Millardair hangar question???

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bizjets101
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Millardair hangar question???

Post by bizjets101 »

Just some questions about the Millardair hangar's at YYZ.

Don't know the actual facts, but my days at Skyport in the 70's, I recall the stories that Carl Millard was the only operator at YYZ that actually owned the land.

I also recall hearing, that the 3 original Millardair Bays, were actually moved from near the old Malton Terminal on Airport Road - and the reason Bay 3 is shorter than the other two - was during the move - there was stormy weather that caused the crew to install bay 3 without jacking it up and securing at the height of the other two.

Curious if all this is correct - if anyone knows.

I always thought of him as the Zantop Airlines of Canada - and took for granted his great collection of aircraft - and sad that their all gone :(

Millardair used to rent out Bay 3 to Execaire - which at the time was the Bronfman family of companies. Is Millardair still in the hangar rental business - and wonder if they owned the land, do they still own it.

Note; I met Carl many times, I got to see his Hansa Jet CF-WDU fly a couple of times - it didn't fly too much - and I was on the ramp when he came home with his brand new unpainted Citation C-GOCM. Carl sold the Hansa to Loew's Corporation - and I saw it several more times on the Innotech ramp.

Also if anyone has any information or stories about Carl losing both engines and dead sticking the Hansa into Moncton - I'd really like to hear the story!!
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bobm
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Re: Millardair hangar question???

Post by bobm »

How about the story when he did a single engine take off at Malton to demo the “NEW” Twin Comanche?

I only met him a couple of times...quite the guy. He had my respect.
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Siddley Hawker
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Re: Millardair hangar question???

Post by Siddley Hawker »

Rumour has it that he towed the hangar across the airport behind a DC-3. :D
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Liquid Charlie
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Re: Millardair hangar question???

Post by Liquid Charlie »

There is no doubt Carl Millard was a significant influence on Canadian Aviation - his legacy is here today and is still alive and well - we see it everyday here -- poor wages - long hours and total disregard for safety. He would rather see an airplane come home half destroyed by hail than have that aircraft divert. He was totally "old old school" and treated most of his pilots like shit. Guys paid him to work there -- what a concept - I lasted 1 week and his parting words to me were I would never make or be a pilot - maybe so but he was out of my life - :lol: - damn I couldn't even spell P'lot - now I are one -- :smt040
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bizjets101
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Re: Millardair hangar question???

Post by bizjets101 »

Found these interesting;

Article from Wings Magazine

from the article, 'In 1961 Millard set the airport on notice that he was playing for the long term when he purchased the old Toronto Flying Club hangars and had them moved to what became known as the ‘North Side’ of the airport. “Because of the size of the hangars, we had to move them across the airfield. The roads certainly would not do and even the runways were not big enough. Some of the trucks and wheel sets actually ran off the hard ground onto the grass and we broke at least one axle. Regardless, once we started the move we had to continue until we cleared the active flight areas.” Carl also noted that once the hangars were moved to the north end, they set the new foundations five feet higher above the ground than they were before to provide clearance for larger aircraft.'

Caz Caswell and Douglas Holland Add:
The History of Millardair is inseparable from its owner, CEO and President, Carl Millard was born in November 1913 and died in November 2006, at 93.

Carl Millard was born to fly and his last flight was in his own Cessna Citation when he was 85. The flight was a check to renew his instrument rating, which he passed!. He was within the confines of his own ambition a successful Business Man also he neither 'suffered fools, or officialdom gladly'. `

This meant his relationship with Transport Canada was at best one of an uneasy truce, but with periods of what can only be described as open defiance. `
Sometimes this led to a 'slap on the wrist' but finally the deteriorating relationship between Transport Canada and Carl Millard was one of the primary reasons why Millardair was forced to cease Airline Operations. With Carl sighting 'Excessive Red Tape'. Millardair remained in business providing Hangarage Services.
Up to a couple of Months before his death, Carl retained an interest in the Business (which was now run by his sone Wayne).

There are lot of stories about Carl Millard both as a Pilot and his 'hobby of butting of heads' with Transport Canada. But it is as an outstanding pilot he should be remembered and the first to 'dead-stick land' a Commercial Jet.

To summarise this incident: - Carl was flying a Hansa Jet between St John's and Toronto with 10 Passengers on a Night Flight in December 1973. The Aircraft was in cruise overhead Moncton when both engines failed (later found to be contaminated fuel).
The now gliding Hansa Jet entered Cloud at 30,000 feet and only broke through the cloud base at a mere 200 feet above the ground, but in snow. Despite these cumulative problems. due to Carl's skill the Hansa Jet was lined up with the runway at Moncton Airport as it broke cloud, with the result that the Aircraft made a safe landing!

