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_| TCA |_ B E T W E E N Y O U R S E L V E S
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>_./|\._< 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 302 date Aug 24th, 1998 1st Published in October 1995
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. We recently welcomed Terry Denny - here is his bio -
I retired from Air Canada in 1986 following
25 years of service mostly within the Public Relations Department in
Montreal HDQ. I actually worked on the Between Ourselves and Horizons
company publications as a writer and photographer and was fortunate to
fly coast to coast with CF-TCC in 1986 in celebration of Air Canada's
50th year of service.
Following my Air Canada career, I worked for 10 years as Director of
Public Relations - Western Hemisphere for the International Air
Transport Association (IATA) in Montreal retiring again in 1996. I am
presently self-employed working as a lumberjack trimming and felling
trees damaged by the ice storm of January last which paralyzed Quebec
and Eastern Ontario. As this work is beginning to peter out, I plan to
obtain a Class 1 trucker's license and drive the big rigs through Canada
and the U.S. Terry Denny
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. Where are they now?
Anyone have an email address for a Captain Eli Parks who
was a on Viscounts flying out of YYZ in the 60s and early 70s,
the last I heard from him he wanted to retire and operate a float plane
business in remote B.C. If anyone has any information about Captain Parks,
let Joe Lee know on -
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. Colin Bailey sends us this story -
I wonder how many retirees were involved in A.C's first flight to Moscow.
It was in 62 and the mission was to fly the Bolshoi back after their
N. American tour. At that time I was in LHR and it was decided that together
with Frank Wooley a Cat 1 man, I should accompany the flight to keep an eye
on the maintenance operation there. A few weeks prior to the departure
Frank and I, armed with a letter from AC, descended on the Russian embassy
in London for a visa. The embassy was exactly as depicted in the movies,
antiquated and foreboding with the walls lined with literature describing
the glory of the revolution. We handed in the letter and not a word was
uttered until we were handed back our passports by a very grim looking
individual.
Many years later I discovered that the visa was only for 24 hours and a
major delay could have meant being shipped to a gulag in Siberia where they
tell me the winters are only a little better than in YWG.
In those days there was no VOR of VHF in the USSR so we took along a
Russian navigator to talk to the HF station operators. We were given a
narrow flight path to get there and any deviation would probably attracted
the attention of several MIG's. As we crossed the frontier of the USSR,
Bob Smith made the announcement and the passengers all stood and cheered.
This could have been patriotism but I suspect there was probably a KGB man
on board.
On arrival, two immense cops came on board and promptly gathered up our
passports and vanished with them. This was followed by the arrival of
the fuelling truck which I later discovered was an old one from WW2, and
some amazon looking women who pumped fuel. We were more than a little
concerned when the ground power unit wouldn't fit any type of aircraft I
had ever seen and APUs were not around in those days.
However much to our relief, a smiling KLM mechanic showed up with some very
familiar equipment and all was well.
On the way back to London the Russian navigator was treated to full AC
hospitality and needed all his navigational skills to remain upright and
find his way back to his office.
As a little side line to all this, a few weeks later I had to visit Montreal
and on the week end decided to go over the border to Plattsburg N.Y. Being
a UK citizen I had my passport and the U.S immigration guys were, to say the
least, interested in why I had a Russian visa in my passport. It was rumoured
in those days that anyone applying and getting a Russian visa was
automatically put on the KGB list as a a potential spy for them.
It was an interesting experience during those days of the "cold war".
Being a radio ham I frequently talk to Russian hams and when I mention that
I was in Moscow in 1962 the standard reply is "were you a Spy".
Too risky for me I stuck to cat 22 mechanic.
colin bailey" <
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. News from the Districts.
Subject: Re: golf BURLOAK "KOFFEE KLATCH" PIONAIRS' GOLF MORNING
Here are a few words on a terrific sporting event !!!
Held on 10Aug98 at Rocky Glen Golf Center, Dundas, ON.
Twenty (18 women 2 men) people played the eighteen hole "Putting Course"
and were very impressed with the Bent Grass fairways and greens, and the
many challenges offered by the natural course ( not the usual Mini-Put
setup), Fourteen (10 men 4 women) people the nine hole (par 27) Executive
Course. Ernie Hartmair turned in a card of 31 and is expected to be seen
in the Canadian Open at Glen Abbey in September.
