Volume 37 * Number 2 October 2002 http:/www.cahs.com/torontochapter CANADA POST AGREEMENT No. 40042054

This Month: Thursday, October 3rd, 2002 7:45 p.m.

Air Canada 747-400 C-FGHZ landing at KIX Osaka, Japan Kuromisa Kansai Aviation Photo. * Captain Howie Malone retired Air Canada 747 pilot will tell us about flying the heavies. Don’t miss this interesting meeting! President’s Remarks Robert A. Winson Ron Johnson, our September 12th speaker was a long-time aerial surveillance photographer. I have known Ron since 1974 when he first joined the Ministry of Environment as a Communications Officer/ Photographer. Ron gave us an excellent overview of what could be accomplished with aerial surveillance from light aircraft. A group of 99’s were also present to hear Ron and chat with him during our hangar flying time. A fine presentation fully reported by Gord McNulty. Our 50/50 Draw was won by Cyril Fry, our Gravenhurst member, and the consolation prize which is donated by our Chapter Director Pat Hull was won by Stan Edwards. Earl Barr had a steady stream of customers at our magazine table.

With volunteers still badly needed for the positions of sound system operator and Chapter Secretary, your help is requested. Interested members please telephone me. Once again it is CAHS membership renewal time and you’ll find the 2003 membership renewal form inserted with your Flypast. Note we have been able to hold the line again at $15.00 which is a real bargain for 10 issues yearly. Your additional contributions are much appreciated. Captain Howie Malone, Ret’d, Air Canada 747 pilot speaking to us at our October 3rd, meeting will tell us about flying the “Heavies”. Don’t miss this meeting. I’ll see you there!

Sept. 12th, 2002 Meeting Speaker: Ron Johnson Subject: Aerial Surveillance Photography in Ontario Reporter: Gord McNulty Chapter President Bob Winson introduced our speaker. Bob has known Ron personally since Ron joined the ministry of the environment (MOE) in 1974. Bob had been at the ministry for at least 10 years before that. Ron was born in Massachusetts and holds dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship. He has both flags in his apartment. Ron has extensive military experience. He was an aerial observer and photographer with the U.S. Navy, serving with the US Navy anti-submarine squadron VS24. He sailed on a famous aircraft carrier, the USS Valley Forge, which operated from Norfolk, Virginia. Ron's service on that carrier covered the Atlantic Seaboard all the way from Cuba to Greenland, and included ice patrol into northern Canada. Ron flew patrols in the Grumman S2F Tracker and in various helicopters when identifying unknown ships. He served on resupply missions to nuclear submarines in the open ocean. He flew aboard the Martin PM1-5 Marlin, out of Norfolk naval air station. Ron also flew in the P2V Neptune, and the navalised version of the Lockheed Super Constellation, on weather patrol and maritime patrol. After serving in the U.S. Navy, Ron worked for the FBI. He was an agent and was engaged in aerial and ground surveillance. He worked out of the FBI Academy in Virginia as well as the New York City FBI office. Ron flew with the U.S. Coast Guard and the New York City police department air group. In 1967 Ron came to Canada. He joined the ministry of natural resources (MNR) as an aerial and ground photographer. He flew in MNR Beavers, Turbo-Beavers, and Otters all over Ontario. His favourite aircraft for the job, as he explained in his talk, was the Cessna 172. Ron went to the information services branch of the environment ministry, as a communications officer and photographer, where he met Bob. He started aerial surveillance on an organized basis for the ministry. He co-founded Operation Skywatch in 1978, with Bob. They enjoyed working with some wonderful ladies who flew in Skywatch, some of whom were in the audience for Ron's presentation. It was a joint effort between the ministry and the Toronto chapter of the famous Ninety-Nines, the international organization of licensed women pilots. The widely-applauded service lasted 20 years as a full program and is still operating on a limited basis. In 1985, Ron joined the newly-formed Investigations and Enforcement Branch (IEB). He became a provincial officer with authority under the four acts administered by the MOE. Ron again set up an aerial and ground surveillance program. He collected photos for court cases and investigation of ongoing air, land, water and illegal waste activities. Later on, he took Operation Skywatch province-wide, with the support of the 99s chapters in Ottawa, London, and Hamilton as well as Toronto, the first Canadian chapter, operating from Buttonville. Ron retired from MOE in 1997. He is now a freelancer and photographer, and a member of the Ontario Association of Remote Sensing. Ron provided a remarkable and thought-provoking slide presentation, with a collection of photos illustrating the value of aerial surveillance in protecting Ontario's natural resources and environment against polluters. When he joined the government, there was no Skywatch. The MNR used aerial surveillance to supplement other aerial photography being used before and after a case was prosecuted. It did a lot of forestry work using aerial photography. One pilot came from the water resources branch of the MOE. That's how Ron started taking photos of water pollution problems. He was shifted there as the government began to insist on accountability for polluters. Ron really enjoyed his job. He said he never really saw it as work.

