Terry, Wayne, Ken and Alan wish all of our subscribers a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2019. We are hoping to expand our services in 2019 to include a rebuilt ACFamily Network and the official opening of the Canadian Aviation Network.

Thanks for all the positive feedback, photos and stories that have been submitted in the last few years. Your feedback is what keeps us going. We now have 4,330 subscribers.

The NetLetter Gang

The Hangar Flight Museum has been fundraising in order to restore its CF-100 Canuck. If the Museum is able to reach its goal of $82,000 by 31 December 2018, the City of Calgary will commit to donating $242,000 to this worthy initiative. The Hangar Flight Museum has reached over 80% of its goal, having raised $60,000 so far. Thank you to everyone who has supported this project! But we still have a ways to go!

Why is this project so important? This exact CF-100 has been in Alberta for the past 63 years. It was moved with No. 3 Operational Training Unit to Cold Lake on 22 May 1955. Moved to the Calgary Centennial Planetarium in 1973, it was placed on outdoor display by the city. It has been outdoors since then which has resulted in the weather, combined with the materials a CF-100 is made of, causing this plane to degrade over time.

This important piece of Albertan and Canadian history needs to be preserved for the enjoyment and education of future generations. Hence, we are fundraising to complete a full restoration process. Please help us reach our $82,000 goal by 31 December 2018 so we can take advantage of the City of Calgary's generous offer to contribute as well. Please DONATE NOW to save this plane!

On the occasion of 2018 International Women’s Day, on March 8, 2018, several Star Alliance member airlines operated all-female crew flights.

In this photo, Air Canada has this crew, but no identifications, unfortunately.

For Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa and SWISS all-female crews took off to Berlin. Also, several SAS flights were in the hands of women only, both in the cabin and flight deck. Air India flew from Delhi to San Francisco and to New York with an all-female crew. And Air Canada marked this year’s International Women’s Day with two special intercontinental flights operating with all female pilots and flight attendants and handled by female crews in boarding, ramp and specialized airport operations.

Ethiopian Airlines did not only celebrate International Women’s Day but also the inauguration of its Addis Ababa – Buenos Aires route. The inaugural flight was conducted by women only.

Source: portal.staralliance.com/employees/)

Shirlee Schacter sends this information and photos -

"The 18th Annual Friends of Front St. (FoFS) Reunion took place on Saturday, November 3, 2018, at Hooters on the Airport Strip in YYZ.

As usual, those who attended really enjoyed seeing their former colleagues from Computer & Systems Services (C&SS) and the chance to play catch up.

Always a good time with good friends, good food, good laughs (usually inspired by great reminiscing)!

Plans are to do it again in mid-October of 2019 for the 19th year!"

If you have some C & SS memorabilia that you would like to share could you please contact Shirlee Schacter who is working on putting together a “Book of Memories”. Shirlee can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it."

In the photos we have:

Group photo - names from left to right:

Frank Marando, John Chan, Shirlee Schacter, Jeannie Lindo, Bob Newson, Maija Johnson, Bashir Fancy, Willy Wang, Jackie Murdoch, Gary Johnson, Diane Knoefel, George Trussell, Russ Martin, Annie Matusiak, Kay Thacker, Liveen Richards, Brian Speed, Bruce Castator, Munro Smith, Kathy Dragert, Wayne Holmes, Beryl Smith, John Pallin, Rick Morris and Dale Meyer.

Here is the cover of the enRoute magazine issued June 2012.

(Source: enroute.aircanada.com/en/magazine/past-issues)

The new ACE Fly-in executive has wasted no time in getting down to work.

The 1984 Fly-in will be held on Saturday, June 23, 1984. In the event of rain, the date will be moved to Sunday, June 24. The site, along with further information, will be published at a later date.

The new executive consists of:

President: Bill Sanson.
Vice Presidents: P. Phillips, Captain G. Down.
Treasurer:  Captain B. Brennan.
Secretary: Wendy Traviss,  Flight Attendant.
Captain Ray Lank holds the position of Past President while Captain R.A.C. Dennis was named Honorary President.

The executive was elected for a two-year term.

