September 14, 1948 to April 28, 2024. Hank was born in Haarlem, Netherlands and passed away at the North Bay Regional Health Centre after a multi-year battle with cancer. Predeceased by his father, HENRI DIELWART and mother VERONICA DIELWART (BRAAM). Predeceased by brother GEORGE HENRI JOSEPH DIELWART. Survived by brother JOHN DIELWART and sister MARLIES VINCENT.
Henri to his family, and Hank to all his friends and colleagues, was the oldest of 4 children. After he joined the Air Force Hank was also known by the callsign RHINO, or nicknames HORSE and THE HANKSTER, depending on the venue.
The family emigrated from The Netherlands to Canada (via the USA) in 1951 and settled in BOWNESS, a community near CALGARY which was eventually amalgamated with that city.
Father Henri died in 1955; so the family was raised by their single Mom Veronica. Hank’s mother was injured in a car accident soon after and could not work full time. However, the family struggled on with help from their Catholic Church parish and the local community.
From his earliest years Hank developed a strong interest in aviation. When he was 10 years old he began building and hand painting model aircraft (mostly military). His works were so detailed and well executed that the Hudson Bay Company commissioned him to build models for their in-store displays when he was only 15.
Hank joined the Air Cadets as soon as he became eligible and would walk and bus to Calgary to attend parades, returning with a big smile on his face. He excelled in most things he did and completed high school as an honour student.
Aviation was Hank’s lifelong passion. In the summer of 1966 he started training for his PRIVATE PILOT LICENCE at the Victoria Flying Club in Sidney B.C. He logged his FIST SOLO FLIGHT there in July 1966. He applied to the RCAF and was enrolled on 6 January 1967. After a number of flights on the Chipmunk (DHC 1) aircraft as a military student pilot, Hank was transferred in August 1967 to the Air Navigation School (ANS) in Winnipeg where he began Navigator training on a DC 3. During this time Hank completed his CIVILIAN PILOT training with The Winnipeg Flying Club and received his Private Pilot Licence.
The next step for Hank in November 1968 was training as an Air Intercept Navigator in Bagotville with 410 (AW) Operational Training Squadron. He flew back seat in the SILVER STAR (CT-33) and VOODOO (CF 101) aircraft. On completion, in May 1969, he assumed his position as an Air Intercept Navigator with 409 Squadron in COMOX B.C.
Participating in the NORAD air defence mission and associated exercises, Hank remained posted to Comox until the end of 1972. During this time he continued his interests as a civilian pilot and acquired his first aircraft: a small home-built with an open cockpit that was made of plywood and powered by a Volkswagen engine. The entire plane was designed to be partially dissembled to fit on a standard trailer for road transport. It was so tiny in comparison to Hank that it looked like a toy. However, Hank was more interested in flying than how it looked so he flew it extensively.
His next posting was a ground or ‘desk job’. He was posted to Val d'Or Quebec, a detachment of 425 Sqn, and also spent time on the DEW Line. Being in a ground job did not dissuade Hank from flying. He continued, of course, to fly as a Civilian Pilot. However, he would also volunteer to fly as a navigator with 425 Sqn during his time off and when on leave. He logged so many hours that he maintained his combat ready currency on both of his primary aircraft (the Voodoo and the T-Bird). Besides his recreational flying and military flying as a navigator, while in the Far North Hank volunteered to work as a spotter for search and rescue missions in Twin Otter, Buffalo, and Hercules aircraft.
In 1975 Hank received a new posting to 416 Squadron based at CFB Chatham, New Brunswick, where he returned to flying the Voodoo. On the civilian flying side, even though he still flew his Volksplane a lot, it was time for an upgrade so he replaced it with a Biplane which was larger and better equipped. The Chatham posting ended up being much longer than expected. Hank remained with 416 Sqn until 1984, presumably because the era of the Voodoo was coming to an end. The introduction of the single seat CF-18 "HORNET" would also signal the end of the Air Intercept Navigator specialty. This was actually a boon for Hank in that it allowed him to set a record by accumulating well OVER 4 THOUSAND HOURS in the VOODOO as an AI Nav. He loved flying the Voodoo and was quite proud of this achievement.