He described it as a real pleasure to do what he had been trained to do. "I never realized what job satisfaction was until I took that job, and I wish I was still there." Ron urged the active pilots in the audience to record and report suspected problems they see from the air. The person to call is Sarah Bowlby, in the IEB, at 416-326-3987 in Toronto. The IEB was originally staffed by police officers and government experts in air, land, water and waste. It was mandated to conduct proper investigations, collect evidence, and take it to court. Ron underlined the value of remote sensing and imaging devices for earth observation, and not just for weather forecasts. As his slides made clear, it makes a tremendous difference in providing investigators with evidence needed to prosecute criminal offences. In one example, Ron did considerable work with problems with mine tailings from the uranium mines at Elliott Lake. As was evident from a satellite photo, or a high-altitude aircraft photo, waste from the mine tailings could readily be identified flowing into surrounding waterways. All kinds of details became clear from the photographs, depending on the altitude from which they were taken. As Ron said, "The lower you fly, the more you see." In that light, a smaller aircraft like the Cessna 172 provided a real advantage. Air photos were crucial in telling investigators where to search, and where to sample. Ron's slides showed members of Operation Skywatch in action with members of the 99s at the controls of the 172 at Buttonville. The government chose experienced pilots, with safety coming first. Ron was able to put a vertical camera on the bottom of the 172, on the right front seat. The idea was to mount it on the seat rails for quick release. In that way, it could be put on the back seat and Ron could fly if there happened to be a problem with the pilot. He could mount three camera systems. Ron noted that a GPS unit was indispensable in finding the nearest airport in northern Ontario, and also in obtaining longitudinal/latitudinal details to help investigators on the ground. The 172 was equipped with long-range tanks so that it could put in a long flying day without refuelling. The crew usually consisted of a pilot, Ron as the photographer, and a ministry observer who was familiar with the area involved. Ron noted the 172 was affordable, could be flown by many pilots and in many ways was the ideal aircraft. Aerial photography enabled investigators to identify a point source of pollution, such as an industrial plant or generating station, and follow the plume of smoke to measure the area affected downwind. They could fly around the target and measure the density rates of each plume. When you flew closer to the plume, you could measure the dispersion rates from the plant. Ron Johnson in right hand seat of MNR DHC-2 Mk.III Turbo-Beaver CF-OPE. Ron Johnson Photo.

In a disaster like a chemical fire, you could identify not only the site, but also the fallout downwind. Charts could be prepared to show how the pollution was being carried by the upper winds. The Hagersville tire fire was one of the most serious disasters that Ron was involved in. The aerial slides provided a striking reminder of how massive the tire inferno was. MNR CL-215 water bombers, loading up from nearby Lake Erie, played a big role in extinguishing the blaze. His slides included a dredging operation in the Fighting Island area of the Detroit River near Windsor. As Ron noted, you can take advantage of the reflection of the sun when flying over water to trace discharges that otherwise would not be seen. Ron showed a slide of Atlas Steels near Welland, with tell-tale photos of pollution charges illustrated by the sun, as well as a slide showing pollution in Hamilton Harbour. One slide showed an oil discharge into the lake right near an MOE office. With aerial photos, investigators were able to trace the source upstream. Ron noted that crews tried to be proactive, and look for different problems while flying between targets. For example, they discovered that oil used for dust suppression was being dumped into gravel pits around Toronto and other areas of southern Ontario. Once, they spotted a fleet of tankers that were dumping illegal liquid waste. The investigation started, with undercover ministry staff hiding behind nearby trees with binoculars and cameras to photograph the individual trucks and get their licence plates as they left the site. Aerial photos provided dramatic evidence of the extent of vegetation kills caused by oil dumping. Ministry staff could track down operators who thought they could get away with breaking the law by polluting lagoons and the rural landscape, well away from the highways, where the crooks figured no one would see them. Winter flying could be very productive for the ministry. Ron noted that telltale liquid wastes, for example, would contrast more clearly against the snow. Fresh tire tracks from gravel pits used for illegal operations would also show up, enabling investigators to trace offenders and lay charges. Old photos by aerial survey companies and the military, going back to the late 1920s and 1930s, also proved helpful. They gave "site profiles." Ron would superimpose the old photos with contemporary aerial photos to sketch in where past chemical dumping had occurred. The technique helped in investigations of dumping in old oil wells in the Petrolia area. Construction waste was another problem. Contractors would pay off farmers to dump massive piles of waste on land that the farmers could not use. One operation was broken up near downtown Toronto, south of the railway tracks in the east end. In one interesting dumping case in the Ottawa area, a ministry employee seated in the back of the Cessna behind Ron would direct ministry surveillance vehicles to track the dump trucks. The airborne "spies in the sky" would fly low and slow in the Cessna to follow the truck drivers, who never knew they were being watched as they tipped their loads. As soon as the drivers got back out on the main road, the surveillance crews would pull them over and nail them. In one case east of Highway 404 not too far from Buttonville, an unscrupulous operator was dumping illegal waste, loading it into bins and covering it over with soil. Then the waste would be hauled to a landfill site just west of Markham airport. A bulldozer, loaded with clean fill, would be used to cover up the waste quickly. It was a clever operation, until it was discovered from the air. The ministry and the OPP used undercover personnel to stop the racket. The Uniroyal company at Elmira, which made the infamous Agent Orange used by the U.S. Air Force in Vietnam was also the subject of investigation. The company built lagoons to contain the potent chemical. But the lagoons leached into rivers and streams used by farmers to water their cattle. The company expanded the lagoons and tried to cover up the old ones. Air photos showed the

