ the first test pilot to fly the Arrow _ died in 2004; Spud Potocki in 1996; Jack Woodman in 1987. Lorne Ursel was supposed to be the fifth man to test-fly the Arrow, but only got to taxi it before the project was cancelled.
Rogers lived in Etobicoke, Ont., with his wife June, not far from the former Avro plant, now Orenda Aerospace, which still makes gas turbine engines at Pearson International Airport.
Rogers was born in Hamilton on Nov. 26, 1916. He got his pilot's licence when he was 20.
With the onset of the Second World War, Rogers took the Royal Canadian Air Force instructor course, joining National Steel Car _ later renamed Victory Aircraft _ as a test pilot. During the war, Rogers flew some of the factory's legendary Lancaster bombers to England.
When Victory Aircraft became A.V. Roe Canada in 1946, Rogers became the company's chief test pilot.
After Black Friday, Rogers went on test-flying for de Havilland, and continued to train pilots until he was 70. He clocked 12,000 hours on 30 different types of aircraft.
National Post
© CanWest News Service 2006
===============================================
Its a shame the Arrow was to never be further developed!
Godspeed On Your New Journey Don Rogers.
Robbie
Fri Jul 28, 2006 2:11 pm
I posted a similar notice on a Canuck email list where the claim was made that Don Rogers was an Arrow pilot. It was quickly and strongly pointed out to me that although Rogers was a lead pilot on many significant projects, he never flew an Arrow.
Despite that little detail it is worth while recognizing another significant, if not famous, person in aviation history has gone west.
Mike
Despite that little detail it is worth while recognizing another significant, if not famous, person in aviation history has gone west.
Mike
Last edited by mrhenniger on Fri Jul 28, 2006 9:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Fri Jul 28, 2006 2:50 pm
My Bad. Thanks Mike. Guess I need to pay a little more attention to detail. 
Robbie
Robbie
Fri Jul 28, 2006 9:37 pm
No problem. Thanks for posting in the first place. The guy deserves to be remembered.
Mike
Mike