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Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter Since 1995

Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Since 1995

The NetLetter #1132

The NetLetter
 For Air Canada Retirees

September 5, 2010 - Issue 1132
5431 Subscribers
 
In This Issue
Our first 70 years
Star Alliance News
TCA/Air Canada People Gallery
Alan's Space
Canadi>n/CP Air/PWA, Wardair, etc
Reader's Feedback
Odds & Ends
Terry's Trivia
Smileys
About us
Terry, Vesta & Alan Pionair's AGM 2007


Terry, Vesta & Alan
The NetLetter Web Site
The NetLetter Web Site
Sponsors
ACFamily Network
ACFamily Links
Air Canada Pionairs

Project North Star

ACFamily Obituaries
Obituaries
Obituaries
 
Greetings!
Terry Baker
Terry Baker

We are returning from a summer break and regrouping following the passing of our dear friend and co-worker Vesta Stevenson.

Our last issue was Issue #1131 on July 31, 2010 and you can re-visit it by clicking here.

We welcome you to allow the NetLetter to be your platform, and opportunity, to relive your history while working for either TCA, AC, CPAir, CAIL, PWA, AirBC etal. and share your experiences with us!

The NetLetter is an email newsletter published every weekend and contains a mixture of nostalgia, current news and travel tips. We encourage our readers to submit their stories, photos and/or comments from either days gone by or from present day experiences and  trips. If we think that the rest of our readers will enjoy it, we will publish it here

We also welcome your feedback in regard to anything we post here. Many readers have commented with additional information names and personal memories from the photos and articles presented here.
 
The NetLetter, which is free, is open to anyone that wishes to subscribe but is targeted to retired employees from Air Canada, Canadian Airlines and all the other companies that were part of what Air Canada is today. Thanks for joining us!

Terry & your NetLetter Team
Our first 70 years - Compiled by Terry Baker
Trans-Canada Air Lines/Air Canada


1951 - Aug - Seat assignment plan to allow couples and families to sit together introduced on the north-Atlantic service.
 -  A four page magazine "Flight Horizons"  a quarterly distributed on the aircraft was introduced.
1957 -  TCA places ninth in the airline world and third among 86 IATA members in the number of turbine powered aircraft in operation with 47 Viscounts.
1971 - Jun -  A computer programmer training school opened at Dorval.
Star Alliance News - Compiled by Terry Baker
Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Shanghai Airlines reached an agreement with Star Alliance to "terminate" its membership by the end of October.
 
Singapore Airlines intends to progressively introduce electronic versions of magazines on its KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system, beginning with its three in-flight magazines, SilverKris, KrisShop andKrisWorld. The airline said the ultimate aim is a paperless cabin.
 
Delivery of Boeing B737-800's to Continental Airlines is delayed due to seat manufacturer Koito Industries of Yokohama, Japan failed to produce units to FAA safety standard. Four completed aircraft are stored at Boeing field and another four at Renton . Koito was found to have falsified test results and made unauthorized changes to 150,000 seats supplied to 32 international airlines.
 
TCA/Air Canada People Gallery - Compiled by Terry Baker
TCA/Air Canada LogoMusings from the "Between Ourselves" magazine an Air Canada publication from years gone by.
Issue dated - December 1951
Extracted from "Between Ourselves" magazine
Sales Banners
banner
There's friendly rivalry between these two points. Each month both battle for possession of two banners, emblematic of sales executed, in July, for instance, Edmonton sold more TCA space overseas than its neighbor to the south and thus had the honor of having its oil derrick insignia stamped on. There's a second banner to cover domestic sales. The Calgary Stetson hat insignia was stamped on this banner both in June and July.
On release of the passenger sales figures for each month, the emblem of the winning district, along with a notation of the month and the year, is affixed to the banner and is held by that district for the ensuing month.

Edmonton, pictured with the sales banner  G. Smith and G.MacMillan  of Montreal, R.W.Dunning, J.H.Slater, J.S.Graham of Edmonton, L.Fitl, L.Sidjak, M.Cameron, B.S.Bain, E.A.Locke of Calgary, A.Fiske, J.Cunningham, C.R.Morgan, M.Pratt, E.Sadkowski, J.Cooke of Vancouver D.Stewartand H.E.Thompson.
(Anyone know if this banner exists - eds)
Issue dated - July 1967
Air Explorers Project
airexplorers
The company supports Air Explorers Youth program with Boy Scouts. The aim of the program would be to provide an opportunity for high school boys to learn about the aerospace industries. The company was asked to provide leadership for the group at Dorval. Lectures, which started in October 1966, ranged from aircraft maintenance, theory of flight, and manufacturing.