On August 19, 1983 the ''Air Canada Montreal Amateur Radio Group” became a reality.

Back in the spring of 1982. a number of company Hams decided to establish a two-meter repeater facility which would be a local communications link with other airline-oriented 'Ham' employees.

Initial radio checks were made from the top of the 747 hangar at the Dorval Base. The test results were favourable and permission was granted the Company as well as Transport Canada to make use of this location as an antenna site.

A study by Communications Canada showed that there would be no interference to other communications services. Finally, on August 19, 1983 power was switched on and VE2RBI repeater became available for amateur use.

A retirement farewell.

Lewis Woolfrey and John Bennett of Malton Maintenance Base retired during 1984, and their fellow employees held a luncheon in their honour.

Lewis joined the company 31 years ago after serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force and has worked as a mechanic at Malton since then.

John started as a Janitor at the Dorval Base and then worked as an Aircraft Cleaner. He was later promoted to Lead Cleaner at Malton Base and has been with the company for 18 years.

Present at the luncheon were, from the left (standing):

Reg Vye, George Crate, Ted Wysocki, Tom Gardner, Stan Fowler, Jim Vanvlaenderen, Bill Lavers, Doug Hodgson, Lewis Woolfrey, John Bennett, Bill Strain. Jim Davenport, Lynn Zemsta, Bill Shipman, Lynn Cox, Bud Harris.

Kneeling from left:  George Waite, Jim Boutscos, Reg Williamson, Harry Biffen, Ken MacBride, Jack Critchley and Terry Hannon.

Issue dated September 1984.

Air Canada hosts interline party flight.

Air Canada flew 50 members of the London Heathrow Interline Club to Dusseldorf for the day. The interline group hosts regular activities and outings for employees of all the airlines serving Heathrow.

The day's party theme, based on the popular advertising campaign of "Flights so good, you won’t want to get off", put everyone in a jovial mood. The morning departure arrived in Dusseldorf in time for the city tour, courtesy of the Chamber of Commerce. A typical bierkeller lunch followed, and then it was time to return to the airport for the afternoon flight back to London. The photo shows the group of interliners - balloons and all - posed outside the plane before leaving Dusseldorf.

(Anyone remember being on this trip? eds)

T.C.A. Alumni meets.

A lively group of T.C.A. Alumni members gathered in St. Pete's Beach for the 13th annual meeting from October 1 to 3, 1984.

The Breckenridge Hotel was the scene of the festivities. Things got off for an early start with a breakfast hosted by the Alumni fashion show followed, presented by the Breckenridge.

Social Convener, Patti Gehlsen awarded 25 lucky members with door prizes. Then it was time to take care of business matters. Dorothy Millman gave the treasurer's report and elections were held for the Alumni officers for the next two years.

The new committee includes Jim Gehlsen, President; Malcolm MacDougall, Vice President; Sally MacDougall, Secretary/Treasurer; Paul Gehlsen, Social Convener and Helen Moore, Director.

The outgoing committee consisted of Frank and Dorothy Millman, Helen Moore, Jim and Patti Gehlsen and Jim Flack.

A warm starlight evening was the perfect setting for the final banquet. Following the meal, several prizes were awarded and Baldy Torrell won the 50-50 draw.

The Alumni executive thanks all those who attended and looked forward to everyone’s continued support.

Last CRJ flight operated by Air Canada.

It's April 30, 2006. Night is falling in Toronto. Flight AC1081 from St. Louis has taxied to the gate, making it the last Air Canada mainline flight operated with a Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ).

Air Canada took delivery of the first of (25) CRJ aircraft on Sept. 6.1994, in a ceremony held at the Farnborough International Air Show.

As part of Air Canada's growth strategy, the airline has added the EMBRAER 175 and EMBRAER 190 to its fleet and transferred its CRJs to Air Canada Jazz which operates a fleet of (25) CRJ-100, (33) CRJ-200s and (15) CRJ-705s on routes within Canada and the United States.

In our photo the employees who operated the last CRJ flight are (left to right):

Philippe Bouchard, Service Director; Dan Baz, Captain; Hugh Cressevich, First Officer and Marcia Legg, Flight Attendant.

