We got into the Country Inn RV Park in Gander as it stopped raining.  The many waterfilled potholes were still full and the road in was not welcoming!  But we got our spot and hooked up.   The Country Inn was the only park still open in Gander after September and we were happy to be there.   

The next day was just as rainy, and we decided to go the airport to see it and the museum.  It had been highly recommended but was much more than we had anticipated.  The terminal was like a time capsule back to when air travel was still glamorous.  It still has displays of how the airport was in the 60’s when it opened as a state-of-the-art air terminal.

Historically, as we learned, the airport was developed and opened before the city of Gander was started.   It was noted that it was selected due to its location near the most eastern point in North America and was used by the daredevil pilots like Lindberg and Earhart on Atlantic crossings.  It opened in 1938 and by 1942 was the largest airport in the world!   The displays went on to describe how the airport was assigned to the Royal Canadian Air Force in the 40’s to ferry aircraft and supplies to England during the war.  It was safer and easier to fly aircraft from Newfoundland than to ship over and finish construction in England due to the problems with the U-boats patrolling the north Atlantic. 

After the war, the airport became a stopping point for all prop driven commercial planes traveling east or west from North America and Europe. As aviation expanded, Gander decided they needed a state-of-the-art terminal to accommodate the growth.  The new terminal opened in 1959. Everybody who was anybody stopped in Gander as they travelled.  There were stories of famous people meeting the locals during the stops, and sometimes with impromptu performances right in the airport!  But as the prop planes were replaced by jets, the need for refueling was not needed and the airport started its third life.

Since Canada was not a restricted airport for the Eastern bloc countries in the 80’s, planes from these countries flew through Gander to places like Moscow and Havana.  There were many stories of the passengers not returning to their planes during stopovers and defecting.

The airport was also designated as an emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle during its usage and became the home of Gander Control, the air traffic control center, that is still used today for trans-Atlantic flights. 

Then on 9/11/2001, it became the center of control of the approximately 400 trans-continental flights in the air when the airspace was closed.  And Gander airport itself became the landing point for 38 planes carrying over 6500 passengers and crew members. The story is still told today with the Broadway musical and movie “Come From Away”.  And that time and experience is still honored with pride in the city.

All this, and more, was presented so well and we came away with a much better understanding of what took place on 9/11.  And also, of the many roles Gander airport has played and continues to play in the world aviation today.

We stopped by the Gander City Hall to get some more information, and it was suggested that we come back the next day as 1) the Tourism Director was out and 2) the office as closing for the day in 3 minutes!  So, we did. 

We met with Brian Williams, the Tourism Development Manager, and subsequently the mayor of Gander, Percy Farewell, for a while in the City Hall lobby.  Both recounted where they were on 9/11 and how they were called on to help.  Brian knew immediately that Gander would play a key role when he heard the US airspace was closed.

 Brian was the director of the North Atlantic Aviation Museum, and he opened it for free for all of the stranded passengers.  One of the interesting things was all the activities that took place to entertain the passengers during the seven days before they could reboard and continue their trips.

Brian also mentioned the US army’s role in building the initial Gander airport in 1941.  Yes, the US had a strong presence in Gander before we officially entered World War II.

Gander has 3 pieces of the world trade center on display as well.  One at the airport, one at the Aviation Museum and one at City Hall.  Brian told us the story of the one mounted on a rock in front of City Hall.  It had been sent to Gander by the Bethpage Fire Department and was originally inside the building.  But after “Come From Away” was produced, there were so many visitors coming by to see it when City Hall was not open that they decided to move it outside.  He wanted it accessible to all and chose a rock where visitors could sit next to it.  He took our picture.

It is interesting to see history that happened in our lifetime and our memory so well presented.  It was similar to our visit to the Woodstock field in Bethel, NY.   

But we had other things to see around Gander.  We decided to drive The Kittiwake Coastal drive or as the locals call it, The Loop.  It is about a 150 mile drive up to the north coast.  Some points of interest were the small fishing villages along the coast.  We went off road in the Jeep to Noggin Cove and a nice small bay.  We stopped at the Fisherman’s Museum in Musgrave Harbor but it was closed. 

And did I not mention the Rocks everywhere.  We say a house using large boulders in their back yard to stack their firewood.  In places, it was like God had a bunch of extra rocks and small boulders and so he just threw them out.  They all landed in Newfoundland!

We also stopped in Dover whose town motto is a Town with a Fault.  Nothing wrong with the town.  Not that kind of fault.  But it literally had the continental shelf fault line running through the town!  We don’t completely understand all the history and geology, but it is different from the Tableland Mountains we saw in Gros Morne. 

And it is also famous for the Nick and Diane “Love Bench” where the couple from the 9/11 story, and subsequently “Come From Away”, changed from being friends to falling in love sitting on the bench while on an excursion from Gander!  We took a selfie sitting on the bench.

We made a note of a few places and a few sites to go back and see visit next year when we come back.  But for now, it’s on to the last leg of our trip to Sunnyside and then St. John’s.  Let’s go!