 The NetLetter
For Air Canada Retirees
February 5, 2011 - Issue 1152
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First Issue published in October 1995!
(over 5,400 subscribers)
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Donation Information
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Send cheques payable to "ACFamily Network" to:
ACFamily Network
#800 - 15355 24th Ave, Suite 523
Surrey, BC V4A 2H9
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Pay by Credit Card
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Audio Archives
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| Greetings! |
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, Wardair. 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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 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
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| CAHS Upcoming Events - Compiled by Alan Rust |
 We have a listing below of all the CAHS (Canadian Aviation Historical Society) upcoming events that we are aware of. If you are at all interested in Canadian aviation history, then we encourage you to attend a meeting or visit their web site at: www.cahs.ca |
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Vancouver - February 8, 2011: The February meeting presentation will be a slide presentation by Keith Wade on flying boats and amphibians. For more info call Jerry Vernon at (604) 420-6065
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Toronto - February 12, 2011: Alan C. Dares, B.A, C.T.M, A.T.P.L. will be speaking on "Light Sport Aircraft (LSA's) in Canada"
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Calgary - February 17, 2011 - Discover the amazing life of a forgotten Calgarian who was recruited from the RAF by the British Special Intelligence Service in late 1938 to begin aerial photographic missions of most Italian and German war preparations and military installations. A truly intriguing and unique presentation!- by Dave Lefurgey
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Montreal - February 17, 2011 - Rachel Lea Heide is an air force historian, specializing in the period from 1916 to 1946. She attended Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, where she earned a BA (Honours), MA, and PhD in history. In addition to speaking and publishing on the subjects of air force organization, training, leadership, morale, professionalization, mutinies, accident investigation, and government policy between the First World War and the early Cold War Period, Rachel has written on a variety of topics on present-day defence policy issues.
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CAHS National Convention
Edmonton - June 22th to 26th - Mark your calendars for the CAHS 48th annual convention where they will explore the rich aviation history of Edmonton, the province of Alberta, and Canada's North.
Presentations will range from civil and military aviation topics, to how regional heritage institutions are promoting this fascinating history, to creative ways authors are bringing these subjects to new audiences.
See: www.cahs.ca/events/convention.html for more information as it becomes available.
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Pionair Meetings and Events - Compiled by Alan Rust
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 The Air Canada Pionairs have ongoing Coffee Club Meetings in the following Districts; Vancouver Island, Vancouver, Okanagan, Edmonton, Calgary, Man-Sask, SW Ontario, Central Ontario, Ottawa, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia - P.E.I., Newfoundland, UK - E.C. and the USA - Caribbean. For full information, click here.
Meetings provide an opportunity to meet old friends, learn the latest news regarding Air Canada and your pensions or hear a variety of guest speakers speaking on topics of interest to retirees.
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 The 34th Annual Gerneral Meeting/Reunion of the Pionairs will be held in Vancouver from April 12 - 14th, 2011. Mark your calendars, more information coming soon.
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ACRA Upcoming Events- Compiled by Alan Rust
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 Retirees Welcome!
Steve Kerwin, organizer for the annual ACRA System Golf Event invites all retirees to the annual ACRA System Golf Tournament, Sunday, September 11 - 15, 2011. For more information see: www.acra.ca Rates include 4 nights room, golf, dinners, and breakfasts from $326.00 - $400.00 per person.
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Hercules Reunion- Compiled by Alan Rust
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Hercules Reunion 2011 - Reliving the Excitement 25+ years later.
When: June 3-5, 2011 Friday - 17:00 to Sunday - 11:00 hours.
Where: Ramada XDI
Cost: $125.00 per person. Includes meals, music, wine, hats, pins, prizes & old pals.
Contact: Stu Russell - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 403-241-9105 / Fax 403-241-9054
Please RSVP ASAP and mail cheque to HCRA, 228 Scenic Glen Place NW, Calgary, AB, T3L 1K3
(Submitted bt Ken Bjorge)
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| Our first 70 years - Compiled by Terry Baker |
1958 - Jan 1st - Personal account pass travel now on a seniority basis.
