The very first Boeing 747 took to the air February 9, 1969, barely four months after the airplane rolled out of its then new factory in Everett, Washington. The prototype, “Queen of the Skies,” was known by her serial number RA001. She was soon joined by additional test aircraft, all working towards the airplane’s entry-into-service in January 1970 with Pan American World Airways. Since then, over 1,500 747s have been delivered.
Joe Sutter is a giant in the history of commercial aviation. And he’s also not the least bit reserved about speaking his mind! Sutter, now in his ‘90s, graduated from the University of Washington’s College of Aeronautical Engineering in 1943. After World War II, in 1946, he joined Boeing’s aerodynamics group and was assigned to work of the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, a four-engine propeller passenger plane that would enter service in 1949. Sutter would go on to a life-long career with Boeing, and is famously known as “The Father of the 747.”
In 1995, to meet YYZ’s needs through to 2030, the GTAA proposed to replace YYZ’s Terminal 1-Aeroquay and Terminal 2, home of Air Canada, with a new Terminal 1. The logistical and operational challenges were formidable. All airline and airport operations had to be maintained while demolition of existing obsolete infrastructure occurred and new construction began. Not only was a new terminal planned, but 2 new runways, a massive infield operational and cargo area, a specialized de-icing bay and related taxiways and roadways were to be built and integrated into YYZ’s operation.
By most any measure, Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) is big. Canada’s busiest airport has five runways, two terminals with over 110 gates, serves 35 million passengers annually, and has a huge cargo center and the world’s biggest aircraft de-icing facility. 60 airlines serve YYZ with flights to over 150 destinations, it’s the 34th largest airport in the world, and is ranked 2nd largest in international passenger traffic in North America. The airport is home to Air Canada’s largest hub, and as a founding member of Star Alliance, it’s the major Canadian hub for that airline group.
Today is the 50th birthday of the legendary Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboprop. That first engine was delivered to Beech Aircraft Company for installation onto an aircraft that would become the equally-remarkable Beechcraft King Air. The PT6 had its genesis at what was then the United Aircraft of Canada Limited (UACL) factory in Longueuil, Quebec. In the mid-1950s, UACL had looked at the market and determined that there was a need for a small, efficient turboprop in the 500-shaft-horsepower (SHP) range.
I was in my late teens in the early 1970s. For two summers, I had the absolutely perfect job that any young AvGeek would ever want – working on the ramp at a major airport. Yes, I’m proud to say that I was a “Ramp Rat”! My summer job was at Toronto International Airport (YYZ), then also known as Malton Airport. I worked in Terminal 1, the uniquely-designed round-concourse “Aeroquay”. It’s long gone, having been demolished and replaced by YYZ’s new T1.
