Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Extracted from the “Contact” M & E magazine.

• March 24, 1987, the naming of Canadian Airlines.
• March 31, DC-10 fin #912 became the first in the fleet to begin flying in the new livery.
• May 7, 1991, first A320 revenue flight Toronto-Edmonton.
• May 21, 1991, the world's first ever record setting non-stop revenue flight by a 2-engined aircraft across the North Pacific. It took 13 hours 21 minutes to cover the 6,592 statute miles Vancouver-Hong Kong. The chartered Canadian Airlines B-767 return was non-stop Tokyo-Ottawa covering the 6,674 miles in 12 hours 10 minutes.
• November 6, 1968, the first B-737 revenue flight by a Canadian airline Vancouver-San Francisco by CP Air.
• December 20, 1990, first Canadian Airlines B-747-400 revenue flight to Honolulu from Vancouver.

 "A Life of Flight: One pilot's Story from Piper Cubs to 747's and Beyond."

By Captain Robert "Bob" Gartshore. 

Pilot Bob Gartshore's 42-year flying career spanned a period of rapid aviation development from fabric-covered Piper Cubs with a little 65-hp engine to Boeing 747s with four engines developing some 240,000 pounds of thrust.

He logged over 21,000 hours in the cockpit, flying to six continents - freight, charter and scheduled runs - for the RCAF, Canadian Pacific Airlines, Wardair, and Canadian Airlines. Bob was also an instructor, simulator specialist and glider pilot.

 From "via Larry Milberry/CANAV Books". (with permission)
www.canavbooks.wordpress.com

Wardair had Canada’s first 727 – the world-famous CF-FUN. “FUN” was the first of many 727s to be flown by such other Canadian operators as Air Canada, CP Air, Air Transat, Cargojet, FirstAir, Kelowna Flightcraft, PWA, Quebecair and Royalair. Cargojet of Hamilton still operates a fleet of 12 of these gorgeous, reliable, profit-making “Three Holers”.

“FUN” was delivered to Edmonton on March 25, 1966. Although Wardair eventually faded from the airline scene, one often hears laments for this great company.

No one who ever flew on Wardair ever forgets the company’s impeccably turned-out airplanes and the world-class cabin service – chinaware and silverware included. “FUN” served Wardair faithfully until sold in Brazil in 1973.

For more on "CF-FUN", see Wayne's Wings articles from NL 1336 & NL 1370. 

Unfortunately, we are short of magazines or information for this section. We would appreciate any information from our readers to share.