Several members of the Maintenance Department got together, under the direction of Russ Thatcher, to rebuild the Schweizer glider using modern airline technology. X-rays showed some tubular struts needed to be replaced, and modifications were made to the flight controls and instruments. The glider was completed by the end of May, and in active service at St. Jean, Quebec. Here are some of the personnel who contributed their talent in their own time to the project.

From the left: Walt Bailey, Bert Amy, Ross Watson, John Berth-Jones, John Heindel,  Bill Cook, Russ Thatcher, Dave Marleau, Hal Bonnycastle, Hank van der Aa, Chief Instructor, 'Institut aéronautique'; Charlie Nicholas, Gordon Hughes.
Other major contributors missing from the photo are Jim Fairchild, Slim Munson, Jack McDougall, Moe Malleft, Laird Stovel, George Clifford, Jean Charbonnecu, Art Warrener and Bob Jarvis.
Sona Lake
sonalake
WHAT WE NEED IS MORE WINTER WORK says Dave Tennant, as he inspects a possible new area to add to the Company's routes. The "Terminal Building" on his left is really a pump house used to pump water to a large microwave relay Station on top of an 800' hill at Sona Lake, one of three places he visited on a recent pleasure jaunt to Labrador. The other two were Twin Falls, and Churchill Falls. Dave and John Drummond, were flown there by Jack Rezac, Station Manager, Goose Bay in a Wheeler Beaver.

Phone books - LAX
laxstaff
THE ENTIRE Los Angeles staff was required to lift the set of local directories onto the table for this photograph. When Sales Manager Dave Young asked Cargo Sales Rep Bert Laing to pick up a set of Los Angeles 'phone directories, Bert came back with 2 directories measuring some two feet in height. Watching the measuring process are, from the left: Bert Laing; Gord Gaffikin; Dave Young; Patricia Hill, Sandra MaCormack; Mary Johnston.
Alan's Space - by Alan Rust
Alan Rust
Alan's Space
The Birth of a Jet - Submitted by Bill Wood.

This is a 13 minute video extolling the virtues of the DC-8 when it first flew. There is some footage of the LB plant before Boeing and the Douglas Airpark.  It's a great video on the DC-8 and is a vintage '50's production.

I found it interesting that they were doing stress testing underwater.

 Ah, the good old days.  Turn on your sound and enjoy some aviation
 nostalgia.



DC-8 Promo Movie
DC-8 Promo Movie
 
Canadi>n/CP Air/PWA, Wardair, etc. People & Events
- Compiled by Terry Baker
CAIL TailsNews and articles from days gone by gleaned from various publications from C.A.I.L. and it's "ancestry" of contributing airlines.
handlinghandling-1




handling-2

handling-3

handling-6

Reader's Feedback - Compiled by Terry Baker
Reader's Feedback
Every week we ask our readers for their stories or  feedback on what they have read here in previous issues. Below is the feedback we have received recently. 
Help wanted by Glen Jeffrey regarding Terrace -.
Can anyone out there provide me with information regarding the construction of the Terrace B.C. military base and the adjacent Woodcock B.C. emergency base used if Terrace was down with weather problems.

I was based there for some time and the Terrace locals want a write up on YXT for their history books. The info I have gleaned so far is that it was built for defense against the threat of invasion from Japan and apparently a squadron of Hawker Hurricane aircraft and probably some Harvard trainers were also in use.

Apparently there was 2 large wood construction hangars, one was in use when I was there and it was large enough to hangar our DC6B, this hangar has now burned down the source of the fire unknown and the other one dismantled and moved to Smithers B.C. for a skating rink.

If anyone has any info on the history and construction of this base I would appreciate it so that I can pass it on to the people of Terrace as any of the locals now in YXT who were involved have become real seniors and their memories have been blurred in this regard. 

Best regards to all Glenn Jeffrey
Please respond to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Lobster Loading
lobsters
Found on the www.acfamily.net  under "My Airline Memories"  forum. Can you remember what you were doing 45 years ago? mid 60's. I ran across this old picture a while back and tried to remember some of the details. It's looking out of the rear cargo compartment of a Viscount, sitting on the ramp at YQI.

I guess the time was early Dec, as the lobster season opens at that time. There was always a big demand from the European markets for NS Lobsters, and we were always trying to squeeze on as many of these 40 lb water proof cartons, filled with seaweed and wiggling lobsters, as possible.

The photo was taken by Bob Brooks, who did most of the shots for Air Canada. And this one did end up in the Halifax newspaper.

Station Agent Les Falle is in profile, while I'm on the conveyor. In coveralls is a relief mechanic from YUL, helping out as was the norm in small stations.

