Page 25 - March2020
P. 25
A Few CANADIAN Aviation Facts for March
1910 – The Canadan Aerodrome Co.’s Baddeck 1912 – First flight of the Avro 500.
No. 2 biplane was flown by J. A. D. McCurdy with
1912 – Capt. Albert Berry makes the first
F. W. Baldwin as passenger at Baddeck, NS.
parachute descent from a powered airplane in
1911 – The first four Royal Navy pilots, America when he jumps from a Benoist aircraft
Lieutenants Charles R. Samson, R. Gregory, and that is being flown by the company pilot, Anthony
Arthur M. Longmore of the Royal Navy and Jannus. The aircraft is flying at a height of 1,500 ft.
Lieutenant E. L. Gerrard of the Royal Marine Light over Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, Missouri, and
Infantry, report for flight training at Eastchurch Berry uses a static line parachute.
airfield, using borrowed Short S.27 aircraft.
1939 – Clarence Decatur C. D. Howe opened the
1913 – The formation of the First Saskatchewan first TransCanada Air Lines transcontinental
Aviation Co Ltd to teach aviation was announced passenger service from Montreal to Vancouver.
at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
1942 – Formation of RCAF Accident Board.
1938 – Western Air Command with Headquarters
1942 – First graduate of British Commonwealth Air
at Vancouver, BC, was formed to control all RCAF
Training Plan (BCAPT) to command an RCAF
units in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan squadron, S/L L. V. Chadburn, 416 Squadron.
and Manitoba.
1956 – The International Air Transport Association
1941 – To avoid confusion with RAF units, RCAF
finalizes a draft of the Radiotelephony spelling
squadrons overseas were renumbered 400 series alphabet for the International Civil Aviation
i. e. 110 became 400 Squadron, No. 1 Squadron
Organization
became 401 Squadron, etc.
1958 – A Royal Canadian Navy McDonnell F2H-3
1951 – No. 441 Squadron was reformed at St. Banshee, BuNo 126333, Sqn. No. 142 of VF-871,
Hubert, Quebec, and equipped with DH 1200
suffers an apparent brake failure while taxiing
Vampire fighters.
aboard HMCS Bonaventure (CVL 22) and rolls off
1962 – Caledonian Airways Flight 153, a Douglas the carrier's deck. Pilot LCDR Brian Bell-Irving
DC-7, crashes into a jungle swamp at Douala, ejects as airplane falls, but partially opened
Cameroon, killing all 111 on board. canopy does not jettison, and Bell-Irving is
knocked unconscious and severely injured as
1973 – Canada started direct air service with the
Federal Republic of Germany and The People’s ejection seat smashes through canopy and slams
into ocean surface. The damaged fighter jet
Republic of China.
catches fire and sinks; Bell-Irving is subsequently
hauled aboard escort destroyer HMCS Haida (DDE
215) but dies from his injuries. This is the only
operational ejection from a RCN Banshee.
