The inauguration of North Star service on TCA's transcontinental airways.
The occasion was an important one. And it was suitably marked for posterity. Highlights were a pre-inaugural Montreal to Vancouver flight of prominent Canadians, the exchange of inter-city goodwill messages, presentations of corsages, boutonnieres and a ten-gallon hat, luncheons and receptions, enthusiastic comments by newsmen and an unexpected cold champagne shower in Chicago.
The pre-inaugural flight left Montreal bound for Vancouver on May 28, 1948.
En route it stopped to fill its passenger complement of civic government and Board of Trade officials (from Toronto, Hamilton, Winnipeg and Calgary), leading Canadian newspapermen and TCA officials.
Westbound, the crew were Captain Al Edwards, Captain Art Rankin, Stewardess "Billy" Houseman and Purser Steward Bill Grant.
In Calgary, Captain Art Rankin, Flight Operations Superintendent, Western Region is presented with a ten gallon hat by Mayor Watson of Calgary, when the pre-inaugural transcontinental flight stopped there.
Eastern Region Traffic Manager, J. G. Maxwell watches from the far left; W. R. Campbell, Central Region Traffic Manager, is on the steps third from left; the Stewardess is "Billy" Houseman; and Calgary District Traffic and Sales Manager, J. F. Burritt, third from right, looks on from the rear.
|