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As mentioned in NetLetter #1393, the Pacific Western Airlines 2018 - Picnic/Reunion was due, and did, take place on August 12, 2018. By all accounts, this memorable event was an overwhelming success. Kudos and thanks to Gale and all the organizers - volunteers who made this happen. Thanks to Neville Gosling and Gale Brisseau for the photos which have been posted on www.pwareunion.com Canadian Pacific Air Lines became the first Commonwealth airline to use the new Arctic route and the first company to provide direct service between Europe and Canada's west coast. Inaugurated in June 1955, initially on a weekly frequency, the service operates between Vancouver and Amsterdam via Greenland (westbound) and Manitoba (eastbound). Since it represented an expansion of C.P.A.'s existing route from Vancouver to Sydney, the introduction of this service enabled C.P.A. to claim yet another "first"; some of the passengers on the inaugural flight were "the first to have flown in one journey over the International Date Line, the Equator and the Arctic Circle." Among those aboard was C.P.A.'s president, Mr. Grant McConachie, who showed interest in both Comet 4 and Britannia as potential replacements for the DC-6B's, which serve Latin America, Hong Kong and Tokyo as well as the points named above. The company also operated medium and short stages in Canada using Convairs, DC-3's and a number of smaller aircraft, D.H. Otters being among the latest additions. (Source: Flight International archives 1955 page 208) |
 Here is the former PWA aircraft C-GEPW B737-275 in interim Canadian colours 1986. |
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(Source: Canadian Airlines photos) |
