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Trans-Canada Air Lines

Trans-Canada Air Lines (also known as TCA in English, and Trans-Canada in French) was a Canadian airline that operated as the country's flag carrier,[2] with corporate headquarters in Montreal, Quebec.[1] Its first president was Gordon Roy McGregor. Founded in 1937,[3][4] it was renamed Air Canada in 1965.

History

With heavy involvement from C. D. Howe, a senior minister in the Mackenzie King cabinet, TCA was created by the Crown Corporation Canadian National Railway (CNR), and launched its first flight on 1 September 1937, on a flight between Vancouver and Seattle. An air-mail contract with Royal Mail Canada was one of the methods by which TCA was financed.[5]

The creation of TCA was partly by CNR management who wanted to expand the company into the new field of passenger aviation, and was partly by government direction. Prior to TCA, no large national airline existed in Canada. With war looming, and other nations (primarily the U.S.) experiencing major increases in the creation of passenger airlines, it was necessary to have a presence. The CNR was the country's largest corporation at the time and proved an effective vehicle for the government to create a national airline.

TCA was also in direct competition with passenger trains operated by parent CNR, and contributed to the decline of passenger rail service as Canada entered the pioneering years of air travel. In response to CNR's creation of TCA, arch-rival Canadian Pacific Railway created Canadian Pacific Air Lines in 1942.

Between 1943 and 1947, TCA operated the Canadian Government Trans-Atlantic Air Service (CGTAS) to provide trans-Atlantic military passenger and postal delivery service using Avro Lancastrian (modified Avro Lancaster) aircraft.[6] The record crossing was completed non-stop in 12:26 hours; the average was about 13:25 hours.[7] CGTAS ushered in the era of commercial air travel across the North Atlantic.[8] After the war, the Lancastrians became part of TCA and carried paying civilian passengers until they were replaced by Douglas DC-4s.[9]

Postwar

Starting in 1945, TCA acquired 30 twin-engined ex-military Douglas DC-3s for use on Canadian internal services and some of these remained in service until 1963 on shorter routes. A fleet of Merlin-powered Canadair North Stars was delivered from 1947 and these commenced services to several European countries, including the United Kingdom and to cities in the U.S. The last of the North Stars was sold in 1961.[10]

The Canadair North Stars were gradually replaced by longer range Lockheed Super Constellations from 1954 onwards, fourteen being operated on transatlantic routes extending as far as Vienna in Austria; also to Bermuda and several Caribbean destinations including Jamaica and Trinidad. The last Super Constellations were disposed of in 1963.[11] A large fleet of Vickers Viscount turboprop airliners was built up from late 1954 and these were used on many intra-North American routes. The Viscount was followed by the larger Vickers Vanguard turboprop. TCA was the only airline in North America to operate the Vanguard in scheduled passenger service.

In 1953 with the development of ReserVec (originally called Gemini), TCA became the first airline in the world to use a computer reservation system with remote terminals.[12]

The airline's Winnipeg maintenance shops and its first trial flight of the Viscount was documented in the 1955 film, Routine Flight.[13]

The airline acquired a fleet of Douglas DC-8 jet airliners powered by Rolls-Royce Conways, the first being received on 25 May 1960. The DC-8 quickly replaced the slower Super Constellations on TCA's scheduled services to Europe.

Changes

In 1964, an Act of Parliament proposed by Jean Chrétien changed the name of Trans-Canada Air Lines to "Air Canada", which was already in use as the airline's French-language name, effective 1 January 1965.[14][15] In 1978, Air Canada was divested by parent CNR and became a separate Crown corporation. Air Canada was privatized in 1989.

Corporate affairs

The headquarters were in the International Aviation Building in Montreal.[1]

Destinations

TCA operated a network of 160 routes to destinations including:

  • St. John's, Newfoundland
  • Stephenville, Newfoundland
  • Gander, Newfoundland
  • Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • Sydney, Nova Scotia
  • Fredericton, New Brunswick
  • Victoria, British Columbia
  • Vancouver, British Columbia
  • Penticton, British Columbia
  • Boston, Massachusetts
  • New York City, New York
  • Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • Brandon, Manitoba
  • Calgary, Alberta
  • Chicago, Illinois
  • Cleveland, Ohio
  • Edmonton, Alberta
  • Lethbridge, Alberta
  • Montreal, Quebec
  • Ottawa, Ontario
  • London, Ontario
  • Tampa, Florida
  • Toronto, Ontario
  • Detroit (Windsor)
  • Seattle, Washington
  • London, England
  • Paris, France
  • Prestwick, Scotland
  • Shannon, Ireland
  • Düsseldorf, Germany
  • St. George's Parish, Bermuda
  • Nassau, Bahamas
  • Kingston, Jamaica
  • Christ Church, Barbados
  • Piarco, Trinidad

