John Leroy Erickson tells about
his pilot-life
John Leroy Erickson was about 20-21 years old, when he joined the Air Force in Canada and got his training.
John Leroy Erickson with models of two of many planes he has handled. Left Bristol Britannia, and right Lancaster B.I.
WEST VANCOUVER: John stayed in the Air Force for seven years, and that seven years, that included a year in the reserve, after the regular Air Force, really six years.
- I flew mainly in Canada during that time, then I got out of the Air Force. I wanted to go flying in the commercial airline. But it was no jobs, nobody was hiring. So I joined the Air Force in 1959, John says to interviewer and cousin Svein Helge Falstad in his flat in Seastrand high-rise building, at 11th story, Wednesday 22 July, 2026.
Learn to be an officer
And which base was that from, the interviewer asked.
- Well, I joined in Vancouver, signed up here, then I had to go to London, Ontario, for two months training.
There John had to learn to be an officer and learn how to march and salute.
- Then I was selected there and I was selected to take pilot training, I could have been selected to be a mechanic, but I was selected for pilot training and that's what I wanted, John smiles.
And then they sent him to Calgary for nine months, for training, basic training.
- I flew mainly in Canada during that time, then I got out of the Air Force. I wanted to go flying in the commercial airline. But it was no jobs, nobody was hiring. So I joined the Air Force in 1959, John says to interviewer and cousin Svein Helge Falstad in his flat in Seastrand high-rise building, at 11th story, Wednesday 22 July, 2026.
Learn to be an officer
And which base was that from, the interviewer asked.
- Well, I joined in Vancouver, signed up here, then I had to go to London, Ontario, for two months training.
There John had to learn to be an officer and learn how to march and salute.
- Then I was selected there and I was selected to take pilot training, I could have been selected to be a mechanic, but I was selected for pilot training and that's what I wanted, John smiles.
And then they sent him to Calgary for nine months, for training, basic training.
The aeroplane John startet training on, was an Harvard. The North American Harvard is a legendary single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used extensively during World War II and the postwar era. Known as the T-6 Texan in US service, it earned the nickname "The Pilot Maker" because most Allied military pilots trained in one before flying single-seat fighters or bombers
Always painted yellow
The aeroplane John was training on, was an Harvard. He got lots of pictures and has also a model of the plane.
- It's a standard training plane they used during the war, always painted yellow, single engine, 600 horsepower engine. That was at Calgary. I flew there for nine months.After Calgary, John went on. He didn't have the wings yet, so he had to go through another deal.
- The wings was a symbol for select what kind of aeroplane you're going to fly later on. At that time it was either fighter jets, and they were starting to put squadrons in Germany and France for NATO.
- So were you going to go in to jets, fly jet-fighters?
- No, I didn't want fighters, John replied.
Wanted older propellers
John wanted older aeroplanes transported with propellers.
- And I got my choice on that. Most of my colleges wanted to go jets, which was very good because I'd spend three years in Germany or France with NATO. But John knew he wanted to fly the big aeroplanes. Because eventually he wanted to fly airlines.
The aeroplane John was training on, was an Harvard. He got lots of pictures and has also a model of the plane.
- It's a standard training plane they used during the war, always painted yellow, single engine, 600 horsepower engine. That was at Calgary. I flew there for nine months.After Calgary, John went on. He didn't have the wings yet, so he had to go through another deal.
- The wings was a symbol for select what kind of aeroplane you're going to fly later on. At that time it was either fighter jets, and they were starting to put squadrons in Germany and France for NATO.
- So were you going to go in to jets, fly jet-fighters?
- No, I didn't want fighters, John replied.
Wanted older propellers
John wanted older aeroplanes transported with propellers.
- And I got my choice on that. Most of my colleges wanted to go jets, which was very good because I'd spend three years in Germany or France with NATO. But John knew he wanted to fly the big aeroplanes. Because eventually he wanted to fly airlines.
During five months in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, John learned to fly twin-engine aeroplanes, two different ones. LEFT: Beechcraft Expeditor Canadian Warplane and RIGHT: the North American B-25 Mitchell bomber.
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During five months in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, John learned to fly twin-engine aeroplanes, two different ones. LEFT: Beechcraft Expeditor Canadian Warplane and RIGHT: the North American B-25 Mitchell bomber.
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- So I was picked to fly prop aeroplanes, older ones, then to Saskatoon. So that was, let's see, April, May, June, July, August, the soon 95 years old says, with a big smile in his face.
The B-25 Mitchell
During five months in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, John learned to fly twin-engine aeroplanes, two different ones.
- A small twin-engine one, we called it a Beechcraft Expeditor. It held about seven or eight passengers, twin-engine. And it's used quite a bit commercially.
And then John got a bigger plane:
- I got the North American B-25 Mitchell bomber. It flew for the very first time on August 19, 1940. Mitchellon the B-25 bomber, John says, and looks at me.
- You thinking of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress? That's a big one, pretty good performance, and he adds:
- The Boeing B-52 is the big one that they use still. It's 70 years now, since it entered active service in the US military. The smaller B-25 Mitchell, was used in bombing World War II, John says, and adds that B-25 had pretty high performance, and hadd high speed.
The B-25 Mitchell
During five months in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, John learned to fly twin-engine aeroplanes, two different ones.
- A small twin-engine one, we called it a Beechcraft Expeditor. It held about seven or eight passengers, twin-engine. And it's used quite a bit commercially.
