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Aviation History
1928
1928 - 1128.PDF
DECEMBER 6, 1928 COMMERCIAL AVIATION PROGRESS IN CANADA FROM the experimental stage but a short while ago the aerial mail has become a real and vital thing in Canadian life. A signal event during October was the inauguration of mail delivery by air between Albany, New York and Montreal and Toronto, establishing a regular service between the United States and the Dominion's metropolis and Queen city. This was the first international air mail service on the continent and was inaugurated with fitting ceremony and the attendance of eminent officials of the United States and Canadian Governments. A few days later, through the inauguration of air mail services between the United States and Mexico, Canada was given direct mail connection by air with the latter country. The two hundred miles' course from Albany to New York normally occupies about two hours' flying, though it has been accomplished as briefly as in ninety minutes. According to a report just issued by the operating com- pany, this service earned a net profit of S3.0C0 during its first month. During October, 35 passengers were carried together with 10,885 lbs. of mail, representing some 34,200 pieces. A total of 21,877 miles were flown and the gross receipts amounted to approximately $17,000. A programme of consistent expansion has been laid out for the air mail service in the Dominion. It has been announced by the Postmaster-General that a winter air service to Montreal of certain trans-Atlantic mail landed at Halifax and Saint John will be established shortly, similar to the summer service of air mail which has heen conducted between Rimouski on the St. Lawrence Gulf and Montreal, and that if successful, the new service will be placed on a permanent basis. Air mail delivery will be continued during the winter from Quebec to points along the north shore of the St. Law- rence, including Murray Bay and Seven Islands, and that from Moncton to the Magdalen Islands. The post office department has also announced that Western Canadian cities will have connecting air mail services shorth- and that plans are now under way whereby mail from across the Atlantic and destined for western points will be rushed by air over routes other than the present one linking the St. Lawrence ports with Ottawa and Toronto. Anticipating and in preparation for this, the Western Canada Airways has inaugurated a regular tri-weekly air mail service between Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton, and Yancouver, with extensions to other points contemplated. There is every likelihood that passenger-carrying services will develop with those carrying mail solely. It is announced that in the coming spring a regular daily passenger service between Toronto and Windsor and Montreal will be inau- gurated, and that another service will have a daily schedule between Toronto and Buffalo. Yet another will, in the summer months, fly passengers between Toronto and the Muskoka Lakes. The air mail services recently established to connect Western Canadian cities are also carrying freight and passengers. Altogether the time would seem not far distant when not only will mail be carried from Atlantic to Pacific by air, but passengers will be able to make the entire journey by 'plane. The future which has been predicted for Montreal as a great air centre, the focus of many radiating services, was brought a step nearer realisation in the announcement that work upon the creation of a modern air harbour for the metropolis, with the provision of customs and immigration buildings and all necessary equipment, will be started imme- diately in the vicinity of Canadian Yickers, Ltd., plans having been prepared and approved by the Montreal Harbour Commissioners and the Department of National Defence. Two breakwaters, 300 ft. in length, will be built out into the river to provide comparatively calm waters for mooring machines, and two floating platforms will be installed to enable aviators, passengers and others to come alongside the plat- forms in fair weather, though boats will be available to take the machines out to mooring buoys that will be provided. The new air harbour will be equipped with flood lights and other beacons necessary for safe aerial navigation at night. It has not yet been decided whether the new air harbour will be administered as a national concern by the Department of National Defence or by the Montreal Harbour Commis- sioners. The Government has entered upon the development of a first-class aerodrome at St. Hubert, just outside Montreal, and there seems every likelihood of it taking over the air harbour as well. Meanwhile, steady progress is being made in the expansion and improvement of the St. Hubert aerodrome which promises to become one of the finest in America and adequate to Mon- treal's importance as a national and international aerial centre. In particular, has there been sustained activity in preparation for the airship service to be inaugurated between Great Britain and Canada. The great mooring mast designed as an anchorage for the giant airships will be ready before Christmas though it is anticipated it will be at least nine months before the arrival of the first lighter-than- air machines from overseas, which will forge the first link in a chain of Imperial airways. Steps have been taken to give the fullest co-operation as soon as the first airship is prepared to start its voyage. Charts have been prepared dividing the Atlantic into meteorological zones, and during the flight Canada land stations or ocean vessels will be in constant wireless communication with the craft to give warnings of storm conditions. Canadian air officials were at SEAPLANE FLYING IN CANADA : (Top) D.H. " Moth " seaplane, D.H. 61 seaplane, and an old H.S. 2LsHying-boat at the Sioux look-out base of the Ontario Government Air Service. (Below) Ontario Govern- ment's D.H.61 seaplane on Lakes Renir and Oba. , 1034
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