1963 - April - Agreement between Lufthansa and TCA for the reciprocal transportation of airmail between the two countries. |
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| Reader Submitted Photos - Compiled by Terry Baker |
 Reader Submitted Photos - The photos and information listed below have been forwarded to us by our faithful readers. If you would like to send us some old photos you have lying around, we will consider them for publication in a future NetLetter. We prefer good quality airline related photos, with descriptive text included with the submission. |
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Roger Rouse (Air Canada) has dug up this photo and sends this memory -
I was going through my old pix and came across a pix taken in the YUL Res Office towards the end of 1960 (pre Res1). It is unfortunately not very clear after scanning. You will notice the manually updated seat availability boards for flights throughout the TCA network.
Position 69, where I am sitting, was an acting supervisor position manned by a senior agent and where special or difficult calls and passenger complaints were routed. The catwalk was used for agents to update flight availability using cardboard discs of various shapes and color, denoting which segments of various flights were available, which were on request to the VSIC desk, and which were closed to wait list. That was a fun time to work for TCA. Feel free to use the pix if it's good enough for publication. Roger
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| TCA/Air Canada People Gallery - Compiled by Terry Baker |
 Musings from the "Between Ourselves" magazine an Air Canada publication from years gone by.
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Issue dated - April 1963
Some extracts from "Between Ourselves" magazines.
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 SIX HAPPY Halifax employees with Miss Ann Ramey from CJCH-TV, Halifax recently produced a vacation series of seven weekly features covering southern destinations. Shown with Ann Ramey (centre foreground), are the employees who participated in the southern series.
Front row, left to right: Erv Cormier, Public Relations; Miss Ramey; Austin Smith, Office Services Supervisor. Standing, left to right: Paul Emmerson, Soles Representative; Mary Lamb, Passenger Agent; Joan Morrison, Passenger Agent; Stewart Sime, Sales Representative.
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 YELLOW DAFFODILS by the ton have been moving eastward on every flight for several weeks prior to Easter and five of the Stewardesses posed with some of the blooms adding charm to the flowers, from the left are: Louise Delisle; Donna Weist; Margitta Uebe; Trudy Szigethy and Robin Kornack, In a two-day shipment over 2800 dozen were shipped air freight from the West Coast. |
 The 27 ton Westland/Sauders SR.N2 Hovercraft was the only one built, and was demonstrated on the Saint Lawrence River, Montreal in April 1963. |
 SPURRING THE STUDENTS - Eight Company employees toured nine high schools in nine different cities on Vancouver Island in an effort to help and excite students in meeting the challenge of the jet age. The panel delivered sixty individual addresses during their week-long campaign. The photo at Campbell River High School at the conclusion of the tour, from left to right: Loureen Banister, Stewardess, Dick Findlay, Personnel, Captain Al Ashcroft, Don MacLaren, Public Relations, John Lepotiere, Public Relations, and Dianne Reader, Stwardess. Missing from the photo are Captain Alec Palmer, and Captain Frank Smith. |
 THESE GIRLS FLY on their days off as well as on duty. Their instructor, Jack Rintjes, Assistant Flight Dispatcher, Montreal, explains the wing assembly of the aircraft used by the girls at the Mount Royal Air Services flying club. All three stewardesses are learning to fly and think it is just about the most wonderful thrill in the world.
