Air Canada TCA History | From Lodestars to Jets – Clayton Glenn Memoirs 1943-1964 288 pages all colour book

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Henry Tenby, the author AIR TRAVEL TIME MACHINEAIR TRAVEL TIME MACHINE presents the most extensive photo history of Air Canada TCA ever to be published in the annals of aviation in this remarkable limited print volume as told by the late Clayton Glenn.

Clayton Glenn joined TCA in 1943, and during his many decades with TCA and Air Canada, was intimately involved with the aircraft evaluation and selection process for the all the great types including the Lockheed Lodestar, Douglas DC-3, Canadair NorthStar, Vickers Viscount, Lockheed Super Constellation, Vickers Vanguard, Douglas DC-8 and DC-9 all of which are detailed in this volume, with lavish photo and image support many of which have never been published.

Air Canada TCA History | From Lodestars to Jets – Clayton Glenn Memoirs 1943-1964 288 pages all colour book

Henry Tenby has made it one of his life missions to celebrate and document the history of Canada’s flag carrier airline Air Canada (formerly Trans Canada Airlines) and from a chance worked related meeting with Clayton Glen in the mid 1990s, where he introduced his detailed TCA memoirs which then were kept in safe isolation for nearly thirty years, Henry Tenby is honoured and thrilled to present this amazing historical work.

The 288 all colour pages that are presented in this lavishly presented hard cover volume offer a look back to the engineering, industry and commercial fascinating implications that were at play as all of TCA’s great historical airliners were selected and introduced to service, as presented in Clayton Glenn’s voice. There are many juicy and revealing stories that will surprise and shock even the most well learned airline historians who thought they have heard it all.

This volume will provide many hours of fascinating reading and insight and revelations and if this volume proves successful, there might be a volume two, to present the follow on years of Air Canada aircraft fleet matters into the 1960s and 1970s.

Only 400 copies of this book have been printed and it will likely sell out fast.

Reader Testimonials
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The density of images and information, this is unrivalled in the history of airline, erm .. histories. Wowsers! I have no idea how you and your designer have pulled this off. Lucky Clayton Glenn (RIP) and lucky Air Canada!
Charles Kennedy

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AIR TO AIR – Ultimate Airline Photography 170 pages all colour book by Henry Tenby:

Like no other book ever printed in the history of commercial aviation, this unique and beautifully presented all colour volume features some 200 eyeball-popping air-to-air images of classic propliners and classic jetliners taken aloft by the great air-to-air photo masters of the late 20th century, including Stephen Piercey, Paul Duffy, Bob Shane, Ron Kosys, Chris Mak, Henry Tenby, Chuck Stewart Jr. and many others.

This book is loaded with air-to-air beauties of the following aircraft: Boeing 707, Boeing 727, Boeing 720, Boeing 737, Boeing 747 Classic, 747SP, DC-3, DC-4, DC-6, DC-7, DC-8, DC-9, DC-10, Britt-Norman Islander, De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver, DHC-3 Otter, DHC-6 Twin Otter, Beech 18, Beech 99, Fokker F-27, F-28, F-50, Grumman Goose, Lockheed Hercules, PBY-5A Catalina, Convair CV-580, CV-640, Curtiss C-46, Hawker Siddeley HS-748, Lockheed Electra, Lockheed Constellation, Vickers Viscount, Vickers Vanguard, Martin 404, De Havilland Comet, Sud Aviation Se-210 Caravelle, Junkers Ju-52, Bristol Freighter, ATL98 Carvair, Dassault Mercure, Bristol Britannia, Armstrong Whitworth Argosy, De Havilland Trident, NAMC YS-11, Canadair CL-44, KC-97, Antonov An-2, An-26, An-124, Ilyushin IL-18, IL-14, Shorts Belfast, B-17G, C-117, and Shorts Sunderland Flying Boats with images taken in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.

Reader Testimonials
(Please let me know what you think of the book so I can add your testimonial here.)

Besides the mainline equipment from the Sixties through the Nineties, (this book features) classics including the Curtiss C-46 Commando, Douglas DC-3, DC-4, DC-6, DC-7, Lockheed Constellation and Electra plus the L-100 Hercules, Martin 404, Convair-Liner (in various forms), Bristol Britannia, Vickers Viscount and Vanguard, and a variety of ‘bush’ types. Captions are extensive and informative, often including details of the photography session such as location and crew names, chase plane, as well as revealing how the shot was captured. For a very modest price, here is a treasure trove of excellent and unusual colour photography of airliners from around the world.
John Wegg, Editor, Airways, A Global Review of Commercial Flight, Sandpoint, ID, USA

AIR TO AIR – Ultimate Airline Photography 170 pages all colour book by Henry Tenby:

Henry Tenby has put together a book far greater than the limitations of its compact landscape format would imply. It provides 171 air-to-air studies of post-war classic propliners and jet airliners with fascinating captions relating why, how, and where the image was taken. Read assiduously, the content is worthy of close scrutiny wherein lie many lessons for erstwhile aspirants to the magic arts of real photography.
David Baker, Editor, Aviation News Magazine, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, UK

Picked up a nice little book today at the Aviation MegaStore near Amsterdam IAP, “Air-to-Air” by Henry Tenby. The book opens with a dedication to Stephen Piercey, a good start, and a clue for the content: a massive amount of propliners and OldJets. Besides loads of photographs, the captions are very informative and bring back memories to airlines and thier hardware plus we get to know some ace air-to-air photographers as well. With a modest price, you cannot go wrong with this one in my opinion.
Just to make sure, as a disclaimer, I have no interest in the book nor the author.
Ruud Leeuw, www.RuudLeeuw.com website

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NWT Air welcomed its third Boeing 737 jet to Yellowknife this week after months of anticipation.

The $6 million combination cargo-passenger aircraft means the airline won’t have to lease replacements from Echo Bay Mines while it’s two other 737s are grounded for yearly month-long inspections.

“We definitely needed a new one that” says aircraft program manager, Henry Tenby.

It wasn’t an easy job says Tenby. Boeing 737–200 “Combi” jets, as the double duty models used by North NWT and Canadian North are known, aren’t easy to find.

Boeing doesn’t make them anymore and hardly any are on the market at one time.

Passengers might notice a slightly more attractive interior, though not much else. The new jet which has been dubbed “Snowball” has been waiting for a new paint job, carried up to 72 passengers and two cargo packages just like the others in the NWT Air fleet.

But the pilots who flew it from Edmonton to Yellowknife on its inaugural flight (Captain Searle Hartman) said they like the way it handled.

It should also allow NWT to increase its Yellowknife to Edmond and schedule to five days a week from three.

Snowball is more than 12 years old and was with former Pacific Western Airlines fleet (CF-PWE) until the mid 1980s. It was sold to an American carrier and was Presidential candidate Michael Dukakis’ campaign jet in 1988.

More recently, the jet flew under the Air Zaire banner, which is now hidden beneath a new coat of white paint. Tenby says the airline would like to give the aircraft some distinctive colours.

“We can do something creative with that. I’m hoping we can put a polar bear on the nose” said Tenby.

Anyone with an idea for Jets can give NWT Air a call.

Air Travel Time Machine | Kodachrome Memories 1962-1960 A4 size 288 pages all colour with over 600 colour images by Henry Tenby:

The author has made it one of his life missions to assemble a growing collection of unique and fascinating Kodachrome images created in the mid of the last century, that were spontaneous photographic captures of every day air travels, at a time when the vast majority of the population were still travelling this great world by ocean liner.

