8061

 8061 JR (Bob) Morton

1969 Review

      

Shortly after leaving the College the best thing that ever happened to me occurred on 2 Aug 1969, the day that I married Barbara. Through the past 55 years our family has grown with 3 children, Corby 1971, Matthew  1975 and Ashley 1977 followed by 4 grandchildren Robby, Julie, Molly and Lyla however with a heartbreaking loss of Robby in 2018. It has been a very interesting journey since that day in CFB Borden, moving to different locations 11 times and living in at least 16 different homes. Much love, respect and thanks to Barbara for raising 3 wonderful children through all of that turmoil however great memories.

Where Have You Been and What Did You Do

My career covered 17 years in the RCAF at 6 locations followed by 24 years in the military related industry working for 3 different companies. Following my retirement in 2011, we moved to our present location in London, Ontario. Following herewith is a short summary of each location and job.

1969 - CFB Borden Primary Flying School . I completed the requisite 26 or so flying hours in the Chipmunk aircraft but on my last test flight I made a couple of mistakes so was ordered to go to a review meeting. This happened on a Friday, got married on Saturday, and after a couple of days of pondering my future, I decided that I wasn’t sure if flying was good for my health (related to a few precarious incidents in the air) so I related this to the review board and we mutually agreed that I cease flying. Fortunately there was an AERE course starting in September that I was assigned to with Bill St Jean, Charlie King and Fletch Thom While waiting for that course I helped Bill St Jean on an aircraft weight and balance check by weighing Chipmunk aircraft. During that time Barbara and I lived on the Village of Lisle just off the base.

 1970 - CFB Chatham. I was given the position as the T-33 Maintenance Officer supporting 410 Sqn, Base Rescue H-44 and CH 101 Helicopters and Visiting Flight. Then I was moved to 416 Sqn to be the CF101 Voodoo Servicing and Snags Officer. Consequently took the Bell Huey Ch101 helicopter maintenance Course and Nuclear Safety Course. Great time working with Fletch Thomson, Stan Gidley and Bob Sirois and fellow RMC Pilots/Navs, Joe Sharpe, Claus Lundhild, Bill Matthews, Al Leonard, Bob Jones, Mike Blair and our favourite Rec Spec Earl Morris. Also got involved with coaching Little League baseball and even played for Base Hockey team in the Zone playoffs. Barbara did some part time work helping Doug Tailor Munro with the fledging Base Radio Station.

 1972 - CFB Toronto.  Posted to 308 CFTSD to be that Contracts Manager at Orenda Engines in Malton responsible for overseeing and Qualtiy Assurance of  R&O, Production, Engineering Contracts and Flight Safety Investigations in support of the  CF104 J-79, CF5 J85 CAN15,  CT140 J85 CAN40 and Orenda engines in CF100 Canuck Aircraft and on Radar Station power plants. While there, attended the CF Staff School course and took the DGQA course in Gatineau. Extra curricula involved playing for the CFB Toronto Hockey team in the TMHL Intermediate A Division and two Zone playoffs.

1975 - CFB Trenton.    Posted to the Aircraft Maintenance Development Unit (AMDU) to be a Mechanical Projects Officer responsible mainly for Propulsion System projects. Initially involved with upgrades of J85 and J79 engine test cells at CFBs Moose Jaw, Cold Lake and Baden. This work evolved into a project to design, manufacture and install a J85 test facility at CFB Borden aircraft maintenance school. Worked closely with the Construction Engineering branch and NRC for best control room noise suppression features.

 Other interesting projects included working with Leigh Instruments to install an Aircraft Data and Trend Monitoring System in the 436 Sqn CC-130 Hercules to forewarn of impending transmission gearbox failures. Test data showed potential benefits but technology at the time was cumbersome (analog tapes) and not being real time was loose upon favorably by operators. Another project involved looking at newly developed Electron Beam Welding techniques for repairing failed engine hot section parts such as turbine blades. Again, this technique showed promise but low rate of repair arisings didn’t justify significant  investments. But it did gave me the opportunity to visit many repair facilities in Canada and USA. And another interesting project was a Vibration Analysis project on the CT140 aircraft and J85 CAN 40 engine. Using Endevco vibration probes on the engine in installed and uninstalled locations we were able to produce frequency charts that showed the source of vibration reports With help from the Canadian Navy test engineers we isolated the cause to incorrect engine bearing installation procedures.

