The Icelandic connection - 01.12.2020, Qupperneq 18

160
ICELANDIC CONNECTION
Vol. 71 #4
my short life of flying. Somewhere about
now, the original Royal Flying Corps was
absorbed into the Royal Air Force, along
with the Royal Naval Air Service.
Thursday May 23rd: Up for 65 mins
with Meecham and 45 with Pratt {students).
Moved into Instructor’s quarters got my
new suit.
Saturday May 25th: On Parade.
Officially informed of appointment as
Instructor A.F.S. (Advanced Flying School).
Friday May 31st: Arose at 7 am.
Khamsun wind blowing all day nearly
roasted. Rigging day.
Sunday June 2nd: arose at 5:30. Up
for 30 minutes. Went over to see Staff
Captain at 9:00 regarding antedating of
commissions. Station Pilot for the day.
Tested buss. Slept in Orderly Room, retired
9:20 pm.
* * *
Part II will be continued in the next issue of
the Icelandic Connection
Endnotes (for part I and II included):
With the exception of the years 1919
to 1928, Konnie was involved in aviation in
Winnipeg and northern Manitoba for the
rest of his life.
In 1920 he played the defence position
on the Winnipeg Falcons, the Canadian
Olympic Hockey Gold Medal winners at
Antwerp in April 1920.
He received Temporary Commercial
Pilot’s Certificate (Flying Machines) No.
13-W-29 on July 16th, 1929 from the Air
Board of Canada.
He also received “Above average Pilot
and above average Instructor” ratings from
the Department of National Defense, Air
Service, Ottawa, on February 15th, 1932.
He became Airport Manager and
Chief Flying Instructor of the Winnipeg
Flying Club in 1929. Two of his more
distinguished students of 1932 were:
Group Captain Johnny Kent, DFC,
AFC, Virtuti Militari. Commander,
Polish Squadron, R.A.F.
Group Captain A1 Bocking, DFC
& Bar, CD. Commander XI Squadron
R.A.F.In 1932 he started Johannesson
Flying Service, flying passengers and
freight from Winnipeg mostly to points
north and east of Lake Winnipeg.
On July 17th 1939 he was appointed as
a Master Flying Instructor by the Guild of
Air Pilots and Air Navigators of the British
Empire.
During WW II Konnie operated a
Flying School in Winnipeg, (see cover
photo) teaching Icelandic-speaking
students to fly so that they could join the
R.C.A.F. Three of these students later
returned to Iceland to form LoftleiSer, now
merged with Icelandair.
His older son Kenneth was in the
R.C.A.F. during WW II, posted to RAF
Station Upavon in England as a Flying
Instructor. He also received “above-average”
ratings as both Pilot and Instructor.
His fourth grandson, Allen, after flying
for 31 years, recently retired as a Captain
with Jazz Air, an Air Canada subsidiary.
In 1947 Konnie bought a strip of land
north of Winnipeg stretching between
Highway 9 and the Red River. After a
3-year legal battle he started Rivercrest
Airstrip Ltd., combining a landplane and
seaplane base with an aircraft repair and
overhaul business.
Konnie retired from active flying in
1949, but continued operating an aircraft
repair and overhaul service at his private
airstrip and seaplane base at Rivercrest, just
north of Winnipeg, until 1967. He died of
pneumonia in Winnipeg on October 28th,
1968. He was buried in Brookside cemetery
with his wife Freda and older son Kenneth
now beside him and a full view of Winnipeg
Airport on the horizon to the south.