AIRCRAFT

Canadair North Star

Additional information on the North Star:

REMINISCING

Arthur Cox - I've done quite a few trips in 17511 - Leopoldville among them, as well as El Arish, of course. The longest sector I ever logged was Keflavik non-stop to Trenton - 13 1/2 hours - and, after checking my logbook, I see it was in 17511. We had less than 30 minutes fuel left in the tanks when we taxiied in! I thought it might have been some kind of record but found out otherwise later on.

Arthur Cox - One day while with Royal Jordanian (on the L1011) flying from Vienna to Chicago at 37000 ft., and about half-way across the Atlantic, the First Officer was gazing wistfully out his side window, somewhat fascinated by the whitecaps on the broiling sea, whereupon I casually remarked that, one time, I'd crossed the ocean at 3000 feet. The expression of disbelief registered on his face (and the Flight Engineer's) told it all. Both of them, Jordanians, keen youngsters and graduates from their Air Academy, had grown up in the world of jets, so their doubtful expressions were understandable. I went on to explain that, once, in the RCAF, in a North Star on a flight from the Azores to Gander, we encountered heavy icing and were having trouble getting rid of it. Ultimately we descended to find warmer air which brought us down within a few thousand feet above the ocean. Of course, being unpressurised, we never flew above 10000 ft. normally so we were often subjected to adverse weather - unlike the relatively trouble-free environmental conditions experienced in today's airliners!