I remember a few days later, the Station Manager got a call from someone in Regional Headquarters, complaining about the Station Agent who wasn't in proper uniform!!!

I guess I ended up saying it was "Casual Friday" - I did have my uniform pants on but white shirt and tie wasn't the best thing to wear while loading 1200lbs of Lobsters.

Ken Pickford sends us this information -
NetLetter #1129 includes a photo of what the caption states was CF-CPI, the first of CPA's four Canadair C-4s, c/n 147.

The aircraft in the photo is definitely not CF-CPI. The round windows indicate that it was almost certainly the unpressurized RCAF North Star leased by CPA for a few months in 1949. It operated the North Pacific survey flight to Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong in April 1949, prior to commencement of regular service a few months later.

The round windows on the aircraft in the photo were only used on the unpressurized North Stars operated by the RCAF. Six of those RCAF aircraft, including the one briefly leased by CPA, were also loaned to TCA for about a year from 1947 to 1948 while TCA was awaiting delivery of their pressurized North Stars which had the same larger rectangular windows as the DC-6. CPA's four C-4s (CPA didn't use the North Star name) were also the pressurized version.

Scroll up in the same NetLetter issue to the photo of the TCA North Star used on the first transatlantic flight from Toronto and will see the rectangular windows of the pressurized North Star/C-4. CF-CPI would have looked like that aircraft. I would thus guess that the photo in question was taken sometime prior to the April 1949 North Pacific survey flight.

The aircraft leased by CPA, and presumably the one in the photo, was c/n 106 and was registered CF-TEP while temporarily used by both TCA and CPA. Its RCAF serial was 17522. Its RCAF service ended in 1954 when it was written off in a non-fatal landing accident in England.

The real CF-CPI, named Empress of Sydney, operated the pre-inaugural flight for guests and dignitaries from Vancouver to Honolulu, Nadi and Sydney (with fuel stops at San Franciso and Canton Island) on July 10, 1949. The survey flight on that route a few days earlier used CF-CPR (Empress of Vancouver), the second of CPA's C-4s. CF-CPR had a short lifespan as it was written off in a non-fatal landing overrun into the water at Tokyo in February 1950.

The three surviving CPA C-4s (CF-CPI/CPJ/CPP) were sold to TCA in 1952 and replaced with used Douglas DC-4s acquired from Pan Am. At TCA, the ex-CPA aircraft became CF-TFU/TFV/TFW. The last of those, CF-TFW, collided with an RCAF Harvard over Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan on April 8, 1954 while en route from Winnipeg to Calgary. All 35 passengers and crew on the North Star were killed, as was the Harvard pilot and one person on the ground in a house in Moose Jaw that was struck by falling wreckage.

Regards, Ken Pickford

The NetLetter gang responded -

Hello Ken,
We appreciate you taking the time to document the story surrounding the Canadair aircraft. As indicated in the NetLetter, the information came from the Canadian Flyer April 1999.
canadairThis photo shows the Canadair at Sydney and is identified as CF-CPI and seems to have round rather than square windows.

And this was Ken's response to that -
Thanks for the reply. Yes, your photo taken at Sydney is definitely the real CF-CPI but the windows are rectangular. It may be a little hard to tell due to the angle, but those are definitely the rectangular DC-6-type windows used on the pressurized C-4/North Star. Look closely and you can see the straight sides of the windows
(with slightly rounded corners).
rcafcanadairThis is a photo of the 2nd CPA C-4 (CF-CPR), the one written off in the landing accident at Tokyo in 1950. It was identical to CF-CPI. Gives a better view of the windows due to the angle. 

rcafcanadairThe 4 CP C-4s were all delivered in 1949 and had sequential construction numbers (CF-CPI #147, CF-CPR #148, CF-CPJ #149, CF-CPP #150). Similar view of the unpressurized RCAF North Star (official designation C-54GM...M for Merlin) and its round windows. It also had a large rear cargo door, as on the Douglas C-54.





