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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.acfamily.net/between/vesta/
Co-pilot - Terry Baker
http://www.acfamily.net/between/terry/
Mailing of this "NetLetter" is courtesy of Alan Rust
administrator of the "AC Family Network" at:
http://www.acfamily.net
Number 406 Date Sept 16th, 1999 BYN 1st Published in October 1995
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. Need to know.
Both your Chief Pilot and Co-pilot are AWOL from Sept 19th until near
the end of September, so things will be awfully quiet around the
NetLetter flight deck! We might add that we are in different locations<g>.
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Just a reminder, for articles or comments to the editors of this
NetLetter, please mailto:
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. We welcome -
Donald Scott retired Maintenance Planner lives in
Dollard Des Ormeaux, Que emailto:
John Franklin retired Pooling & Allotment Coordinator lives in
Ottawa, ON email is
Bob Lynch retired and lives in Wokingham, Berks, UK
J. Gallant retired Cat 30 mechanic lives in Dorval, QC
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. News from the districts.
A group of Pionairs and spouses from the London England district will
be visiting Vancouver arriving on Sept 29th and departing Oct 1st.
The group will be staying at the Airport Travelodge on St. Edwards Drive
in Richmond. The group will be having dinner in the attached restaurant
on the evening of Sept 30th.
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. Message from Tom Grant -
As editor of the A-Crew Website I would like to "publicly" acknowledge
Charles MacKie's contribution to the website. His weekly updates on the Ham
radio connection in the "On Air" page of the website has made the site
relevant and timely for many of the websites readers. I thank him for
taking the time each week to compile and send me the Tuesday contacts on
the AC radio network for posting. Thanks Charles.
Tom Grant, Editor http://www.acfamily.net/acrew/
(Why not 'tune in' to this web site to view this and other
information - eds)
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. Lois North shares some more of her memories -
Here are a few of my memories about my time as a flight attendant.
In the Canadian Maple Wings Association (a national group of former/
retired/current flight attendants of TCA/Air Canada) chapter here in
Victoria, we are lucky to have our membership include women who flew in
the 1940's, as well as the'50's to '80's, along with current 1990's
flight attendants. So we really get a good perspective on flying through
the years up to the present day. I'm sure it's still a wonderful job,
but I kind of think it might have been more fun in the 'old days'.
Some of the women in our CMWA "Dogwood" chapter tell of working the
Lockheeds and having to climb over the main spar on the journey from
the galley to the front of the aircraft, no mean feat in a uniform skirt.
Many of us who worked the Montreal Alouette football team charters in
the 1950's can recall how those big guys thought it quite funny to pick
up the stew and plop her into the overhead rack on the North Star. Then
they'd stand back and grin while the poor stew tried to maintain her
decorum while attempting to extricate herself wearing that straight
uniform skirt.
I remember one flight in the Maritimes, we had an old gentleman on who
had boarded in Newfoundland. When we stopped in Halifax, he tried to
give me a $5.00 tip. I thanked him, but explained that it was company
policy that we did not accept tips. He was most reluctant to accept
this and kept pressing the bill into my hand. Finally I seemed to
convince him and he returned to his seat. When we stopped in St. John,
he got off the aircraft for the station stop, and when he reboarded he
was holding his hand behind his back. As he showed me his boarding
pass, he whipped his other hand from behind his back and presented me
with a big handful of wild flowers he had picked from along the fence
leading into the terminal. He said if I couldn't take the tip, then he
wanted me to have some flowers. These I accepted with a big smile.
I worked mostly North Star flights in the Maritimes and Newfoundland.
Irregular operations were often the normal situation because of the
weather and crews often spent days on end in Sydney, Gander or St.
John's waiting for the fog to clear. We quickly got to know the best
places to eat and drink (Joe's Steak House in Sidney, the Big Dipper
and the Airport Club in Gander and of course, the Crow's Nest in Torbay).
The North Star seems so small now when compared to today's wide-bodied,
stretched aircraft capable of holding several hundred passengers. A
North Star first class flight held 44 passengers with two flight
attendants. The Tourist version of the Star held 66 passengers with
one stew. Our meal service on these flights consisted of box lunches
(no trolleys in those days) and often occurred during short flight legs,
so speed and efficiency were the orders of the day. The stew would load
up a bunch of boxes, tuck them under her chin and deal them out like a
deck of cards. We were a lot more circumspect when it came to serving
the coffee.
