My First Love

Here's an aside for those of you who have been following "The Sword and the Snowflake". What you see at left is a picture I created from Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 of a Vickers Vanguard turboprop airliner in the livery of Trans-Canada Air Lines. The aircraft and its paint scheme are the work of the inimitable Rick Piper. Click on the picture for a better view.

Formed by Canadian National Railways in 1937, Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) was Canada's first national air carrier, becoming Air Canada in 1964 from an act of Parliament proposed by Jean Chrétien.

One of the fastest turboprop aircraft ever to fly, the British designed and built Vanguard was ordered by TCA and British European Airways (BEA) with a total of 43 being built.

So why the Vanguard is of significance to me is threefold.

To start, it was the first aircraft I ever flew in while outside my mother's womb.

Secondly, the flight in question occurred in the summer of 1961 when, at the age of four, I traveled with my mother to Montreal to meet my maternal grandmother for the first time.

Thirdly, the cabin of a Vickers Vanguard was the first place I fell in love. Oh, I was young, t'is true, and she was much older, but the yearnings were no less powerful. I remember I was wearing a tie in the colours of the Royal Stewart Tartan, a gift from my maternal grandmother who was both British and a staunch monarchist. I also remember that my tie attracted the attention of an incredibly beautiful flight attendant with raven hair and a Scottish accent that was to die for.

As it turned out she was a Stewart who, even after it was established that I wasn't one myself, nevertheless lavished me with her attentions throughout the flight, and gifted me with a small toy model of the Vanguard as we parted.

I was thoroughly smitten dear readers, truly I was.