Walter Warren Fowler

Walter Warren (Walt) Fowler was born in Sackville, New Brunswick, on September 8, 1906. In 1928 he earned a Commercial Pilot's Certificate at the Jack Elliot Flying School in Hamilton, Ontario, under the instruction of Len Tripp. International Airways in St.-Laurent, Quebec, hired him as a mechanic in 1929 and transferred him to Windsor, Ontario, attending to air mail service aircraft and supplying hourly weather reports over teletype. Fowler's desire to become a professional pilot led him to undertake two additional jobs that summer: instructing students, and working as night mechanic for the Windsor Flying Club.

In 1929, when International Airways merged with Canadian Airways Limited, Fowler was assigned to Detroit, Michigan, the terminus of Canadian Airway's air mail service to Detroit-Windsor. The following year he was moved to Moncton, New Brunswick, as pilot mechanic for the Magdalen Island and Prince Edward Island air services and given operational command of the Moncton Flying Club.

His exceptional flying abilities qualified him to attend an instructor's course with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) at Camp Borden Military Base, Ontario. On graduation in 1930 he was named Superintendent of the Maritime Region for Canadian Airways, and instructor for the Moncton Flying School. Two years later he was based at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, a time in which the company's Maritime routes were upgraded to daily service. During this period he flew scheduled passenger flights between Montreal, Moncton and Charlottetown, and earned his Air Engineer's Licence. Again, Fowler's abilities were recognized by his appointment to the first civilian instrument flying course offered by the RCAF at Camp Borden in 1933.

Bush flying operations out of Senneterre, Quebec, for Canadian Airways were placed under his command in 1937, when he took over the base from Paul Davoud. This base was used to provide service to northeastern Ontario and northern and central Quebec. A considerable number of emergency flights were carried out from this base. In October 1937, Fowler resigned his position after ten years with the company. He then applied for a position with Trans-Canada Airlines (TCA). He reported to TCA in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and was one of the first six pilots to take flight training. His first line flight was in a Lockheed Electra on November 9, 1937.

With TCA, Fowler flew every Canadian route, including a number of inaugural flights, one being their first scheduled passenger flight between Montreal and Moncton. Named Flight Superintendent of TCA's Atlantic region 1939, he was transferred to Moncton and became familiarly known as 'Mr. TCA'. In 1942 he inaugurated the Moncton-St. John's, Newfoundland, air service, linking Canada with that island.

In June 1940, he was assigned to TCA's war-time ferry service, flying aircraft into Canada from various American manufacturers to be used at the RCAF training base at Trenton, Ontario. At this time as well, he used his exceptional skills in instrument flight to train American pilots who were scheduled to ferry aircraft across the North Atlantic to the United Kingdom. During this same period he continued his regular scheduled flights with TCA.

In March 1944, Fowler was transferred to Winnipeg as Assistant General Manager and gradually eased himself out of professional flying. The senior appointments that followed utilized his superior knowledge of air operations in the Maritimes, until he became General Manager of the Atlantic region in August 1969.

He retired in 1971 after logging some 10,000 pilot-in-command hours in 41 aircraft types, from World War I trainers to four-engine airliners, without injury to passenger or crew. Fowler died in Moncton, New Brunswick on January 19, 1986.

Fowler always said that bush flying was the most interesting type of flying he ever did, particularly flying on floats.

"Fuel would be cached at various locations, and each lake was like landing at a new airport. We had to study from the air any ridges, rocks and reefs under the surface of the water which would make landings and takeoffs hazardous. Calm waters presented their own problems, and there were many tricks of the trade in getting off with a loaded aircraft, and of landing under various conditions. The pilot is on his own, and an aircraft would have to be overdue for three days before a search would be started. Each had his emergency rations and equipment, and was left very much on his own."

Walter Warren (Walt) Fowler was inducted as a Member of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 1974 at a ceremony held in Edmonton, Alberta.