And then John got a bigger plane:
- I got the North American B-25 Mitchell bomber. It flew for the very first time on August 19, 1940. Mitchellon the B-25 bomber, John says, and looks at me.
- You thinking of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress? That's a big one, pretty good performance, and he adds:
- The Boeing B-52 is the big one that they use still. It's 70 years now, since it entered active service in the US military. The smaller B-25 Mitchell, was used in bombing World War II, John says, and adds that B-25 had pretty high performance, and hadd high speed.
RCAF 405 Squadron Lancaster 10MP Maritime Patrol aircraft in February 1953. Beginning in 1946, Lancaster Mk Xs were modified for service with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Fourteen were modified to perform aerial and photo-reconnaissance missions; these would go on to perform much of the mapping of northern Canada until as late as 1962. Throughout the 1950s, the RCAF operated seventy modified Lancasters, designated Lancaster 10MR/MPs, as Maritime Reconnaissance and Patrol aircraft in an anti-submarine role. Modifications involved the installation of radar and sonobuoy operators' positions, removal of the rear and mid-upper gun turrets, installation of a 400-gallon fuel tank in the bomb bay to increase the patrol range, upgraded electronics, radar, and instrumentation, and a cooking stove in the centre section.[133] They served throughout the 1950s, when they were supplemented by the Lockheed Neptune and finally replaced by the Canadair Argus.
Chasing submarines
So then John was sent to Winnipeg where there's a navigation training school, where they train navigators for the Canadian Air Force and also NATO.
- NATO sent young guys to be navigators, they went to Winnipeg. NATO pilots out of England, Germany, France, and the other countries in NATO. I flew there for about a year and a half, the twin-engine aeroplane. And you flew one pilot, which was very good, good experience.
John did that, and then later on, he move on. He was still consider training at that point.
- But now I had to go on a real squadron. So okay, they picked me to fly the anti-submarine work. I said Okay. For chasing submarines, they used Lancasters. John was flying Lancasters to search for submarines on both coasts, west coast and east coast of Canada.
So then John was sent to Winnipeg where there's a navigation training school, where they train navigators for the Canadian Air Force and also NATO.
- NATO sent young guys to be navigators, they went to Winnipeg. NATO pilots out of England, Germany, France, and the other countries in NATO. I flew there for about a year and a half, the twin-engine aeroplane. And you flew one pilot, which was very good, good experience.
John did that, and then later on, he move on. He was still consider training at that point.
- But now I had to go on a real squadron. So okay, they picked me to fly the anti-submarine work. I said Okay. For chasing submarines, they used Lancasters. John was flying Lancasters to search for submarines on both coasts, west coast and east coast of Canada.
John: - They picked me to fly the anti-submarine work. I said Okay. For chasing submarines, they used Lancasters.
Halifax or Komar
John had a choice of being east coast near Halifax or here on Vancouver Island, ahead of squadron at Komar. He trained there in Komar. After training there, he graduated there, and were on duty chasing subs.
- Most of our training was that we'd fly out over the Atlantic and so on. I remember one trip, we went all the way to Bermuda. Looking on a training mission, and finished there.John was there for about a year and a half together with a crew.
Like you stick with one crew and you go out on missions out over the Pacific looking for subs. And the Russians had subs out there. Yeah. You know, we spotted subs a few times. And we don't do anything. We don't drop any bombs on them. We're just observing. Yeah, it’s the same in Norway also. And then, of course, the base at Comox
John had a choice of being east coast near Halifax or here on Vancouver Island, ahead of squadron at Komar. He trained there in Komar. After training there, he graduated there, and were on duty chasing subs.
- Most of our training was that we'd fly out over the Atlantic and so on. I remember one trip, we went all the way to Bermuda. Looking on a training mission, and finished there.John was there for about a year and a half together with a crew.
Like you stick with one crew and you go out on missions out over the Pacific looking for subs. And the Russians had subs out there. Yeah. You know, we spotted subs a few times. And we don't do anything. We don't drop any bombs on them. We're just observing. Yeah, it’s the same in Norway also. And then, of course, the base at Comox
Search and rescue
Johns big broyher Lloyd was living in Vancouver, which he taought was nice. And all their relatives down at Mount Vernon, the Moes was close.
- So we're close to them, so I'd see them quite often. And Comox, of course, it's close to here. It's only 75 miles away. A nice climate like Vancouver. You get to Vancouver, you see. So that is a nice base to stay at. After some time in Comox, John got a call for more pilots needed on the Lancasters in St. John's, Newfoundland – the east coast of Canada. Close to Greenland.
- That's a very eastern tip of Canada for search and rescue in the Atlantic, John says. In Newfoundland, that's the last province. John and his crew came flying down there to St. John's, it's right on the Atlantic.
- The various parts you can go. And the base there, it's a very small base, he says with a smile.
Johns big broyher Lloyd was living in Vancouver, which he taought was nice. And all their relatives down at Mount Vernon, the Moes was close.
- So we're close to them, so I'd see them quite often. And Comox, of course, it's close to here. It's only 75 miles away. A nice climate like Vancouver. You get to Vancouver, you see. So that is a nice base to stay at. After some time in Comox, John got a call for more pilots needed on the Lancasters in St. John's, Newfoundland – the east coast of Canada. Close to Greenland.
- That's a very eastern tip of Canada for search and rescue in the Atlantic, John says. In Newfoundland, that's the last province. John and his crew came flying down there to St. John's, it's right on the Atlantic.
- The various parts you can go. And the base there, it's a very small base, he says with a smile.
