The NetLetter
For Air Canada Retirees
(Part of the ACFamily Network)
July 15, 2013 - Issue 1263
|
|
| |
|
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
|
| Our First 75 years - Compiled by Terry Baker |
 AIR CANADA ROUGE launched service to Europe and Caribbean out of Toronto and Montreal using two A319's and one 767-300ER (both ex-Air Canada). AVIANOR, Canada modified interiors to rouge specs as part of overall deal that includes up to 23 more A319's.(source Speed News Jul 5/13)
Air Canada rouge inaugurated Edinburgh-Toronto non-stop service July 3rd., 2013.
|
| Star Alliance News |
 United Airlines employees debut new uniforms worldwide; Flight attendants, customer service agents among those wearing new uniforms. Tens of thousands of United Airlines employees worldwide - including flight attendants, customer service agents, technical operations and ramp workers - begin wearing newly designed uniforms recently.
LOT Polish Airlines will become an all Boeing 787 long-haul operator in August, after replacing its 767 workhorses that have served the airline for years. |
| Reader Submitted Photos - Compiled by Terry Baker |
|
 Reader Submitted Photos - The photos and information below have been submitted to us by our faithful readers.
|
 John Roger has sent us this photo from Sam Gatelaro's collection: At our coffee group on July 2nd., the consensus was it was an Air Canada senior management training course about the late 70's early 80's. We got all but three I/D'd.
From L to R back row. ?, Don Willey, Laurie Simeson, Al Lunen, Slim Munson. Front row L to R Jim Barable, Doug Bruce, ?, ?. (Anyone fill in the gaps here? - eds)
|
 Paul Tyrkus mentioned that a bunch from CP Air and some from PW get together the first Wednesday of the month at the Boundary Bay Airport for a breakfast/gab session.
Well, on July 3rd, we had the biggest group ever with 33 attending. This group varied from the oldest, who started in 1942 to the youngest which just retired two years ago. I was able to take a photo with my Samsung III with which I'm still learning. I think most of them belong to the Pionairs.
Above is the photo Paul took, and the names of the attendees with our ever so hard working waitress Toni busily pouring coffee. Tim Pepper, Walter Garrett, George Stoneystreet, Hugh Gavett, Ken Cook, Archie Stutt, Bud Smith, Brian Jarvis, Dave DeClue, Dave Callihoo, George Lewis, Peter Zuloff, Lou Grahn, Mrs. Zuloff, Bruce DeCrewe, Dennis Skappak, Keith Hamilton, Don Strohmaier, Gordon Jacques, Sheila Read, Marv Skelton, Ron Shackelly, Bruce Midlane, Paul Tyrkus, Tom Edwards, Ralph Nevers, Rudi Tietzmann, Joan Smith, Dave Bastien, Arley Anderson, Uli Urfer, Hugo Buetner. (Not sure about the order, but you may be able to figure out who is who - eds.)
|
|
|
| |
| 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.
Historical highlights.
1977 - September - Air Canada approved the title of Air Canada Pionairs.
1978 - Jan 6th - Night Hawk flights between Montreal, Toronto and Nassau introduced.
|
|
Issue dated - March 1948
Some items gleaned from the "Between Ourselves" magazines.
|
 Here we have a photo of Margaret Taggart, who worked in the city office in Winnipeg as a passenger agent, wearing the new uniform of the day.
|
 THE OLD VERSUS THE NEW "LOOK"
Some of Toronto's personnel display the old and the new in styles for the cameras of New Liberty magazine. Left to right: Lorraine Oke, Margaret Walker, Frances Lidstone, Evelyn White, Betty McVey, Margaret Desroches, Joan Vandett, Shirley Dixon and Wanda Pryde.
|
 TCA Employees Flying Club took delivery of their second aircraft which was donated by Hank Zoeller and Charlie Arstad a Fleet Canuck CF-EBI, now company for their first aircraft CF-DMQ. Elected officers for 1948 were President Walt Bailey, V.P. Ed Epping, 2nd V.P. Carl Millard, Secretary/ Treasurer Gwynneth McGowan.
This was the control tower at Prestwick Airport Scotland in 1948.
|
 Good looking attire such as this displayed by Bert Shenton, Passenger Agent at Winnipeg', was the standard dress during duty hours for the men of TCA who are Station Managers, Station Controllers, Passenger Agent or Agents-in-charge. Note the advertising poster.
|
|
Issue dated - September 1977
Some items gleaned from the "Horizon" magazines.
|
 The satisfaction of playing hostess to bus loads of passengers between Toronto, Buffalo, Detroit and Niagara Falls. N.Y. is reflected in the smiles of Toronto Airport Passenger Agents Carol Thon (left) and Christine Biberstelner. Favorable comments from passengers rewarded company efforts to operate limited flights between U.S. points during that recent air traffic control crisis.
|
One of the company's first DC-8 jets CF-TJB, fin # 802 c/n 45443 was sold in June 1977 to RAMCO, an American firm specializing in the sale of aircraft parts. Transvalair, a Swiss company, was the low bidder to do the dismantling work and 802's last flight ended in Sion, a small airport in Switzerland.
