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.

Source: enroute.aircanada.com/en/magazine/

Rolls-Royce’s 'Spirit of Innovation' has officially become the world’s fastest all-electric aircraft with the recent confirmation of two speed records.

Now verified by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), the aircraft was recorded at 555.9 km/h (345.4 MPH) over 3 kilometers (1.86 miles), 213.04 km/h (132 MPH) faster than the previous record-holder.

It also completed a 15 kilometer (9.32 mile) run at an average speed of 532.1km/h (330 MPH), breaking the prior record by 292.8km/h (182 MPH). 

Source: AVweb.com 

'Canada Flies' published in MacLean's, June 1, 1939

Excerpt from an article by Jack Paterson.

Westbound to Vancouver, via Lethbridge, our crew out of Winnipeg were Captain Jock Barclay, First Officer Ted Allan and Stewardess Margaret Beeber. We landed three hours later, at Sea Island, Vancouver.

Moored near by was the float-equipped Canadian Airways twin-engine Rapide, waiting to hoist mail and passengers across island-studded straits to Victoria on T.C.A. contract. Trans-Canada Air Lines own trip was ready for its noon hoist through to Seattle, a service pioneered by Canadian Airways and acquired by T.C.A. in September, 1937.

The return flight left after the passengers from Seattle and mail from Victoria had been stowed, was under the command of Captain Bruce Middleton (who later transferred to Imperial Airways service).

Our First Officer was 'Scotty' Moir and the Stewardess was Florence Shanahan. Our flight to Lethbridge was two hours and thirty-five minutes.

The continuing eastbound flight from Winnipeg to Toronto was crewed by Captain Kelly Edmison, First Officer Jim Follett and Stewardess Sheila Neil. Flight plan at 5,000 feet to Kapuskasing overflew Kenora, Sioux Lookout, Wagaming, Nakina and Pagwa.

Vancouver-Toronto on daily schedule in fourteen hours, Vancouver-Montreal in fifteen hours, including stops en route; mail and express hoisted days ahead. Sky magic, to be sure! A friend leaving Vancouver by train Sunday evening within minutes of your take-off time would reach Toronto Thursday morning, as compared with your Monday noon arrival. You could spend a business day in the East, fly back to the Pacific Coast, have an afternoon for business there and be back in Toronto or Montreal still eighteen hours before his Thursday morning arrival. Your office mail and express receives the same fast carriage.

EXPENSIVE, you say? Cost of flying Trans-Canada Air Lines is six cents a mile, ten per cent reduction when you purchase a return fare. Vancouver-Toronto by air, all first-class, costs $130.90.

Source: Maclean's Magazine Archives