Newfoundland Adventures part 11: Gander Airport

On a normal day, we get a half dozen flights — 

now we've already got three times that many landing in two hours. It's a lot of noise. You can smell the fuel. You can smell the exhaust. 

~~ 38 PLANES

Come from Away starts and ends with the Gander Airport. 

In the post-WWII era planes would land in Gander to refuel making it one of the busiest airports in the world. Famous and infamous people such as Frank Sinatra,  Marilyn Monroe, the Beatles, Adolf Hitler, and Queen Elizabeth II all landed at the Gander Airport. 

Locals would hang out at the bar -- the first 24-hour bar in Newfoundland -- to see was coming. It was the biggest employer, and the center of entertainment.

Today, as Bonnie said in the song 38 Planes, they get a half dozen flights. 

When we planned our trip I asked Tracey for advice. She suggested flying in and out of St. John's. It was only after I booked that I realized I could have flown in and out of Gander. A quick search on Expedia showed the prices is about the same. I'm just not convinced they have rental cars. I'm glad we saw St. John's.

The Gander Airport has a few metered parking spaces out front. They require four 25 cent pieces or a looney. That gets you half an hour of parking. I'm not even sure they check.

Original First Class Lounge

Inside is a large waiting area. Behind it is the original first class lounge. The bathrooms look like a step back in time, too. There is a gift shop, an art gallery, a museum, and the original escalator -- the first in Gander. The escalator is not running. In its heyday, it provided much entertainment for children waiting for flights. Up the escalator. Down the staircase. Or the reverse.

On the wall facing the second floor is an enormous mural. It was too big to appreciate in a quick glance. 

Back in the lounge is a statue of geese. They say rubbing it brings good luck. We can all use good luck.

In the museum I met a family. The wife pointed to the typewriter people were encouraged to use to write a message on and said "I used to play on one in my grandparent's house." OUCH! Don used one for his college papers. I used one through high school. The did remember 9/11, so perhaps they were not as young as my first impression. They were up from St. John's to see the play.

You never know who might be at the bar

The Ladies' Room had a crown to represent
Queen Elizabeth II.
The Men's Room had Frank Sinatra