Manitoba Centennial of Flight
Silver Dart


History of Aviation in Manitoba
The Barnstorming Age - 1920 to 1939

October 1, 1924: Pilot E.A. Alton set out on the first recorded aerial mail flight from Estevan, Saskatchewan to Winnipeg, but unfortunately was aborted by a crash.

March 1926: James Armstrong Richardson established the Western Canada Airways to provide goods and services in the Red Lake, Ontario gold rush.

August 3, 1926: The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) began operations with Canadian Vickers Vedette flying boats, with a base at Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba.

September 11-19, 1926: The first transcontinental flight by American J. Dalzell McKee, assisted by RCAF S/L A.E. Godfrey, set out from Montreal to Vancouver. The pair used a Douglas O-2B floatplane, alighting at Lac du Bonnet on their way across Canada.

December 10, 1926: Western Canada Airways was incorporated, with headquarters in Winnipeg.

1926: Western Canada Airways, operating out of Hudson, Ontario and Winnipeg airfields, began operations in the Red Lake, Ontario district, flying a single Fokker Universal.

1927: The Winnipeg Flying Club, one of Canada's oldest and largest flight training operations was started. Originally operating out of Winnipeg, it is now based at St. Andrews Airport.

March 22, 1927: Western Canada Airways pilots Bernt Balchen, J.R. Ross and F.J. Stevenson flew the largest airlift of freight (17,894 lbs) from Cache Lake to Churchill, Manitoba.

June 1, 1927: Western Canada Airways inaugurated weekly air service from Winnipeg to Long Lake, Manitoba via Lac du Bonnet.

July 17, 1927: The Hudson Strait Expedition, using RCAF pilots, set out to gather information prior to establishing the port of Churchill.

August- September, 1927: Western Canada Airways pilot, F.S. Stevenson flew a record load of 45,708 lbs of freight from The Pas to Cold Lake, Manitoba.

October 6, 1927: Western Canada Airways commenced contract airmail service between Lac du Bonnet, Wadhope and Bisset, Manitoba.

December 1927: The Trans-Canada (McKee Trophy) was awarded to Western Canada Airways pilot H.A. “Doc” Oakes for work in establishing air service in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The Harmon Trophy for aviation achievements was awarded to F.J. Stevenson, chief pilot of Western Canada Airways.

1928: Western Canada Airways expanded its operation to include a flying school at its Winnipeg headquarters. With the acquisition of Pacific Airways, a new role was established in fisheries, forestry and customs patrols as well as mail delivery
along with a burgeoning passenger trade.

May 24, 1928: Stevenson Aerodrome, an airfield in the Rural Municipality of St. James, named after the late Western Canada Airways pilot who had died in a test flight at The Pas, began operations.

May 27-28, 1928: The Winnipeg Flying Club officially opened Stevenson Aerodrome, later to become the Winnipeg International Airport, and in 2007, renamed the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.

August 28, 1928: C.H. “Punch Dickens”, a Western Canada Airways pilot born in Portage la Prairie, flew one of the first aerial surveys of Canada in a Fokker Super Universal, a trip of 3,956 miles, venturing out into the unmapped “barren lands.”

November 16, 1928: Western Canada Airways established the Prairie Air Mail Route, an experimental air ail service operated for 20 days.

December 10-29, 1928: Western Canada Airways established airmail service between Winnipeg and Regina, Calgary and Edmonton.

December 1928: Western Canada Airways pilot “Punch Dickens” won the Trans-Canada (McKee Trophy) for his flight over the Barren Lands.

January 23, 1929: Western Canada Airways pilot “Punch Dickens” flew a Fokker Super Universal down the Mackenzie River, delivering the first airmail in the region.

May 25, 1929: The first “air meet” in western Canada was held in Winnipeg.

July 1, 1929: Western Canada Airways pilot “Punch” Dickins landed in Aklavik, Northwest Territories in the first flight to the western Arctic.

July 7, 1929: Pilot D.S. Zimmerley in a Barling NB-3 bomber set a long-distance record, flying from Brownsville, Texas to Winnipeg, in 16 hrs.

July 27, 1929: Western Canada Airways pilot W.L. Brintnell flew a Fokker F.VII/3M from Vancouver to Winnipeg in 10 hours, 30 min.

September 20, 1929: Western Canada Airways pilot “Punch” Dickins began operations to locate and bring out the missing MacAlpine Survey. The group was ultimately successfully rescued and all members of the expedition and the crews of the rescue aircraft were brought out safely.

1930: Brandon Airport was built as a public airport, originally operated by the Brandon Aero Association Ltd. as a part of the airmail service routes.

March 30, 1930: Western Canada Airways inaugurated the Prairie Air Mail Route.

June 27, 1930: Canadian Airways Ltd., formerly Western Canada Airways, was incorporated.

November 25, 1930: Canadian Airways Ltd. acquired companies controlled by the Aviation Corporation of Canada and Western Canada Airways.

February 3, 1931: Canadian Airways flew the first international service between Winnipeg and Pembina, North Dakota.

May 15, 1931: Canadian Airways Ltd. purchased Commercial Airways Ltd. of Edmonton.

June 15, 1931: Canadian Airways pilot E.W. Stull in a Fokker F.14A, flew the first radio beam from Winnipeg to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

August 2, 1931: Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh in their Lockheed Sirius seaplane flew to Churchill, Manitoba en route to Baker Lake, Northwest Territories, in a mapping expedition for Pan Am Airlines.

June 7, 1932: Arrow Airways Ltd. with its main base at The Pas, Manitoba, was incorporated.

October 5, 1932: Number 12 Army Co-operation Squadron, a unit of the non-permanent active Air Force, was formed in Winnipeg. During the early years, meetings were held in Minto Armouries, while flying facilities were based at Stevenson Field. Today, the squadron continues as 402 "City of Winnipeg" Squadron.

May 1933: Manitoba Government Air Service commenced operation with five Canadian Vickers Vedette flying boats, based in Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba.

1934: Lamb Air Ltd. began operations as an airline in The Pas, Manitoba. Originally called "Thomas Lamb Airways Ltd." later renamed "Lamb Airways" and then "Lambair". The company motto was "Do not ask us where we fly, tell us where you want to go." Despite becoming the province’s largest northern air carrier, it went out of business in 1981.

October 1937:  The Froebe Helicopter, Canada's first helicopter, built by the Froebe brothers of Homewood, Manitoba in the early 1930s, was ground tested and undertook flight tests.

October 1, 1938: The newly-formed Trans-Canada Air Lines began regular air mail service between Winnipeg and Vancouver.

June 26, 1939: James A. Richardson, “father of commercial aviation in Canada”, President of Canadian Airways Ltd. died in Winnipeg.

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