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Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter Since 1995

Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Since 1995

The NetLetter #1227

The NetLetter

For Air Canada Retirees
(Part of the ACFamily Network)

 

October 28, 2012 - Issue 1227
 
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
Smileys
NetLetter Past Issues

Past Issues
Web Site Information

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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
Our First 75 Years - Compiled by Terry Baker
75-years-04 From the Collector's edition and Souvenir copy of "enRoute" magazine.

75-years-04 Front covers of "Between Ourselves" magazine issue
# 35 Jan. 1946 
through #45 Dec. 1946.
75-years-04 1976 - March - Announcement that Claude Taylor has been appointed as President and CEO.
1986 - Nov. 16th - Executive service extended to include 26 B727 aircraft. The refitting was performed in Winnipeg. (source Parts & Pieces)

1992 - Aug. 1st - Planned start up date for the introduction of a cash bar in North American Economy class service.

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 Betty Draper has sent us this photo of a TCA DC-3 CF-TDP at Regina in 1948.

 
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.

During May 1977, an interim executive was named to form the Pionairs Association. Until the first AGM was held, the founding executives were: President Martin Betts, Vice Presidents Cliff Seddon and Emily Coxon, the positions of secretary and treasurer were left open. Directors were Dave Clarke, Walter Fowler, Bill Spratt and Lindy Rood. This year (2012), the Pionairs are celebrating their 35th year - the NetLetter sends congratulations on this achievement.

Issue dated - April 1947
Gleaned from the "Between Ourselves" magazine -

Airlines tend to name their fleets, for example "Mainliners" or "Flagships" come to mind. T.C.A. have decided to name their North Star fleet "Skyliners of Canada".
 
During the first two weeks of April, the company has been on "Ice Patrol". TCA aircraft, based in Moncton, have been making daily 4.5 hour patrols over the St. Lawrence and Strait of Cabot keeping an eye on ice floe movements and reporting to the D.O.T.


Image Blank 200px Maintenance training is in full swing. Here we have this photo of the Second Service training group in March 1947.
Reading left to right, standing: Frank Kelly, Carl Clark, Jim Eberts, Bob Cuthill, Jim Kenyon, Gordon Sutherland, Frank Bogart, Ron Cambell. Kneeling are: Gordon Thomas, Dick Arnett, Tony Bruneau, Emery Gee, Andy Anderson. Missing from picture are: A.M. Sestrap, W.P. Sanson.

Image Blank 200px On April 15th, 1947, a North Star carried revenue passengers across the Atlantic to the United Kingdom for the first lime. There was certainly nothing new in the actual crossing. They've been doing that with regularity since July, 1943, but the beginning of North Star operations heralded a new era for TCA in trans-oceanic travel.


Image Blank 200px Here we have the staff at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto during 1947. From the left is: John Robinson, Howard Paillefer, Laurie Manchee, Ed Waud. The two in front are: Toni Hamilton and Mae Elliot.



Issue dated - March 1976
From the "Horizons" magazine -

Image Blank 200px The headline reads: Mary Awarded Cross of Valor.

On February 16th, Toronto Flight Attendant Mary Dohey became the third and only living recipient of Canada's highest award for bravery. Three other members of the crew, Capt. Vern Ehman, Purser John Arpin, and Asst. Purser Philip Bonny were awarded the Order of Canada for bravery.
The aircraft, on a scheduled flight from Calgary to Toronto, was commandeered by a man armed with a shotgun and several sticks of dynamite.

 

The aiImage Blank 200pxrcraft landed twice at Grand Falls Montana. For eight hours, Mary held the hijacker's hand, talking to him and diverting attention. At one point the hijacker held a knife to Mary's throat. The hijacker was later convicted and sentence to life in prison.
 


Image Blank 200px ACRA presidents from across the System had the opportunity to meet President Claude Taylor, right, in his first official function with an employee group during their annual general meeting in Montreal.

 

Representing ACRA from East to West are, from the left: Doug West, London, England; Brian Murray, Halifax; David Diggle, Saint John; Ghislain Tremblay, Quebec City; Janet Ferguson, Ottawa; Myron Curley, Toronto; Bob Lance, Thunder Bay; Dan Rowe Chicago; Dorothy Buss, Winnipeg; Gordon Myrehaug, Edmonton; Harvey Kloos, Los Angeles; and Bob Gregory, Vancouver. Missing from the photo were Doug Swanson of Sault Ste Marie, and Gord Thompson of Dorval. 


Image Blank 200px Movies in the form of video-tape recordings are proving to be a great method of training ramp personnel in the proper procedures. So successful has the type-trial been, that Toronto Aircraft Services plan to convert more programs to VTR on the basis of one aircraft type per year, the latest being the L-1011.

