Wilfred Leigh Brintnell
Encyclopedia
Wilfred Leigh Brintnell was a pioneering Canadian
aviator
.
Born at Belleville, Ontario
on August 27, 1895, Brintnell joined the Royal Flying Corps
(RFC) in Canada in 1917. A pilot, Brintnell instructed until his discharge in 1919, for the RFC at Fort Worth, Texas
; the Royal Air Force at Camp Borden, Ontario; and the RAF in Upavon
, England
. Thereafter, he served as a commercial pilot with various operations. In 1927, he took employment with Western Canada Airways
, quickly rising to the position of manager. He was involved in several historic events between 1928 and 1931, including piloting the first multi-engined return flight Winnipeg, Manitoba to Vancouver, British Columbia; the first flight around Great Bear Lake
; and the first over-the-mountains flight from Aklavik, Northwest Territories
to Dawson City, Yukon Territory. He also flew an historic 9,000 mile trip from Winnipeg across the Northwest Territories to Alaska. He left Canadian Airways Limited, the successor company of Western Canada Airways, soon after being appointed assistant general manager in 1931 so that he could form the Mackenzie Air Service Limited in Edmonton, Alberta. He sold the company to the Canadian Pacific Railway Company in 1940, but stayed on to help expand that business into Canadian Pacific Airlines
. During World War II
, he became a manager at Aircraft Repair Limited, overseeing the effort to maintain Canadian military aircraft, for which service he was created an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.)
Civil in 1946. After the war, he first managed Northwest Industries Limited at Edmonton before, in 1952, operating aerial photographic business Arctic Air Lines. He died at Edmonton, Alberta on January 22, 1971, and was inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame in 1976.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
.
Born at Belleville, Ontario
Belleville, Ontario
Belleville is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County, but is politically independent of it. and the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region...
on August 27, 1895, Brintnell joined the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
(RFC) in Canada in 1917. A pilot, Brintnell instructed until his discharge in 1919, for the RFC at Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
; the Royal Air Force at Camp Borden, Ontario; and the RAF in Upavon
Upavon
Upavon is a rural village in the English County of Wiltshire, England. As its name suggests, it is on the upper portions of the River Avon which runs from the north to the south through the village. It is situated about south of Pewsey, about southeast of the market town of Devizes, and about ...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Thereafter, he served as a commercial pilot with various operations. In 1927, he took employment with Western Canada Airways
Canadian Airways
Canadian Airways was an airline formed when Western Canadian Airways bought out Commercial. It operated through the 1930s until it was purchased by Canadian Pacific Air Lines in 1941, carrying passengers on mail planes into smaller communities.-History:James Armstrong Richardson established WCA in...
, quickly rising to the position of manager. He was involved in several historic events between 1928 and 1931, including piloting the first multi-engined return flight Winnipeg, Manitoba to Vancouver, British Columbia; the first flight around Great Bear Lake
Great Bear Lake
Great Bear Lake is the largest lake entirely within Canada , the third or fourth largest in North America, and the seventh or eighth largest in the world...
; and the first over-the-mountains flight from Aklavik, Northwest Territories
Aklavik, Northwest Territories
Aklavik is a hamlet located in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Until 1961, the community served as the regional administrative centre for the territorial government...
to Dawson City, Yukon Territory. He also flew an historic 9,000 mile trip from Winnipeg across the Northwest Territories to Alaska. He left Canadian Airways Limited, the successor company of Western Canada Airways, soon after being appointed assistant general manager in 1931 so that he could form the Mackenzie Air Service Limited in Edmonton, Alberta. He sold the company to the Canadian Pacific Railway Company in 1940, but stayed on to help expand that business into Canadian Pacific Airlines
Canadian Pacific Airlines
Canadian Pacific Air Lines was a Canadian airline that operated from 1942 to 1987. It operated under the name CP Air from 1968 to 1986...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he became a manager at Aircraft Repair Limited, overseeing the effort to maintain Canadian military aircraft, for which service he was created an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.)
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
Civil in 1946. After the war, he first managed Northwest Industries Limited at Edmonton before, in 1952, operating aerial photographic business Arctic Air Lines. He died at Edmonton, Alberta on January 22, 1971, and was inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame in 1976.