Russell Francis Baker

Russell Francis Baker was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on January 31, 1910, where he was educated, and learned to fly at age 16. After completing two years of study at the University of Manitoba, he earned his Commercial Pilot's Licence and became a barnstorming pilot throughout the province. He moved to British Columbia in 1929 where he farmed until he joined Western Canada Airways as a pilot in 1937.

During his early years as a bush pilot, he completed numerous mercy flights resulting in the saving of human life. For several years prior to the outbreak of World War II, Baker worked with geophysical parties in the aerial prospecting of the northern British Columbia mountains, pioneering flights into areas never before entered by aircraft.

Bellanca CH-300, Pacemaker CF-BFC at Fort St. Johns, BC. 1937 - 41

Russ Baker in Canadian Airways Ltd Uniform. 1937

Junkers CF-AMZ and other aircraft at Fort Ware, BC. 1937

The United States military recognized his expertise and northern flying experience, and employed him for aerial survey work on the Alaska Highway. When several US bomber aircraft were forced to land in the northern mountains of the Yukon, he located them. Then, despite the difficulties of the terrain and the rigours of the winter weather, Baker flew out all of the survivors. He was awarded the United States Air Medal for this heroic and daring rescue in January 1942.

Baker became senior Captain and subsequently divisional superintendent with Canadian Pacific Airlines (CPA) at Whitehorse, working for his old friend, Grant McConchie. While with CPA he saw the potential for an air charter operation in north-central British Columbia. In 1946 he left CPA and organized his own company, Central B.C. Airways, at Fort St. James. Baker had a Beechcraft seaplane, and two employees. His first major contract was with the British Columbia Forest Service. In 1947 four more planes were added to meet the forest service's growing demands.

In 1948, the company purchased the first Beaver to roll off the assembly line at de Havilland Canada's plant at Downsview Airport, Ontario. Expansion of the Company continued at a rapid pace.

In 1951, Central B.C. Airways was the air service chosen by the Aluminum Company of Canada (Alcan) to provide the necessary air services for the prime contractor handling the construction of its multi-million dollar aluminum smelter complex at Kitimat and Kemano, Baker's company handled 95% of their air transport requirements for the next several years.

From 1949 on, Central B.C. Airways began to absorb smaller airlines. Most of these found success to be elusive as they struggled with the vagaries of weather, inhospitable terrain, and marginal profits.  Baker aimed to better serve the out-of-the-way points no other airline would handle. The firm subsequently acquired Kamloops Air Services, Skeena Air Transport, Associated Air Taxi, Whitehorse Flying Services, Queen Charlotte Airlines, Associated Airways, Aero Engineering Limited, and Airmotive Accessories Limited. This made his company Canada's third largest airline, after Trans-Canada Airlines and Canadian Pacific Air Lines. In 1953, he changed the name of his company to Pacific Western Airlines (PWA) and began operating a scheduled service from Vancouver to Kitimat.

In 1955, after taking over Queen Charlotte Airlines, Baker inaugurated air service to the Queen Charlotte Islands. Another event in 1955 which was important to PWA was the sub-contract signed with Associated Airways of Edmonton, owned by Tommy Fox, to haul freight to Western Arctic sites on the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line. In December of 1955, PWA took over Associated Airways in order to obtain the licences necessary to service the Central Canada Section of the Line. The success of the venture was, in great measure, due to the schedules maintained by PWA despite the extended hours of darkness, inclement weather, and lack of navigational facilities.

In 1957 PWA took over the prairie service of CPA in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Before his passing, Baker laid the groundwork for the many-times-daily airbus service between Calgary and Edmonton, and for the daily service from these centres to the rim of the Polar Sea and to the Arctic islands beyond.

Baker passed away in Vancouver, British Columbia on November 15, 1958, with his dreams unfulfilled of servicing on a scheduled basis every community which other carriers would not serve.

Russell Francis Baker was inducted as a Member of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 1975 at a ceremony held in Edmonton, Alberta.