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Vesta's Corner
 Why not allow the NetLetter to be your platform and opportunity to relive your history while working for either TCA, AC, CPAir, CAIL, PWA, AirBC etal?
Share your experiences with us! S-(Lee) Schacter sent this article with a comment - (you'd never know it when traveling on a pass .....!!!) Passenger growth hits five-year low: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released international traffic data for June revealing a continued slowing of demand growth for air transport. Passenger demand growth fell to 3.8 per cent, the lowest level since 2003. Passenger load factors dropped to 77.6 per cent, 1.2 percentage points below the 78.8 per cent recorded for June 2007. Although the passenger demand grew by 3.8 per cent, this is the slowest growth that we have seen since the industry was hit by the SARS crisis in 2003. With consumer and business confidence falling and sky-high oil prices, the situation will get a lot worse, says IATA director general and CEO Giovanni Bisignani. Global passenger traffic growth of 3.8 per cent is well below the 5.4 per cent recorded year-to-date. Capacity growth of 5.5 per cent outstripped demand, pushing the passenger load factor down to 77.6 per cent. North American airlines saw demand growth drop to 4.4 per cent (sharply down from the 8.2 per cent growth recorded in May). |
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Air Canada - our first 70 years
1995 - June 19 - Announcement of service between Calgary and Houston effective October 29 with Airbus A320 equipment. - June 19 - Non stop service between Montreal and Washington DC National airport. This is the first non US airline to serve this destination. 1996
 The final flight using this equipment was C-GDVZ fin 910 c/n 278 on October 3rd 2008. |
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TCA/AC People Gallery
Over the past months we have been publishing photographs from earlier "Horizons", should any prompt a memory seeing one of them, feel free to send us that memory.
Andre Tison has sent us these photographs -  Undated TCA DC-3 CF-TDU at Gander. and Super Connie CF-TEY.in flight.  North Star CF-TFF in the late forties, location unknown.Here is another segment of the story from Gordon Gimour Aitchison which we started in NetLetter nr 1037 - ALIAS MR. SMITH The following morning, the crew of the executive jet were out bright and early in plenty of time to meet our flight. On inquiring as to their destination, the pilot said that they would not know that until Mr. Smith arrived and they would therefore plan to file their flight plan from the aircraft by radio. On the same question being put separately to the stewardess, the answer was exactly the same. All she had been told was that she should be prepared to be away for a few days and to pack her bag accordingly. As our own flight approached Prestwick, it called up on Company radio and sought confirmation that an aircraft was waiting to pick up a deplaning passenger named Smith. On being assured in the affirmative. our Captain next asked if we could arrange with Customs and Immigration that Mr Smith and one other be permitted to transfer immediately on arrival from one aircraft to another on the ramp and this was duly cleared with these authorities. Since they were arriving from abroad and immediately proceeding abroad, this was quite legal, if very unusual. (More next NetLetter) Musings from the "Horizons" Issue dated August 1995  Here we have a picture of the Vancouver Dragon Fly team which took part in the festival at the end of June. The Air Canada team battled to third place, including top honours for the exceptional team t-shirts designed for the event.(Sadly, we have no identities - Anyone help? eds) June 16 - With the delivery of its first Airbus A340 aircraft at the Paris Air Show, Air Canada officially became the first North American operator of this aircraft type.  A happy group of A340 lotto winners.  and this picture of the first official crew of fin #982.May 26th - Toronto based In-charge Ruth Kirwan retired after 43 years service.  This picture of her last flight with her co-workers. For his last day at work, Calgary Customer Sales & Service Agent Keith Wallace wore his original TCA uniform. To prove he could get into it, we have this photo. |
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Bytes and Pieces
 About space toilets and "Shooting Stars" - Col. Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency visited the Ontario Science Centre and spoke about some of the very human aspects of space travel. See the video below, it's quite interesting and funny. Just click on the image to view the video or click on this link. |
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Canadi>n/CPAir/PWA, Wardair, etc. Events & People
Leeds Bradford UK airport extended its runway on November 4th 1984 to allow for and long haul carriers to operate into Leeds Bradford airport. The opening event was marked by the arrival of the airport first ever transatlantic flight by Wardair.(Any information on this anyone? - eds) Only 37 of General Dynamic's Convair 990 - Coronado.were built and it is reported that Nordair leased or were thinking of leasing, three of these aircraft. (Anybody have any information out there? - eds) From the "Canadian Flyer" Issue dated July 2000. Jun 30th - Canadian Regional Airlines offered for sale until August 31st July 4th - After a 9 year absence of serving , an inaugural B767 flight commenced from YYZ-YVR-SYD via HNL. Service to Australia was first served in 1949.  The inaugural flight from Sydney was on July 4th and we have this picture.Andrew Geider- Corporate Archivist has this information on the  Lockheed Electra L188 This picture of a PWA Hercules under the banner of "Herc reunion in September" referred to the reunion planned for 2000. Check www.pwareunion.com for more information on PWA employee alumni.Issue dated September 2000 Aug - With no successful bidders within the 60 day period for the Canadian Regional Airlines, the CRA moves into the Air Canada family. Andre Tison has sent us these photos  A PWA B7076 at Manchester UK in 1970  and a Super Guppy of Aero Space Lines on contract with PWACan anyone supply more information - eds) |