The sole, Canadian-built, Lancaster B.XV/Lincoln B.XV.
Looking for fishing boats
The base in St. John's, Newfoundland, only had three aeroplanes, so John was there for the last two years on search and rescue.
- You know, looking over the Atlantic for fishing boats that are missing and on land. And any time there's a crash, if you're looking, search. That's your job. And a lot of them were over water, over the Atlantic, John says.
- And, you know, lots of fish boats and other pleasure boats go missing. That's our job, too. We try to find them. So that was my last job in the Air Force. John left the Air Force in 1956, and then he went into commercial flights.
- Yeah, fifty-six, but I stayed there for a couple years until fifty-eight. I got out of the Air Force in 1958. I had finished my term in St. John’s, and went back to Vancouver.
The base in St. John's, Newfoundland, only had three aeroplanes, so John was there for the last two years on search and rescue.
- You know, looking over the Atlantic for fishing boats that are missing and on land. And any time there's a crash, if you're looking, search. That's your job. And a lot of them were over water, over the Atlantic, John says.
- And, you know, lots of fish boats and other pleasure boats go missing. That's our job, too. We try to find them. So that was my last job in the Air Force. John left the Air Force in 1956, and then he went into commercial flights.
- Yeah, fifty-six, but I stayed there for a couple years until fifty-eight. I got out of the Air Force in 1958. I had finished my term in St. John’s, and went back to Vancouver.
Got no airline-job
John tells that when you get released, they pay your way to wherever you want to go in Canada. And Ihe joined British Columbia (BC), so they paid his way here.
- It happened I had a car, so they'll pay you to fly a commercial or they'll pay you to go on a train or they'll pay you to drive expenses to drive. Well, I drove. John is a “car-man”. At that time he had a Karmann Ghia.
- It was a Volkswagen with a body made by Karmann Ghia, just a two-seater, a nice coupe, sporty coupe, but it had a different body than the Volkswagen. It was made in Germany. And the Karmann Ghia was another company, italian, he remembers, and says:
- Beautiful little car. So I drove it when I came to Vancouver looking for a job. But there was no job for me, and a lot of other pilots at that time. I stopped across, you know, coming across Canada. I stopped at every airline. I wanted a job here in Canada.
John tells that when you get released, they pay your way to wherever you want to go in Canada. And Ihe joined British Columbia (BC), so they paid his way here.
- It happened I had a car, so they'll pay you to fly a commercial or they'll pay you to go on a train or they'll pay you to drive expenses to drive. Well, I drove. John is a “car-man”. At that time he had a Karmann Ghia.
- It was a Volkswagen with a body made by Karmann Ghia, just a two-seater, a nice coupe, sporty coupe, but it had a different body than the Volkswagen. It was made in Germany. And the Karmann Ghia was another company, italian, he remembers, and says:
- Beautiful little car. So I drove it when I came to Vancouver looking for a job. But there was no job for me, and a lot of other pilots at that time. I stopped across, you know, coming across Canada. I stopped at every airline. I wanted a job here in Canada.
John is a “car-man”. At that time he had a Karmann Ghia.
- It was a Volkswagen with a body made by Karmann Ghia, just a two-seater, a nice coupe, sporty coupe, but it had a different body than the Volkswagen.
Sorry, we're not hiring
Sorry, we're not hiring. That was the word that met John on his way home to Vancouver.
- The CP, Canadian Pacific, their headquarters was in Vancouver, and I'd been in touch with them already and had an interview. And I knew they weren't hiring, and so no hiring. So, okay, well, I joined the Air Force Reserve.John joined the Reserve, and that's where he can fly for that time.
- The Air Force Reserve has two squadrons in Vancouver. You fly on weekends a little bit just to keep in touch. The Reserve is sort of keep you flying so if there's another war you can go back in, and you wear the uniform, and you get a bit of pay. And then John, that year, went to university just to kill a year out there in Vancouver.
The first year he studiet the mandatory usual stuff.
- The first year, everybody takes the same. And Sister Evelyn, her husband, she was married by then, living in Edmonton. And the government sent her husband out to go to this university to get his degree in social work. He was a social worker. So they lived in a rented house right straight south on the shore in Vancouver.John stayed with Evelyns husband in the rented house, when they both were studying.
- I stayed there and went to university, and I flew in the Reserve as well. That paid enough to pay living expenses and going to university. Waiting and looking for a job. This was in 1958, and John was then around 25 – 26 years old.
Sorry, we're not hiring. That was the word that met John on his way home to Vancouver.
- The CP, Canadian Pacific, their headquarters was in Vancouver, and I'd been in touch with them already and had an interview. And I knew they weren't hiring, and so no hiring. So, okay, well, I joined the Air Force Reserve.John joined the Reserve, and that's where he can fly for that time.
- The Air Force Reserve has two squadrons in Vancouver. You fly on weekends a little bit just to keep in touch. The Reserve is sort of keep you flying so if there's another war you can go back in, and you wear the uniform, and you get a bit of pay. And then John, that year, went to university just to kill a year out there in Vancouver.
The first year he studiet the mandatory usual stuff.
- The first year, everybody takes the same. And Sister Evelyn, her husband, she was married by then, living in Edmonton. And the government sent her husband out to go to this university to get his degree in social work. He was a social worker. So they lived in a rented house right straight south on the shore in Vancouver.John stayed with Evelyns husband in the rented house, when they both were studying.
