By Skies Magazine | October 27, 2014 Estimated reading time 2 minutes, 43 seconds.
This Cessna L-19E, now owned by Murray Kot, was one of nine L-19s delivered to
the RCAF in 1957.
On sunny Oct. 23, Murray Kot and his son Jason picked up their newly restored Cessna L-19E “Bird Dog” from Purple Hill Air. Registered C-FTAL, the L-19 flew with the Air Cadet League of Canada from 2001-2014. Kot purchased the L-19 earlier this year and flew it back to Ontario from British Columbia with his son.
The airframe was one of nine L-19s delivered to the RCAF in 1957. It saw service in the RCAF and Canadian Army and is now back in the markings it wore while flying at the Canadian Joint Air Training Centre in Rivers Camp, Man. The aircraft is dedicated to Lieutenant William S. (Bill) Brown who was an aviator in the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps and a veteran of the Korean War.
Purple Hills Air president, John Goris handing over the keys to Murray Kot.
L-19E “Bird Dog” 16721 was built for the U.S. Army. It was transferred to CJATC, Rivers Camp, Man. in May 1957. In 1959, the airframe suffered a Cat B accident and became an instructional airframe until being disposed of in July 1971. It was sold to College Eduard Montpetit in Quebec, and then moved on to T. Talibi in Edmonton. In early 1990, C-FTAL once again became operational with the Air Cadet League of Canada in British Columbia where it towed gliders until being sold earlier this year to Kot.
The staff at Purple Hill Air, lead by John Goris, at Thorndale, Ont. worked hard to get the restoration completed before winter set in so Murray and Jason can take the aircraft down to Florida for the winter and attend Sun N Fun in the spring. There is no doubt this wonderful restoration will turn heads at the event and hopefully win an award.
Good morning my name is Sandro Ciccone
I have spoken to John Goris ,about the restoration hoping to find out where the decals where made for this plane.
He gave me Mr. Murray Kot phone No# to get in touch with, but no answer on the no#.
Reason being is that ,I own Birddog No# 711 & am restoring it to the same configuration ,because it to ,was in the Canadian
Army L-19A 16711 with the Mechanized Brigade Group in Europe.
Thank you
Would be most appreciative if I can get some kind of info,or contact.