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Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter Since 1995

Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Since 1995

The NetLetter #1220

The NetLetter

For Air Canada Retirees
(Part of the ACFamily Network)

 

September 9, 2012 - Issue 1220
 
First Issue published in October 1995!
(over 5,400 subscribers)
In This Issue
Our First 75 Years
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
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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
Our First 75 Years - Compiled by Terry Baker
Jannet Tricarico, past president of Pionairs sends this reminder:
THE SKY'S THE LIMIT SINCE 1937
The airline first came into being on April 10, 1937, when Trans-Canada Air Lines was incorporated by an Act of Parliament to coordinate air transport across Canada's broad expanse. Its means? $5 million and three airplanes: two Lockheed Electra's and a Stearman, fresh from crop-dusting duties. Who would have thought it would mark the takeoff toward 75 years of innovation?
 
1967 - March -  Orders for 23 jet aircraft placed with Douglas. (17) DC-9, (6) DC-8
1967 - May 1st - Pooling agreement with Aer Lingus Irish International Airlines.

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 Winnifred Achurch (Little) sent us this email: This is a picture I have of a 1942 TCA ClassII Personal Training School for Passener Agents.
Left to Right first row. Peter Melon, Millie Atchisen, Marg Falkner. Second row, second from left Winnifred Achurch.
This was displayed at Allan Godbold's retirement celebration (instructor of training school). Winnifred Achurch (Little)
TCA/Air Canada People Gallery - Compiled by Terry Baker
 
TCA/Air Canada  Logo


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.

Image Blank 200px BEAVER RESCUE CREW are shown standing In front of their aircraft following a dramatic
rescue of a USAAF light plane near the Lakehead. From the left is: Captain H. W. Angus, Stewardesses Joan Marshall, Diana Lorton and First Officer O. H. Moore.

 

Found in the "Between Ourselves" magazine issued April 1960:
The headline read "Beaver guided to safe landing by vigilant TCA Viscount crew."

"I only have five gallons of fuel left and that's not enough to take me anywhere. I'm starting down for an emergency landing on Lake Huron."
Lt. Kenneth Hughcs was flying a light Beaver aircraft his two-man crew and two passengers on a routine mission February 27 when he made that radio call. Not able to see through the swirling mist for a glimpse of the ground he radioed that he was lost.

At the same time, a TCA flight from Toronto to the Lakehead was preparing to land at the Soo to refuel. Kincheole radar, which could not locate the small bush plane and had only a weak radio contact with it, a ked the TCA ship to stay aloft in a last-ditch effort to save the lives of the five men aboard the Beaver.

As the Viscount aircraft joined the lost aircraft on an emergency radio frequency, the Beaver lost radio contact with the radar station. The lives of the five men aboard the small aircraft now depended on the TCA crew. First Officer Owen Moore took over the controls of the Viscount
from Captain H. W. Angus so that Angus could devote his full time to radio contact.

In the meantime Stewardesses Diana Lorton and Joan Marshall told the Viscount passengers about the lost aircraft and asked them to keep a sharp lookout for it. For the next 30 minutes, instructions flew back and forth between the lost aircraft, the Viscount and ground stations. Then an alert operator at another radar station reported: " I have a target 12 miles west of Gare Bay!"

At last the Beaver aircraft, its lifeblood of fuel rapidly being swallowed by a throbbing, hungry engine, had been sighted by the penetrating beams of radar. Minutes later, the TCA crew asked if he had landed. The airport control officer at Gare Bay said "I don't know... I can see a cloud of snow beside the regular runway... Yes! Thank God. He's down and safe". Thus ended the dramatic rescue of the Beaver and the Viscount continued on to the Lakehead 55 behind schedule.


Image Blank 200px THE OVERSEAS Region's "Purser Leadership" Seminars concluded with the third group's meetings early in March. Gathered in the conference room at the Alpine Inn north of Montreal for their "Management Panel Day" were: front row, left to right -  A. E. Candy; Capt. A. S. Ander; J. G. Maxwell; C. S. Hewett; M. A. Johnston - all of the Overseas Region - and Project Leader R. M. Robbins. Second row, left to right: Pursers R. Roth: and T. M. Mills:  W. P. Sansom;  A. C. Phillips: Pursers J . H. E.Champagne; and J. A. M. St. Hilaire: Assistant Chief Stewardess M. M. Brown; Pursers J. J. DuHamel; P. Bibeau; J. Pasche. Rear row, left to right: Pursers A. R. Robichaud; T. C. Trower: S. W. 8uchberger; H. M. White: F. St. Hilaire: A. Steinbach: J. P. Lavery.