During his long stay in Chatham he expanded his civilian flying activities and qualified on multiple aircraft: CESSNA 150, PA 28-140 CHEROKEE, FLEET 80 CANUCK, CESSNA L-19E, CITABRIA, AERONCA CHAMP, TAYLORCRAFT L2, STEEN SKYBOLT and others. He also became active in the Air Cadet Gliding Program as a tow pilot flying the L-19 Birddog on weekends under the auspices of the Air Cadet League. In May 1982 Hank qualified for and obtained his CIVILIAN COMMERCIAL PILOT LICENCE and maintained it until he ceased flying.
With the Voodoo retired as an interceptor, Hank attended courses in Canada and the USA to qualify for his new Navigator specialty: Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO). With his ideal background, it was an easy transition. Hank was posted to CFB North Bay in 1985 to fly as an EWO with 414 (EW) "BLACK KNIGHT" Squadron on the EWT-33 (an electronic warfare version of the T-Bird) and the EC-117 Falcon. The Squadron's mission was to provide electronic warfare emitting adversary target aircraft (RED) to NORAD exercises and also to Naval exercises both in Canada and the USA. This required frequent deployments coast to coast to coast, including Bermuda, the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic.
After moving to North Bay Hank continued to actively fly as a civilian pilot in his Skybolt aircraft. He also joined the North Bay Gliding Centre which operated on weekends in the spring and fall as an offshoot of the Air Cadet Gliding School at Mountainview, an airfield just south of CFB Trenton. Since Hank gained experience towing gliders for cadets in New Brunswick, he readily checked out on the Air Cadet League's Scout aircraft. Over time, Hank became an established presence in the cadet gliding world in Ontario, often spending a few weeks in the summer towing gliders at Mountainview in addition to his flying in North Bay.
To better service his own aircraft, Hank enrolled in and completed the Canadore College Aircraft Mechanic Course during his time in North Bay. In May 1988 he took possession of what became his pride and joy: a beautiful DHC-1 CHIPMUNK aircraft in great condition and sporting original RCAF markings; and which he had flown when he first joined the RCAF. This became his aircraft of choice for all recreational flying activities, including his yearly ‘Pilgrimage’ to OSHKOSH.
Permanent military flight operations at CFB North Bay ceased in the summer of 1992 and 414 EW Squadron aircraft were moved to one base on each coast (East and West) and personnel reassigned. After 414 Squadron departed from North Bay Hank was employed on the Base's NORAD facility until his official retirement from the Regular Force on 13 September 1993. His last flight as aircrew in the Regular Force took place on May 15, 1992. His Military Flight log books show he accumulated a total of 6,180.1 hours in Military aircraft during his Service as a Regular Force officer.
Following his retirement from the Regular Force he became a Reserve Officer in support of the Air Cadet gliding program and flew as a tow pilot. Eventually, after having to retire from the Reserves at age 65, Hank continued on as a Civilian Instructor in the same capacity until his FINAL retirement when mobility issues caused him to stop flying and Covid put an end to gliding in North Bay. At that time Hank had accumulated approximately 2,566 hours as a civilian pilot.
Hank donated his Chipmunk to the Canadian Warplane Haritage Museum in Hamilton in 2003. He was also a volunteer in the War Bird section of Oshkosh when he made his annual pilgrimage. Oshkosh was very important to him, and the source of much happiness, particularly after his retirement. Hank was always happy to reminisce and tell tales about the activities there. He last attended Oshkosh in 2019 largely due to the Covid pandemic. By the time Oshkosh reopened Hank found it too difficult to travel by road. Without Oshkosh, recreational flying, or cadet flying, Hank’s outlook in life suffered.
Although the main focus of his life was Aviation related, Hank's character was not unidimensional. He had other interests. A very important one for him was model railroads. Interestingly, when he travelled he much preferred to do so by train and virtually never used commercial air travel.
In the view of many of his friends and colleagues that knew him long and well he epitomizes the description of ‘A CHARACTER’. Hank was a complex, intelligent, knowledgeable, fun loving, kind, and idiosyncratic man with strong convictions. He was a truly unique individual who was well and amicably regarded. In the words of a friend who replied to the news of his death "He marched to a different drummer but was still in the same parade." Well said! We'll miss The Hankster!
A visitation will be held at Hillside Funeral Services, 362 Airport Rd, on Saturday July 6th, 2024 from 12pm until 1pm. A memorial service and reception will be follow at 1PM at the funeral home.