Skyward
George Alexander Fuller
1927 – 2022

Story and photos by James Mason,
President CAHS Montréal
March 2025
Born in Sherbrooke, Québec, George was the son of Lieut. G.S.B Fuller, M.B.E., a Royal Flying Corps veteran of WW1. After completing his senior matriculation at Bishop’s University in Lennoxville, Québec, he earned a B.Sc. degree from Sir George Williams University in Montréal.
His keen interest in aviation began when he was a teenager visiting local airports as a spotter, noting aircraft registrations and documenting their history. He joined the Air Cadets during WW2, took summer jobs at Canadian Vickers and Avro Canada, and served in the RCAF Auxiliary from 1952 to 1958.
 
George was always challenged by the lack of resources available to study Canadian (especially Québec) aviation history. To overcome this, he became a founding member of the “Early Bird Club of Canada,” a group of aviation enthusiasts in the Toronto area, which soon became the Canadian Aviation Historical Society, where he served as a Director for several years.
As a founding member of the CAHS Montréal Chapter in 1963, he was active in recruiting new members and promoting his resolve to document Canadian aviation history. He contributed well-researched “Downwind” historical vignettes at 160 meetings.

With J.A. Griffin and K.M. Molson,  George co-authored 125 Years of Canadian Aeronautics: A Chronology 1840-1965, based on 10 years of meticulous research and published in 1983 by the CAHS. This 328- page edition lists many previously unrecorded events, some corrections to incidents listed elsewhere, as well as several new Canadian “firsts” in the field of aeronautics. Backed by many photos and well-documented references and indexes, this book has become the “go-to” reference for Canadian aviation researchers.
In 2013, George was honoured with the William J. Wheeler Award “for 50 years of dedication and journalistic service to the CAHS.”

Not just a researcher and author, George actively shared his talents to the benefit of other aviation organizations. He was an honorary member of and advisor to the Montreal Aviation Museum since its founding in 1998 as the Canadian Aviation Heritage Centre.
He was instrumental in locating and securing for the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa the oldest surviving aircraft to have flown in Canada, a Borel-Morane Bo.1.
 
As a member of Fondation Aérovision Québec, George served on the election committee of the Panthéon de l’Air et de l’Espace (Québec Aviation Hall of Fame) from 2001 to 2010.
Aside from his many presentations to the CAHS and the US-based Northeast Aero Historians, George’s lasting contribution to the knowledge of Canada’s aviation history will be his numerous “Banker Box” files, most indexed, cataloging his 65+ yrs of research.
In his methodical hand-written style of double cross-referenced sources, complete with newspaper clippings, photos and interviews, he compiled a priceless treasure chest of our aviation record.
 
When asked if he would compile all this into another book, he simply replied: “Well you know, everything I do is very well organized, so when I’m gone, it will be easy for someone else to take over.”
 
Thankfully, before his passing George committed to bequeath all his research to the Montreal Aviation Museum (MAM), for others to explore, enjoy, and preserve for future generations of aviation historians.
For such an eminent figure in his field, George was a humble man. At my first CAHS Montréal meeting, he approached me to discuss my interest in aviation. His eyes lit up when he discovered that as teenagers, we both were “aircraft spotters”. After admitting I could never become a noted historian, he replied: “Jim, it is not just one or several historians or authors who will uncover or save our aviation history. It is a combination of the aircraft restorers, the museum volunteers, those who are members or executives of aviation societies, and anyone who promotes the cause, especially to the younger generation, that will make a difference.” Looking back, I have to say, “By George, he was right!”
 
George’s integrity shone through in his research, and when factual disagreements arose, he would articulate balanced supporting arguments – and on the very rare occasion when needed, he was humble enough to admit his error. This openness infused his entire approach and adds immensely to the value of his contribution