#42 Eastport Part 1

#42 Eastport  Part 1

Monday  Aug. 12, 2019

The series of islands around Twillingate Island are usually connected by causeways.

The spray on the left hand side of this photo is a helicopter.  We think it was practicing water rescues.

The yellow sign on this fence made me chuckle. “Please do not feed the horse, encourages biting”

This is a typical stop sign at major intersections on the highway, especially in the Gander area.

We are in the area marked  Road to the Shore.  Lovely Beaches can be found here!

Welcome to Eastport!   The Shriner’s RV Park had the usual annual sites for some RVs and then others for those of us passing through.  It was comfortable.

We explored the end of the road from Eastport.  By the way Salvage, population 125, is  pronounced Sal….vawge.  

A few homes sat isolated on the rocks across the bay. Not sure I would want to be out there.

The fish plant employs the community.

Tuesday   August 13, 2019

                                                       We spent this day in the community of Gander.

The North Atlantic Aviation Museum held our attention for quite a while.  The exhibits tell how this little airport was created at the dawn of aviation in 1930 and has become a major stop for international travel.   Originally called Hattie’s Camp this abandon old sawmill had flat land, accessible by rail, and a lake for sea planes.  Less than a year after the airport’s completion it became a vital military asset.

Gander’s importance to aviation and WWII rose as they became a refueling stop for planes headed from North America to Europe.  With all the planes passing through, there was a need for food, beds, laundry, and entertainment.  Equipment needed to be stored.  Planes needed to be service. They played a crucial part in ferrying 10,000 warplanes to Europe.

Check out this reconnaissance camera!

 The DC-3 cockpit looked very cramped.  I don't think I would like to fly one of these.

The 1942 deHavilland Tiger Moth filled a good part of one area.

The museum tells of several plane disasters where they helped in recovery one of the biggest was 911. When the World Trade Towers were bombed on September 11, with air space closed, 255 planes were diverted to Canadian airports.  Gander received 34 commercial flights and 4 military planes.  About 6600 passengers and crew landed here.  The passengers came from 95 countries, each with different dietary, cultural, and religious needs.   Gander’s population was 9651.  Adding 6600 more people increased their population by 70%.

Since all baggage had to be left on the planes, the people not only needed food and shelter, but clothing, medication and baby needs. Muslim and Jewish passengers needed a place to pray.   Even pets needed to be cared for.  Several communities pitched in for 5 days to meet all of the needs of these different cultures.  They even provided entertainment and tours.  It is amazing.

A video on the 911 impact on Gander restores your faith in humanity.  WOW!  What these people did!

The video of the radar showing the planes in the air space, and then many of them suddenly making a right turn toward Gander impressed me.  What a job the air traffic controllers had to land all of these planes in a short amount of time.

Many friendships were made.  Many thank you letters and notes arrived after everyone went home and some are posted here.

A simulator lets visitors practice flying an aircraft. Derrille and Lynn enjoyed spending time here.

There were a couple more interactive displays on Morse Code and ATC Speak messages.

A section of the Museum was devoted to commercial air travel.  One exhibit showed the old flight attendant uniforms.

Another showed the dishes on which dinner was served. Made me laugh!  You are lucky to get peanuts or pretzels now.

Outside several old planes could be viewed up close.

CF-101 Voodoo

We enjoyed our time in this museum. 

Gander has several memorials to the military.  At the Gander Heritage Memorial Park, several aviation monuments bravely stand.  We have noticed that Canada, and particularly here in Newfoundland that the people really honor their veterans.

This one is dedicated to the men who ferried the planes from Newfoundland to Europe.

 My favorite was Sgt. Gander a huge Newfoundland dog.   Gander’s original name was Pal.  His owner was worried about his safety when he had an incident with a child. So he gave Pal to the Royal Rifles of Canada, part of the army.  They were stationed at Gander Airport so they renamed him Gander.

He shipped out with the soldiers in the fall of 1941 to Hong Kong. He helped fight the enemy in three battles.  In the third battle he picked up a thrown Japanese hand grenade and rushed toward the enemy.  He died in the explosion, but saved several Canadian soldiers.  At the insistence of the soldiers, Sgt. Gander’s name appears on the wall with the 1,975 men and women on the Hong Kong Veterans Memorial Wall in Ottawa. 

We stopped at The Gander Bread Box Bakery and Café.  YUM!  I had eaten earlier so I just indulged with toutons.  Fried dough and honey!

We drove out to see where the original town sat next to the airport.  Walking trails with reader boards guide you through the area.

The biplane:

The seaplane:

The Hudson:

                                                            The Helicopter:

The Concorde:

One of the attractions here was pipe planes.  It took us a minute to realize those are planes made out of pipes!  They are located near each entrance to town.

     

We headed out of town and stopped by the Commonwealth War Graves, which turned out to be just part of the town cemetery.

Across the road you can find the Silent Witness Memorial. 

A real size soldier stands with two children holding olive branches in memory of those who perished in the Arrow Air crash of December 12, 1985.  256 lives (passengers and crew) were lost when the plane carrying a peacekeeping group lifted off the end of the runway and crashed in these woods.  The group was just returning from a peacekeeping mission in Egypt.  This was their last leg home.

This cross on the road below is part of this memorial. 
Then it was time to return home.

Tomorrow we check out Gambo and towns north of it.