Dug out from the archives, I took this photo some time in the mid-1990’s. This Air Canada Boeing 747-200 was obviously captured with a film camera but the quality comes out pretty good (despite the heat shimmer coming off the runways.
This was at a time when you could approach the chain link fence on the south side of the airport. Now, the area is built up and, for the most part, is off limits. Not long after, Air Canada got rid of their B742’s. They did keep Boeing 747-400 models in the fleet (some inherited from Canadian Airlines) until 2005.
C-GAGC Air Canada Boeing 747-200
I’m going with about 95% accuracy that the fin number on the top of that tail is 308. That makes this aircraft C-GAGC, one of three Boeing 747-200 aircraft that AC flew.
This aircraft took it’s first flight on October 4, 1977. The jumbo jet was delivered to Qantas in Australia on October 27, 1977 as VH-ECA. The airline named it ‘City of Sale’.
On August 11, 1988, this B742 joined the Air Canada fleet. It was then retired and flown one last flight to Mojave on January 29, 1999. It’s two siblings were also sent to pasture at the same time.
Boeing 747-200
The first Boeing 747-200 entered service in February, 1971. Production ended in 1991 with 393 built in total. Of the 393, 225 were the Boeing 747-200B.
This airliner was 70.66 metres or 232 feet in length. This measurement is the same from the Boeing 747-100 to the Boeing 747-400. The wingspan was 59.6 metres or 196 feet. At the tail, it stood 19.3 metres or 63 feet in height. The flight range was 12,150 kilometres.
About Air Canada
Air Canada was founded as Trans Canada Air Lines in 1937. The name was officially switched on January 1, 1965. There are over 170 aircraft in the main fleet (including Air Canada Jetz and Air Canada Cargo) with nearly 320 when subsidiaries are included. The largest in the fleet is the Boeing 777-300ER. The airline flies to over 220 destinations around the world (350 with subsidiaries included).
Headquartered at the Air Canada Centre on the grounds of Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) in Dorval, Quebec, the airline is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Other founding members include Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways and United Airlines. There are now 26 full member airlines worldwide.
Headquartered at the Air Canada Centre on the grounds of Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) in Dorval, Quebec, the airline is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Other founding members include Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways and United Airlines. There are now 26 full member airlines worldwide.
See more aircraft at our Air Canada Fleet Page.
Access all our featured aircraft at the Airplane Index Page.