Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Terry Baker, co-founder of the NetLetter scours the internet for aviation related Trivia and Travel Tips for you, our readers, to peruse.

This was the normal delivery route taken by the fleet of Vickers Viscounts ordered by Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA).

Take off from the Wisley factory, Surrey, UK.

After refuelling at Prestwick Airport, Ayrshire, Scotland it continued on to Keflavik Airport, Iceland (742 nautical miles) where it was refuelled and stopped for six hours.

Departed from Keflavik Airport, Iceland to Bluie West 8 Airfield, Sondre Stromfjord, Western Greenland (804 nautical miles), Goose Bay Airport, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada (872 nautical miles), Dorval International Airport, Montreal, Québec, Canada (810 nautical miles), which was built during WWII to assist the transfer of military aircraft from North America to Europe and was officially opened in October 1941.

The cabin seating was installed in Canada, as the seats used by TCA were of American manufacture. The cabin was fitted out with 44 seats which was a reduction from the original 48 seat specification and provided more leg room.

This was heavily marketed and resulted in a high load factor compared to the 21 to 28 seat Douglas DC-3 that it replaced on some routes. 

A complete fly-a-way kit of essential spares and fluids was provided by TCA. This kit was replenished, when necessary, and returned via London Airport (LHR), cleared customs and forwarded to Vickers for the next aircraft delivery to Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA).

Source: Memories by Terry Baker - The NetLetter