Air Canada has donated its Lockheed L-10A Electra to the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada in Winnipeg
Celebrations were in full swing after a Lockheed L-10A Electra, bearing registration CF-TCC (c/n 1116), made its “final journey” on September 7 destined for permanent public display.
As part of the handover, the airframe – understood to have been only one of two airworthy examples of the type left worldwide – taxied from Air Canada’s hangar at Winnipeg International to the museum (which is also located at the Manitoba airport).
The history of CF-TCC can be traced back to 1937 when it, along with two other examples – CF‐TCA (c/n 1112) and CF‐TCB (c/n 1113) – were bought by Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA), the forerunner to Air Canada. The Lockheed type played an important role, having plied the inaugural TCA flight on September 1 that year between Vancouver and Seattle transporting two passengers and some mail.
After two years of service, CF-TCC was sold to Canada’s Department of Transport, before being sold on numerous times over the next 40 years. Eventually, by 1983, the now Air Canada purchased the aircraft – which is 38.7ft long and possesses a 140-knot cruise speed – before restoring it. CF-TCC has been maintained in flying condition since 1986, thanks to both volunteers and support, including from Air Canada Maintenance and Flight Operations.
Having taken part in several anniversary celebrations over the decades, CF-TCC last took to the air in 2018.
"We're very pleased that CF-TCC has landed at the Royal Aviation Museum and is now part of our permanent collection. This aircraft has ties to Winnipeg dating back to 1937 and to our museum in particular," said museum president & CEO Terry Slobodian. "Our museum was previously located in the original TCA hangar here in Winnipeg. The Lockheed Electra is a perfect picture of the early days of commercial air travel in Canada. We are grateful to Air Canada for their longstanding support of our museum and for entrusting us with this spectacular piece of aviation history."
Captain Murray Strom, senior vice president – flight operations at Air Canada, added: "There is no more fitting preservation and commemoration for one of our original aircraft than to have TCC be on permanent display in Winnipeg, which was one of TCA's original hubs when the airline began operations in 1937 thanks to its central location in our country…”
