The NetLetter
For Air Canada Retirees
(Part of the ACFamily Network)
May 13, 2013 - Issue 1254
|
|
| |
|
First Issue published in October 1995!
(over 5,400 subscribers)
|
|
NetLetter Past Issues
|
 |
|
Donation Information
|
Send cheques payable to "ACFamily Network" to:
ACFamily Network
#800 - 15355 24th Ave, Suite 523
Surrey, BC V4A 2H9
|
|
Sponsors
|
 |
|
|
|
Greetings!
|
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
|
| Air Canada News |
  Air Canada, coming off a loss-making first quarter, is counting on the development of its international network to enable it to eventually achieve "sustained profitability." The airline confirmed Friday it incurred a first-quarter net loss of C$260 million (us$258 million), which it had previously disclosed. This photo courtesy Air Canada. |
| 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.
|
 Some time ago, we received this email from Irene Kaminskyj Naccarato, and we finally put some identifications to the pictures:
As a retired Air Canada employee, I always enjoy reading the NetLetter - you guys do a great job! - but I have never shared anything till now. I am sending you a copy of an old "Horizons" page circa SEP-NOV 1974. The article "real people in "reel" life is self explanatory - I was part of this film experience, but, as usual, my name was misspelled - my name was Irene Kaminskyj, not Irene KaLinskyj. I am the person at the bottom right hand corner of the article where we were popping out of "Laugh-In" type round windows (Remember the 1970's show with Goldie Hawn, etc?) with the catch phrase being "love you to come with us". I will try to identify the employees in the various pictures...
- Top Left - Irene Kaminskyj, Sandy Gott-Smith, and I think Jennifer Walmsley.
- Top Right - Sandy Gott-Smith
- Middle left - top rondelle - Debbie Allen, Bottom left rondelle - Sandy Gott-Smith,
- Bottom right rondelle - Irene Kaminskyj
- Bottom left - I think it was Jennifer Walmsley having her make-up adjusted.
- Bottom middle - Debbie Allen in a swinging sunchair.
- Bottom right - left rondelle - Sandy Gott-Smith, right rondelle - me, Irene Kaminskyj Naccarato
I am sorry that I cannot identify the gentleman in the top middle photo, but he was being directed by Larry, the film's director. The film was shot in August 1974 on Merton St in Toronto during a TTC strike. Because taxis were impossible to get, I usually hitchhiked in the sweltering heat with the uniform pieces including the winter coat over my arm.
Thanks,
Irene Kaminskyj Naccarato (retired since 2002).
|
|
Issue dated - Midsummer 1947
Some items gleaned from the "Between Ourselves" magazines.
|
 Under the banner TCA Employees Flying Club (Toronto), we found this article:
Well, here it is time again for Wings over Malton to put in another appearance in print.
There's just enough space for a quick review of some of the club's activities to bring you up to date. The first invitation that we have accepted as a club was tendered by the Hamilton Flying Club to be their guests at an air show held on Saturday, May 24th. For the most part, the events consisted of displays of the flying qualities of both the Piper Cub and their own pilots. One feature of the afternoon was a spin from ten thousand to two thousand feet consisting of eighty-seven turns. Makes me dizzy to think of it even now. An ex-airman demonstrated how to "hit the silk" from about two thousand feet and how to guide the chute in wind.
We have a club room out at the Airport now and have inherited a lounge and a couple of easy chairs so our room is beginning to have all the earmarks of a second home. It should see a great deal of use in the months to come. Everyone is welcome. At the conclusion of the ground school instruction classes, we all trooped merrily to the Embassy Hotel and held a small "do" to celebrate the end of our "book learning" for this season. By popular consent it was a very successful party. This is about our ceiling for now so just "Keep 'em Flying." Our photo is of Ethel Lawrence, the club secretary.
(This report was by J.R.T. we, at the NetLetter, wonder if this club still exists - eds)
|
|
|
| |
 This group of guys are from the fourth North Star Service training group.
Standing: Walter Clark, Walter McDevitt, Joe Hymson, Bill Danners, Bill Anders, Gordon Gauld, Frank Burgess, Jack Gow, Bob Peterson, Derrick Bone.
Kneeling: Bill Jacquot, Mel Bardsley, Murray Speedie, Alf DeMontigny, Stan Denning, Bill Hooton, Fred Batchelor, Sam Purves, Bert Fennessy, Gene Baudru.
|
| Alan's Space - by Alan Rust |
Another Flying Car!
