The NetLetter
For Air Canada Retirees
(Part of the ACFamily Network)
May 10, 2012 - Issue 1204
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First Issue published in October 1995!
(over 5,400 subscribers)
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NetLetter Past Issues
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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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Sponsors
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Greetings!
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Welcome to the NetLetter!
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!
Terry Baker and the NetLetter Team
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ACRA Upcoming Events- Compiled by Alan Rust
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 Retirees Welcome!
The following events are available for retirees through ACRA, the Air Canada Recreation Association.
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ACRA System Golf turns 50!
Just as Air Canada celebrates its 75 year anniversary this year, the employees who started the Air Canada Recreation Association over 50 years ago are also celebrating with their 50th Anniversary System Golf Tournament!
This is a once-in-a-lifetime milestone event that we hope you can attend.
Date: September 9 - 12, 2012
Where: San Diego, California
Venue: Sycuan Resort & Casino
Prizes: To help celebrate this event, Air Canada Vacations has donated a prize of a 7 Night all inclusive package for two to Mexico with Air and Hotel at the Gran Bahia Principe Coba in a Double Occupancy Junior Suite.
For further information and registration visit: www.acra.ca/events/system/golf.html
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| Our First 75 Years - Compiled by Terry Baker |
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 1938, the operating staff of Trans-Canada Air Lines consisted of 90 employees of
which 23 were pilots, 20 air engineers and the rest mechanics, technicians and clerks.
The equipment which includes five Lockheed Electra aircraft and one Stearman cost $492.597. Contracts were let for 10 Lockheed L14H aircraft with the Fairchild Aircraft Ltd.
The Vancouver - Seattle service, in operation since September 1937, had lost $9,152.
(source Montreal Gazette Feb 23rd 1938)
1949 - Oct 6th - Family Fares Plan launched.
1968 - Aug 16th - Company became minority stockholder of 40% in Air Jamaica (1968) Ltd.
 1973 - Apr 29th - International interim schedule until June 30th.
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| Star Alliance News. |
 Singapore's LCC "Scoot to" launch in June. Singapore Airlines' (SQ) new medium- to long-haul low-cost carrier "Scoot" is taking off ahead of schedule with its inaugural flight from Singapore (SIN) to Sydney set for June 4, followed by SIN-Gold Coast on June 12. BMI formally leaves Star Alliance; Alliance customer benefits remain in place until 31 May 2012. With last week's change of ownership from Lufthansa to the International Airlines Group (IAG), BMI has formally exited the Star Alliance network. |
| Air Canada News |
 JET MIDWEST GROUP acquired 17 B-767-200s/200ERs from Air Canada to expand its widebody leasing capabilities/diversify aftermarket inventory. Many of these aircraft had been in storage since 2008 and includes C-GUAN the " Gimli Glider". |
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| Women in Aviation - Compiled by Terry Baker |
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The annual Women in Aviation International conference was held in Dallas from March 7th through 10th, 2012. More than 3,300 WAI members from 12 countries were in attendance.
Right now women make up less than 4 percent of the total jet-qualified pilots in the world (FAA statistics for ATP-rated women pilots) and there are fewer than 500 women flying as captains with major airlines worldwide. Female mechanics are even more rare, making up just 2 percent of the total FAA-certified mechanics worldwide.
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| Reader Submitted Photos - Compiled by Terry Baker |
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 Reader Submitted Photos - The photos and information below have been submitted to us by our faithful readers.
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 Robert Arnold has sent us a couple more photos from the Robert W. Arnold/Morien Collection which might jog the old memory department. Shown are a few TCA murals that graced the main hangar at the corner of Ellice Avenue and Ferry Road in Winnipeg. Fly TCA DC-8 Jet is circa 1960.
 I remember as a kid walking past these murals as I would trek to the airport to watch the aircraft come and go. I would guess the time frame to be around mid- May, 1958, just before the "Hudson Bay Route to Britain" started service with the Connie.
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 From the Timetable effective June 1st 1958, Hudson Bay route commenced June 6th 1958 - eds. |
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 From the 1951 Midsummer edition of "Between Ourselves" magazine we have these two outdoor adverts.
