Volunteers are the backbone of many institutions – especially true here at the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum (GMAM). In fact, we have an international flavour, as volunteer Erich Karrer grew up in the small village of Baar, canton of Zug, Switzerland.
Karrer had taken a four-year course learning the tool and die maker trade after regular schooling, but did not continue this as a profession. At age 20, he took a 17-week obligatory term in the Swiss army and, subsequently, a three-week refresher yearly thereafter. At this point, Karrer ventured into the field of sales, which led to a managerial position for Dutch-run PreFab Buildings Co., in its first office in Switzerland. This company produced many different products, including pre-fab hospitals, schools, offices etc., as well as homes.
So, how did this Swiss lad end up in Canada? Would you believe a desire to fly a seaplane! At 24, Karrer earned his private pilot’s license and then added a seaplane qualification. Being an avid aviation aficionado, Karrer always read the latest aviation magazines and, in one, he read of a unique flying vacation experience at Elmhirt’s Resort in Keene, Ontario. This was Karrer ‘s enticement to vacation in Canada and fly these seaplanes. The resort owner, Peter Elmhirt, owned four Cessna float planes. This was a dramatic turning point for Karrer, as he would vacation at the resort twice a year for the next several years and, in doing so, became friends with Elmhirt.
While on one of these vacations in Keene, Karrer met Karin, a fellow Swiss, also vacationing at the resort. They married at the resort 1993 with Elmhirt as Karrer’s best man. Incidentally, Elmhirt’s father, Art, was a test pilot for the Anson aircraft.
The Karrers developed a business plan to run a resort in the Keene area, a plan which ultimately gave the couple enough “points” to satisfy Canadian immigration. They moved to Canada in 2002 and decided on the purchase of a small resort near Keene, Wildwood Cottages on the Otonabee River south of Peterborough, which they ran for the next 15 years.
Ok, so then how did Karrer find his way to Nova Scotia, and the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum?
Following a lifelong itch to live on the ocean, the Karrers sold the Ontario resort and moved to Morden, Nova Scotia, purchasing a property high on a cliff above the Bay of Fundy. With his background and interest in aeronautics, Karrer naturally gravitated towards the Greenwood museum and became a volunteer in the back workshop. With his natural talent, good nature and strong work ethic, he soon became a valued member of the team, completing the restoration of the Piasecki H21/H44 helicopter.
Oops – not so fast! What about the rotor blades for the Piasecki? With the help of a few good volunteers, Karrer took the lead in restoring six wooden clad blades, fussing over them like a mother over a child, until they were perfect! He is anxiously waiting for good weather to install them this spring.
Now, with the helicopter work behind him, Karrer has joined the volunteers dedicated to restoring a 1942 Beech-18 and turning it into a 1950/ 1960 RCAF C45 Expeditor. At this stage of the restoration, he is focused on the horizontal stabilizer, cleaning off years of corrosion and oxidation, prepping for priming and painting. His strong work ethic and attention to detail shows up in his exceptional work.
Karrer has become a valuable member of GMAM restoration teams, and he also helps in several other areas, including acting as a traffic marshal during our several invitational automobile shows over the years.
Welcome Erich, thanks for all you do. Clear skies and smooth waters.
“Willkommen Erich und vielen Dank für alles, was du rust. Klarer himmel und ruhiges wasser.”
