June 5, 2009 Chautauqua

From the Editor's Computer

In 1958 the Avro Arrow burst onto the aviation scene, and Canadians were hailed as taking the aerospace industry to unprecedented levels. The Avro Arrow, with a top speed of 1,650 mph, was the most sophisticated and fastest fighter plane the world had ever seen.

Then, just when Canada was poised to step into her own, the whole project was cancelled in 1959 by Prime Minister Diefenbaker and the 6 planes and all blue prints were destroyed. Note, they were not shelved or reworked, but totally destroyed.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of powered flight in Canada, and the 50th anniversary of the end of the Avro Arrow project, instructors and students from the Aircraft Structures program at NAIT are at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin to help to refurbish a full-scale model of the legendary Avro Arrow. The model should be ready for display in July.

How many of us, just as we are on the brink of completing a successful project in our own lives, allow fear to cancel our good effects as the government allowed fear to shut down the Arrow Project? How would our lives be different if we revived some of our past “almost” successes and showed them to the world?

Beth

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