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 Thomas Bryce sends us this photo taken in 1959 of the Vancouver Sales Calypso Band. The drummer is identified as Eric Aulbury, accordion player as Tom Bryce himself, but Tom is unable to identify the rest of the band - anyone? |
Alan Gray sent us this ticket folder and the ticket issued on April 27th 1960. Routing was from Toronto-Cleveland-Greenville-Cleveland-Toronto.
 
 
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 Ted Berrie has sent us this photo taken in the south hanger in the T.C.A. prop shop in 1958 for the 100th B.C. Centennial. Angus Imrie, General shops foreman, had us grow our beards for the occasion. Angus took a movie of us gold panning on the river bank just as the old-timers would have done. We posed for this picture in the prop shop run by Bill McEwen. From left to right is Gordy Wilson, sheet metal, Lloyd Bailey, sheet metal, Art Willfred, machine shop, Al Lavoie, welding shop and Ted Berrie, millwright/machinist.
Ted Berrie, retired. |
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 Jack Stephens has sent this photo of our first Viscount preparing to leave for Canada.
The photo was sent by Ed Jones a fellow Viscount researcher in the UK. with the following information: Here is a copy of c/n 040 CF-TGI TCA at Wisley in Dec 1954.
If you check out the cockpit the thumbs up sign is being given.
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| TCA/Air Canada People Gallery - Compiled by Terry Baker |
 Below we have musings from the "Between Ourselves" and "Horizons" magazine, Air Canada publications from years gone by, as well as various in-house publications. The NetLetter has been fortunate enough to have our readers donate vintage Trans-Canada Air Lines and Air Canada publications from as far back as 1941 to share with you. These have been scanned and are being prepared for presenting in a special area of the ACFamily Network for archival and genealogy research. In November 1971, a DC-8 in service from Calgary to Toronto was hijacked with a demand for $1.5 million and a passage to Ireland by a reputed member of the Irish Republican Army. Under the command of Capt. Vernon Ehman, the flight landed at Grand Falls for refueling and the hijacker accepted $500k in ransom, and the aircraft took off for Regina, but did not land there. On approach to Calgary, the hijacker expressed a wish to bail out over Calgary. When he put his gun down to don a parachute, he was subdued by Purser John Arpin with a fire ax. The hijack was resolved peacefully.  Robert Arnold sends us this from the Robert W. Arnold/Morien Collection: Thought I would send you this photo of the Viscount, fin 625, CF-THG as a backdrop for a group photo, which might be a photo of a group of graduates with their instructors kneeling in the first row. The chap kneeling, front row, left, might be Mike Devlin, electrician. Maybe the readers can possibly ID some of the graduates and instructors in the photo, which could possibly have be taken in 1958. On October 6th 1949, the company launched the " Family Fare Plan" on domestic and trans-border routes operating Sunday midnight until Wednesday midnight each week. Purchase a full fare and spouse and children under 21 years old receive a 50% discount when they travel together. In October 1947, Capt. Steve Albulet in command of a TCA aircraft shepherded the "Bermuda Sky Queen" to a weather ship in mid Atlantic.
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Issue dated - November 1975
Gathered from the "Horizons" magazine -
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 20 years in Sept Iles - On November 1, 1955 a TCA North Star left Montreal at 0930 and landed in Quebec City at 1010 on the first leg of an historic journey. Twenty minutes later, it departed for Saguenay, arriving at 1115. It finally landed in Sept Iles at 345 marking the beginning of service to that city.
Paul Cormier, was one of the first employees at the station. He saw the beginning of Viscount service there and remembers Super Constellations landing there to refuel after their transatlantic flights before proceeding to Montreal. Sept Iles employees talked over old times while enjoying a cake to mark the occasion. Shown first row from the left are: Eddie Dionne, Jeannette Montgrain, Lucette Therrien and Paul Cormier. Back row, from the left are: Yvon Deslauriers, Richard Lariviere, Guy Casista, Alain Cloutier, Marc-Andre Cloutier, Denis Landry and Claude Sylvain.