TF-X™ is Terrafugia's vision for the future of personal transportation. A four-seat, plug-in hybrid electric flying car with fly-by-wire vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities, TF-X™ is designed to bring personal aviation to the world. The design will make use of the high power density and reliability of modern electric motors in combination with parallel power and control system architectures to achieve a higher level of safety than modern automobiles. TF-X™ will provide true door-to-door transportation combined with the freedom of vertical takeoff and landing -- creating a new dimension of personal mobility.To find out more please visit their web page by clicking here.
 |
| Flying Car - Terrafugia TF-X |
|
Canadi>n/CP Air/PWA, Wardair, etc. People & Events
- Compiled by Terry Baker
|
 News and articles from days gone by gleaned from various publications from C.A.I.L. and its "ancestry" of contributing airlines. |
|
Issue dated - Month Year
Items from the "CPAir NEWS" magazine -
|
| 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.
|
Bernard Desanlis has sent us this suggestion:
Since most readers of the NetLetter are "veterans" of the airline/aircraft industry, it would be interesting to see on which aircraft type, when and where the had their first flight. Bernard Desanlis
Our chief pilot - Terry - will kick it off with:
Pax on London Airport (LHR) to Amsterdam (AMS) March 25th 1949. A Convair C240 - KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
Bernie McCormack shares this memory with us:
I flew as Maury Belanger's First Officer on the DC-8 when he first transferred to Vancouver from Montreal. On the flight I am referring to, we flew to Toronto on the first leg and the following afternoon after an overnight in the Royal York Hotel, were preparing to locate our driver for the ride to the airport and our return flight to Calgary. Maury was about to go down for the cab when I told him that some changes had been made on the pairings and that we now leave 30 minutes later than previously. When we later started across the lobby towards the front doors, I said we should catch the cab at the back door to keep us clear of all the other vehicles. As we opened the door to get into the cab, our driver who fancied himself to be a comedian gave a lingering look at our uniforms and hats and said "where to?". When we finally arrived across from the dispatch offices in Terminal 1, Maury told the driver to leave our bags further along the drive, near the entrance to Terminal 2. I was about to correct him again but decided that I had advised him of enough changes on this trip and said nothing although operations were concerned about the security of leaving them in the open as we had done for a number of years.
With flight planning completed, we started the walk over to Terminal 2 and when we approached the access to our aircraft, we couldn't find the bags. Time was becoming a factor when we entered the aircraft without flight bags. I started out on a search while Maury stayed behind and completed the pre-flight checks. I hailed an RCMP car and driver and explained my problem. We drove to the limousine office at the other end of the building and explained the situation to them. They replied that now that our company was no longer using their service they had no idea where bags might be. I told them that if someone didn't come up with them soon, an aircraft with 150 passengers on board was going to be delayed at the terminal building and that someone would certainly pay dearly. "Amazingly", two sets of book bags were found inside and I was on my way minus our overnight clothing suitcases. They were missing.
Overnight in Calgary with a small shaving kit supplied by Air Canada but with no change of clothes, then we flew back to Toronto for another overnight stay and as we walked by a lost baggage storage room, we looked in and high on a shelf we found our bags with tags that told us they had been to Niagara Falls and back by bus. So much for a glib cab driver who thought he was Jack Benny and a disgruntled limousine dispatcher who decided to punish us for the sins of our planners.
Maury Belanger passed on 30 March 2012. During the war he flew coastal command and was awarded the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) for three attacks on enemy submarines in the outer Gulf of St. Lawrence. He was a soft spoken gentle man and attended our retired pilots' luncheons without fail and with apparent enthusiasm. I enjoyed flying with him.
Bernie McCormack |
Odds and Ends.
|
|
 Sometimes we receive articles and information that just doesn't fit in our other areas. This is where it goes!
|
 Jack Morath in the U.K. has sent us this information: Photograph of the world's largest helicopter which happened to be on the tarmac in Dease Lake, B.C. recently. It is to be used for taking mining equipment and cargo out to a new mine called Galore Creek.
It is owned by a Russian company. It is called the Utsky. The chopper couldn't land at the air strip at Bob Quinn Lake because it wasn't a paved area so it had to land in Dease Lake until the landing site north of Bob Quinn could be inspected. Apparently this chopper's wash will pick up and fling rocks, up to 12 inches in diameter, around like leaves.