The 288 all colour pages that are presented in this lavishly presented hard cover volume will offer a look back to an era where people travelled in style to the four corners of the globe by modes of air transport that were very much still in their infancy. Pay close attention to the small details that lurk in the backgrounds of the pictures of the pages that follow, and you will revel in amazement of how good things were on this planet so many decades ago.

Between the close of World War II and 1960, air travel went from the piston banger era to the jet age. This was a short period of barely 15 years. Between 1960, and the publication date of this book 2024, some 64 years have passed. Although commercial aircraft have become somewhat larger, there have been no real advancements in air travel technology that can compare to those after the post World War II era covered in this volume.

Dear reader, it is hoped that you will sincerely enjoy this fascinating time machine look back to the early days of postwar air travel, as much as the author enjoyed compiling this fascinating archive over the past 30 years. Thank you for your support in purchasing this book. It is the author’s sincerest wish that you may always travel in comfort and safety, and enjoy the decency and respect of your fellow passengers.

Reader Testimonials
(Please let me know what you think of the book so I can add your testimonial here.)

The book arrived yesterday. It’s a masterpiece! No sooner had I opened the package than nearly three hours vanished – I really was that engrossed! And the photography is spectacular. I can barely guess at the number of hours you must have put in to come up with such a high-quality selection. It’s surely unique in its revelation of the vernacular aspect of air travel, with people really interacting with what’s going on. I love it! A very original perspective on which to focus – one which I don’t recall seeing before (and I’ve got a pretty large commercial aviation library). It contributes a huge amount of necessary information to the record of airline history and evolution. I really didn’t mean to write an essay about it – but I’m simply overwhelmed by nostalgia! Seriously, I think the sheer authenticity of the view is what grabbed me. I also note, to my personal satisfaction, that Stratocruisers are thoroughly well-represented! Henry, congratulations on a masterful piece of no doubt very hard work. Thank you for making all this material available. I’m very much looking forward to the next volumes. All the best – and bravo!
Robin Dunn

Just received your book. What a feast for the eyes! I’ve always wanted an aeroplane book just like this. Not just boring views of aeroplanes, but living witnesses to a bygone era. I’m already looking forward to the next editions.
Best wishes from Switzerland!
Peter Guenthard

What a wonderful book! Absolutely stunning…I have been an aircraft mechanic all my life, starting in the Air Force, Corporate, and then Republic, Northwest airlines. Now retired but have seen a lot of aviation books in my life and this one tops the list!!! I Can’t wait for volume 2! Please put me on the list. Thank’s again for your efforts.
Mark Bohlke

I received you book today. That is the nicest book on classic aviation I have ever seen.
Mario Biondi

I received the book yesterday. A fabulous page-turning experience has begun. I had not realized there would be so much content.
I like that it states that this is Volume 1 — more to come.
Joanne Hogan

WOW!….BEAUTIFUL book, love it! The quality is outstanding. WW2, 50’s and 60’s are the years of aviation development that I enjoy the most.
Is there a “Volume Two” in work?
Robert Badialdi

I would like to express my joy and delight having purchased the “Air Travel Time Machine – volume 1”. It is a thrill to turn each and every page and the quality of reproduction of all those wonderful Kodachromes is remarkable. It must have given you great pleasure to assemble so many images from an era when black & white film still ruled in the UK. I have recommended the book to several friends, who I am sure will be ordering copies too.
Tony Merton Jones

Henry, I just bought this for my dad for his birthday and it’s a phenomenal book. Just fantastic. Love the personal notes you provide throughout and the photos are simply amazing!
Brad Snelling

The book is absolutely beautiful! My first flight was on a TWA 749 from Los Angeles to Philadelphia in 1948 (5 years old). I have been hooked on aviation ever since. I enjoyed many flights during the “Golden Age”. My home library has an extensive aviation catalogue and your book will enjoy a top spot. Thank you.
Harvey Stein

I just received your latest book, Air Travel Time Machine. From my Initial quick review, it’s absolutely incredible. Makes me wish I had kept all my early photos and sides. Too late now.
Richard Schindler

What a magnificent volume! Barely had a chance to glance at it so far, but I know I will spend many happy hours poring over it. Thanks so much!!
Karl Juelch

Breathtaking is how I rate your book. I have a substantial collection of transport category aircraft and your book rates in the tops! Very well done and the format is perfect. I have a second book coming for my father and I cannot wait for it to arrive as he will get a bigger thrill because it was his era of inspiration to be an airline pilot. If you want my second opinion, perfect!
Michael Steiger

The book arrived today and I couldn’t put it down! Thank you very much for doing this, it was great to see. Well worth the wait. Sign me up for Volume 2 and 3, I can’t wait;- as a kid I did a lot of flying around the world in the 1970s, I would love to see some of the same type of pictures from that era, it would bring back a lot of memories. Thanks again for a fantastic book; I very much enjoyed it; – keep up the good work!
Marc Bink

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Set of 10 Aircraft Display Model Stands – $125 USD + shipping:

These limited production stands are custom produced by Henry Tenby and are available for a limited time while supplies last.

Each set of 10 stand includes 5 lighter gauge stands, and 5 heavier gauge stands.
The stands measure 7 inches (18cm) in height.
Rubber grommets are on the feet of all stands.

Prices below reflect actual AIR MAIL shipping cost from Vancouver, Canada with tracking and insurance.
Prices are in US dollars.

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The YVR terminal buildings as you say in the above video, the large TCA/Air Canada terminal building is still there as the South Terminal. My comments are more about the other building.

As I recall, that was sort of an “interim” terminal, and everybody was crammed into it before the larger glass-enclosed building was built. The original Vancouver air terminal was built in the mid-1930s. Tom McGrath’s book “History of Canadian Airports” has a photo of it in 1937, with Lockheed 12A CF-CCT at the completion of its Trans-Canada Flight in 1937.

That original terminal had a control tower built in the center of the building. The old terminal burned to the ground in 1949 and was replaced in 1950 by a “temporary” building, which I believe is the one that CP, PWA, etc. were still using in 1960. This building did have a tower included. Not sure when the separate structure was erected.

The “North Terminal” was extended in 1952 and on July 1, 1957, the “West Terminal” (now the South Terminal) was opened. The old North Terminal was expanded again in 1963, and eventually torn down when the existing main terminal was built in the middle of the airport in opening in 1968.

So, I would have flown in and out of that old terminal in 1957 when I flew in a PWA Canso (one of two they had) over to Tofino and back for some BCTel work.

I would have also flown out of it in 1956, when the RCAF allowed me to fly to and from Toronto for my RCAF Tech Officer Summer training at Camp Borden. Normally, we had to travel by train, but I had already travelled both ways by CNR in 1954 and both ways by CPR in 1955, so I managed to sweet-talk the Orderly Room into paying me my travel claim in cash and letting me make my own way.

The way it worked was that they assumed I was on the train, so paid me the train fare, the price of a lower berth, meals and tips for the porter (25¢ by day and 50¢ by night), taxi, etc. In theory, I was on the train for 4 days each way, so I was taken on strength and struck off strength accordingly. In fact, instead of spending most of the week on the train and arriving at Borden a day or so early, I flew the TCA North Star red-eye to Toronto on a Saturday night, took the local train up to Borden on Sunday and was ready to start my course on Monday. The cost worked out about the same…my travel claim worked out in the range of $100 – 120 and the North Star fare was about $100 – 110 each way, plus I shipped my duffel back home on the train when I flew in 1956.

In 1961, when I flew to and from Winnipeg in a TCA Vanguard, I would have flown out of the West Terminal.

Then, when I went to Hawaii by CPAir Britannia in 1962 and 1963, it would have been out of that “temporary” North Terminal that must have stood there for about 13 years.