 

In 1976, the DC-9 programs will be completed as well as an up-date of the original B727 programs. Shown in the photo are some of the Toronto personnel who took part in the L-1011 -VTR training production. From the left are Bill Albers, Senior Customer Service Training Instructor; Station Attendant Mike Smith; Lead Station Attendant Don Scrace; and Station Attendants Frank Ball and Nevin Palmer. Missing were Lead Station Attendant D. White; and Station Attendants J. Holloway, W. Gray, R. Madill, H. Klaamas, B. Fletcher and M. Shipley

Alan's Space - by Alan Rust
Alan's Space
Have you ever heard of the Boeing International Husky?
How about the Boeing 755?
If you haven't, you're not alone. They are the airplanes that never flew.

KING 5's Glenn Farley takes you to a place of mystery to look at aviation history that never was.
 
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 - August 1992
Extracted from the "Info Canadi>n" magazine -
June 1st - the introduction of a special standby fare for youth between the ages of 19 to 21 during summer months only. $125.00 one way for trips over 599 miles, $62.50 for trips under 600 miles.

Image Blank 200pxCanadian's flights to and from its international destinations have a dramatically lower on-time performance than domestic flights, prompting a serious search for process improvement. The first region under scrutiny is the North Pacific
Members of the Orient Express OTP task force recently met for the first time in Narita. From left: Anant Subakarm, customer service manager, Bangkok; Paul Moreira, Airports; Stu Russell, Schedule Implementation; Al Hanna, SOC; Bernie Duperron, Flight Ops; Clarence Critch, Airports; Mark Brown Airports; Richard Webb, Acting General Manager, Hong Kong; Elliot Valles, Airports; Naoaki Deki, Customer Service Manager, Narita; Hiro Tsuzaki, Manager, western Japan; Peter Yeh, Customer Service, Taipei; William Koo, Assistant Customer Service Manager, Hong Kong; Octavio Riti, Crew Scheduling; and Franz Metzger, Regional Manager Operations and Planning, Japan.


Image Blank 200px Running Up a Tab
A Canadian Airlines team participated in the 1992 Labatt Lite 24 hour Relay held at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary.
The team was sponsored by Calgary's Canadian Club and raised 53,600 for Camp Horizon, an outdoor recreational
facility for physically & mentally disabled children and adults. Top from left: Karen Salwath, Doris Kotscha, Leigha Fox,
Cindy Lambert. Middle from left: Marg Bullock, Lysa Alt, Samira Oaks, Duane Lennon, Suzanne Evans. Bottom from left: Jane Lewis, Daren Price, Kevin Faichuk, Debbie Iversen, Mary Moran. Missing from photo was Craig Betts, Dave Bolstad, Nicole Bolstad, Cory Borg, Catherine Heslop, Octavio Riti, and Johanna Seguin.
(The missing were, presumably, still running when the photo op came about - eds)

Image Blank 200px Canadi>n was flying six times a week between Toronto and Sao Paula, the fastest growing city in Latin America. Here are customer service agents at the down town office Marta Silveira, Rosana Carvalho and Octaviano Cezar.


Image Blank 200px Canadi>n's service to Rio de Janeiro began in 1987. Working in the Rio de Janeiro office are customer service agents Orlando Morais, Ana Heering and Carmen Rodriguez.




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.

Bill Evans has sent us this name for the person in the second photo of the DC-8 endorsement course in the NetLetter nr 1224: Of Oct. 7, the person in the back row at the left end is Glenn Morrin. Glenn is retired near Brownsburg, Quebec.
Regards, Bill Evans


Bernie McCormack has sent us this memory:

 

Ghost - This is not necessarily a story about a North Star, but rather one of what happened one night in the fall of 1960 on board a North Star freighter. I was flying as 1st officer for "Buck" Buchanan between Vancouver and Calgary. We were approaching Turner Valley, the point at which we usually started our descent. Buck had allowed me to fly this first leg and I decided I had better make a trip to the john before we got too busy. I handed control over to the Captain and prepared to go back into the cabin. I pulled the mechanical release lever, slid my seat back and then reached up to turn on the cabin lights so I could see my way back to the washroom which was located at the very rear of the cargo cabin. But I hesitated and then decided to leave the lights off and I reached into my flight bag and lifted out my flashlight.

 

The reason for my decision regarding the lights was a story I had heard some months earlier. A first officer had left the flight deck for the washroom with the cabin lights on, but while he was back there the Captain had engaged the autopilot, turned the lights off, left his seat and hid behind a crated coffin and body being transported home. When the other pilot returned, groping his way in the dark, and as he passed the container, the Captain stepped from behind it and wordlessly reached out and rested his hand on the other pilots shoulder. Awful. I recalled that we had boarded a similar container destined to Calgary and decided to provide my own light. Just in case. 

 

When I finished my chore, I started back through the pitch black tube called the fuselage, filled with cargo and as I passed the container I mentioned, my curiosity caused me to turn my light up to it. I noticed there was a tag on the side that I guessed probably had the individual's name on it. I immediately turned my light away because I had no desire to put definition to it, name or gender. I thought it would be too personal and didn't want to see it.
(To be concluded in NetLetter nr 1228 - eds)

 

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!

