Biographical Data
Zbitnew, Leonard Thomas Photo Credit: Unknown

 

Title	Lieutenant-Commander (RCN)
Official Number	O-80625

 

Birth	11/07/1933	Death	05/03/2015
Place	Canora	Place	Barrie
Area	SK	Area	ON
Country	Canada	Country	Canada

 

Titles
Honours	OMM.
Awards	He received two Sikorsky Rescue Awards.
Qualifications

 

Biography
After his naval service he joined DAF INDAL (later Indal Technologies Inc. 1978 - 1991. Afterwards he was the Managing Director of LTZ and Associates in 1991.

 

Military Service

(Short Service Appointment) He was appointed as a Midshipman (SSA) RCN (With seniority dated 01/01/1952). He served in HMCS Cornwallis for Junior Air Officer Basic Training Course 1952. He served in HMCS Ontario for Sea Training 1952. He was appointed as an A/Sub-Lieutenant (SSA) RCN (With seniority dated 12/05/1953). He served in NHQ For Special Duty on Pilot Training Course at RCAF Station Centralia 1953. Awarded Pilot Wings 01/11/1953. He served in RNAS Culdrose for Operational Flying training 1954. He was appointed as a Sub-Lieutenant (P) (SSA) RCN (With seniority dated 08/03/1954). He served in RNAS Eglinton for Advanced Operational Flying and FCLP 1954. He served in H.M.S. Illustrious for Deck Landing Qualification 1954. He served in HMCS Shearwater for VT-40 Squadron for Avenger Conversion 1954. He served in NAF Summerside for VS-880 Squadron 1954. He served in HMCS Magnificent for VS-880 Squadron 1955. He was appointed as a Lieutenant (P) (SSA) RCN (With seniority dated 23/11/1955). (Selected for permanent commission 01/11/1955). He was appointed as a Lieutenant (P) RCN (With seniority dated 23/11/1955). He served in HMCS Magnificent for VS-881 AEW Squadron 1956. He served in HMCS Shearwater for HU-21 Squadron 1956. He served in HMCS Labrador for HU-21 Squadron Detachment 2 1957. He served in HMCS Bonaventure for HU-21 Squadron Detachment 1957. He served in HMCS Shearwater as Safety Equipment Officer and Station Maintenance Test Pilot 1958. He served in HMCS Bonaventure For Duty With HS-50 Squadron 1959. He served in HMCS Venture for Academic Courses 1962. He served in HMCS Stadacona for Second Long Weapons course 1962. He served in HMCS Shearwater for VX-10 Squadron for Flight Evaluation 1963. He served in USN Test Pilot Training School Patuxent MD for Qualification as Test Pilot 1963. He was appointed as a Lieutenant-Commander RCN (With seniority dated 31/07/1965). He served in NDHQ for AETE for VSTOL Section 1967. He served in Canadair Montreal for CX-84 Tilt Wing Program 1969. He served in CFB Toronto for Canadian Forces Staff College 1970. He served in CFB Toronto for Canadian Forces Staff School for Directing Staff 1971. He served in NDHQ for ADM (Policy) as Executive Assistant 1973. He served in USN Naval Air Systems Command (Washington DC) as Helicopter Recovery System Program Manager 1975. (He retired on 01/01/1978.)

 

Vessels Owned
Aircraft Flown	Total Flying Hours: 5025 hours. Rotary Wing Deck Landings: 1,500. Service Aircraft Flown: TBM, Firefly 6 & 7, Harvard, Chipmunk, HTL, HO4S, HUP CS2F, C-45, F2H3, Sea Fury, Avenger, T-33, CX-84, Tutor, CUH-1H, T1A, Sh-34G, HU-16c, T-28, C-47, Jet Ranger, FH-1100, Hughes 206 & 500, CH-112, CUH-1D, Cobra, Sea Sprite, B-26, Rigid Rotor, Flying Bedstead. He survived the crash landing of an HTL in the Arctic 01/03/1957.
Named Features

 

Anecdotes

 

References
Government of Canada The Canadian Navy List Ottawa ON; MacFarlane, John and Robbie Hughes (1997); The Navy List Volumes I, II and III (HMSO London);
Last update
2015-05-28 00:00:00

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