8068

 

8068 J. R. (Dick) Reid

 

 

 

After grad in 1969, we had several months before our pilot course was to start.  So, Leagh Farrell and I decided that a well-earned vacation in Europe was in order.  We set out for Lahr, West Germany, rented a Volkswagen, whacked a CDN sticker on it and set out to tour the Schwarzwald, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and back to Lahr.  Each afternoon, we would dine on a baguette, cheeses, cold cuts and a bottle of wine.  Apparently, one of our objectives was to find the cheapest bottle of wine that could be described as such – we got down to 25 cents.  It would appear that our taste buds were not particularly discriminating at that age.

 Then, we were off to our pilot training in Borden, Moose Jaw and Gimli.  Wings were received in the Fall of 1970 in Gimli.  After a period of holdover while the Career Manager decided what to do with us, a goodly number of us were posted to CFB Shearwater to fly the Tracker.  It was a great little aircraft to fly as a first operational tour, but it appeared that I was to be locked into being a Maritime pilot, something of which I wanted no part.  So, in August of 1974, I left the military to attempt to become a doctor.

 

A makeup year at McMaster to have deemed to have completed the pre-med requirements was completed in good fashion but the medical schools had their reservations.  Apparently, I was not the ‘sharpest shovel in the shed’ at RMC and I was not accepted into medical school.  I look back now and am thankful that I was not accepted.

 Such a crushing defeat was greeted with stoicism.  I decided to put my name in with the CF and then tour across the country visiting old friends and renewing past acquaintances.  Finally ending up in Victoria, I renewed my friendship with a past girl friend, Ms Lynn Robertson who had moved to BC from Ontario.  It was fateful.  We were engaged and married on 1 May 1976.  She’s kept me ever since – brave girl and the love of my life.

 On return to Ontario in late 1975, I was once again enrolled and posted to Portage La Prairie as a pilot instructor.  A shock for my new wife, but a lovely little town to live in.  Portage was followed by a posting to C-130s in Edmonton.  The Hercules taught me much about Canada and the world.  Much time spent in the north, evacuations of civilians from forest fires, SAR missions and around the world flying to UN missions in the far-flung parts of our planet.  I loved it, but because of my Maritime, Training and Transport backgrounds, I was marked to become the Career Manager – not my first choice, but as my CO told me, I didn’t have a choice.  So, it was off to Ottawa.

 The Career Manager is both reviled and adored – just depends on your posting.  But, for me, after three years, it was off to 412 Det Lahr flying the Dash 7 and 8.  Accepting an new aircraft, the Dash 8, into the livery was attractive, flying dignitaries and senior military staff and on a personal note, the Schwarzwald of West Germany was a wonderfully enriching experience for our young family.    

 Another posting to NDHQ after Staff College saw me end up in Air Operations Transport and finally Air Requirements.  That’s when a directive to buy 5 Airbus 310s from Canadian Airlines landed on my desk.  It was a dynamic time to work with a team that brought these aircraft into the RCAF to replace our aging Boeing 707 fleet.  So, it was little surprise that I wanted and was assigned to 437 Squadron to fly the renamed aircraft as the CC-150 Polaris in late 1993.

The late 90s were the years of the Chretien governments Team Canada efforts to Asia that included China, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and India.  And, the airlift for the team was 437 Squadron and the Polaris aircraft.  These were heady times for the squadron and being a part of them was an honour.  As well, I was selected to be the Mission Commander for the 1994 Royal Tour of HM Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh and subsequently, the 1996 Royal Tour of the Prince of Wales.  These were both exceptionally demanding missions but each was an exceptional honour.

 

As my time at 437 was going to come to a close soon and a flying tour was not likely to be in the cards, I opted to put my name into several charter companies flying out of Toronto.  Skyservice chose to offer me a job flying A-320s.  So, my time with the CF again came to an end in late 1996 and it was off to the charter airline industry.

 

From 1996 to 2010, I flew A-320s and A-330s with Skyservice.  Summers on the A-330 saw us fly into Italy for the most part and it was a delight to operate with crews that were multi-lingual and a pleasure to fly with.  More time was spent on A-320s and many summers saw us flying in the UK to supplement British crews for their busy summer season.  It was a wonderful chance for family and friends to come and visit us in our apartments in North Yorkshire, Glasgow and Belfast.  Sadly, as with all good things, Skyservice went into receivership in 2010 and I went into retirement.

 

So, it was time to build our retirement home on a piece of land we owned in Nanaimo.  We completed that in June of 2012 and have since then been enjoying the view out over the Strait of Georgia and summers, we try to get back to the family cottage in Ontario.  Home improvement, woodworking – alias making sawdust – genealogy, Canadian stamps and keeping my wife’s 1984 Mercedes 380 SL in running shape keep me busy.

 So after the best part of 40 years flying airplanes, I am retired and can honestly say that:  “ It’s been a good run.”