Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Extracted from "Between Ourselves" magazine issue dated August 1943 - story by W.F.English

The first flight of the Canadian Government Trans-Atlantic Air Service (CGTAS) roared eastward over the ocean on July 22nd 1943 with its TCA crew 12 hours and 26 minutes after taking to the air with official passengers and a load of mail for the Canadian Armed Forces Overseas, it had settled to runways on the other side - a new record for a non-stop trans-Atlantic flight from Montreal to Britain, bettering the old mark by 25 minutes. 

Record breaking was not our aim and will not be, but the accomplished fact constituted an auspicious beginning for a service which will satisfy a great national need, 2,600 pounds of mail and three passengers were carried on the first eastbound flight. The return flight, on July 24th, brought back 3,000 pounds of mail from the Oversea Forces destined for Canadian letter boxes, and also naval, military and air force personnel.

Issue September 1943 –

TCA had been chosen to operate the new Canadian Government Trans-Atlantic Service, supplying both flight crews and maintenance personnel, the latter based at Dorval airport. Liaison officers Stan Hewett (previously Station Manager, YVR) and Noel Humphries (previously Chief Dispatcher, Montreal), are stationed at the two terminals, in Scotland and at Dorval respectively.

The first flight CF-CMS was piloted by Captain Ron George with co-pilot Captain Art Rankin. Other crew members were S/L J.R.Gilmore, Captain Jock Barclay, P.D.McTaggart-Cowan, Senior Meteorological Officer at Dorval, A.J.Blackwood, Captain Bob Smith, D.S.Florence and G.Nettleton.

CF-CMA was destroyed by fire following a take-off from Dorval at June 1st 1945 while engaged on engine trials of the new Merlin 85 engines. No casualties thankfully.

Issue May 1944

Further information on the formation of the TCARA in Halifax-
Preliminary plans to complete the formation of a T.C.A.R.A. group in Halifax. Temporary self-elected committee consisted of Stew Sime, Bob Gifford, Claire Houlton and Alf Devenish. The first official meeting & dinner was planned for the Nova Scotian hotel during May. However, the official opening of the T.C.A.R.A. group was during a gala party at the Brightwood Golf Club, Dartmouth, during May.

An extract from the “Altitude” magazine - Issued June 1980 –

For the first 5 months of 1980, the activities of the Training Centre for in-flight personnel including over 500 new employees, 72 pursers, 22 F.S.D's and between 250 - 300 each month at YUL, YYZ and YVR.
Here are some of the instructors - a meeting of the minds. . . Training Instructors Staff Meeting. L-R: Francoise Champagne~ Francoise Horth, Francis Oerney - Training Development Mgr., Maureen FitzgeraId, Claude Chamberland, Chantal Lepine, Micheline Perreault, Ernst Ebner, Andrea Berthiaume, Medard Leger.