AAR received FAA approval to open previously announced 188,000 square ft. MRO facility (formerly operated by Northwest Airlines) in Duluth, MN in December 2012 (it expects to be running at full capacity by end of 2013); it has secured MOU from Air Canada to perform A320 airframe maintenance/modifications at facility over next five years, although initial work will be performed in Miami (source Speednews Oct 19/12).


Jack Morath has sent us this information and url:

Subject: Heathrow Airport 1945-1949. It's an old film about the enlargement of the wartime airfield and the construction of the airport known as Heathrow. Video quality a bit fuzzy if enlarged to full screen, but an interesting documentary (10 minutes). The opening sequence features some dialogue between a Trans-Canada Air Lines pilot 'on finals' requesting his landing instructions. It shows a few of the old airliner types that were in use then. Some good footage. Click the link, sound on...   

 

(The TCA aircraft call was CF-CBD, but we are unable to locate any of the TCA fleet with registration CF-CBD, however, there is a shot of the passengers being greeted before boarding CF-TEL, a North Star- eds)  

   

Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips - by Terry Baker

Terry Baker

A memory, by your Chief Pilot:
While working in Dorval in the late 70's, my wife would fly on pass to LHR each spring, to visit her widowed mother. For five years, these trips of a week's duration took place. During this time, I would look after our two pre-teen sons. Come the end of the week, I had enough and my mother was happy to baby sit, so I would check the Friday night flights, AC or BA, and list myself and proceed to Mirabel. I was fortunate, each time, in getting first class. Upon arrival at LHR, I would seek out a passenger agent who had previously worked with me in YUL, and had transferred, and we would have a coffee and chat. 

 

My wife was unaware of my arrival on one occasion, and when she checked in, she was, unknowingly, handed a boarding pass for both of us, and went on through controls. After my coffee meeting, we checked and found that my wife had gone through - with my boarding pass too. However, the situation was rectified with a dummy pass made up for me.

 

While it sounds crazy to travel all that way just to turn around and return the next day, where else could one get a dinner, movie, breakfast, lunch, movie and tea time snack just by turning up! And wasn't the price right those days?

 

At one time, going through the customs at YMX, we were asked the usual question - "Is this all your luggage?", my wife traveled with a carry-on on these trips and answered "Yes". The officer then opened the luggage and asked my wife "When did you leave Canada", who replied "7 days ago". "Are you sure this is all your luggage?", the officer asked, looking at my wife, obviously looking for some male clothing. Finally he wanted to check our tickets. When I explained my movements and reason for traveling the previous day, he said "Oh! you bloody Air Canada types, get out of here".

 


 

A couple of the many Interline deals from Interline Travel

Holland-America Cruise Lines:

Zuiderdam - 10 Night Panama Canal Cruise sailing from San Diego to Ft. Lauderdale stopping in Half Moon Cay, Aruba, Curacao, Enter Panama Canal Cristobal, Gatun Lake, Exit Panama Canal Cristobal, Colon and Puerto Limon on Nov. 9, 2012 - us$299/Inside, us$349/Obstructed Oceanview, us$699/Verandah, us$1,599/Dlx Verandah Suite, Call/3rd & 4th persons  

 

Amsterdam - 40 Night South Pacific Cruise sailing roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale to Sydney, stopping in Cartagena, Enter Panama Canal Cristobal, Cruising Panama Canal, Exit Panama Canal Balboa, Crossing the Equator, Manta, Callao, General San Martin, Easter Island, Cruising Pitcairn Island, Papeete, Moorea, Bora Bora, Cross International Dateline, Nuku, Auckland, Tauranga, Napier, Wellington and Picton on Jan. 5, 2013: us$2,999/Inside, us$3,499/Obstructed Oceanview, us$10,299/Verandah Suite, Call/3rd & 4th persons  

 

Carnival Cruise Lines:
Carnival Breeze - 2 Night Bahamas Cruise sailing roundtrip from Miami, stopping in Nassau on Nov. 22, 2012, us$159/Inside, us$199/Oceanview, us$269/Oceanview with Balcony, us$649/Suite

 

Carnival Breeze - 6 Night Western Caribbean Cruise sailing roundtrip from Miami, stopping in Grand Turk, Falmouth (Jamaica) and Nassau on Dec. 2, 2012: us$269/Inside, us$329/Oceanview,  us$469/Oceanview with Balcony, us$1,129/Suite
Dec. 16, 2012: us$279/Inside, us$329/Oceanview, us$499/Oceanview with Balcony, us$1,079/Suite

Contact www.interlinetravel.com or call 817 481-8631 / 800 766-2911 for many more deals.

 

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.

Image Blank 200px This cartoon by an undecipherable author appeared in the "Info Canadi>n" magazine issue August 1992.   


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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