Yet Another Anniversary!
Canada's 150th, Air Canada's 80th, Pionairs 40th, Canadian Airlines 30th, etc. This is the year of anniversaries! And now we can add Chuck Yeager to the celebrations! (He's 94 years old now).
It’s been 70 years (October 14th, 1947) since Chuck Yeager squeezed into the sharply tapered cockpit of the Bell X-1 rocket plane and cracked a physical and psychological barrier that busted aircraft development wide open. After dropping from a B-29, Yeager reached Mach 1.06, causing what sounded like distant thunder to the crew on the ground. He then did a victory roll and while supersonic flight is a daily experience for military pilots all over the world, it’s eluded widespread commercial success.
Building supersonic transports is not really a technical issue, but more a political one. After 70 years, researchers are still trying to figure out how to stop or lessen the thunder from the sonic boom so that governments will allow them to fly over land at over the speed of sound. Spike Aerospace flew a scale model of its proposed S-512 $60 million 22-seat Quiet Supersonic Jet in New England last week and says it will have a socially acceptable prototype flying by 2021. Aerion continues to promise an aircraft half that size at twice the price but hasn’t flown anything yet.
The Government of Canada has introduced an entry requirement for those travelling to or through Canada who are not Canadian or American citizens, or permanent residents of Canada. You may require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). For more information, consult www.canada.ca/eta to determine if this requirement applies to you. Further information can also be found by clicking here.
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Saltspring Air on Vancouver Island is the "The Islanders airline", offer scheduled seaplane service between Saltspring Island, Vancouver International Airport (YVR), Downtown Vancouver/ Vancouver Harbour, and Maple Bay on Vancouver Island. Saltspring Air also provides charter seaplane flights to the Gulf Islands and Pat Bay, with a fleet of DeHavilland Turbine Single Otter, DeHavilland Turbine Twin Otter and Beaver seaplanes, (Source: saltspringair.com) |
AVIATION FOOTBALL CUP - WORLD SERIES - We have created a platform where aviation professionals from all over the world meet several times a year in order to travel, play and celebrate with their colleagues and friends. Our first tournament was held in Portugal in 2005 initiated by airline employees and has grown since ever then from year to year. The venue for 2017 was Madrid from October 5th to 8th. All our participants share the passion for Travel & Football and all the values attached to that, team spirit, fun, cultural experiences, sportive competition, fairness and especially creating long lasting friendships worldwide. Over 2800 players from more than 120 teams, representing 47 nations from 5 continents, participated within the last 12 years at our tournaments. We hope to welcome you and your friends soon in our upcoming tournaments. Come and join this fantastic unique community! Click Here for more info and updates for the 2018 tournament. |
Lorne Paterson sends this response to the article reference the aircraft washer in NetLetter nr 1375 - I think they are a little behind the times when it comes to these machines. Canadian experimented with one back in the mid 1990's. They were used on the B-737 mostly on the overnights. We did some areas of the B747-400 and also the B-767. At one point the RCAF out of Comox brought over their SAR Buffalo to experiment on as they were faced with washing off salt water after each mission. The main problem shall go unstated but it would be interesting to see if it crops up again. It had nothing to do with the machine itself but a completely different angle. |
Betty Morgan has sent us this memory - It just occurred to me that I might be one of TCA's first passengers (still living). I flew from Moncton to Shearwater on a DC-3 for $15. I was 15 and went to Halifax as I was invited to a graduation dance at the Lord Nelson. Imagine letting a kid do that these days! That was in 1948. I wore a suit and hat and gloves. I have a picture of me somewhere taken when I was all ready to fly. |
German Aero Engine update: Colin Grant has kindly agreed to write up the following item explaining all about the mysterious aero engines which turned up in the Cargo Department at LHR. Apparently these engines had been the result of a WW2 historical dig down in Dorking by the Surrey and Sussex aviation society. The information they had was that the Junkers 88 aircraft that these motors had come from had been chased from Esher by a Hurricane fighter of Number 1 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force, flown by Flight Lieutenant Gordon McGregor who, after his war service, joined Trans-Canada Air Lines/Air Canada and who later became the President of the Airline. When this information emerged, lots of interest surrounded the workshop. Our boss at the time, Scott McFadden knew Gordon McGregor and held him in high regard, describing him as a fine man. All work was abandoned for the rest of the morning and a toast or two was drunk to him, tea of course. Scott joined us in the further inspection of the two engines - a day to remember. Gordon McGregor was 39 years old that day, 27th September 1940; it was the day after his birthday and he was thought to be the oldest pilot flying in the Battle of Britain at that time. It was a busy day for him; his logbook shows as well as the Junkers 88 he shot down over Esher, he also damaged an ME109 fighter and two DO 17 bombers. The German crew of the Junkers all managed to bail out that day, three of them landed alive and although the pilot was badly burned, they survived the war. The other crew member parted with his parachute and was killed when he landed in Leatherhead where he is buried. The plan was for these engines to be sent to Ottawa, to the aviation museum there. A few days later the cargo boys came and collected one of them, and shipped it off to Ottawa, the other sat there for some time and finally disappeared. Some 36 years later my granddaughter took me to the Brooklands museum at Weybridge for a birthday treat and there it was, sitting in a corner. I recognized it at once; much interest and a discussion with the museum curator ensued, as they had only a sketchy history on it. I inquired about my old friend George Rowe, from Aircraft Maintenance, who I knew worked there as a mechanic and tour guide and a chat with him was something I was looking forward to. Alas, a sad end to the day as I was informed that George had recently passed away - a fine mechanic who I always looked up to. And Gordon McGregor, Flight Commander Battle of Britain, DFC, Royal Canadian Air force, Croix de Guerre, France, Czech Military Cross, and President of Good old Air Canada! Not many blaze a trail like that - a true Pioneer that one. Colin Grant P.S. - Colin also advises that on Google there is more information regarding the Battle of Dorking. If you put in Junkers 88 crash, Dorking, September 27th 1940 or Folly Farm Junkers 88, you will get more details. (Source: September issue Newsletter from LHR Pionairs) - Pionairs Login required |