and

The following are short quotes on what was written by Bill Taylor, of the Toronto Star:
It wasn't that Carl Millard was a curmudgeon "but he realized you couldn't be a wimp and run an airline," says aviation author and publisher Larry Milberry. "He had his own way of doing things. Not everybody loved him but they were the ones who couldn't meet his standards.
Millard was born at his father's farm near Ingersoll, Ont., Nov. 28, 1913, only 10 years after the Wright brothers first flew. At 15, he was inspired to fly when a bright-red plane flew over the field he was ploughing. Terence Tully and James Medcalfe were trying to make the first flight from London, Ont., to London, England. They disappeared in mid-Atlantic but they'd sown a seed in Millard's mind.
He bought and rebuilt a dilapidated plane and was taught to fly by a former World War I fighter pilot.
Millard was the 46th pilot hired by Trans-Canada Airlines, the forerunner of Air Canada. He formed his own company, Millardair, in 1963, with a fleet of 20 aircraft. He also built a reputation for butting heads with Transport Canada over the aging DC3 and DC4 propeller-driven cargo planes he insisted on flying right into the jet age.
The young pilots and mechanics hired by Millard didn't earn much money at first. If they couldn't afford lodgings, they'd bunk down in the hangar.
"His love was 'piston-pounding'-planes," said Milberry. "Flying was in his bones. It wasn't just a job. These old planes were as safe as anything else but Transport Canada was always on his case. It was an ongoing dogfight but Carl beat them."
His son Wayne recalled two Royal Canadian Air Force DC3s being sold in Scotland in the 1960s. "Dad figured they were worth $75,000 each. But he said, 'I'll bid $25,000 each and hope everyone else is scared to fly the Atlantic in them.' It worked! The two of us brought them back, refuelling in Iceland and Greenland. They became the backbone of the business."
The airline still exists in name but hasn't flown in about 10 years, Wayne said.
"We own the hangars and Dad decided there was more money in being in the hangarage business. Up to a few months ago, he was coming in every day for a couple of hours, just to make sure everything was running right."
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Siddley Hawker
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Re: Millardair hangar question???

Post by Siddley Hawker »

Overheard on YZ ground some years ago... :)

"Toronto ground, Millardair 231 with Brave, for the push."
"Ahhh.. Millardair 231 ground, say type of aircraft."
"Beech one eight."
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kilpicki
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Re: Millardair hangar question???

Post by kilpicki »

Only ever met 1 maintenance guy who started his career there, he said there were NO maintenance manuals and he personally felt like punching the guy in the face every time he saw him.
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fleet16b
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Re: Millardair hangar question???

Post by fleet16b »

I had the privilage of being in Mr Millard's office once
On the wall were pictures of the Hanger moving down the runway to it's new home.
Even in pictures it was quite a site
The office itself should almost be preserved in the NAM in Ottawa. It was a time capsule to his career
It is a shrine to an aviation pioneer and man that dedicated his life to that industry. By far one of the more interesting rooms I have ever been in.
All the old school guys are leaving us Carl Millard, Jim Legatt, the Leavens Boys, Ken Gamble, Herb Cunningham, Glen White, Reg Spence( thats just some in my area). Love them or hate them, they were all aviation characters in their own rights and if you sat down, shut up and listened to them for a bit , you would be surprised at the wealth of knowledge that they had.
Most on them at one time or another stood up to bureaucracy and to TC and fought the battles that the rest of us were scared to fight. They benifitted us all
Our aviation industry has nobody like that anymore and we are poorer for it. :(
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Last edited by fleet16b on Mon Mar 14, 2011 3:10 pm, edited 3 times in total.
...isn't he the best pilot you've ever seen?....Yeah he is ....except when I'm shaving.........
bizjets101
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Re: Millardair hangar question???

Post by bizjets101 »

Very good points, much appreciated post.

Incidentally, one of Carls' DC-4's C-GQIB was totally restored for the Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation.

Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation website
N500EJ.jpg
N500EJ.jpg (27.83 KiB) Viewed 10684 times
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Bushpilotdc8
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Re: Millardair hangar question???

Post by Bushpilotdc8 »

I was the co-pilot on the Hansa jet, dead sticking into Moncton, My name is Walter Keller, Cell phone 985-778-9132
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Moose47
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Re: Millardair hangar question???

Post by Moose47 »

My mother-in-law's oldest sister Edith, married Wayne Millard's mother's brother Tom Mitchell.

I found Della to be a wonderful lady. Really miss her.

Does anyone remember Scottie Archer while at Millardair? He flew the Dakota with the company and later joined the air force and became a pilot. He ended up as C.O. of 440 T&R Squadron at Yellowknife.

One of Carl's old Beech 18's was sold to Air 500 and was in a McCain's Cheeze Nibbler commercial.

Cheers...Chris
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bizjets101
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Re: Millardair hangar question???

Post by bizjets101 »

Carl's Hansa Jet . . .

Image
Millardair photos from Air Britain.
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Air500
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Re: Millardair hangar question???

Post by Air500 »

I am the founder of AIR 500.

I never purchased a Beech-18 from Millardair nor were any of my aircraft ever used in a McCain french fry commercial
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