Air Canada In the 1970s 747 L-1011 DC-9

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FROM AIR CANADA ARCHIVES:

The 1970s was an era of transition for Air Canada. The airline retired the last of the very popular Vickers Viscounts, as well as the Vickers Vanguards. It introduced the new widebody Boeing 747 and Lockheed L-1011 Tristar aircraft. These start-of-the-art high capacity airliners truly made travel by air a mass-market phenomena for the travelling public.

In this program we start out with a very historic film reel filmed by Air Canada’s PR department on the occasion of the very last Vickers Viscount service between Sault Ste. Marie and Toronto on April 1, 1974. The Air Canada In the 1970s film quality is not up to today’s standards but to see this footage (filmed mostly on board) is as close to time machine as we’re going to experience.

We then present early 1970s promotional films made by the airline to introduce the new 747 and L-1011. The L-1011 film hosted by TV personality of the day Don McGowan, and also features an interview with Air Canada’s fleet planning expert Clayton Glen. Also included are a number of era Air Canada In the 1970s TV adverts that promote the brand new widebody aircraft, services and destinations of the day.

Aircraft fans will enjoy the Douglas DC-9 stock footage reels, which includes some very neat air-to-air footage of the baby DC-9. The 1976 aircraft action footage filmed mostly at YVR is the icing on the cake, and features great scenes of Air Canada DC-9s, 747s, Tristars, and DC-8s in glorious action!

2 Responses to “Air Canada In the 1970s 747 L-1011 DC-9”

  1. <path_to_url> Duncan Mills

    Hi Henry. The AC L1011 was one of my all-time favorites and this footage from 1973 is magnificent. In its original 8-across seating, economy was equivalent, if not better, that today’s economy ‘plus’. AC L1011 fun fact: when delivered, the L1011 service did not include movies. Headsets were available free of charge for an audio program. In part of this film, a gent can be seen leaning back, eyes closed, perhaps enjoying the Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin!

    Movie entertainment was added to the L1011 fleet in 1977 when economy seating went to the 2-5-2 from 2-4-2.

    Some of the L1011 footage seen here was taken in an Eastern aircraft, no doubt one of the airframes that EA and AC swapped on a seasonal basis.

    For my tastes, the original Air Canada with black lettering was their best of the three red ones (1964-1994).

    • <path_to_url> Henry Tenby

      Hi Duncan, Thank you for the interesting Tristar observations. I am sure the 8-across would be considered as a Premium Plus level of comfort today, specially when compared to 10-across on high density configured 777s, and other new generation types. The gent might also be listening to Mot the Hoople, David Bowie, or Alice Cooper!

      Totally agree. The Air Canada black nose scheme was a true classic. Miles ahead of the red wrap around scheme. I miss the L-1011. My last Tristar ride was in 1999 between Toronto and Vancouver (both ways) on Air Transat. Had no idea it was going to be my last at the time.

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