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Donation Request
 Can you help? - Once a year in a few of our November/December issues we request your assistance in helping us defer the costs of producing the NetLetter each week. Believe it or not, we now estimate that it costs over $2000/year to produce our "NetLetter", which is kindly funded and sponsored by the ACFamily Network. If you have recently sent a donation to us, we thank you! You are not expected to donate again. Please note that a donation is not required in order to receive the NetLetter. It is our pleasure to produce this for our faithful readers.If you would like to donate (any amount) then please click on "Donations" image above or the PayPal image below (to donate by Credit Card) or send a cheque made out to the ACFamily Network to: ACFamily Network #800 - 15355 24th Ave Suite 523 Surrey, BC V4A 2H9 We would like to thank all of you who have generously donated in the past. The donations are placed in a special account used to pay for ongoing expenses for the ACFamily Network, the NetLetter and other airline related projects. Sorry, we cannot issue tax receipts as we are not a charity. Thanks in advance, Vesta, Terry, Alan - Your NetLetter Team  Please note you do not have to have a PayPal account in order to pay by Credit Card. Just click the "continue" link indicated below on the PayPal site.  |
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Vesta's Jump Seat
 Why not allow the NetLetter 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!Ken Bjorge has sent us this link to a slideshow called "The Maiden of Maiden Flights!"  Clara Adams was the only paying woman passenger on the flight of Germany's massive, twelve engined Dornier DO-X flying boat from Rio de Janeiro to New York, in 1931. Adams noted: "I could write a good-sized book were I to tell all the wonders that crowded into those six thrilling weeks." In 1931, Adams boarded a Pan Am Clipper headed from New York to Rio de Janeiro just to become the only woman passenger on the Dornier DO-X on the trip back to New York. The DO-X was an enormous, slow and heavy flying boat that hopped up the South American coast... For full story, please follow this link.  Click on images for more photos and story.
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Our first 70 years.
 1947 - April 15th  Inauguration of North Star service between Montreal and London Heathrow. CF-TEM - The crew who flew the first North Star to Britain.  Left to right: Navigating Officer H. T. Warkentin, Radio Officer A. J. Blackwood (Flight Radio Supervisor CGTAS), First Officer D. E. Mclnnes, Captain G. W. McLaren, Mr. Symington, Purser-Steward Douglas V. Miller, Captain J. L. Rood, Flight Operations Superintendent, CGTAS, who flew as check pilot on the flight.  Here we have this photo of the cozy interior (Note the open overhead bins and the pax with a knitting needle - eds) |
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Air Canada News
 Calling all bilingual Management employees, Pionairs and friends! (We assume this plea would include retirees too - eds) In gearing up for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, we are looking for passionate and committed volunteers within the management and retiree group to help us deliver the best possible experience for our customers.From February 9-March 3 and from March 12-March 21, we need bilingual volunteers to provide French language support at Vancouver Airport. You will be responsible for helping to refer customers to the appropriate personnel for assistance and working together with the operational group to ensure that day-of activities run smoothly. Also required will be active management staff to assist with above and below-the-wing operations (bilingualism not required). By volunteering, you will have the opportunity to be part of our role as Official Airline and Official Supporter of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games, providing our customers with superior service. Applications are due by December 11, 2009. For more information and instructions to apply, go to the Portal > Olympic and Paralympic Games > Operations > Vancouver 2010 Winter Games Volunteer Application Form and Vancouver 2010 Winter Games Volunteers - Frequently Asked Questions. |
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TCA/AC People Gallery
 Over the past months we have been publishing various photographs from earlier "Horizons", should any photos prompt a memory in seeing one of them, feel free to send us your comments and thoughts. Musings from "Between Ourselves" magazine Issue dated May 1947 The Boston Traffic Office staff.  Front row, Virginia Partain, Eleanor Scott, Annette Runci, Marion Van Arsdale, Virginia Smith, Lola Gibson, Don Westman (Training Instructor, Toronto). Back row, Phil Lynch, Louis Paquette (Agent in-Charge), Elizabeth Kennedy, Marie Heinecke.Moncton Maintenance Staff.  Front row: G. Gould, D. Middleton, B. Logan, C. Nicholas, E. Cosens, G. Maclean.Second row: D Vye, Crew Chief; G. Burgess, R. Landry, A.MacWilliam, L. Cameron, K. Chase, E. Hunter, D. Rose, J.Sefsik, E. L. Johnson, Chief Mechanic; H. Fenessy, Crew Chief. Third row: J. MacCalium, S. Rogers, S. Abrams, B. Lofvendahl, L. Stewart, L. Hallman. Here we have the second DC-4M Service Training Group at Montreal - Standing l to r Ernie Rushton, Gord Sadler, Dan Johnson, Art Reynolds, Alex Davidson. Kneeling l to r Pat Patterson, John Bambadier, Tommy Ashcroft, Stan Payton, Ray Duffy.