It was a "fun" day where all the participants were winners, thanks to the
organizers, Nellie Collins and Irv Christjanson.
This event should be repeated before the snows come.
Fraser
The Vancouver Island district held their Up Island luncheon on Thursday
Aug 20th. Emcee'd by Bill Fisher, Director, 50 Pionairs and friends
enjoyed a buffet luncheon, followed by a talk given by Sandy Dexter,
Air Canada Corporate Relations, Vancouver. Ms Dexter told the group about
some of the frustrations the company has with obtaining more flights to
Hong Kong, some up-to-date information on the present Pilots contract
talks, and mentioned that three daily flights in the upcoming schedule
between Victoria to Vancouver would be operated by Central Mountain Air
on behalf of AirBC, and that the future plans for route expansion included
Milan, Amsterdam and Mexico City.
The district was well represented with attendees from Salts Spring
Island, Nanaimo, Courtenay, Nanoose, Sidney, Victoria. One out of town
visitor was Jean and Ken Page from the U.K.
Bill Fisher reminded the group that the Fall luncheon would be on Oct 7th
at McMorrans in Victoria, and the Christmas lunch at Dunsmuir Lodge
on Thursday 10th December at a cost of only $20.00 pp.
From the London England District monthly Newsletter -
Dates of UK Pionairs events for your diary -
Sept 23rd - Theatre trip 'Dr Doolittle' ukp25.00 pp includes coach.
Oct 17/18th - ACRA Belgian Beer Festival.
Nov 3/4th - Annual trip 'Boston Bonanza'
Nov 11th - ACRA Brewery visit, Trowbridge, Wiltshire
Nov 17th - ACRA Brewery visit, Bury St. Edmunds
Dec 6th - Christmas lunch - Heathrow Park Hotel.
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. Lyle Gislason sends us this information -
Subject: Winnipeg Party
The Winnipeg Retirement Club is seperate from the Pionairs although I would
venture to guess most of us are Pionair members.
There are 900 retirees in Winnipeg and the club has 440 Members.
The club was started 35 years ago by 14 members of maintenance. They have
regular meetings once a month starting in October and ending in May.
The club also sponsors a picnic and they golf once a month in the summer.
A Christmas party has been held every year.
Claude Taylor and his wife were guests 3 years ago.
Thanks. From: lyle gislason <
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. Terry's travel tips.
Alan Rust tell us -
Effective October 26th, Air Canada will launch the only daily, non-stop
service to New Orleans, its 43rd new U.S. destination since Open Skies.
With this new service, Air Canada becomes the first airline to offer
scheduled flights on the Canada-New Orleans
Toronto New Orleans New Orleans Toronto
AC577 10:00 11:45 AC578 12:20 16:00
Alan Rust
HOT FALL INTERLINE DEALS from Canadian Interline Travel!
Take a Break! Get-Away this FALL!
3 Day Pacific Coastal - Island Princess Sep 13/98
Vancouver-San Francisco - $149.us (Family & Friends Welcome)
15 Night - Asia Pacific - Nieuw Amsterdam
Oct 20, Nov 19 - Hong Kong-Singapore
Nov 4 - Singapore-Hong Kong
Featuring: Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei & Borneo
$599.us Inside - $799us Outside (From Only $39.93 per day)
21 Night - Panama Canal Dawn Princess Sep 26/98
Vancouver-San Juan
From $1649.us (Family & Friends Welcome)
7 Night Fall Caribbean Cruises from $299.us
RESORTS
- 7 Night Stays - September 1998
Mexico, Florida - From $125us (Family & Friends Welcome)
RATES ARE IN US DOLLARS AND ARE BASED ON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY.
For Reservations Call 1-800-665-3100 Today!! mention Pionairs.
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. Smilies.
Owen Fitzgerald sends these -
From a Japanese information booklet about using a hotel air conditioner:
Cooles and Heates: If you want just condition of warm in your room,
please control yourself.
From a brochure of a car rental firm in Tokyo:
When passenger of foot heave in sight, tootle the horn.
Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles
your passage then tootle him with vigor.
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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.