In honor of the airline’s 80th anniversary, Air Canada‘s Lockheed 10A vintage aircraft is taking to the skies across Canada.
After taking off Sept. 9, 2017, from Vancouver, BC, the L-10A will be making overnight stops, as well as fuel stops, at airports across Canada. The vintage aircraft will then be on public display at the Royal Aviation Museum in Winnipeg on Sept. 13 and 14.
As part of the tour, the vintage 10-seat aircraft will overnight in Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Halifax.
Aviation enthusiasts can track the aircraft’s movements by its registration, CF-TCC.
The week of Sept. 11, the plane will be in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. The week of Sept. 23 it will be in Ontario, Quebec, Maritimes, and then returns to Manitoba.
About the Lockheed L-10A
The Lockheed L‐10A Electra was designed in the mid-1930s by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation to compete against the Boeing 247 and the Douglas DC‐2. Lockheed’s first all‐metal twin engine aircraft design, it was first flown on Feb. 23, 1934.
Although the aircraft was operated by many commercial airlines in the 1930s, the Lockheed Electra was made most famous by aviatrix Amelia Earhart, who in 1937, disappeared in her L-10E Electra while attempting an around‐the‐world flight.
The only difference between the two models is that the L‐10E was equipped with larger, more powerful Pratt & Whitney R1340 engines.
On Sept. 1, 1937, Air Canada’s forerunner, Trans Canada Air Lines (TCA), launched its first commercial passenger flight, a 50-minute trip from Vancouver to Seattle. TCA had acquired the route, plus two Lockheed L‐10A aircraft, from Canadian Airways.
In that same month, TCA bought three additional Lockheed L‐10A aircraft, brand new, from the Lockheed factory for $73,000 each. These aircraft were dubbed the “Three Sisters” and carried the registrations CF‐TCA, CF‐TCB, and CF‐TCC.
The first aircraft, CF‐TCA can now be found in the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa. CF‐TCC is the silver aircraft flying across Canada and is only one of two Lockheed L‐10A Electra aircraft flying in the world.
The History of CF-TCC
After being operated by Trans Canada Air Lines from 1937 to 1939, CF‐TCC was sold to the Canadian government and operated by the RCAF as part of the war effort during World War II. During the next 40 years, the aircraft was sold several times to various private corporations and individuals.
In 1975, a retired Air Canada employee recognized the faded old registration marks on the aircraft while attending an air show in Texas. Air Canada kept track of the aircraft until 1983, when the company bought the aircraft back, restored it, and flew it during Air Canada’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 1986. At the end of the 50-stop Canadian tour, CF‐TCC was featured in the Air Canada pavilion during Expo 86 in Vancouver.
Since 1986, the aircraft has been maintained in flying condition. Air Canada employee and retiree volunteers from Air Canada Maintenance and Flight Operations have put thousands of hours into keeping CF‐TCC flying for future generations to enjoy.