Keith Rogers Greenaway

Keith Rogers Greenaway, C.M., C.D.*, D.Mil.Sc., (Hon), was born on a farm near Woodville, Ontario, on April 8, 1916. He was educated in Toronto and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in May, 1940. After graduating as a wireless operator in 1940, he served as an instructor for two years until he transferred to the navigator-wireless operator branch of the RCAF. On completion of his navigation training, he was sent first to No. 8 Air Observer School at Ancienne Lorette, Quebec, and then to the Central Navigation School at Rivers, Manitoba, as a staff instructor. In 1944 he was promoted to Flying Officer.

For the next two years Greenaway worked with the United States Navy (USN) and the United States Air Force (USAF) participating in experimental pressure pattern flights over the North Atlantic, and carrying out experimental flights over the polar regions testing a low frequency navigation system, using bases in Edmonton, Alberta, and Fairbanks, Alaska. In the spring of 1946, Greenaway, now a Flight Lieutenant, was one of the navigators aboard a B-29 Superfortress, the first U.S. military aircraft to fly over the North Geographic Pole.

In the vicinity of the Magnetic Pole, magnetic compasses are of little use due to the weakness of the horizontal component of the earth's magnetic field. Also, aurora borealis and magnetic storms induce large errors in magnetic compasses, making them unreliable within a distance of 500 miles (835 km) of the Magnetic Pole. Greenaway's goal was to develop a way for pilots to steer accurate courses by some means independent of magnetic influence.

Greenaway is an internationally recognized authority on aerial navigation, with particular reference to polar flying.

In 1947, in association with Mr. J.W. Cox, a Defence Research Board scientist, he developed the RCAF's Twilight Computer, a navigation aid for use in extreme northern latitudes. The computer, perfected in 1952, was adopted by the RCAF and Royal Air Force for use in northern flying.

Late in 1948, Greenaway was seconded to the Defence Research Board, Ottawa, to work on high latitude navigation problems, serving in this capacity until 1954. During this period, he prepared numerous reports on polar navigation and continued to carry out experimental flights in the arctic regions, extending to the North Geographic Pole.

In 1956, after serving for two years with the USAF, Greenaway was promoted to Wing Commander and transferred to RCAF Headquarters, Ottawa, for duty in the Directorate of Plans and Programs. During August 1958, he was loaned to the USN to assist in navigating a USN ZPG-2 Airship on its polar flight to Tee Island T3, which he had discovered in April 1947, and now was found to have shifted its geographic location. He was transferred to Winnipeg, Manitoba, in August 1959, to take the post of Officer Commanding the RCAF Central Navigation School. While at the school he developed the Canadian Forces Aerospace Systems Course and perfected the Earth Convergency Grid Technique for measuring direction in the polar regions. In August 1963, Group Captain Greenaway was appointed Commanding Officer of RCAF Station Clinton, Ontario.

From 1967 to 1970, Greenaway was again seconded to the Department of External Affairs and appointed Air Advisor to the Chief of Air Staff of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF). In this position, Brigadier General Greenaway advised on organization, management, and training for the RMAF.

Greenaway retired from the Canadian Forces as a General in March of 1971. During his military career, he flew as crew member on 26 aircraft types, accumulating some 8,000 hours of which nearly one third were north of the Arctic Circle. Following retirement, he assisted the Advisory Committee on Northern Development.

Greenaway was an accomplished author. A partial list of his books include:

The Arctic—Choices for Peace and Security (1989)

From MacKenzie King to Pierre Trudeau - 1945 - 1985 (1989);

The Arctic Environment and Canada's International Relations (1991);

No Day Long Enough—Canadian Science in WW II (1997).

He has received numerous awards, including the Trans-Canada (McKee) Trophy in 1952 in recognition of his development of new methods of aerial navigation in the Arctic regions. He was awarded the Massey Medal in 1960 for outstanding personal achievement and contributions to the development of Canada. In 1952 he was awarded the Canadian Decoration (C.D.) and in 1962 received the Clasp to this decoration. In July of 1970 he was awarded the Johan Mangku Negara by the Malaysian Government. In 1976 he was made a Member of the Order of Canada (C.M.), and in 1978 he received the honorary degree of Doctor of Military Science from the Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario.

Greenaway was a Fellow of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute (CASI), the Royal Institute of Navigation, the Explorers Club and the Arctic Institute of North America. In 1996 he was made a member of the College of Fellows of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. In 1984 Greenaway was elected Chairman of the Board of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame.

On October 5th 2000 Keith Greenaway was honoured by the American Polar Society who presented him with their ‘Polar Medal’ and made him an Honourary Member of the Society. His citation reads: “In recognition of his contribution to Polar Science and Exploration” In 2004 he was honoured by Carleton University with an Doctor of Laws Degree, honoris causa. He died April 11, 2010 at Ottawa, Ontario.

Keith Rogers Greenaway was inducted as a Member of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 1974 at a ceremony held in Edmonton, Alberta.