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_| TCA |_ B E T W E E N y O U R S E L V E S
_|\| AIR |/|_ N E T L E T T E R
> CANADA <
>_./|\._< for Air Canada retirees
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Chief Pilot - Vesta Stevenson
Vesta's home page - http://www.acra.ca/between/vesta/btwn_us/htm
Co-pilot - Terry Baker
number 270 date May 6th, 1998 1st Published in October 1995
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. Great news from Vancouver and Vancouver Island, BC.
Subject: Pionairs and Between yOurselves - NetLetter Website.
To the Air Canada Community and Friends of Aviation:
We are please to announce the online presence of the
TCA/AIR CANADA PIONAIRS Website at
http://www.acra.ca/pionairs
together with the Between yOurselves - NetLetter web page
http://www.acra.ca/between
Vesta's homepage is at
http://www.acra.ca/between/vesta/btwn_us/htm
We hope you enjoy your visit and we look forward to
your participation as this site evolves into a communication
tool for all retired employees.
Tom Grant
Alan Rust
and your NetLetter team Vesta Stevenson and Terry Baker.
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. Where are they now?
Claude Fornier has changed his ISP and his email is
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. Here's another of those gems from Bill Norberg -
It seems like last year yet it was 27 years ago that Air Canada received
their first 747 aircraft.
Air Canada had been preparing for its arrival for quite a while and
had a major facility building program underway to accept this huige new
aircraft.
Our 2 bay hangar at Dorval was in its final stage of completion in early
1971 when Air Canada had the first unexpected 747 experience.
Air France were operating 747's from Paris to Montreal and then on to
Chicago. On a windy icy Friday when the Air France flight was landing at
Dorval it swerved off the runway and plowed into the snowbanks along side
the runway. The nose wheel managed to punch a hole in the ground leaving
the aircraft with its large tail section high in the sky The in-flite crew
had operated the escape chutes in the approved manner only to have the rear
ones waving in the breeze many feet off the ground.
When Air Canada heard of the incident Slim Munson and I headed out to the
aircraft to see what help we could offer them. The aircraft was of course
blocking the runway and everyone was most anxious to remove the aircraft.
Air Canada offered to do the job for the Air France Manager and he was only
too eager to have us help him out.
We organized our work crew with the best people we had to move this
behemoth. Little did we know what a task we had taken on. We had lifting
air bags brought in from Idelwild to lift the nose section so we could
free the nosewheel. The high winds persisted all weekend and were giving
the people a lot of trouble. As soon as the bags would get the aircraft up
at a fair height the wind acting on the large rudder area would cause the
bags to slip out from under the fuselage.
Slim Munson in his inimitable common sense approach to things figured out
that if we placed double sided 2 inch masking tape between the bags and the
fuselage it might hold the bags in place. And it did.....we were then able
to tow the aircraft to our hangar.
The Air Canada hangar was a two bay hangar and our plan was to have one bay
ready for our own 747 to arrive in February. At this point it was not ready
to accept an aircraft but Air Canada made a deal with the people building
the facility to use it for a few days while the damage to the Air France
aircraft could be assessed. Air Canada charged Air France $50,000 for the
inconvenience and delay to our building program.
The Boeing people came up to assess the damage and carry out the necessary
repairs. We later moved the aircraft outside the hangar and built a
temporary structure around it so the Boeing people could work in reasonable
comfort.
Two of the JT-9 engines were damaged due to ingestion by the incident and
required two spare engines to be brought in by truck from the U.S. One of
the engines travelling on a flat bed trailer went under an underpass that
was too low causing damage to the engine. A third engine had to be located
and shipped to Dorval.
The people doing the job performed very well and Air France was very
pleased with our work. After the whole affair was behind us my secretary
said a large box addressed to me had arrived from Air France.
When we opened it inside was a dozen bottles of Champagne with a name tag
on each one for the people who had worked so hard for them.
What a nice thing for Air France to do.
"Bill Norberg" <
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. Found on the internet.
One of Asia's largest airlines in the worst shape due to the financial
crisis in Asia, is former monopoly Philippine Airlines. The airline must
shrink its operations by reducing its fleet, cutting its workforce, closing
stations and reducing flight frequencies. Last month, Philippine Airlines
announced it would indefinitely postpone orders for nine aircraft, six Boeing
747-400s, and three Airbus aircraft.
The financial situation at other airlines is problematic too.
Indonesian state carrier Garuda has defaulted on at least two instalments on
loans six Airbus A330 aircraft in the Garuda fleet.
Asian carriers, Thai Airways International and South Korea's Asiana, are
asking for delays of planes to be delivered this year but they are also
making plans for future orders.
Hong Kong based Cathay Pacific is also hit hard by the combined effect of
the crisis and the Hong Kong hand-over to China.
