Here are a few responses that we received from our readers regarding Christmas related stores.

Thanks to everyone for sharing their special memories.

Jean Elliot sent us this beautiful story.

It was Christmas Day 1958 and my roommate and flying partner Cathy Graham (Lyons) and I, Jean Button (Elliot) had to fly to Sudbury, North Bay via Viscount. My Mom and Dad had driven from Ottawa to spend Christmas with us, but we had to work.

Travelling with us, as a passenger, was Helen Longfellow our other roommate, who was going home for the holiday.

We were resigned but disappointed to be away from the festivities. When we arrived in Sudbury we were met at the ramp by Mrs. Clark, the Station Manager’s wife.

She had gaily wrapped gifts for all the crew and stated that she wanted to brighten our day. Cathy and I received aprons and the front-end crew received playing cards. I have never forgotten her kindness and Cathy has kept the apron to this day.

One never knows when a random act of kindness will be a wonderful memory. 

Pictures are of Cathy in uniform with Helen as passenger and Cathy today with her apron.

From Jim Cornell

In February 2004 Bob Watson and I had the pleasure to fly Santa to London on Flight 868.

He was on his way to Norway to teach a group of budding Santas.

Regards, Jim Cornell

Jim provided us with a scan of Santa's business card which lead us to his web site, Santa School.com.

Sadly, Victor Nevada (AKA Santa Victor) passed away in 2009 after many years of portraying Santa Claus. He was so skilled that other Santas came to him for advice and in 1998 he founded  Santa Claus School Inc. Click Here to learn more about this remarkable gentleman.

Your NL Team 

From Sam Longo

Please find attached a possible submission for your upcoming Christmas edition. This was a column I wrote for Air Maintenance Update Magazine a few years ago chronicling a very wet Christmas midnight shift in YYZ while working for Air Canada, Line Maintenance, in the early 1980's. Hope you find it worthy. Merry Christmas to the whole NetLetter Crew.

Cheers, Sam Longo AME A&P

Click Here for Sam's article in PDF format. 

Celebrating the inaugural Rouge service between Montreal and Puerto Vallarta November 18th, 2016.

(Anyone want to give us some names here? – eds)

BEAUTECH POWER SYSTEMS, TX purchased third ex-Air Canada E190 (018) C-FFYT fin 304 from Nordic Aviation Capital for part out.

(source SpeedNews Dec 2/16)

Just announced on December 6th, 2016, We were named Best North American Airline for International Travel by the readers of Business Traveler again!

Business Traveler bills itself as the leading magazine for frequent business travelers, and the winners of the Best Airlines by Region categories were selected by its readers as representing top value and superlative service in specific geographic regions of the world.

(source "The Daily" December 6th, 2016)

New routes announced.

Effective May 1st, 2017 utilizing E175 equipment.

Toronto - San Antonio, Texas - daily.

Toronto - Memphis, Tennessee - daily.

Toronto - Savannah, Georgia - six times weekly, route will operate until October 15, 2017.
Vancouver - Phoenix, Arizona - daily.

Vancouver - Denver, Colorado - twice daily beginning May 18, 2017.

Montreal - Dallas Fort Worth, Texas - daily beginning May 26, 2017.

(source “The Daily” December 7th, 2017)

The Magic of Christmas, Air Canada Jazz style

For several years, Jazz employee teams have partnered with local charitable organizations to create lasting memories for very special children. At six locations across the country, wide-eyed participants embark on the trip of a lifetime to the ‘North Pole’ as they take to the sky in search of Santa Claus.

Following a 45 minute flight, our young guests, share lunch with Santa, sing songs and open their Christmas gift. For many of these children, the trip to the North Pole is their very first flight and the highlight of their holidays – a memory they will cherish for many years to come. Jazz employee teams from coast to coast have enthusiastically embraced organizing these special flights each year and are already looking towards 2017!

Jazz’s "Searching for Santa" program, which is 100% employee-led, expanded its scope in 2016 to include events which just took place in Toronto (November 29), Halifax (November 30), Calgary (December 2), Quebec City (December 3), Vancouver (December 3), Saskatoon (December 10).

(source "The Daily" December 6th, 2016)

Click Here to view the YouTube video of  "Searching for Santa" posted by AC Jazz.

Central Mountain timetable effective April 1996.

