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Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter Since 1995

Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Since 1995

The NetLetter #1286

The NetLetter

For Air Canada Retirees
(Part of the ACFamily Network)

 

December 24, 2013 - Issue 1286
 
First Issue published in October 1995!
(over 5,400 subscribers)
In This Issue
Star Alliance News
Air Canada News
Reader Submitted...Photos
TCA/Air Canada People Gallery
Alan's Space
Canadi>n/CP Air/PWA, Wardair, etc
Reader's Feedback
Terry's Trivia
Smileys
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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!

Merry Christmas! Wishing all of our loyal readers the Best Christmas ever!

From your NetLetter Team,

Terry Baker, Alan Rust, Bill Rowsell and Lisa Ruck

Star Alliance News
Star AllianceAir India which is set to recommence talks with Star Alliance for membership, hopes to join the Alliance as soon as possible.
Air Canada News
Air CanadaPlans July 1 to begin daily Toronto-Tokyo Haneda (787) (source SpeedNews Dec 13/13)
 
An agreement that includes commitments, options and rights to purchase up to 109 Boeing 737 MAXs.
 
Lufthansa Technik (LHT) will provide total component support (TCS) for Air Canada's Boeing 787s for 12 years.
 
ROCKWELL COLLINS has contracted to provide its Dispatch 100 avionics service/asset management program for 37 787s for delivery starting 2014; deal includes guaranteed spares availability, configuration updates, repairs and performance monitoring. (source SpeedNews Dec 6/13)

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.  


 

Allan Gray sends this comment - This photo I came across from Don Hunters (TCA) photos from Winnipeg.

It is a Junker Ju52/1m CF ARM 1931 and the smaller one CF ASN I believe is a Junker Ju 46 1926. Made in Germany. The Ju52 was once the largest aircraft in Canada, known as the flying boxcar. Also, it was the 1st all metal aircraft with corrugated duraluminum skin.
Allan Gray

 


The NetLetter took the following information from "Canadian Pacific Air Lines, Its History & Aircraft"

 

  • CF-ARM was a Junkers Ju-52/cao built in 1931 and received by Canadian Airways in 1942 c/n 4006 wfu in 1943 considered to be re-engined with RR Merlin, but scrapped May 16th, 1947.
  • CF-ASN was a Junkers W-34fi built 1933 c/n 2718 received by Canadian Airways 1942 and sold to Central BC Airways, Prince George, BC on September 4th 1946.
 
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.

1955 - Here we have the TCA Vickers Viscount CF-TGV fin 614 which did a fly-by at the Farnborough International Air Show in 1955.

1978
- fall - Four DC-8L aircraft received new interiors for service on RapidAir (216 seats) and charters (222 seats).

Issue dated - June 1949
Some items gleaned from the "Between Ourselves" magazines.

With the title "Merlins over Munich"
EARLY this year in 1949,  there were Merlins over Munich again. But they were on an assignment very different from the one that motivated their predecessors on wartime bombing missions. This time, the Merlins were powering North Stars on a peaceful mission to much bombed Munich to pick-up 1,200 displaced persons and their children, and carry them back to Canada.

One of the most interesting charter movements TCA had undertaken, it began early in January, 1949 and finished on March 31, 1949 when the last of the group of D.P's., largely dependents and relations of established Canadian immigrants, were delivered to their new homes on this side of the Atlantic. The Prestwick to Munich and return portion of the charter flights was flown by one crew, Captain S. R. Found, First Officer J. Wild, Navigating Officer W. Dallin (later replaced by J. Harding), Radio Officer F. Dixon and Purser Steward F. Davyd. Based at Prestwick, they took every flight with the exception of three flown by Captains Rood, Smith and Lothian.

The operation was conducted with remarkable regularity, often aircraft were on the ground at Munich only a scant 25 minutes for loading. The North Stars flew high to avoid the Berlin air-lift traffic, their passage interrupted only by periodic radio contacts with control regions for enroute clearance. Although the continental airways control system is similar in many respects to our own, to Canadian ears, the multitude of different languages over the airwaves sounded like the Tower of Babel. Bavaria, the crew members thought, resembled our western foothills in appearance.

