Trans-Canada Airlines was a major Canadian carrier that was founded in 1937. You might know it today by the name it adopted in 1965 – Air Canada. There is a great video here from the year before they changed names that is worth checking out.
The airline’s first pure jet airliner was the Douglas DC-8, which entered service in 1960. The -40 operated by TCA was a rare version of the aircraft, powered by Rolls-Royce Conway turbofans. Only Trans-Canada Airlines, Canadian Pacific Airlines and Alitalia ordered this version of the plane.
Trans-Canada Airlines Video
The National Film Board of Canada produced a 17 minute colour presentation in 1964 called Jet Pilot. It is an interesting peek into Canadian aviation in the sixties.
We join our pilot as he leaves his house and gets into his car to drive to the airport. Scenes of the aircraft undergoing checks in the maintenance hangar follow, as well as some interesting footage from World War II.
There are airport briefing scenes, fuelling the jet, and of course the passengers boarding. Those in-seat personal lights that were a feature of the DC-8 are noticeable in the brief passenger cabin scenes, so look out for them.
It all ends in sunny Montego Bay, just four hours flying time in the big jet from Montreal. I imagine the pilots were sweltering in their uniforms outside enjoying refreshments for the production!
Overall Thoughts
We are blessed as aviation people to have excellent productions like this. Usually something so routine wouldn’t be filmed, but such is the allure of flying – particularly with the new jets – that these types of things had a market.
What do you think of this film about the Trans-Canada Airlines pilot? Anything stand out for you? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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Featured image by Ken Fielding via Wikimedia Commons.
