Gimli Glider story to be featured by National Geographic
The crew is scheduled to film at the Gimli Glider Exhibit and the original landing site over two days.
The world-famous Gimli Glider is about to receive the National Geographic treatment. A London-based film crew from the iconic broadcaster will be in Gimli this month to capture the remarkable 1983 emergency landing of Air Canada Flight 143 and the people who lived it.
The crew is scheduled to film at the Gimli Glider Exhibit and the original landing site over two days, coinciding with the museum’s annual fundraising dinner September 6. The timing is no coincidence: Captain Robert Pearson, the pilot who safely landed the powerless Boeing 767 on a decommissioned airstrip, will be in town for the event.
“They were incredibly complimentary about the significance of this history and how well-known it is around the world,” says Barb Gluck, founder and president of the Gimli Glider Exhibit. “They want to bring the story to a whole new audience.”
National Geographic producers reached out after learning about recent developments at the museum, including the acquisition of the original cockpit of aircraft FIN 604 and the creation of a commemorative park at the landing site. The exhibit, located in the Lakeview Resort and Conference Centre, is the only museum dedicated to telling the full Gimli Glider story.
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Gluck and her team are now working to connect the crew with key figures from the day of the incident, in addition to Captain Pearson. “We’re touching base with people who were primary in the history, eyewitnesses, aviation experts, even those who were on the ground when it happened,” she says.
Related:
Gimli Glider anniversary draws global visitors, renewed pride in aviation legend
On June 29, the cockpit of the Gimli Glider crossed the border. It will eventually be installed at a new commemorative park under development at the former landing site. Read more.
Since opening a decade ago, the Gimli Glider Exhibit has welcomed visitors from every corner of the globe, from aviation buffs to casual tourists. The 1983 incident was caused by a fuel miscalculation that forced the plane to glide more than 12 minutes to an unpowered landing and is still studied in pilot training programs today.
For Gluck, the National Geographic visit is both an honour and a validation. “We’ve known for years how important this story is, but having their attention means the world will get to experience it through their lens,” she says.
The annual fundraising dinner, featuring Captain Pearson and other special guests, is expected to be a sellout. Proceeds will support the restoration of the cockpit display and the development of the new park.
“Forty-two years later, we’re still uncovering stories from that day,” Gluck says. “It’s history worth preserving and now the world will get to see why.”
More information is available at gimliglider.org.
This story was originally published in The Winnipeg Sun. It is republished under a Creative Commons license as part of the Local Journalism Initiative.
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