Sydney inaugural.

The December 14 departure of Air Canada flight AC033 on board our new Boeing 777 marked the launch of the only daily non-stop flights between Canada and Sydney, Australia.

In this photo are, left to right:

Catherine Komell, Melanie Passman, Rick Pomery, Judith Metcalf, Jeannie Foster, Kessia Willis (Bear), Kay Russell, Neil Ford, Neil Westaway (Moose), Katina Egleoz and Simone Sticpewich,

Ten Toronto-based flight attendants formed a team, “Friends To The End”, to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay For Life, on a very stormy Friday in June 2007.

The CMWA – Canadian Maple Wings Association – (a wonderful group of retired Air Canada employees) generously donated $5,000.

With their help, the team of Cathy O’Connor, Holly Weller, Julie Vaillancourt, Joseph Benjamin, Tanya Basra, JP Deverteuil, Janine Deveaux, Karen Prinz, Pamela Baswick and Karen Roberts managed to raise over $11,000.

Air Canada Men's Soccer Club competes in Costa Rica Cup.

On May 4-5, 2007, the Air Canada Men's Soccer Club participated the Costa Rica Cup, an international airline soccer tournament in the Pacific Coast town of Jaco Beach, Costa Rica, southwest of San Jose.

The Air Canada Men's club competed in Pool Play against soccer teams from Costa Rica, SAS Copenhagen, Russia, and US Airways Miami. The Canada club record after four games was one win, one loss, and two ties.

The Air Canada team faced a tough group of teams in its pool and failed to advance to the final day of single-elimination play for the Costa Rica Cup. Better luck next year!

The 2009 edition of the tournament was held May 1-5, 2009 in Jaco Beach. To find out more about the tournament, visit their website at www.costaricacup.org.

(We have this photo, but no names, unfortunately - eds)

Issue December 2010/January 2011. (Used with permission)

When Denise Raymond, Administration Assistant YOW, read about the Air Canada float in the Calgary Stampede in Horizons, it got her thinking. Perhaps there was some way to get the float to Ottawa and modify it for Christmas so that it would have a spot in Ottawa’s “Help Santa Toy Parade.”

Marlene Pipella, General Manager, Customer Relations in Calgary, who in turn worked with Carin Brown, CSSA in Toronto, to organize the transportation of the aircraft portion of the float. Denise then asked her colleagues Mark Proulx, Mechanic, Mike Disalvo, Station Attendant, and CSSA's Jean Guilbault and Suzette Pilon to form a committee.

Together they determined “Destination North Pole” as the theme for the float. GSE provided space to store and decorate the float and colleagues along with family members turned out to decorate. José Rivero, Mechanic, and Mark Proulx rigged the tractor with power inverters providing light for the float and our newly Christmas-themed Air Canada float was sent off in style to the parade. 

• April 27: Air Canada is voted as Canada’s Most Trusted Airline in Reader’s Digest Canada’s annual “Most Trusted Brand” poll.
• May 20: Air Canada is named Best Airline North America international Skytrax Survey
• June 29: Air Canada wins 2010 Agents’ Choice Award for Favourite Scheduled Airline by Travel Press and Travel Courier
• July 8: Air Canada takes home the gold in Executive Travel magazine’s Leading Edge Awards readers’ survey with Best Airline for Flights to Canada award
• July 9: Air Canada’s float wins for Best Corporate Entry and Celebrity Choice Award at Calgary Stampede Parade.
• September 28: Air Canada wins Most Improved Airline of the Year award, and is the only North American airline short-listed for Top Airline in the World for Developing an Onboard Sales Culture award at annual ISPY on-board sales conference.
• October 5: Sanofi Pasteur honours Air Canada Cargo with an award recognizing the success of our cool chain process
• October 8: Air Canada is named Canada’s Preferred Airline by frequent business travellers in an Ipsos Reid survey.
• October 19: Air Canada ties for second place as Business Airline of the Year in the first edition of a new French travel award, Lauriers du Voyage d’affaires
• November 9: Aeroplan and Air Canada win Program of the Year Award at first annual Frequent Traveler Awards Program; we also take top honours in Airline Earning Promotion and Airline Redemption Promotion.
• November 22: Air Canada’s on Air e-zine wins gold for Best e-Newsletter at the seventh annual Pearl Awards in NYC
• December 1: Air Canada is voted North America’s Top Airline in an international survey of more than 25,000 readers of Global Traveler magazine.
• December 10: Air Canada wins five top honours in Business Traveler’s Best in Business Travel award program, the most first-place awards won by any airline in the world in the influential magazine’s annual reader survey.
  • Best Flight Attendants in North America.
  • Best In-Flight Service in North America.
  • Best North American Airline for Business Class Service.
  • Best North American Airline for International Travel.
  • Best Airline Web site.
• December 13: Air Canada is given one of only three coveted Star Alliance CEO Awards, recognizing our 2D barcode innovation and leadership contribution in the industry.

