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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
http://www.acra.ca/between/vesta/
Co-pilot - Terry Baker
http://www.acra.ca/between
number 288 date July 14th, 1998 1st Published in October 1995
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. Andy Wallace from LHR sends his bio -
A little about myself - joined AC 1974 as temporary baggage loader, made
permanent few months later, then moved to baggage office as baggage agent
(Jack Morath was my supervisor until his retirement), attended trainers
course, and became baggage tracing services trainer for European region,
then appointed Baggage Services Co-Ordinator, which I remained until taking
early retirement June 1997.
Best Regards - Andy Wallace
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. News from the districts.
From Vancouver Island Pionairs Summer Newsletter -
Upcoming events -
July 29th at 11.00 the Annual Picnic takes place at Mount Douglas Park,
Victoria. Cost $1.00 each, so pack a lunch and come out and enjoy the
company of your Pionair friends. We have lots of chit chat as well as games.
Aug 20th The Annual Up Island luncheon will take place at
The Rutherford Golf Club in Nanaimo. Happy hour 11.30, lunch at 12.30.
Cost $15.00 per person, cheques to Bill Fisher 21/2120 Malaview Ave,
Sidney, BC, V8L3E4 before Aug 14th please.
Visiting Pionairs are most welcome - call Bill at (250)656-7936
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. Just finished watching the first segment of the 'Airport' mini-series about
Heathrow, LHR - seems that SABENA did not look too good with their handling
of the cancelled flight.
(Recalls the achronym for SABENA as Such A Bloody Experience Never Again! eds)
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. Bill Norberg is at it again - here is another story for us -
I am going to tell a story about the development and application of flight
data and cockpit voice recordings in TCA/AC.
It is in three parts:-
Part A
Trans-Canada Airlines and later Air Canada were always on the leading edge
of technology as far as aircraft systems were concerned. They were amongst
the first major airlines in the world that saw the potential and need for
Flight data recorders that could provide accurate and meaningful information
related to the operation and maintenance of commercial aircraft.
Even in the days of our first Lockheeds in 1938 we were using a form of
flight data recorder on every flight. We were using a recording device made
by Askania of Germany that recorded aircraft flight altitude profiles
throughout the flight as well as noting when certain aircraft functions were
being utilized such as de-icing equipment. The data was recorded on a paper
chart that was changed for each flight. Ink was provided by well type pens
that would last for about 5 to 6 hours. The recorder drum was driven by a
clockwork mechanism and the unit was connected to the aircraft static system.
As the equipment came from Germany, spare parts became unavailable due to
the war so if any parts were needed they had to be manufactured locally.
I can't remember how many pen nibs I made for these units until we stopped
using them. As I remember it we only owned 10 of these units so as the fleet
grew we were unable to equip each flight and eventially the practice had
to cease.
The next phase of flight data recording was a real time system for the
North Star aircraft whereby an Ignition Analyzer system was installed on
each aircraft. The state of the ignition system could be analyzed in flight
to determine any problems. The ignition system wave forms were displayed on
a Cathode Ray tube. The ignition system on the Merlins had always been a
problem and this was an attempt to improve trouble shooting and
rectification action.
Our next entry into the world of flight data recorders was around the early
60's shortly after the DC-8's were placed in service. As we were entering
the unknown world of commercial jet powered aircraft Jim Bain felt we needed
to know as much as possible about the operating condiitions of these
new engines. The maintenance costs of these new engines were high and he felt
we had to keep on top of them in every way possible.
He set about > getting some investigatory work underway.
The standard flight data recorders provided with these new jet aircraft was
what was called a "scratch foil" recorder that recorded the basic 5 flight
parameters. This was a rather crude device by today's standards that recorded
the data using a stylus that left dots on a piece of aluminium foil. Reading
the data after a flight was a slow and not a terribly accurate process. It
was however much better than nothing. It of course was incapable of providing
any useful maintenance data.
We realized that we had to have a much more sophisticated system if we were
going to be able to use flight data recorders for any useful maintenence
purposes. There were few if any manufacturers making such equipment at that
point but there was one company in England that was developing such equipment.
The company was Royston Instrumemts of Oyster Lane, Byfleet, Surrey
England. The Managing Director and a strong believer in his product was a man
named Ken Dobson. He may not always have been right but he was seldom ever in
doubt about his equipment. They were using an analog system which had the
potential to achieve the goals we had in mind.
We arranged to obtain a set for installation on a DC-8 for type trial
purposes. We had 118 parameters selected that would be recorded on magnetic
tape which could then be analysed using a read back system and an X Y
plotter.
