Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

From Darryl Lyons (retired),

"Attached is a link to a virtual tour of the BC Aviation Museum that my daughter, Jennifer, did. She is an Air Canada B-787 First Officer (I retired from AC 30 years ago) and has found herself with extra time on her hands due to the virus. She is still flying, but with reduced hours".

Editors' note: We hope that Ms. Lyons and all active employees return to full hours soon.

Click the image below to view the virtual tour. The museum is located adjacent to the Victoria, B.C. airport (YYJ).

This mystery aircraft got my attention, it just had to be a 'Ryan', the same model as Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic. No one else put the fancy metal finish on those old bush planes.

Here’s what I dug up:

Ryan B-1 Brougham G-CAHR Yukon Airways & Exploration Ltd 'Queen of the Yukon’ Registered March 22, 1928.

Note: Crashed into tree Whitehorse, Yukon, May 5, 1928.

The first commercial airplane to operate in the Yukon was the Ryan B-1 Brougham christened 'Queen of the Yukon'. It was purchased new by Yukon Airways and Exploration Company Ltd., owners Andy Cruickshank and Clyde Wann, at the factory in San Diego in 1927.

Purchase price was $10,260. A stock version of Charles Lindbergh’s highly modified Ryan, she was touted as the sister ship to the famous Spirit of St. Louis, in which he made his famous transatlantic flight.

After only seven months in service, including two forced landings and less than two dozen revenue flights logged, on May 5th, 1928, pilot Tommy Stephens encountered a gusty crosswind while attempting to land in Whitehorse, and crashed the Queen into the company agent’s Model T-Ford, ending her Yukon service career. The pilot and two passengers survived with minor injuries.

Below is a similar model: CF-ATA

There are many more at:

www.whitehorsestar.com/History/there-was-a-pair-of-queens

This aircraft in the photo of the person at the Whitehorse Flying School looks very much like a Fleet Canuck.

The Flying School Museum has a photo of a flying example: 

For anyone interested in researching old time aircraft in Canada, have a look at:

www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/home.html

If you are interested in aviation history and have time on your hands, go to your local aviation museum.

Better still, become a volunteer and meet lots of other interesting people! Oh yes, our museum has lots of other exhibits relating to The NetLetter.

Editors' note:

Here are a few more websites our readers may enjoy:

The Yukon Transportation Museum

Heritage Yukon