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CHARLES FORD COLLECTION

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Former B.C. Air Lines pilot Charles Ford states: "British Columbia Air Lines started operations in 1946 at Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, as a charter/flying school operation. It gradually grew into what was believed to be the largest airline in the world using only float/amphibian aircraft. By the early 1960s the now Vancouver-sited airline had bases all along the British Columbia coast up to the Queen Charlotte Islands, including Vancouver Island. It provided charter and scheduled flights to virtually any point in this rugged area with an estimated coastline 18.000 miles.

Scheduled services using Grumman Mallards from Vancouver were provided to larger towns and the more than 400 logging. fishing, mining and town sites scattered along this tortuous coast were served by smaller a/c from its many bases. It was also one of the main suppliers of emergency flights from these isolated places to cities where medical aid was available.

By the late 1960s B.C. Air Lines, as it was now known, was evolving into an IFR Class One scheduled operator, and had taken over some of the interior routes formally operated by Canadian Pacific Airlines, using Nord 262 aircraft. On August 13, 1970, B.C. Air Lines was purchased by Pacific Western Airlines and merged into that company. The scheduled Mallard services to Vancouver Island and the mid-coast were continued till 1973 when they were sold to West Coast Air Services.

The aircraft B.C. Air Lines operated included:

    Beech B-80 Queen Air - CF-VUI
    Cessna 170 - CF-HUR - CF-IID - CF-ISQ - CF-JCE - CF-JCF
    Cessna 180
         - CF-EOM - CF-HBR - CF-HDL - CF-HSF - CF-HUS - CF-HUT - CF-HYD - CF-HYR - CF-ISP - CF-OQQ - CF-PGS
         - CF-PGT - CF-PGV - CF-PGX - CF-PVW - CF-RKD - CF-RXB - CF-SLB
    Cessna 172 - CF-PVK - CF-XKF
    Cessna 185 - CF-UIE - CF-VZC - CF-WLF - CF-WMS - CF-WRS - CF-XDA
    de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
         - CF-EYP - CF-FHT - CF-GBV - CF-GQM - CF-HGX - CF-HGZ - CF-HXX - CF-IBP - CF-IFQ - CF-IUY - CF-JAA
         - CF-JFQ - CF-JOP - CF-JOQ - CF-MXR
    de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter - CF-CSL - CF-WZH
    Erco Ercoupe - CF-FFI
    Fairchild 71 - CF-BXF
    Fairchild Husky - possibly CF-EIO
    Fleet Canuck - CF-DEA - CF-DEE - CF-EAH
    Fleet Finch - CF-BQB
    Found FBA-2C - CF-RXA - CF-RXB - CF-RXC - CF-RXD - possibly CF-RXI
    Globe Swift - CF-DYA
    Grumman Goose - CF-GEB - CF-RQI - CF-UAZ - CF-VAK
    Grumman Mallard - CF HPA - CF-HPU - CF-MHG
    Luscombe - CF-BPA - CF-BSR - CF-FGO - CF-FGP - CF-FGU - CF-GJR - CF-GRR
    Noorduyn Norseman - CF-BHZ - CF-DFU - CF-DFV - CF-GUE
    Nord 262 - CF-BCR - CF-BCS - CF-BCT - CF-BCU
    Piper Aztec - CF-OXR - CF-PWL
    Piper Super Cruiser - CF-FIW
    Piper Super Cub - CF-JGC
    Republic Seabee
         - CF-DYF - CF-EJF - CF-EJJ - CF-EJM - CF-FJG - CF-FKA - CF-FLO - CF-FLR - CF-FLS - CF-FLU - CF-FOW
    Waco ZQC-6 - CF-BBO."