Alan's Space - by Alan Rust
Alan's SpaceAlan is still on vacation!
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 its "ancestry" of contributing airlines.
Issue dated - January 1982
Located in the "CP Air News" magazine -
Image Blank 200px TWO OF OUR THREE staff members in New Delhi, India, celebrated their 10th anniversaries with CP Air in 1981 and Harry Hargadon, manager, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, presented them with service pins on his regular inspection trip. From left, O. P. Chawla, passenger agent; T. C. Kakar, district sales manager, who received their 10-year pins; Pinky Arora, clerk/steno, and Hargadon.


Image Blank 200px GOLD DAY IN LIMA: Five Lima employees received their gold service pins last month, from Bob Connor, regional director, Pacific/Latin America (left) and Angel Bracesco, manager, Peru/Bolivia and Ecuador (right). Honored were (from left after Connor) Lucrecia Ali, cargo clerk/steno, 10 years; Cesar Bastidas, documentation clerk; Manuel Rondon, ramp/cargo agent; Gumercindo Benavides, driver/utility man; and Esther Yagui, secretary, all with 15 years service.

Issue dated - April 1985
From "CP Air News" magazine -

Whitehorse Greets its First Jumbo

CP Air carried 279 Shiners to Whitehorse on a DC-10 charter April 11th, 1895, and in the process set a record - it was the largest aircraft ever to land in Whitehorse. The DC-10 returned as an extra section off scheduled flight 654 with 50 passengers on board. It returned to Whitehorse on April 14th to pick up the Shiners Northbound, it carried revenue passengers as an extra section of Flight 655.
(Those retirees who spent their early careers in Whitehorse may be infested to know that we understand tentative thoughts are in the works for "CP Air Whitehorse Reunion - 2013". Stay tuned to www.cedarcoast.ca/yxycp for information early next year eds)

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.

Here is the conclusion of the memory sent to us by Alan Lock and started in NetLetter nr 1219, recalling that Alan was in the USAF base:

While sitting there drinking a coffee, a gentleman in civilian clothes came over and introduced himself as Colonel Goyt, the Base Commander. A Manager of the Facility came over, plugged in a red phone and placed it on the table and after lifting up the receiver told the Col. the 'phone was 'live'. I introduced myself, he joined me in a coffee and we chatted. After I mentioned I had been a Pilot in the RCAF, we then started a friendly bragging contest as to which service was best.  He made me feel much better because he told me if I could not get on the Flight, he would find a room for me in the Bachelor Officers Quarters (BOQ) on Base. 

Later he told me that we might have something a little 'stronger' than coffee and we went to the Officer's Club where we sat at the bar. As soon as we did, the bartender came over, plugged in a red phone, picked up the receiver, said a few words into it, put it in front of the Col. and told him "the phone is live".  So the Col. bought me an "adult beverage".  I noticed we were the only two at the bar, but the room was full with other men all in flight suits, but none were drinking. The Col. said to me, "If that phone rings you cannot leave this Base". Obviously, I asked 'Why not?", but he said he was unable to tell me. The USAF aircraft there were the delta wing single seat aircraf- I believe the F-102. He said one other thing, "If that phone doesn't ring this evening it won't ring". Eventually he told me that if I did not get on the AC flight back to YUL, he said he'd fly me back there the next day explaining, "I need some flight time anyway".

Since it was getting close to flight time, he had his driver drive me back over to the other side of the airport and to stay with me. Should I not get on the AC flight the driver was assigned to drive me back to the USAF base.

While, in my travels, I would hope and pray that I get on a fairly full flight to get home, I must confess this time I hoped and prayed the most I ever have NOT TO GET ON. But my luck held and I did indeed get on the flight home - the center seat, on a Vanguard, right in line with the 'props' with one seat mate (by the window) who insisted on reading a newspaper opened wide, seems he was unable to fold it over so it would be only in front of him and my aisle companion - an elderly 'plump' lady who fell asleep with her head leaning toward me and a gentle low snore all the way to YUL.

