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Back to Baddeck Trans-Canada Aircraft Relay Visits Toronto and Ottawa

turbo_beaveriJuly 31, 2009 – On July 17th, a Viking Aircraft DHC-2 Mk. III Turbo Beaver aircraft flew the Toronto-Ottawa leg of the "Back to Baddeck" trans-Canada vintage aircraft relay flight to celebrate the 100th anniversary of first powered flight in Canada in 1909.


July 31, 2009  By Administrator

July 31, 2009 – On July 17th, a Viking Aircraft DHC-2 Mk. III Turbo Beaver aircraft flew the Toronto-Ottawa leg of the "Back to Baddeck" trans-Canada vintage aircraft relay flight to celebrate the 100th anniversary of first powered flight in Canada in 1909.

turbo_beaveri
 
Seen here with DHC-2 Mk. III Turbo Beaver C-GDTB, prior to the departure from Downsview Airport are(L-R) Lance Kessler from Bombardier Aerospace, Paul Cabot from the Canadian Air & Space Museum, and Viking Air pilot Jason Karas.


 

Viking Air pilot Jason Karas flew the relay's "flight bag" from the Canadian Air & Space Museum at Toronto's Downsview Airport to the Canada Aviation Museum at Rockcliffe Airport in Ottawa.
 

turbo_beaverii
 
DHC-2 Mk. III Turbo Beaver
C-GDTB arrives on the Ottawa
River on July 17th after
flying the Toronto (Downsview)
Ottawa leg of the "Back to Baddeck"
aircraft relay.
Photo by:
Kenneth Swartz

 
   
turbo_beaveriii  
Turbo Beaver pilot Jason Karas
signing the Back to Baddeck log
book on the Turbo Beaver's float
while the Canada Aviation Museum's
(L-R) Marc Ducharme and
Tony Smyth look on.

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The aircraft departed Bombardier Aerospace's aircraft factory at Downsview on July 17th at 10:30 a.m.
 
Conceived as a way to link Canada's aviation museum during the Centennial of Flight year, the relay began on the west coast at Comox, BC in May and will terminate at Baddeck, Nova Scotia. The Silver Dart made Canada's first flight at Baddeck on February 23, 1909
 
Bombardier's 158,000m2 (1.7 million ft2) aircraft factory in Toronto builds some of Canada's leading aircraft designs and traces its origins back to 1929 when The de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited opened an aircraft factory at Downsview.
 
In 2005, Viking Aircraft of British Columbia acquired the design and manufacturing rights for de Havilland Canada's heritage aircraft family from Bombardier Aerospace, including the Turbo Beaver passenger aircraft which was conceived at Downsview in the mid-1960s. 
 
Bombardier Aerospace is the major sponsor of the Back to Baddeck celebration.

To follow the progress of the Back to Baddeck relay flight go to: http://www.capa-acca.com/baddeck_as_it_happens.htm

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