In “Alan’s space” your photo of the Lancaster at YUL in 1943, in NetLetter nr 1327, according to my records this particular aircraft, CF-CMZ fin 107 c/n FM186, was delivered to TCA on August 23rd 1945 sold in 1947 to Fight Refuelling in the UK registered as G-AKDR and used on the Berlin Airlift and subsequently scrapped in May 1951.
Alan answered - I got the info from the Air Canada 75th anniversary site in the header, but I was mistaken for the year of the photos as it most likely wasn't referring to the plane in the photo, just TCA's first crossing.
More pieces of history sent in by Betty Draper which is from "The Leader-Post" dated July 1943.
TCA employing scores of women.
Winnipeg - Women radio operators are getting more and more in demand as the war wears on. Trans-Canada Air Lines is the latest concern to fall under the feminine spell. Shortly the air lines will start training 20 girls from all parts of Canada to take over the jobs that men are now holding down.
And this article in the “Leader-Post” dated March 1st, 1963 -
TCA lends three planes to TransAir.
Trans-Canada Air Lines will be loaning three aircraft - 2 DC-3 and a Viscount - to operate the Prairie regional routes in Saskatchewan. No cash payment by TransAir would be involved since it was taking over unprofitable lines for TCA.. TCA will be making other routes available to TransAir.
Office facilities for ticket sales would be offered. Spare parts would be put at the disposal of TransAir and TCA will do the maintenance on the Viscount. When Pacific Western Airlines operated the northern part of the regional service up until the fall of 1962 before the North Battleford link was eliminated the government paid a $25,000 monthly subsidy. This was cut off when TCA took over. The crown air company (TCA) financed the operating loss out of its own funds. Under the new agreement, TCA will continue to help finance the operation through the loan of facilities but no direct cash payment to TransAir is to be made.
In NetLetter nr 1326 we had an article about the first B787, referring as -900,
Norman Hogwood gets the record straight with this comment -
Just a teeny comment about the teeny article on the B787. Boeing are adamant that they be known as the –8,-9, and –10, rather than the –900 as used in that item. I got this from a very good source, the Air NZ B787-9 Technical Captain. I was present when he gave a presentation about the aircraft and commented specifically on this matter.
Regarding the Vulcan crash at LHR.
The brother of a school friend was the Observer on this flight and was killed. Another terrific read.
Always items of immense interest even if the contributors are unknown to me (i.e. most of them). But of course I do know Tony Walsh very well and he has kept me updated with the efforts he and others have made to ensure the memory of the Gimli Glider is never forgotten. Personally, I believe the fact that AC made no effort to do so is unforgiveable. It was surely one of the most historical aircraft incidents and worthy of a special memorial.
Keep up the good work. Cheers. Norm
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Caz Caswell sends these comments - |
 The photo of the Vulcan looks small compared to the Air Canada 727 following it down the taxiway on August 26th 1980. The Vulcan was here for the CNE, & she is still the ‘big delta’ that the Americans loved to call the ‘Aluminum Overcast’. |
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 Max Ward at the dedication of Bristol Freighter CF-TFX in Bristol Park that Neil Burton mentions in the late 1960s. |
 Another of Don Braun with Jean Buck (Wardair Northern Ops) at the handing over ceremony of the first of 2 Dash 7s for Wardair at Downsview in May 1978. |
| Ken Pickford has sent us this information relative to NetLetter nr 1326 - |
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Re Beryl Osborne's memories of the CP 747 from YVR to HNL, referring to it as the "Empress of Honolulu". To the best of my recollection, and after checking several fleet lists, none of CP Air's 4 747-200s were ever named Empress of Honolulu. They all had more than one name over the years. Names were sometimes changed to permit an appropriately-named aircraft operate an inaugural flight etc., but I'm fairly sure (but stand to be corrected) that Honolulu was not among the 747 names. The names I can find for the 4 CP Air 747s were as follows: I only looked at the 747s re the earlier item but recall the DC-8 now. Many aircraft had several names. In their latter couple of years service, the DC-8-63s were named for Canadian provinces since they'd been relegated to mainly domestic service by then. The 6 original DC-8-43s were named for the major transcon cities but were later renamed for slightly more exotic international destinations. |
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Re Wayne Albertson's memories of the AC L-1011 fleet, and reference to FIN 555.
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Finally, just a minor spelling correction re the comments from Jack Miles on the ex-Wardair/Canadian A310s. Regards, Ken |
