Gimli is home to one of the world’s most famous aviation events in history and volunteers are excited to be hosting the 41st Anniversary Dinner for the Gimli Glider on Sunday, July 21.
We look forward to this date every year said President Barb Gluck. The annual fundraising evening in support of the Gimli Glider’s operation is usually a sell out.
“Last year guests came from nine of our provinces, overseas and the United States,” she said. “Many staying in Gimli for two or three days.”
The Gimli Glider exhibit is a volunteer operated non-profit charity and this large event provides funding that allows us to continue being a tourist attraction for aviation fans. We never know when they come through the door where they are from and what connection they may have to the history”, she said.
The Gimli Glider Exhibit was contacted last spring by MotoArt Plane Tags company owner, Dave Hall wanting to make an offer to support the popular exhibit’s operations.
For two decades, Hall built MotoArt as the first and only shop handcrafting one-of-a-kind furniture from the salvaged parts of decommissioned aircraft. While their artists continue to create desks, bars, tables and beyond from wings, fuselage, cowlings and more, Hall wanted the opportunity to bring a piece of aviation history to more of those who love the art of flight.
It was a natural choice to create PlaneTags, the first and original aviation memento that is resurrected from the skin of retired aircraft, hand cut, stamped, shaped and individually etched, ready to serve as an ID tag or displayed as a treasured part of your aviation collection.
PlaneTags help to preserve and document aviation history. When you hold a PlaneTag, you’re holding an original piece from the plane’s exterior.
Each PlaneTag is hand selected, cut, and stamped, and crafted to be truly one-of-a-kind.
Hall donated a small run of 245 of the commemorative PlaneTags last year, what he referred to as a limited run manufactured from the famous aircraft’s fuselage metal in honour of Air Canada’s 767 Gimli Glider 40th Anniversary. The Gimli Glider remains are in a boneyard in Mojave, California.
The revenue generated from the sale of the tags will support the Gimli Glider Exhibit.
The volunteer team at the Exhibit, was immersed in excess of 100 orders within hours of the PlaneTag being released. There were orders from around the globe for the historical special tags.
“Over the following days responding to the ongoing demands and speaking with Hall, Exhibit staff quickly realized that Hall is heavily involved with the aviation market for collectors and business owners wishing to acquire authentic items from historic aircraft parts,” said BarbGluck, president of the Gimli Glider.
Gluck appreciates Hall’s offer of the PlaneTags and the revenue their sale generated. She invited him to speak at the dinner to meet Capt. Pearson.
Hall accepted the invitation and looks forward to speaking to the guests about his experience working within the large aviation community.
Gluck also shared that one lucky dinner guest on July 21 will have the opportunity to win one of the Gimli Glider’s 40th Commemorative PlaneTags autographed by Capt. Pearson, along with a signed poster.
This year’s dinner will be held at the Johnson Hall, on the top floor of the Waterfront Centre providing a beautiful view overlooking Lake Winnipeg on Sunday, July 21. Tickets are $100 and limited and must be purchased before July 15.
Capt. Bob Pearson and Pearl Dion will attend the dinner and visit the Gimli Glider Exhibit to meet the public for the 41st anniversary on July 23rd.
Dion was one of more than 60 passengers on the famed “Gimli Glider” — the nickname given to the Boeing 767 jet that made an emergency landing near the small community of Gimli, on July 23, 1983, after running out of fuel due to a metric conversion error.
The Montreal-to-Edmonton Air Canada Flight 143 was piloted by Bob Pearson, whose flying skills allowed him to successfully land the plane on an abandoned runway near the town in Manitoba’s Interlake region, saving everyone on board — including Dion, now his partner of 11 years.
The visitation to the Exhibit from around the world continues to grow as the years pass.
“It is always an interesting day volunteering and meeting so many who come from outside of our province to learn more about the famous landing,” said Gluck.
More information on the popular dinner event, or how to purchase tickets can be seen on the Gimli Glider website at www.gimliglider.org. Emails to gimligliderinfo@gmail.com for questions or call the Exhibit at 204-642-5577.
