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Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter Since 1995

Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Since 1995

The NetLetter #1255

The NetLetter

For Air Canada Retirees
(Part of the ACFamily Network)

 

May 19, 2013 - Issue 1255
 
First Issue published in October 1995!
(over 5,400 subscribers)
In This Issue
Women in Aviation
TCA/Air Canada People Gallery
Star Alliance News
Reader Submitted...Photos
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

Women in Aviation - Compiled by Terry Baker
The 24th annual Toronto Dreams Take Flight took off the morning of May 8th., 2013. with 170 special children on-board, winging their way to Disney world. The children are from the greater Toronto area as well as from Windsor, Niagara Falls, Collingwood, Georgian Bay area and from the Wikwemikong Unceded First Nations community near Manitoulin Island.

This year's Air Canada Toronto flight was operated with an all female pilot team plus a female Mechanic onboard!

A short history from the "Dreams take flight" web site - Early in 1989, a group of Air Canada employees based at the Toronto airport decided to dedicate some of their time and financial resources to the community.

The original plan, then called "Dream Come True", was to charter a bus and take "under-privileged" children to Canada's Wonderland for the day. The committee decided that this was not ambitious enough and, being employees of the largest airline in Canada, elected to request an aircraft be donated from Air Canada - their dream came true and they were bound for Walt Disney World - the first making of magical moments for 70 special kids on-board a DC-9 aircraft! Vancouver, Calgary & Edmonton followed in their footsteps in 1993 by organizing a similar flight to Disney Land in California.

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.
Issue dated - September 1947
Some items gleaned from the "Between Ourselves" magazines.
Over the past few years, "The Five Year Circle" has become a familiar feature in "Between Ourselves." It has recorded the names of those who completed five years of continuous TCA service. During October, some of the Circle's members will be storing their little blue, white and gold Five-Year pins away in the top drawer instead, their lapels will be sprouting new Ten-Year pins. In succeeding months, there will be an increasing number of veterans completing a decade with TCA. Each will receive one of these pins. It can be worn with pride, for it represents 10 years of service that has helped a young, energetic airline grow, in that short span of time to international stature and recognition.

Reproduced here, is the certificate that goes with each Ten Year pin award. Its
purpose is to express the Airline's appreciation for an individual's loyal and continuous service.

Reproductive limitations prevented the magazine doing full justice to the document, but briefly it is colored thus: the map is tinted pink; letters on the map are blue; "Trans-Canada Air Lines" is in solid red; a gold line trims the map, scroll and the outside blue border; numerals on the border are set in solid red.

The face of the Ten-Year pin appears on the upper left-hand corner. The gold maple leaf rests in a dark red background; "TCA" is blue; the numeral 10 is gold; the wings are gold The first Ten-Year awards took place in October. The initial presentations will be made with ceremony to mark the event.

These 41 men formed this unique and distinctive group: C. M. Adams, D. G. Auld, P. W. Baldwin, M. B. Barclay, R. C. Baudry, J. R. Bulger, W. F. English, W. W. Fowler, R. M. Giguere, A. T. Gilmour, T. W. Hall, W. S. Harvey, E. T. Howe, A. R. Hunt, T. L. Keilor, S. N. Knight, J. D. Leigh, G. B. Lothian, D. R. MacLaren, M. W. MacLeod, F. M. McGregor, J. H. McMasters, A. Rankin, S. Reid, C. L. Rickard, J. L. Rood, G. W. Roper, J. H. Sandgathe, B. M. Saunders, H. W. Seagrim, J. L. Scott, J. M. Smith, S. S. Stevens, A. M. Sutherland, I. E. Thomas,. A. K. Took. C. Van Der Linden, E. P. Wells, R. D. Williamson and F. T. Wood.
(Does anyone have a copy of this document? - eds)

 
Issue dated - November 1947
reps
These are the Traffic Representatives who completed a three weeks training course at Winnipeg. During the course, the 35 Salesmen covered almost every subject in the airline book and listened to lectures from 23 different speakers. Now they are at work putting into effect TCA's intensified sales program.

Back Row: J. E. Struthers, London; J. H. Bowen, Montreal; A. Gauthier, Montreal; J. A. Lyons. New York; A. N. Baker, New York; R. F. Corsiglia, Boston; R. W. Blythe, Detroit; W. R. Rockwell, Boston; M. A. Munks, Seattle; K. G. Horton, Regina.