In NetLetter nr 1131 - Odds and Ends, we had a mystery photo, and asked for any information -
Dave Ohlsson sent us this email-
My dad, John Ohlsson took a look - when I blew up the picture it was quite fuzzy. He makes the following observations:
Picture may possibly have been taken in Lethbridge, AB - as this was the regional office at that time. He believes possibly it was a pic of the western region staff.
Bottom row: Far left- Johnny Robillac? from Lethbridge, 2nd in from the R - possibly Harvey Lesage from Montreal or Dave Clark from Calgary

In NetLetter nr 1131 - Odds and Ends, we had a mystery photo, and asked for any information -
Dave Ohlsson sent us this email-
My dad, John Ohlsson took a look - when I blew up the picture it was quite fuzzy. He makes the following observations:
Picture may possibly have been taken in Lethbridge, AB - as this was the regional office at that time. He believes possibly it was a pic of the western region staff.
Bottom row: Far left- Johnny Robillac? from Lethbridge, 2nd in from the R - possibly Harvey Lesage from Montreal or Dave Clark from Calgary
Odds & Ends - Compiled by Terry Baker
Odds & EndsBAe146-200 c/n 2133 fin 204 C-GRNV ex AC now with Aerolineas Star Peru.
BAe146-200 c/n 2121 fin 210 C-FBAV ex Jazz now with Avmax Canada
c/n 2140 fin 206 C-GRNT ex Jazz now with Avmax Canada
 
Barry Crawford sends this information, (slightly edited)  -
 I do look forward to receiving "thenetletter" every week. I don't know if any of you have watched the series "Ice Pilots" on the History Channel. I just finished watching the series and found it very entertaining. I really enjoyed the different aircraft being flown by Buffalo Airways.

By the way does  anyone  know the owner of Buffalo Airways, Joe McBryan or any of the pilots? Is your readership aware of this series.......if not......I bet some of your readers would enjoy watching. Keep up the good work with the newsletter.
Barry

U.K. Pionairs - 1999
ukpionair
In 1999, the U.K. Pionairs had their annual north America visit at Vancouver. Here is the happy group disembarking from the paddle steamer in Vancouver harbour. (No identifiers available - eds)


sculptureHere is an aviation themed sand sculpture seen at the Parksville, B.C. sand sculpture contest July 2010.
 








Vern Swerdfeger has sent us this url which has an interesting array of aircraft at the Advar-Hazy Centre - National Air & Space Museum -
www.cdsg.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=320

Located south of Washington Dulles International Airport along route 28, approx. 1/2 mile north of the intersection of routes 28 and 50.
Vern Swerdfeger has sent us this url which has an interesting array of aircraft at the Advar-Hazy Centre - National Air & Space Museum -
www.cdsg.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=320

Located south of Washington Dulles International Airport along route 28, approx. 1/2 mile north of the intersection of routes 28 and 50.
Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips - by Terry Baker
Terry Baker
Terry Baker
Traveling to Europe?  - here is a scheme you may be able to take advantage of -
Q What is the Retail Export Scheme?
A As a non-European visitor to the European Union you will pay VAT on most things you buy. The Retail Export Scheme allows you to claim a VAT Refund on most goods you intend to export from the European Union. You must export them by the last day of the third month following that in which the goods were purchased.
 
And if you want some funds exchanged for your travels in Europe - try this web site -
www.travelex.co.uk
 
Departure tax at Dublin is euro10.00 per passenger.
 
We continue the trip to the far east, extracted from the UK Pionairs monthly newsletter July edition -
Our Far East Adventure:    (Jack and Aureen Morath  -  Continued)
The next morning we explored the local area before taking the tram to the city centre. It cost 1 Hong Kong Dollar each way as we were Seniors.  Everyone else is charged 2 dollars. Every Sunday the city is filled with  Phillipinos who meet up with each other and so it was on our visit. We headed back to our hotel for lunch. An excellent buffet lunch at a special price for Seniors! In the afternoon we took the hotel shuttle bus to the harbour area to do a "dummy run" to the cruise terminal which we would be doing the following day. The shuttle bus driver dropped us off at the Star Ferry Terminal and we took the famous Star Ferry across to the mainland. At the ticket office we were told that the ferry was free to Seniors. The ferry runs every few minutes and only takes a few minutes for the journey. Once over the other side it was only a few hundred yards walk to the modern Cruise Terminal. We checked out our check-in procedures so we would know exactly what to do the following day. After a walk around Kowloon we returned on the ferry and then on to the tram back to our hotel. We were now all set for our cruise the following day. (to be continued)
Smileys - Compiled by Terry Baker
Smileys
As we surf the internet and back issues of airline magazines we regularly find airline related jokes and cartoons. Below is our latest discovery.
 
cartoonFrom the "Between Ourselves" issued April 1971 we found this cartoon by Dave Mathias.
First published in October, 1995

  • Chief Pilot - Terry Baker, Nanaimo, B.C.
  • Co-Pilot - Alan Rust, Surrey, B.C.
  • Ground Technician - Bill Rowsell, Londesboro, Ontario
To contact us, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We hope you have enjoyed this issue of the NetLetter, see you next week!
 
Sincerely,

Your NetLetter Team
 
 

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