Showing the history of Gander airport. The airport that stated up transatlantic air travel. Visit our website http://www.ganderairporthistoricalsociety.org/
Gander Airport Historical Society
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Gander Lake Marine Air Base c.1953, dismantled in the 1960s, relocated to Deadmans Pond. Built as part of the original airport for water aerodrome services. Later used by the public as an R&R facility. Located at the end of the road leading to the Arrow Air Memorial
Parked B17 bombers & hangers along R09 at Gander's USAAF base. Gander airport's WWII importance became realized, ferrying an estimated 20,000 bombers to the UK. A digital slide show of Gander airport during WWII ganderairporthistoricalsociety.org/_html_war/Di...
1946 Sabena crash rescue. This was the world's first civilian rescue by a helicopter. Without the helicopter, the survivors would have perished in the wilderness. The rescue was so successful, the helicopter became a world wide rescue vehicle. ganderairporthistoricalsociety.org/_html_4658/S...
The helicopter changed SAR more than almost any other technology. Access to otherwise unreachable terrain, speed no ground team could match. Good historical context on how we got here.
Airport catering service at Gander airport providing uplift meals for EPA c.1975. Uplift catering had been carried out at the airport since 1946 when a huge staff was required to produce meals for just about all transatlantic flights using Gander.
Dinning room scene with staff at the Eastbound Inn Gander c.1941. The 1st hotel in Gander, built to accommodate civilian ferry flight crews waiting to fly the Atlantic. At first, passenger sleeper & dinning train cars, set up on a special rail siding, were in use.
Mikhail Gorbachev is considered a most significant figure in world's politic, praised for his role in ending the Cold War, was a frequent visitor at Gander during his 6 year reign as leader of the Soviet Union. Seen here having a 'cuppa' on one of his visits.
NL Hockey Hall of Fame John Murphy. Hired by TWA for his expertise with WWII RAF Ferry Command ops, became TWA station Manager at Gander till 1960, transferred to JFK. He was TWA manager at LGA later director for TWA at EWR-LGA-JFK complex www.ganderairporthistoricalsociety.org/_html_4658/j...
Views from inside & outside the Gander control tower during the early 1950s. This was the 2nd tower at the airport, built & operated by the RCAF in 1944. The 1st was atop the old Administration building. ganderairporthistoricalsociety.org/_html_thirty...
Still a touchstone in aviation SAR history. Rotary-wing rescue went from experiment to standard doctrine in less than a generation from this moment.