magnitude of the problem. As Ron said, Skywatch was invaluable. It is "very unfortunate" that the Skywatch program has been scaled back considerably from what it was. In his time, an aircraft was assigned to the program at least five days a week. If the weather was good, and the ministry flew, they paid the bill. If not, Buttonville would use the aircraft for whoever needed it. Ron's presentation was an enlightening and powerful account of the harm being done to the environment, and how aerial surveillance can prevent it. Ron ended on a sobering note. Just before he retired, the government of the day eliminated 40 per cent of the IEB. Ron answered questions from the audience. Ontario has strong environmental laws and hefty fines for polluters. But they are of limited effect if the enforcement and investigations branch is weak and the public isn't fully aware of the menace. Our speaker was thanked by Dave Pellowe, our chapter director, who expressed appreciation on behalf of the audience for Ron's most worthwhile presentation. Visiting 99’s who came to hear Ron Johnson’s presentation. Norm Harrison Photo. Bob Winson, David Pellowe congratulate Ron Johnson for his fine presentation. Norm Harrison Photo. A fine group of our “Usual Suspects” enjoying the hangar flying. Norm Harrison Photo.

With the end of summer comes our CAHS membership renewal time. Our 2003 membership renewal form is enclosed with this Flypast issue. Once more we are depending on our membership to renew promptly & hopefully add a bit extra for us as our $15.00 Chapter membership fee is stretched pretty thin to hold 10 membership meetings yearly along with our 10 issues of Flypast. Thank you in advance for your continued support.

Down Memory Lane May 19, 1994 Toronto Chapter meeting. Don Evans, Bruce Best, Gord Schwartz, Bill Turner, Norm Harrison, and Jack Hunter. Nick Wolockatuk Photo. Norm Harrison slipped the above picture to me at our September 12th meeting. Pleasant memories for our late members Bruce Best, Bill Turner and Jack Hunter. A happy celebration for Charlie our long time Library Security guard friend who retired following our September 12 Chapter meeting. George Topple our Director on the right made the arrangements assisted by Pat Hull our Catering Director for the evening. Norm Harrison Photo. Stanhope Airport in Haliburton will be having its annual Fall Colour Fly In on October 5th and 6th, along with a noon hour BBQ on each day. Selected studio tours of local artisans will also be available. For further information, contact the airport at [705] 754-2611 or e-mail at airport@halhinet.on.ca Also check out the web site which includes pilot weather info at www.stanhopeairport.com Look forward to seeing you in the fall. Doug McLean

DHC Turbo Beaver C-FETN of the Jet-Share Canada fleet amongst the visiting seaplanes at the Orillia Aviation flyin/splashin on Aug.17th, 2002. Gord McNulty Photo. Toronto Aviation Museum- 65 Carl Hall Road Downsview, ON Speakers Night, Thursday, October 24 at 7:30 P.M. It is reported the our Gordon Schwartz will be speaking on the significant achievements in Canadian aviation of Jack Sanderson and why he was inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame. Next Month’s Speaker: For our November 7th, meeting [first Thursday] Ross Smyth CAHS National Director & Montreal Chapter member will give us some recollections from his new book “Aviation Memoirs: A love Affair with Flight” Don’t miss it! Join Us: Our Chapter meetings are held at the North York Central Library Main auditorium, second floor, 5120 Yonge St. Toronto, ON. You can enter if motoring by the southwest corner of the library off Beecroft Road. TTC North York Civic Centre Subway station exit will lead you directly into the library.