Material Type

Mixed Media

Date Range

1934-1986

Description Level

Item

Physical Description

Approximately 4 cm of manuscript and print material 160 photographs 4 books

Physical Condition

Good

History Biographical

The Lethbridge Gliding Club was born in 1929 when three teenage boys – Art Larson, Jim Findlay and Ivan Thomson – decided to build a Primary Glider. Art Larson, leader of the group, became enthused with flying after a ride in Jock Palmer’s Curtiss Standard J-1 in 1926. The boys worked in Larson’s garage, assisted by Art’s father Samuel who was a carpenter and was able to provide considerable advice about how to construct the woodwork. In the spring of 1930 the group – now calling themselves the Prairie Gliders – made repeated attempts to launch the glider, without success. It was not until they decided to give 13 year old Billy Ritson a ride that success was achieved. Billy soared about 20 feet into the air, and then made a slow turn before crashing back to earth. The wing of the glider was demolished, but Billy Ritson escaped unhurt and became the first person in Lethbridge to make a glider flight. Unfortunately, the Depression had begun and there was no money to repair the glider. Ivan Thomson went on to powered flight, and obtained his commercial pilot’s license in January 1931. He tried to interest Art Larson in a commercial air service venture at Medicine Hat, but before those plans developed Ivan Thomson and his passenger Donald McKenzie were killed in a crash at Lethbridge on 1 February 1931. Jim Findlay and Art Larson continued their interest in gliding and in 1933 purchased a Northrop Primary Glider. As with their first glider, the Northrop would not rise much more than a foot off the ground. Undeterred, Larson decided to build a glider of his own design. The Larson garage was once again the workshop, and success was finally achieved. The Primary Glider launched at 35 miles per hour, and often rose to a height of over 500 feet. Over the next four years the group made more than 1,500 flights in the Larson-designed Primary from the Municipal Airport in north Lethbridge. During those years four new members joined the club: Tom Hardy, John Zmurchyk, John Watson and Bob Niven. Of these four, Hardy and Zmurchyk stuck with the group and both became very good glider pilots. W.P. Stevens (Stevie) was lived in Calgary, but was often in Lethbridge on business and became a member of the gliding club. Jim Fretwell also visited the club from his home in Stettler. Fretwell had organized the Stettler Gliding Club, and became a full time member of the Lethbridge group when he moved to the city in 1937. Evelyn Fletcher joined the club in the fall of 1936, and until July 1939 she kept a detailed log of every flight made by the Lethbridge Gliding Club (LGC). Art Larson made several changes to the Primary from 1933 to 1937, the most important of which was the addition of an enclosed pod for the pilot. This protected the pilot from the weather and allowed flights to be made into November and December. Another modification was the removal of previously installed fabric on the aft fuselage and the addition of trim strips along the pod. The LGC logo was stenciled on the trim strips, below which were the words “Skid Busters”. Jim Findlay had broken the skid during a launch malfunction, and from that point on the airport personnel called the group the Skid Busters. In 1936 the club members decided, on the suggestion of Art Larson, to purchase the plans for the Hutter H-17 glider and build it beginning in January 1937. Construction of this German-designed glider was done in Tom Hardy’s spare bedroom and kitchen. A translator was found to translate the plans from German to English, and metric measuring tapes were also secured for the project. On 15 June 1937 the glider was taken in a trailer to the Municipal Airport, assembled and flown for the first time. A great success, the glider was flown 285 times by the end of the 1937 gliding year in November. The H-17 of the LGC continued in service until the club disbanded with the outbreak of World War 2 in 1939. Even after the club ended, Art Larson kept the glider flying for many more years. In the meantime, the LGC was able to take the Hutter H-17 on the road to Calgary and Fort Macleod. The money to build the glider’s trailer was donated by several Lethbridge businesses whose names appeared on the trailer from 1937 to 1939. Also in 1937, Art Larson had the misfortune to crash the Primary Glider he had designed. Since club members Evelyn Fletcher and Jim Findlay were still training on this glider, the decision was made to repair the Primary by installing a new gull-wing using a modified Hutter airfoil. As the project unfolded, it became apparent that the Primary could not be repaired, and an entirely new two-seat gull-wing glider was built. The test flight was on 13 March 1938, and after the balanced rudder was replaced with an unbalanced one, the two-seater flew well. By the end of June 1937, 221 flights had been made in the gull-wing. In the meantime, all of the club members had qualified on the Hutter H-17, so there was no further need for the gull-wing. It was sold to a gliding group in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The LGC continued on with the H-17 as its only glider. In 1938 members of the club made a record 384 flights, including a number of soaring flights that surpassed previous club marks for altitude and duration. In May 1939 Evelyn Fletcher made her first cross-country flight, covering eight miles in 45 minutes. Art Larson also completed a cross-country flight the same month. It was in July 1939 that Evelyn Fletcher left the LGC to train for her private pilot’s license in Calgary. The club was down to three members – Art Larson, Jim Findlay and Tom Hardy – and by the fall of 1939 they were no longer to keep the LGC going. [Source: “The Lethbridge Gliding Club 1929-1939 Also Known as the Prairie Gliders and The Skid Busters”, by Bruce W. Gowans. 1981]

Language

English

Acquisition Source

Hodge, Gary

Custodial History

These records belonged to the late Mr. Art Larson, a founding member of the Lethbridge Gliding Club. They were donated to the Archives by Mr. Hodge, Mr. Larson's nephew.

Scope and Content

The fonds consists of correspondence, photocopies of club log books and other club records, design drawings and photographs from Art Larson's time as a member of the Lethbridge Glider Club. Also included are general articles pertaining to gliding in Alberta and Canada, a copy of Bruce Gowan's article "The Lethbridge Gliding Club 1929-1939 Also Known as The Prairie Gliders and The Skid Busters", and research information.

Access Restrictions

Public Access

Accession No.

20061007000

Collection

Archive

Less detail