George Bayliss Lothian

Captain George Bayliss Lothian (20 November 1909 – 13 February 2000) was a Canadian aviator and one of the earliest pilots hired by Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA), later Air Canada. He helped pioneer commercial aviation in Canada, flying domestic and trans-Atlantic routes from the 1930s through the 1970s, and authored Flight Deck, one of the first comprehensive accounts of Air Canada's history.

Early life George Bayliss Lothian was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1900 to Edward Lothian and Helen May (Fremlin) Lothian. He was educated in Vancouver schools and began his flying career in 1929. Before joining TCA, he worked as an airport instructor with Canadian Airways.

In 1960, Lothian appeared in a British Pathé newsreel documenting the delivery of the first Vickers Vanguard aircraft to Trans-Canada Air Lines at Wisley Airfield, Surrey. The footage shows Captain Lothian, TCA Superintendent of Flying, with Vickers-Armstrongs test pilot Captain R. Rymer inspecting the aircraft before its delivery flight.

Lothian was awarded the Yukon Territory Order of Polaris and was inducted into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame in 1973.

Personal life Lothian married Rose Vivian Crispin on 10 October 1940 in New Westminster, British Columbia.

He was known for his meticulous approach to flight discipline and his mentorship of younger pilots. His Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame inscription reads: "His inspired leadership in ocean flying despite adversity, the sharing of his exceptional aviation skills with others willing to learn, his unswerving demand for perfection in all who served under his command, bred a most superior grade of airman."

Later life and death Lothian retired to White Rock, British Columbia after more than 40 years in aviation. He died at Peace Arch Hospital on 13 February 2000. A service was held on 17 February 2000 at Chapel Hill Funeral Home in White Rock, followed by cremation.

Legacy Lothian's career appears in numerous Canadian newspapers, company bulletins, and Air Canada publications. His book Flight Deck (1980) remains a primary source for early TCA and Air Canada history.