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Readers Feedback
 In NetLetter nr 1032 we had pictures of Vancouver Airport during WWII, supposedly - we have this email from Craig Harnett -I enjoy reading your netletter. Thanks for the time you put into it. I'm surprised that, apparently, nobody commented on the pictures in issue 1032 of a camouflaged Boeing factory in Vancouver during World War II. Despite the labels somebody attached to the pictures, I'm pretty sure that's not Vancouver Airport in the early 1940s! Consider these observations of the "before" picture at http://thenetletter.org/images/1032/d10c1d.jpg :
Craig Hartnett Our Alan Rust responded - Thanks for your investigative work! I wondered about that too as I saw similar photos earlier this year, but I was fooled by the labeling as well and didn't double check. I figured they must have camouflaged a lot of plants during the war... See: http://www.eatliver.com/i.php?n=2350&source=rss Seems it was a Lockheed Burbank Plant. I wonder where along the line they were labeled as Vancouver? Alan Rust Les Tulett has sent us this memory - It was in 1954 when as a passenger agent in YYZ,737 Church Street the new Viscount went into service and as telephone agents we were deluged with calls from customers who wanted to go on the Vikki. Of course we could only manage a few. One person I remember was desperate and would not take unable as an answer. Then he started shouting over the phone that his doctor had ordered him when flying to YUL that he must take a Viscount for the sake of his health and he was ordering me to put him on one (all full) in the end I had to transfer him to a supervisor and do not know what happened after that. They were wonderful customer service planes. two abreast seating, good legroom and big windows in line with the seating (40 seats). Les Tulett Viv Rivers has sent us these photos -  A photograph of an early CPAL building. and a picture of the Bristol Britannia.(Can anyone supply the location and dates? - eds)  Following on the recent articles of information supplied by Don Palmer regarding Maritime Central Airways we came across this photo of a DC-6 originally owned by MCA and registered as CF-MCK and is now with Air Atlantique of the UK.It was sold by MCA to Eagle Airways of the UK in January 1959 and, to celebrate its 50th anniversary, the present owner has repainted the machine in British Eagle colours. Prompted by the Pan Am video article in "Bytes and Pieces" by Alan in NetLetter nr 1036, Ron Lingwood sends us this memory - Ahh the nostalgia of it all. I flew jet for the first time in 1963 in a B737 BOAC en route from LHR to Australia. Although the flight was long 26 hours(a few delays) the flight was comfortable and the flight attendants tolerated the children (including my 4 year old son) playing in the aisles to relieve the boredom. The Pan Am film must have been made in first class, although I have only on a few occasions found bad in flight service. Maybe we never complained because we were "cons" and so did as we were told!! But and the big BUTT that cigarette being lit by the F/A, who wants to go back to that Yuck!! And no seat belts on, a bit of exaggeration regarding no noise or vibration, still compared to the old pistons I guess they were correct. In all the time that has passed some things never change, the airspeed and cruising altitude quoted, about the same as today. Keep up the good work Alan, you are appreciated. Ron Alan responded - Thanks for the comments and kind words. Regarding smoking, I had a shock a few years ago when I visited China for the first time and the trains were full of smoke and butts everywhere. Butt (sic) we managed <VBG> and Ron came back with this correction and further comment - Reviewing my letter I see that I made the mistake of referring to the aircraft I flew to Australia in as a B737 it was of course a B707. Yes I was quite surprised that the Chinese government has made great attempts to ban smoking in China, I guess half a million smoking related deaths a year really have an effect!! I have to remember also that the first airline to actually ban smoking was I believe Singapore Airlines this was while AC and CP were quibbling over the time frame and managed to get a year suspension of the government act. Ron |
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This and That
 After zipping across the oceans, the poor Concorde, G-BOAD "Alpha Delta" has been spending its days tethered to a barge on New York's West side loaned by BA to Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.But, due to renovations, the Concorde was moved to Brooklyn's Floyd Bennet Field, which was where it had its nose sheared off by a passing truck. It is reported that Air Canada calls its Embraer 175's and E190's "game changers", and claims they are 20% cheaper to operate than its Airbus on a per trip basis. (If the Embraer replaces an A319 suffering a mechanical delay for some reason - should the passengers be looking for a 20% refund of their ticket purchase? - Nooo! - eds) |
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Terry's Travel Tips
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Smilies
 Rules are rules, and stupidity is stupidity.A recent female passenger at Kelowna International Airport in B.C. was stopped at security and made to remove her "weapon", a 2 inch pistol-shaped pendant dangling from a chain around her neck. She was told that replica firearms are banned from aircraft and that she was obliged to place her jewelry in her checked luggage. Later, the security company (CATSA) wrote the passenger, a student, an apology. If you are a gourmet, then you may fancy a flight on SpiceJet - all their fleet of B737's are named after different spices. |