In front of Hitler's Peace Monument in Munich are TCA'ers Frank Deyyd, Fred Dixon, John Wild, Mack Coverhill and Jack Harding.





Issue dated - June 1978
Some items gleaned from the "Horizon" magazines.
At the time, the biggest ACRA System Bowling Tournament since its inception was held in Winnipeg during the summer with Vancouver rolling off with the championship trophy in 10 pins.

These eleven stations,  from Los Angeles, Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Québec City, Moncton, Saint John, Halifax and London, England, were represented and approximately 150 employees and spouses attended the banquet and awarding of trophies and prizes.

Winners were the "Leftovers" of Vancouver. These are the two photos which accompanied the article.

Victorious Vancouver from the left: Jack Dong, Kathy Newman, Georgia and Armand Poirier.  Presenting the trophy was Harold Milhoff.   

Dorothy Buss, President of the Winnipeg ACRA who presented the trophies, at the right, with the singles winners from the left who are Barbara Barker, Sharon Ross, Jack Dong and Dominic Giannoble.




Toronto Visits Paris
Toronto Passenger Agent Francoise Stickland launched her own "Bringing us all together" programme when she invited eight of her colleagues to visit her former work location in the Paris Sales Office.

Standing, from the left are: Toronto Passenger Agents Jeff Vance and Daphne Leckey; Yves Vallee, Customer Relations Representative; Paris and Toronto agents Jentie McKenzie, Ray Dennis, Francoise Stickland, Kathy Box, Nancy Bronetto and Connie Broslaw.

Seated, from the left are: Agents Barbara Lenson, Toronto and Michele Guenault and Josette Decottignies, Paris.

Alan's Space - by Alan Rust
Alan's SpaceWishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Here's what I want for Christmas...
(along with Peace on Earth, etc).

Jack Morath has sent us this information -
Hobbyists Fly An Enormous Jet-Powered RC Airbus A380 in Singapore Airlines livery.



Orig.RCHeliJet??? Ferngesteuert Gigantic A-380 Singapore Airlines Peter Michel Hausen a.A 2013 
Gigantic A-380 Singapore Airlines 
 
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 - June 1990
Items from the "Info:Cargo" magazine -
Captain's log: Stardate 17th May 1990
Much like his television counterpart, Tom Kirk headed a professional team of specialists ' at Cargo Control.

Like the Starship crew, these dedicated individuals, were on the job 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days year. They were a surprisingly small group considering the hours of operation and the estimated 400 phone calls, teletype and queued messages they handled on a daily basis. (We note that they got one day off every leap year - eds) In this photo, from the left are Daniel Herrera, Tom Kirk, Joanne Veinott and Peter Hattersley.

Issue dated - August 1990

The cargo terminal at YXD handled primarily Canadian Air Cargo express materials and Time Air small package shipments.

Some YXD Cargo Agents staff from the left: Scott Wilton, Norm Sohm, Trudy Sperling, Lead Cargo Agent: Jim Phelan, Kim Dunn, Ron Eggan.


More YXD Cargo Agents Staff pictured from left: Dick Moreau, Karen Stuart, Leslie Plummer, Jean Baxter, Bob Drummond. Missing from the photo: Glen Anderson, Brad Wynn.


These four Supervisors of the Cargo Telephone Sales and Service Centres were on board and in training. They geared up during the fall of 1990.

In this photo are from the left: Murray Olson, Calgary; Hope-Ann Weidman, Vancouver; Gloria Safolio, Montreal; Debbie Falconi, Toronto.

