Ken Pettit's Retirement, Toronto - 1981

Warren Godson (presenter) & George Pettit

Photo and text were originally published in the July / August 1981 edition of Zephyr George Pettit retired from the Atmospheric Chemistry Criteria and Standards Division of the Atmospheric Research Directorate after 37 years in the Canadian Meteorological Service. Born in London, Ontario, Mr. Pettit joined the Meteorological Service of the then Department of Transport in 1943 after concluding his B.A. in Physics and Chemistry at the University of Western Ontario. He began his early career as a weather forecaster at Vulcan, Alberta and served in similar capacities in various locations in Manitoba and Ontario when flying was in its infancy and Canada was busy with the giant Commonwealth Air Training Plan. With his natural ability, experience and aptitude in instrumentation he used his meteorological knowledge on assignment to the National Research Council Low  Temperature Laboratory in the early 1950s, part of a team conducting research into aircraft icing. Hundreds of hours were logged on an RCAF North Star aircraft known as the "Rockcliffe Ice Wagon" as it sought out natural icing conditions and made cloud property measurements throughout much of Canada and the northern United States. This team made a unique contribution to the early knowledge on aircraft icing and protection systems before the fiery demise of the aircraft in a hangar at Dorval Airport. Mr. Pettit continued his secondment to NRC providing meteorological advice and consultation on icing, turbulence and low temperature problems until 1965. In the latter part of this tour he was responsible for the cloud physics instrumentation installed on B-25 Mitchell aircraft during the Precipitation Physics Project and experiments on rainfall modification conducted over northwestern Quebec from 1959 to 1963. Since coming to the AES Downsview Headquarters in 1965, he has been engaged in the Atmospheric Research Directorate activities in cloud physics, fog modification and most recently in the AES carbon dioxide program. He has acquired many interests beyond meteorology, over his career and pursues hobbies of fishing, photography and music. He now intends to kindle a latent curiosity in anthropology by taking courses at the University of Toronto. A retirement luncheon was held at the Black Hawk Motor Inn lounge in Richmond Hill on May 6, 1981 when Dr. Warren Godson, Director-General of Atmospheric Research presented him with a long service certificate and medal. Howard Ferguson (ARQD) presented a passport wallet and purse on behalf of his many friends and colleagues. Mr. Pettit and his wife Beatrice look forward to a trip to South Africa in the near future.