From collection of Bjorn Larsson.

Extracted from the "Between Ourselves" magazine issue dated May 1959.

First meeting of the new Montreal TCARA took place following the recent election.

In this photo, from the left, standing: Art Claude, Special activities; Mr. Peck, sports; Jean Watson, secretary; Ed Buckingham, treasurer; and Earl Corrigan, V.P.

Seated are Lucien Bussiere, ways & means; Lil Whelan, membership; Ron Sutherland, President; Dorothy Wilcox, social.

Missing are John Macauly, J. Jackson, Betty Hamelly and Claude Charbonneau.

The new executive are planning the 1959 picnic.

Found in the "Horizons" magazine issue dated October 1980.

The company converted six of its DC-8-63 passenger aircraft to DC-8-63AF, the cargo model to replace the DC-8-54 currently being used. The aircraft were converted at the McDonnell Douglas hangar at Tulsa. The first fin #867 converted during August went into operation on October 26th, the second aircraft was in service by April 1981.

The company's softball team dubbed the Air Canada Flyers, finished fourth in the Halifax league at the end of the 1980 season.

The team pictured here front row, from the left: Pam Love, Debbie Bertrum, Kathy Graham and Mary Haines.

Second row from the left: Ruth Maida, Charmaine LeBlanc, Mary Moriarty and Louise Rowe.

Back row from the left: Louise Leftly, Mark Thompson (coach), Francis MacLeod and Jack Inouye (asstistant coach).

Missing are Sherry Grant, Pauline Benoit and Mary Ann Fris.

Gleaned from the "New Horizons" magazine issue dated July 2004. (Used with permission.)

On June 30th inauguration of service between Toronto and Bogota and onto Caracas, Venezuela the next day operated by brothers Captain Gordon Taylor and First Officer David Taylor.

A handful of the 160 staff at the Tampa Call Centre.

From left to right: James Castro, Customer Service Agent; Bea Despot, Customer Service Agent; Melanie Mitchener, Customer Service Agent; Stanley Berniol, Customer Service Agent; Christian Riddell, Customer Service Agent; Yvonne Lambert, Lead Customer Service Agent; Virginia Robinson, Customer Service Agent; Leslie Field·Bell, Training Coordinator; Marsha Graham, Customer Service Agent; Steve Kapsinksi, Procedures Coordinator; Catherine Hattais. Customer Service Agent; Patrick O'Rourke, Customer Service Agent; Cathy Cochran, Customer Service Agent; Helen Pizzutto, Customer Service Agent; Alicia Evo, Customer Service Agent and Monica Porterfield, Call Centre Administrative Coordinator.

Working at the Tampa airport are, left to right: Customer Service Agents Jim Corbett, Dawn Kremer, Marlene Burke, Sue Braggins, Airport Services Coordinators Jerry Pasantes and Terry Wazenegger.

1986 was the 40th anniversary for Pacific Western Airlines, and the year they purchased Canadian Pacific Airlines.

Extracted from "PWA Flightlines" magazine issue August 1986.

Pacific Western brought the first passenger jet, filled with travel agents, journalists and special guests, into the new destination airport located near Fairmont Hot Springs. The flight was part of the official ceremonies August 2nd to mark the opening of the new paved strip. Eleven people from PWA joined hundreds of visitors at the new airport.

Pictured at the top (left to right) are: Captain Dave Geekie, Flight Attendants Deborah Whelan, Brian Binkley, Kathi Parsonage; Purser Greg Wittig; Arlene Craig, Supervisor Promotions; Ken Hinatsu, Manager Product Development, Western Region; Brad Potentier, Charter Service Rep.

Missing are F/O Ron Muller; Cliff Beck, Flight Technical Analyst and Marilynn Knoch, who took the photo.

Five retired Pacific Western pilots got together at the Annual Hall of Fame dinner held at the convention Centre in Edmonton in June 1986. CALPA Pacific Western chapter host a group of the company's retired pilots each year.

This year, in the photo, from the left: Captain Clare Agar, Edmonton; Captain Mike Owthun, Vancouver; Captain Art Ralphs, Vancouver; F/O Paul Bissky, Winnipeg and Captain Willy Wilson, Edmonton.

Saskatoon says ''Hello".

