Warbird Registry
Aerial Visuals
Early History
United States Navy. TBM-3S Avenger. Construction number 3303.
Royal Canadian Navy. Avenger AS 3. Flew as #307 for Squadrons VS 881 and VC 920. BOC: July 15, 1950. SOC: Jan. 10, 1958.
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Skyway Air Services, Langley, BC
#604 CF-IMM 1958-1969
Aerial Spray Program – NB
1958 – Converted to tanker, Victoria, BC, 1958. Part of a fleet of 6 Wheeler and 6 Skyway TBMs. 1959 – No operations. 1960, 1964, 1965 – No records, but very likely flew in NB for these years. 1961 – Tallied by Larry Milberry while en route to NB. 1962 – Harold Hawes flew IMM from Abbotsford, BC, to Dunphy, NB, May 19-22. He sprayed in NB until the end of June then returned to BC to do fire bombing. [Hazel Clare, pers. comm.] 1966, 1967 – Pilot Linkewich. 1968 – Harold Hawes flew IMM from Abbotsford, BC, to Dunphy, NB, starting on May 22, for the NB spray program. [Hazel Clare, pers. comm.]
Aerial Spray Program – Newfoundland
1968 – According to his wife [Hazel Clare, pers. comm.], Harold Hawes flew in Newfoundland (St. John’s and Stephenville) until the end of July, 1968.
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Conair Aviation Ltd., Abbotsford, BC
#604 CF-IMM 1969-1973
Aerial Spray Program – NB, Quebec (1972 only)
1969 – Pilot Fraese. 1970 – Pilot Weslowsky. 1971 – Pilot Grosenick. 1972 – Also Quebec, Pilot Wood.
1973 – Pilot Buchanan. Crashed 14 May 1973 while spraying in the Sussex area, NB. The aircraft was destroyed on impact, and burned, but parts were salvaged by the Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum (Goffs, NS) and used on their #24 display. Pilot Buchanan suffered a broken leg.
Robert Smeed is my Grandfather and would love more information on his life, enjoy reading your comments and please feel free to contact me.
Hi Terry sorry for the delay my email is caseys777@gmail.com
i flew as second officer for bob. he took me under his wing and helped me a lot. gave me lots of landing
and he was a great guy to fly with
bob smeed was a pwa capt i flew with as an second offlcer.he took me under his wng. and was my hero i’ll never forget him
My dad Was Bob Smeed killed in 1972…Buchanan was the lead pilot..do you have anymore information? Sincerely Casey Smeed (son)
I think that is all I have, Casey, but I will check.
HI Robert…I knew your Dad and he had quite an impression on me as a young man…would love to talk to you about him…
Casey, would love to connect with you. Robert Smeed is my Grandfather- My Grandmother is Elizabeth.
STAN WOOD AND BUCK BUCHANAN WERE BOTH EX NAVY PILOTS WHO FLEW TBM’S IN THE SERVICE.
IN 1974 BUCHANAN, PRESUMABLY DISTURBED AT HAVING JUST BOMBED THE CRASH SITE OF A FELLOW PILOT, LLOYD RAUW, NEAR CLINTON, LANDED HIS A26 WHEELS UP IN WILLIAMS LAKE, AND CEASED FLYING.