More later
"Bill Norberg" <
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. In NetLetter 276 we told you of an appeal by Tom Grant for National
Geographic magazines - here is the latest update -
Case history: Bridge-To-Asia project http://www.bridge.org/ and
requests for National Geographics.
I have just sent over 355 issues covering Jan 1968 to Dec 1996 and an
Index to the Bridge-To-Asia group in San Fransico with the help of the Air
Canada Cargo passes (80% ID up to 50 kgs, costing a max of $9.50 from YVR)
and Mac Francis in Walnut Creek, CA.
I made up nine small boxed-packages of about 35-45 issues each (an issue
weighs about 0.34kg); taped and addressed to Mac for forwarding to Pier 23
in San Fransico. The the shipment went AC Air Cargo at YVR and it was
efficiently sent on its way. I emailed Mac the AWB numbers and he picked up
the shipment three days later at SFO, cleared US Customs and delivered them
to the warehouse at the dock without a problem.
Cheers, Tom
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. From: Doug Davidson <
Subject: No way BA/AA
Regarding the painting of the slogan on Virgin Aircraft -
They started carrying the slogan "NO WAY BA/AA" a couple of years ago when
that alliance was announced.
If you look at the aircraft closely, it is a nice paint job -
beautifully carried out by BA Maintenance!
Doug Davidson
(Is there a conflict of interest here? - eds)
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. YYZ NEWS ---
Transaero made its first ever appearance at Toronto on July 3rd with
the arrival of DC-10-30 N141AA non-stop from Krasnoyarsk in Siberia over
the north pole! This is a first for navigation directly over the north
pole to Toronto cutting many hours off traditional routings via the
north Pacific, or via the north Atlantic.
Voyageur Airways has been contracted by Air Canada to provide a new
third-level commuter service based at YYZ effective this fall.
The airline is going to acquire 10 new Beechcraft 1900D aircraft.
The old ex-TCA Super Connie that was in front of the Regal Constellation
Hotel has been dismantled and moved up to the north end of YYZ. It is being
re-assembled and put on display at Derry Rd., just west of Torbram Rd.
This is just by the main entrance to the Skyport area off Derry Road.
Air Canada put it's final A319 into service July 1st. FIN284 has joined
the fleet and completes the order for 35 aircraft!
Next new delivery will be another A340 in October.
From "Brian Dunn" <
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. Terry's travel tips.
Canadian Interline Travel -
NEW SHIP - 'Vision of the Seas'
Friends Welcome!!!
7 Night Mediterannean Cruises, July 25, Aug 1/98
from $754.usd per person Port Charges $145.usd
Sat Barcelona, Spain, Sun Palma, Majorca, Balearic Islands,
Mon Marseille, France, Tue Florence/Pisa (Livorno) Italy, Wed Naples, Italy
Thu Olbia, Sardinia, Fri At Sea, Sat Barcelona, Spain
For Reservations Call 1-800-665-3100 Today!! and mention Pionairs.
Visit the Islands of Hawaii from us$249 pp dbl for 4 days/3 nights includes
roundtrip air space available and 3 nights accommodations.
Pos space on Hawaiian Airline from West Coast and companion Airfare is
available.
Sunny South America
Buenos Aires from us$669 pp dbl 7 days/4 nights departs every Tuesday
includes roundtrip space available, 4 night accommodations B & B.
Lima/Cuzco/Machu Picchu from us$1069 pp dbl 7 days/4 nights price includes
round trip space available to Lima, pos space from Lima to Cuzco,
train to Machu Picchu and return to Cuzco, 2 nights accommodation
in Lima, 2 nights if Cuzco with breakfast, transfers and tours of
Lima and Machu Picchu.
Santiago, Chili from us$669 pp dbl, 7 days/4 nights price includes
round trip space available and 4 nights accommodations.
Rio de Janeiro from us$579 pp dbl, 7 days/4 nights price includes
round trip space available 4 nights accommodations B & B and tour.
Call 1-800-422-3727 for more details.
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. Smilies.
More from our Chief Pilot - Vesta
Smilies about computers novices.
Tech Support Calls & Other Weird Things
once received a fax with a note on the bottom to fax the document
back to the sender when I was finished with it, because he needed
to keep it.
************************************************************
Customer: "Can you copy the Internet for me onto this diskette?"
**************************************************************
I work for a local ISP.
Frequently we receive phone calls that go something like this:
Customer: "Hi... Is this the Internet?"
Some people pay for their online services with checks made payable to
"The Internet."
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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.
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Copyright 1998 by Vesta Stevenson & Terry Baker.