As I recall, there was a period of years, after the air terminal operation had been moved to the present location, when the current South Terminal was converted into a Cargo Terminal, then back to what is it now for the smaller local airlines.

The convertible parked in front of the South Terminal is a 1960 Pontiac. I thought at first it was a 1960 Buick, but the back end isn’t quite right. I had a 1959 Buick 2-door hardtop, with the big wings, but they toned them down and rounded them off a bit in the 1960 model.

Kerrisdale Taxi, I don’t remember them, but in that time frame there were less than 400 Vancouver taxi licences, spread over a great many small operators. Between 1950 and 1980, the number of taxi licences remained frozen at 363!! I can see at least 4 Kerrisdale Taxi vehicles in the photos in your video above. They are 1958 Pontiacs, we had the same models as company cars at BCTel at that time. The flashy red car is a 1958 or 1959 Dodge.

The airport taxi concession was held for many years by MacClure’s Taxis, based in the Marpole area, who also owned Airline Limousines Ltd.(or was their name Airport Limousines??) MacClure’s have been around since 1911 and are still in business. It may be that Kerrisdale Taxi was owned by MacClure’s or were later absorbed into MacClure’s. What I found by looking them up was that MacClure’s / Airline Limousines had the exclusive airport pickup concession from 1968 to 1980, so perhaps before that it was a free-for-all for anybody to pick up at YVR?

A report I found stated: “By the boom years of the late 1920s, the city had dozens of rival taxi companies, names that have mostly disappeared from the public memory. There was ABC Taxi and BB Taxi; Fifty Cent Taxi and Fred’s Dollar Taxi; Frisco and Hollywood; Owl and Sun; Canadian and Dominion; Commercial and Webster’s Peerless; Devonshire and Kerrisdale; Mikado and Nabata; Queens and Empress and Royal City; Ready and Roamer; De Luxe and Gold Band.”

The 1950s and 1960s were time of consolidation in the Vancouver taxi business, and most of the small operators became part of the bigger fleets of MacClure’s, Yellow, Black Top/Checker and Advance Taxis. The owner-operators became shareholders/co-owners in the larger taxi companies and that is the way it still is, as far as I know.

Getting back to the photos in your video, as far as I can recall, the doors did indeed empty out onto the tarmac and passengers went out and up the portable airstairs into the aircraft as you stated.

When you show the Super Connie photo with the Okanagan hangar in the background, you say this is facing South. This is actually facing West and that old Okanagan hangar was there for a long time, I think it is still there along Agar Drive, on the way into the FBOs on the West side. Have a look at the later photo of the TCA DC-8, with the same hangar in the background.

The old TCA schedule in your video: note at the end of the list of Vancouver flights there is a North Star red-eye service in each direction. That is the reverse of the flight I look in 1956 to Toronto. Left YVR late at night, one stopover in Winnipeg and into Toronto early the next morning. The exhaust flame of the Merlin engines was very spectacular at night!

Fares as I noted above, the one-way North Star fare between Toronto and Vancouver was, as I remember, $110 in 1956. Almost exactly the same as the RCAF paid me to, in theory, take the train for four days including fare, birth, meals, tips, etc.

Have another look at that photo of the United Airlines 720. Are you sure it is 1960, the same as the others? See the hangar in the background, just ahead of the tail of the 720. That is not the RCAF wartime hangar, it is the first hangar that Air Canada built over on the North side, and I don’t think it is anywhere to be seen in the earlier 1960 photos that show the other side. I think you slipped a non-1960 shot in there! (Note: I checked the actual slide and it was actually taken in July of 1961, so Jerry is correct in pointing out it could not have been taken in 1960.)

And then Ron Moor sent me the following comments:

Hi Henry I really enjoyed your video presentation of the old airport. I started working there with United Airlines in 1962. Just a couple of points. United had its own check in counter and offices in the West terminal along with Trans Canada Airlines.US Customs had a small office behind the counter. Checked in passengers exited out and down a covered walkway to an enclosed building where US immigration were located and the waiting room called Gate 6. All the time I was there they never used the Canadian Pacific airlines North terminal. I thought you would enjoy this.

On November 6, 2021 – Frankfurt: I was able to attend my first aviation collectibles show since the start of the global pandemic. It took place in Frankfurt, Germany at the Hofheim Stadthale (Community Centre) located just a few steps from the Hofheim Station. In years past the Frankfurt Aviation Collectibles shows were being held for some decades at the sports hall in Schwanheim. The new location in Hofheim is a huge improvement over the old Schwanheim hall for many reasons.

The new Hofheim hall is large, bright and new with a very high ceiling. This means it is very comfortable for the show attendees as there is lots of space in the aisles, and it is not hot and stuffy and not over crowded. It was very pleasant to be inside the hall. And my hope is they will continue to use this hall for all future shows in Frankfurt for coming years.

As a collector of professional aircraft display models the Frankfurt show really fantastic. I was able to purchase some really nice models for my collection as I always do. The stars of the show for display models with the amazing Dutch model collecting brothers Patrick and Ed Van Rooijen. Between the two of them they had probably 100 or more fantastic models for sale to serious collectors, many of which are shown in my video. But there was also a huge selection of safety cards, books, diecast models, stickers, barf bags, uniforms, wings, pins and all sorts of aviation and airline collectibles to satisfy all collector’s needs one can imagine.

For more information about future Frankfurt aviation collectibles fairs visit their website:
https://www.fra-aviationfair.com/https://www.fra-aviationfair.com/

It was 0134 hours, Sunday, October 31, 1971. At Montreal International Airport, the brightly lit ramp was quiet. Because of the 11 pm curfew, the jets had stopped operating. The flashing beacons of the ramp trucks had disappeared one by one. Beyond the terminal building, the blue taxiway lights added to the stillness.

From their vantage point in the tower, the controllers could see a red rotating light moving slowly across the horizon, joining a long final for runway 06R.

“Montreal Tower, Air Canada 2458, we’re cleared for a visual approach.” That was Capt. S. F. Davis handling the radio; F/O Lorne Dyck was flying the airplane.

In the back were 16 passengers, including Kent Davis, Air Canada’s Vice-President of flight operations, and Capt. Bill Benson, Director of Flight Standards.

“Air Canada 2458, Montreal Tower. You’re cleared to land. Wind 060 at 12, altimeter 30.31.”

“Air Canada 2458.”

CF-TKB (725) Nice taxying shot at the Farnborough Air Show back in 1960.

The flashing red light continued toward the runway as F/O Dyck descended tenderly. Suddenly the threshold was illuminated by three bright landing lights, and F/O Dyck set the airplane down without a ripple at 0139. As the airplane approached the terminal area, it first became a silhouette and then the unmistakable box-like shape of a Vickers Vanguard. The big prop-jet taxied to gate 43 and shut down. Thus, routinely and unceremoniously, 2458 marked the end of passenger service on the Vanguard, that rugged, magnificent aircraft that had served Trans-Canada Air Lines and then Air Canada for more than 10 years.

One who may have felt the end more than most was Capt. Benson. It was exactly 11 years ago on that night that he flew to England to begin his training on the Vanguard.

Selection of the Vanguard by TCA came after one of the most exhaustive studies of aircraft operating economics ever completed in the industry. The Vickers Vanguard was matched against all other potential medium—range airplanes, flying and projected, pure jet and turbo-propeller, before it was selected. Over TCA’s routes, which not only had to be averaged but factored to account for traffic density, the Vanguard came first. But many other factors, some not easily calculated came into the picture.

