C. Simonsen C.V.
| November 1980 | Became editor of his own ‘nose art’ column in the journal of the eighth air force historical society. With membership at 18,000, he received hundreds of photos and unpublished stories. His nose art column ran from November 1980 to July 1984. |
| November 1983 |
Became friends with historian, writer, pilot, Jeff Ethell. Jeff was a prolific writer, who completed over 1,000 magazine articles and 58 books. Jeff was killed at 6:10 p.m. 6 June 1997, while flying a P-38 which went out of control and crashed. |
| July 1985 |
Started work on his first publication with author Gary M. Valant. The book was published in December 1987, 208 pages, title - vintage aircraft nose art. Over 1,000 photos, 118 color, 31 color from Simonsen collection. The book sold over 40,000 copies at forty dollars U.S. each. |
| Summer 1987 | The aero space museum association of Calgary published a story on ‘Canadian nose art’. [vol. 6, no. 2]. |
| October 1988 |
He began work on a book with Jeff Ethell, "History of Aircraft Nose Art World War One to Today [1991]". Contract signed 27 Oct. 1989. Book published 14 Oct. 1991. This book sold 30,000 copies from November 1991 to 1996. Jeff was killed before a fourth edition could be printed. [update - the fourth edition was published on January 2003]. Now on sale. |
| March 1989 | First publication in England, story on B-17 ’lucky partners’. One page, two photos. [First money earned - sixty-six dollars and forty-nine cents, flypast magazine ]. |
| Dec. 1991 | Submitted photos for special nose art, desert storm, Airforces monthly, England. |
| Jan. - May 1992 | Completed nose art articles in Flypast magazine, England. |
| Summer 1992 | Calgary Flypast magazine issue no. 3 , Journal of the Aero Space Museum Association of Calgary, story ‘British Aircraft Markings WWI'. |
| July 1992 | Completed story ‘Canada’s mailmen, for magazine Air International, England. |
| March 1993 | Story of Canadian nose art, Western Canada Aviation Museum aviation review magazine. |
| Fall 1996 | Calgary fly past magazine issue no. 5, Journal of the Aero Space Museum Association of Calgary, story ‘The Douglas DC-3’. |
| October 2001 | Published first book on history of RAF and RCAF nose art used in World War Two. 256 pages, 16 pages in color, 550 photos of nose art. Title - “RAF and RCAF aircraft nose art in World War II” Hikoki publications in England. www.hikokiwarplanes.com |
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Nose art collection |
Over 6,000 black and white negatives; Over 1,500 color slides; Over 1,000 photos [no negative] most unpublished; Painted replica nose art - over 400. |