Aviation History Newfoundland and Labrador

This is the story of the dedicated men and women of the RAF Ferry Command's Gander unit, but more especially the work of its aircraft maintenance department, headed by John Joseph Gilmore. This is a must - read from one of Newfoundland & Labrador's most knowledgeable Aviation historians.

The two IGA air ambulances based at North West River and St.Anthony. The first ones showed up in the mid 1950s and changed health care in Labrador immensely. I...t was dogteam before that with the occasional mercy flight by the RCAF or USAF depending on availability. I know that dad was very glad to see the change! See more

Dad, departing NW Gander River in an EPA Beaver in the 1950s. He told me he preferred to leave the water rudders down on the narrow and winding river, until after takeoff; to allow better control rounding the bends while still on the water - they are normally up for float take offs . . . GC

Bugsmasher memories. I thought I'd indulge in a bit of nostalgia. If it doesn't appeal to everyone then at least former HS748 F/Os might enjoy. I was introduced to the Bugsmasher in January 1981 when I was hired by Eastern Provincial Airways and I have to confess it was a bit of a shock. I had come off a Beechcraft Queenair with a nice avionics package and was suddenly confronted with something that appeared to be from the war (one of them). The flight instruments were...Continue reading

Otter Creek 1940s ir 50s

Burgoynes Cove B-36 crash . . . On the night of March 17, 1953, General Richard E. Ellsworth and his crew took off from the Canary Islands on a mission to test North American air defenses. The mission took a tragic turn when a change in weather conditions pushed the plane off course. Early in the morning on March 18 the enormous B-36 Peacemaker aircraft crashed into a mountain on the western side of Trinity Bay just north of the community of Burgoynes Cove. All 23 crew member...s were killed. The wreckage of the crash still exists today and remains as a memorial to the men who lost their lives that day and to the dangers they faced even during times of peace. Just a short drive and hike from the community of Burgoyne's Cove, the area offers stunning views and a valuable piece of history we should not forget. My uncle, Mr. Fred Adam's of Milton, Trinity Bay, took first responders (military folk form Gander) to the crash site in his motorboat. Included here is a description of that boat ride by Uncle Fred. Sorry for the poor (visual) quality of his report. Glen Cooper Gander

In March of 1974 my father (Royal Cooper) was ferrying this damaged Citabria (CF-ZVJ), on straight skis, from a lake just south of the Goose, to Gander - for repairs. No radio. No ELT. But he had his survival kit aboard!!! Portable gas containers in the back.... Over the Northern Peninsula, he got into some snow showers and had to put down on what he believed to be a small pond. Turned out to be a snow-covered bog with very deep snow! He got "stuck" in the snow. Spent two days (and nights) there, trying to dig the machine out. Used up a lot of his gas trying to power the aircraft into more firm snow. Couldn't make it work! My mother in Gander was concerned, but optimistic that Dad would be ok. I myself spent all of one night in the back end of Twin Otter CF-BEL, with the crew and a couple of others, searching for Dad. No luck. We returned to Gander around dawn, and myself and a couple of cousins grabbed a brand new Cessna 185 on wheel skis (I had float time on the 180, but had never flown it on wheels or skis) and headed North on the search. A few hours later we ended up on final in Goose for a refueling stop. The tower called us on final to say my father had been found safe and sound! Grenfell Mission pilot Tom Green, flying Turbo Beaver CF-UKK out of St. Anthony, had decided to go find Dad, and he did that in short order! Our family will always be grateful for Tom's help! SAR took Dad to Gander, and we refueled the 185 in Goose and headed straight for Gander. Quite relieved I might add! I had a good long nap when I arrived at my parents house after being up wayyy to long . . . Lol. A few days later the snow conditions were a bit better and Dad was dropped off with some more gas and flew the aircraft to Gander. GC Oh yes - as Columbo would say - one more thing - found it very interesting landing the 185 on the steel spring landing gear for the first time on the Goose, and then a few hours later on the Gander!!!!! See more

A gift from above In 1945 my father, Surgeon Lieutenant-Commander Tony Paddon returned to Labrador from his wartime naval service. He had joined up as soon as the ink was dry on his medical diploma and he'd had a busy war. North Atlantic escort duty in Corvettes, small ships which did the bulk of anti U-Boat work. Minesweepers clearing the approaches to the Normandy beaches for D Day. And finally a frigate by the name of HMCS Teme. It was on Teme, during the night of March 29...Continue reading

The Handley Page, authored by: Francis Finlayson

My name is Kim and I’m a third-generation pilot with almost thirty years of flying. My grandfather and father were both licensed pilots with a passion for flig...ht, so clearly it runs in the family. Growing up, we always had airplanes and I was constantly exposed to aviation. Today, I’m a Captain with Air Canada, fully qualified to fly Boeing 737, Airbus 320 and Embraer aircraft, and I’m also a training instructor for other pilots in our flight simulator. It is important to me to mentor young girls in aviation. I’m the Vice-Governor for the East Canada section of a group called the Ninety-Nines. Amelia Earhart founded the Ninety-Nines in 1929 as an international group of female pilots and we provide aviation opportunities to females, including scholarships and a mentorship. I never had a female mentor when I was training for my private commercial license, but my dad was my biggest supporter. Once I started gaining experience as a pilot, I met a woman who was flying with Kelowna Flightcraft out of Hamilton. She was the first female Captain I had ever met and she made my dreams more realistic by setting a path for my career. I really feel it is important to give back as a mentor because it was something I didn’t really have during my training. I now have close to ten mentees through different organizations, including Elevate Aviation and the Northern Lights Aero Foundation. -Kim, Captain, Air Canada

Sabena - DC4 crash outside Gander.

Sad tale involving a TWA Super Connie out of Gander during the winter of 1947 . . . GC