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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 351 date Mar 23rd, 1999 1st Published in October 1995
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. It is regret that we advise you that Ann Robbins has passed away and
a Memorial service will be held Wednesday March 24th at 14:00 at the
Unitarian Church, 30 Cleary Ave, Ottawa. Our condolences go out to
Bob Robbins and family. Both Ann and Bob were active members of the
Pionairs in Ottawa.
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. We welcome
William Stewart retired Manager Audio Visual Services living in
Laval, Que email
Don Shepherdson retired captain and lives in Kingston, On
David Stanton retired captain living in Severn Bridge, On
email is
Edward Freckleton retired as Manager Flt Oprns Ground Training
lives in Bolton, Ont and has email of
Erman Bilgen retired Computer programmer email
lives in North York, Ont.
Jennie Campbell retired Finance Agent in Winnipeg. Mn
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. Where are they now?
Ron Carradine has changed his email to
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. News from the districts -
From the London England Pionairs Monthly newsletter for March -
Here are a few tips for those contemplating a visit to Australia.
January & February are peak times as it is summer and the children are
out of school. There are direct flights from Los Angeles to Sydney on
Quantas,
and United, flying time about 14 1/2 hours. There are also non stop
flights to Auckland in New Zealand. On United the fare is approximately
C$250
return (Z fare with an Alliance partner).
If you are travelling within Australia, get a 10% ticket valid on Quantas
and Ansett, also ensure you have stopovers if required. One trip taken was
from Sydney to Perth with a stopover in Melbourne and a side trip to
Hobart, Tasmania. There was no problem with getting accommodations, nothing
was booked in advance. At each major airport there is a Traveller's Aid
or tourist information desk, and ask for any special deals. In Los Angeles
the Hilton charges US$45.00.
Upcoming events planned by LHR Pionairs -
May - Lunch on a canal cruise from West Drayton.
July - Visit to RAF Uxbridge - tour of WW II wartime control room.
Sept - Evening tour of London.
Sept - Visit to Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Edmonton Pionairs -
Shirley Jay sends this information -
The next Edmonton Pionair luncheon will be held on April 18th, at the
Nisku Inn, at 11:30 a.m. at a cost of $12.50 per person. There is a
shuttle bus from the International Airport to the Nisku Inn. For further
information contact Shirley Jay (780) 436 0866.
or
Subject: Winnipeg Air Canada Retirement Club
The following is extracted from the monthly newsletter from June Morris:
Our next meeting is on Thursday, April 1, 1999 at 1:30PM in the Royal
Canadian Legion at 1755 Portage Ave.
Spring is on the way finally and with it comes our BAKE SALE. We always
get such an enthusiastic response from all the members on this
particular occassion.
Curling is going to wind-up for the season on Wednesday, March 24th. A
wind-up luncheon will be held at the curling club. If you wish to join
them on this last day, give Bob Miller a call at 837-6332.
ACRA are holding a BINGO GLOW Bowl on April 10 at St. Vital Bowl.
March 30 is the deadline to enter a team.
Spring Luncheon tickets are available for April 15 at the Viscount Gort.
Come out for a lovely roast beef buffet luncheon. Call Steffie at
489-3060 to make arrangements with her for tickets.
Shrine Circus is coming to town and for further information on reduced
cost to Air Canada phone Jason at 941-2212.
Hansel & Gretel will be playing March 29 to April 4 and Air Canada
employees get the reduced rate of $4.00 each. Charlotte's Web will be
playing May 17 to 23; Ali Baba will be playing June 21 to 27 and
Cinderella July 1 to 11. If you have littles ones in your family, it's a
good time to take the to see some of these children's features.
Contact Tony Frost at 944-0581.
Last month we collected 34 lbs. of drink can tabs
Lawrie McCaffrey <
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. Bill Norberg has sent us another story for us -
The Winnipeg Base takeover ceremony Sept. 1969
This one was a rather personal one for me as well as being significant
to the airline.
It was early September 1969 and it was the day Air Canada would formally
hand over operation of the Winnipeg base to CAE Aircraft Limited in
accordance with the recommendations of the Thompson Commission. The
Commission was set up in 1965 to examine Air Canada's decision to
consolidate all Maintenance Main Base functions in Dorval. This decision on
the part of Air Canada became a highly charged political situation for all
three levels of Government and had gone on for years.
I had been the Director of the Winnipeg base for some 2 1/2 years by this
time and it had been my responsibility to carry out this recommendation. It
had been a tough time for me involving intensive negotiations at all three
levels of Government as well as with the two IAMAW Unions affected.
The top executives of both Air canada and CAE along with their lawyers
were gathered in Winnipeg for the signing of the relevant documents and to
take part in the formalities of the public takeover ceremony. It was the end
of a long road that had been fraught with tension and problems.
Understanably there had been, and still were, mixed feelings within both the
management and union employee groups about the implications of this
consolidation. It was the last spike in their political efforts to retain a
Base in Winnipeg.
Trans Canada Airlines had initially located their maintenance headquarters
in Winnipeg when the airline started in 1937 and many people felt it
should remain there.
I was to act as the master of ceremonies that day even though I had come
down with the flu a few days before and had a high fever. I felt just plain
rotten. I was however determined to fulfill this responsibility in spite of
how I was feeling. I had worked too long not to be a part of this day.
