Listen to Stuart McLean

Reading through the 30s ERA on our website, it take some time to get your head around just what was happening with aviation and the wonderment of the fore site that came into play. Lindberg flew across the Atlantic in 1927. The biggest passenger aircraft flying at the time was the Ford Trimotor. Yet in 1932 the British Government in agreement with Canada decided to build an airport in Newfoundland during the height of a world wide depression. In 1935, in the middle of the wilderness, with the only infrastructure being a narrow gauge railway, construction was commenced on an airport with the only workforce available being mostly unskilled workers. In 1938 these unskilled workers became carpenters, electricians, plumbers, heavy equipment operators and mechanics and had constructed four 5000 ft runways along with a three story administration/terminal building and one of the largest hangers in the world. Named the Newfoundland Airport, later to be renamed Gander by the military, was one the largest airports in the world to handle aircraft that weren't yet built. It led to the birth of trans atlantic commercial aviation. Stuart McLean summed it all up on his Vinyl Cafe show held recently at the Arts Centre in Gander, the contribution Gander Airport has made to the aviation world. To listen to his comments, follow this link.