Obituary of J. Lindsay Rood

J. Lindsay (“Lindy”) Rood passed away peacefully in Calgary, following a brief illness on Thursday April 29, 2004, at the age of 93. Lindy was born on March 17th, 1911 in Berwick, NS, and was educated there and at Dalhousie University. He enrolled in an extension course with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and began his long and eventful career in aviation. After earning his wings and a commission as a Pilot Officer in the RCAF Reserves, he entered commercial aviation as a flying instructor and barnstormer throughout Nova Scotia, and obtained an Engineer’s License as well. In 1933, Lindy became a flight instructor with the Cape Breton Flying Club at Sydney, NS and two years later went to England to join British Airways as a pilot. From 1935 to 1937, he flew routes, which included London, Copenhagen and Stockholm. At this time, he earned his British Navigator’s Licence. In 1937 Lindy returned to Canada as one of the first pilots to be hired by the newly formed Trans Canada Airlines, pioneering the Rocky Mountain route between Lethbridge and Vancouver. He became one of the founding members of the Canadian Air Line Pilots Association when a group of TCA pilots met in Winnipeg in December 1937 to form an association. At the outbreak of World War II, Lindy was declared essential to public service and prohibited from joining the military. The Hon. C.D. Howe, who was head of the Canadian Department of Munitions and Supply, seconded him in 1942 to the Return Ferry Service, flying the North Atlantic Ocean between Montreal and Prestwick. Pilots engaged in this war-time effort flew Liberator aircraft, converted to carry people rather than bombs, and brought ferry crews back to Canada after they had made their delivery of aircraft to the UK. In 1943 he was assigned to 10 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron at Gander and instructed on Liberator B-24 bombers. Lindy was asked to help in the formation of the Canadian Government Trans-Atlantic Air service, designed to deliver high ranking Allied officers, government officials, special cargo and mail between Canada and the UK with the greatest possible speed. He was named Chief Pilot of this service and remained in that post until war’s end when the service was taken over by TCA. During the years of expansion of TCA, Lindy was highly regarded for his abilities in every area of flight operations. He was put in charge of all flying personnel selection and training. He was named a senior member of many world aviation councils, representing TCA. In 1944, Lindy went on to become Chief Pilot of TCA’s Atlantic Operation and in 1947 he was named Superintendent of Flight Operations for TCA’s trans-Atlantic service. One of his major contributions was his leadership in aircraft cockpit design and layout, which, with advanced electronics, resulted in two pilots being capable of flying even the largest aircraft safely and efficiently. From 1950 to 1968, Lindy was Director of Flight Operations for TCA, which was renamed Air Canada in 1965. Throughout his years as head of Flight Operations, he was an advocate for the development and use of motion systems to make aircraft simulators fly more realistically. He introduced the first of such systems in an early Air Canada simulator, a concept that has since been accepted throughout the aviation industry. Lindy served as Vice President of Flight Operations for Air Canada until his retirement in 1971, with nearly 20, 000 hours as pilot in command. Lindy was inducted as a Member of Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame in 1974 with the following citation: “His leadership, dedication to safety of flight operations and wide-ranging contributions to Canadian and international aviation have left an indelible mark on the airline industry and have been of significant benefit to Canada.” Lindy is survived by three daughters, Suzanne “Sue” Cooke of Calgary; Marnie (Ralph) Giguere of Austin, TX and Linda (Tom) Stanley, Bedford, NS; a son Tom (Marjorie) of Campbell River, BC, twelve grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; two sisters, Velma (Don) Hills of St. John, NB and Lillian (Jim) McGibbon of Beaverton, ON. He was predeceased by his wife Tod and daughter Mary Allard. A Memorial Service will be held at McINNIS & HOLLOWAY’S Crowfoot Chapel (82 Crowfoot Circle N.W.) on Tuesday, May 4, 2004 at 2:30 P.M. To forward condolences go to www.mcinnisandholloway.com. If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada, 222 Queen Street, Suite 1402, Ottawa, ON K1P 5V9 Telephone: 1(888) HSF-INFO. www.heartandstroke.ca, or directly to the Mustard Seed Street Ministry, 102 – 11 Avenue S.E., Calgary, AB T2G 0X5. Telephone: (403) 269-1319. www.theseed.ca. In living memory of Lindy Rood a tree will be planted at Nose Creek Valley by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Crowfoot Chapel, 82 Crowfoot Circle N.W., CALGARY, TELEPHONE: (403) 241-0044.