Millardair and Me

A Young Man's Journey from Turbulence to Triumph

The recent double murder conviction of Dellen Millard that suddenly and shockingly gripped the Canadian media, took the author back in time where he reflects on some of the events that transpired during those years at Millardair and his association with Carl Millard, the patriarch of the Millardair dynasty, and perhaps now, even more notoriously known as the grandfather of Dellen Millard.

This aviation story starts many years ago when the author's aspirations to be a pilot consumed his earliest memories. A young man drawn in by the allure and magnetism of aviation with a dream to fly for his nation's airline, Air Canada. While waiting for Air Canada to call, fate and destiny would land him on Carl Millard's doorstep where he signed on to fly for Millardair.

The author takes you on a harrowing five-yerar journey as he unearths an epic voyage of strength of mind, determination and fortitude in the face of all obstacles. Dennis dredges up some of those haunting memories of a time that went by very quickly, but is also cemented in his brain as those memories lay suppressed and blurred in his subconscious. He recollects Carl's contempt for authority and the brazen way in which so many aviation rules and regulations were violated and broken. He recalls the culture of the time and the cult-like environment that possessed them as pilots for Carl and Millardair. At a time in aviation history when there were very few jobs for pilots in Canada, the choices were simple. Toe the line with Carl, or quit. In all likelihood, quitting would have most certainly forced a change in careers. Not prepared to give up on his dream, he succumbed to the spell of Millardair.

Never in his wildest dreams could he have predicted the direction in which his working relationship with Carl would take him. As fate would have it, he assumed many roles and wore many hats at Millardair, which became, following his departure, a slowly dying and crumbling operation at the north end of the airport on Derry Road.

The author isn't aware of anyone that preceded him or anyone that followed him, that possessed the same degree of knowledge about what transpired there. Stepping inside the inner circle with Carl and his son Wayne Millard provided him with an insight that no one else had.

The author's intention to write about these events was verbalized many times during those early years, not only by him, but also by his fellow crewmembers, despite never really thinking any of them would. The constant churning of those thoughts in his brain left him wondering if Carl’s unabashed and audacious ways, and what appeared to be an attitude that suggested he was above the law, helped shape his own future generations as they appeared to idolize Carl. Not unlike any political figure, Carl had a base group of fans, and an equally large group of individuals that despised him. In addition, Carl had a “golden boy”, who toed the line and fought for change before slowly becoming disenchanted. The author wasn’t necessarily proud of that status, but was quite simply spellbound and trapped.

The names of his fellow crew members have been changed to protect their integrity and the author doesn't claim that every detail is accurate. The premise of the story is based on factual events, at least in the way in which the author remembers them. While peering through the author's eyes, the ending will surprise you as you accompany him on the same journey from turbulence to triumph.