Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Terry Baker, co-founder of the NetLetter scours the internet for aviation related Trivia and Travel Tips for you, our readers, to peruse.

Air 500.

Air 500 Limited was a Canadian airline. Founded in 1985 by Dennis Chadala, former Captain, director of marketing and assistant to Carl Millard, of the defunct Millardair. The company commenced operations with a Super Beech 18 Model E, registered C-FTAE that was purchased from Bradley First Air where it had retired from flying the Dew line in Northern Canada.

The Beech 18 was originally purchased new by Timmins Aviation. The founder had extensive knowledge of the emergency freight business and the operation of DC-3s, Super DC-3s and DC-4 aircraft due to his position within the inner circle at Millardair. Dennis Chadala created Air 500 Limited on a shoe string, without financing and was the first airline to receive licensing and an operating certificate at Toronto's Pearson International Airport following deregulation of the aviation industry in Canada in 1985. 

(Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_500)

Coastal Airways BC, flying as Royal Airlines, was established in 1931 by Richard Gosse of BC Packers,.Victoria’s Robert Pim Butchart, and J.H. Tudhope, former Commanding Officer of the RCAF Jericho Beach Station.

The airline flew passengers and mail with a Bellanca Pacemaker, CF-AND and a Fairchild 71, probably CF-AJP, from The Causeway in front of The Empress Hotel to Vancouver on a passenger/airmail service.

The service had a very short lifespan due to practical inexperience and internal dissent.

(Source: www.victoriaharbourhistory.com)