Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

For Air Canada Retirees
(Part of the ACFamily Network)

London's Ranch Hands.
To reinforce its image as the best carrier to Canada, Air Canada, London, England held a series of western style evenings for travel agents. The evenings took the theme of one of Britain's most popular television shows. "The Late Breakfast Show" and featured an audio and visual presentation of Air Canada's services.  

A cabaret with singer Rosemary Squires and comedian Chris Lloyd, a Canadian style ranch breakfast and a chuck-wagon complete with horse. The "breakfast" was served in style by volunteers from Air Canada's reservations staff and passenger agents. They are pictured on board the chuck-wagon.

Front row from left: Jenny Ellison, Jenny Brennan, Janet Davis, Ursula York. Back row, from Left: Hilary Pascoe, Nicki Perrier-Flint, Gerald White and Fiona Chatfield.  

HONORED FOR 25 YEARS SERVICE Employees who celebrate their silver anniversaries with CP Air during 1970 joined President John C. Gilmer and the officers of the company for cocktails and supper at the Hotel Vancouver on April 24th. Their wives accompanied them.

Following the pin presentation, Mr. Gilmer and stewardess Diane Peterson posed with the newest members of the Quarter Century Club for this photo.

They are, from left: Andy Wisdahl, at 65, oldest of the group; Ralph Miller, Ray Nelles, Bill McCloy, Camille Drolet who traveled the farthest for supper from Rome, Mr Gilmer, Lyle Langpap from Toronto, Diane Peterson, Joe Ferris, Vic Kern, Gunnard Falk, Bob Martin and Ken Cooper from Kelowna, B C. At 41, youngest of the club, Raymonde Queilelle and Cy Charter were unable to attend.
 

The first ever initial flight attendant training course conducted in Toronto has now 12 graduates operating on the line. At the course's conclusion on Friday, June 30, three went from having this graduation photo taken to Toronto Airport to work their first official flight. In-Flight Supervisor Janet Simmons, Toronto and Yvonne Wiley of Training, Vancouver conducted the course.

Now flying with spirit are, back  from left: Eligenia Venchiarlitti, Leigh Badgley, Richard Lee, Nancy Kaiser and Melody Renfrew. Front: Lynn Coslett, Elen Douglas, Carol Boddy, Janice Kwak and Colleen Smalley.
 

Remembering the good old days, by Andy St-Laurent 1953-1988 (retired): I worked overseas flights on the North Star as a Purser in 1954, also worked flights on the Super Constellation as well as the DC 8's. Here are a few examples of the duration of flying times in "The good old days."

NORTH STAR - April 4th, 1954: Dorval-Gander 4.25, Gander-Shannon   9.15, Shannon-London 1.50. April 7th, 1954: London-Prestwick 1.45, Prestwick-Keflavik 4.00, Keflavik-Gander 9.15, Gander-Dorval 7.05.

Total duty day for the westbound flight including stops was 24 hrs and .30 minutes. Fortunately the North Star was equipped with 2 bunk beds in the cockpit and everyone used them to get some rest. I also used to shave and change my shirt prior to arriving in YUL so I could look fresh.

The flight leg between Gander & Dorval, April 7th was that long because of severe headwinds.

Here is a comparison of flying times between the North Star and the Super Connie: SUPER CONSTELLATION June 1st, 1967: Dorval-Gander 3.30, Gander-Prestwick 7.30, Prestwick-London 2.00. June 3rd, 1967: London-Dorval 14.15.

DC-8 Flying times for the DC 8 for a return trip from Dorval to Zurich was as follows: February 23rd, 1962: Dorval-Shannon-Paris-Zurich   13.00 hours, Zurich-Paris-Dorval 14.15 hours.

Thought the readers would enjoy reading those stats.

Happy New Year to all Retirees. 

Jim Griffith sends us this memory: As a former Air Canada pilot, I particularly enjoyed the National Film Board's documentary film clip about TCA/AC's inauguration of the Viscount. I was a kid in Winnipeg at the time, so I remember the Viscount very well. We lived about 3 miles from the airport, but on winter nights when the temperate was in the -30F range, it was so cold if you went out side you could hear houses cracking as the wood and concrete expanded and or contacted with the cold and the whining and whining of the Darts being run up or whatever it was they were doing to them in the middle of night carried clearly for many miles in the frigid air.

When the weather was that cold, extraneous traffic and other noises were non existent because most people stayed indoors and my brother and I would often wake up in the middle of the night from the noise even in our basement room. Neither one of us at the time could have imagined that one day we would both end up flying the things.

But I found it more interesting for another reason. During the clip it shows a TCA North Star Captain getting a weather briefing from a forecaster. As it happens it was Captain John Clarke, my CO in the 177 TCA Air Cadet Squadron, who was my mentor and probably the reason I became an airline pilot. He was killed a year after the film was taken when his North Star flew into the top of Mount Slesse in The Canadian Rockies on a flight from Vancouver to Calgary.

(Photo of John Clarke below, click on photo for documentary)

At the time it was Canada's most deadly air crash. It was surrounded by mystery partly because the wreckage wasn't found for 5 months after the crash and no definite cause was ever established. In fact I thought the film was more about the Winnipeg engine overhaul shop and the Merlin engine than the title suggested. In any case, it provided in-sight for a friend of mine who is writing a book on the crash. Jim Griffith

(Flight 810  CF-TFD  "Selkirk" fin #204  c/n 128 - eds)






 

Caesar Hotels Airway Vacations Interline Deals to GO!
Rome Tuscany Venice Vacation with confirmed air from us$1399* 8 Nights/ 10 Days With air fares going up across the board, this is a great price to grab for a spring getaway to Italy.

You'll begin in Rome and spend 2 days exploring the famous sites: The Vatican, the Trevi Fountain, The Spanish Steps, this is an independent tour so the choices are yours. Then on to Tuscany for 4 nights to take in the breathtaking countryside by car or visit the nearby cities of Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Certaldo, Pisa, Lucca and Arezzo. On the 7th day travel by rental car to Veneto to a 4 star hotel just outside Venice. Breakfast included throughout.

Irish Castles in the Spring with confirmed air from us$1399*
6 Nights, 1 night Cabra Castle, 2 nights Kilronan Castle Hotel, 2 nights Ashford Castle, 1 night Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa, breakfast daily, manual 6 day car rental. Travel Select Dates March 2013.
Call for details 1 800 422 3727. www.airwaysvacations.com  

This cartoon by D Fallwell YXT appeared in the "Blue Skies", a CPAir magazine issued April 1979.   

 Alan Evans in South Africa sends this: A man wrote a letter to a small hotel in a Midwest town he planned to visit on his vacation. He wrote: "I would very much like to bring my dog with me. He is well-groomed and very well behaved. Would you be willing to permit me to keep him in my room with me at night?"

An immediate reply came from the hotel owner, who wrote: "SIR: I've been operating this hotel for many years. In all that time, I've never had a dog steal towels, bedclothes, silverware or pictures off the walls. I've never had to evict a dog in the middle of the night for being drunk and disorderly. And I've never had a dog run out on a hotel bill. Yes, indeed, your dog is welcome at my hotel. And, if your dog will vouch for you, you're welcome to stay here, too."