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.
Celebrating the Life of Eric Dumigan
Submitted by Gord McNulty, Vice President, Canadian Aviation Historical Society Family and friends of renowned aviation photographer Eric Dumigan gathered at Tillsonburg Regional Airport on Sept. 23 to celebrate his life as he would have […]
Winnipeg Jets to Honour RCAF
In 1948 the Royal Canadian Air Force Flyers won a gold medal in that year’s Winter Olympics in Saint Moritz, Switzerland. In honour of the RCAF and its upcoming centennial, the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets unveiled […]
Air Canada Pilots Picketing at Toronto’s Pearson Airport
Pilots of Canada’s largest air carrier were walking an informational picket line at the country’s largest airport and Air Canada’s largest hub on Friday (September 29). They are demanding a better compensation package. The pilots […]
Stolen Cessna 140 Crashes in Ottawa
A 1947 Cessna 140 was stolen at Ottawa’s Rockcliffe airport (CYRO) on September 14 but didn’t get far, crashing shortly after takeoff into two other aircraft parked on the ground. The thief has been charged […]
Air Transat Rolls Out Pilot-Cadet Training Program With CAE
Montreal-based Air Transat is following Edmonton-based Flair Airlines and Halifax-based Chorus Aviation by creating, in conjunction with Montreal-based CAE Inc., a pilot training program that takes aspiring pilots and prepares them for the right seat […]
Aviation High Achievers Inducted into Hall of Fame
Five remarkable achievers in Canadian aviation and aerospace were inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame (CAHF) at a gala event held at Sunwest Aviation’s hangar at Calgary’s international airport. This year marks the 50th […]
RCAF Polaris Embarrasses PM Trudeau – Again
Once again, the Canadian prime minister’s aircraft has delayed the international travel plans of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, this time in New Delhi, India. A faulty component led to the grounding of the VIP-configured Airbus […]
Canada’s Rolling Fleet of Transport Aircraft
While the PM’s Polaris Was Bogged Down, Others Were Left to Roam In another incident that will embarrass the RCAF, a CC-150 Polaris rolled into a French air force A400M while both aircraft were parked […]
Turkish Airlines Trainer Crashes in Sub-Arctic
A Cessna 172 registered to, and in the livery of, the Turkish Airlines Flight Academy (TAFA) crashed short of the runway in Iqaluit, Nunavut on Sunday (September 5). The only occupant, the pilot, suffered only […]
RCMP Launches Investigation of Former RCAF Pilots
Reports have been surfacing for months that former air force pilots from several countries have been training pilots from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), including from Canada and several of its allies. Earlier this week […]
Historic RCAF Hangar to Be Demolished
A hangar dating back to the Second World War is set to be demolished at what is now known as Victoria International Airport. Constructed with concrete pillars and steel trusses that have stood the test […]
Aviation Document ‘Blue’ Book Reissuing Delayed – Again
Transport Canada announced recently that holders of ‘Canadian Aviation Document Booklets’, referred to many as the aviation blue book, that were valid on April 1, 2023, and have expired or are due to expire soon, […]
Boeing Recognizes KF Aerospace with Prestigious Award
The American aircraft manufacturing giant has awarded KF Aerospace with its ‘Supplier of the Year’ award. The category for which it was awarded is Safety and Quality, for which KF Aerospace rated as their top […]
New Home Wanted for Curtiss Flying Boat – Updated
***This article was updated with the official statement from Ingenium, the parent organization of the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.*** The Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa is seeking a new home for one […]
Interim Report on RCAF Chinook Crash Released
The accident, in which an RCAF CH-147F Boeing Chinook helicopter crashed into the Ottawa River during a nighttime training mission, took the lives of the two pilots on the night of June 20 of this […]
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