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( For retirees of the new Air Canada family)
Number 631 Oct 30th, 2001, We first Published in October 1995
Chief Pilot - Vesta Stevenson - Co-pilot - Terry Baker
To get in touch with either editor/pilot our email address is
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. Need to know.
Bill Rowe sends this reminedr -
YWG is still having problems with incorrect billings and considerable
backlog. Therefore everyone should keep track of all passes especially
Buddy Passes retaining coupon # or the receipt portion of the pass ticket
for their records. Remember for every airport that charges a fee (exception
is YVR and YUL were you must pay at departure time) will be automatically
added to the pass charge. At YYZ Personal Passes are exempt but Partner
Passes are charged.
Also ensure your printing is clear and distinct.....use ball-point pen
only.....many passes being received that are hard to read because of poor
printing of details by the pass-holder.
Best regards Bill Rowe Pionairs Pension & Benefits Rep.
Edie Etheridge in LHR sends this information -
Instances have occurred when friends travelling alone on partner passes
have no return space listings. This is due to the fact that the sponsor has
not made any return listing, possibly due to the fact the partner is not
sure of their plans. After the outward trip is made, the PNR is deleted
after 24 hours as there is no other requirement. The lack of a listing for
the inward trip puts an uneccessary stress on both the partner and check-in
staff. Although the sponsor initiates a listing using their pin number, the
partner is able to adjust any listing by contacting reservations and
quoting the reservation number. So even if the partner is unsure of their
return travel plans, a listing should be made, therefor a PNR will exist
and can be adjusted as necessary on or before the date the listing is made for.
.Claude Constantineau sent us this query -
From my pay cheques when I have some passes listed with the charges, it
seems that the date of the ticket or pass which is imprinted when you print
the pass with the card is the date used on the paycheque.
I find this confusing since as a retiree, I usually print several passes
when I am at an airport and when the charges are deducted, the date of the
ticket and the travel date are two very different things. I t would seem to
me that the outbound travel date is the date that should be shown; I just
hope that Industry Travel is going to use the outbound travel date in the
counting of the allotment and not the date of the pass.
Secondl;y, the format of the date is confusing; in Canada we use day/month,
on the cheque entries, they use the american way of month/day could they
not specify the month in plain letter ? Claude
Constantineau
Air Canada payrolls have advised us -
The travel date shown is actual travel dates picked up from the flight
envelopes at time of scanning.
The date shown on the paystatements is the date format that is the
Air Canada
standard effective in 1999.
All Air Canada departments are required to comply with this
standard.
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Montreal chapter of Dreams Take Flight ready to take a planeload of happy kids
to Florida. On Oct 17th, about 130 excited special-needs children
from all regions of Quebec spent a day visiting Mickey and his pals and
trying out all the rides at Walt Disney World in Florida. For many it will be
the first time they have ever been apart from their families. This
extraordinary day is made possible through the dedicated work of Air Canada
active and
retired employees, volunteers and many sponsors. The flight left from the Air
Canada Maintenance Base (767 Hangar) at 6:50 am.
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. News from the districts
From the Vancouver Pionairs district -
FALL LUNCHEON
The Vancouver Pionairs Fall Luncheon was held at the Quilchena Golf and
Country Club in Richmond on October 21,2001 with over 170 retirees from
Air Canada and Canadian Airlines attending. Guest Speaker was Fraser
O'Shaugnessy, Pionairs National President who gave an update on the
current status and priorities of the Pionair National Executive. A great
luncheon was enjoyed by all and the Quilchena catering staff are to be
commended on this occassion! Ours sincere thanks to those many members
who donated various worthwhile gifts and to Jean Chernenko, Marv Lohnes,
Al Rogiani and all the many volunteers who organized this very enjoyable
function.
CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON
We are anticipating a great turn out for this very special luncheon
which is planned as follows:
Location: Delta Pacific Resort and Conference Centre, 10251 St. Edwards
Drive, Richmond
Date: Thursday, December 13, 2001
Time: 11:30 Meet and Greet
12:30 Luncheon followed by entertainment
Cost: $20.00 per person
Parking: Free
Tickets will go fast so send your cheque to Al Yallouz, 57 W42 Ave,
Vancouver, B.C. V5Y 2S8. If you are not yet a Pionair member please call
Glen Steeves at 604-943-0494 or email:
for a membership application.
If you need more information on the function call Jean Chernenko at
604-946-3929or Al Rogiani at 604-943-4427. Both Air Canada Pionairs and
CAIRE always enjoyed great participation at their Christmas
Luncheons....let's make it happen again with the "new" Air Canada
Pionairs! Look forward to seeing you on this very special occassion.
Glen Steeves
District Pionairs Director
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From: Edward Tierney
Subject: First 707 at Dorval Airport.
"Where's them there propellers then ?" Casting the mind back some years
sometimes brings on a grin or two. This particular grin raised by a comical
sequence imposed by bad weather as is so often the case.
These were the days when the Connie, great airplane in its time, was about
to face eventual relegation. All of this though was beyond the ken of yours
truly who only reads the Beano pictures and slowly so.
