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.
Air Canada Union in Talks with U.S.-Based Pilots Union
As an update to a news report we made in our newsletter of March 3 (Air Canada Pilots Union Energized), the Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA) has reached a tentative agreement in principle for a […]
Calgary Aviation Museum Suffers Storm Damage
The Hangar Flight Museum, located at the southern end of Calgary’s international airport, has once again suffered winter storm damage to its annex, a hangar with a fabric-covered roof that is used to house numerous […]
TSB Recommends Tighter Screening for Pilot Medical Certifications
The Transportation Safety Board, in a final report issued on March 14, has recommended to Transport Canada that it “review and [improve] the Civil Aviation Medical Examiners’ guidelines.” This is a result of an investigation […]
Sunwing Takeover by WestJet Wins Government Approval
Federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced on Friday (March 10) that, after consultations with the Commissioner of Competition and other interested parties, the federal government has given approval for the acquisition of both Sunwing Airlines […]
Captain Judy Cameron Scholarships Awarded
The Northern Lights Aero Foundation announced on International Women’s Day (March 8) the awarding of eight scholarships to deserving recipients. The number of scholarships has doubled to eight this year, with CAE Inc. joining with […]
Air Races at Reno to End
The National Championship Air Races scheduled for September 13 to 17 of this year will be the last at the Reno/Stead airport in Nevada. In an open letter issued Friday (March 10), the organizer’s board […]
DND to Pay for RCAF Cyclone Autopilot Fix
Sikorsky is off the hook for the flight software modification required to allow for the safe operation of the RCAF’s shipborne helicopter fleet. The federal government will pick up the tab because, according to DND […]
Air Canada Pilots Union Energized
Citing a recent contract settlement between U.S. carrier Delta Airlines and its pilots that saw a 34 percent pay hike over four years, the Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA) sees an opportunity to address their […]
Airline Terminal Coming to St. Hubert Airport
Toronto’s Porter Aviation Holdings Inc. (PAHI) has entered into a partnership with the operators of Longueil, Quebec’s Saint-Hubert Airport (CYHU) that will see the construction of a passenger terminal designed to handle up to four […]
Canada Eyeing Boeing for CP-140 Aurora Replacement
Earlier this month Defence Minister Anita Anand, together with Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne, met in Washington, D.C. with Boeing officials to explore the purchase of at least 14 Boeing P-8 Poseidon surveillance/maritime patrol aircraft to […]
Airbus Ramps Up Canadian Hiring
With demand for the Airbus A220 exceeding expectations, and other product lines seeing rapid growth, Airbus Canada is planning to hire an additional 800 employees across Canada, with the majority (700) in Quebec. The European […]
Pilot Shortage Also Affecting Helicopter Operators
There was already a downward trend in the number of helicopter pilot licences in force in Canada before the COVID pandemic hit, and it has only gotten worse. The decade leading up to 2016 saw […]
More Reports of UFOs – Near Yellowknife
While the North American public is clamouring for more information about not only the alleged Chinese spy balloon shot down by the U.S. military off that country’s Atlantic coast, but also about the three other […]
Commercial Pilot Shortage Exacerbated by TC
A Canadian Press story carried by numerous media outlets in Canada on Friday (Feb. 17) told the story of a young commercial pilot, Adam Sheard, who had to wait seven months since completing the requirements […]
RCAF Sends Patrol Aircraft to Haiti
In what it considers to be a humanitarian mission, the Department of National Defence has dispatched a CP-140 Aurora long-range patrol aircraft to the Caribbean nation of Haiti. Its mission, according to a press release […]
You can see a more complete list of our past Front Page Editorials. Press Here to take a look.