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Inductees
C. C. (Carl) Agar
Raymond Collishaw
W.W. Gibson
Sheldon Luck
Jim Spilsbury
DeHavilland Beaver
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Spanning a long and eventful career first with the Royal Flying Corps and later the RCAF Albert Godfrey rose from the ranks to become an Air Vice Marshal.
His enthusiasm for the innovative was always in the forefront.
Albert Earl Godfrey was born on July 27, 1890, in Killarney Manitoba. Soon after his birth, his parents moved to Vancouver.
His interest in aviation began in 1911 when he saw Billy Stark and Bill Templeton, two of the early birds in British Columbian aviation, barnstorm at the local fair . He took up an interest in motorcycle racing and thrice became the provincial champion in 1911,1912 and 1913..
Godfrey is best remembered for his cross-country flight with Dalzell McKee in the fill of 1926. An American millionaire, McKee was flying his Douglas float-plane to California to have it modified at their plant. With the idea of flying via northern Canada he asked the RCAF if one of their officers might accompany him. To the military this was an excellent opportunity, with little cost to the taxpayer, to map a trans-Canada route fix float-planes. As Godfrey was already ordered to inspect the RCAF base at Vancouver, he was chosen to act as co-pilot and navigator.
He retired from the RCAF in 1944 and he was presented with the Trans-Canada Trophy in 1977. We can only speculate about his thoughts when he received the trophy that had been donated to Canada so long ago by his friend Dal McKee.
Godfrey died in 1982, having seen Billy Stark, the aviation pioneer, in 1911, and the space shuttle 70 years later. |