Wings Beyond Road's End

Airplanes Over Saskatchewan's North
Click on the active links below to read the chapters
Introduction	Preface	Pioneers of the Air
Commercial Operations	The Industry Matures	The War Years
Sask. Gov't. Takes Wings	Aircraft Fly	Sask. Gov't. Competition
After Sask. Gov't Airways	Pilots and Engineers	Aviation in the North
Source Notes	Index Page	Bill Windrum
Lefty McLeod	Lefty Mcleod - Part 2	Lefty Mcleod - Part 3
Lefty McLeod - Part 4	Lefty Mcleod - Part 5	Lefty Mcleod - Part 6

Airplane engines first echoed over the lakes and forests of Northern Saskatchewan in the summer of 1924. In that year, the Royal Canadian Air Force flew the first aerial photography surveys over the region, making possible the first detailed maps of the area. Soon, airplanes were being used in forest fire suppression and playing a central role in the mineral exploration of northern Saskatchewan.

Wings Beyond Road's End recounts those early northern adventures and traces the many ways in which the airplane has helped develop northern Saskatchewan up to the present day. It looks at the ever-changing nature of flying operations as roads penetrated the north, and the continuing importance of aircraft in northern life today. And it tells of the brave and adventurous pilots, entrepreneurs, aircraft engineers, and others in the aviation industry who have played a vital role in opening the province's north.

Book jacket photograph Courtesy of Leonard Johnson. Book jacket design by Saskatchewan Education, Northern Division.

Wings Beyond Road's End

"Saskatchewan has an aviation history that is unmatched in other provinces. As one vital part of that history, this timely book catches the essence of bush flying in the province's north from its beginnings in the mid-1920s to the present day and 'beyond road's end.' Included are many personal vignettes that enhance the story, which would have been lost forever had they not been collected by John Finch and other researchers.

"The narrative will appeal to all ages and will hold one for hours for a 'good read,' or for those short moments, anecdotal bush flying memories from Saskatchewan's northlands will also provide enjoyment.

"Congratulations are due to Saskatchewan Education and the others who made a great effort to capture this most important part of Saskatchewan's aerial heritage."

Ray Crone

Aviation historian and author of many articles on flying in Saskatchewan.

All Saints Anglican Mission School Children of La Ronge pose with teacher. — All Saints Anglican Mission School Children of La Ronge
pose with teacher in front of M&C Aviation's Stinson "Lady Wildfire" in 1935.
Photograph courtesy of Anne Hryniuk.

Reverend Charlie Hives. — Rev. Charlie Hives and All Saints Anglican Mission staff
boarding Cherry Red Airlines Buhl biplane in 1929. Reverend Hives supervised the construction of All Saints Church in La Ronge in 1909 and later worked in the sawmill making lumber to rebuild the Mission School in 1921, after it was destroyed by fire. Photograph courtesy of Anne Hryniuk.

Pilot Carl Lind with Graham Nunn of La Ronge. — Pilot Carl Lind with Graham Nunn of La Ronge,
son of Revillon Freres fur trader Allan Nunn, on float of M&C Aviation's Fairchild FC-2 CF-ATG in the mid-1930s. This Fairchild was based at Emma Lake for M&c's northern flying. Photo courtesy of Anne Hryniuk.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

PrintWest Communications
1150 Eighth Avenue
Regina, Saskatchewan
S4R 1C9

Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Saskatchewan Education Wings beyond road's end: airplanes over Saskatchewan's north. 1. Aviation - Saskatchewan - History. 2. Bush pilots - Saskatchewan - History. I. Title. 629.13/097/12/41

A note on measurements: to prevent confusion, all measurements obtained from historical records have been converted to the metric system (SI), now in use in Canada.
Printed and bound in Canada

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