From the left are: Pat Freeman; Francine Corriveau and Mary English. Rintjes is kneeling by the aircraft. |
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Issue dated - November 1972
Gathered from the "Horizons" magazine -
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 The first London, England employees to receive training at the West London Air Terminal language laboratory learned the ropes of check-in, in-flight services, Terminal 3 features, etc. - all in French, marking the first time the school had been used by other than BEA staff. Members of the original graduating class are, from the left: Passenger Agents Jim Bunton and Frances Russell; Alan Todd, Airport Supervisor; Philippa Pigott, Training Officer (Languages), BEA and Passenger Agents, Tony Allerton and Evelyn Millard. |
 Montego Bay employees who achieved five years Cornpany service were honoured recently at the Ironshore Golf Clubhouse. The guests were, from left. Jerome Miles. Airport Customer Service Supervisor and Passenger Agents Hazel Tenn-Black, Frances Passailaigue and Dawn Henriques, Len Sampson. General Manager-South and Ian Cardner District Manager, Montego Bay, made the presentations. |
| Alan's Space - by Alan Rust |
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| Alan Rust |
The Sound Barrier - Sound travels at about 760 miles per hour, or 340 meters per second and about 661 knots on an average day at sea level. And sometimes, you can almost see it. Going close to that speed through air can cause some unusual visual effects. This compiled footage includes F-14s, standard and Blue Angels F-18s, plus the SR-71 and an Atlas Rocket launch. AVweb contacted sources at NASA to research the phenomena.
(Submitted by Ken Bjorge)
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| Click on image for video |
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Canadi>n/CP Air/PWA, Wardair, etc. People & Events
- Compiled by Terry Baker |
 News and articles from days gone by gleaned from various publications from C.A.I.L. and it's "ancestry" of contributing airlines. |
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 In NetLetter nr 1149, we printed this photo - which prompted Russ Lamb to sent this message -
Thanks for the time and effort you put into putting out such a great newsletter. Small comment - I believe the picture of the Canadi>n aircraft is that of a DC-10 not a B767, Regards Russ Lamb'
We reprint here the full story which went with this photo - "A pair of scarlet-clad Mounties stand guard over a CDN B767 aircraft at the June 2 launch of our six weekly non-stop flights between Ottawa and London - Heathrow. The launch included a "British Invasion Suitcase Party" attended by 2,000 people, four of whom won an instant four-day trip for two to London.
Special thanks to Judy MacFadyen, Scott Bradley, Manager Government Affairs, and all the Ottawa volunteers for their hard work in putting this event together"
(We, at the NetLetter, did check several subsequent issues, but no one picked it up at the time - eds).
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| Reader's Feedback - Compiled by Terry Baker |
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. Kerry Collins sends us this memory and information as a result of NetLetter nr 1148 - I enjoy all netletters but found this one of even more interest . Firstly the pictures of the Bellanca Airbus which in the 1960s was the only B registration still active. In June 1961, I was transferred to Lynn Lake MB as Agent/Operator for TransAir in the mainline division. TransAir was operating a daily Mo-Sa DC-3 into and out of YYL which was the turnaround Point 103/104 .
There was also a bush division which consisted of a Bellanca CF-BTW as well as 2 Cansos CF-IEE & HHR.
The bush division aircraft were used mainly for two purposes to transport sportspeople (Fin, Fur & Feather) arriving on the mainline to the fishing lodge on Reindeer Lake, SK and to resupply the DOT station at Ennadai Lake, NWT with diesel fuel. Just as a matter of interest the Canada Air Pilot list the time of breakup to freezeup at Ennadai as Jul 15-Aug 15 so they had only a month to get the 25 trips required in. Bill Eaton was the Capt and there was another ex CP air chap whose name escapes me just now.
The Bellanca was flown by Stan Elliot and the maintenance work was done by Scotty Morrison. There were no spare parts for the Bellanca and all parts had to be fashioned by the mechanic.
I notice the notation Rivercrest on the pictures of the Bellanca and wondered if that was in WG as Lac du Bonnet was the main Bush operation for WG? In addition the picture from Jerry MacInnes of CF NAA at a Dew line station has a most unusual fin for a DC-3 !!