ULX. A bright wintry day. Ramp line maintenance equipment condition at a
low ebb. Half the units undergoing shop repair, depleting mobility for
everyone. Empty Hangar with myself concentrating on two swinging feet as I
sat glued to a workbench. With all the guys out working, wherever.
Contemplations ended as the Crew Chief wheels back into the hangar with.
"Throw your tools in the back (of the jeep) and come on!" Sliding in beside
him......Sheasgreen says....."This ones unusual, we've to meet Air France.
Its one of the new jets diverted from New York" Myself....."What? Gosh,
what do we know about jets....what if I run into trouble?" (STANDARD TCA
REPLY) "Sure if you need help we'll get help to you" Mollified is the word
for it but on arrival at the transat terminal as I step out of the jeep
with my tools... Whirrrr! and Jimmies away, leaving me without any form of
radio contact. Aware of this, strolled into the Air France office to ask
for the necessary check sheet. Being handed a Connie check sheet, asked for
a 707 one. Answer..."None, just work off that sheet as best you can"
Situation. No aircraft in the transat area only an uneasy silence. Having
no idea what a 707 even looked like became aware of the approach of a
circling visitor. Down it came clearly in focus but with the strangest
sounds. (No cropduster this). Taxied in and parked, the ground handlers now
trying to manoeuvre standard ramp equipment to service this overgrown
species with some difficulty. As the passengers deplaned I began a tour
around, hopefully looking intelligent and up to the job. Later, as start up
approached took up the standard "standby position" suitably attired with
red cap and badge........when dreaded thoughts struck me.... The what ifs?
Surreptiously increased my distance from the plane kept the usual weather
eye open for...well whatever. Then of course as engine No 2 started up I
immediately was struck by the absence of information picked up by a
quickening propeller or the puff of smoke and ragged roars. But comforted
by the nonchalance of the start up crew easy going activities when I
noticed a crack in the decorum. On spotting the lead ground crew guy
displaying agitated movements then turning towards me with a beckoning arm.
Handing me his communication headset I then heard instructions in French.
Gesticulating ..No comprendo... reached the headset back to be told "The
Captain wants you to open No 4 engine" At that the engines were shut down.
But what a dilemma. Ok I knew where No 4 engine was but how was I to reach
up to it? How to open the cowling? For on my earlier walkaround had noticed
an absence of the usual Dzus fasteners, with all the cowling gleaming like
an unbroken sheet of seamless metal.
Meanwhile unknown to me the Montreal media got wind of the unexpected
arrival out at the airport and had already arrived at the terminal in droves.
First down the steps was the Flight Engineer who knew full rightly that no
one at ULX would have the foggiest clue what actions to take. But that
wasn't the problem facing me. No, the big problem was the huge three
quarter circle of pressmen/photographers now ranged around the plane. What
a letdown for TCA and crew 31 with the evening papers screaming out about
our inadequacy. No radio.....looking 360 degrees for help just noticed one
of TCA ground controllers car about to disappear behind the crowd. I waved
and waved and wa....oh heck, he's gone. What to do? To my intense relief
the controllers car pulled up behind me with the call "Right Eddy, what can
I do for you". Relief! I jumped in beside him and said pull that window
down quick as I relayed the dilemma to him. Calling the tower to clear the
airside crowd took only a few minutes.
Mounting the platform with the Engineer who had no English, plus a
necessary interpreter it went like "xxxxxxx" "screwdriver" hand over
screwdriver. "xxxxxxx" "sidecutters" "xxxxx" "spanner" "xxxxx" "lockwire"
(faulty air valve, to be opened manually) All done. Once the airplane
departed.......had to go back to the hangar.
E T.
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Caterina Trotto
Air Canada Corporate Records/Archives sends this information -
CP AIR RESEARCH STUDY INVOLVING IN THE KOREAN WAR CHARTER FLIGHTS
A research study involving the Canadian Airmen and Airwomen who were
involved inthe Korean War is underway. A significant portion of the
study involves air and ground crews of the CP Air flights for the US
Army to Tokyo. This is a long-overdue and important study. Research
involves correspondence and interviews. The study will be published in
book form - ETA - mid 2003. Please contact;
Carl Mills 26 Clareville Cres North York ON M2J 2C1 RES
416-495-090 7 E-MAIL:
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. Smilies.
Gordon Dalziel sends us these -
Taxiing down the tarmac, the jetliner abruptly stopped, turned around and
returned to the gate. After a hour-long wait, it finally took off. A
concerned passenger asked the flight attendant, "What was the problem?"
"The pilot was bothered by a noise he heard in the engine,"
explained the flight attendant, "and it took us a while to find a new pilot
A man telephoned an airline office in New York and asked,
"How long does it take to fly to Boston?"
The clerk said, "Just a minute."
"Thank you," the man said and hung up.
A man walks up to the counter at the airport. "Can I help you?" asks the
agent. "I want a round trip ticket," says the man. "Where to?" asks the
agent. "Right back to here."
One of the airlines recently introduced a special half-fare rate for wives
accompanying their husbands on business trips. Anticipating some valuable
testimonials, the publicity department of the airline sent out letters to
all
the wives of businessmen who used the special rates, asking how they enjoyed
their trip. Responses are still pouring in from angry wives asking, "What
trip???"
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