C-GTIZ - msn 11099 stood out from the many F28-1000s that served in Canada right from the start. Out of 44 F28’s to fly in Canada, the C-GTIZ was the only Mark 1000C in Canada, the “C” indicating that she was equipped with the optional Large Cargo Door (LCD). One of only two F28’s painted in the “Proud Wings” livery before Canadian Airlines merged with Air Canada, she is the only one that remains bearing the majestic goose on her tail. Having experienced quite a few nerve-racking moments during her time in service, Canadian Regional’s aircraft mechanics cleverly created the nickname Tizzy using the letters in her registration as inspiration.
Just a few weeks before her first flight, on October 31, 1975, the Amsterdam Fokker factory was visited by Queen Margarethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark during their state visit to the Netherlands. Both the Danish Royal family and the Dutch Royal family were shown around the Fokker Factory by Dr. J. H. Greidanus, Director of Research and Development, and Jas Moll, Director of the flight department, where they saw Tizzy on the factory floor. On November 18, 1975, Tizzy made her first flight from Amsterdam to Woensdrecht to finish the work necessary to earn the 1000C designation. On May 6, 1976, her conversion was completed, and she flew back to Amsterdam, where she was displayed at the annual Fokker open house. On May 19th, she was delivered to the Ivory Coast Air Force and was ferried to Abidjan on May 26.
She flew for the Ivory Coast Air Force for many years, only briefly interrupted by leases to Air Ivoire and Peace Air Togo. In the early nineties, the first in the series of mishaps that help earn her nickname occurred. Tizzy’s left torque link broke on landing in Burkina Faso, and she was substantially damaged. Fokker bought, disassembled and flew her back to Woensdrecht, the Netherlands, in a hired HeavyLift /Volga-Dnepr Antonov 124 RA-82044. Back in Woensdrecht, she was repaired in the Fokker Aircraft Services hangar beside where the Fokker 70 prototype PH-MKC was transformed from a Fokker 100 prototype. Besides the repair work, she also received the corrosion control program, a cabin interior refurbishment and major maintenance A, B, C, 2C and D checks. Between March 24 and November 12, 1994, she was cocooned. On November 1994 was leased to Air Ivoire as TU-TIZ and spread her wings to fly back to Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
On December 16, 1997 she arrived in Canada, delivered on lease to Time Air (dba Canadian Regional) and became C-GTIZ fleetnumber 160. On November 27, 1999 she was sold to Canadi<n Regional Airlines (1998) Ltd, who leased her out to a subsidiary, Inter-Canadien from Quebec. Within a month she had a runway excursion and was flown back to Calgary for repair.
After the repair she flew for a couple of years with Canadi<n Regional, until she was finally retired on July 31, 2002. Her last flight was Calgary – Saskatoon where she was placed in storage with only 20761 hours and heavy maintenance due. She was maintained in the “parking program” until 2007.
She is now the last aircraft in the final Canadi<n Airlines “Proud Wings” livery. The roots of Canadi<n Airlines go back to 1942 when the Canadian Pacific Railway Company purchased ten bush airlines. It’s therefore not surprising that the early management of the airline were largely Canadian bush flying pioneers, like Wilfrid “Wop” May, who had a direct connection to the most famous Fokker airplane of all time, the Fokker Dr.I triplane. The iconic red triplane with a black “Iron Cross” on its tail flown by the famous “Red Baron” Manfred von Richthofen. The Red Baron was shot down during a dogfight while chasing Wop May on April 21st,1918 over Northern France. May went on to become a repair depot manager for Canadian Pacific Air Lines in Calgary bring the Fokker-Canadian link full circle.
Arnold Begeman
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