Following up on the engine test cell work, I was given a project to look at Aircraft and Engine Noise Suppression techniques being used by American and British forces.This study that involved much travel culminated with a report recommending the installation of Hush Houses  at CF bases where noise from Aircraft and/or Engine testing was impending on working and living conditions. This report was first step in the eventual  Hush houses being installed at CFB Moose Jaw, Cold Lake and Bagotville.

Based on a/m Engine Test Facility projects and studies, I was awarded the ADM Mat Certificate of Merit.

And then came the Canadian Government decision to procure a New Fighter Aircraft (NFA). I was selected to head the team looking at the Propulsion Systems in the contending  F-14, F-15, F-16, F-17, F-18, Tornado and Mirage aircraft. This study over 3 years with one stop and start and visits to bases, industries and governments in USA, Britain, Germany, Italy and France. I culminated with a 3 month evaluation in Ottawa and final recommendation to the government in spring of 1980. In conjunction with that study I was picked to be on the Maintenance Appraisal Team that would be co-located at the winning contractor facility.

1980 - McDonnell Aircraft St Louis Missouri.   We moved down there and took up residence in St Charles about 45 miles from our offices. Working with the McDonnell maintenance personnel we reviewed and amended the recommended maintenance plans for each aircraft subsystem to reflect our unique requirements. This work necessitated visits to McDonnell subcontractors across the USA. We also followed up with recommendations for all required logistic spares and support equipment. To effectively field the first aircraft in Oct 1982 in Cold Lake we met with the BAMEO personnel and reviewed each subsystem to ensure that all facility and support requirements or suitable workarounds were in place. A very rewarding experience.. and btw I was finally promoted to Major.

Got back to coaching. This time for my two boys who played in the Creve Coeur minor hockey system. It was a lot of fun teaching the American boys about our great game.

 1984 - DGAEM CFB Rockcliffe. Posted to the Directorate of Aircraft Support Engineering and assigned the position of DASEng 2-2 responsible for a new position to introduce the ILS concepts that we followed  at McDonnell Aircraft on the CF-18 program.  Initially I reviewed existing reliability and maintainability standards and attended courses on Civilian Aircraft Maintenance Development programs. Along with regular briefings to the DGAEM staff, Maintenance Courses and Industry there was  Serviceability Project to look at existing fleets for possible improvements in processes to improve serviceability rates.  I let out contracts to 4 different  companies , each studying a specified aircraft fleet. Thinking that I would rather be doing the studies rather than being the recipient of the results, I started to consider leaving the CF at the optimum age 40 release  point. Consequently i retired and took an offer from one of the companies  involved in the Serviceability Study.

My involvement in hockey continued as I played for the CFB Officer team and coached my son’s Midget team in the Cumberland Minor Hockey system. I also got involved in helping my daughter on the Orleans swim team.

 1986 - XMCO Canada Ltd, London Ontario. We moved to London in the summer, uprooting the kids from their schools and friends one more time. XMCO was a small ILS company mainly employed by GM Diesel on the USMC LAV contract doing Logistics Support Analysis. While there I actively looked for further contracts and was successful in getting work from DGAEM for a Maintenance and Support Database, Honeywell for a Tech Pub on the MOT MACS and UTDC for ILS on the HLVW program. Additionally there were smaller contracts on the C-17 aircraft landing gear, Navy Frigate Fire Suppression System and IAF Mine Plow. Unfortunately, XMCO’s parent company in Reston Virginia ran into financial difficulties forcing me to resign after disagreements on revenue sharing.

1989 -  AMTEK > Atlantic Research . Computer Sciences Corporation, Ottawa  After the demise of my employment at XMCO I quickly took a position at AMTEK to manage an ILS contract with Aircraft Appliances on the USN P3 Engine Driven Compressor Test Stand. I had been pursuing this contract at XMCO and was able to land it quickly at AMTEK even employing some of the laid off staff at XMCO. A good project that got me involved again with the USN at their locations in  Washington, Maine and Florida.  I also managed a project to develop and install hardware and software for a Reliability Centered Maintenance  program at AMDU.

