St. Charles Airdrome

According to a Winnipeg Tribune article (1950 Feb. 18 - Early avaitors were barnstomers by Don Aiken) the first air service to be organized in Winnipeg was at the old race-track at Kirkfield Park. I believe this was probably also known as the St. Charles Aerodome. There ex-RFC men Gos Goulding, Tom Thompson,V.C. operated as the Canadian Aircraft Co. Ltd.

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(Advert from 1927 Oct, 29 1927,Winnipeg Free Press, p 4)


Photo Description
St. Charles Airdrome St. Charles Airdrome
(B/W Photo courtesy of U. of Winnipeg, Western Canada Pictorial Index, the Winnipeg Free Press Collection, 38050)


Crowd examining Tri-Motor Ford Plane at St. Charles Airdrome, Winnipeg. The aircraft was one Commander Richard Byrd was to use in his Antarctic Explorations
Dated: 1928, April 7
St. Charles Airdrome
St. Charles Airdrome
(Source: Winnipeg Free Press, Apr 09 1928)

St. Charles Airdrome St. Charles Airdrome

(B/W Photo courtesy of U. of Winnipeg, Western Canada Pictorial Index, James A. Richardson Collection, 3648)


CF-ABK Junkers W-34bi (Construction Number: 2606) aircraft at St. Charles Airport, Winnipeg. I believe this was either dated wrong or it was there for a promotional flight.. since Western Canada Airways Ltd. took delivery of one in June/July 1929 to be used in air mail and express services.
Dated: 1929, May

St. Charles Airdrome
(Source: Richmond Hill Lliberal [Ontario], Jun 27 1929, P. 4)
ST CHARLES Airdrome ST CHARLES Airdrome
(B/W Photo courtesy of U. of Winnipeg, Western Canada Pictorial Index,, James A. Richardson Collection, 3483)


The first and only De Havilland DH-60 Moth of the Western Canada Airway at Hudson, Ontario. On June 16th, 1928 at St. Charles, Mb. it crashed and a student pilot Walter Lawson was killed.

Walter R Lawson. of Oakville, Man was killed in an airplane crash at Charleswood, Winnipeg, Saturday (1928 June 17). His machine, a Moth, struck a line of telephone wires when Lawson was bringing it to a landing and crashed to earth (Brandon- Daily Sun, Jun 18 1928, P. 2)

Crew was performing a training mission. On final approach to Winnipeg-Saint Charles Airport, aircraft stalled and crashed. While a pilot was seriously injured, the student pilot Walter Lawson was killed. According to this website Western Canada Airways was the oprator of the flight. (Source: https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-de-havilland-dh60x-moth-winnipeg)

Seems a cpl different versions of what happeend.

Dated: 1927


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