The Flickr Pacificwesternairlines Image Generatr

Langley, BC Canada

The "Spirit of the Skeena" is a historically significant Douglas DC-3 aircraft on display at the Canadian Museum of Flight in Langley, British Columbia.

✈️ Spirit of the Skeena – Douglas DC-3 (CF-PWH)
Built: February 24, 1940
Original Operator: American Airlines as "Flagship Texas"

Later Service:
US Air Force
Trans Alaska Airlines
Queen Charlotte Airlines – the first BC-based airline to own and operate a DC-3
Pacific Western Airlines – it became their first DC-3, fleet number 301
Great Northern Airways
Trans Provincial Airlines

️ Retirement and Restoration
In 1972, the aircraft was retired and used for spare parts in Terrace, BC.

It was nearly scrapped, but a founding member of the Friends of the DC-3 – Canada saved it at the last minute.

In 1987, it was moved to the Transportation Museum in Cloverdale, and later relocated to Langley Airport.

📍 Current Status
The aircraft is now a static display at the Canadian Museum of Flight, beside the Magnificent Seven mural at Langley Airport

It is considered the oldest surviving DC-3 in Canada

🔧 Technical Specs

Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 radials (1,200 hp each)
Max Speed: 237 mph (379 km/h)
Range: 1,110 miles (1,776 km)
Passenger Capacity: Up to 28
Wingspan: 95 ft (28.5 m)
Length: 64 ft 5 in (19.3 m)


Thank you for your visit and any faves or comments are always greatly appreciated!

~Sonja

Langley, BC Canada

The "Spirit of the Skeena" is a historically significant Douglas DC-3 aircraft on display at the Canadian Museum of Flight in Langley, British Columbia.

✈️ Spirit of the Skeena – Douglas DC-3 (CF-PWH)
Built: February 24, 1940
Original Operator: American Airlines as "Flagship Texas"

Later Service:
US Air Force
Trans Alaska Airlines
Queen Charlotte Airlines – the first BC-based airline to own and operate a DC-3
Pacific Western Airlines – it became their first DC-3, fleet number 301
Great Northern Airways
Trans Provincial Airlines

️ Retirement and Restoration
In 1972, the aircraft was retired and used for spare parts in Terrace, BC.

It was nearly scrapped, but a founding member of the Friends of the DC-3 – Canada saved it at the last minute.

In 1987, it was moved to the Transportation Museum in Cloverdale, and later relocated to Langley Airport.

📍 Current Status
The aircraft is now a static display at the Canadian Museum of Flight, beside the Magnificent Seven mural at Langley Airport

It is considered the oldest surviving DC-3 in Canada

🔧 Technical Specs

Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 radials (1,200 hp each)
Max Speed: 237 mph (379 km/h)
Range: 1,110 miles (1,776 km)
Passenger Capacity: Up to 28
Wingspan: 95 ft (28.5 m)
Length: 64 ft 5 in (19.3 m)


Thank you for your visit and any faves or comments are always greatly appreciated!

~Sonja

Langley, BC Canada

The "Spirit of the Skeena" is a historically significant Douglas DC-3 aircraft on display at the Canadian Museum of Flight in Langley, British Columbia.

✈️ Spirit of the Skeena – Douglas DC-3 (CF-PWH)
Built: February 24, 1940
Original Operator: American Airlines as "Flagship Texas"

Later Service:
US Air Force
Trans Alaska Airlines
Queen Charlotte Airlines – the first BC-based airline to own and operate a DC-3
Pacific Western Airlines – it became their first DC-3, fleet number 301
Great Northern Airways
Trans Provincial Airlines

️ Retirement and Restoration
In 1972, the aircraft was retired and used for spare parts in Terrace, BC.

It was nearly scrapped, but a founding member of the Friends of the DC-3 – Canada saved it at the last minute.

In 1987, it was moved to the Transportation Museum in Cloverdale, and later relocated to Langley Airport.

📍 Current Status
The aircraft is now a static display at the Canadian Museum of Flight, beside the Magnificent Seven mural at Langley Airport

It is considered the oldest surviving DC-3 in Canada

🔧 Technical Specs

Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 radials (1,200 hp each)
Max Speed: 237 mph (379 km/h)
Range: 1,110 miles (1,776 km)
Passenger Capacity: Up to 28
Wingspan: 95 ft (28.5 m)
Length: 64 ft 5 in (19.3 m)


Thank you for your visit and any faves or comments are always greatly appreciated!

