1959 Versus 2021: The State Of Canadian Aviation

           February 20 1959- utter that date to any Canadian aviation fan and they’ll see red. That was the day the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow program was cancelled. To many its also the date that the aviation industry in Canada effectively died. Over the years, all the way back to elementary school I heard fantastical tales of the CF-105 being the savior of Canadian industry and tales of extraordinary technical achievements. Depending on who you ask, it was either the Americans that killed it via political pressure or John Diefenbaker being spineless and hating Canada. The complete truth is nobody wanted an interceptor in a world where ICBMs reigned supreme, but there’s a silver lining to that statement! Not only has the aviation industry continued to exist, it has also thrived since the fall of Avro Canada from grace.

          In 2021, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an airport that doesn’t have a Canadian design on the tarmac. Look no further than the Regina International Airport, where in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic the CRJ-900 and Dash 8 reign supreme. Not only are airlines around the world flying the Dash 8 and CRJ series, but governments around the world are dependent on the CL-215 and CL-415 to stop out of control fires and carry out search-and-rescue operations. Of course it would also be ignorant of me not to mention another De Havilland Canada product, the DHC-2 Beaver- the great ancestor of the Dash 8. Many are still flying today all over the world alongside other great De Havilland Canada products like the Otter and Twin Otter in the private sector as recreational and utility aircraft. Many DHC-2s today are older than the Arrow program itself and unlike the Arrow, the DHC-2 ended up with military contracts and ended up serving with various armed forces throughout the world and even in active war zones such as Vietnam.

          Not only are Canadian designs still being made and seeing service, but there are companies in Canada that supply major components for foreign aircraft types. Magellan Aerospace Corporation of Mississauga Ontario supplies components for not only Canadian designs, but the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the Airbus A380, and the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. The most cutting edge fighter of the 21st century so far has Canadian components built into its design, as does the most advanced airliner and the largest airliner in service. 

          So there you have it, you the reader know now that not only does the myth of the CF-105 live on, but so do the claims that the aviation industry itself in Canada died with it. Simply put, it just isn’t true! So next time you look up towards the sky, you just might see an aircraft made in Canada above you.