 Here we have a photo of the TCA offices at London Heathrow on the north side. (Where your co-pilot worked at LHR in 1954, this was the office of the station Manager Jack Ross, A.J.Summers, T.Carr Hodgson (P&S). C.Cavanagh, N.Perry and me! Next door was the flight dispatchers including George Steele and ramp personnel Harry Berry, Tony Blencoe - eds) Here we have this photo of stewardess Marguerite Brezinski deplaning at LHR after the inaugural North Star flight April 15th. |
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Alan's Space
 Two-Thirds Scale P-38!
(Thanks Rob!) Never too old to start a new project! Jim O'Hara is a member of EAA chapter 493 in San Angelo. He is a retired college professor (I believe in Aeronautical Engineering) who learned to fly when he was about 60 years old. He's now 81 years old. Fifteen years ago, he began construction of a 2/3 scale P-38. Using information he obtained from various sources about the P-38, he drew up a set of plans using a computer aided design program (CAD). Jim and his wife Mitzi built the entire aircraft by themselves. He first flew his plane in July of last year (2008), and has just completed flying off the time (I believe it was 50 hours). He designed the plane to have a small jump seat behind the pilot for his wife, she's tiny, and it's a good thing... the jump seat doesn't have much room. He made his first cross-country with Mitzi from San Angelo to Fredericksburg on Saturday, October 24, 2009 accompanied by many of his friends from Chapter 493. He's planning on bringing it to Eldorado for our annual BBQ the next Saturday (Oct 31). What a fantastic achievement!! For full story and more photos click here...
 Click on image for full size photo
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Canadi>n/CPAir/PWA, Wardair, etc. Events & People
 Over the past months we have been publishing various photographs from earlier in-house magazines, should any photos prompt a memory in seeing one of them, feel free to send us your comments and thoughts.All former employees of Pacific Western Airlines and Transair may be interested in knowing that the former web site has been revamped and well worth another visit. www.pwareunion.com The webmaster is most anxious to get some input, stories and any photographs. More photos that Heather Johannson has sent us.  Here is Heather wearing her PWA uniform in 1970 during a flight YVR - Port Hardy.  Here she is in her Wardair uniform on the YVR ramp in 1970.
 Heather's Lead Agent certificate of achievement dated 1991. Bill Cameron has sent us this article. Greetings.. Something that may be of interest to readers of 'The Netletter'. The proverbial 'beating swords into plowshares'. A weapon of war being turned into a peace-time air transport! From 1946 to 1960 Canadian Pacific Air Lines operated four (4) Consolidated PBY5-A, a war-surplus, twin-engine amphibian aircraft. All four aircraft had been flown on anti-submarine patrols with the RCAF on Canada's East Coast; with two of the aircraft also based at Reykjavik, Iceland, and Wick, Scotland in 1944. On April 17th, 1944 'Canso' Aircraft - RCAF Serial 9767, flown by F/O T.C. Cooke & crew of No. 162 (BR) Squadron RCAF, operating out of Reykjavik, Iceland - succeeded in sinking a German submarine U-342 at 60.23N, 29.20W with three depth charges. This aircraft entered CPAL service in 1946 on Canadian Civil Registry as CF-CRR, operating in Quebec, Manitoba and British Columbia, before being sold by CPAL in 1960. After various Canadian owners, C-FCRR was removed from Canadian Registry in 1995, and believed to have been sent to France. 'Canso' No. 9767 was built in 1943 by Boeing Aircraft Co., at Sea Island, Vancouver, BC - under license from Consolidated Aviation of USA. 'Canso' 9767, CF-CRR, may very likely be the only Canadian-built, and Canadian Registered Commercial Civil Transport aircraft to have been in active combat during the Second World War, and to successfully have sunk an enemy vessel. Two of the CPAL 'Canso's were lost in accidents in Quebec, and at Prince Rupert, BC  This photo is of another of CPAL PBY5-A 'Canso' aircraft, CF-CRV, in an early colour scheme of 1946/47. Bill Cameron Okotoks, AB |
 Karin Fulcher did the unthinkable and took her eyes off her golf ball, but this is why... I was recently in Palm Springs. One day the sky was just perfect for contrails, and as I was playing golf I looked up and saw the most amazing sight. Three lines of a tic-tac-toe grid - and sure enough a few seconds later an aircraft flew right through the pattern making a perfect grid I was just hoping for a couple of Snowbirds, or Blue Angels to come by and play the game. I hope you can make out the contrails OK - pretty amazing I thought. Karin Fulcher Tsawwassen BC    Jack Stephens has sent us more Viscount information. Hi Guys...This part of the interesting story of Air Canada, CF-THB (c/n 219) parked in the hamlet of Garland, in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Perhaps you have read her unique story of how she ended up in this out of the way place. If not I urge you to go to www.vickersviscount.net , the history section of our site, and look up 219, for it provides the information. Here we have these two photos.   Regards Jack (Jack has involvement with the web site www.vickersviscount.net which has the history of all the Viscount aircraft ever built - eds) |
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This n That.