Air Canada Sings!

The news broke at noon on December 7, 2010 — Air Canada’s Glee Club, the Midways, was picked as a top 12 contender to perform on national television in Canada Sings!

'Canada Sings!' is a new reality show debuting in early 2011. It challenges Canadians to form singing groups with their co-workers with the goal of competing in a live sing-off style battle against a team from another workplace.

Meet your Midways! 

This star-studded group of 11 Toronto-based employees includes:

André Antoine, Lead CSA Cargo; Daniel Choi, CSA Cargo; Emilio Fin, Lead Station Attendant Cargo; Brian Florento, CSA Cargo; William Kent, Lead CSA Cargo; Eric Lozynsky, CSA Cargo; Mark Nelson, Manager, Inbound Baggage; Neil Parent, CSA Cargo; Henry Salazar, CSA Cargo; Darian Schouten, CSA Baggage and Matt Ulett, CSA Baggage.

Third part of Canadian Pacific history -

C.P.R. has done much to stabilize the costly and competitive '' bush country'' operations which have been a sore spot in Canada's aviation picture for many years.

Faced with ultimate transcontinental competition unless the Government should force a merger of the two railroad companies (an unlikely prospect), Trans-Canada is busy extending its services to Halifax and preparing to extend its Lethbridge-Edmonton route to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, junction point for air traffic in Alaska. The White Horse route will be opened early next year and the radio facilities will be complete sometime this year.

For some years the British have called attention to its so-called "Red Route," a proposed air service extending from the British Isles to Canada and westward over the Pacific to Australia. The "Red Route" would not touch the United States. But it seems clear that the dominating force in development of such a route will not be London, but Montreal, and the big force in Montreal is C.P.R.

An important factor in the expansion program is the expected immigration in Canada of ten million people from England and France after the war is over, doubling the country's population. Even in the midst of war, Canada seems more bent on preparing for future prosperity than on an all-out war effort.

C.P.R. is making up for lost time. It had wanted to launch the first Canadian transcontinental route but the Government pushed its own plans and invited C.P.R. to share 50-50 with it in the organisation of Trans-Canada. C.P.R. would not go along on this deal and the Government assumed complete ownership of Trans-Canada through its railway, Canadian National.

(Source: Financial Times Archives - 1941)

(Final part is in NetLetter #1406 -eds)

Found in the PWA Reunion web site -

October 20, 2018, from the desk of Captain Terry Champion (retired) 'Jack Johnson's Jenny'.

To the Alumni People of Pacific Western Airlines and Canadian Airlines International.

This authentic 1918 Curtiss JN-4D ‘Jenny’ was the oldest airworthy aircraft in Canada when it last flew in 2009. It was built by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company in Buffalo, New York, in May 1918.

During the First World War it was stationed in Waco, Texas and was used for training pilots. After the war it was owned and flown in Uruguay by a Hungarian pilot who had flown for Germany during the war. In 1929 he put the Jenny into storage at his shop in downtown Montevideo, where it sat until discovered by an American missionary in 1971 and then repatriated to the United States. Unable to complete the restoration process, he sold it in 1977 to Captain Jack Johnson (retired). After 21 years of painstaking work, Jack’s Jenny took to the skies again on July 16, 1998.

