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Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter Since 1995

Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Since 1995

The NetLetter #1211

The NetLetter

For Air Canada Retirees
(Part of the ACFamily Network)


July 5, 2012 - Issue 1211

 
First Issue published in October 1995!
(over 5,400 subscribers)
In This Issue
ACRA Upcoming Events
Our First 75 Years
TCA/Air Canada People Gallery
Women in Aviation
Reader Submitted...Photos
TCA/Air Canada People Gallery
Alan's Space
Canadi>n/CP Air/PWA, Wardair, etc
Reader's Feedback
Odds and Ends
Terry's Trivia
Smileys
NetLetter Past Issues

Past Issues
Web Site Information

The NetLetter Web Site
www.thenetletter.org
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Greetings!
Terry Baker
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
ACRA Upcoming Events- Compiled by Alan Rust
ACRA  LogoRetirees Welcome!

The following events are available for retirees through ACRA, the Air Canada Recreation Association.

Image Blank 200px 
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  

Overflow: We've had to add an overflow hotel due to the overwhelming response. See website for further info. 

 

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 

Our First 75 years - Compiled by Terry Baker







TCA January 1940 Schedule
1940
- Jan 1st - Passenger schedule effective January 1st, 1940.

















1943
- Mar 1st - Establishment of the Trans-Canada Air Lines Employees Pension Fund.

1944 - March -  TCA launched their "Suggestion and Award Plan"

tca-1940-jan-sked
1950
- May 1st - Canadian edition of the summer schedule.



Air Canada News
Air CanadaAs a reminder, non-revenue customers may use Priority Boarding if they hold a seat assignment in the Executive First/Executive Class cabin. Out of courtesy to revenue customers, all other non-revenue customers should board the aircraft during General Boarding by using the Economy Class lane. (source Daily June 19th 2012)

Air Canada completed its first bio-fuel flight (Toronto - Mexico City) using CFM56 powered A319 aircrtaft with fuel produced by SkyNRG.

Liebherr Aerospace of Saline MD has been contracted for landing gear overhaul of 15 E175s through to the end of 2013.
(source SpeedNews June 22nd 2012)

Women in Aviation - Compiled by Terry Baker

tca-1940-jan-sked
We found this in the "CPAir News" magazine issued February 1982.
 

 
Reader Submitted Photos - Compiled by Terry Baker

Readers PhotosReader Submitted Photos -  The photos and information below have been submitted to us by our faithful readers.  


 

Image Blank 200px Robert Arnold has sent along another photo from his Wesley Arnold/Robert W. Arnold Collection with this information:
Thought I would pass this along to you. This photo of CF-TFG was taken by my father, Wesley Arnold c1957. We lived on Collegiate St (formerly Collage St) which was only about a quarter of a mile from Ellice and Ferry Road where this photo was taken. This was before the blast fence went up as the No Thoroughfare Turn Right would tend to indicate.

Robert had already sent the photo to Jim Bruce, and here is the response from Jim: TCA took delivery of North Stars in 1947. I never saw the parking lot like this on the tarmac: it was south of the buildings on the left. Note the age of the cars. The date I would guess to be 1947-1950.

BTW Wikipedia list G.R. McGregor as first president (under TCA), but it was actually H.J. Symington, probably from 1938-1947, when GRM took over (until 1968).

This is a terrific photo, Robert. Note the early markings on the NS, and also the DC-3 (TEC). Yeah, that's where the blast fence was. I guess you could leave Ferry and hang a left right onto the tarmac! So, I wasn't working there yet, Jack, but Leo may have been. I remember Ray-O-Vac because their plant was right outside my window when I worked at MacDonald Bros. (later Bristol) with Bob Austin. Jim

Also Jack Stephens received a copy and sent this comment:
I agree with Jim as for sending it to the NetLetter. There are those who worked in WG who I am sure would enjoy this. Jim, your suggested parking lot dates would be my guess too. Jack

TCA/Air Canada People Gallery - Compiled by Terry Baker
 
TCA/Air Canada  LogoBelow 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.
Image Blank 200px This is a first day cover for the 50th anniversary of the company. Issued September 1st, 1987.