- I stayed there and went to university, and I flew in the Reserve as well. That paid enough to pay living expenses and going to university. Waiting and looking for a job. This was in 1958, and John was then around 25 – 26 years old.
John with a European car, maybe a French Simca 1100 cm3
Got a phonecall in April-58
And in April that year, Canadian Pacific (CP) phoned John.
- We got a job for you.CP hired three guys, all from the Air Force, and they had many guys furloughed. They called it laid off or furloughed. They had about 20 pilots that CP didn't need them, they laid them off.
- So they were all called back to work and the company, they hired three additional. And I got in that group. I was trained on a Douglas DC-6B, and it was considered as a big passanger airplane. Four engines and three-man crew.
- So you're trained, so you're the third man. And then I finished a course, and they said: John, you're finished a course, you're all set to start flying. But we need a guy in Montreal.John tells that one of their pilots, broke his leg. CP needed one temporarily, and they poinyed at him and said you're single. And that this could be a month or two or three.
And, you know, they didn't want to send a married guy with kids and so on. So you're single, how would you like to go to Montreal? All expensives paid. And away I went. And so my first job really was a temporary duty in Montreal. And the Montreal, Canadian Pacific, was a private airline.
And in April that year, Canadian Pacific (CP) phoned John.
- We got a job for you.CP hired three guys, all from the Air Force, and they had many guys furloughed. They called it laid off or furloughed. They had about 20 pilots that CP didn't need them, they laid them off.
- So they were all called back to work and the company, they hired three additional. And I got in that group. I was trained on a Douglas DC-6B, and it was considered as a big passanger airplane. Four engines and three-man crew.
- So you're trained, so you're the third man. And then I finished a course, and they said: John, you're finished a course, you're all set to start flying. But we need a guy in Montreal.John tells that one of their pilots, broke his leg. CP needed one temporarily, and they poinyed at him and said you're single. And that this could be a month or two or three.
And, you know, they didn't want to send a married guy with kids and so on. So you're single, how would you like to go to Montreal? All expensives paid. And away I went. And so my first job really was a temporary duty in Montreal. And the Montreal, Canadian Pacific, was a private airline.
Douglas DC-6B: Douglas DC-6 er et fly bygd av Douglas Aircraft Company fra 1946 til 1959. Flyet var egentlig tiltenkt rollen som et militært transportfly på slutten av andre verdenskrig, men ble redesignet etter krigen for å konkurrere mot Lockheed Constellation i markedet for propellmotorfly med lang rekkevidde. Mer enn 700 fly ble bygget, og flere flyr fortsatt som transportfly, militærfly eller som skogbrannfly.
Nobody goes to Santa Maria
CP didn't have very many routes. John tells that Air Canada was government, they had all the good routes.
- Air Canada had the real good ones. You know, like London and Frankfurt and where the money is. But CP, they had a few routes here and there. Well they had one that went from Montreal to Madrid. John went down with CP in Montreal. He had a couple of good friends in Montreal, other pilots, and they helped hom to find a good place to stay.
- So okay, started flying. And the route to Madrid was very nice. You went Montreal, Santa Maria. That's in Azores Island, Lisbon, Madrid. And you lay over two days in Madrid. And then the same route back. The route went into Santa Maria, a little island in the Azores Island. The reason they went in there was because they had had a bunch of earthquakes. Bad earthquakes back in the early 50s.
- Yeah. People were trying to get out of there. They want to come to Canada. So the government said: We'll give you a route to Madrid, but you've got to stop at Santa Maria. Well, nobody goes to Santa Maria, but there's a lot of traffic there. People, the government were letting them come.The government allowing so many of the people that have been put out of their homes in the earthquakes to come to Canada. Government said to CP, you can go in there once a week.
CP didn't have very many routes. John tells that Air Canada was government, they had all the good routes.
- Air Canada had the real good ones. You know, like London and Frankfurt and where the money is. But CP, they had a few routes here and there. Well they had one that went from Montreal to Madrid. John went down with CP in Montreal. He had a couple of good friends in Montreal, other pilots, and they helped hom to find a good place to stay.
- So okay, started flying. And the route to Madrid was very nice. You went Montreal, Santa Maria. That's in Azores Island, Lisbon, Madrid. And you lay over two days in Madrid. And then the same route back. The route went into Santa Maria, a little island in the Azores Island. The reason they went in there was because they had had a bunch of earthquakes. Bad earthquakes back in the early 50s.
- Yeah. People were trying to get out of there. They want to come to Canada. So the government said: We'll give you a route to Madrid, but you've got to stop at Santa Maria. Well, nobody goes to Santa Maria, but there's a lot of traffic there. People, the government were letting them come.The government allowing so many of the people that have been put out of their homes in the earthquakes to come to Canada. Government said to CP, you can go in there once a week.
Instruments in the cockpit of the DC-6.
Thought I'd died and gone to heaven
John says that it turned out so CP got on that run and did that. Montreal, Santa Maria, which was about an eight-hour flight. And then on to Lisbon. About a two-hour flight. And then another hour to Madrid.
- Both Lisbon and Madrid, of course, were good tourist destinations. But Santa Maria, that was more the immigrants. Okay, two days in Madrid, and God, I thought this is beautiful. Fantastic. Thought I'd died and gone to heaven, John said, and laughs.He was flying Douglas DC-6 with 70 passengers.
- It was a very good aeroplane. Then the same on the way back. So it was about a four-day trip.And also they had a run to Mexico City out of Montreal. So John used to do one to Madrid and back, and then a few days later he go to Mexico City and back. Mexico, Toronto, Montreal, Toronto, Mexico City.
