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Warwick Beadle sends this message re the article in NetLetter nr 1358 - Please convey my thanks to Bernie (McCormack) for the very interesting story of his flight to Cuba and back. I felt as though I was riding in the jump seat. Stories like this remind me of why I enjoyed 33 years in the business. Regards, Warwick Beadle Retired CP/AC Now in AKL |
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Dave Ohlsson has brought our attention to a book "The Avro Canada C102 Jetliner" by Jim Floyd.
On March 27th, 1946, Avro representatives flew to Winnipeg for a meeting with TCA Engineering to present a proposal to Jack Dyment and staff. The Avro representatives returned to Malton and discovered that Avro had already been informed by the TCA management about the successful outcome of the visit to Winnipeg, and Avro were authorized to commence design studies on the twin-engine project. The visit was followed up with a letter of intent to purchase the aircraft, from the TCA president Mr. Symington, dated April 9, 1946 and authorizing Avro to proceed with the design and development of the project to the TCA specification. TCA set up a special C102 committee which had its first meeting on October 29th, 1947. On February 25th, 1948, the committee issued a report which concluded that so far as TCA was concerned the C102 was not suitable for their routes, citing several reasons. The Avro C102 Jetliner was a Canadian prototype medium-range turbojet-powered jet airliner built by Avro Canada in 1949. It was beaten to the air by only 13 days by the de Havilland Comet, thereby becoming the second jet airliner in the world. The signed sheet in the picture was signed by all the people present in the TCA engineering department in Winnipeg at the time of the Avro Jetliner project – note the date at the bottom Right – “Engineering Personnel 1946-1947”. It is the TCA engineering department that was evaluating the feasibility of TCA taking on the new Avro Jetliner. The TCA Director of Engineering – Jack Dyment assigned engineer Bill de Hart to review the specifications for the Avro Jetliner. |
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This is the connection of the Avro Jetliner and TCA, as well as my mom working there. I found it all rather interesting, all the signatures of people involved for TCA on the C102 Jetliner file, and the story itself. The picture below simply shows my mom Gwen Montgomery deplaning an L10A at that time period. We believe mom was visiting her brother Joe Montgomery who was in Tofino at the time. Dad figures the picture is either at Vancouver after coming from Winnipeg or at Victoria. Suffice to say, mom who was working with TCA at the time in Winnipeg was deplaning the L10A in the summer of 1946 in BC – most likely Vancouver.) Out of interest, dad here (John Ohlsson), informs me that prior to her gig with the engineers and Bill de Hart in Winnipeg, mom was first hired by Billy Wells in Winnipeg, 1946, he being at that time the Supt of Personnel TCA (Billy Wells was previously a TCA pilot that flew the first L10A in 1939, Vancouver to Boeing Field Seattle with D R MacLaren as one of the passengers). Mom also worked with TCA in Passenger Service for this same D R MacLaren - Supt. of Passenger Service (Whose Bust is in YVR airport) – it was a small world. :) Cheers, Dave Ohlsson (You can read more about the Avro Canada C102 Jetliner on Wikipedia by clicking here. - Alan) |
The Avro C102 Jetliner was a Canadian prototype medium-range turbojet-powered jet airliner. In 1945 Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) started exploring a number of aircraft developments under the direction of Jim Bain.
