Joseph Fernand Henley

Joseph Fernand (Frank) Henley, CM, was born December 8, 1922 in Marsoui, Quebec, on the north shore of the Gaspe peninsula. He attended Gaspe Seminary, affiliated with Laval University, and at the Provincial Institute of Mines at Haileybury, Ontario, affiliated with the University of Toronto, he graduated with a certificate in Mining and Surveying.

In 1941 he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and graduated in August 1942 as a pilot, receiving his officer's commission. He was soon labelled with the nickname of "Frank." After completion of flying training, he qualified as a flying instructor at St. Hubert, Quebec.

In 1943, Frank trained to serve in antisubmarine patrol. Now a Flight Lieutenant, in 1943 he joined RCAF No. 161 Squadron in Halifax, flying the twin-engined Douglas Digby and the amphibian Consolidated Canso. In 1944 he was trained to fly the four-engined Consolidated 'B-24 Liberator, then was posted to No. 10 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron in Gander, Newfoundland, flying sweep flights to locate submarines in the North Atlantic. On September 21, 1945, F/L Henley received his discharge, having flown 1,942 hours with the RCAF.

From October 1947 to January 1951, he flew bush flying operations with three Quebec companies: Gold Belt Air Service Ltd., A. Fecteau Transport Aerien, and Northern Wings Ltd. In the summer of 1950 for Northern Wings, Frank flew personnel in aerial mapping on the Labrador coast for the Geodetic Survey of Canada.

In 1951 Frank joined Maritime Central Airways Ltd., (MCA) based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. By 1954 he was senior captain for MCA, responsible for northern base operations, particularly in connection with contracts for the Distant Early Warning Line, when radar sites were built across the Canadian Arctic. In 1955 he became director of MCA's transatlantic charter operations based at Dorval, Quebec.

In August 1956, he was appointed general manager of two air services, Boreal Airways Ltd. and Mont Laurier Aviation, both owned by MCA. In 1957 Frank amalgamated the two companies as Nordair Ltd. Under his leadership, Nordair improved air service to the eastern Arctic, providing scheduled flights from Montreal to serve Roberval, Fort Chimo and Frobisher Bay, using Douglas DC-3 and DC-4 aircraft. In 1961, with Lockheed Super Constellation aircraft, flights were extended to Resolute Bay, 1200 miles north of Frobisher Bay. In the mid-1960s Frank chose the Boeing 737-200 for trans-border charter flights and scheduled service between Montreal and the eastern Northwest Territories.

Nordair operated from 1957 to 1987, and provided international flights for transatlantic passenger and freight charters. Headquartered in Montreal, in 1987 the company was purchased by Canadian Pacific Air Lines (CPA). It in turn was purchased by Pacific Western Airlines, which became Canadian Airlines, while Nordair's turboprop operations were absorbed into Inter-Canadien, which operated until 1999.

From 1972 to 1983, Frank Henley acted as executive consultant for Hydro-Quebec Societe d'Energie de la Bate James (SEBJ) in connection with the James Bay Hydroelectric Project. His responsibilities included definition of operating standards, selection of airport and heliport sites, development of communication and navigation systems, and general managing of cargo and passenger transport.

In 1983, Frank was appointed Quebecair Vice President of Operations. From 1985 until his retirement in 1990, he was president of his own company, Zenith Aviation Inc., providing consulting service and supplying aircraft equipment, plus service for small private and commercial aircraft. By retirement in 1990, he had flown 31 types of aircraft for a total of 17,752 hours.

In 2000, Frank was awarded the Trans-Canada (McKee) Trophy by the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute (CASI). The trophy is the oldest and most prestigious aviation award in Canada, established in 1927. In 2002, he was inducted into the Quebec Aviation Hall of Fame (Fondation Aerovision Quebec). In 2004, Frank was honoured again when he was invested as a Member of the Order of Canada.

On December 23, 1944, Frank married Blanche Montminy and today their home is in Sainte-Genevieve, Quebec. Frank's varied and impressive career spans nearly a half-century in Canadian military and civil aviation.

Joseph Fernand 'Frank' Henley passed away peacefully on May 4, 2021 at the age of 98 at the Veteran's Hospital in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec.

Frank Henley was inducted as a Member of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame at ceremonies held on May 30, 2013 at a ceremony held in Ottawa, Ontario.