Some people in TCA were all for going pure jet; when the DC-9 came second in the economics study, this was all they wanted to know. But the ‘9’ was then a ‘paper’ airplane, Douglas Aircraft awaiting solid commitments before proceeding. Should the airplane be built, it would be out two years later than the Vanguard, putting TCA at a competitive disadvantage for that period.

CF-TKB (293) fresh from the factory at Weybridge prior to delivery to Canada. In this instance the people do not detract from the photo.

(The project DC-9 was a different airplane from what was eventually produced. Range was to be 2.600 miles, definitely ‘medium’. The Boeing 727 filled that area and the ‘9’ as we know it was introduced in airline service as a ‘medium-short’ airplane in 1965.)

Also, the Vanguard had a cargo hold volume that no other passenger airplane could offer and freight projections indicated a needed capacity in that area as well. Still, the jet people had good arguments: definitely superior passenger appeal, longer projected life and, in the case of the DC-9, certain parts interchangeability with the DC-8, offering additional economics.

The Vanguard won out, however. On January 3, 1957, TCA announced the purchase of 20 Vanguards for a sum of $67.1 million. Eventually, three more were obtained, making TCA the world’s largest Vanguard Operator.

The first flight of the Vanguard took place on January 20, 1959 and the first TCA airplane began flying on July 9, 1960. In the July 22 issue, Aero Magazine reported the start of trials of the TCA Vanguard and, buried obscurer in the article, a small note to the effect that one of the differences between the TCA and British European Airways Vanguards was the fact that TCA had specified Skydrol 500A hydraulic fluid. Oh. How large that difference was going to be.

An unidentified Trans-Canada Air Lines Vanguard gets airborne from Vickers Weybridge, Surrey during an early test flight.

On Halloween 1960, five TCA pilots proceeded to Weybridge, England for the Vanguard course. They were Capt. George Lothian, then Superintendent of Flying, Capt. Ron Baker, TCA’s engineering test pilot, and Captains Bill Benson, Ed Marriott and Al Wilton, who were to be the initial instructors on the Vanguard and later check pilots.

After ground school. Captain Baker pursued a course befitting his capacity while the other four captains were paired in two groups for the flight training. The Vickers instructors were Dick Rymer, who was later killed in the BAC-III deep—stall accident, and Denis Hailey-Bell.

Vanguard had already developed teething problems, one of them being the failure of cabin compressors. While Vickers and Rolls—Royce were working on modifications, training carried on without pressurization or cabin temperature control, in the dead of winter.

Another problem evident at that stage was the presence of nose-wheel shimmies. Although they were found not to affect the integrity of the structure, the severity of the shimmies was as pronounced as it was unpredictable. Ron Baker got into the act; he went up with Dick Rymer and Bill Benson and they tried every possible way of landing to bring on the shimmy, unsuccessfully. After eighteen attempts, they decided to quit. Benson said: “Let’s try it once more.” On the nineteenth try, the airplane behaved as if it had landed on top of railroad ties.

Trans-Canada Air Lines Vickers Vanguard CF-TKB being put through the paces at the Farnborough airshow, 1960 or 1961.

This problem, like many others typical of development flying, sent the engineers back to the drawing board and improvements were eventually made.

George Lothian and Al Wilton flew the first aircraft to Canada and the flight training program for the line pilots started. The Vanguard simulator was already installed and proved to be an excellent one. In addition to duplicating all systems, the Vanguard ‘box’ incorporated sound simulation. Engine noise, rush of air as in a rapid decompression, whine of an over-speeding propeller, even the tire squeal on landing. Once, during a simulator exercise, the instructor failed all four engines to see what the pilots would do.

They were “flying” at six thousand feet and their initial reaction was one of staring disbelief. The two pilots looked at each other for confirmation of reality then, questioningly, at the instructor sitting behind them. They were losing altitude, and fast: “Is this a power failure, like I mean, Quebec Hydro?” asked the pilot in the left seat. “No, it’s a power failure, like I mean, your engines!” answered the instructor. The pilots swiftly initiated the air-start procedure. With one going and one windmilling, the ‘aircraft’ was going in at a 30° angle. In desperation, the pilot in the right seat selected gear down. When they ‘hit’, the simulator fastidiously gave them the ‘screech-screech’ of the wheels.

The inaugural flight took place February 1, 1961, and was flown by Capt. Benson and Captains Dave Moir of Vancouver and Jack Smith of Toronto. The route was Montreal – Toronto – Winnipeg – Regina – Calgary – Vancouver. During the station stop in Winnipeg, it was discovered that the fire warning bell test circuit was un-serviceable. To ensure that the bell would work in case of an actual fire, the fire wire in each engine was grounded in turn by maintenance, the bell ringing in the cockpit each time. At the next stop, Regina, the procedure was repeated. Again in Calgary. But this time five bells were heard. Jack Smith, who carried an alarm clock in his bag, had set the thing to go off!

Trans-Canada Airlines Vanguard CF-TKN in a truly mouthwatering shot for the unabashed Vickers Vanguard fanatic. Obviously this 35mm kodachrome colour slide was taken on board a sister ship, with engines running. We can soak up the atmosphere of the then brand new Toronto Malton Terminal 1 with Trans-Canada Vanguard CF-TKN at the gate awaiting her passengers. Oh my lord … What a superb shot!

The early days of the Vanguard were beset by problems. One was vibration, with a resulting high noise level. By coincidence, it turned out that the fuselage length and the position and RPM of the props set up a natural vibration, which would slowly be transmitted through the fuselage all the way to the tail . . . and forth . . . and back . . . The Vanguard was a perfect tuning fork!

In concert with BEA and TCA, Vickers tackled the problem and a temporary procedure involved climbing with 5° flap. Later. Mainly through the addition of weights to the tailplane, the problem was solved, but not to everyone’s satisfaction. Already spoiled by jets, people expected the same of the Vanguard, something a turbo-prop is simply unable to deliver.

Choosing the new Skydrol 500A for hydraulic fluid was wise; it was super stuff. The fact that the seals were eaten away by it was another matter. Hydraulic problems were chronic. As one passenger stated, “When they can’t get the heels down, I get nervous; in that airplane, they couldn’t get them UP!” Well, sometimes. Actually, it took a sizeable loss of fluid before services would no longer operate. Other aircraft would be taxiing behind a Vanguard and advise that it was dripping hydraulic fluid; “We know, we know,” would be the reply.

That problem was solved by the replacement of seals and other difficulties were being surmounted as well. Schedule reliability increased gradually so that by November, 1961, on-time performance had reached 71 per cent compared to 41 per cent two months previously.

That winter, the Vanguard was introduced to the South. Still unsatisfied with the aircraft’s reliability, TCA wanted a back—up for what was to be the Vanguard’s premier run. It was decided to stand a Lockheed Super Constellation next to the Vanguard on the ramp so that if the latter packed up at the last minute, the passengers would be transferred to the waiting Constellation. Since Toronto did not have ‘Connie’ crews, a Montreal crew would stay at a motel close to the airport, ready to lend support. If the Vanguard worked, they would return to the motel. After a few days they would go back to Montreal and be relieved by another crew. Sometimes they got to fly, most often not. That operation came to be known as the ‘Conguard’!

Dave Tennant is now Air Canada’s Vice-president — Personnel but was formerly Vice-president — Operations and had a hand in choosing the Vanguard for TCA. He said: “The Vanguard was the best for the mission; when we looked at the cost projections, it was a winner. The belly compartment with its great cargo capacity just added to that.”

The Vanguard was a newer airplane than the first generation of jets but the prestige was stolen by the Douglas DC-8 which TCA had introduced in Canada ten months earlier. Not only was the jet smoother and quieter but the ‘8’ was glamorous.

