First Trip

The famous BC Airlines Gruman Goose.


It all started with an innocent phone call. My sister and her husband had recently moved to Ocean Falls where they were running a small church called the "Gospel Fellowship Hall". I could not remember when last I had seen them, but we would occasionally get a phone call from them as they were isolated and missed their family.
I was nineteen, and after trying my hand at different types of work, was at loose ends and wondering what to do with my life. I grew up with 4 sisters and when the eldest sister got married, I finally had the brother I had yearned for all my life. Trouble was, my sister had him, not me. But he was good at taking me under his wing and he did that on a number of occasions. When he called that fateful night, he only wanted to speak to me, which rather surprised me. He got to the point quickly. He had just concluded the weekly Bible Study at the church and one of the attendees had made a request. He wondered if anyone knew of someone from the outside world who would want to come to Ocean Falls for a job in the Technical Control Department. They desperately needed someone right away. I came to mind and thus the phone call. There was a catch. I had to make an instant decision. Right then and there I had to choose because if I accepted the position, I would have to be there in two days.
I am not usually one to make quick and irrational decisions, but that night I made one. I accepted and was told exactly what to do.
The next morning, I had to be in downtown Vancouver for an interview at Crown Zellerbach headquarters, immediately followed by a medical examination in the building next door. I filled out many forms, and after an OK by the doctor, was given the green light. I was handed a plane ticket and told to be at the Vancouver International Airport the next morning with one bag.
The next few hours were a blur of activity as I finalized my affairs at home and tied up as many loose ends as I could. It was August and there would be more to do in that regard at Christmas, the next time I came home.
I knew very little about my destination, or the company I would be working for, or the job I would be doing. I only knew that 'Sid', the head of 'Tech Control', was a good man, a Christian, and he would show me the ropes when I got there. There was also some comfort in knowing that at least temporarily, I would be living with my sister and brother-in-law. I slept little the night before my flight. I was second guessing myself, but could not turn back now.
Little did I know that I was going to fly the 'Gruman Goose' the next day.