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| Alan's Space - by Alan Rust |
 First Love - Canadian Pacific Canso
- By Captain Denise Baxendale
(From an article on the Vintage Wings Website)
This story is about an airplane owned by Canadian Pacific Airlines in 1958 - an amphibious aircraft built in the 1940s in Vancouver, Canada for the Royal Canadian Air Force. The aircraft was called a PBY by American fliers, a Canso by Canadians in the air force and a Catalina by the British. After the war, several Canadian-built Cansos were sold to civilian airlines and four were purchased by Canadian Pacific. Reconditioned and outfitted for up to 20 passengers, the new configuration was actually called the "Landseair" in tribute to its amphibious capabilities, but no one called them that.
Of the four ex-RCAF Cansos purchased (CF-CRP, CF-CRQ, CF-CRR and CF-CRV), CF-CRR (RCAF serial 9767) had the most outstanding combat record - with 162 Squadron, RCAF. On April 17th, 1944, under the command of Flying Officer T. Cooke, the Canso attacked and sunk the German U-boat U-342 which was on weather reporting duties south of Iceland. All 51 German sailors were lost. It was their first patrol.
For the full story and more photos please click here or on the image below.
Note: Denise Baxendale is the current Organiser and Host of the Pionair's Vancouver Coffee Club that meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month in Vancouver , B.C. For more information regarding the Vancouver Coffee Club, please click here.
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Canadi>n/CP Air/PWA, Wardair, etc. People & Events
- Compiled by Terry Baker
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 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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Issue dated - June 1982
Items from the "CPAir NEWS" magazine -
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The last two B727-200 in the fleet were leased out. Fin 771 was with Dan-Air for 18 months, and fin 772 was with Alaska Airlines for four months ending September 24th 1982. DC-8-53 fin 607 was sold to ARCA (Aerolineas Colombianus), previously and series 43 fin 601 and fin 605 went to ARCA.
A CP Holidays dirigible and a Multimark flag held the spotlight in the sky as CP Air inaugurated service to Saskatoon on June 8th. The flight was under the command of Captain Terry Nelson.
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 Who was who on the second floor at Vancouver Ops Centre in 1982:
When Ray Willie, administrative manager, supplies and services (foreground, centre) retired May 1982, the clerical staff (and a few others, too) gathered for a farewell photo. The result: A veritable Clerical Who's Who of the Vancouver Ops Centre's second floor. Willie was concluding 36 years of service and, obviously, was a mighty popular guy. Standing, from left, Marilou Arriola, Jodie Guenther, Irene Tkachuk, Carol Robb, Carol Hawe, Dennis Ferguson, Verna Kojima, Jeanette Softly, Mavis Collins, Karen Jorgensen, Diane Locke, Ginny Twiss, Don Delayen, Veronica Richards, Ron Nial. Joy Morishita, Shelley Walker, Bruna Michelin, Doug Cowan, Sharon Head, Judy Phipps, Mandy Baldry, Nelma Samson, Shelley Waling, Annette Berner, Michelle Wilson Susan Jordan, Betty Penner, Lorraine Waller, Gwen Vint. Kneeling, from left, Kelly Fox, Nancy McAvoy, Lou Almonte, Chris Aufiero, Ester Sison, Ray Willie, Kathy Davey, Marion Chapman, Diane Nisbett, Joyce Tan. Unavailable for the photo were Debbie Stroeder, Lisa Walker, Frances Barnscher, Lee Whittingham and Vera Sapala.