Centre: R. J. Nicholson, Montreal, C. A. Lampman, Boston; J. G. Brennan, Montreal; D. J. Deguere, Saint Johon, G. J. Churchill, Halifax; A. J. Sutherland, Moncton; J. A. Morgan, Halifax; D. B. Graham, Ottawa; P. J. Williams, Windsor.

Front: G. N. Leather, Chicaqo; K. D. Bradshaw, North Bay; R. N. Watt, Toronto; J. B. Gutzwiller, Cleveland; R. N. Bassett, Toronto; Bryon Johnston, Instructor; W. L. Yold, New York; J. D. Balfour, Lethbridge; S.G. Mooney, Edmonton; R. Kolb, Calgary; J.C. Finlay, Victoria; D.C. Rowan, Port Arthur.

On October 1st, a TCA North Star Skyliner took-off from Montreal on the first scheduled flight to Shannon.

Crewed by J. D. Murphy, Purser-Steward; Bill Ramsay, Navigator; J. A. Wright, Captain; Theresa Mulligan, Stewardess; G. S. Quinn, First Officer and L. S. Burke, Radio Officer.
 

Star Alliance News
Star AllianceUnited Airlines has launched its inaugural year-round, non-stop service between Edmonton International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, just 30 km from Manhattan and a quick train, bus or cab ride away from New York City. The flight operates six times a week on a United Airbus A319 jet.
 
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.  


 

Robert Arnold has delved into his memorabilia collection again and sends us this: I have this vintage Trans-Canada Air Lines December 1957 issued placemat as part of my collection and thought your many readers might be interested in having a look-see. I am sure this will bring back a few memories for some. Any comments on the place mat are always welcome. Have a great day. Regards Robert


Alan's Space - by Alan Rust
Alan's Space
A revised version of David Bowie's Space Oddity, recorded by Commander Chris Hadfield on board the International Space Station.

If Emm Gryner had her way, Chris Hadfield would not have performed Space Oddity in zero-gravity on the International Space Station. The astronaut's collaborator, who helped put together the stunning David Bowie cover, thought the song choice was too obvious. Surprisingly, she wanted something a little more odd.

"I kind of suggested some other more obscure space songs, which he didn't want to go for," the Juno award nominee told CTV's Canada AM on Wednesday. "I didn't know it would get this kind of reception."

As soon as Gryner heard Hadfield's flawless vocals, recorded 370 kilometres above the Earth, all her doubts were put to rest. "It was a beautiful performance," Gryner said. So beautiful, she decided to scrap possible plans to turn it into a duet. "When I heard Chris sing, I thought ... 'I want to hear what it's like for someone to sing in space,'" she said. In just two days, Hadfield's video already has 10 million views on YouTube - (now at nearly 14 million) more than David Bowie's original. But between recording in space, cutting video, and getting permission from artist David Bowie, the magical video almost didn't happen at all.

"I wanted David to know about it, and Chris also wanted his permission, like a true gentleman," Gryner said. "We just wanted him to give the go-ahead and make sure it was OK." With just a month left before Hadfield's return to Earth, she says she sent a desperate email to Ziggy Stardust himself. "I remember writing David an email and the subject line was '30 days left in space,'" Gryner said.

The rock star was very supportive, she said, going so far as to share the song with his followers on Twitter. Gryner thinks listeners have really connected with the song's sincerity and rawness. "It's just great for people to hear something that's real," she said. "Chris sang it so sincerely and it's such a great song."
 
Space Oddity 
Space Oddity
 
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 - November/December 2000
Garnered from the final issue of the "Canadi>n Flyer" magazine -
The magazine was born with issue 1-1 April 1997 until 4-11, a total opf 41 issues, which, thanks to various donations, we at the NetLetter have every copy of and, over the years, we have extracted various articles and photos and published them in the NetLetter.

Here we have a cartoon by Jake Visser which appeared in this last issue.




Members of the Canadian Airlines team at the 2000 World Airline Road Race in Cancun, Mexico take a moment to pose for a team picture in between races. This year's 21-person contingent placed extremely well overall, with Cliff Russell and Joan Stibbard winning races at the annual event.

(What a pity there are no identifications here and where are Cliff and Joan anyway? - eds)


The "Canadi>n Flyer" magazine team

(front row left to right): Sandra Semple, Writer; Andrew Geider, Archivist; Ann Cavanaugh, Writer; Ingrid Schiavetta, Layout & Production; Denise Bennett, Graphic Designer; and Carey Scott, Publications & Design.

