Calgary, AB, Canada - December 2008
When the Royal Air Force tried flying their Lockheed L-1011 full of troops on deployment to CFB Suffield home to England just before Christmas, they discovered they had problems with the number 2. engine. (Trevor McTavish)
This necessitated an engine change and when no one else on the Calgary Airport would return their phone calls, WestJet agreed to rent them the necessary space on their outdoor parking pad. (Trevor McTavish)
To make sure the L-1011, which weighed in at a quarter of a million pounds, didn't break through the concrete, 1-inch thick steel plates were placed under each of the wheels. We later discovered that the plates froze to the concrete and it took considerable effort to break them free. (Trevor McTavish)
A spare engine was flown in from England in the cargo hold of a C-17 freighter, and it took the RAF engineers another 12 days to complete the change. (Trevor McTavish)
When I asked how one of the engineers was enjoying the cold Canadian weather, he put it into perspective - "It's better than Afghanistan." (Trevor McTavish)