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 HONG KONG'S cargo team was all smiles when Vern Barlow regional manager, cargo sales and service Pacific/South America, visited. Among those greeting Barlow were, from left: K. C. Lo, agent; Marian Chow secretary; Michael Lin, cargo sales and service manager Hong Kong; Vern Barlow; Paul Kwan, Raymond Lai, Francis Law and Vincent Kwok, agents; and Dennis Lee, airport service supervisor-cargo. Kneeling in front, Alfred Chui, cargo sales rep. |
 Here we have a photo of seven Pionairs who attended the fourth annual luncheon held in Vancouver on May 18th, 1982. Over 720 Pionairs, spouses, widows and widowers of retired employees attended. |
| 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. Doug Seagrim sends us this confirmation of earlier information we received regarding the photo of the crew in Singapore: In the last (but one) NetLetter, you had a picture of a crew in Singapore which stated that the First Officer, Gwen Grant, was the first female pilot hired by Air Canada. Actually, the first was Judy Cameron. Gwen was the second. Love the NetLetter. Thanks and keep it going. Doug Seagrim, retired 747-400 Captain Stephen Elmy sends us this information re NetLetter nr 1202:The P.R. lady in the photo of the relics recovered from the North Star incident in 1956 being handed over and submitted by Jan Wegman is Sandy Dexter.  John Rodger sends us this information and photos: A very interesting photo in your NetLetter 1198 of Ann MacBeath receiving her 25th Anniversary pin. Attached is the latest photo of Ann attending our St Patrick's Day curling event in Lachine QC on March 16th. In this photo she is receiving a door prize from our MC Guy Masse.  In this photo, the first lady in the left of the photo is Annette Bradley both she and Ann attend a lot of our Pionair events and last October, when we went to the Canadian Aviation Museum in YOW while doing a tour, Annette spotted a photo in the uniform display of Air Canada. She said "Oh my! There is my class photo but they have cut me out". She told me it was in the Air Canada book called "It Seems Like Only Yesterday". Next to Annette is Susan Demsey, Paul Young, Ann MacBeath. The person on the far right is unidentified.  This is the complete photo. Annette is the last young lady standing on the right.  Referring to the crew photo of the last flight by Capt. McKay sent in by Jan Wegnman and published in NetLetter 1198 and 1200, Nattanya Andersen sends us this information: Thanks for your delightful NetLetters. As to that photo, Barb Buchanan was married to Captain "Buck" Buchanan, and the one married to a crew-scheduler is Audrey Pichach - married to Pete?? Pichach. Sadly, Barb drowned in the Pacific off Vancouver about 10 years ago. Best regards and thanks again. Nattanya  Jean Downie has come up with a few more names for the photo of the crew rest which Jan Wegman submitted and we had in NetLetter nr 1197 and 1201. Crew rest photo. Back row. Right to left: Seated next to Captain: Marion Clarke, next to Marion: Helen McKewan, fourth person: Cathy Gass, fixth person: Eve. ?. That's the best I can do. Hope it helps! All the best, Jean Downie. Referring to the same photo of the crew rest, we have this from Kerry Collins: You probably have had a number of people send in names re this photo of the initial global expansion to Bombay & Singapore. People that I recall in the photo: Capt Jim McDevitt, Purser Marion Clark, Helen MacEwan, Heidi Tartarotti, Nicole Arbuthnot, Galley position and Eve English also in front, Ian MacIvar. There is one other crew member- a blond lady, in center who was a Swiss lady, I think her first name was Inge. The years have worked on my memory. Cheers, Kerry Collins AC retired In Flt In response to the url submitted by Vern Swerdfeger on the Canso in NetLetter nr 1201. Kerry Collions sends this - re the story on the Canadian Canso: I gather these ones were not sold to TransAir as CP's DC-3 were... the reason I ask is that TransAir also had at least 2 Canso which were used to resupply DOT stations with diesel fuel which was transported in the wing tanks during the short summer breakup (mid July to mid Aug) from YYL Lynn Lake MB. Cheers Kerry Collins AC retired In Flt  Gordon Brown sends us this email regarding the York photos in NetLetter nr 1200 submitted by Jack Morath: Thank you for the Avro York pics, They brought back distant memories of when I worked with Skyways in Germany on the Berlin air lift, so I had a look in the shoebox. The pics are of one that had an engine failure on take off from Wunsdorf and clipped a power cable, fortunately no serious injuries. Thanks also for the story on Prestwick a few weeks ago, where I started my career in aircraft maintenance in 1943 with Scottish Aviation, aircraft servicing section where TCA's Lancastrians were serviced along with all the Canadian and US built aircraft that were ferried across the Atlantic during WW2. Paul Gauthier sets the record straight regarding an item in NetLetter nr 1201: First thank you for the informative and interesting newsletter; however I would like to make a small correction; In 1991, CAI (Canadian Airlines International), not CPA, received the second B-747-400 (as well as all the B-747-400 all-passenger aircraft). Respectfully, Paul Gauthier, Service Director, retired, TorontoWayne Kirby sent us this information on the same subject: I don't believe CP ever owned or operated the 400 series 747's. They were 100 or 200 series. Enjoy your efforts. Thanks, Wayne Kirby (Wardair 747 Capt. Ret.)