~Sonja

Langley, BC Canada

The "Spirit of the Skeena" is a historically significant Douglas DC-3 aircraft on display at the Canadian Museum of Flight in Langley, British Columbia.

✈️ Spirit of the Skeena – Douglas DC-3 (CF-PWH)
Built: February 24, 1940
Original Operator: American Airlines as "Flagship Texas"

Later Service:
US Air Force
Trans Alaska Airlines
Queen Charlotte Airlines – the first BC-based airline to own and operate a DC-3
Pacific Western Airlines – it became their first DC-3, fleet number 301
Great Northern Airways
Trans Provincial Airlines

️ Retirement and Restoration
In 1972, the aircraft was retired and used for spare parts in Terrace, BC.

It was nearly scrapped, but a founding member of the Friends of the DC-3 – Canada saved it at the last minute.

In 1987, it was moved to the Transportation Museum in Cloverdale, and later relocated to Langley Airport.

📍 Current Status
The aircraft is now a static display at the Canadian Museum of Flight, beside the Magnificent Seven mural at Langley Airport

It is considered the oldest surviving DC-3 in Canada

🔧 Technical Specs

Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 radials (1,200 hp each)
Max Speed: 237 mph (379 km/h)
Range: 1,110 miles (1,776 km)
Passenger Capacity: Up to 28
Wingspan: 95 ft (28.5 m)
Length: 64 ft 5 in (19.3 m)


Thank you for your visit and any faves or comments are always greatly appreciated!

~Sonja

89064519 :Piction ID--Convair 340 in flight---Please tag these photos so information can be recorded.---- Digitization of this image made possible by a grant from NEH: NEH and the San Diego Air and Space Museum

Great Airlines Series: Pacific Western Airlines

Provincial Archives of Alberta, WS.337.

From the Wells Photographic Studios fonds.

Great Airlines Series: Pacific Western Airlines

Great Airlines Series: Pacific Western Airlines

Frankfurt am Main (Rhein-Main AB) (FRA / EDDF / FRF)
Germany 8.1977

The former Canadian registration of C-FJWP can just be seen along with S/N 9089. She is wearing C-GCXD on the wing closest to the camera.

It has had N856YB allocated on the American register since 2018 and may wear it on the other side.

C-GIPW was donated to the Alberta Aviation Museum at Edmonton City Centre Airport on 16 June 2005, having been withdrawn from service with Tango on 07 April 2003. Ahead of the handover of the aircraft to the museum, the aircraft had been painted into the original Pacific Western Airlines livery that it was delivered in from the Boeing factory on 28 February 1979.

With the closing of Edmonton City Centre Airport on 30 November 2013, the Alberta Aviation Museum had planned to move to a new Alberta Flying Heritage Museum at Villeneuve Airport. However, due to its size the Boeing 737-200 would be too expensive to move to the new site.

Following a full inspection, Transport Canada permitted the aircraft to perform a one-off ferry flight to Villeneuve Airport on 29 November 2013. After a short 12 minute flight the aircraft touched down at Villeneuve Airport, intended to be surrounded by a new Museum that sadly never materialized.

The aircraft now sits in a field at Villeneuve Airport still wearing the Pacific Western Airlines livery to this day.

Credit: Plane Spotters

Toronto Pearson 04/10/1985 CYYZ/YYZ

Toronto Pearson International

Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 28-Sep-21 (DeNoise AI).

Taken on a cold clear November morning with a very low sun.

CF-PWI was built as a C-53 'Skytrooper' and has the regular P&W R-1830 engines, built primarily as a troop transport and without the reinforced floor of the C-47 'Skytrain'.

This aircraft was delivered to the United Stated Army Air Forces serialled 41-20110 in 1942. It was sold to United Air Lines as N19923 in Oct-44.

It was sold to Zantop Air Transport in Jan-53. In Jun-65 it was exported to Canada as CF-IHO and re-registered CF-PWI with PWA Pacific Western Airlines. It was re-registered C-FPWI in May-74 when the Canadian Government introduced the C-Gxxx registration series.

