- Roland Groome
Roland Groome (1890s
England -20 September 1935 ) was a Canadianaviator from Regina,Saskatchewan ,Canada .Groome, who had served with the
Royal Flying Corps as an instructor duringWorld War I set up the "Aerial Service Co" in 1919, with his partner Ed Clark. Although the company was a failure Groome had registered Canada's first aircraft, C-GAAA, a Curtis JN4 biplane.Because the forerunner of
Transport Canada made their first trip from Ottawa,Ontario in 1920 to Regina, Groome was able to claim several aviation firsts in Canada. He was to receive the first pilots licence, the first commercial pilots and the airfield he had helped set up was licenced as Canada's first "air harbour". At the same time his mechanic Robert McCombie was given Canada's first air engineer's license.In 1927 Groome set up his second company "Universal Air Industries" at a new airfield called "Lakeview Aerodrome". Later that same year he also helped form the "Regina Flying Club", where he was to hlod the position of flying instructor until his death.
In September 1935, Groome and student Arnold Sym were killed when the control rod on the
aileron of theirAvro Avian failed and the aircraft crashed just outside of Regina.External links & references
* [http://groups.msn.com/cahsregina/rfcreginaflyingclub.msnw CAHS Regina]
* [http://www.sask2005.ca/facts/skfactsresults.asp?ID=1135 Saskatoon Centennial]
* [http://reginalibrary.ca/recreation.html Regina Library]
* [http://scaa.usask.ca/gallery/regina/west/airport_a_1575.html Regina - The Early Years (includes photo of the first aerodrome)]
* [http://www.saskaviationcouncil.ca/HOFplaques2005.pdf Saskatchewan Aviation Council (PDF, includes photo of C-GAAA)]
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