We were carrying out the signing of documents in a nearby location when I
was advised that my office had received an anonymous telephone call to the
effect that..."Someone was going to get shot today". We had advised the RCMP
as well as the local police and the best information indicated it was most
ikely a hoax. I tended to feel the same way as I knew all the people who
had been involved in this situation and I just refused to believe any of
them would go that far, notwithstanding how they may feel.
Nevertheless I advised all involved about the threat and asked if they
wished to cancel the ceremony. They were unanimous in their determination to
proceed. I must admit that as the M.C. I had the thought that I could well
be the target but the way I felt that day it seemed an unimportant
concern. The ceremony went well and without incident. I virtually collapsed
the next day and spent the next 4-5 days in bed recovering from whatever
bug had affected me that day.
Bill Norberg
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. Help wanted!
Subject: Acapulco
I will be taking the Dargal cruise to Panama Canal departing Acapulco on
April 2nd. Are any ACRA members going?
I will stay in Acapulco Mar 27 or 28 to Apr 2/99 and I am looking for
reasonable lodging, preferably a condo with kitchenette near the beach.
Can anyone help?
Thanks, Julio Seiz mailto:
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. Shirlee Schacter sends this -
Subject: Y0K CRISIS!!
Being in the computer business, I am bombarded daily with the Y2K
question from the travel agents I deal with, but it appears this is
not a concern of only our times, judging from the discovery of the
following Latin scroll dealing with the "Y0K" crisis:
Translated from Latin scroll dated 1BC
Dear Cassius:
Are you still working on the Y zero K problem? This change
from BC to AD is giving us a lot of headaches and we haven't
much time left. I don't know how people will cope with working
the wrong way around. Having been working happily downwards
forever, now we have to start thinking upwards. You would think
that someone would have thought of it earlier and not left it
to us to sort it all out at this last minute.
I spoke to Augustus Caesar the other evening. He was livid that
Julius hadn't done something about it when he was sorting out the
calendar. He said he could see why Brutus turned nasty. We called in
Consultus, but he simply said that continuing downwards using
minus BC won't work and as usual charged a fortune for doing
nothing useful. Surely we will not have to throw out all our
hardware and start again?
Macrohard will make yet another fortune out of this I suppose.
The money lenders are paranoid of course! They have been told
that all usury rates will invert and they will have to pay their
clients to take out loans. Its an ill wind ......
As for myself, I just can't see the sand in an hourglass flowing
upwards. We have heard that there are three wise men in the East
who have been working on the problem, but unfortunately they won't
arrive until it's all over.
I have heard that there are plans to stable all horses at midnight
at the turn of the year as there are fears that they will stop and
try to run backwards, causing immense damage to chariots and possible
loss of life.
Some say the world will cease to exist at the moment of transition.
Anyway, we are still continuing to work on this blasted Y zero K
problem. I will send a parchment to you if anything further develops.
If you have any ideas please let me know,
Plutonius
Regards, Shirlee
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. Found on the internet.
British Airways is evaluating the results of testson luggage tags
equipped with a silicon chip. The airlines says that the disposable
computerized paper baggage labels could speed up movement of luggage, and
help prevent luggage going to the wrong destination.
The 3,000th B737 Classic rolled out last January, The best selling
commercial of all time first rolled out in January 1967.
Fledgling airlines -
New Italian airline called Blue Panorama will start charter services using
B737 equipment.
Florida based Cardinal Airlines will use 3 leased MD80.
Headquartered in Munich, Germany, Flt FTI will commence flying using A320.
Gandalf Airlines a new 3rd level carrier is based in Bergamo and operates
Do328's within Germany and France.
Park Express is a Turkish carrier with Avro RJ's is trying to get off
the ground soon
Spirit Airlines of Australia will commence service this Easter with MD83's.
Tahoe Air will serve both Los Angeles and San Francisco.
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. Terry's travel tips.
For 'only' GBP39,800 you can book a seat on the Air France 'Millennium
II Concorde charter tour set for New Year's Eve 1999. The 11-day trip
commences first in Paris and the second in New York City - and continues
on with stopovers in Hawaii and Mexico. Now let's just hope that the
Concorde's systems are all Y2K compliant!
With Air Canada contemplating service to Taipei, Gereald Knodel, retired
Air Canada captain now working for EVA sends this airport fee info -
Taiwan - Taipei (TPE) $300NT (about 9.00 US$)
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. Smilie.
Sent to us by Gord Dalziel -
Subject: Some AIRLINE TERMS:
180-Degree Turn - A sometimes difficult maneuver to perform; the degree of
difficulty is usually determined by the size of the pilot's ego.
Aero - That portion of the atmosphere that lies over Great Britain.
Aerodrome - British word for airport. Exactly what you'd expect from a
country that gives its airplanes names like Gypsy Moth, Slingsby
Dart, and Fairey Battle Bomber.
Airplane - The infernal machine invented by two bicycle mechanics from
Dayton, Ohio and perfected on the sands of the Outer Banks of
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Precursor of the Frisbee.
Airspeed - 1. The speed of an airplane through the air.
2. True airspeed plus 20% when talking with other pilots.
Deduct 25% when listening to a Navy aviator.
3. Measured in furlongs-per-fortnight in student aircraft.
Air Traffic Control Center - A drafty, ill-kept, barn-like structure in
which people congregate for dubious reasons.
Alternate Airport - The airport that no aircraft has sufficient fuel to
proceed to if necessary.
Angle of Attack - Pick-up lines that pilots use.
Arctic Frost - Attitude shown by uncooperative stewardess.
Arresting Gear - Police equipment used for keeping order at airport parties.
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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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