Name/Title
Don MacClementEntry/Object ID
2026-03-037Description
Don MacClement was one of the most important persons in creation of the structured soaring community in Canada. Don became an Honorary Life Member of SAC, and was awarded the FAI Paul Tissandier Diploma, on the fiftieth anniversary of SAC in 1995.
In 1944, he convinced ‘Chem’ LeCheminant and James Simpson to join him in forming the Soaring Association of Canada After considerable effort convincing government of the validity of our sport, the Association gained a Dominion Charter in late 2005 leading to the first SAC Annual General Meeting in January 1946.
Earlier, Don had been instrumental in the founding of the Cambridge University Gliding Club in the 1930s'
Earlier yet, a 10 year old Don MacClement built and flew a hang glider in 1915 (see entry 2026-03-036 in this archive).
An excellent obituary for Don, written by Charlie Yeates, can be found in Free Flight Issue 98/4 at page 18: https://www.wgc.mb.ca/static/freeflight/98_04.pdf
