Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

In addition to his comments on the Yukon photos, Vic Bentley also sent us these photos from Langley, B.C. Airport.

Click the aircraft registration to view details at:

The Canadian Museum of Flight

Another photo of a newspaper cutting from the collection of Mary Ellen Harrison -

Graduates of the Brant-Norfolk Aero Club now with our Company were honored at a dinner marking the 27th anniversary of the Club. W. F. English, right, is shown with the former members.

They are, from the left: First Officers Howard Campbell and Howard Franklin, Captain Bruce Bowden, First Officer Harry Dycke, Captains Gath Edward, Bob Shmuck and Neil Bennett, First Officers Frank Chowan and Frank Young, Operations Manager, Toronto and Mr. English. 

Editors' note: The cutting is undated.

In NetLetter #1444 we published details of the commemorative stamps issued by the East Canada Section of the Ninety-Nines in order to celebrate Canadian women pilots representing various flying careers.

Please note that these stamps cannot be purchased at Canada Postal outlets but are available at:

www.canadian99s.com/stamps

Honouring Air Inuit’s first Inuk female Captain on the anniversary of her promotion August 15, 2016,

Melissa Haney has been blazing the way for Inuit women while serving her northern community.

Melissa began her career with Air Inuit as a flight attendant. She learned the vagaries of weather in the north and became familiar with the route up the coast of Hudson Bay. But she knew she wanted to fly the plane!

She learned to fly in southern Canada in a comparatively moderate climate. There were several airports available, often within a few miles of each other – with much longer runways than required. She now flies a Dash 8 Combi-300, which can carry 45 passengers and 4000 pounds of cargo, requiring a runway of at least 3,280 feet.

She frequently lands on 3,500 ft. runways! Winters on her routes, with storms, blustery winds and poor visibilities, last longer than in southern Canada. But she loves it, “Seeing Nunavik from that angle, I am able to see all the villages, the wildlife, the icebergs.”

From Darryl Lyons (retired),

"Attached is a link to a virtual tour of the BC Aviation Museum that my daughter, Jennifer, did. She is an Air Canada B-787 First Officer (I retired from AC 30 years ago) and has found herself with extra time on her hands due to the virus. She is still flying, but with reduced hours".

Editors' note: We hope that Ms. Lyons and all active employees return to full hours soon.

Click the image below to view the virtual tour. The museum is located adjacent to the Victoria, B.C. airport (YYJ).

This mystery aircraft got my attention, it just had to be a 'Ryan', the same model as Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic. No one else put the fancy metal finish on those old bush planes.

Here’s what I dug up:

Ryan B-1 Brougham G-CAHR Yukon Airways & Exploration Ltd 'Queen of the Yukon’ Registered March 22, 1928.

Note: Crashed into tree Whitehorse, Yukon, May 5, 1928.

The first commercial airplane to operate in the Yukon was the Ryan B-1 Brougham christened 'Queen of the Yukon'. It was purchased new by Yukon Airways and Exploration Company Ltd., owners Andy Cruickshank and Clyde Wann, at the factory in San Diego in 1927.

Purchase price was $10,260. A stock version of Charles Lindbergh’s highly modified Ryan, she was touted as the sister ship to the famous Spirit of St. Louis, in which he made his famous transatlantic flight.

After only seven months in service, including two forced landings and less than two dozen revenue flights logged, on May 5th, 1928, pilot Tommy Stephens encountered a gusty crosswind while attempting to land in Whitehorse, and crashed the Queen into the company agent’s Model T-Ford, ending her Yukon service career. The pilot and two passengers survived with minor injuries.

Below is a similar model: CF-ATA

There are many more at:

www.whitehorsestar.com/History/there-was-a-pair-of-queens

This aircraft in the photo of the person at the Whitehorse Flying School looks very much like a Fleet Canuck.

The Flying School Museum has a photo of a flying example: 

For anyone interested in researching old time aircraft in Canada, have a look at:

www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/home.html

If you are interested in aviation history and have time on your hands, go to your local aviation museum.

Better still, become a volunteer and meet lots of other interesting people! Oh yes, our museum has lots of other exhibits relating to The NetLetter.

Editors' note:

Here are a few more websites our readers may enjoy:

The Yukon Transportation Museum

Heritage Yukon

Des hôtesses d'Air Canada en 1964

Subscriber Richard Begin told us about this video from the Radio Canada Archives.

"Here is something I stumbled on. It might be appreciated here. Francine Poitras, the first to be interviewed, was one of my FA instructors back in 1970". Cheers, Richard

Editors' note: Commentary is in French. Clearly visible at the 1 minute mark is a certificate with the 'Trans-Canada Air Lines / Air Canada' title as was used at the time.