Gimli Glider Movie Considered
One of Canada’s best flying stories has caught the attention of Hollywood. Inkubate Entertainment is in the early stages of putting the story of the Gimli Glider on the silver screen. “The latest we’ve heard is that they’ve hired two scriptwriters,” Bob Pearson, captain of fuel-starved Air Canada Boeing 767 told CTV “We never know, but we are hopeful, and it’s, of course, something very interesting to be involved in.”
Pearson, who is now 82, was in the left seat of the brand new widebody on July 23, 1983, when it inexplicably ran out of fuel at 38,000 feet over Northern Ontario. “There was a loud bong and the cockpit (and) the flight deck simply went black,” said Pearson. “We (were) a great big glider.”
He and First Officer Maurice Quintal, who has since died, initially headed for Winnipeg for an emergency landing but calculated they wouldn’t make it. The former military airfield at Gimli was closer and they turned toward it. The abandoned runway was filled with families attending go-kart races when the huge aircraft swoops silently into view, side slipping to lose altitude and speed. Although the nosegear wasn’t fully deployed and collapsed on touchdown, there were no injuries on board or on the ground. The aircraft was repaired and went on to fly for the airline for more than 30 years. A mix-up between metric and imperial measures led to insufficient fuel being loaded for the flight from Montreal to Edmonton.
Two Historic Hangars Destroyed By Fire
Structural fires at opposite sides of the country have claimed two historic hangars that played key roles during the Second World War. On April 19, Hangar 8 at CFB Goose Bay (5 Wing) in Labrador […]
Billy Bishop Airport Honours RCAF Centennial
Representatives of the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, the RCAF Association and the Royal Canadian Military Institute, along with RCAF commander Lieutenant-General Eric Kenny, were at the airport’s mainland pavilion where earlier this week they […]
Some of this Week’s Other Highlights in Brief
Air North has recently acquired a Boeing 737-8AL through leasing firm Aircraft Engine Lease Finance (AELF) of Chicago. This brings to two of the more modern 737s in Air North’s fleet and adds to the […]
Canada’s First Control Tower Celebrates Anniversary
It was in 1939 that the first air traffic control tower was built in Canada, and Nav Canada is celebrating its 85th anniversary at the Saint-Hubert airport. Within a year of its opening, the tower’s […]
Some of this Week’s Other Highlights in Brief
Another small recreational aircraft manufacturer is experiencing financial hardship. Progressive Aerodyne (PA) of Florida, which builds both the SeaRey kits and the factory-built versions, has halted production and is searching for a buyer. “The doors […]
Canada Unveils New Defence Strategy
While much of the country was focussed on the total solar eclipse sweeping across central and eastern Canada last Monday (Apr. 8), Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, accompanied by Defence Minister Bill Blair and Finance Minister […]
Some of this Week’s Other Highlights in Brief
The Royal Canadian Mint this week unveiled a coin commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The 99.99 percent pure silver coin has a nominal value of $20 and a retail price […]
Air Canada Sends Heavy Maintenance to Chinese Company
“It’s a head scratcher, for sure.” Global News reported the comment by former CSIS senior analyst Phil Gurski upon hearing about a five-year contract Air Canada signed last September with aircraft maintenance company HAECO Hong […]
Some of this Week’s Other Highlights in Brief
Icon Aircraft of Vacaville, California filed this week for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. bankruptcy code, meaning it can continue to operate with protection from debtors while it seeks to reorganize. The company […]
Last Flying Martin Mars Finds Retirement Home
Thanks in part to a grant of $250,000 from the British Columbia provincial government, the last Martin Mars flying boat to see commercial service will be transferred from current owners The Coulson Group to the […]
Bombardier’s Global 7500 Sets More Records
One of the few product lines Bombardier retained after its divesture of various aircraft divisions a few years ago was Global Express series of business jets. One of its latest iterations is the Global 7500 […]
Some of this Week’s Other Highlights in Brief
As we reported two weeks ago, the RCAF has retired its fleet of CT-155 Hawk training jets. Several of the aircraft were recently spotted at the Collingwood Regional Airport (CNY3) in Ontario and will reportedly […]
Fewer Student Visas May Aggravate Pilot Shortage
The federal government’s recent announcement that it will reduce the number of visas issued to international student, partly at least as a means of addressing the housing shortage, may aggravate the pilot shortage in Canada, […]
New RPAS Regulations Taking Enjoyment Out of RC Model Flying
CARs Part 9, which regulates Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), a category that includes drones and was implemented in 2019, is pushing some radio-controlled (RC) model airplane operators to abandon their hobby, according to one […]
Some of this Week’s Other Highlights in Brief
The Greek parliament this week approved the purchase of seven De Havilland DHC-515 water bombers. They will replace older versions of what is known in Europe simply as “Canadairs”, a reference to the design’s original […]
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