Runway 31 - Winnipeg International Airport

Photos courtesy AIRLINERS.NET.                                                     

Growing up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, our home was located in River Heights, directly under the approach to Runway 31 at Winnipeg International Airport. This location was responsible for nurturing what became my primary interest in life, airplanes and aviation. From my earliest recollections, each time an airliner would pass overhead on the approach to runway 31, I would run to the back window of our house to watch the airplane fly by.  In the early 1960's,

Winnipeg International hosted a rich variety of aircraft types to wet the appetite of the avid aviation enthusiast.  Initially, there were the first generation jets, the DC-8’s operated by both Air Canada and Canadian Pacific.  Shorter haul Air

Canada flights were generally flown by Vicker's
Viscounts and sometimes Vicker’s Vangaurds. Northwest Airlines flew in Lockheed Electra’s.  Transair, a regional airline operating out of Winnipeg had a hodge
podge of hand me down equipment such as DC-4’s, DC-6’s, and DC-7’s to name just a few.  The Royal Canadian Air Force was still flying the venerable Douglas DC-3 and some of the northern Manitoba bush
operators were flying assorted classics such as the Curtiss C-47 Commando. I became very good at identifying aircraft, even just by the sound of their engines and I used to amaze my friends by telling them what kind of aircraft was flying over by sound alone. Prior to the introduction of 737’s, Boeing aircraft arrivals in Winnipeg were scarce. The odd time you might see a Pan Am 707 fly into Winnipeg for refuelling, presumably en route to Los Angeles from Europe.  It was only when Northwest
Airlines began flying in Boeing 720 B’s and first generation 727’s that Boeing aircraft arrivals became a regular occurrence in Winnipeg. I loved the 727 and would often not go to bed until Northwest’s last flight of the day had arrived, regardless of the fact that all I could see were the lights of the aircraft as it flew over in the dark. As time progressed
the variety of aircraft flying into Winnipeg began to diminish, with Air Canada standardizing on DC-9’s for their shorter hauls, and both CP Air and Transair primarily using 737’s.

With the passing of each aircraft, I was also growing up, and soon I was riding my bike out to the airport to watch planes. This was a time before airport security, when a little knowledge of the various airport entrances could get you access to the aircraft tie down areas and back ramps, typically without challenge. Even in the airport terminal, security was lax. One day, on the arrival of a
Northwest Airlines 727, I waited by the boarding gate while all of the passengers and flight crew exited the aircraft. Then when the coast seemed clear, I snuck down the jetway and actually sat myself in the captain’s seat of that modern beauty. Sure this was pushing my luck, but I did it without getting caught and I relished my few moments in the left hand seat of the Boeing tri-jet. If one tried a stunt like that nowadays it would be your ticket to the headlines of the National News.

I have many special memories of aircraft flying over. I often saw old piston airliners arriving with engines shut down, their feathered props wind-milling in the breeze. I vaguely remember Super Constellations, probably only because of their unusual tail arrangement and beautiful lines. But the highlight of my 12 years in Winnipeg came in 1971 when I heard a different sounding aircraft on approach to runway 31. I will never forget looking up to the sky to see that first 747 on approach to Winnipeg International. Even before the monster had disappeared from view I was on my bike and headed to the airport. When I arrived at

the terminal, there she was, Air Canada CF-TOA parked in full view of the public on the ramp to the southeast of the terminal building. Air Canada was conducting a promotional tour, showing off the latest addition to their fleet. On this occasion, I could not get onto the ramp and just stared in awe from the fence line. To this day, I always take pause whenever I see a 747. Though the aircraft type is now over 40 years old, the sight of a 747 never ceases to amaze me. They are a true wonder of flight.