Best Wishes, Lois North
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. Your Chief Pilot sends this -
Subject: Pembroke airport
PEMBROKE, Ont. - When one of Japan's commercial flying schools went
looking for a North American partner, it insisted on a carrier that
could provide a first-rate classroom in the skies, and keep their
trainees away from busy air traffic until they were ready. That's how
Pem-Air -- a tiny, family-run carrier based in Pembroke, Ont. -- became
the Japanese airline industry's finishing school of choice. From a
remote airfield in the Ottawa Valley, the first two Japanese students
are working toward a Canadian commercial pilot's licence that
eventually will allow them to fly at home as well.'
(Perhaps future AC pilots in the making! - eds)
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. Phil Pawsey set the poser, now here is his answer -
This is it. I promise to be silent on the subject of the Cone of
Silence from now on. It was a pleasure to hear from so many of you
regarding this terminology and must say that all answers were sincere
and well thought out, all but one, that is.
The answer I was looking for (there are probably others) is that the
modern meaning of the Cone of Silence pertains to AWAC.
These airborne radar surveillance aircraft have a tremendous coverage
from all directions except that which is directly below the aircraft
and the AWAC boys call this the Cone of Silence. According to a TV
series that I watched recently, they have to rely on ground based radar
to observe any enemy threat from directly below them.
I find that rather difficult to believe but that is what they tell the
public anyway. Bick and Brownee could go down this cone of silence with
power off and even at their present zero fuel weight.
Phil Pawsey E mail,
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. Terry's travel tips.
From Dargal -
October 21 ~ 9 Nights ~ Holland America ~ ms MAASDAM
New York City, Newport/Rhode Island, Boston, Portland/Maine,
Bar Harbor/Maine St. John/New Brunswick, Halifax/Nova Scotia,
Martha's Vineyard, New York City
Inside $540 Outside $580
All rates are US$ per person, based on double occupancy
and subject to availability and eligibility.
Port charges/Govt fees are additional.
For more information on this and other specials - contact us at:
DARGAL Interline 1-800-690-3223
CANADIAN INTERLINE TRAVELS LTD.
Making plans for Christmas or Millennium 2000?
Christmas Cruises
December 23 1999 - Horizon 11 Night Ultimate Caribbean
(Fort Lauderdale, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados,
Antiqua, Gala Fireworks Display off Labadee, Nassau, Fort Lauderdale)
Outside from $2454.00 usd pp dbl
Plus $145.00 usd Port Charges pp dbl
Millennium Cruises
December 26 1999 - Rhapsody of the Seas 7 Night Mexican Baja
(Los Angeles, San Diego, Catalina, Ensenada, San Franscico, Los Angeles)
Inside from $1074.00 usd pp dbl Outside from $1274.00 usd pp dbl
plus $125.00 usd Port Charges Per Person
December 26 1999 - Zenith 14 Night Westbound Trans-Canal
(San Juan, St. Thomas, Aruba, Cartagena, San Blas,
Panama Canal, Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas, San Diego)
Inside from $1079.00 usd pp dbl Outside from $1279.00 usd pp dbl
Plus $220.00 usd Port Per Person Double Occupancy
December 27 1999 - Viking Serenade 7 Night Mexican Baja
(Los Angeles, San Diego, Catalina, San Franscico, Ensenada, Los Angeles)
Inside from $974.00 usd pp dbl Outside from $1174.00 usd pp dbl
Plus $125.00 usd Port Charges Per Person Double Occupancy
December 28 1999 Splendour of the Seas 10 Night Southern Caribbean
(Miami, Grand Cayman, Labadee, Aruba, Curacao, Miami)
Inside from $1459.00 usd pp dbl Outside from $1659.00 usd pp dbl
plus $ 140.00 usd Port Charges Per Person
Call Canadian Interline Travel Ltd. for more details and more trips.
Toll Free: 1-800-665-3100
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. Smilie from the RAPCAN email newsletter by Duane Frerichs -
*** Which Exit Did You Say That Was? ***
A DC-10 had an exceedingly long landing roll out after landing with his
approach speed just a little too high. San Jose Tower: "American 751
Heavy, turn right at the end if able. If not able, take the Guadalupe
exit off of Highway 101 back to the airport."
*** Mmmm-mmm, Good! ***
Tower: "Eastern 702, cleared for takeoff, contact Departure on 124.7."
Eastern 702: "Tower, Eastern 702 switching to Departure...by the way,
as we lifted off, we saw some kind of dead animal on the far end of the
runway."
Tower: "Continental 635, cleared for takeoff, contact Departure on
124.7...did you copy the report from Eastern?"
Continental 635: "Continental 635, cleared for takeoff...and yes, we
copied Eastern and we've already notified our caterers"
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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:
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