Such were the travels of a junior (30 year old) management assistant from HQ. To end this story - this happened in October 1962. The day I was there was the day of the showdown between Pres. Kennedy and Prime Minister Kruschev in which Pres. Kennedy had told Kruschev to get the missiles out of Cuba 'or else'.  I did not know it at the time but Harmom Air Force Base in Stephenville were awaiting word from the Pentagon to either stand down or bomb Cuba.


Colin Bailey sends this memory brought about by the photos in NetLetter nr 1218: It was interesting to see the pictures of Prestwick back in the 50s. I wonder how many people remember spending a night in the airport hotel and being rudely awakened at a very early hour to the sound of bagpipes? Several days a week, Pan Am arrived at the early hour and insisted on greeting the passengers with a piper. Some time back in the 50s there was a strike at the aviation fuel LHR depot, so they turned all the flights around at Prestwick for a week or so. Ernie Hand drove a bunch of us up there for the duration of the strike.

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!

Bill Wood sends this interesting video which is 47 minutes long:
A Really interesting 45 minute British documentary from 2011.
Guaranteed to hold your interest all the way through. 

 

On 30 April 1982, the RAF launched a secret mission: to fly a Vulcan  bomber to the Falkland Islands and bomb Port Stanley's runway, putting it out of action for Argentine fighter jets. The safety of the British Task Force depended on its success.

 

However, the RAF could only get a single plane - a crumbling, Cold War-era Vulcan - 8000 miles south to the Falklands, because just one bomber needed an aerial fleet of 13 Victor tanker planes to refuel it throughout the 16-hour round-trip. At the time it was the longest-range bombing mission in history. From start to finish, the seemingly impossible mission was a comedy of errors, held together by luck and ingenuity. http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=40knj0qg_Us   

 

Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips - by Terry Baker

Terry BakerThere is no more FlyZed.com to check loads. This is from the UK Pionairs September newsletter -
Ref flyzed:    

Just to advise: all the information is on the Air Canada Employee Travel Site. Sign in, then go to News and Policies, then click on Policies, then go to ZED listings T-W (if you want Thai). Then click on Thai Airways: you will then be guided to https://www.myidtravel.com/myidlisting. When you get to this site, enter Air Canada as employing airline, User is AC staff, password is 014, log in and follow instructions. "Simples" as the meerkat would say.  This web site enables you to register for a few airlines, LH / TG / DL / QF plus a few others.

Interline Travel has these offerings amongst many others:
AMA Waterways
Blue Danube Discovery Cruise - 7 Nt River Cruise aboard the AmaCerto from Budapest to Nuremberg on Nov. 22, 2012 - Cat. D - $974 plus $147 port charge - New Sailing Just Added!
Europe's Rivers & Castles Cruise - 7 Nt River Cruise aboard the AmaLegro from Luxembourg to Nuremberg on Oct. 31, 2012 - Cat. B French Balcony Stateroom - $1,264 plus $147 port charge - New Sailing Just Added!
Legendary Danube Cruise - 7 Nt River Cruise aboard the AmaLegro from Nuremberg to Budapest on Nov. 7. 2012 - Cat. B French Balcony Stateroom - $1,264 plus $147 port charge - New Sailing Just Added!
Thanksgiving Cruise - 7 Nt River Cruise aboard the AmaLegro from Nuremberg to Amsterdame on Nov. 21 2012 - Cat. B French Balcony Stateroom - $1,264 plus $147 port charge - New Sailing Just Added!
The Romantic Danube Cruise - 7 Nt River Cruise aboard the AmaLyra from Vilshofen to Budapest on Nov. 21, 2012 - Cat. B French Balcony Stateroom - $1,264 plus $147 port charge - New Sailing Just Added!
us$ pricing

817 481-8631 / 800 766-2911

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.
Tower:
"NorthWest XYZ, cleared to land, 31. Be advised of model rocketry testing from the United Tribes Educational Center just west of the airport."

Northwest XYZ (with a Texas drawl):
"Ah liked it bettah when they only used bows and arrows."


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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