CF-BUA Pilgrim
100-B
(c/n 6608)
This aircraft was a direct
descendant of the Fairchild 100 seies. In the depression days of
the early
1930s Fairchild had become part of
the Aviation Corporation group (AVCO) which controlled
American Airways (later to
become American Airlines, but that's another story). All sixteen
of the
Pilgrim 100-As were delivered to American Airways,
and the example above was one of them,
being previously registered
NC712Y. (It may never have actually carried the "NC"
prefix). This
particular aircraft was converted
to a model 100-B in 1934. The main difference was the
substitution
of the original Pratt & Whitney Hormet "B" engine for the
more powerful Wright R-1820-E Cyclone
A
popular misconception aspires these aircraft as having been built by
American Airways, but that is
not true. They were built by
Fairchild. However, due to the former reasoning they are usually
called
"American Pilgrim" but just plain
"Pilgrim" is probably more correct. This one came to Canada
in
1941 from Alaska, and went to British Yukon
Navigation Co in Vancouver. Then to Southern Yukon
Air Transport (who also flew the Barkley-Grows). It passed to
Canadian Pacific Airlines in 1943 when
they absorbed Southern
Yukon. Why it was registered CF-BUA (a 1947 series) in 1941
is not clear.
Anyway, in 1944 it was sold
to TACA Honduras, S.A. who also operated two other
Pilgrims.