As part of the 70th Anniversary year of IFALPA, the organisation is looking for examples of families who have had four generations of pilots flying for the same airline and are asking for members’ help from around the world.
The idea originated from a contact below from a retired Air Canada pilot with quite a family tree.
Please let us know if you are part of a fourth-generation family of pilots, ideally from the same airline (and the various company name changes etc, if applicable), and we’ll print your story in an upcoming edition of Uplink as well as share it with IFALPA in response to their international request. High resolution photographs to accompany the story would be most appreciated.
“My father - A.G.K. (Gath) Edward was born 23 Jan.1910. He obtained his flying license in 1927 and flew as a bush pilot, a test pilot with Curtis Reid, a pilot with General Airways, a corporate pilot for McIntyre Gold Mines and was hired by Trans Canada Airlines (TCA), now Air Canada, in June 1940. He retired at the end of January 1970. His log books show that he flew 43 different types of aircraft from Jenny to Jets including the CF-104.
I was born 14 November 1938 and joined the RCAF in Nov. 1956 and got my wings in Mar.,1958 and flew with 401 Sqn. (Reserve) until 1961. I was hired by TCA, now Air Canada, 9 June 1958.
A four-year furlough saw my wife and I in Dublin, Ireland and a four-year stint with Aer Lingus/Irish International Airlines.I returned to Air Canada in January 1965 and was seconded to the start-up of Air Jamaica in March 1969. I returned to Air Canada for promotion to Captain. in February 1971. I retired (as #1 on the active pilot seniority list) in December 1998.
Our eldest son Gregory, born 28 August 1963, got his aviation diploma and pilot's license in 1987 at Mount Royal College in Calgary.He flew in the bush with Athabaska Airways and then with Voyageur Airways in 1988. He was hired by Air Canada in July 1989 and is currently a Captain flying the B-787 as well as being a project pilot on assignments with the company.
Gregory's second son Casey, was born 23 May 1993. He got his wings in 2013 at Algonquin College and worked at Ottawa Aviation Services as an instructor until his hiring by Air Georgian (an Air Canada connector) in May 2017. He is currently a F/O on the RJ.”
Stories for ANZAC DAY
For those reading this online, another incredible story was shared recently on the BBC London news website (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xatro42vdXc) reminding many of the selfless, heroic, but little known work of RAF women pilots over the skies of Britain during World War II.
For our Uplink April issue, we’d again like to mark ANZAC Day 2018 with stories our members want to share about family members or friends and their aviation experiences from World War I right up to today, including any involvement in UN or airforce emergency relief activities . As we remember all who’ve given so much for their country and in the defence and support others, let us know if you have a story to share. Please email Melanie at [email protected] before March 15.