- I was only supposed to be there in this job for CP a couple months, but it turned out it was a six-month job.Then I came back to Vancouver, and I was flying DC-6 on various routes in DC. And some overseas as well.
- Did you fly commercial flights from then and up to retirement?
- Yes. So anyway, I came back to Vancouver, flying domestic routes up into BC. And also some overseas trips. I got a trip to Honolulu and other places. And anyway, so I did that for about a year, a year and a half. And I was furloughed, laid off.
- What happened?
- It was because of a surplus of pilots laid off. Well, luckily, Lloyd was working in Edmonton with Pacific Western Airlines (PWA). And anyway, I got a job with PWA.
John says that it turned out so CP got on that run and did that. Montreal, Santa Maria, which was about an eight-hour flight. And then on to Lisbon. About a two-hour flight. And then another hour to Madrid.
- Both Lisbon and Madrid, of course, were good tourist destinations. But Santa Maria, that was more the immigrants. Okay, two days in Madrid, and God, I thought this is beautiful. Fantastic. Thought I'd died and gone to heaven, John said, and laughs.He was flying Douglas DC-6 with 70 passengers.
- It was a very good aeroplane. Then the same on the way back. So it was about a four-day trip.And also they had a run to Mexico City out of Montreal. So John used to do one to Madrid and back, and then a few days later he go to Mexico City and back. Mexico, Toronto, Montreal, Toronto, Mexico City.
- I was only supposed to be there in this job for CP a couple months, but it turned out it was a six-month job.Then I came back to Vancouver, and I was flying DC-6 on various routes in DC. And some overseas as well.
- Did you fly commercial flights from then and up to retirement?
- Yes. So anyway, I came back to Vancouver, flying domestic routes up into BC. And also some overseas trips. I got a trip to Honolulu and other places. And anyway, so I did that for about a year, a year and a half. And I was furloughed, laid off.
- What happened?
- It was because of a surplus of pilots laid off. Well, luckily, Lloyd was working in Edmonton with Pacific Western Airlines (PWA). And anyway, I got a job with PWA.
DC-8: Pacific Western Airlines (PWA) said to John, this is a big layoff. We're getting DC-8s. For every DC-8 we get, there's three DC-6s that we don't need. We just need fewer pilots.
Right up to the North Pole
Pacific Western Airlines (PWA) is based in Edmonton. They flew the Arctic. Right up to the North Pole.
- Okay, they needed someone. And okay, so I went in then. They said, yes, we'll hire you, but we only need you for a few months. So away I go. I go to Edmonton. So flew for four months. They're freight flights. They're all Arctic.
John also remembers The DEW Line (Distant Early Warning Line). A Cold War-era network of radar stations stretching across the Arctic high latitudes of North America.
- Okay, that's a big bunch of radars. Radar stations right across Canada. I think we had also later on some radars in Iceland and Norway. Canada built it. And the U.S. paid for a lot of it. So this airline flew supplies up to it, right on the Arctic Circle. And I did that for four months. And then the Canadian Pacific phone: - We need you back.
John came back and flew still in the DC-6. And by that time, he was flying some overseas routes, Honolulu and Sydney, Australia, New Zealand, and Buenos Aires as well.
- Not completely. It was sort of a mixture of local flights and international. And, yeah, that was good. And living in Vancouver, that was good. (21:09) And I lived right over there, actually. Near the university, at Point Grey.
John flew more, still in the DC-6. And then he was laid off again.
- No job. This time, I called in and they said: John, this is a big layoff. We're getting DC-8s. For every DC-8 we get, there's three DC-6s that we don't need. We just need fewer pilots. This could be a long, long one, they said.The company said to John that we want you back if we ever hire again and expand. Anyway, so it's going to be a bit of a long layoff. And other airlines weren't hiring.
Pacific Western Airlines (PWA) is based in Edmonton. They flew the Arctic. Right up to the North Pole.
- Okay, they needed someone. And okay, so I went in then. They said, yes, we'll hire you, but we only need you for a few months. So away I go. I go to Edmonton. So flew for four months. They're freight flights. They're all Arctic.
John also remembers The DEW Line (Distant Early Warning Line). A Cold War-era network of radar stations stretching across the Arctic high latitudes of North America.
- Okay, that's a big bunch of radars. Radar stations right across Canada. I think we had also later on some radars in Iceland and Norway. Canada built it. And the U.S. paid for a lot of it. So this airline flew supplies up to it, right on the Arctic Circle. And I did that for four months. And then the Canadian Pacific phone: - We need you back.
John came back and flew still in the DC-6. And by that time, he was flying some overseas routes, Honolulu and Sydney, Australia, New Zealand, and Buenos Aires as well.
- Not completely. It was sort of a mixture of local flights and international. And, yeah, that was good. And living in Vancouver, that was good. (21:09) And I lived right over there, actually. Near the university, at Point Grey.
John flew more, still in the DC-6. And then he was laid off again.
- No job. This time, I called in and they said: John, this is a big layoff. We're getting DC-8s. For every DC-8 we get, there's three DC-6s that we don't need. We just need fewer pilots. This could be a long, long one, they said.The company said to John that we want you back if we ever hire again and expand. Anyway, so it's going to be a bit of a long layoff. And other airlines weren't hiring.
Instruments in the cockpit of the DC-8.
Went over to London
John jumped in an aeroplane and went over to London, England.
