A trip to Bombardier reminds me of the photojournalist seed that an airline's ad placed in me.

Steve Russell - Staff Photographer - @RussellPhotos

I know that I developed my love of Photojournalism when my family moved to South America in the late 70's.

We moved to Peru, which was under a nationalist military government at the time. There was precious little in English to read. The three magazines that were always in the house were Time, Newsweek and National Geographic.

I loved the pictures.

And oddly enough my favourite photo "feature" had to be the Lufthansa ads.

The ads were photojournalistic pictures of their planes behind the scenes presented as one picture on a clean page. 

Lufthansa ad from 1985.

This week I got to shoot behind the scenes as WestJet executives were given a behind the scenes look at the Bombardier Q400, which they will use when they start their new regional carrier to launch, or take-off, in June.

WestJet President and CEO Greg Saretsky was present as WestJet officials toured of the Bombardier manufacturing plant at Downsview, where the Q400 is made.

A WestJet official holds a box containing a model plane before a tour.

WestJet Encore president Ferio Pugliese poses in front of the first airplane that will be made for WestJet.

Pitot probes are installed on the outside of the fuselage on the Q400.

The Q400 is assembled in Bay 9 at the Downsview manufacturing plant.

The Bay 9 assembley line accomidates four airplanes.

The walls of bay 9 are adorned with images of the Q400 in action.

I never really thought about how hands on planes are built.

A worker looks over the schematics under the Q400 nose.

High above the floor, the tail section of a Q400 is worked on.

The inside of the fuselage of a Q400 in the first station of Bay 9. By the time the plane leaves Bay 9, the interior will be complete.

The entire hanger is extremely clean.

Work is done in the tail of a Q400. I kind of like the look of the unpainted plane.

Works is done on the top of the plane where the wings join the fuselage.

Work is done on the wing as Q400's are assembled at Downsview. 

The engines are assembled.

The seams along the tail fin are chaulked.

Great attention is given to every inch of the aircraft.

An assembled Q400 awaits a test flight at YZD.

 

Comments

[M Leger]

Awesome and Amazing!!! Thanks for sharing.

[Raifon]

Looks as though Air Canada Jazz wins the battle for BC as their regonal service is with jet powered aircraft. But we still have to thank Westjet for the expansion of service and lowering fares.It remains to be seen as to how close Jazz competes with the turboprops from Westjet.