Eric Blackwood

Who is Eric Blackwood?

Eric Blackwood aviator, born Brookfield, Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland, Canada. A noted navigator during World War II, Blackwood is the founder of Eastern Provincial Airways. In the early days of EPA, Blackwood acted as pilot, operations manager and director.

Blackwood, educated at Wesleyville and then onto Prince of Wales College at St. John's, joined the Royal Canadian Airforce in 1942 where he served as navigator. In 1945 he formed Newfoundland Aero Sales and Services Inc. with James McLoughlin and Ren Goobie. Newfoundland Aero Sales and Servivce was eventually sold to Maritime Central Airways in 1949. Then on March 10, 1949 Blackwood founded Eastern Provincial Airways with a single plane, a Twin 50 Cessna.

Timeline for EPA

1949: Eastern Provincial Airways, St John's Newfoundland

1961: Scheduled flights to Greenland begun.

1963: Acquired Maritime Central Airways.

1982: Subsidiary Air Maritime.

1983: Headquarter operations moved from Gander to Halifax.

1984: Merged with Canadian Pacific Air Lines.