- I did it initially, I wanted to see London, and wanted to spend a little time in London. And I had plenty of money, so there was no problem there. And I got to work and got my British pilot licence.He took a lot of “red tape”, the document and needed for flying in England. to know many strict rules, long forms, and slow steps required by an office or government. It is easy to get, but just a lot of red tape and so on.
- So I was over there a couple of months.John went to BOAC, British Airways. It's about 1963 or 1964. And okay, so he got his British pilot licence.
- And then looking for a job. And I was offered two or three jobs, but they weren't good ones. I didn't take them. Meantime he was enjoying London very much. A lovely city, he proclames.
- Then I answered an ad, “Pilots Wanted”, for an American charter airline. They only had three aeroplanes, and they had a contract in India.
The pilots would be based in New Delhi and so on. And you got to be qualified on a certain kind of aeroplane. So after a while, he took that job. And John was flying on that aeroplane.
- Okay, they gave me a ticket on Air India. Flew to India, and that was in March, March of about 1963, og I would say, 1964. I went to New Delhi, as co-pilot, I was a co-pilot on an aeroplane just like the DC-6, just a little smaller. But my DC-6 pilot licence covered that aeroplane.
John jumped in an aeroplane and went over to London, England.
- I did it initially, I wanted to see London, and wanted to spend a little time in London. And I had plenty of money, so there was no problem there. And I got to work and got my British pilot licence.He took a lot of “red tape”, the document and needed for flying in England. to know many strict rules, long forms, and slow steps required by an office or government. It is easy to get, but just a lot of red tape and so on.
- So I was over there a couple of months.John went to BOAC, British Airways. It's about 1963 or 1964. And okay, so he got his British pilot licence.
- And then looking for a job. And I was offered two or three jobs, but they weren't good ones. I didn't take them. Meantime he was enjoying London very much. A lovely city, he proclames.
- Then I answered an ad, “Pilots Wanted”, for an American charter airline. They only had three aeroplanes, and they had a contract in India.
The pilots would be based in New Delhi and so on. And you got to be qualified on a certain kind of aeroplane. So after a while, he took that job. And John was flying on that aeroplane.
- Okay, they gave me a ticket on Air India. Flew to India, and that was in March, March of about 1963, og I would say, 1964. I went to New Delhi, as co-pilot, I was a co-pilot on an aeroplane just like the DC-6, just a little smaller. But my DC-6 pilot licence covered that aeroplane.
DC-4: The Douglas DC-4 was a four-engine airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It flew as a military transport aircraft during World War II—designated the C-54 Skymaster—and as a passenger airliner for many airlines after the war.
New Dehli, Kabul and Kandahar
Air India had a freight contract, flying freight per Air India to Afghanistan. Kabul and Kandahar, that was the main routes.
John tells it was lots of freight, all freight, no passengers.
- The contries and people were quite friendly. So the flight to New Delhi, we had to stop in Pakistan for customs inspection, but the airline, they bought all our fuel in Pakistan, So they were going to stop in Pakistan anyway. So we went to New Delhi, Lahore in Pakistan, and it's a short flight, maybe 45 minutes, then on to Kabul, three hours or so over the mountains, and then into Kabul, unload the freight, after three or four hours, back to New Delhi, and a few days' work.John and the other pilots were put up in a very nice hotel in New Delhi, a luxury hotel, beautiful, he remembers.
- The Joka Hotel was government-owned, and it was quite new, beautiful, and had a swimming pool four times bigger than this one at Seastrand here. So that was very nice, the accommodation was very nice, food was good, so no problem there. And we got paid in, you could get paid in either American money or sterling, British money. I did this work for six months.On this job John flew a Douglas DC-4, smaller than a Douglas DC-6, and not pressurised. It is a wartime transport actually, a good aeroplane with four engines.
- That was a good aeroplane. We were flying in very hot weather. It was not a good aeroplane for hot weather, but anyway we did. So most of the flights were to Kabul and we had a few to Kandahar. Just in and out. After ta while John finished the job for Air India.
Air India had a freight contract, flying freight per Air India to Afghanistan. Kabul and Kandahar, that was the main routes.
John tells it was lots of freight, all freight, no passengers.
- The contries and people were quite friendly. So the flight to New Delhi, we had to stop in Pakistan for customs inspection, but the airline, they bought all our fuel in Pakistan, So they were going to stop in Pakistan anyway. So we went to New Delhi, Lahore in Pakistan, and it's a short flight, maybe 45 minutes, then on to Kabul, three hours or so over the mountains, and then into Kabul, unload the freight, after three or four hours, back to New Delhi, and a few days' work.John and the other pilots were put up in a very nice hotel in New Delhi, a luxury hotel, beautiful, he remembers.
- The Joka Hotel was government-owned, and it was quite new, beautiful, and had a swimming pool four times bigger than this one at Seastrand here. So that was very nice, the accommodation was very nice, food was good, so no problem there. And we got paid in, you could get paid in either American money or sterling, British money. I did this work for six months.On this job John flew a Douglas DC-4, smaller than a Douglas DC-6, and not pressurised. It is a wartime transport actually, a good aeroplane with four engines.
- That was a good aeroplane. We were flying in very hot weather. It was not a good aeroplane for hot weather, but anyway we did. So most of the flights were to Kabul and we had a few to Kandahar. Just in and out. After ta while John finished the job for Air India.
Bristol Britannia: British United Airways Bristol 175 Britannia 307 G-ANCD at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
Back in Canadian Pasific
John was back flying with CP and it was way after he was with Air India company.