Issue dated - May 1944
Dug out of the "Between Ourselves" magazine -
Image Blank 200px In 1942, Grace Humphreys of Winnipeg was the first female Passenger Agent ever employed by T.C.A.











Image Blank 200px Barney Rawson took a flight into Penticton to check the newly installed fan marker at
the self-styled "forgotten station".
Back Row (L to R): Art Brown, Pentlcton. Stan Clarke, Bill Deacon, Don Beatty, Denny Brendon, all from Lethbridge. W. Lewis, B. Bevin, Kimberley and Barney Rawson. In Front: Al Hunt, Orv Knight, Ted Stull, Lethbridge and Jim English, Penticton.
 


A local Trans-Canada Air Lines Recreation Association (T.C.A.R.A.) was organized at Halifax Nova Scotia with the first official function being held in May 1944 at the Nova Scotian Hotel. Self-elected officials were Stew Sime, Bob Glifford, Claire Houlton and Alf Devenish.

Issue dated - Midsummer 1944
Image Blank 200px In the summer of 1944, a T.C.A. Lancaster, as flight TCA103, performed test flights between Montreal and Winnipeg taking just 4 hours 30 minutes each way. Under the command of "Jock" Barclay and "Gath: Edward. Here we have a photo of the aircraft on the ramp at Winnipeg.

Wally Rowan reported that on June 12th, 1944, a local Trans-Canada Air Lines Recreation Association (T.C.A.R.A.) was organized at Vancouver.

Issue February 1944
A local Trans-Canada Air Lines Recreation Association (T.C.A.R.A.) was organized at Montreal.
Issue March 1943
Graduation of the second Stewardess class held on February 11th in Winnipeg.
 
Issue dated - May 1976
Located in a "Horizons" magazine -
Image Blank 200px Here we have a couple of photos with absolutely no identifications what so ever, but we can tell you what they are about, and perhaps we can get to know who is who here. This one is of the Montreal men's and the London Uk Ladies' soccer team participants in the Annual System Soccer tournament held in London, UK on May 1st, 1976.


Image Blank 200px And this photo is of the all-European PMDP course held in the Heathrow Hotel at LHR during May 1976.
Alan's Space - by Alan Rust
Alan's SpaceBristol Fiesta - International Balloon Festival

Bristol Fiesta started 30 years ago by Don Cameron, owner of the world's largest balloon manufacturer, Cameron Balloons.
It is today Europe's largest hot air balloon festival.

2008 was the 30th anniversary, visited by more than 500.000 and with 100 balloons participating.

This panorama by Peter Payne was made at the 2007 festival and received 1 price at the IVRPA international 360 degree panorama print exhibition at Photokina 2008. (view at full screen to see the full effect, move your moue to see the full panorama)
Image Blank 200px
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.
Stephen Elmy sent us this information for our Wardair readers:
How a flying entrepreneur helped forge Canada's aviation industry: Max Ward, at 90, is as cheerfully combative as when he was building his innovative charter airline, Wardair, and was battling convention and authority in Canada's aviation industry. Over four decades, he ran a bush pilot business in the North, pioneered chartered flights to Europe, moved into scheduled service and sold Wardair to PWA Corp. in 1988. He still lives in Edmonton where the dream began
More information can be found at this web site http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-managing/leadership/how-a-flying-entrepreneur-helped-forge-canadas-aviation-industry/article4219779/

Issue dated - February 1982
From the "CPAir News" magazine -
Image Blank 200px A THINK TANK was held by Los Angeles and San Francisco sales staffers at the Asilomar Conference Centre near Monterey, Calif., recently to discuss their 1982-83 sales plan. Back row from left, Clif Carpenter, Los Angeles; Peter Matthews, Vancouver; Mike Cano, Los Angeles; Richard Lowe, San Francisco; Nancy Krueger, Rafael Figueroa and Cliff Shepherd, all Los Angeles. Front Bill Hamada, Los Angeles; Lynne Kerney San Francisco; Wolf Wiedemann, Vancouver; Murray Byrnes, San Francisco; Jill Powell, Los Angeles, and Peter Carpenter, San Francisco.