AA, BA CLOSE TO DEAL WITH EU
A European Union spokesman has announced American Airlines and British
Airways were nearing a deal with the European Union to win approval for the
long suffering proposed alliance between the two carriers.
American Airlines CEO Robert Crandall may not witness first hand the
co-operation between the two carriers as he has announced he is to retire
from his current position at the end of May.
MORE FOOD ATTRACTS MORE PASSENGERS
United Airlines has released the results of a months long test attempting to
quantify the results of an increase in both the quality and quantity of food
offered to passengers.
Economy class passengers noticed the largest difference, with each
benefiting from a broad choice of snacks prior to arrival, ranging from candy
bars to carrot sticks and dip. At mealtime, passengers also received larger
muffins, enhanced salads and desserts, and what turned out to be the most
successful item in the test, a small bottle of water. The addition of a water
bottle revealed so successful that United immediately included it on all meal
trays for premium class passengers on all North America flights.
AIRCRAFT ORDERS
Air Canada (AC) has signed a contract with Airbus confirming its August 1997
Letter Of Intent (LOI) for two ultra long range A340-500 and three A340-600
aircraft. Air Canada's A340-500s will carry 308 passengers 15,750 km (9,840
miles). For its A340-600s, the airline has selected a 360-seat configuration
with a range of 13,900 km (8,690 miles). Delivery for all five aircraft is
scheduled for 2002, the first year the A340-500 and A340-600 will be in
commercial service. Air Canada will be the first airline to operate the
A340-500, the world's longest range aircraft in production. Both aircraft
types will be powered by four Rolls Royce Trent 500 engines. In addition to
its firm order, Air Canada took options for a further ten A340-500/-600, an
increase over its initial LOI which covered only eight aircraft.
Thai Airways International (TG) has approved the purchase of five A300-600Rs
and three A330-300s from Airbus and one 777-300 and one 747-400 from Boeing.
TWA (TW) has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Boeing for a future order
of 24 MD-83 aircraft.
United Airlines (UA) has announced firm orders with Boeing for one 747-400,
16 777-200s and six 767-300s as part of the carrier's plan to add 68
aircraft to its fleet by the end of 2001.
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. Terry's travel tips.
Interline Best Available Rates on the Newest Ship in the World!
CARNIVAL'S ELATION - 7-day from Los Angeles
Visits Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta.
$702.00 pp INCLUDING PORT CHARGES for an inside cabin.
Celebrity - 7-day Bermuda from New York on the Zenith - May 2
Outside Space Only. $699.00pp (Cat. 5,6,7,8), $799.00pp (Cat. 3,4),
$999.00pp (2). Including Port Charges
Great Princess Rates - Hot off the press!
EUROPE - MEXICO - ALASKA - EXOTICS
Including Port Charges
DAWN PRINCESS - May 13, 1998 Acapulco to Los Angeles
7-day Mexico Cruise Inside - $499.00pp Balcony - $699.00pp
Pacific Princess - July 7, 1998 Dover/Reykjavik
16-day Top of the World Cruise Inside - $1125.00pp Outside - $1225.00pp
Pacific Princess - Nov. 22 & Dec. 20 (Holiday Sailing)
Island Princess - Nov. 21 & Dec. 5
Either Civitavecchia to Istanbul or Istanbul to Civitavecchia
14-day Holy Land Inside - $1399.00pp Outside - $1599.00pp
Island Princess - December 19 (Holiday Sailing)
14-day Holy Land Civitavecchia to Istanbul
Inside - $1799.00pp Outside - $1999.00pp
Crown Princess - Vancouver to Anchorage - 7-day Alaska - June 8
Inside - $499.00pp Outside - $599.00pp
Regal Princess - Vancouver to Vancouver
7-day Alaska June 14, 21, 28, & July 5
Inside - $799.00pp Outside - $949.00pp
Balcony - $1049.00pp (available only on June 28 & July 5)
Island Princess - Vancouver to Anchorage/Anchorage to Vancouver
7-day Alaska - June 21 & July 5
Inside - $699.00pp Outside - $799.00pp
Sky Princess - Vancouver to Xingang 19-day Orient/North Pacific
Inside - $1599.00pp Outside - $1699.00pp
The above offers are based on best available space at time of booking.
All fares are quoted in US dollars per person, cruise only, based on double
occupancy, and include applicable port charges.
Rates are valid only for airline employees, spouse of employee, parents of
employee, parent-in-law of employee(PRINCESS ONLY), and retired airline
employees.
1-800-345-7576! THESE RATES WILL NOT LAST LONG! SO CALL NOW!
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. 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.
/------------------------\ |--\_____/--\__ |
| Between yOurselves |______________ \______====== )-+
| NetLetter | ---|/-- |
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Copyright 1998 by Vesta Stevenson & Terry Baker.