Roland Groome
Encyclopedia
Roland Groome was a Canadian
aviator
from Regina
, Saskatchewan
, Canada
.
Groome, who had served with the Royal Flying Corps
as an instructor during World War I
set up the "Aerial Service Co" in 1919, with his partner Ed Clark. Although the company was a failure Groome had registered Canada's first aircraft, C-GAAA, a Curtis
JN4 biplane.
Because the forerunner of Transport Canada
made their first trip from Ottawa, Ontario
in 1920 to Regina, Groome was able to claim several aviation firsts in Canada. He was to receive the first pilots licence
, the first commercial pilots and the airfield he had helped set up was licenced as Canada's first "air harbour". At the same time his mechanic Robert McCombie was given Canada's first air engineer's license.
In 1927 Groome set up his second company "Universal Air Industries" at a new airfield called "Lakeview Aerodrome". Later that same year he also helped form the "Regina Flying Club", where he was to hlod the position of flying instructor until his death.
In September 1935, Groome and student Arnold Sym were killed when the control rod on the aileron
of their Avro
Avian failed and the aircraft
crashed just outside of Regina.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
from Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Groome, who had served with the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
as an instructor during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
set up the "Aerial Service Co" in 1919, with his partner Ed Clark. Although the company was a failure Groome had registered Canada's first aircraft, C-GAAA, a Curtis
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company was an American aircraft manufacturer that went public in 1916 with Glenn Hammond Curtiss as president. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the company was the largest aircraft manufacturer in the United States...
JN4 biplane.
Because the forerunner of Transport Canada
Transport Canada
Transport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio...
made their first trip from Ottawa, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
in 1920 to Regina, Groome was able to claim several aviation firsts in Canada. He was to receive the first pilots licence
Pilot licensing in Canada
Pilot licensing in Canada is administered by Transport Canada under the Aeronautics Act and the Canadian Aviation Regulations .Other than when flying a hang glider or paraglider, a person may only operate a Canadian-registered aircraft or act as a flight crew member in Canada with a licence or...
, the first commercial pilots and the airfield he had helped set up was licenced as Canada's first "air harbour". At the same time his mechanic Robert McCombie was given Canada's first air engineer's license.
In 1927 Groome set up his second company "Universal Air Industries" at a new airfield called "Lakeview Aerodrome". Later that same year he also helped form the "Regina Flying Club", where he was to hlod the position of flying instructor until his death.
In September 1935, Groome and student Arnold Sym were killed when the control rod on the aileron
Aileron
Ailerons are hinged flight control surfaces attached to the trailing edge of the wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. The ailerons are used to control the aircraft in roll, which results in a change in heading due to the tilting of the lift vector...
of their Avro
Avro
Avro was a British aircraft manufacturer, with numerous landmark designs such as the Avro 504 trainer in the First World War, the Avro Lancaster, one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the delta wing Avro Vulcan, a stalwart of the Cold War.-Early history:One of the world's...
Avian failed and the aircraft
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
crashed just outside of Regina.