Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Capt. Lynn Barton was the pilot of the first aircraft to arrive at Heathrow's Terminal 5 when it opened for business on March 27th. Lynn, who previously earned her place in British Airways history as their first women pilot was in charge of BA025 from Hong Kong. Lynn became the carrier's first female pilot in 1987 on joining the B747 fleet.. There are now 175 female pilots among its 3,200 pilots.

This weeks postcard from my collection - FIESTA EN ESPANA.
Madrid, Spain 1984

We have received several pictures of aircraft from our readers - here's one of the North Star -










and a photograph of our first Viscount at the Vickers plant in Weybridge U.K.











The last RB211 engine overhauled by Air Canada, bringing to an end  a long relationship with Rolls Royce which dates back to 1943 when our Lancaster's were equipped with Merlin engines.

1992 - Oct 25th - Launch of a strategic alliance with United Airlines.

1993

• March - A B747 and a 30 member team of pilots, in-flight personnel and Maintenance personnel left YYZ for an assignment with Garuda Indonesia to transport Muslim pilgrims between Medan, Indonesia and Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
• Apr 3rd - Marks to beginning of a strategic alliance with Air France.
• May 1st - First class service offered between YYZ - YVR.
• May 3rd - New non-stop service YYZ - HOU inaugurated.
  - New alliance with Continental Airlines.
• Jul - Scotland celebrates 50 years service with Canada by TCA/Air Canada.
  We have this photograph.

• Oct 16th - First ever "Dreams Take Flight" by YVR. Utilizing a B767 equipment "Dreams Take Flight" was started by a YYZ  in 1989.
• Oct 31st - Daily YWG - ORD daily service reintroduced.

1990 - Dec - Service YVR-TPE-HKG DC-10 launched.

1992 Direct service YVR-TPE with DC-10 equipment, replaced by B747 in 1998.

Here is a picture of the Canadi>n staff in Taiwan.







Musings from the "Canadia>n Flyer"
Issue dated July 1998 -
Going to the Great Wall of China. A group of Canadia>n employees paid a visit, here is their picture.

The whole staff at Sao Paulo celebrates their supervisors birthday.
Unfortunately, there is no identification of the staff.












From the issue dated August 1998, we relate the story of "The Arctic Fox", as written by Andrew Geider - corporate archivist -

Northern exploits made MacInnis famous.
Jerry Maclnnis was born on June 2, 1914, in Amherst, N.S. When he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941 he was chosen for observer training, but a year later he was commissioned as a Pilot Officer. His first posting was to 117 Squadron on the East Coast on anti-submarine duties. Holding both an observer's and pilot's wings, he flew Cansos over the North Atlantic. In July 1944, Maclnnis was made Flight Lieutenant and was seconded to British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) as an Instrument Flight Instructor. BOAC was then operating Liberators across the Atlantic. Maclnnis instructed the British Crews until 1950 when he returned to Canada.
He joined Maritime Central Airways (MCA) in 1951 to fly their war-surplus DC3s.

With his experience on British and American multi-engine aircraft and his navigational skills, Maclnnis was chosen to land the site construction parties that would build the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line radar chain. When MCA got the contract in 1955,
it was to provide transport for 17 of the larger radar stations. Flying out of Mont Joli, Que., Maclnnis used MCA s DC3s to take advance parties to all 17 locations. Equipped with skis as well as wheels, his strategy was to fly the DC3 low over the barren terrain to the
coordinates given. Then he would circle until the engineers decided whether or not to establish a camp there. Maclnnis and his DC3 became well known for shuttling between the railhead and the sites in the worst weather, carrying survey teams and their equipment.
He looked for safe landing places,fresh water sources, gravel for the runways- anything that would tacilitate construction for another DEW radar base.
The initial landing was especially dangerous for Maclnnis, for he had
not known how deep or compact the snow was. That Maclnnis would be given the nickname "The Arctic Fox" by the engineers he flew is a testament to his exceptional skill.
Establishing a base camp meant Maclnnis would drop off three men on the initial trip with as much food and fuel as the aircraft would carry, returning later with more supplies.
As there were no radios, the rnen left behind knew that their lives depended on Maclnnis finding them again and being able to land once more.
The stories of Maclnnis' exploits among the construction crews grew with every month.
Once when co-operating with a party of engineers looking for a landing site, he heard one remark: "I wish I knew the precise height of that peak." At that moment, Maclnnis dived onto the site, roared across the terrain and pointing to the altimeter said:
"Take 50 feet off that!"
The DEW Line completed, Maclnnis was transferred to Montreal as MCA began to expand into transatlantic charter flights In 1959, he became Senior Air Carrier Inspector for the Department of Transport and in 1974 was promoted to Chief of Flight Operations in Ottawa. In l973 he was inducted into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame.
Maclnnis passed away in 1991.

(This picture commentary states "DC3", but it looks like a DC4 to us - eds)