Issue dated - February 1994
From the "Info Canadi>n" magazine -
Image Blank 200px Reintroduction of the Vancouver - Beijing service on May 3rd, 1994 after being discontinued in 1989.

Tom Yu and Kathie Wang are happily looking forward to the renewed service.

Image Blank 200px Charter Madness
During the federal election during the fall of 1993, Canadian Airlines provided charter service to the Liberal Party, which eventually was elected to a majority government. For 47 days, a hardy crew of Canadian Airlines employees transported Liberal leader Jean Chretien, and his political staff and an entourage of media reporters.

Since they covered 30,000 miles- 60 stops in 32 cities, the crew took it upon themselves to regularly do a few wacky things to relieve the day-to-day tensions of the campaign trail. On Halloween for example, for a flight from Thunder Bay to Yellowknife, the entire crew dressed up in zany costumes and served pizza. The charter crew included. From left: CSD Carlos Furthado, first officer Eric David, flight attendant Joanne Gauthier, captain John Burridge. Airports' flight co-ordinator Knut Ohm, flight attendants Carolyne Rodgrigues and Linda Frenette, and, under the scary mask, flight engineer Joe Desouza.

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.




Jim Griffith shares this memory with us:  Quebec Student Riots
The current Quebec student riots reminded me of a trip I made in a Viscount October 20th, 1970, at the height of Canada's Quiet Revolution. A group of disgruntled Palestinian trained separatists, the FLQ, were attempting to succeed Quebec from Canada by adopting terrorist strategies; bombings, bank robberies, kidnappings and murder. The Prime Minister had invoked the War Measures Act and what few soldiers we had in the Canadian military were on the streets.

We had come in from Winnipeg for a Montreal layover to do a turn-around flight from Montreal to Bagotville Quebec on the 20th. Being well outside the twelve hour bottle to throttle envelope, we went down to boisterous St. Catherine Street, a rowdy night club mecca, to partake of a few adult beverages and gawk at the bizarre goings on. This evening, however, it was as dead as, Pierre Laporte, the kidnapped and accidentally murdered Quebec cabinet minister whose funeral was on the morrow. Even the hookers had stayed indoors.

The morning of the funeral dawned a clear, bright, autumn day. Our flight would take us northeast direct to La Toque NDB to avoid a military restricted area, then a 40 degree right turn east to RCAF Station Bagotville. Cruising at 15,000ft, half way to La Toque, I was startled by a message from ATC to change to company frequency for an important message. The click of every airplane in the area including Bagotville Radar changing to our company frequency to eavesdrop was easily imagined. The company had received a third party phone message that some FLQ plot was to occur on our flight, ex Bagotville. The dispatcher assured us not to take the threat seriously... but I wondered. Meanwhile like me, apparently the Air Force at Bagotville wondered also.
 
Bob and I were engrossed in the chatter and failed to notice we had continued northeast a couple of miles beyond La Toque before turning towards the airport. Approach guessed we were purposely deviating to alert them that something on-board was amiss. What followed were a series of strange remarks from Bagotville out of context from normal procedures, nevertheless, we made a straight in visual. I noticed when we were two miles out that a Piaseki helicopter unique for its banana like shape was hovering about a hundred yards to the left of the button... not unusual, we'd seen this pesky copter hovering around the airport on previous trips. Touchdown was normal and early in the roll something caught my peripheral vision off to the left. I turned my head and was staring down the gaping maw of a .50 calibre machine gun pointed right at the cockpit, mounted across the open side hatch of the helicopter formatted about ten feet off the left wing tip.