In 1977 the aircraft was sold to Pacific Coastal Airlines. It was withdrawn from use and stored (at Vancouver ?) in 1980. It was sold to Phase 2 Inc (USA) as N2948B in Mar-82. The CofA was last reissued in Jan-02. I don't know how long it was in service but the registration was eventually cancelled in Jun-13. No further information.

Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 02-Dec-15, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 16-Aug-23.

Taken through glass with some reflections.

Delivered to PWA Pacific Western Airlines in Feb-75 as C-GCPW. the aircraft was leased to America West Airlines as N126AW in Jun-83. During the lease Pacific Western bought the ailing CP Air/Canadian Pacific in Feb-87 and merged to become CAI Canadi>n Airlines International.

The lease continued until the aircraft was returned to Canadi>n Airlines as C-GCPW in Nov-87. On it's return it was sold to the GPA Group Ltd (Later to become GECAS) and leased back to Canadi>n Airlines. In May-89 it was again leased to America West as N126AW.

This time it stayed with them for 9 years until it was returned to Canadi>n Airlines as C-GCPW in Jan-98. By 2000, Canadi>n Airlines was having severe financial problems and the aircraft was bought by Air Canada in Jan-01 and leased back to CAI prior to the formal merger of the company into Air Canada in Apr-01.

After 26 years in service the aircraft was retired and stored at Winnipeg in Oct-01. It was sold to BlueSide Metals in Apr-02 and ferried to Opa-Locka, FL, USA where it was broken up in Sep-02.

Pacific Western Airlines Convair and Grumman Goose at YVR May 30,1972.

Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 02-Mar-16, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 07-Jul-23.

An early B767-200, this aircraft first flew with the the Boeing test registration N1791B and was delivered to PWA Pacific Western Airlines as C-GPWB in Apr-83.

Pacific Western sold it to Citibank Leasing Canada in Jan-85 and leased it back until it was returned to the lessor in Apr-85. The aircraft was leased to Air Canada the following month and went on to serve with them until it was retired and stored at Marana, AZ, USA, in mid 2007.

It was noted still stored at Marana in Nov-15 with lots of parts missing.

Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 10-Jun-15, plus DeNoise AI 27-Feb-23.

CF-PWV was a very early B707, line number 29. It first flew as a B707-138 with P&W JT3C turbojet engines in Mar-59 with the Boeing test registration N31239. It was delivered to QANTAS in Jul-59 as VH-EBA and was the first jet aircraft on the Australian Civil Register.

It was converted to B707-138B standard with P&W JT3D turbofan engines in Sep-61. It was sold to Pacific Western Airlines as CF-PWV in Mar-69 and became C-FPWV when Canada expanded their registrations to include the C-Gxxx series at the end of May-74.

The aircraft entered the corporate world when it was sold to Tigerair Inc in Oct-78 as N138TA. It was sold to the Airmark Corporation in Oct-83 and was re-registered N220AM in Sep-84.

Just over a year later, in Dec-85, it was sold to Community Transport Inc and was re-registered as N138MJ in Oct-86. It Jul-87 it was sold to the Saudi Arabian Government as HZ-123 and retired at Southend, UK, in Aug-99 after 40 years in service.

The aircraft remained stored at Southend for 7 years until it was bought by QANTAS in mid 2006 and re-registered VH-XBA. It was made serviceable and repainted in it's original QANTAS livery. After a couple of test flights at Southend in Dec-06 it was flown back to Australia and put on display at the QANTAS Museum at Longreach, QLD, Australia in 2007. Preserved, updated 27-Feb-23.

Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 28-Sep-21 (DeNoise AI).

Taken at Vancouver in the early morning.

From an early age I'd always assumed that all military versions of the venerable DC-3 were C-47's. Not so! Many different versions were produced.

Take the two in this photo for instance. The one in front (CF-PWH) is actually a C-49H, originally built and entered service as a civil DC-3/DST for American Airlines and has less powerful Wright Cyclone engines, it was impressed into USAAF service when the USA entered the second world war in 1941/42. Note that the passenger door is on the other side of the aircraft, quite unusual and the only one I've ever seen in that configuration (apart from the Russian built Lisunov Li-2's).

The aircraft behind (CF-PWI) was built as a C-53 'Skytrooper' and has the regular P&W R-1830 engines, built primarily as a troop transport and without the reinforced floor of the C-47 'Skytrain'.

The Canadian Pacific DC-6A/B at the back is CF-CZQ.