The lone Canadian, Colonel (Ret’d) Chris Hadfield, former Canadian Forces fighter pilot and test pilot, is on his third excursion in space. He flew on two NASA space shuttles – Atlantis in 1995 and Endeavour in 2001 – and in March 2013 is slated to become the first Canadian to command the ISS.
While this is a story in itself, it also provides an excuse to post a couple of relevant images since Col. Hadfield has been active over the past several years on the warbird circuit. Indeed, he has logged considerable time at the controls of the Canadair Sabre Mk. 5 operated by Vintage Wings of Canada at air shows across the nation.
For an official NASA bio, click here: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/hadfield.html
(above) Colonel
(Ret’d) Chris Hadfield – among many things a former CF-18 driver and graduate
of the USAF Test Pilot School – makes a point concerning the joy, and privilege,
of flying the F-86 Sabre at a media session prior to the 2009 Canadian
International Air Show.
(above) Col.
Hadfield, having rolled the canopy back, brings Vintage Wings of Canada's Golden Hawks Sabre Mk. 5 C-GSBR
in for a landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport on a hot and hazy
morning before the air show. The gold
and red paint scheme was worn by the pre-eminent Royal Canadian Air Force aerobatic
team of the 1950s and 1960s and remains spectacular even today. Lasting only from 1959 to 1964, The Golden
Hawks was the last official aerobatic team in Canada to fly frontline fighters.
