‘It's a piece of aviation history': Gimli Glider cockpit makes return trip to Manitoba
Retired pilot Robert Pearson stands in front of the cockpit of the former Boeing 767 aircraft he landed safely in Gimli in 1983. Here he is on Friday June 27, 2025. (Joseph Bernacki/CTV News Winnipeg)
After a 7,000-kilometre journey from a southern California scrapyard, a part of a plane that was made famous 43 years ago was reunited with the captain that flew it.
'This was my office. I flew this airplane quite a few times and as a matter of fact, I was the last one to use it,' said retired captain, Robert Pearson with a smile.
The cockpit from the former Boeing 767 aircraft known as the Gimli Glider was recently recovered and brought back to Manitoba.
'It's great that this has been salvaged by the museum in Gimli,' Pearson said.
'It's a piece of aviation history.'
Gimli Glider cockpit control panel
A portion of the original side control panel of the Gimli Glider cockpit is still intact. Here it is on Friday June 27, 2025. (Joseph Bernacki/CTV News Winnipeg)
Back on July 23, 1983, Pearson safely landed the plane on a decommissioned airstrip in Gimli, Man., a lakeside community about 100 kilometres north of Winnipeg. All 69 people on board, who were flying with Air Canada from Montreal to Edmonton, survived the emergency landing.
The plane glided to a stop after it malfunctioned in the air and lost fuel.
'Touching down was good. A gentleman came up to me, he put his hand on my shoulder. He said, 'Captain, that was some feat,'' Pearson said.
The whole plane went up for auction years ago, but didn't sell, so it was parted out. The cockpit stayed intact, though it has been collecting dust since 2008 at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, Calif.
The Gimli Glider exhibit volunteers had their eye on it since 2017.
They raised funds and thanks to a generous donor, it's now on its way to Gimli to be displayed alongside other memorabilia.
'An American businessman spoke to the owners and said, 'You need to understand how important this museum is,'' said Barbara Gluck, president of the Gimli Glider exhibit.
'Can you cut your price on the cockpit so that they can afford it and get it back for Canadian history?'
Volunteers like Peter Grant met the truck driver on Friday afternoon at the border to see it come through.
'Holy mackerel! As soon as I saw the truck coming through the border and I saw the cockpit, my heart started to beat,' Grant said.
Gimli Glider volunteers
Left to right; Gwen Harp, Robert Pearson, Glen Hooper, Barbara Gluck and Peter Grant worked together to bring the cockpit of the original Gimli Glider home to Manitoba. Here they are together on Friday June 27, 2025. (Joseph Bernacki/CTV News Winnipeg)
He said the cockpit will be refurbished and put on display in the coming months. He noted he still can't fathom what it took for Pearson to safely land the plane.
'A lot of people don't realize the wizardry that Bob Pearson had to have to fly a plane like that with no fuel, no engines,' Grant said.
'All he had was up, down, left, right and he flew the plane for 100 miles with nothing.'
It was all in a days' work, according to a humble Pearson.
'My job was to take off and land an airplane full of passengers and I'm really pleased I could do my job that day,' Pearson said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Two Mississauga teachers retire after more than 30 years at the same school
Toronto Watch Two Mississauga teachers are retiring after more than 30 years at the same school. CTV's Beth Macdonell has more on the sendoff.
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Fundraiser honours Surrey teen
Vancouver Watch A touching tribute in Surrey with family and friends coming together to honour Chase De Balinhard with a fundraiser near and dear to his heart.
CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
1.5-metre-long boa constrictor found on the loose in provincial park near Comox, B.C.
Conservation officers successfully wrangled a 1.5-metre-long boa constrictor near Comox on Vancouver Island on Thursday. Officers were alerted to a "potential large snake on the loose" in Miracle Beach Provincial Park, about 150 kilometres northwest of Vancouver, according to a Facebook post from the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (COS). Some trails were temporarily closed, and park visitors were turned away at trail entrances, while officers searched for the snake. Conservation officers are investigating the circumstances of the loose snake. The COS said it does not believe the incident is linked to a boa constrictor that was recently captured in Tofino, B.C. Because of the boa constrictor's length, it is considered to be a "restricted reptile," which means that it cannot be released under any circumstances under the Controlled Alien Species regulation, according to the COS. The boa constrictor is now in the care of the Comox Valley SPCA. SPCA discourages buying exotic pets Sara Dubois, senior director for animal welfare science at the B.C. SPCA, said the snake appears to be healthy. But cold-blooded reptiles, like boa constrictors raised in captivity, can't survive for long outside in B.C.'s cool climate, which is very unlike their native South America. "They shouldn't be living in the wild of Canada, that's for sure," Dubois said. She said a boa constrictor (which is constrictive but not venomous) could prey on small animals if left in the wild, but it could also fail at hunting due to being raised in captivity. Dubois noted there is a four-day legal impound period that gives the owner an opportunity to find their lost pet, if the animal escaped by accident, before the snake can be put up for adoption. If it's found that the snake was intentionally abandoned, Dubois said, a series of investigations would occur. Dubois noted it's illegal to dump animals, and abandonment falls under animal cruelty legislation. Because the snake is less than three metres long, it doesn't require a permit to own under the Controlled Alien Species Regulation, according to Dubois. But she said the SPCA asks very detailed questions of potential exotic pet adopters. They usually already have an appropriate setup, including veterinary care, and extensive knowledge of these species. "Very few people have the expertise to properly care for them," Dubois said. The SPCA discourages people from buying exotic pets, particularly from pet stores. "Sometimes it seems like it's going to be an easy pet, but these exotic animals have really specialized needs," she said.