When Trans-Canada Air Lines was renamed Air Canada in 1965, all the types were taken up for a new round of air-to-air publicity shots, which was the occasion for this lovely image, originally from Air Canada archives. This photo of CF-TKP is actually a photo teaser from my book “Air-To-Air: Ultimate Airline Photography” which showcases 175 all-colour pages of classic propliners and classic jetliners photographed inflight. You can purchase your own copy of my book right here: https://www.henrytenby.com/product/air-to-air-ultimate-airline-photography-by-henry-tenby/.

People were spoiled: they did not realize that the jet was still basically a long-range airplane. At the time that the Vanguard was introduced, two medium-range pure jets were flying, the Convair 880 and the British-built De Havilland Comet 4.

Neither presented anywhere near the passenger seat cost economics of the Vanguard over the routes flown by TCA and their purchase would have resulted in higher fares with little decrease in block times. Both being very thirsty aircraft. It was somehow forgotten that most of the world’s medium-range routes were still being flown by pistons.

In the Vanguard, the value dollar for dollar, was unsurpassed. The Vanguard offered the best travel bargain. The Economy cabin had larger seats and was superior to that of any short/medium-haul aircraft then flying. The first-class section was magnificent. Isolated at the rear, the quiet little club remains in the eyes of many a unique travel experience. And Vanguard’s over-sized oval windows (like the smaller Viscount) provided passengers with unparalleled views.

The safety record of the Vanguard is exceptional.

The aircraft was introduced in service with perhaps a larger than usual share of teething problems yet it progressed through the ‘learning curve’ without a major accident. The later fatal crash of a BEA Vanguard at Heathrow, England was attributed to pilot error and in Air Canada service a lone fatality resulted from a passenger being killed when a flight unexpectedly encountered severe clear air turbulence over Rocky Mountain House. Alta. In a landing accident at Antigua and in a wheels-up landing at Montreal, no one was injured. It can be said that the Vanguard, of itself, has never as much as scratched anyone. (At the time of writing, the tragic BEA Vanguard accident in Belgium was still under investigation.)

Yet another nice profile view of Air Canada Vickers Vanguard CF-TKP during her air-to-air company name rebrand publicity shots back in 1965, from Air Canada archives.

Of the wheels-up landing in Montreal following a hydraulic failure, certain anecdotes are worthy of mention: Captain Ed Marriott, in command of the flight, was in communication with TCA via the company frequency. Since this was the first year of Vanguard operation, everyone was not only concerned but also a bit in the dark as to why the landing gear would not, at least, free-fall. Through a communications set-up, Capt. Marriott was put in direct contact with a Vickers engineer at home in bed in Weybridge, England!

Aware that they would circle for quite a while, Capt. Marriott authorized the serving of drinks to the passengers. The stewardess advised that she had sealed the bar when ‘in range’ of Montreal, as per company regulations. “Well, open it again,” directed Capt. Marriott. This she did, by bashing it open with the fire axe! Air Canada has always been a market leader in terms of the highest levels of passenger service.

The hydraulic off-load switch was once a problem. When the switch was in the ‘off’ position, the system was ‘on-loaded’ (pressurized), and vice-versa. Well, think about it: if the off-load switch is off, then you’re on-loaded, right? Of course, perfectly logical. But try to teach it in the class- room. TCA finally changed it to be more in tune with the Canadian mind and linguistics; when the switch said ‘on’, you were ‘ON’. Don’t think, baby, just fly the plane!

Air Canada Vickers Vanguard CF-TKG looks amazing sitting on the Montreal Dorval apron back in 1967.This Vanguard was sold to Air Holdings Limited as G-AYLD in 1969, as part of a trade-in deal with Lockheed towards new L-1011s. Lockheed re-sold the Air Canada Vanguards to Air Holdings for onward disposal. I don’t like the word “disposal” when applied to Vickers Vanguards.

Another dandy was the ‘Chime Isolate’. The Vanguard galley control panel incorporated a number of switches for diverse services and these were indicated above each switch. One such switch was marked ‘Chime’; just under the word ‘chime’ was ‘Isolate’ for turning it off and below the switch was printed ‘on’ for, naturally, having the thing on. A lot of stewardesses read that as the ‘Chime Isolate’ so that if it was selected ‘on’ the chime would be isolated. They therefore moved the switch to the other position, in effect turning it off

In the cockpit, pilots would hit the call button with ever-increasing frenzy, wishing for a cup of coffee. At the end of the flight, the pilots would say to the ‘stew’: “We called you a hundred times, where were you?” And the ‘stew’ would answer: “I never heard the chime; I guess it doesn’t work.” The pilots would then write in the maintenance log book that the chime was unserviceable. Maintenance would try it, find it in perfect working order and enter in the book: ‘Ground-checked Serviceable’. They would then leave the switch in the ‘on’ position.

The next crew of stewardesses would board the aircraft, change the switch over and the whole cycle would start all over again. It took years for us stupid Canadians to figure that one out.

Yet another example of the difference between British and Candian logic and linguistics.

It is impossible to describe the propeller system. Suffice it to say that it has nine protective devices to prevent the props from going into ‘ground-fine’ in the air. Glen Cawker of Air Canada says that when the Englishman who designed the propeller was finished with it, they took him away.

What was it like to fly the Vanguard? Well, it was much more than flying a big Viscount. Bill Benson, who is now Air Canada’s Director of Flight Standards, said: “I loved the airplane; it was a great rudder airplane, it made you fly more, The Vanguard had the finest cockpit ever designed; the lighting was superb. It was simply magnificent over the lights of Montreal.”

Air Canada Vickers Vanguard CF-TKH awaits passengers on the Dorval apron as viewed from the once sprawling open air observation deck at Montreal. In this case the photo was taken in 1967, and the Vanguard is carrying the small Expo 67 logo by the right sill of the rear passenger door. CF-TKH was sold to Europe Air Service in 1972 as F-BTOU.

Brian Trubshaw, who was later to test-fly the Concorde, was Chief Test Pilot on the Vanguard project. He demanded more space in the cockpit, knowing from experience that the dimensions would be cut back later. This time the boffins listened to him. The result. The Vanguard had, and still has, the most spacious flight station of any commercial airplane. As one stewardess expressed when she first set foot inside the Vanguard cockpit: “You could have a dance in here!”

“But the airplane was a great leveller,” adds Benson. “Most guys came on it from the Viscount and were used to greasing it on.” Said Capt. Gerry Lloyd, Air Canada’s Flight Operations Director, Toronto Base: “The Vanguard was a horse of a different wheelbarrow.”

And how! At the beginning, the landings were atrocious. Pilots would cross the fence, close the throttles and. . . crunch! Well, isn’t that the way we were all taught? The Vanguard, with four wide, 141/2 foot diameter props was different, all right. First, when the throttles were closed, the props went against the ‘flight fine’ stops, a relatively flat pitch; second, and partially as a result of the first, the immediate speed reduction caused the airplane to sink rapidly and contact the runway. ‘Contact’ is the key word here.

The plane had wings and it had engines; there just had to be some way of putting the two together and decently depositing the Vanguard on the runway. “No. There is no way,” said one. Said another: “Where you close the throttles, that’s where you land.”

Said yet another, despairingly: “Any landing you walk away from is a good one.” But a few were having some success and the word gradually filtered to the troops. The guys were no longer crashing them on, but the airplane remained a challenge right to the end.

Stopping distance was phenomenal. With over twice the weight of the Viscount and additional speed over the threshold, the Vanguard could be stopped shorter, even without reversing. Putting the propellers into the ‘ground’ mode after touchdown sent them to aerodynamic 0°, effectively offering the slipstream a veritable barn door. On scheduled airport runways, reverse was never used, brakes hardly. Yet, if you needed them, they were there. Tremendous security.

