Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

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We currently have 4548 subscribers.

 

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We always welcome feedback about Air Canada (including Jazz and Rouge) from our subscribers who wish to share current events, memories and photographs.

 

Particularly if you have stories to share from one of the legacy airlines: Trans-Canada Air Lines, Canadian Airlines, CP Air, Pacific Western, Maritime Central Airways, Eastern Provincial, Wardair, Nordair, Transair, Air BC, Time Air, Quebecair, Calm Air, NWT Air, Air Alliance, Air Nova, Air Ontario, Air Georgian and all other Canadian based airlines that once graced the Canadian skies.

 

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We will try to post your comments in the next issue but, if not, we will publish it as soon as we can.

 

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Air Canada Pionairs strive to recruit new members to ensure continued official representation with the Canadian Government regarding our pensions. The annual membership fee remains an incentive at a low $20 and includes spouse/partner.

 

Contact pionairs.ca to activate your membership.

 

More in my series of defunct airlines of Canada.

 

Powell Air was a Canadian airline based in Powell River, British Columbia. It was founded by Daryl Smith, Lynn Mulhall and George Percy in 1975 after acquiring Air West's Powell River operations.

 

Charters were operated using a combination of Cessna, de Havilland Beaver, de Havilland Otter, Piper Aztec and Piper Navajo. In 1981, the airline was awarded the right to operate the Vancouver-Powell River route, and for this purchased a Convair 440. In 1987, Powell Air and Air BC's Port Hardy operations merged to form Pacific Coastal Airlines.

 

Source: airlinehistory.co.uk/airline/holidair-airways

 

 

Convair 440-62 Metropolitan C-GKFC
at Vancouver - August 30, 1983

 

Photo by Eduard Marmet

 

 

A division of holiday company Travel 'N' Save, Holidair operated from 1988 to 1990.  While the airline had five DC-8s on the Canadian register, C-FHAB seemed to be the most seen aircraft in service.

 

Source: www.airhistory.net

 

Douglas DC-8-52 C-FHAB
at Frankfurt, Germany - August 14, 1989

 

Photo by Felix Goetting

 

 

 

Minerve was a French airline, based in Paris, that operated from 1975 until it merged with AOM to form AOM French Airlines in 1992.

 

It wanted to expand into North America and created a subsidiary called Minerve Canada, but that venture did not last long.

 

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minerve

 

 

McDonnell Douglas DC-8-61 - C-FCMV

at Paris - April 1, 1988

 

Photo by Felix Goetting

 

This aircraft was acquired December 1987
and sold to Crownair January 1990

 

Issue dated December 1995

 

On November 22, 1995, Air Ontario Staff at Toronto's Island airport celebrated their first year in the airport's new facility which includes a comfortable lounge, fax, photocopier and fireplace.

 

Happy islanders include Paula Murray and Chantal Leblanc, Customer Sales & Service Agents; Greg Blascheck, Nasir Hussain and Brett Houston, Ramp Attendants; Ray Afshar and Michel Parsons, Customer Sales & Service Agents; Ainsley Morris, Lead Ramp Attendant and Don Ross, Manager, Customer Service - Toronto City Centre.

 

 

At Fredericton, New Brunswick, Certified Station Agent Il Neil Noble receives congratulatory wishes from Donna Price, Vice President, Airports; Marcel Guilbert, Manager, Customer Service - New Brunswick and his fellow workers on his 30th service anniversary.

 

Front row, left to right: Jerome House, Jim Barriault, Harry Sulley, Neil Noble, Donna Price and Marcel Guilbert.

 

Back row, left to right: Sterl Carpenter, Jacques Parent, Joel Ritcey, Harvey Muttart, Merl McAndrew and Jim Gosson.

 

 

Lookin' Good!

In 1995, our models were all smiles to try on Air Canada's new uniform, featuring the beautiful 'blue spruce' colour of Canada's forests. Unform delivery was in full swing for CAW, CUPE & IAM.

Modelling from left to right: Benoît Gauthier, Captain, DC-9 - Montreal; Katherine Reed, In Charge - Halifax - Air Nova; Michael Allen, Customer Sales & Service Agent - Dawson Creek - Air BC; Karin Guay, Mechanic - Dorval; Fred Wright, Station Attendant -  Halifax; Sherrie Edmonds, Flight Attendant - Toronto; Maryanne de Souza, Customer Sales & Service Agent - Ottawa; Doug Smith, Mechanic - Toronto; Joyce Beaudoin, Customer Sales & Service Agent - Dorval; Judy Cameron, First Officer, B-767 - Toronto and Russell Brown,  Flight Attendant - Winnipeg.

 

 

Issue dated February 1996 

 

Robert Milton, Senior Vice President, Marketing & In-Flight Service, poses with Hong Kong Sales Office Staff.

 

From left to right: Eliza Wong, Mandy Kwan, Cassandra Ko, Debbie Tse, Anita Leung, Ginnie Chow, Janet Ip, Ivan Tsang and Robert Pinkerton.

 

 

Issue dated March 1996 

 

ACRA darts tournament.

 

The 1995 ACRA system Darts Tournament was held in London, England. The main event as well as the guest division was won by London. Winnipeg captured the ladies division.

In our photo from left to right: John Swift, Station Attendant; June Coleman; Tony Wardlaw, Host Chairman; Derek Glanvill, Station Attendant; Tony Coleman, General Manager, Customer Service; Mick Edmonds, Customer Sales and Service Agent and Chris Sofocli, Commissary Attendant.

 

 

The September 1994 issue of Horizons has a nostalgic story, by Steve Beisswanger, on the introduction of the Bombardier (Canadair) CRJ-100 to the Air Canada fleet. 

 

Air Canada's new (American-born) CEO, Hollis Harris, was determined to take advantage of the 'Open Skies' agreement between Canada and the U.S. and this was the perfect aircraft to open up transborder routes. "The size of the Canadair Jet will allow us to mount greater frequency than would be available with larger aircraft. The aircraft will support route extensions that would simply not be available with the lower traffic densities that exist in smaller markets.

 

Air Canada took delivery of the first (then called) CL-65, C-FRIA (fin #101), at the Farnborough International Air Show in September 1994. The aircraft entered service on October 10, 1994 between Ottawa (YOW) and Newark, New Jersey (EWR). 

 

I remember fin#101 being parked overnight in Toronto's DC-8 hangar and being able to have a good personal tour of the new aircraft. The plan certainly worked and several profitable markets were added to the Air Canada system. The original 24 aircraft would be transferred to AC Connector fleets in the early 2000s where they continued to be workhorses for several more years.

 

I will detail the current status of each of the aircraft in our next issue. Click the image below for the full Horizons story. 

 

 

Purser Chantal Bonneau and Assistant Purser Marc Olivier pose with Laurent Beaudoin, Chairman of the Bombardier Group (left) and Hollis Harris, Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer, at the official ceremony in Farnborough, U.K.