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Squawks & Headlines ✈ Original Air Canada Boeing 767-200 'Gimli Glider' For Sale! Can Be Yours For A Few Million

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Original Air Canada Boeing 767-200 'Gimli Glider' For Sale! Can Be Yours For A Few Million

Submitted
The Air Canada 767 that glided into the Gimli airstrip in 1983 is up for auction. (www.winnipegfreepress.com) More...

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EdwardJohnston
Edward Johnston 7
Looks like I'll be needing a huge loan from the bank! The Gimli Glider will be mine!
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jkudlick
Jeremy Kudlick 6
When ACA143 landed at Gimli, there was a drag race taking place on a different runway. Spectators first thought it was part of the show until the nose gear collapsed and the chutes were deployed.

It all stemmed from the fact that Canada had recently converted to the metric system, airlines measure fuel in weight, but the delivery contractors measured in volume, and the different conversion rates involved. The PIC and ground crew at CYUL used the wrong conversion factor, and then they used that same conversion factor again when fueling for the CYOW-CYEG leg. Luckily, the PIC was an experienced glider pilot (this sounds familiar...).
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nickpiszczek
nicholas piszczek 1
Folks operating there race vehicles could not here the aircraft on approach as it was a complete dead stick...scattered with seconds remaining...Its an all time great aviation story...there was no go around for that baby.
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andytyler
Andy Tyler -7
its what the canadians get for switching to the metric system
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Gropierre
Pierre Letourneau 7
Hi,
I think that NASA made such an error with a mission to Mars or the moon ( if my memory is good ) .
So it is not only the Canadians...
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NSGDC
Scott Keller 2
Good memory. It was the Mars Climate Orbiter. Tried to enter orbit at wrong angle and burned up.
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siriusloon
siriusloon 3
One person makes a mistake and it's "what the Canadians get"? That's OK, maybe one day you'll learn how to count to 10, too.
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donnaphdp
Donna Peterson 2
95% of the world uses the metric system. Hate to say it, but it's us probably in the wrong.
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nickpiszczek
nicholas piszczek 2
I think its quite hysterical that people get so upset with the metric system. The easiest measurement system ever developed. How could moving a decimal one way or the other be so troublesome. Amusing really.
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canuck44
John Donaldson 3
It is worth reading about this episode. The pilot pairing was fortunate with Pearson the PIC experienced at flying gliders and able to execute some maneuvers to lose altitude without sacrificing airspeed when coming in too high and Quintal the first officer had flown out of Gimli when it was an advanced training base for the RCAF.

Likewise when the gear was dropped using gravity, the nose wheel did not lock and collapsed on landing after Pearson burned out the brakes and tires of the main gear. This prevented the plane from running over the drag racers on the old runway.

Here is a video from the CBC archives from just a few days later which was a tribute to the durability of the aircraft shown taking off after temporary repairs at Gimli. The book Emergency in the Cockpit documents the whole episode and all the Air Canada ass covering that followed.

http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/science-technology/measurement/for-good-measure-canada-converts-to-metric/gimli-glider-lands-without-fuel.html
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grahbag
grahbag 3
That would be sweet, but I have nowhere to park it!
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vanstaalduinenj
Jon Van Staalduinen 2
Metric system is coming, sooner we accept the easier the transition begins
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dodger4
dodger4 1
One of the truly miraculous feats of the 20th century....landing a 67 without any power on the point of intended landing! Most pilots can't do it WITH power...:-)
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vanstaalduinenj
Jon Van Staalduinen 0
I can't believe the price tag, 2 million plus for a pretty much obsolete plane that's over 30 year old that would require a full "C" check to flu again.
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RobSJC
RobSJC 0
.. Move it with a temporary permit .. Just when the money tree ran dry ... darn it !! lol I'd turn it into a house in a heartbest, and have it repainted with TWA logo
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tomhines
Tom Hines 0
Almost all of you guys would spell better if you turned the spell "corrector" OFF!
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