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.
Graham Edwards sends thanks for that article on the Viscounts (Central African Airways~Air Rhodesia~Air Zimbabwe) by Alan Evans in NetLetter nr 1283. Having worked for CAA, it was a great 'trip' down memory lane. Nice work! Graham Edwards
 


After reading NetLetter nr 1281, Hildegard Sachs sends these comments - After being back on line (we had very strong winds coming up from Illinois).. the very interesting letter arrived.. lots of nostalgia. Maybe it should be still be mentioned that this was a group of specialists, working in the "White Room", part of the Instrument shop. It could only be entered through a vacuum tunnel in order to be almost dust free to work on the very sensitive instruments, no pencils allowed either... therefore the nickname "Dr.Casey's" (TV show).

Because of the overalls and galoshes, I can imaging the "joy" at your workplace when you got the flood from the Cafeteria, good thing I was not there (anymore).  In the 70's... at the Duty free transit shop, from where we greeted - with Pierre Elliot Trudeau standing on a box, because of all our tall players,"Team Canada" coming home from Moscow after Paul Henderson's goal... those were the days.
Merry Christmas from Hildegard Sachs



Graeme Shelford shares this memory - The link in Netletter 1283 to Alan Evans submission on Air Rhodesia's Viscounts reminded me of flying to and from boarding school in Rhodesia from Nyasaland (Malawi) by Central African Airways, Air Rhodesia's predecessor. In about 1951 my father wrote a letter describing how he had been invited on a demonstration flight by Vickers for CAA. He bubbled over with enthusiasm for this fantastic new aeroplane, with tremendous visibility from the big windows; how smooth it was, and so quiet you could talk across the aisle without shouting. But he said that the local CAA representatives told him it cost 250,000 pounds, more than CAA's fleet of 12 Vikings put together, so they wouldn't be buying it! CAA took delivery of the first one in 1956. How much more rapidly things move than we can envision! Graeme Shelford

 
Warwick Beadle, referring to NetLetter nr 1280, sends this comment - Interesting re 3 on the ground at the same time. Below is a news link at a welcoming function at which EK management were present and where the statement was made. There is video of the speech in which those words were spoken.
They meant 3 EK A380s not more than 3 made up of multiple airlines.
Cheers, Warwick Beadle (CP & AC)



The continuation of the EXPO86 road race started in NetLetter nr 1285 -

Early Saturday morning the Expo site was deserted except for around the Air Canada pavilion where runners went through their pre-flight bending and stretching. Before getting underway, Hal Cameron, Commissioner of the Air Canada Pavilion, wished everyone a safe journey and introduced Roger Linder, Executive Vice President and Chief of Passenger Operations, who gave a short speech, then snipped the ribbon and the runners were off towards the YVR airport with camera-toting Terry Denny always close by. Passing cars honked as passengers cheered the runners along and Donnella Robertson, a retired Customer Relations Supervisor, came out to lend some moral support. Many of the runners were first-time flyers and since March had been following a fitness program designed by Don MacKenzie. The months of preparation paid off for Carolyn Bell of London, England who maintained a steady pace and stayed at the front of the "fleet". Others like Bill Johnson of Los Angeles, were well seasoned runners.

The "fleet's" models were of various vintages.

At 21 years, Gilliam Sinclair of Ottawa was the youngest, while Wilson Quigley of Winnipeg was in tip top form at 61. The "flight" headed south, maintaining close to perfect schedule. Runners who needed a rest or refueling with juice and muffins, a support van was close by, driven by the able runway crew: Ron White, Rita Morgan, Jason Sane, Duncan Bamforth, Louise Garneau, Jean Hogan, Bruce Jupp and Monica Kaufman. Back at the Vancouver Maintenance Base the flight dispatchers in the operations centre maintained telephone contact with the van's drivers and plotted the "fleet's" position on a map. Providing the 24-hour back up support were: Pauline Noel, Marilyn Murphy, Mary Baxter, Sandra Manning, Jacques Pare and Barry Blouin. At 0755, five minutes ahead of schedule, the runners touched down at the Boeing plant in Paine Field. An enormous "Welcome Air Canada" banner heralded their arrival. Ed Green, Air Canada's Manager in Seattle, came out to meet the "flight." (Being continued in NetLetter nr 1287 - eds)

Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips - by Terry Baker

Terry Baker

Effective as of January 1, 2014, FedEx will no longer be offering the discount currently extended to Air Canada employees and retirees.