In 1990 AMTEK was bought by ARC and right away started working with Computing Devices Canada (CDC) on a n upcoming proposal for the design development and delivery of a communication system for  the Tactical Command Control and Communications (TCCCS) for the Canadian Army Signal Corps. In April 1991 the contract was awarded, and I became the Iris program LSA Manager  for CSC subcontract to CDC as CSC had bought ARC. Initial work included set up of ILS working groups with DLCSPM and the development of a Mil Std LSA Record database.

The family moved back to Ottawa minus Corby who enrolled into Engineering at Western. From our new home in Orleans, Matthew became deeply involved in competitive hockey and Ashley started skiing and I even took up skiing at the ripe old age  of 45. Barbara took an Interior Design Course  and commenced work at Koyman galleries

1993 - CSC Calgary. , CDC opened up a new facility in Calgary Alberta and I moved out there by myself in December. I commuted back on a regular basis and continued skiing. In June 1994, the family also moved to Calgary. Matthew and Ashley. adjusted their high school course to line up with the Alberta school system. After settling in, Barbara continued her art gallery work obtaining employment at  the Avenida art  galley.

1994 - CSC at CDC  Calgary.  Continued working in the Iris program ILS organization expanding into vehicle network maintainability analysis, technical data database and provisioning.  After working for 10 years for CSC, I was given a working termination notice. at age 53 !

1999  General Dynamics Canada Calgary.  Fortunately, GD  Canada  needed an in-service support program  in conjunction with the fielding of the Iris program systems. I was taken on as the System Support Manager responsible for the R&O program, Field Service Reps and various engineering taskings. This work expanded into provisioning activities, support to field trials and FSR support to a Canadian Army loan of Iris equipped LAVs to the US Army Stryker Brigade.

By 2007  Corby had graduated from the Fanshawe College Mechanical Engineering Technology course and married his high school sweetheart Wendy, a newly Western graduate physiotherapist,  in London, Matthew had graduated with a Business degree at U of Calgary and Ashley had also graduated from U of Calgary  with a Science Ecology degree. and married Stephen, an up and coming post grad MicroBiologist, in 2005.

2007 - General Dynamics Canada Ottawa. GD Canada was bidding on the Canadian Navy Combat System Integration contract. I accepted the opportunity to participate in this program  responsible for responding to the RFP requirements for in-service support. So we packed our bags, sold our house and moved back to Ottawa living in a temporary apartment situated on the Rideau Canal.  Working with many team members from various companies the proposal work proceeded well. However  senior management deemed that the program was too risky from a cost perspective and cancelled the program.

2008 - General Dynamics Canada Ottawa.  In a new position as Customer Service Manager responsible for R&O contracts for all GD Canada products. Initial work included development of reports on  arisings, repairs and costs.

2010 - General Dynamics Canada. Ottawa. The company, in a cost reduction move offered early retirement options and as I was nearing retirement, I tendered my resignation in the spring. That worked out well as Barbara was about to undergo  hip replacement surgery.

20111 Retired London Ontario. Nice City, not too big with all the amenities and close to Corby and grandkids.  Enjoying life  with vacations in England, Belgium, Portugal. Australia, Cuba, Mexico and Canada. For many years have enjoyed visiting  Doug and Sharon Ferris and Vaughn and MaryAnn Guy at Loreto Bay,Mexico Baja. And for the last 10 years have been hosting an annual 69er golf get together at my brother in laws  at Mary Lake in Muskoka.

The kids are doing very well. Corby and his brother in law own and manage  a very successful  building systems company in Strathroy, Matthew has left the high stress financial world of Bay St and now manages the development of a farm cum retreat/marriage  venue in Muskoka and Ashley is a Senior Ecologist for WSP Goldar cleaning up mine sites in NWT and the Yukon. Granddaughters Julie has graduated from U of Guelph in  Biological Sciences and Molly and Lyla going into Grades 9 and 5 in Fish Park School in Calgary.