Air Canada is 80 years old this month, and it’s found a spectacular way to celebrate: It has sent one of its original planes on a flying tour that will include stops all over Canada.
The plane, a Lockheed L-10A, was one of three that were the first new planes bought by Air Canada’s predecessor, Trans-Canada. The airline’s first flight was on Sept. 1, 1937 from Vancouver to Seattle, a flight that took 50 minutes. The first flights were with two used L-10As, while waiting for the trio including CF-TCC to be delivered.
The plane is a 10-seater that competed with the Boeing 247 and the Douglas DC-2. One of its sister ships is in Ottawa’s Canadian Aviation and Space Museum. CF-TCC is one of only two L-10As still certified for flight.
In a press statement, Air Canada says “As part of the tour, the vintage 10-seat aircraft will overnight in Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Halifax. The plane may also make a fuel stop in your community. Look out Calgary, Sudbury, Quebec City, and possibly more! Aviation enthusiasts may track the aircraft’s movements by its registration, CF-TCC, and look out for the silver aircraft in the skies as follows:
- Week of September 11: Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario
- Week of September 23: Ontario, Quebec, Maritimes, and returns to Manitoba.