 

Okanagan Grand Hotel - Kelowna 2 Private Bedroom Unit Available

 

Sunday January 26, 2014 - Sunday February 02, 2014
The Delta Grand Okanagan Resort provides many amenities, including a spa, fitness complex, casino, restaurants, and an indoor/outdoor swimming pool. This suite comes with a complete kitchen, 2 private bedrooms (can accommodate six) and is located next to Okanagan Lake. The resort is located in downtown Kelowna's prestigious cultural district, which has many fine dining facilities, boutique shopping, art galleries, and movie theaters. Just a short drive away, you can enjoy activities such as skiing. The area has over 20 fine estate wineries. Interested? This week can be yours for just $800.00 inclusive of all taxes. Contact Chris or Trish Arbique.  Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Secret behind wacky Canada airport codes.
When it comes to navigating Canadian airports, do you scratch your head and ask Y?

 

Unlike most airport codes that actually make sense - JFK (JFK), Boston (BOS), Miami (MIA), Sydney (SYD) Madrid (MAD) and Singapore (SIN) - Canadian airport codes begin with a Y. And just when you figure there's a pattern - YOW for Ottawa, YVR for Vancouver along comes Montreal (YUL), Edmonton (YEG) and Saskatoon (YXU). Not to mention the four U.S. airports that begin with their own Y, - tasty Yuma (YUM) for example and the anomalies that begin with a Z (ZBF for Bathurst, New Brunswick). Considering there are around 7,000 planes flying above North American skies each day, one would think there's a well-planned and logical explanation for all this. One would be wrong.

 

Every airport in the world has a 3-letter code that is maintained by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). There's also the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which uses 4-letter codes, tagging a C at the front of all Canadian airport codes, and a K for U.S. Airports. JFK becomes KJFK, YWG becomes CYWG, and KMART becomes a place you can still do your shopping. Airport codes evolved rather haphazardly as flying took off (ahem) in the 1930s. Flat fields with strong winds evolved into transportation hubs, places of work, and growing shopping malls. North America's first airports typically had just two letter codes, usually based on the weather station or radio transmitter where the strip was located. Aviation officials came up with the 3-letter code, figuring it unlikely that 17,576 airports would dot the world (the number of combinations allowed with 3 letters.) Airport codes were determined by weather stations, radio transmitters, cities, or in some cases, the name of the original fields in which they were located (for example Chicago's O'Hare Airport code is ORD, for Orchard Field).

 

Chicago's ORD airport code is strange enough to Canada's case to bring us back to the Y. Why the Y? Airport codes expanded into radio codes, and radio codes ultimately looped around, broke the internet and become airport codes again. Why isn't Toronto called YTO? Actually it is. YTO is the airline code for the entire region, with YTZ for Billy Bishop Airport, and YYZ the original radio transmitter code for a village called Malton, which is where Toronto Pearson International Airport is located today. Since Canada locked up the Y for its radio transmitters, it also locked up the Y for its airport codes. Tied into this somehow are radio stations. Did you know that all U.S. stations start with either a K or a W, depending on which side of the Mississippi they are? Remember WKRP in Cincinnati (the TV show)?  

 

To offer a glimmer of hope, the International Air Transport Association assured us that "any new applying airport in Canada can suggest to be assigned any available code, they are not forced or even recommended to select a code with the letter Y." So let's try and keep it logical from now, okay?

 

Regardless of this long-winded, acronym-laden, and perhaps highly confusing explanation, Canadian airports should be appreciated by Queen and country. Why? Well Y NOT? (source YVR newsletter) (to be continued in NetLetter nr 1287 - eds)

 

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.

Jack Stephens thought this cartoon appropiate at this time of year. Sent to him by his friend Mike Feeney.

 

 

 

 

 


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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