Passengers boarding Air Canada Vickers Vanguard CF-TKU at Montreal Dorval, June 1965. This Vanguard was sold by Air Canada to Air Holdings Limited in 1969 as G-AZNG in trade for Lockheed L-1011s.

Air Canada Vickers Vanguard CF-TKH awaits passengers on the Dorval apron as viewed from the once sprawling open air observation deck at Montreal. In this case the photo was taken in 1967, and the Vanguard is carrying the small Expo 67 logo by the right sill of the rear passenger door. CF-TKH was sold to Europe Air Service in 1972 as F-BTOU

Three pilots hold the distinction of having flown every Vanguard that was ever built. They are Capt. Hans Schlieper, First Officer Ike Jones and former First Officer Doug Vann. All three were TCA pilots who flew with BEA after being laid off by the former. They later returned to their homeland and flew the Air Canada Vanguards. Capt. Schlieper, with more than a little naval tradition, expressed his feelings: “She was the last of the four-masted square riggers. I detest the thought of being a wooden man in an iron ship, with no bridge to pace.”

Capt. Lloyd Warriner, who alternately flew the line, instructed and was a check pilot on the Vanguard referred to it, and still does, as the ‘World’s Greatest Airplane’.

Air Canada Vickers Vanguard 952C CF-TKK was the only Vanguard in the fleet converted to pure freighter, as explained in the article above. And seen in this photo at Toronto Malton in August, 1970. In 1972 this Air Canada Vanguard was sold to Europe Aero Service as F-BTYB where it continued to operate through the decade of the 1970s as a Perpignon-based cargo hauler.

Perhaps no other transport aircraft imparted such an exhilarating feeling to its pilots and it appears that with automation, none ever will. Pilots loved the Vanguard with an emotion like that held for the DC-3.

If you should hear that unmistakable sound, if you should see that unique shape, you’re not dreaming; there is still one Vanguard in Canadian skies. CF-TKK. It is a freighter, Air Canada’s lone experiment at modifying the Vanguard for cargo operation. No additional aircraft will be converted as it cannot be justified economically. However, this freighter will continue in service for an indefinite period.

When they pass TKK in their faster jets, former Vanguard pilots will not look down on it. They will let their eyes languish a few seconds before returning their attention to the horizon, thinking . . . there she goes, the last of the great prop-liners.

We’ve saved the best Air Canada Vickers Vanguard photos for the last. In this case we are presented with the signature low deck angle departure shot of an Air Canada Vickers Vanguard from Montreal Dorval taken in March, 1965. This original slide came fro the famous Thompson slide collection.

The signature front office nose on shot with the lovely view of the engines and beefy props and trademark black nose Air Canada Vickers Vanguard at Toronto Malton, October 1969. The font view of a Vanguard is pure magic!

On Sunday June 15, 1958, Aeroflot TU-104 jetliner CCCP-175445 at the Vancouver airport airshow on Sunday, June 25, 1958. It was here that Boeing’s 707 Test Pilot Tex Johnson told the TU-104 what he thought about the aircraft after having had a flight on it that day: “I have a message for the captain. Please tell him that in my twenty-one thousand hours of piloting time, the TU-104 is the sorriest damn airplane I have ever had the misfortune of flying in.”

An airshow was held on Sunday June 15, 1958 at Vancouver’s Sea Island Airport as part of the Province’s 100th anniversary celebrations. The race for leadership in the passenger jetliner market was heating up in the late 1950s with numerous aircraft builders bringing brand new jet powered airliners to the forefront.

The cold war realities brought the Americans and the Russians face-to-face at the Vancouver Airshow with Boeing bringing their new Boeing 707, and the Russians bringing their new Tupolev TU-104 jetliner. Both jetliners performed demonstration flights that day, and the story of the friction between the two competing aircraft builders was relayed to the public in newspaper stories of the day.

What follows is an account as described by the Price George Citizen paper that was headlined “Incident at Vancouver Airshow: Russian Pilot Gives – And Gets – Emphatic ‘Niet’”

The East-West curtain was parted for a day in Vancouver on Sunday, June 15, 1958, and what might have been become an international aeronautical incident, was actually averted.

The giant Russian airliner, the all-jet Tupolev TU-104, was on public view at Vancouver’s International Airport at an airshow. Air Force officials estimated 100,000 people attended the airshow, part of a two-day British Columbia centennial event.

But Russian-United States relations became a little strained at one point during the day. Captain T. T. Frolov, the Russian plane’s pilot, had been granted permission to make a courtesy flight and visit to Victoria airport from Vancouver – a mere 75 miles as the jet flies. But the trip had to be cancelled.

The flight path of the aircraft would have brought it close to the international border where San Juan Island (American Territory) juts into Canadian territorial waters in the Georgia Strait.

Captain Frolov, fearing slight drift might accidentally cause him to cross the US boundary, asked that assurances would be given so that his aircraft would not be challenged by U.S. jet interceptors. Canadian Air Force officials were told by the Americans that no such assurances would be forthcoming from the U.S. Air Force authorities.

The Russian pilot was told “Nobody will say, they the Americans won’t scramble, even if just to take a look at you.” Therefore, diplomatically, the TU-104 flight to Victoria was cancelled, and instead a courtesy flight over greater Vancouver was planned, with government officials, aviation representatives from both Canada and the USA, and newspapermen being invited aboard.

Earlier in the day, Captain Frolov and his officers were taken on a demonstration flight aboard the Boeing 707 jet Stratoliner, as guests of A. M. Tex Johnston, Chief of Flight Testing for the Boeing Aircraft Company. Once the 707 was aloft, Tex Johnston invited Captain Frolov to sit in the pilot’s seat and handle the 707’s flight controls for most of the hour-long flight.

Captain Frolov said the Boeing 707 had “beautiful flight control” and seemed impressed with Boeing’s new jetliner. Later the same day, a reciprocal invitation was extended by the Russians to the Boeing 707 crew to join the Tupolev TU-104 demonstration flight. Johnston asked if the favour could be returned so he could handle the controls of the Tupolev TU-104. Frolov said “niet”.

Johnston then asked if he could sit in the Co-Pilot’s seat and Captain Frolov again refused the request, explaining that it took two trained men to fly the Russian plane. At this point, Johnston retired from the discussion, but later said the TU-104 appeared heavy to handle and slow to respond. Tex Johnston was quoted in the media as saying “For my money their plane is obsolete”.

At the airshow’s ground display, a number of people collapsed in the 100-degree outdoor temperature near the Russian plane, which was a major attraction of the airshow. On one occasion, the barriers around the TU-104 were carried away by the crowd when told to stand back to avoid being scorched by the jet exhausts.

In his book Jet Age Test Pilot, Tex Johnston provided a detailed account of the events that took place at the 1958 Vancouver airshow. Specifically, he recalled that when they were back on the ramp upon arrival from the TU-104 demonstration flight, with the deplaning stairway in place, and the engines winding down, Tex Johnston turned to the navigator and said, “I have a message for the Captain. Please tell him that in my twenty-one thousand hours of piloting time, the TU-104 is the sorriest damn airplane I have ever had the misfortune of flying in.” The navigator sat and looked at me. “Go ahead. Tell him exactly what I said.”

As airline history would transpire in the decades after this event, the Boeing 707 family of jetliners became the staple of international jet travel, and were only replaced when more fuel efficient wide-body jetliners were delivered to the world’s airlines in the 1970s. Conversely, the Tupolev 104 was a commercial failure with only 201 airframes built by the time produced ended in 1960. The Tupolev 104 was only operated by Aeroflot and Czech State airline CSA. By comparison 1010 Boeing 707s were built by the time production of the last 707 variants ended in the early 1980s.