We changed ground control and were tersely ordered to follow the military marshaller on the ramp. He parked us directly in front of the control tower and signaled shut down. As the engines whined down I noticed the roof of the tower was actually a sand bagged heavy machine gun nest including snipers and again their muzzles were all clearly pointed at the cockpit. It appeared that unlike our company, the RCAF had taken the threat seriously.

We were told that a passenger ramp would be attached to the rear door and that no one would be allowed off the aircraft unless the Captain showed himself at the cabin door standing well out from anyone behind him. Imagine the crowded cabin with all the agitated passengers standing in the aisle pushing and shoving and trying to retrieve bags from the overhead bins. I finally made it to the door, stepped out and gave a regal wave to the control tower and thus this Gilbert and Sullivan episode ended in a dull anti-climax.

The return trip was uneventful and given the scale of global terrorism in subsequent years, our little non-event pales into insignificance, but for Bob and I, just two naive hay-seed hicks from Winnipeg that somehow became swept up in the hysteria of the moment... it was quite memorable.
Jim Griffith


Image Blank 200px Richard Vandam has sent us his thoughts for the identities of the people in the photo Europe 870 sent in by Ray Arnold from his father, Art Arnold's collection, which we published in NetLetter nr 1208: I believe one person is Bill Dickinson and the other Jim Finlay - the other one I don't know.


Tony Iudica
refers to NetLetter nr 1209 and sends this comment:
Hi guys ... Thanks so much for publishing that photo of Mr Hank Anderson  arpt mgr at Boston. He was the man who hired me. He was one of the most respected and liked persons at Logan Airport. It was a supreme pleasure knowing him and working for him. He's gone now and Heaven is that much better now he's there... thanks again. Great Job as always. Tony Iudica AC retired  Bos 1973-1991  Tpa 1991-2009 ..

Odds and Ends.

Image Blank 200pxSometimes we receive articles and information that just doesn't fit in our other areas. This is where it goes!

Image Blank 200pxHere we have a miscellany of postage stamps with aircraft on them.
Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips - by Terry Baker

Terry Baker

At Liberia, Costa Rica $28US is the departure tax paid locally.
 
Edie and Tony Etheridge of London UK recently paid a visit to the Bletchley Park, home of the wartime centre for code-breaking. Here are some of the handouts, which may be of interest.

Image Blank 200px
This is the building.







Image Blank 200px
Here is the introduction.






This is the National Identity card.





















Sample ration book.

 

 

 

 

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.



Jack Stephens,  a Canadian researcher for the Vickers Viscount. www.vickersviscount.net sent us this on May 21st:
Air Canada is celebrating its 75th birthday. This week I reached the same mile stone. After fellow researcher and good friend, Robert Arnold, wished me well and I responded as follows, as if CF-TGI, was still flying in some far off strange land.

Hi Jack. Happy Birthday my friend. May you be blessed with health and happiness on this special day. I hope your day goes well. So what is it like to be the same age as Air Canada?  
Enjoy the day. Robert

In response to this greeting, Jack concocted this ode, which we thought our readers would enjoy:
The paint is getting a little thin on top of the fuselage.
The windows are not as clear as they used to be.
The wings could use a spar replacement.
The undercarriage is a bit wobbly, particularly, after a hard landing.
The wheels need some balancing, and the left main should be replaced.
The brakes seem to lock, for no apparent reason, and the anti-skid device might as well be removed.
The plumbing should be completely replaced, and has to be drained after each landing.
The body cannot take allowable pressure, and oxygen is a must over the mountains.
The instruments do strange things. They often show the aircraft is low on fuel when it is not.
On approaches, the landing gear indicators read, "Gear down" when in fact the gear is up.
The log book keeps getting lost, and is usually found where it was left.
But, as for Jack Stephens, he is fine, just fine!

Note: CF-TGI is the registration for the first Viscount delivered to T.C.A. and presently resides at the Pima Air Museum.

Image Blank 200pxThis cartoon by "Clarke" appeared in "Between Ourselves" issued March 1944.


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

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.
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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