Fleet

Aircraft on display

One former TCA Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation (CF-TGE), has been preserved by The Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington. It is currently on display at the museum's "Airpark" attraction.[18]

A former TCA Vickers Viscount (CF-THG) is on display at the British Columbia Aviation Museum in Sidney, British Columbia. The aircraft has been completely refurbished by the museum.

A former TCA and Transair operated Vickers Viscount 744 (CF-TGI / N22SN) is on display at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona, USA.[19]

Accidents and incidents

Trans-Canada Air Lines had 13 aircraft accidents resulting in hull losses, with a total of 248 fatalities, between 1938 and 1963. These included:[20]

See also

External links

References

  1. Investigation of Aircraft Accident: TRANS-CANADA AIRLINES: FLAT ROCK, MICHIGAN: 1956-07-09 Civil Aeronautics Board, 1956-07-09^
  2. T.M. McGrath. History of Canadian Airports Lugus Publications in co-operation with Transport Canada, 1992^
  3. Air Canada History CBC News, 14 May 2004, retrieved 4 April 2009^
  4. Timeline – Air Canada's 80th Anniversary moments.aircanada.com, retrieved 25 February 2017^
  5. Postal System The Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica-Dominion, retrieved 5 February 2023^
  6. "Lancasters After The War". Bomber Command Museum. Retrieved: 3 October 2011.^
  7. "Canadian Review". Flight, 9 January 1947, p. 44. Retrieved: 3 October 2011.^
  8. "The Canadian Lancasters". Bomber Command Museum. bombercommandmuseum.ca^
  9. "Claude Ivan Taylor". Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame. Retrieved: 3 October 2011.^
  10. Whittle 1967, pp. 84–85.^
  11. Marson 1982, p. 254.^
  12. A. Dornian. Reser Vec: Trans-Canada Air Lines' computerized reservation system IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, 1994^
  13. Burwash, Gordon and McLean, Grant. "Routine Flight" (Documentary film). National Film Board of Canada, 1955. Retrieved: 18 July 2012.^
  14. Charles Caccia. Democratic Deficit? What Democratic Deficit? Institute for Research on Public Policy, Options Politiques, May 2004, retrieved 5 February 2023^
  15. The Legacy of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien MapleLeafWeb, 15 December 2003, retrieved 5 February 2023^
  16. "Historic Fleet". Air Canada. Retrieved: 3 October 2011.^
  17. "Connie". rbogash.com. Retrieved: 13 December 2010.^
  18. "Super Constellation CF-TGE". Rbogash.com. Retrieved: 13 December 2010.^
  19. VICKERS VISCOUNT MODEL 744 Pima Air & Space Museum, retrieved 28 April 2025^
  20. "List of Trans-Canada Air Lines accidents". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved: 13 January 2011.^
  21. "Accident description: Lockheed 18 Lodestar, 28 April 1947". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved: 28 April 2012.^
  22. Trans-Canada Air Lines Lockheed Super-Constellation aircraft, crashed near Brampton, Ontario, Canada, on 17 December 1954 ICAO Circular 47-AN/42, 1956, retrieved 23 December 2023^
  23. Katie Daubs. 60 years after plane crash, survivors recall mayhem in Brampton farm field Toronto Star, 16 December 2014, retrieved 3 March 2022^
  24. James R Durfree, Chan Gurney, Harmar D Denny, G. Joseph Minetti. CAB Accident Investigation Report: Trans-Canada Air Lines Viscount, CF-TGR, Flat Rock, Michigan, July 9, 1956 United States Civil Aeronautics Board, 1957^
  25. "Accident description: TCA Vickers Viscount, 10 November 1958". Aviation Safety Network, 7 September 2009.^
  26. Accident description: TCA Vickers Viscount, 3 November 1959". Aviation Safety Network, 1 September 2009.^
  27. "Accident description: TCA Vickers Viscount, 10 October 1962". Aviation Safety Network, 7 September 2009.^
  28. ""Accident description: TCA Douglas DC-8, 6 November 1963". Aviation Safety Network, Retrieved: 13 December 2010.^