The aircraft shown here is 100 years old and is an original, not a replica. The owner, Capt. Jack Johnson, retired Pacific Western Airlines pilot, has graciously donated this valuable aircraft to the Alberta Aviation Museum in Edmonton. This very welcome addition to the Museum's collection was not expected at this time so the Museum has no budget to develop the appropriate display space required.

We are asking former employees of PWA and Canadian Airlines to help fund this worthy aviation history project. The museum is also seeking funding for this project and discussions are being considered for that organization to make matching funds to our contributions. Any funds left over will be used to enhance other displays in the historic Alberta Aviation Museum WW2 hangar. Please mail your cheque to the museum and designate your donation to "Jack Johnson's Jenny:" Alberta Aviation Museum 11410 - Kingsway Edmonton AB T5G 0X4 OR credit and debit cards will be accepted at (780) 451-1175. Tax receipts will be issued for the full amount. Your contributions made through the airline alumni group will be appropriately recognized and incorporated into the Jenny display.

Thank you, Captain Terry Champion, (Retired)

Update: Total raised as of Nov 2, 2018. $2,925.00. Terry Champion advised the generosity of the PWA Alumni has been overwhelming however the plans and budget to build the Jenny display have been modified to reflect revised donation targets. Terry and the Alberta Aviation Museum pass on their thanks and are very encouraged by the generosity and support for this program.

(Source: http://www.pwareunion.com/)

NetLetter proofreader, Ken Pickford, sends in some facts regarding Vancouver International Airport:

1. The original Moray Bridge, now eastbound only.
2. The "Sea Island Connector" just north of the Moray bridge that opened in 2002 carrying westbound traffic to Sea Island.
3. The "Dinsmore Bridge" well to the south that opened in 1969.
4. The "No. 2 Road Bridge" a little further south that opened 1993.

Doug Keller sent in this link to this very good quality video of vintage aircraft:

'I discovered this video on YouTube today. Lots of vintage airliners that seem to be mostly TCA/Air Canada and CPA. Also a short clip starting a 4:18 of Wardair’s 727 which Wayne wrote about in the #1370 Netletter.'

Regards,

Doug Keller

In "Odds and Ends" section of NetLetter #1403 was an article regarding the planned C-47 flying to Normandy in France during 2019 to celebrate 75 years D-Day anniversary.

Roger Slauenwhite sends this information:

If you go to website thatsallbrother.org/ you will find much info on this historical effort concerning the great C-47/DC-3. TCA sure operated many DC-3's. I've flown on them, and they are still flying today.

Roger Slauenwhite

Air France-KLM’s new CEO Ben Smith is said to be contemplating the future of Joon—the LCC hybrid sister airline to Air France launched by Smith’s predecessor—while considering plans to boost the airline group’s profitability.

(Source: ATWDaily News - December 1, 2018)

Air France has appointed Anne Rigail as its new CEO, taking over from Air France-KLM Group CEO Benjamin Smith who temporarily led the French unit following the resignation of Franck Terner in September.

(Source: ATWDaily News - December 12, 2018)

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

In NetLetter #1335, we gave a source for baggage information at www.seatguru.com and other airline info at
www.seatguru.com/browseairlines/browseairlines.php and now we received this message from Andrea -

I noticed you have a link to SeatGuru on your site and so I figured you’d be interested in hearing about our site Upgraded Points which your visitors may also find useful.

Here’s the link - upgradedpoints.com

We publish a huge number of ways to save money on air travel; from tips/tricks for finding cheap airfare to the best ways to maximize credit card rewards and even fly for free. 

We launched in 2016 and the site has been going strong attracting nearly 10k subscribers and industry acclaim from the likes of Huffington Post, Fortune, Tripsavvy, Vice and many more.

Thank you in advance.

Andrea 

KD Air founded in 1990 operating Vancouver, Qualicum Beach, Tofino, Gillies Bay, Port Alberni. Fleet is a Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain, Piper PA-31-310 Navajo and a Piper PA-32-260 Cherokee Six. 

Here is a timetable issued May 2008 from the collection of Bjorn Larsson. 

(Source: kdair.com)