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Ginger Coote Airways (GCA) is a defunct passenger and
Arrow Lakes Historical SocietyGinger Coote Airways history from Americas, Canada
*Commercial Airlines Collection (Part 2, G-M) a
The Museum of FlightGinger Coote Airways
flag at the Chilliwack Museum and Archives
Embroidered pair of First Nations mukluks presented to Ginger Coote. The boots were presented during a ceremony commemorating the start of an airline from Ashcroft - Williams Lake to Fort St. John in 1938.
at Chilliwack Museum and Archives
British Columbia / B.C. Postal History / Courtesy Air Mail via "GINGER" COOTE AIRWAYS LTD - 23 May 1938 - ZEBALLOS, B.C. to Victoria, B.C. via Vancouver, B.C
Defunct airlines of Canada Aviation history of Canada
Ginger Coote Airways (GCA) is a defunct passenger and charter airline
Air charter is the business of renting an entire aircraft (i.e., chartering) as opposed to individual aircraft seats (i.e., purchasing a ticket through a traditional airline).
Regulation
Charter – also called air taxi or ad hoc – flight ...
that was based in Vancouver, British Columbia
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
and often used Wells Harbor at Lulu Island
Lulu Island is the name of the largest island in the estuary of the Fraser River, located south of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and the List of Canadian islands by population, second-most populous island in British Columbia, after Vancou ...
as a base, 1938-1942.
GCA was owned and operated by Canadian Russell L. "Ginger" Coote (June 21, 1898 - January 10, 1970), who learned to fly as a pilot with the Royal Flying Corps Canada
The Royal Flying Corps Canada (RFC Canada) was a training organization of the British Royal Flying Corps located in Canada during the First World War. It began operating in 1917.
Background
As the war progressed, Great Britain found that it ...
during World War I. Post-war, Coote became part-owner of Bridge River & Cariboo Airways and eventually became the airline's president. In 1938, the airline changed its name to Ginger Coote Airways.
Employees of the airline included Coote as a pilot and co-director; his father, Andrew Coote, as co-director; and Margaret Fane Rutledge as a radio operator. At times, Rutledge also dispatched and served as a co-pilot. Coote also hired Russ Baker
Russ Baker (born 1958) is an American author and investigative journalist. Baker is the editor-in-chief and founder of the nonprofit news website ''WhoWhatWhy''. Earlier in his career he wrote for a variety of publications, including ''The New ...
, who later founded Pacific Western Airlines
Pacific Western Airlines (PWA) was an airline that operated scheduled flights throughout western Canada and charter services around the world from the 1950s through the 1980s.
In 1987, PWA purchased Canadian Pacific Air Lines, and the merged a ...
, as a pilot and to restore a de Havilland Moth. GCA often flew from Vancouver, British Columbia to Zeballos, British Columbia
Zeballos (; population: 107) is a village located on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Zeballos is now known for its ecotourism and sport fishing.
Location and geography
Zeballos is a deep-sea port surrounded ...
. Other destinations included Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
, Prince George, and Whitehorse
Whitehorse () is the capital of Yukon, and the largest city in Northern Canada. It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1426 (Historic Mile 918) on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas ...
.
In 1941, Coote sold the airline, and in 1942 it was absorbed into Canadian Pacific Air Lines
Canadian Pacific Air Lines was a Canadian airline that operated from 1942 to 1987. It operated under the name CP Air from 1968 to 1986. Headquartered at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Richmond, British Columbia, ...
, along with several other smaller airlines.
Historical fleet
* Fairchild 51 * D.H.83 Fox Moth *Noorduyn Norseman
The Noorduyn Norseman, also known as the C-64 Norseman, is a Canadian single-engine bush plane designed to operate from unimproved surfaces. Distinctive stubby landing gear protrusions from the lower fuselage make it easily recognizable.
Intro ...
* Waco YKS-6
The Waco S Series is a family of American cabin biplanes produced by the Waco Aircraft Company starting in 1935.
Development and designations
The Waco closed cabin biplanes, initially known as the C (for Cabin) series were all unequal span, sta ...
Accidents and incidents
* May 27, 1938: A Fairchild 51 (CF-AUX) crashed nearPort Alberni
Port Alberni () is a city located on Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The city lies within the Alberni Valley at the head of the Alberni Inlet, Vancouver Island's longest inlet. Port Alberni currently has a total popu ...
, British Columbia while en route from Vancouver to Zeballos, killing 4 persons (1 crew, pilot Len Waagens, and 3 passengers, Mary Nicholson (wife of George Nicholson, postmaster and airline agent at Zeballos), Charles Rumsey, and H. Boyd.).
* October 29, 1940: A Noorduyn Norseman (CF-AZE) engine caught fire in flight while en route from Vancouver to Zeballos. During the forced landing, the single-engine aircraft flipped upside down, bursting into flames, injuring all 4 persons (1 crew and 3 passengers) on board and resulting in the aircraft's destruction.
* A court case was brought against Ginger Coote Airways for injuries sustained in a forced landing when an aircraft caught on fire during a November 1940 flight operated by the airline.{{Cite web , date=1942-10-06 , title=Ludditt v. Ginger Coote Airways Ltd., 1942 CanLII 20 (SCC), 942
Year 942 (Roman numerals, CMXLII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* Summer – The Hungarian raid in Spain (942), Hungarians invade Al-Andalus (modern Spain) and besiege the f ...
SCR 406 , url=https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1942/1942canlii20/1942canlii20.html , access-date=April 30, 2025 , website=Canadian Legal Information Institute
See also
*List of defunct airlines of Canada
This is a list of defunct airlines of Canada.
See also
* List of airlines of Canada
* List of airports in Canada
References
External links
*
{{Portal bar, Canada, Companies, Aviation
Defunct airlines of Canada, *
Lists of defu ...
References
External links
*Ginger Coote Airways photographs aArrow Lakes Historical Society
*Commercial Airlines Collection (Part 2, G-M) a
The Museum of Flight
flag at the Chilliwack Museum and Archives
Embroidered pair of First Nations mukluks presented to Ginger Coote. The boots were presented during a ceremony commemorating the start of an airline from Ashcroft - Williams Lake to Fort St. John in 1938.
at Chilliwack Museum and Archives
British Columbia / B.C. Postal History / Courtesy Air Mail via "GINGER" COOTE AIRWAYS LTD - 23 May 1938 - ZEBALLOS, B.C. to Victoria, B.C. via Vancouver, B.C
Defunct airlines of Canada Aviation history of Canada