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Odds and Ends.
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The Canadian Air & Space Museum is being pushed out of the
de Havilland heritage building at Toronto's Downsview Airport to make way for a skating rink.
The Museum is in negotiations with GTAA for new location at YYZ.
See Chairman's report at www.casmuseum.org. This is the only official comment that can be made. Very limited in what anyone at the museum or GTAA can say at this time since a confidentiality agreement is in place. The CASN collection includes TCA's original UK built Vickers Viscount flight simulator from the mid-1950s. They have the full history on this simulator, which cost $200,000+ new 57 years ago.
Laszlo Bastyovanszky sent us this web site which you may find interesting: The skills of Young Park, a Hawaii resident.
This man is a dentist. He built his first model, the Corsair, using dental burrs and an air drill. He then purchased a Sherline mill and lathe. Joe Martin is the owner of Sherline and you will see many fine examples of the work done with his machine tools if you click on the link to the Sherline museum http://www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/park.htm
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Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips - by Terry Baker
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 Offers from Interline Travel.
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To access the members area of this website go to: www.interlinetravel.com/member. If you are asked for a user name and password it is: user name = nonrev and password = interline.
WINTERS IN PALM SPRINGS, SUMMERS ON THE BEACH
FOR SALE: 1998 Winnebago VECTRA GRAND TOUR MOTOR COACH
Based in Palm Springs, California. Canadian, BC registered
$69,000.00 CDN
Full details Cantact, Hilton Cranston-Whittaker: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
 
Note: We have a Buy an Sell section planned for the new ACFamily website for members when it is launched later this year. It has been delayed again. (Sorry).
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SMILIE.
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Alan Evans in South Africa sends us this:
The year is 2016 and the United States has just elected the first woman president.
A few days after the election the president-elect, whose name is Debra, calls her father and says, "So, Dad, I assume you will be coming to my inauguration?" "I don't think so. It's a 10 hour drive." "Don 't worry about it Dad, I'll send Air Force One. And a limousine will pick you up at your door."
"I don't know. Everybody will be so fancy. What would your mother wear?" "Oh Dad," replies Debra, "I'll make sure she has a wonderful gown, custom-made by the best designer in Washington." "Honey," Dad complains, "you know I can't eat those rich foods you eat." The President-to-be responds, "Don't worry Dad. The entire affair will be handled by the best caterer in Washington; I'll ensure your meals are salt free. You and mom just have to be there."
So Dad reluctantly agrees, and on January 20, 2017, Debra is being
sworn in as President of the United States. In the front row sits the
new president's dad and mom. Dad, noticing the senator sitting next to him, leans over and whispers, "You see that woman over there with her hand on the Bible, becoming President of the United States." The Senator whispers back, "You bet I do."
Dad says proudly, "Her brother is a Pilot!"
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 This cartoon "The Captain and Mandy" by Stan Kell from the "CPA News" magazine June 1982. |
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The NetLetter is an email newsletter published (usually) once a week 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!
We hope you have enjoyed this issue of the NetLetter, see you next week!
Sincerely,
Your NetLetter Team
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Disclaimer: Please note, that neither the NetLetter or the ACFamily Network necessarily endorse any of the airline related or other "deals" that we provide for our readers. We would be interested in any feedback (good or bad) when using these companies though and will report the results here. We do not (normally) receive any compensation from any companies that we post in our newsletters. If we do receive a donation or other compensation, it will be indicated as a sponsored article or link.
E&OE - (errors and omissions excepted) - The historical information as well as any other information provided here is subject to correction and may have changed over time. We do publish corrections when they are brought to our attention.
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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
- Stewardess - Lisa Ruck, Brooklin, 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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