In his long career in aviation, Bob Gartshore has flown many aircraft, starting with a small Piper Cub over Chestermere Lake in Alberta and ending with the 747 and the Airbus A310.

But when asked what plane he wanted his photo next to at the B.C. Aviation Museum, he immediately said, B次元官网网址淭he Harvard,B次元官网网址� a plane he nearly died in. ItB次元官网网址檚 in his book, A Life of Flight: One PilotB次元官网网址檚 Story from Piper Cubs to 747s and Beyond, and he will be telling a few of those stories at the B.C. Aviation Museum on Nov. 15 from 7 to 9 p.m.

He never imagined writing a book, but after getting stuck in a snowstorm in Oregon, he and his wife Joy decided to use their brand-new laptop, which Gartshore said was B次元官网网址減retty skookum at the time,B次元官网网址� and began to document their lives.

They ended up with two books, with Bob focusing more on his work and Joy on family life. While BobB次元官网网址檚 was published first, JoyB次元官网网址檚 never was. She died last June and Gartshore felt that her book should be published as well. He recently submitted the manuscript to a publisher.

B次元官网网址淪he writes very well. Lots of humour in her book; none in mine,B次元官网网址� he said.

GartshoreB次元官网网址檚 career was so influential that one of his sons, Brian, followed him into the profession and ended up being his fatherB次元官网网址檚 first officer on Wardair flights to Hawaii. Brian landed one such flight in 1988, which his father called B次元官网网址渁n old pro landing,B次元官网网址� so as they turned off the runway he got on the microphone and told the passengers, B次元官网网址淟adies and gentleman, I thought you should know that my son did that landing and I thought he did an excellent job, what do you think?B次元官网网址�

Gartshore said a stewardess burst through the cockput door and said, B次元官网网址淭ell the passengers your son isnB次元官网网址檛 some six year old sitting on his dadB次元官网网址檚 knee!B次元官网网址�

Brian now flies the 787 Dreamliner for Air Canada to and from Asia.

Gartshore enjoyed recalling so many life stories, which was made easier by his logbooks that tracked the details of each flight. Gartshore also had help from the people who proofed his book the first time, mostly regarding technical details like the specific engines used on the 747.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a project that I think everybody should take, really, particularly if they had an interesting job,B次元官网网址� he said.

reporter@peninsulanewsreview.com