U.K. Oxford Kidlington airport has been re-branded as "London Oxford Airport", making it the ninth airport to have the designation "London" the other eight are Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Southend, Biggin Hill, Ashford and City.Ice Pilots NWT - History Television a very interesting series. On the forum in www.acfamily.net is this memory which may be of interest. Posted by "Jarge" Watched this show with great interest. If nothing else, it brought back memories of 55 years ago. As a young apprentice engineer, we did all the things shown in that film. Gassing up C-46's by overwing refueling. Wind howling, snow blowing and you crouched on the non skid tape on the wing handling, what seemed to be a 'garden hose' for a fuel line. Took forever! Sometimes, a wrong move and you'd go sailing off the trailing edge of the wing and bounce a couple of times on the ground. Lots of winter clothing helped to prevent injuries. Changing spark plugs on two engines because they'd been fouled while the pilots waited for oil temps to get to the proper temperature for a 'runup'. The engines were covered (as we saw in the film) and a Herman Nelson heater with two heat ducts was routed into the engine area. One duct was rigged to blow on a pail of Varsol. We kept wrenches in there so that they were warm for a few minutes while removing plugs. When the wrench got too cold to handle you put it back in the Varsol and got a 'hot' one. Took two of us all night to change plugs on two engines. The day shift finished off the cowling up of the last engine then put the Herman's on for 4 hours before trying to start up! Lots more to this story but I'll leave it at this. It was a delight to relive those times of so long ago as nothing has changed in the operation of those grand old piston machines. Check this web site for more information, stories and a schedule of TV presentations - www.history.ca/ontv/titledetails.aspx?titleid=247921 |
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Terry's Trivia & Travel Tips
 A travel tip from the UK Pionairs monthly newsletter. One of the best places for changing money is Travelex at Heathrow. They are on web site www.travelex.co.uk. You can get one of the best rates here and can pick up your money on the way out or pick up prior to traveling. New ZED agreement signed with Star Alliance carrier - Brussels Airlines (SN). This ZED agreement becomes effective December 1st, which means that you will be able to process your ZL paper tickets for yourself, spouse, dependent children under 25 and ZH for your accompanied travel partner and parents directly on the Employee Travel Website as of that date. New ZED agreement signed with Air Tahiti Nui (TN). This ZED agreement becomes effective December 1st, which means that you will be able to process your ZM paper tickets for yourself, spouse, dependent children under 24 on the Employee Travel Website as of that date. |
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Smilie
 Here we have another smilie sent in by Vern Swerdfeger Overheard over the Florida panhandle this week. Jax Center: "Airliner 123, Jacksonville Center. Climb and maintain FL 320." [20 seconds later] Jax Center: "Airliner 123, Jacksonville Center. Climb and maintain FL 320." [30 seconds later] Jax Center: "Airliner 123, do you copy Jacksonville Center?" Airliner 123: "Airliner 123. Climb and maintain 320. Sorry - we were on our laptops." Jax Center (laughter in the background) : "Roger that. I guess that's going to be your guys' version of our 'Say again. I was on the landline.'' |