This interesting facet of the history of the jet race coupled with Cold War tensions, took place on the apron at YVR, some half century ago. And now you know the story!

On Sunday June 15, 1958, an Aeroflot TU-104 jetliner CCCP-175445 participated in an airshow held at Vancouver airport in celebrations supporting the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Province.

Supplies are very limited. Once these are sold out, they are gone forever.

The Convair-Liner was a twin-engined, pressurized airliner built for the 40-50 passenger short haul feeder market of the post World War 2 era by San Diego based Convair General Dynamics.

Republic Convair 580 N2729R DTW DEC 1980.

The Convair Twine was popular in the US as pretty much all the US major operators of the 1950s ordered the Convair Twin, including Braniff, United, Delta, American, Western, Eastern, Frontier, Continental, and of course North Central Airlines, the subject of this article.

Although North Central only initially took delivery of a handful of Convair Twins in the early 1960s, additional machines were acquired through the 1960s and 70s, and by the time the airline became Republic Airlines in 1979, the Convair 580 fleet exceeded 20 examples. The Convair 580 was a sturdy well built machine that lent itself to the harsh winter operating conditions of the mid west. The primary stomping grounds for the Republic Convair 580 fleet were the “local service” small towns that dot the landscape between Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis, as well as spanning further West through the Dakotas.

In 1986/87 Republic Airlines was acquired by Minneapolis based Northwest Airlines, the 24 Convair 580s of Republic were panted into varying degrees of Northwest Airlines’ scheme. Most were hybrid schemes.

The Convair 580 images presented here are from the slide collection of Henry Tenby.

I am looking to purchase 35mm Kodachrome aircraft slide collections. Please contact me: henrytenby at gmail dot com

Thank you very much for visiting this page, and enjoy!

Yellowknife – October 28 1994: ATR42 demonstration flight to NWT Air YZF-YZF, this was a 30 minute air time local flight. The aircraft was being ferried from the ATR factory in France to Mahalo Airlines in Honolulu, Hawaii, so they stopped in to visit us at NWT Air for a demo.

At the time, one of my job responsibilities whilst employed by the airline was aircraft leasing and fleet planning and analysis. I also worked very closely in this capacity with the DFO and the Manager of Dispatch, and the Cargo Manager. I was in regular contact with the folks at ATR and we put this impromptu visit together with somewhat short notice.

Dan Murphy my boss and our General Manager is seated far left. Donna Prouse was the first female pilot at NWT Air. Did she fly for Air Tindi prior to joining NWT Air? Then Wally LeMay. I think that is Ross Drewniak on the right side window. Photos were taken by me.

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April 2, 2020
Report by Henry Tenby

As a Vancouver based aviation enthusiast with interest in the aviation hobby and business dating back to at least 1967, I was curious as to how the effects of the deepening COVID crisis were impacting our local airport. Usually a hotbed of flight activity in normal times, with loads of flights from Asia coming and going on a daily basis, I wanted to see just how much things were wound down at YVR.

So I ventured out to YVR on the afternoon of April 2, 2020, and arrived at the main terminal around 5pm. The video report above documents exactly what I observed, and to put it bluntly, the airport is a dead zone. I also went to the south side of the airport to have a look at the scene for the third level commuters and the South Terminal, and the situation over there was much the same. Within 24 hours of uploading my report video it had garnered about 1,000 views, which for me is a hell of a lot of views as my aviation videos will typically generate maybe a few hundred views within the first few weeks of posting.

Several people took the time to share their thoughts with me. And I am going to share them here in the spirit of providing an historical reference to this situation at empty airports all around the world. Let us pray that the situation will not last for more than a few months.

Ron Kosys. – Coventry UK
Somewhat disappointing to see. It brings it home to me that it isn’t just the UK aviation industry suffering at the moment. I haven’t been to BHX since the stay at home restrictions were brought in, but BHX is worse than a ghost town. Britain’s second city in terms of population airport (but less busy than MAN due to its geographical location) is now down to THREE flights per day – one Lingus, one Ryanair (both Dublin), KLM (obviously Amsterdam), and a fourth three days a week – Qatar. And that’s your lot.

Lingus are rumoured to be operating it’s last flight tomorrow as was KLM – however KLM have now requested slots for an Embraer everyday next week rather than a 737. Another business – the Airport Authority itself – that could see itself asking for a bailout. The only other flying business is a couple of freighters a day, both of which bring in spares and supplies for the NHS. You no doubt saw it on the BBC online news that ground handling companies are all in dire trouble. If they fail, especially Swissport, we’re stuffed.

The former Flybe engineering hangar is now being converted into a morgue. Consequently you simply cannot get near the old side (cargo) now, it being heavily Policed after the press shot a stack of images from the car park the other day of vehicles going in and out, and published the lot. It’s almost as though the press have a campaign of trying to frighten a proportion of the population to death.

A Motor Sich An12 was due on Wednesday, slipped to Thursday, and then Friday before arriving in the dark last night. It left as soon as the airport re-opened this morning (it’s closed overnight now due lack of traffic), also in the dark since the clocks changed. Unless you ‘bent the rules’, time it right, and went to the park at the 15 end photography now at BHX is currently not really an option. It would be just my luck for me to be the one who gets checked whilst out getting my ‘daily exercise’. I do photography for the pleasure, not for the hassle. I forgot to ask Henry, I presume there’s a gaggle of Pacific Coastal at YVR as well?

As each day goes by it appears more and more that this sad situation is going to be with us for more than a couple of months. In order for things to start getting back on their feet, the UK needs other European countries to start improving at the same time. And when that time does come, how many airlines would have bitten the dust in the meantime?

Terry Rea – Vancouver, BC
Just watched your sad but current video of our present day situation @ YVR – sad times for the city and all our YVR staff. I just retired recently after my 52 year career starting with YVR-S Airport Control Tower – trainee. It was August 1967 @ Age 18 just finished High School (PW) at my first job and loving it ! Worked the Viscounts, Vanguards, DC4s, DC6s, Super-Connies, Electras, and the UA brand new B727-100, QF B707, etc! 52 years later still enjoyed working our YVR air traffic in our present, the 3rd, ATC Control Tower!

This reminded me of my shift on 9/11; we landed many a/c @ YVR with the FAA-mandated deviations, eventually closing our N Rwy to be used for aircraft parking. We then had to take care of thousands Pax and Crew on a moment’s notice – converted our new Parkade to an emergency care center providing food, water, blankets etc while we waited for advice on what to expect next! My midnite shift next day was eerily strange, with only 1 departure the whole shift – a LR35 Medevac – 3 days later we resumed operations best we could – it was controlled chaos after 3 days of strange emptiness, such as we have now.

Things will eventually normalize but its gonna be a rough ride for the Aviation Industry for a while. What a change from last year when we were setting traffic records. Take care and stay safe!

Kevin Hickey – Calgary, Canada
Very sad footage Henry. I walked through the YYC terminal last week and it was a ghost town as well. I saw the occasional bored staff member walking around and that was it.

It also looks like a Westjet graveyard here with multiple airplanes scattered all over the aprons, taxiways, and even on runway 08/26. It almost looks like they went out of business and all of the planes are taped and sealed up, including the 767s.

Flying in here is extremely quiet on the radio now and we are constantly being given all kinds of unusual shortcuts. The sky is empty. Edmonton has some Swoops and Flairs that look like they’re going to be sitting for a while as well, about two tails each from what I could see. Hopefully this is the last time that we witness anything like this.

