After Jerry Yagen’s de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito ( click HERE to read our article) another de Havilland Mosquito is about to return to the sky. This one is being restored by Victoria Air Maintenance in British Columbia.Victoria Air Maintenance was established in 1983 and has long been recognized as one of North America’s leading aircraft restoration and heavy maintenance facilities.The airplane originally scheduled to fly before the summer is now few days away from its first flight although no date was set yet. Follow Warbirds News to read the coverage of this event.
The Mk.35 Mosquito at Victoria Air Maintenance in North Saanich, British Columbia, never saw active service. Built after the war, it went directly into storage. In 1954, it was purchased by Spartan Air Services of Ottawa as one of a batch of 10 and given the civil registration CF-HML. During World War II, many Mk.35s had been converted to photo-reconnaissance aircraft, and their high speed, 43,500-foot ceiling, and enlarged bomb bay was just what Spartan needed. The Mk.35 Mosquito flew until 1963, mapping northern Canada,operating from northern Defense Early Warning line sites like Resolute and Churchill.
Disassembled by the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1966, CF-HML was purchased by Don Campbell, who intended to make it airworthy again. He had it trucked to Kapuskasing Airport in northern Ontario to teach Air Cadets aircraft construction and maintenance. But by 1979, the airplane had been sold to Ed Zalesky. Restoration resumed, but the pace dragged. In 2005, Zalesky approached Robert Jens, owner of the Million Air corporate aviation service franchise at Vancouver International Airport, who already had a Spitfire Mk.14E.Having previously labored on a P-51, Jens initially worked on the aircraft himself, but the task was too daunting so he decided to let Victoria Air Maintenance do final assembly.
The entire warbird community patiently awaits for this beautiful bird to the skies again.
Born in Milan, Italy, Moreno moved to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. His aviation passion began early, inspired by his uncle, an F-104 Starfighter Crew Chief, and his father, a military traffic controller. Childhood adventures included camping outside military bases and watching planes at Aeroporto Linate. In 1999, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, to obtain his commercial pilot license, a move that became permanent. With 24 years in the U.S., he now flies full-time for a Part 91 business aviation company in Atlanta. He is actively involved with the Commemorative Air Force, the D-Day Squadron, and other aviation organizations. He enjoys life with his supportive wife and three wonderful children.
I want to see TZ-138 fly again!!! Robert’s FR MK XIVe Spitfire… Perhaps a formation flight in Oshkosh??? Last time I saw that Spitfire fly was in 1971…
This Mosquito flew last Tuesday. Unfortunately, I missed it.