- Job at Canadian Pasific (CP) is good and flying on the DC-6, but then they were getting a new aeroplane - The Britannia - Bristol Britannia. It is a bigger one than DC-6. Four engines, turboprop. When I say turboprop, they were jet engines, but with props. And they held, they used to carry 124 people in it.CP had eight of them and John got trained on the Britannia. And so they flew them, not as their main aeroplane. They had DC-8s, but this was also slower than a DC-8, but it was good for some runs. And like Tokyo, it would not, it would not stop to Tokyo and the same to Europe.
- Neither would stop to Europe, where as the DC-10 did all that nonstop. Britannia, you would stop. Britannia, they used to go Saunderstrom and Greenland. (PS: Sondrestrom (often spelled Saunderstrom in English) primarily refers to the former US airbase Sondrestrom Air Base in Greenland, which is now the civilian settlement and airport of Kangerlussuaq.)That was the standard stop. And to go to Tokyo, they would stop in Alaska someplace.
John didn't fly DC10, but got flying Boeing 737s.
- So I got trained on that and trained on that, and I liked that aeroplane. And then the airline leased two of them out to a British airline. John tells that The British airline wanted them. British Eagle was the name of the airline. They got them, right off the bat. Then British Eagle needed pilots.
- So they were over here getting the aeroplanes, and they mentioned the CP, you know, spread the word around that we need pilots, maybe just temporary, to fly this aeroplane. So I heard about it, and I said, ah, that is good. So the company let me go for leave of absence.
John was back flying with CP and it was way after he was with Air India company.
- Job at Canadian Pasific (CP) is good and flying on the DC-6, but then they were getting a new aeroplane - The Britannia - Bristol Britannia. It is a bigger one than DC-6. Four engines, turboprop. When I say turboprop, they were jet engines, but with props. And they held, they used to carry 124 people in it.CP had eight of them and John got trained on the Britannia. And so they flew them, not as their main aeroplane. They had DC-8s, but this was also slower than a DC-8, but it was good for some runs. And like Tokyo, it would not, it would not stop to Tokyo and the same to Europe.
- Neither would stop to Europe, where as the DC-10 did all that nonstop. Britannia, you would stop. Britannia, they used to go Saunderstrom and Greenland. (PS: Sondrestrom (often spelled Saunderstrom in English) primarily refers to the former US airbase Sondrestrom Air Base in Greenland, which is now the civilian settlement and airport of Kangerlussuaq.)That was the standard stop. And to go to Tokyo, they would stop in Alaska someplace.
John didn't fly DC10, but got flying Boeing 737s.
- So I got trained on that and trained on that, and I liked that aeroplane. And then the airline leased two of them out to a British airline. John tells that The British airline wanted them. British Eagle was the name of the airline. They got them, right off the bat. Then British Eagle needed pilots.
- So they were over here getting the aeroplanes, and they mentioned the CP, you know, spread the word around that we need pilots, maybe just temporary, to fly this aeroplane. So I heard about it, and I said, ah, that is good. So the company let me go for leave of absence.
John didn't fly DC10, but got flying Boeing 737s.
Flying troops to Singapore
Carabien P had plenty of pilots at the time, so John went over to fly with British Eagle on a six-month contract. He said, okay, I will come over, based in London.
- And they were flying they had a big contract flying troops to Singapore. So I wanted to see other parts of the world, so I took that job. Based in London, (which I really like, love it, and I was over there for six months. So flew a lot in England and a lot of flights to along the Spanish, you know, vacation deal along the Mediterranean down and back, lots of those.But also most of the flights were to Singapore, actually, John says, which h tought was very nice. They were about eight-day trips.
- You have been working for many companies, John?
- Yes, I have. This was the one with the British Eagle, that was very enjoyable. And another pilot from CP went over as well on that same deal.John were living in the same hous with five other guys, and he worked with a one of them. He was a supervisor with Air Canada, had an old stone house near Kew Gardens, and I stayed there for six months.
- Six guys in an old stone house, and it was really good. And I bought a car over there as well, so that was a fun job. I really enjoyed working with the British Eagle.John flew many eight-day trips to Singapore.
- You go to Istanbul, then Bombay, then Singapore, and a layover, a stop at like a day or two at those other places. Yeah, nice.
- And after working for airlines in England and India?
- Then I came back to CP and no more layoffs, and worked from 1964 to retirement in 1991.
Carabien P had plenty of pilots at the time, so John went over to fly with British Eagle on a six-month contract. He said, okay, I will come over, based in London.
- And they were flying they had a big contract flying troops to Singapore. So I wanted to see other parts of the world, so I took that job. Based in London, (which I really like, love it, and I was over there for six months. So flew a lot in England and a lot of flights to along the Spanish, you know, vacation deal along the Mediterranean down and back, lots of those.But also most of the flights were to Singapore, actually, John says, which h tought was very nice. They were about eight-day trips.
- You have been working for many companies, John?
- Yes, I have. This was the one with the British Eagle, that was very enjoyable. And another pilot from CP went over as well on that same deal.John were living in the same hous with five other guys, and he worked with a one of them. He was a supervisor with Air Canada, had an old stone house near Kew Gardens, and I stayed there for six months.
- Six guys in an old stone house, and it was really good. And I bought a car over there as well, so that was a fun job. I really enjoyed working with the British Eagle.John flew many eight-day trips to Singapore.