Back row: Heidi Anderson, Administrative Assistant; Katherine Aerts, Manager Language Services; Marlene Gaal, Layout & Production; Garry Bridgewater, Editor; Johan Favreau, Senior Translator/Revisor; Lance Goshko, Writer; and Margot Thomson, Coordinator, Language Services.


crew Prime Minister Jean Chretien and his wife Aline brought the Liberal's 2000 campaign in for a pit stop at YVR.

Canadian Airlines Crew & Support Staff for the Liberal Charter take a break for a photo opportunity,

 (left to right) Joe Desouza, Maintenance & Engineering; Claude April, RCMP; Lydia  Scolli, CSD; Captain Paul Tracey; Barbara Tekker-Brzezinski, Flight Attendant; Madame and Prime Minister Chretien; Trevor Devine, Load Master; Linda Lavergne, Head of Customer Service; First Officer Bob Lindsay; Paule Bernier, Flight Attendant; Suzanne Brunelle, Flight Attendant; and Pat Hardick, RCMP.


Under the heading "CPlus staff swap stories and bid farewell": "A great team for 16 wonderful years," is how CDN's Marketing Director, Karl Grist described all who worked for Canadian Plus, as the final team of over 40 gathered for a last group shot.

(Of course, farewell and forgotten!!! No identifications as usual -  anybody? - 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.

Prompted by the article in the NetLetter nr 1248 regarding the incident with DC-9 CF-TLU, Roger Slauenwhite sent us this story:

In the aftermath of this category "A" incident, I was personally involved here in Toronto along with other Air Canada managers to notify the next of kin of the incident. Several passengers were destined for the Toronto area and there were 23 fatalities - not from any impact, but rather from smoke inhalation. Jack Angus, emergency coordinator dispatched myself, Bill Orleek and a Peel Regional Police officer to the home of one of the deceased passengers - it was approximately 03:00 in the morning. After a lady answered the door bell, we were invited in and we proceeded to deliver the information we had received from Cincinnati. Simply stated, her husband would not be coming home at the time she was expecting him from Dallas on American Airlines, not Air Canada. She even took us to the kitchen and showed us a copy of his itinerary she had pinned to the cupboard door. We then proceeded to advise her that investigators in Cincinnati had determined that her husband finished his work early in Dallas and had changed his reservation on to Air Canada in order to return earlier.

The reality of what had happened was now starting to set-in. As representatives of Air Canada relaying this news to next of kin was indeed a stressful task. We also noticed two small hockey helmets on the floor in the front hall which told us perhaps two sleeping children were in the house as well. A few days later, I attended the funeral of this passenger.

With regards to the flight itself, in the ensuing investigation, clearly it was evident that the pilots and back end crew did a fantastic job to minimize the loss of life. The captain and first officer should have been awarded medals for their demonstration of skill and determination to land this aircraft safely.

Can you imagine these two pilots wearing oxygen masks and unable to clearly see the instruments due to dense smoke in the cockpit, and yet, in spite of these circumstances, they set up an approach and subsequently executed a safe touch down - you could not ask for more. 

Roger Slauenwhite
. (E&OE transcribed from hand written information by the NetLetter - eds)    
 

After reading about the DC-9 in "Readers response" in NetLetter nr 1253, Najam Jafri sends us this memory: Hi Terry, talking about DC9. It reminded me my 30 years carrier with AirCanada out which I passed 9 years on these DC9s, the rear pressure bulkhead had twin flight steward seats (if my memory is correct) right at the middle. The pressure bulkhead is a spider web shape structure at the middle was this oval shape emergency door with complex stringers and longerons metal structure usually kept coming to the structure shop with micro cracks. After the Boston/Halifax flight accident, Air Canada maintenance had a campaign to check the whole fleet of DC9 rear pressure bulk heads.

Regards, Najam Jafri



Paul Irvine has sent us this appeal for help:

Greetings, I attended the retirement ceremony in YYZ for the 747 classic in January 2000. I was Captain on 308's flight back from Paris on its last flight, I believe. Now there was an Air Canada photographer taking many pictures on that occasion, including one where many pilots were standing on the wing, if I recall correctly. I have never seen these pictures and wondered if there was any way of resurrecting them. Most of the 747 pilots were on hand as were many upper management pilots from Flight Ops.
Regards,Paul Irvine Captain, retired

We, at the NetLetter, responded: We checked every "Horizons" magazine for the whole year 2000, and there is nothing reported and certainly no photograph. However, we did recall a photo of the B747 "crying" before the Classic's were retired and located it in "Horizons" issue October 1998, but no other photo.

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!

