Page 12 - November 2017

This month in Saskatchewan Aviation History

1938,Nov. 17 - A Trans-Canada Airlines Lockheed 14
CF-TCL crashed near the Regina airport just before
midnight, killing the two pilots. No passengers were
aboard. See And I Shall Fly by Z. Lewis Leigh and
"Planes in Flames Before Crash, Say Farm Workers",
The Leader-Post, Saturday, Nov. 19, 1938.
1945, November - The federal Department of
Transport took over operation of the Saskatoon
airport from the RCAF.

1950, November - The RCAF announced it would
open a flying training school at the Saskatoon airport.
(See: History of Canadian Airports by Tom McGrath,
page 210.)
Movie of the Month
1971, Nov. 12 - A tense drama occurred in the night
sky over Saskatchewan, Alberta and Montana after an Target For Tonight
Air Canada DC-8 en route from Calgary to Toronto The planning and implementation
was hijacked by a man later identified as Paul Joseph of an RAF night raid on Germany in
Cini. Growing increasingly erratic and claiming to World War II, concentrating on a
have explosives and a gun with him, Cini initially told low level mission by a Wellington
the pilots to land at Regina for refueling. But before bomber on an oil storage facility by
that happened, he ordered it to head to Great Falls, the Rhine.
MT., where the passengers and some crew members
were allowed to leave the aircraft. In time, cabin crew Director & Writer: Harry Watt
members gained his trust and we able to knock Cini
Release Date: August 18, 1941 (UK)
senseless with the blunt edge of a fire axe.
Stewardess Mary Dohey, who had refused the Many of the aircrew within this film were to die in
hijacker’s offer to leave, was later awarded the Cross action during the Second World War.
of Valour, Canada’s highest award for bravery. See
the recollections of long-time Regina Air Canada In order not to give away information to the enemy,
employee Dave Scott, printed in the CAHS Regina RAF Mildenhall took the fictitious name of Millerton
chapter’s newsletter, The Windsock, in November- Aerodrome.
December 2005.
Flying Officer Charles Pickard, the unflappable pilot
1975, November 29-- a new Saskatoon airport
who smokes a pipe was killed with his Navigator (who
terminal building was officially opened.
does not appear in this film), in the famous Mosquito
raid on Amiens Prison later in the war. The Second
Pilot was played by Gordon Woollatt (who survived
the war).