Many Thanks for the memories you rekindle
Kerry Collins
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 Ken Collie sends this information referring to this photo we had in NetLetter nr 1148 -
The picture identified as a Maritime Central Airlines DC-3 at a DEW line site must be mislabeled. I worked on many DC-3's and never saw one with Dual Main wheels, or a "po-go stick" tail support, or one with #1 engine outboard of the L/H wheel well. The plane pictured is obviously a DC-4. But the picture brought back lots of fond frozen memories of Churchill and points North with Transair.
Ken Collie
Allan Winks (retired CP pilot) sent us this short note on the subject of the ex CP DC-6B fleet mentioned in the article about the Empress of Suva is from recently retired Conair pilot Rod Boles. -
If there is such a thing as an expert on Conairs fleet of DC6 aircraft I am it. To set the record straight there was only one ex CPAir DC6 ever on our line it was CF-CZZ which was also operated by PWA and Wardair at some point.That aircraft is still flying with Everts Air Cargo in Alaska.The last three DC6s with Conair were 446 ex. Northwest Orient,450 ex Western Airlines and 451 ex. Hunting Clan then Balair of Switzerland.450 has one more season to go on a contract with the Yukon govt. CZZ was Conair 452 and if memory serves was CP's 446 Cheers RGB.
(446 was CPA's CF-CZZ c/n 45497 Jun 14/58. 450 was CPA's CF-CUS c/n 44063 Aug 1953 - eds)
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Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips - by Terry Baker
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| Terry Baker |
Here are some deals offered by Interline Allstars
Wind Spirit
Athens/Piraeus, Milos Island, Monemvasia, Messina, Amalfi, Ischia, Rome/Civitavecchia
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Rome/Civitavecchia, Portoferraio, Porto Vecchio, Alghero, Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Barcelona
1 departure date: Jun 18 2011 - From $1799
Wind Spirit
Barcelona, Cartagena, Almeria, Malaga, Cadiz, Portimao, Lisbon
1 departure date: Jun 25 2011 - From $1849
Wind Surf
Barbados/Bridgetown, Lisbon
1 departure date: Apr 3 2011 - From $1199
Rates are cruise-only and exclude fuel surcharges and government fees/taxes/security & handling charges. Singles pay 175%. Rates are capacity controlled and can be withdrawn at anytime without notice. Only one cabin per airline employee/retiree.
Check out your cruise from Gordon Froese today at (800) 920-5411
Interline Allstar Consultants Inc | Interline Allstars | 607 Barrera Road | Kelowna | B.C. | V1W 3C9 | Canada
Fancy a visit to Switzerland? Here is a preliminary plan, check www.waca.org for details -
A Glimpse of Southern Switzerland - 2 September 2011 to 4 September 2011
This trip is perfect for all who have always wanted to catch a glimpse of southern Switzerland including several World Heritage Sites and consider staying one or two or more days longer to explore Zurich and/or Central Switzerland on their own before traveling home. Please note that this only a preliminary programme; a detailed version follows.
Registration Details
The Package costs CHF 499.00 per person twin sharing. No single rooms available. This price includes:
- 3 days bus tour in luxury bus 2 nights twin share accommodation in good middle-class hotels including buffet breakfast
- Coffee break on first day 3 lunches 2 dinners All cable car trips All entrance fees
- Possibly a boat tour (not yet sure)
- Gratuities WACA fee
This price does not include Air travel or night from 1 to 2 September 2011, drinks with meals or expenses of a personal nature and travel and personal insurance Visas if necessary.
Note: This event has to be limited to 38 participants due to the capacity of the hotels and road sizes!
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Smileys - Compiled by Terry Baker
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As we surf the internet and back issues of airline magazines we regularly find airline related jokes and cartoons. Below is our latest discovery.
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 From "Between Ourselves" issued April 1963, we have this cartoon by Dave Mathias. |
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We hope you have enjoyed this issue of the NetLetter, see you next week!
Sincerely,
Your NetLetter Team
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First published in October, 1995
- Chief Pilot - Terry Baker, Nanaimo, B.C.
- Co-pilot - Alan Rust, Surrey, B.C.
- Flight Engineer - 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.
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