If an aircraft had feelings, they would probably be just as Captain Gord Jones described them in his account of the jet's years in company service and its last flight that were published in the "Horizons" magazine.
Crew members on the last flight were Captain Gord Jones, First Officer Herb Russell, Second Officer Tim Mulcan and Navigator Bill Freeman. We have these photos of the last day for CF-TJB. The authorities in Sion, requested a low-level fly past for the benefit of the locals who had not seen a jet aircraft before. The aircraft was broken up in December 1977.
  |
| Alan's Space - by Alan Rust |
|
|
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. |
 Vic Rivers has sent us a drawing that he uncovered while cleaning out his attic: It was done by CP Air Properties and Facilities (Odd Bell) in January 1980 as part of a study to build what was called CP Air Hangar "B" in Toronto.
The project hinged on obtaining the land required from MOT but was at the time optioned to Air Canada. A deal was made that gave a 28 foot strip along the side of CP's Hangar "A" belonging to CP to Air Canada that allowed the Air Canada L-1011 hangar to be built wide enough for the L-1011 in exchange for allowing MOT to give the required optioned land to CP for Hangar "B".
I was Project Manager for Hangar "B". Hangar "C" shown dotted next to the brace bay was never built.
Vic Rivers
|
| 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. Referring to the list of defunct Canadian airlines in NetLetter nr 1262, Stephen Elmy adds these, North Cariboo Air and Air Nunavut. Danny Bereza sent us this message of two defunct Canadian airlines for the list Re: Defunct Airlines - I can add Mackenzie Air (Edmonton) and Great Northern Airways (Calgary). I flew for both airlines. Regarding the list of defunct Canadian airlines, Lloyd Glibbery tells us it looks like we missed Gateway Aviation (DC 3 operation YEV, YVQ, YXD etc.) and International Jet Air Lockheed L188's Electra's.
Ken Pickford sends this comment - Just one thing spotted in #1261. The year in the caption printed on the photo of the first Pacific Western B767 should read 1982, not 1984. It's correct in the accompanying text. Regards, Ken
Murray Wadden spotted himself in the photo of the ACRA at YOW printed in NetLetter nr 1261 - here is his comments: Spent 10 years in YOW, where my children grew up; having all been born in Cape Breton. We all loved YOW and time nor space will allow me to share our many Happy Memories! From the photo, I regret to advise that I have become a 5' 11'', 240 pounder; having had 4 knee operations; cancer treatments which I am told leaves me 'cancer free'; and I BELIEVE! TCA/AC was a JOB: as I thought! However the people I met and the VARIED work experiences changed "my attitude''... the KINDNESS afforded my CHILDREN as we traveled as a family of 8 and as individuals as they traveled alone on "a PASS"... as a CAPER would say: "thanks Ma BYE!"
Continuing the comments sent in by Dave Welham which we started in NetLetter nr 1259 - we refer to this article in NetLetter nr 1194 issued February 7th 2012, - In NetLetter nr 1192, Judy McKay-Roncetti and in NetLetter nr 1187, Allen Knapp responded to the original article in NetLetter nr 1185 regarding the Reservations system and now Ken Eibbit sends this memory of life in the office at 737 Church Street: As Judy mentioned the wind would blow all the markers off the VSIB board but when you opened the windows it would also suck all the exhaust fumes from the Austin Motors garage directly below us, so we had a choice to either suffer with the heat or suffocate. Dave recalls: Talk about fumes in the Austin Building! Try working in a very small station where 4 out of 5 agents smoked. At YQH we had ops, accounting, cargo, and res all in one small office. In winter it was too cold to open the window and in summer it remained closed because of mosquitoes. No "health and safety committee" in those days. A real fumigation chamber! |
 Danny Bereza sent us a picture and this message - me on my first flight in 1940 when I was 2 years old. The plane is a Fairchild 82, registration CF-AXJ.
Unfortunately it crashed five months later. My mother told me that we flew from Whitehorse to Dawson City in it. Danny Bereza
|
 George Brien thought he would add a "twin" first rides on an airplane Early Nov. 1952, my twin brother and I had just finished Radio School in YSJ and were offered jobs in Aviation Radio, with Transport Canada at Dorval.
YUL, at that time was the busiest airport in Canada so it didn't take long to accept. We booked seats on TCA flight 21 a few days later for the 2 hour 35 mins flight. Arriving at YUL, the first sight was the original terminal as seen in this photograph. We would be working on the second floor, handling communications for North East Airlines/Colonial/CPA etc., but not TCA, who had their own Radio Operators. When my brother and I retired from AC, we had over 70 years combined service.
|
Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips - by Terry Baker
|
|
 In transit Tax Refunds
Employees/retirees may apply for a tax transit refund after travel is complete with the following provisions.
An international connection is made from one country to another country through a transit city in an additional country within permissible tax exemption rules as specified by the transited country.
Example: A trip from Germany to Canada with a transit within 24 hours through Great Britain. Not all countries allow for transit exemptions - contact the Employee Travel team for clarification. Check the policies in the ETS web site for full details. Also check the forum on the ACFamily web site.
|
| 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.
|
|
|
 Our cartoon is from "Between Ourselves" magazine issued May 1955 by Dave Mathias.
|
|
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.
|
|
| |
|