Some stats:
- Russian crew of 6, 2 Pilots, 1 Navigator, 2 Engineers (mechanics) & 1 cargo person
- a semi-trailer will fit in it.
- carries 75 troops
- uses 2000 litres of fuel per hour
- 580 km range
- costs $30,000/hr to rent
- 40 metres long
- 8 blades about 2 feet wide
Probably bigger than ANYTHING seen at the Dease Lake airport, including the terminal building! I knew the Russian-built 'Sky Crane' was big, which is being used for lifting lumber out of inaccessible mountain areas, but this makes a 'Sky Crane' look like 'a mosquito' by comparison. Dease Lake is in NW British Columbia, west of Fort Nelson and east of Juneau, Alaska.
 |
| Mil-26 lifting a Tupolev Tu-134 airliner ( 27,960 kg )??? |
From the Southwest Ontario Pionairs Spring 2013 newsletter by Mary Ofrenchuk:
 Hope Air is Canada's only nation-wide charity providing free flights to people who cannot afford the cost of an airline ticket to get to specialized medical care outside their home communities.
Since 1986, Hope Air has arranged flights for people of all ages with illnesses, from all across Canada. Hope Air arranges flights on Canada's national and regional airlines as well as private planes. "We may be able to help if... The patient is flying for a confirmed, approved medical appointment, e.g. treatment is being covered by their provincial health plan, and if the patient is unable to afford the airline ticket. Hope Air serves people in financial need: we will follow up with a phone call to obtain household financial details such as Doctor(s) to confirm the patient is medical fit to fly."
When you or someone you know needs to travel to a medical appointment, Hope Air may be able to arrange a flight. Hope Air is proud to provide all flights to eligible clients completely fee of charge. Check out their website at: http://hopeair.org
|
Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips - by Terry Baker
|
|
 Frontier Airlines to charge up to $100 for carry on bags for some passengers; $2 for a soda.
Frontier Airlines plans to start charging up to $100 for a carry-on bag and $2 for coffee or soda, although its announcement on Wednesday did say that passengers will get to keep the whole can. The new carry-on fee is for bags in the overhead bin, so small bags under the seat will still be free. Frontier said it will charge $25 if the fee is paid in advance, $100 if travelers wait to pay until they're at the gate. Frontier spokeswoman Kate O'Malley said the $100 fee is to get travelers to take care of the charge in advance.
Cruising Tips
Here are a few do's and don'ts which may help make your cruise enjoyable:
- DO start your vacation off with a tropical drink in a colorful glass.
- DON'T head straight to the buffet - it's one of the most crowded places onboard on embarkation day.
- DO take photos - lots of them. Get that first "Hooray, I'm on vacation" shot.
- DON'T take the elevator if you don't need to. The lifts are super-slow on embark day.
- DO arrange your spa and salon appointments.
- DON'T spend the day in your winter, workday or travel clothes. Pack a change of clothes in your carry-on so you don't have to wait for your luggage to arrive for you to slip into sandals, shorts or swimsuits.
- DO take a dip in the pool or hot tub. They're often not crowded on the first day.
- DO tour the ship, get your bearings, and identify which bars and eateries you want to hit first.
- DO make specialty dining reservations if you haven't done so online before your trip. Choice dining times can sell out.
- DO book shore tours, and ask the tour desk any questions you might have. Some tours have limited space and sell out, so book early (if you haven't pre-booked).
- DON'T settle for unacceptable dinner seating. The maitre d' is typically available to take questions and make changes, if possible, on embarkation day.
- DO make your last phone calls, texts and tweets while your phone can access land-based cell towers and you're not paying sky-high satellite Internet and roaming fees.
- DON'T assume your cabin is pristine and in working order, if you tend to worry about such things. Test out the TV, the toilet and the lights; check for bed bugs; sanitize anything you need to. Set your mind at ease early. Then go and enjoy your vacation.
- DO unpack your suitcases, and your luggage and get that task out of the way early.
- DO meet your cabin steward and make any requests you have.
- DON'T skip the muster drill.
- DO head up on deck for sailaway. It's festive, with live music and flowing drinks, and it's a fun way to kick off your cruise.
- DO enjoy the experience - again!
|
| Smileys - Compiled by Terry Baker |
As we surf the internet and back issues of airline magazines we regularly find airline related jokes and cartoons. Below is our latest discovery.
|
|
|
 Here we have another cartoon by Dave Mathias which appeared in the "Between Ourselves" magazine issued September 1963.
|
|
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.
|
|
| |
|
