De Havilland DH.9A
by Bob Bradford

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Aircraft manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company first appeared in Canadian government records in 1920 with the receipt of twelve DH.9As from the British government and it has often been noted that, from the beginning of Aircraft records in Canada to the present day, there has never been a day without a de Havilland Aircraft of one type or another in the Canadian military.

The painting depicts DH.9A (G-CYBF) as it wings its way across Canada during the 1920 Trans-Canada Relay.  The purpose of the flight was to draw the attention of the Canadian public to the Air Board and the CAF and the capability of their post-war Aircraft in light of possible future air mail and passenger operations.  The flight was accomplished in relays of crews and Aircraft and left Halifax, Nova Scotia on 7 October with a Fairey seaplane.  At Winnipeg, Manitoba the seaplanes and flying boats used throughout the eastern leg of the journey were replaced by three DH9s of which only one (G-CYBF) finally made it to Vancouver, British Columbia on 17 October after eleven days having been spent, 45 hours aloft, and 3,265 miles covered.
 

de Havilland DH.9A [G-CYBF] at start of Trans-Canada Relay

The first de Havilland Aircraft to appear under civil registration in Canada (G-EBDF) was also a DH.9A bought from the RAF by Major W.T. Blake for an ambitious round-the-world trip in 1922 which was cancelled after the first stage of the flight came to grief in Calcutta.   Another first for the DH.9A (G-CYBF) was its participation in the trans-Canada relay.

 

de Havilland DH.9A [G-CYAJ] at start of TransCanda Flight

Aircraft (G-CYAJ) was a DH.9A in the service of the RCAF from 19 July, 1920 to 23 August, 1927 and in the fall of 1920 was one of the Aircraft involved in the first trans-Canada flight. 

2002 Wings Publishing