ERAO PRESENTS
Breakfast with"Gimli Glider" pilot Bob Pearson
In 1983, Captain Robert Pearson famously glided an Air Canada passenger jet to a safe landing at a former RCAF runway after running out of fuel mid-flight between Montreal and Edmonton
A novel has been written about him, a full length thriller film was made, and an episode in the TV series "Air Crash Investigation" was devoted to Captain Pearson's heroic actions that saved all on board.
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Arrive 9:00 am. Breakfast served at 9:30 am.
Perkins Restaurant, Ottawa
1130 St Laurent Blvd., Ottawa
"Breakfast Served Just Right"
> Directions
Air Canada Flight 143, known as the “Gimli Glider”, was a domestic passenger flight that ran out of fuel en route from Montreal to Edmonton on Saturday, July 23, 1983 after a stop in Ottawa. With no fuel, few controls, no navigational aides and a plane load of passengers and crew, Captain Pearson, with the assistance of his First Officer, successfully glided the 95 ton Boeing 767 from an altitude of 41,000 feet to an emergency landing at a former RCAF base in Gimli, Manitoba.
What they didn’t know until they had visual contact with the decommissioned runway was that there was a busy car rally in full gear that weekend with cars, bicycles and people directly in the path of their quickly and silently descending aircraft.
Links:
Air Crash Investigation - “Mayday - Season 5 Episode 2 - Gimli Glider (Air Canada Flight 143)” - TV Documentary
Freefall, Flight 174 (1995) - Full Movie
Falling from the Sky: Flight 174 - Wikipedia entry about the full length movie
Free Fall - Hardcover Book – Jan. 1, 1989
by William Hoffer (author of Midnight Express) & Marilyn Mona Hoffer
Gimli Glider - Wikipedia
Air Crash Investigation - “Mayday - Season 5 Episode 2 - Gimli Glider (Air Canada Flight 143)” - TV Documentary
Freefall, Flight 174 (1995) - Full Movie
Falling from the Sky: Flight 174 - Wikipedia entry about the full length movie
Free Fall - Hardcover Book – Jan. 1, 1989
by William Hoffer (author of Midnight Express) & Marilyn Mona Hoffer
Gimli Glider - Wikipedia
Thursday, March 20, 2025 - Arrive at 9:00 am
REGISTER BY MONDAY, MARCH 17th - LIMITED SEATING
REGISTER BY MONDAY, MARCH 17th - LIMITED SEATING
To take part in this event and to reserve a restaurant seat, watch for our latest email with signup information for "Breakfast with "Gimli Glider" pilot Captain Bob Pearson" BOOK A SEAT BY MARCH 17th.
