Mr. Speaker, the City of Calgary is retiring. No, not my hard-working hometown, but rather a Boeing 747 airliner that has shared the city's name since 1989.
Calgary aviation enthusiasts have been lobbying KLM to bring the plane to its namesake city before it is retired. I think this is a fantastic idea.
The City of Calgary is one of the oldest 747s in KLM's fleet. Like its namesake, the plane is made of sturdy stuff. It narrowly avoided a crash just months after entering service, losing all power to its engines after flying through a volcanic ash cloud. The City of Calgary remained true to its name, however, and weathered a crisis to soar once more.
Although named after my city, the aircraft has never actually landed there. It is my hope that KLM will support a Calgary touchdown so the plane can receive a fond and final farewell.