March 29, 2020 – Vancouver, Canada
By Henry Tenby

It is with great sadness that KLM Royal Dutch Airlines retired their passenger 747-400 fleet today with the final flight being an inbound combi flight from Mexico City.

Henry Tenby with KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

I received a message this morning from my good friend Niels Dam who was specially in Amsterdam in the vacinity of Schiphol airport to witness the historic event of KLM’s final Boeing 747 passenger flight operating today. Amid the global economic downturn of the COVID crisis, airlines all around the world are parking their fleets in a fight for survival in the wake of evaporating passenger traffic as the world’s populations go into self-isolation mode.

Niels reported the inbound 747 from Mexico City did a wing wave while on finals, and the pilot made a special speech over the frequency thanking the world’s aviation fans for their interest in the aircraft and expressing his sadness that it was not possible for aviation fans to be present in droves for the event, due to the COVID situation, in the same way the Fokker 70 was retired from the KLM fleet back in November of 2018.

Niels Dam photographed the arrival of the last ever KLM Boeing 747-400 passenger flight at AMS Schiphol inbound from Mexico City, on Sunday, March 29, 2020.

KLM really had no interest in promoting or discussing the significance of their passenger 747 retirement by doing any media reachouts, discussions or assistence on the matter. A message of inquirey sent a few weeks ago to KLM’s PR office generated a two word response that nothing was planned. Which was really out of character for KLM, specially considering the massive contribution the Boeing 747 played in the development of the airlines history over the past 50 years that the type has been in service with the company.

So what of the future for KLM’s 747s? For certain the passenger fleet is officially retired and parked at Schiphol airport as we are still in early days of the COVID crisis. If the aircraft are parted out and scrapped on site or ferried elsewhere, that is surely their end of the line. That said, the fleet is well maintained and could very easily be re activated if a future return to normal warrants their use on re animated routes.

The aircraft are probably long since paid for, so it would seem in haste to initiate immediate scrapping. If we look to past history, during downturns airlines park certain fleets only to reactivate them when times are better. Let us hope this applies to the KLM 747 passenger fleet.

KLM still retains three cargo 747 freighters, two of which are in KLM livery and one of which is in Martinair livery. No phase out date has been set for these aircraft so their flying duties will continue for the foreseeable future.

As a celebration of the Boeing 747 in the KLM fleet, Niels Dam and I spent some time exploring the retired KLM 747-300 PH-BUK that now forms a cornerstone display at the Aviodrom aviation museum as presented in the photos below.

Henry Tenby doing a main gear inspection of KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands. Hydraulics look god, we need to change some balding tires for return to airworthy status!

Under belly gear study of KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands looking at bit worse for wear, no this is not the boarding steps at Kinshasa, Congo!

Niels Dam with KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

Henry Tenby with KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

Niels Dam prepares to connect hydrant fuelling connection to KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands, for ferry flight to Lagos!

KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

Niels Dam at main cabin door of Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

Niels Dam relaxing in turbine inlet of KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

Once familiar wing view of KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

Upper deck cabin view of Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

Henry Tenby at passenger door of KLM 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

Flightdeck view of KLM 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

Interior main deck cabin view of KLM 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

KLM 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

By Henry Tenby (Copyright 2020) – see below for photos.

Along with my good friend Niels Dam, I recently had the opportunity to visit the fantastic Aviodrome aviation museum in Lelystad in the Netherlands.

Given the Netherlands rich aviation history spanning back over 100 years with both KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and the famous Dutch aircraft builder Fokker, there is no shortage of vintage aircraft display models produced with the country, of which a very good sample is available for public viewing at the Aviodtome museum.

Being a huge collector of aircraft display models myself, I was extremely impressed with their collection. They had a large selection of pre World War II models made by the KLM in house model shop that was maaged by the famous Dutch model maker Hank Modermann. The highwing Fokker type models of the 1920s and 1930s featured wooden wings stained to look like the real planes.

The museum also has a number of nice wood and metal models made by Raise Up and Verkuyl between the 1940s and the 1960s. The highlight model display at the museum has to be the circa 1960 re creation of Amsterdam Schiphol airport in 1/50 scale. The KLM airliner models included in this centrepiece are the DC-3, Convair 340, Vickers Viscount, Lockheed Super Constellation, Lockheed L–188 Electra and Douglas DC-8. These models are all in wood and their accuracy and detail are magnificent. It is believed these masterpiece models were all made by Matthias Verkuyl. They would be unique pieces and I would estimate their values as priceless.

Transavia Holland Boeing 707 in 1/100 metal made by Verkuyl is part of the Aviodrome Aviation Museum.

KLM Vickers Viscount 800 in 1/50 scale as part of the Amsterdam Schiphol airport re creation at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum. This model was likely made by Matthias Verkuyl, circa 1960.

KLM Douglas DC-8 in 1/50 scale as part of the Amsterdam Schiphol airport re creation at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum. This model was likely made by Matthias Verkuyl, circa 1960.

KLM Convair 340 in 1/50 scale as part of the Amsterdam Schiphol airport re creation at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum. This model was likely made by Matthias Verkuyl, circa 1960.

KLM Lockheed L-188 Electra in 1/50 scale as part of the Amsterdam Schiphol airport re creation at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum. This model was likely made by Matthias Verkuyl, circa 1960.

KLM Vickers Viscount 800 in 1/50 scale as part of the Amsterdam Schiphol airport re creation at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum. This model was likely made by Matthias Verkuyl, circa 1960.

KLM Douglas DC-7 in 1/50 scale as part of the Amsterdam Schiphol airport re creation at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum. This model was likely made by Matthias Verkuyl, circa 1960.

KLM Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation in 1/50 scale as part of the Amsterdam Schiphol airport re creation at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum. This model was likely made by Matthias Verkuyl, circa 1960.

This is a 1930s scale model replica of Amsterdam Schiphol airport, possibly made at the same time as the 1960s Schiphol replica.
This display is available for viewing at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum.

1950s era 1/50 wooden KLM DC-4 display model at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum.

KLM Convair 340 in 1/50 scale made of wood as part of the Aviodrome Aviation Museum. This model was likely made by Raise Up.

This is a 1/43 Lockheed factory sheet metal model of a KLM Lockheed 749 Constellation, circa late 1940s or early 1950s. This model is part of the Aviodrome Aviation Museum.

KLM Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation in 1/50 scale made of metal by Raise Up, as part of the Aviodrome Aviation Museum.

This is a small scale KLM Lockheed L-188 Electra in metal made by Raise Up circa early 1960s. This model is part of the Aviodrome Aviation Museum.

KLM Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation in 1/72 scale made of metal by Verkuyl, as part of the Aviodrome Aviation Museum.

Large scale vintage wooden model of a Douglas DC-5 PJ-AIW circa 1940s at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum.

Large scale vintage wooden model of a KLM Lockheed Lodestar PJ-AIT circa 1940s at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum.

Vintage 1920s ear wooden KLM display model at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum. Type not indicated by the museum.

Vintage 1920s ear wooden Fokker F.V display model at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum.

Miscellaneous 1920s ear wooden KLM display models at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum.

Vintage 1920s ear wooden KLM display model at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum. Type not indicated by the museum.

Vintage 1920s ear wooden KLM display model at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum. Type not indicated by the museum.

Vintage 1920s ear wooden KLM display model at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum. Type not indicated by the museum.

Vintage 1920s ear wooden KLM display model at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum. Type not indicated by the museum.

Vintage 1920s ear wooden KLM display model at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum. Type not indicated by the museum.

Vintage 1920s ear wooden KLM display model at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum. Type not indicated by the museum.