Pictured (L to R) are Customer Service Agents Lloyd Hicke, Rod Weimer and Gerry Laurence (the new YYZ Sales Rep); Ramp Service Agents, Rolly Langlois and Ken Moffatt; C.S.A. Helen Kons; Don McPnail, Sales Manager Northern Saskatchewan; Neville Gosling, Customer Service Manager; Administrative Clerk, Kim Fenner. and R.S.A. Vance Stutsky.

The other members of the Saskatoon team are: Customer Service Agents: Robert Pearman, Bernie Gautron, Frank Hauser. Kevin Fischer, Wayne Brown, Don Palyszniuk, Karen Gillespie, Terri Knox, Sharon Burgess and Ramp Service Agents: Dale Rutter, Roy Treloar, Chris Feher, Dan Gette, Robert Daler, Debbie Hansen, John Dunlop and Michael Carter.

John Shea sent us this YouTube link hoping to bring back memories of the interior of a Super Constellation, sadly not a TCA version, but the memories may be triggered.

One of the best airliners ever built, and also one of the most comfortable to fly in. If you never had the pleasure, here's a "walk through" of one of TWA's L-1049G Super Constellations.

Betty Draper has dug up some more of TCA's early existence and sends this cutting from The Leader-Post dated March 28th.1938.

One of the most ingenious methods of pilot training in the history of aviation has been installed by Trans-Canada Air Lines, at Winnipeg, for the training of their pilot personnel. It is the "Link Trainer" and resembles a miniature plane, but contains all the dials and gadgets necessary to get the pilot's fullest reaction to instrument and beam flying. Every pilot in the service will undergo periodical and regular sessions in the Link Trainer.

Picture No. 1 shows the Link Trainer and the hood which folds down over the pilot's head. No.2 shows the pilot seated at the controls with his head phone ready to catch the radio beam signals. No. 3 shows the operator watching the mechanical "crab' which faithfully records on a chart every movement the pilot makes in his "trip" over any specified territory. Through the telephone the instructor can check quickly with the pilot. In the centre is the Trans Canada Air Lines "Flying Maple Leaf" which appears on the nose of all company machines.

(We would reproduce the article, but the photos are of poor quality - eds)

An air rally, sanctioned by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, has teams competing for prizes based on pilot skills flying the 8,000-mile route.

The airplanes launched from the Greek island of Crete on Nov. 13 and are scheduled to reach Cape Town in mid-December. The route follows the 1930's era route flown by Imperial Airways, one of the early airlines that eventually led to the formation of British Airways.

Participating aircraft include Travel Airs, Tiger Moths and a Bu 131 Bucker Jungmann.

(source AVWEB)

The first and second flying Concorde prototypes made their first flight on February 28th, 1968 from Toulouse, France and in August 1968 from Filton, U.K. respectively.

The Farnborough Air Show in the U.K. has come and gone again, with an estimated $123.9 billion worth of orders and options recorded over the five day event.

FIA’s own press release breaks this down as 856 aircraft at $93.98 billion, 1407 engines at $22.7 billion and a variety of “other business deals” totaling £7.2 billion.

Here we have this photo of the A380 landing at Farnborough July 25th, 2016.

Terry Baker, co-founder of the NetLetter scours the internet for aviation related Trivia and Travel Tips for you, our readers, to peruse.

Société Aircalin, also known as Air Calédonie International, is a French airline and is the international airline of New Caledonia. It currently operates A330-200, A320 and Twin Otter aircraft. From its base in Noumea it flies to Tokyo, Osaka, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Auckland, and pacific island destinations.

(Don’t even think about it, Calin Rovinescu is President and CEO of Air Canada. – eds)

Air Manitoba timetable
effective April 28th, 1986.

From the collection
of Bjorn Larsson.

Loganair timetable
effective October 2nd 1984.

From the collection
of David Zekria.

Loganair Limited is a Scottish regional airline founded in 1962, with its registered office on the grounds of Glasgow International Airport in Paisley, Renfrewshire. Its tag line is Scotland's Airline.

The world's shortest passenger service - Loganair's 1.5nm hop from Westray to Papa Westray using a Britten-Norman Islander, which takes 47 seconds,with the right wind, by 2016 had flown its millionth passenger.

'Ladies and gentlemen. Just to inform you that we will have a slight delay with our catering today. . ">

Photograph taken at Minneapolis St Paul International.No one was seriously hurt in the incident.