Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Posted by Jim Smith at November 20, 2023.

Montreal Alouettes are flying on a 40 year old Nolinor B-737-200 complete with gravel kitted engines.

The story of Trans-Canada Air Lines Super Constellation –
CF-TGE and World Wide Airways.

From a blog by Larry Milbery at CANAV Books.

In 1964 World Wide Airways acquired ex-TCA Super Connie CF-TGE, which then became CF-RNR flying charters to Cuba and Europe. World Wide had its license revoked in August 1965 and RNR became a storehouse of spares for Nordair.

Late in 1968 a Mr. Ferrand, with visions of opening RNR as a restaurant, moved it about 100 miles to Saint-Marc-des-Carrières, downstream from Montreal. There it languished until purchased in 1985 for $15,000 by Bertrand Camirand. He had a small museum at Saint-Jean-Port-Joli below Quebec, but passed away before RNR was restored.

Here RNR is seen at Brussels along with an Aeroflot Tu-104. Photo by Tim Martin.

Jerry Fotheringham logged 145 hours in World Wide Airways Super Connies in July 1965, landing everywhere from Toronto to Gander, Amsterdam, Barcelona and London. At month's end WWA folded, the victim, Fotheringham recalled, of the R3350 engine.

CF-RNR alone had needed four engine changes that month! Here he sits in the captain's seat of RNR at its "roll-out" on August 22, 1996. RNR survived 35 years of dormancy and was rescued by Super Connie enthusiast Phil Yull, who had it restored for historic display at the Regal Constellation Hotel near Toronto's L.B. Pearson International Airport. 

In August 1996 Jerry Fotheringham and a crowd of fans attended the inauguration at the entrance to the old Constellation Hotel. That's where I met Jerry and got his photo in the Super Connie cockpit.

Later, in November 1997, the fun continued for those who braved a winter storm to attend our Air Transport in Canada book launching at the Constellation. Not surprisingly, Jerry turned up with a crowd of pals who had flown and maintained the 'propliners' of the 40's and 50's and once again sit in a Super Connie cockpit.

This grand Super Connie now is part of the Museum of Flight in Seattle. This is the same plane I suggested to the GTA ages ago that it should get hold of, restore to its TCA glory and hang from the rafters of the then-under-construction YYZ Terminal 1.

I'm still waiting to hear back from the GTA. Meanwhile, an enthusiastic American group led by retired Boeing tech rep, Bob Bogash, got hold of the plane. Thanks to them, today you can see it in its glorious TCA colours, but far from YYZ. 

Editors' Note: CF-TGE now resides at  the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington.

Following extensive restoration to its original appearance in TCA colours in Rome, New York, it was trucked to the Museum's main campus in 2009.

Photo by Eric Salard @ www.flickr.com

World Wide also operated this DC-4. It was at Malton September 16, 1961 awaiting a load for Havana. It later became OB-R-769 and crashed taking off at Panama City, Panama on August 4, 1965. Photo by Larry Milberry.

CF-PXX, at Prestwick in a nifty night shot, was an old Qantas machine (VH-EAA). It later served in Argentina, where it finally was scrapped. Photo by Wilf White. 

World-Wide Airways was a Canadian airline started in 1947 by Donald McVicar (1915-1997), a former RAF Command pilot.

Based at Montreal's Dorval Airport, it played a key role in massive airlift operations for Hollinger Ungava Transport and the Distant Early Warning Line in Northern Canada.

It also flew livestock and foodstuffs to embargoed Cuba during the 1960's. Its license was revoked in 1965 for political reasons. McVicar's publicized fight with the government led him to be featured on the cover of Time Magazine in 1966.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World-Wide_Airways