We are aiming to provide as accurate and consistent a document as we can manage - a document that will detail every known Canadian civil aircraft registration, allotted either officially or unofficially; the result is a series of searchable databases. The Index lists all known registrations, listing aircraft type and manufacturer’s serial number, when the registration was allotted and deleted, and its immediate and subsequent identities (if any). From the Index you will be able to access a detailed history of those registrations for which we have that information. In the near future we will include a photo database that will attempt to offer photographs of each registration listed in the database. Almost all the information comes from official sources which are in the public domain.
Our initial, modest offering is the registration range FDAA/FDZZ. The plan is then to add the following, roughly in the order listed:
- The remainder of the CF-/C-F series.
- The C-G series.
- The C-I series.
- The old Newfoundland Register (VO-).
- The G-CA series.
- The old Air Board G-CY series (1920-1922 only).
- The ACV (air cushion vehicle) CH- series.
- The NATO series (SLN- and LHR-).
- Miscellaneous non-regular registrations, e.g. Provincial Institutes of Technology etc.
This is, obviously, a multi-year project! The ranges currently available will be updated on the Registration Search screen.
Many people have asked the question “Why are you doing this?" The answer is simple: there is no single source where this information can be found. The late John Ellis published his lists of the aircraft of the G-CA.. register, and then the CF-... register (up to 1945) in the late 1960's. Transport Canada (and the earlier Department of Transport) published the Canadian Civil Aircraft Register (both in printed form and on microfiche) at regular intervals from 1955 to 1995. However, these are, at best, snapshots of the register on a given day. Currently, Transport Canada maintains an online database that is available to the public, but even Transport Canada itself would admit that the accuracy of the earlier entries (before around 1995) is suspect.
Originally the team consisted of Mike Ody (in Brampton, ON) and myself, Terry Judge (in Ottawa, ON). Mike’s interest was in producing a master list of all Canadian civil aircraft registrations showing the registration, aircraft type and manufacturer’s serial number. My interest was at the opposite end of the spectrum, creating histories of individual registrations, carrying on from the late John Ellis. At that time we just carried on an interesting correspondence, and it was not until later that we realized that our two projects dove-tailed, and even later when the thought of creating a website occurred to us.
Mike Ody then brought Jim Tyerman (Sherwood Park, AB) on board. Jim’s contribution was his own research which added dates and prior and subsequent identities to Mike’s list, and also added many more detailed histories. Mike’s sudden death in 2011 caused the project to stumble for awhile. After a chance meeting with John Rodney at Library and Archives Canada, here in Ottawa, John was persuaded to take on the task of soliciting the gift of photos and their subsequent scanning for use on the website.
The memory of Mike Ody’s enthusiasm, cheerfulness and constant, gentle prodding at my procrastination has kept the project going through the difficult times since his death. Thank you Mike.
Although we have attempted to provide accurate information, errors are bound to have crept in. Also, the data is often the result of our interpretation of what is in the files. Consequently, visitors who use any of this material do so at their own risk.
Canada is fortunate that large amounts of historical material have been deposited with Library and Archives Canada. But even so, there are gaps in the historical record.
For the more contemporary data, extensive use has been made of the Air-Britain News consolidation of the Transport Canada website databases.
Individual contributors are (in alphabetical order and very incomplete): Barry Collman, Rod Digney, Terry Judge, Ian Macdonald, Larry Milberry, Mike Ody, Jim Tyerman.