- You go to Istanbul, then Bombay, then Singapore, and a layover, a stop at like a day or two at those other places. Yeah, nice.
- And after working for airlines in England and India?
- Then I came back to CP and no more layoffs, and worked from 1964 to retirement in 1991.
I recommend a tour inside a Concorde: Former pilot and capten in aeroplanes, John Leroy Erickson, took 2. august 2017 Svein Helge Falstad med seg til Museum of Flights. It is located south of King County International Airport in the city of Tukwila, just south of Seattle.
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I recommend a tour inside a Concorde: Former pilot and capten in aeroplanes, John Leroy Erickson, took 2. august 2017 Svein Helge Falstad med seg til Museum of Flights. It is located south of King County International Airport in the city of Tukwila, just south of Seattle.
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I recommend a tour inside a Concorde: Former pilot and capten in aeroplanes, John Leroy Erickson, took 2. august 2017 Svein Helge Falstad med seg til Museum of Flights. It is located south of King County International Airport in the city of Tukwila, just south of Seattle.
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Allmost 30 years in Canadian Pasific
I asked John what kind of aeroplanes and engines he did fly during the allmost 30 years in Canadian Pasificbifore retiring?
- I DC-6, DC-8, DC-9, flew the DC-8 about 10 years, Big DC-8, just like SAS had.And then in 1980, CP bought DC-10s, and John trained on the Douglas DC-10.
- Three engines, one engine in the tail. A good aeroplane, I really liked that. So I was captain then, I was captain for the last 20-21 years with the airline.To learn to fly the DC-10, Canadian Pasific sent all pilots to Long Beach, California. To the factory. The manufacturer was Douglas, and they trained us, which was very nice.
- We spent a couple of months in the winter down there in nice California weather, and then flew it all over the places, and later right to retirement.
- You have never had any accidents?
- No.
- What is the best engine and best aeroplane you have been flying?
- Well, I think the G, General Electric engines, are the best. On the big DC-10 they had General Electric, and the DC-8 had both Pratt & Whitney and General Electric on it, and the same with the 747. You can have either one. Generally speaking, John says that he would say the General Electric engines are the best, the most trouble-free, he proclams, and says:
- But then; if somebody, if he's been flying with Pratt & Whitney engines for 10 years, without any problems, he's certainly going to say he likes the Pratt & Whitneys, John says this with a laughter …
I asked John what kind of aeroplanes and engines he did fly during the allmost 30 years in Canadian Pasificbifore retiring?
- I DC-6, DC-8, DC-9, flew the DC-8 about 10 years, Big DC-8, just like SAS had.And then in 1980, CP bought DC-10s, and John trained on the Douglas DC-10.
- Three engines, one engine in the tail. A good aeroplane, I really liked that. So I was captain then, I was captain for the last 20-21 years with the airline.To learn to fly the DC-10, Canadian Pasific sent all pilots to Long Beach, California. To the factory. The manufacturer was Douglas, and they trained us, which was very nice.
- We spent a couple of months in the winter down there in nice California weather, and then flew it all over the places, and later right to retirement.
- You have never had any accidents?
- No.
- What is the best engine and best aeroplane you have been flying?
- Well, I think the G, General Electric engines, are the best. On the big DC-10 they had General Electric, and the DC-8 had both Pratt & Whitney and General Electric on it, and the same with the 747. You can have either one. Generally speaking, John says that he would say the General Electric engines are the best, the most trouble-free, he proclams, and says:
- But then; if somebody, if he's been flying with Pratt & Whitney engines for 10 years, without any problems, he's certainly going to say he likes the Pratt & Whitneys, John says this with a laughter …
BOEING FACTORY AND MUSEUM: John Leroy Erickson, with a long career as a pilot for both military and commercial airlines, visited Boeing’s Future of Flight and the Boeing Everett Factory in Everett, Washington, on August 1, 2014.
A very reliable aeroplane
John says that the DC-10 was a very reliable aeroplane.
- They had some accidents early, and remember they early and after the first deliveries. But so did the 747 and so the DC-10. No, I likeed the DC-10.
It could take about 250 passengers on average, up to 300. And CP flew to non-stop Vancouver, Hong Kong out of here, which was the longest.
- We had one model that had a little longer range, remember that was 13 and a half hours, that’s a long range. That was three pilots in DC10. But when flying that 13 and a half hour plane, we carried extra pilots aboard.
- John Leroy Erickson, if you could start over again as 22 years old today, would you have been a pilot again?
- Yep! I would!
John says that the DC-10 was a very reliable aeroplane.
- They had some accidents early, and remember they early and after the first deliveries. But so did the 747 and so the DC-10. No, I likeed the DC-10.
It could take about 250 passengers on average, up to 300. And CP flew to non-stop Vancouver, Hong Kong out of here, which was the longest.
- We had one model that had a little longer range, remember that was 13 and a half hours, that’s a long range. That was three pilots in DC10. But when flying that 13 and a half hour plane, we carried extra pilots aboard.
- John Leroy Erickson, if you could start over again as 22 years old today, would you have been a pilot again?
- Yep! I would!
Former pilot and capten in aeroplanes, John Leroy Erickson, took 2. august 2017 Svein Helge Falstad med seg til Museum of Flights. It is located south of King County International Airport in the city of Tukwila, just south of Seattle.
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Former pilot and capten in aeroplanes, John Leroy Erickson, took 2. august 2017 Svein Helge Falstad med seg til Museum of Flights. It is located south of King County International Airport in the city of Tukwila, just south of Seattle.
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