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Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter Since 1995

Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Since 1995

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |\^/| _| TCA |_ _|\| AIR |/|_ N E T L E T T E R > CANADA < B E T W E E N O U R S E L V E S >_./|\._< for P I O N A I R S | Your crew is: Chief Pilot - Vesta Stevenson Chief Navigator - Terry Baker tm number 65 date June 10th 1996 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ . Found on the Internet New start-up Greyhound Airlines commence operations Jul 8th using a fleet of (6) B727. Emirates Airlines are the first Mid East carrier to take delivery of the B777. The next derivative Boeing B737 is the 700 series due December 96. The Boeing stretch B747-400 will accomodate 500 passengers. An estimated 70% of the ValuJet DC9 flight 592 has been recovered. ~-=o0o=-~ . Remember the Super Connie? Tom Martin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. sends us the following - Some of you nostalgia buffs might be interested in a condensed story about the Connie, which one survey ranks as one of the top 10 greatest airliners and one of the most beautiful ever built. This tale is based on articles from Airways magazine which I find most interesting and informative, and some info from the Facts & Figures booklet which TCA/AC used to publish. The story. QANTAS operated 749 and 1049 Connies from 1947 to 1963. In total they had 22 while we operated 1049s - 14 of them. The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) of Sydney decided to try to find a Connie, restore it, and put it on display in Australia. They found a 1049F in Arizona which was in pretty rough shape, but they set about to restore it. QANTAS provided transportation for HARS people to go to the States to do the job - 12 man weeks just to clean the bird droppings in side without using any water which would have set off vast corrosion. In all HARS people spent 8500 hours refurbishing; applying ADs; installing rebuilt engines; modern electronics while trying to leave the cleaned up old stuff in situ, etc. etc. Finally in January of this year the repainted Connie, now named the SOUTHERN PRESERVATION left for Australia, logging 38hrs 10min flying time; the longest segment was 11 hours from Honolulu to Pago Pago. I think its a great story of determination and I can almost hear Bun Moore, George Land and Jan Kelder plus a whole lot more joining me in cheering on the Aussies, and now some of them are rebuilding a Spitfire. The story also brought back memories of our fleet, upgrading with tiptanks, heavier brakes, chordwise deicer boots, etc., and of course there was room on the flight deck for 5 cons on domestic flights. Progress led to disposal of the fleet, 5 sold to Douglas, 3 to CalAirmotive, 2 to Lockheed, including 414 damaged at YYZ Feb. 10/60, 3 to 3 separate outfits, and 407 was lost at Brampton. As of December 31/62 the average investment per aircraft was $1,954,000 - a long way from today's airplanes. Is there a refurbished Connie anywhere in Canada?? ~-=o0o=-~ . Smilie from Vesta - 0 /:\ .____/:\____. \(*)/ Ticket agent at Vancouver airport: o o This is the last seat into YYJ! Do you want it? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ~-=o0o=-~ . That's it for this time, please we need your input, send comments and email addresses of any others who may be interested to Vesta with a copy to Terry. -!- Landing on an Island in the Pacific. _____(~)_____ ! ! ! This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. <<<>>> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ................................................... . GREETINGS FROM . . Vancouver Island . . BEAUTIFUL B.C. CANADA . ...................................................
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