Frederick Ronald Kearns

Frederick Ronald Kearns was born on March 11, 1924 in Quyon, Quebec, the sixth of twelve children. He joined the RCAF in August 1942, one of 5 brothers to serve in the armed forces. By age 20 he was flying Spitfires with No. 443 Squadron in Europe, where he flew 140 operational sorties in nine months, serving with distinction.

After the war he attended McGill University's School of Commerce. He continued to serve with the RCAF on weekends as a Vampire jet pilot with No. 401 'City of Westmount' Auxiliary Squadron.

He joined Canadair in 1949 as a time-keeper. He worked his way up in accounting to become Vice-President and Comptroller in 1957, and in 1965, at age 41, he was made President and CEO.

Co-workers described Kearns as a tremendous visionary, the person who provided most of the drive at Canadair. Combining his fighter pilot's keenness and determination with his training as an accountant, he established Canadair as a world class aircraft design and manufacturing firm. While President, he oversaw a number of key projects, including the CL-41 Trainer, the CL-215 Water Bomber, the CL-89 and 289 Short Range Reconnaissance Drones, and the CL-600 Challenger Business Jet.

The CL-215 Water Bomber is one example of a unique product that would not have existed but for Kearns' strong determination to get approval for the project from Canadair's parent company General Dynamics. The Water Bomber is a world-wide success and is still being manufactured.

The aerospace industry was experiencing tough times through the late 1960's and 1970's. Canadair, owned by US-based General Dynamics, had completed several substantial military contracts after the war, but there were no large projects ahead. Kearns worked tirelessly to create revenue by bringing in sub-contracts for major component manufacture for Lockheed and Boeing. Canadair sales declined to $40 million in 1973 and by 1975 staff was below 2000 from 10,000 in 1969. There were no new contracts on the horizon. Kearns knew they had to seek new markets on their own if they were to survive, but foreign ownership restrictions and banks unwilling to invest were huge roadblocks. For over a year he lobbied the Federal Government to buy Canadair from the US-owned company and finally succeeded.

The Canadian government bought Canadair early in 1976. But a new owner wasn't enough. Kearns needed a new business model that elevated Canadair from a sub-contractor and military supplier into a manufacturer of leading edge technology in the commercial aircraft market.

He reviewed industry sales figures and identified a trend of healthy business jet sales despite the energy crisis. He began to search for a viable business jet concept, and conferred with Bill Lear, famous for his Learjet series. He had the full support of Canadair's top engineer, Harry Halton, to develop a new business jet. They would go ahead.

Kearns made the biggest decision of his life when he ordered the Challenger into production. Engineers began designing the first wide-bodied business jet, state-of-the-art with its widened fuselage and supercritical wing. It was the most exciting civilian aircraft program Canada had seen. The first prototype took off at Montreal in 1978, and testing of the CL-600 began.

Certification of this ground breaking new technology took longer than anticipated: it took nearly two years for the Challenger 600 to receive Canadian and US approval. Modifications were called for, schedules delayed, and finances were severely strained by delays and when interest rates soared to 18%. Only Kearns' extraordinary determination in the face of long odds, and his belief in the people behind a great product, kept the company going. He relied on the dedication and tireless efforts of many production, engineering and flight-test personnel to make this Canadian dream a reality.

The last major product developed during Kearns' tenure, the Challenger, is now a complete technical and financial success. Since the struggle of the early development days, the Challenger has now sold over 750 aircraft that still generates annual sales of over $680 million. The Challenger has spawned derivative aircraft such as the Regional Jet and Challenger 300, which have sold an additional 1800 aircraft. The 2000 jobs at risk in 1975 were, in five short years, redirected into producing a product that is still in production 30 years later, and that transformed the Canadian aerospace industry, creating thousands of new jobs at Canadair and the new Canadian supply base that emerged.

The fact that Canada's aerospace industry can now justifiably assert that its jet transport products are the best and most technologically advanced in the world is because of this one man, Fred Kearns. While others have helped from the outset and have since developed the products to their present level of excellence, in the end it was the man with the dedication and faith in Canadian enterprise who made it all possible.

Kearns retired in June 1983, after 34 years of service. Canadair was later sold to Bombardier, but Kearns' legacy continues. The original Challenger will always be known as the first business jet to fly faster, quieter and farther than any of its competitors. Today, the Challenger 604 series is the world's best selling jet in its class.

In 1981 Kearns received the prestigious C.D. Howe Award (CASI) which recognizes achievement and leadership in Canadian aeronautics and space activities. In part, the citation read:

"Mr. Kearns has been the driving force behind the transformation of Canadair from a relatively unknown manufacturer of military aircraft designed by other companies to an internationally recognized and highly regarded manufacturer of commercial aircraft of its own design and world leader in unmanned surveillance systems ...He has been and is a strong believer that Canada can compete successfully in international markets and has maintained a continuing effort to this end with Canadian businessmen."

Kearns was a member of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Montreal Board of Trade. He served as Director on several Boards, including the Air Industries Association of Canada (AIAC), the Canada-China Trade Council, and St. Mary's Hospital. He was an Honorary Director of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame for several years.

Two of the most important aircraft in Fred Kearns' life were the Challenger and the Spitfire. When he was to be presented with his former Squadron's Standard in 1981, Kearns organized a 'Spitfire Event' with actor Cliff Robertson's Spitfire in Montreal. Many former WWII Squadron pilots attended, making this very memorable occasion for him.

Fred Kearns and his family made their home in Montreal, but he died at age 63 in London, Ontario on November 14, 1987 of complications following a liver transplant.

Frederick Ronald Kearns was inducted as a Member of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame at ceremonies held in Toronto on May 28, 2008 at a ceremony held in Toronto, Ontario.