TEENS-N-FLIGHT: HELPING KIDS THROUGH AVIATION
Wounded military veterans -- even those with wounds that aren't visible -- get far less attention than they deserve and their families get even less. Jack Howell, a retired Marine colonel, is actively doing something about that. He's established a non-profit called Teens-N-Flight whose sole goal is to offer cost-free flight training to the children of soldiers killed or wounded in combat. In an interview at Sun 'n Fun last week, Howell told us the country has been slow to recognize that post traumatic stress disorder doesn't affect just the military members themselves, but also the families and especially the children. "I really want to use aviation as a conduit for these kids to help them overcome their PTSD," Howell says. "The wizards in Congress have finally acknowledged that the entire family suffers from PTSD, but there's no funding to do anything. Well, I'm not waiting. I've been doing this five years now," he adds.   

 

Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips - by Terry Baker

Terry BakerAnother made-at-YVR first was unveiled this month of May with the launch of Automated Passport Control, an expedited customs entry process that uses self-service kiosk technology to help clear the U.S. border.

 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection worked closely with the simplified passenger team at the Airport Authority to launch Automated Passport Control.  

U.S. passport-holders will be the first travelers to have access to the new system, and the program will be offered to Canadian passport-holders in the coming weeks. This innovation is expected to reduce wait times and congestion for U.S.-bound passengers, while still meeting high standards for safety and security. Travelers heading to U.S. destinations from YVR will see a new set of self-serve kiosks in place in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection preclearance area. At the kiosk, on-screen instructions prompt a traveler to scan their passport and answer questions about customs declaration using a touch screen. When finished, the kiosk prints a receipt, which the passenger takes to an officer to clear the border.  

 


Some deals from Airline Employee Travel:
Azamara Journey - 7 Nt Eastern Med Cruise sailing from Istnabul to Piraeus (Athens) stopping in Canakkale, Kusadasi, Kos, Rhodes, Santorini and Mykonos on Jun. 3, 2013 - $980/Inside,   $1,190/Ocean-view, $1,190/Dlx Ocean-view with Balcony, $980/3rd & 4th persons  

 

Azamara Journey - 7 Nt Greek Isles and Turkey Cruise sailing round-trip from Piraeus (Athens) stopping in Kusadasi, Kos, Rhodes, Marmaris and Santorini on Jun. 10, 2013 - $980/Inside, $1,190/Ocean-view,     $1,190/Dlx Ocean-view with Balcony, $980/3rd & 4th persons  

 

Azamara Journey - 10 Nt Italian and Monaco Cruise sailing from Civitavecchia (Rome) to Barcelona stopping in Elba, Florence, Porto Venere, Santa Margarita, Portofino and Monte Carlo on Jun. 26, 2013 - $980/Inside, $1,190/Oceanview, $1,470/Dlx Oceanview with Balcony,    $980/3rd & 4th persons  

 

Celebrity Equinox - 12 Nt Med Cruise sailing round-trip from Barcelona stopping in Dubrovnik, Venice, Kotor, Salerno, Civitavecchia, Florence and Villefranche on Jun. 22, 2013 - $909/Inside, $1,399/Oceanview,    $1,199/Oceanview with Balcony, from $499/3rd & 4th persons 


Prinsendam - 30 Nt Balti & Celtic Cruise sailing from Tilbury (London) to Amsterdam stopping in Copenhagen, Warnemunde, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm, Cruising Stockholm Archipelago, Enter Kiel Canal Holtenau, Daylight transit Kiel Canal, Exit Kiel Canal Brunsbuttel, Hamburg then Scenic cruising Elbe River, then stopping in Tilbury, Copenhagen, Warnemunde, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm, Cruising Stockholm Archipelago, Enter Kiel Canal Holtenau, Daylight transit Kiel Canal, Exit Kiel Canal Brunsbuttel, Hamburg, Scenic cruising Elbe River, Tilbury, St Peter Port, Falmouth, Bristol, Dunmore East, Dublin, Greenock, Killybegs, Stornoway, Kirkwall and Rosyth on
Jun. 1, 2013 - $1,499/Inside, $1,699/Oceanview, $5,899/Verandah,       $9,399/Verandah Suite, $14,899/Dlx Verandah Suite, Call/3rd & 4th persons  

 

Pricing is us$, various tax and fees additional. 

 

1-800-766-2911  www.InterlineTravel.com  www.AirlineEmployeeTravel.com  

 

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.

This cartoon appeared in "Between Ourselves" magazine issued February 1955. Titled "A day in the life of a TCA typist" by Frank Freeland. (Has anything changed, apart from the employees title, with the advent of the computer - eds)


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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