"The Sky's No Limit - Girls Fly Too" is a free event by the Achieve Anything Foundation.

Date: Saturday & Sunday March 9-10, 2019.
Time: 09:00 - 17:30.
Location: Abbotsford International Airport.

Come out to this epic event and help inspire future female leaders in Aviation, Aerospace, Marine and Defence.

Volunteers are required for this event. Apply today.

www.girlsfly2.ca/volunteer

There's a buzz at Air Canada’s Montreal headquarters.

As part of Air Canada's ongoing commitment to creating a better environment, the airline has extended a helping hand to bees, which are a vital part of our ecosystem.

At the end of June 2018, two beehives were installed behind the parking lot at Air Canada's Montreal headquarters in partnership with Alvéole, a Canadian company that is raising awareness of the importance of bees. 

The two beehives house roughly 100,000 bees and Air Canada employees will be able to take part in workshops on how to be a beekeeper and, this fall of 2018, on how to harvest the honey.

(Source: aircanada.com)

Air Canada and Chorus Aviation agree on revised long-term CPA.

A revised capacity-purchase agreement (CPA) with Air Canada gives Chorus Aviation long-term stability for its Jazz Aviation regional feeder and boosts the company’s effort to diversify revenue streams by increasing its leasing income.

(Source: ATW Daily News, February 4, 2019)

In NetLetter #1392 under Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips, we had an article from Joe Axline called "Project Freedom", and his living quarters inside a modified aircraft.

Joe as sent us some photos of the construction work involved.

Here we have some photos of the work required for the support columns.

Each of the support column for the airplane goes 20 feet deep to get past the rice fields soil here. One in front and two in the back.

In the front the column is topped off with a 5 ft by 5 ft by 5 ft cement with bolts 3 feet long connected to the rebar in the column.

In the back the column is topped off with a 5 ft by 11 ft by 5 ft cement with bolts 3 feet long connected to the rebar in the column.

In total there was 25 cubic yards of cement. It was an exciting day of work.

During the installation of closed cell foam the outside temperature was around 80 degrees. The skin of the aircraft is about 115 degrees. When the spraying started the temperature would go over 200 degrees and then within seconds would go down to below 50 degrees, the ultimate temperature was around 59 degrees.

Very interesting process and temperature change.

If you have any ideas let Joe know. Email is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Alan Beardmore has this information -

Flight 26 August 26, 1955.

TCA's red and silver Viscounts have become familiar as the changing Canadian airline scene.

This aircraft, the fifth to enter service, was photographed at Lakehead airport, Lake Superior which serves Fort William and Port Arthur.

(Source: Facebook.com)

(CF-TGM fin 605 c/n 50 delivered March 30, 1955 sold to Air Inter March 3, 1964 re-registered F-BMCH written off October 27, 1972 Mt. Pic Du Picon. - eds)

Issue dated November 1984.

Halifax retirement seminar.

A total of 36 employees and spouses from nine of the ten stations in Atlantic Canada turned out for a two-day preretirement seminar held at the Nova Scotian Hotel in Halifax.

Participants in the Halifax seminar are shown, back row, from the left: Dick and Mary Gormley, Fredericton; Adolphe Cormier, Stephenville; Neta and Alfred Grono, Joyce and Arnold Burris, and Jim Turner, all of Halifax; Everett Kenny, Gander; Ford Himmelman and Hedley Smith, Halifax; Stu Day, Yarmouth; Eldon Richardson, Saint John; Evelyn and Vic Ward, Moncton; Shirley and Irv Mackie, Halifax.

Middle row, from the left, are: Virginia Dowling, Sydney; Shirley Lugrin, Saint John; Adrianne and George Landry, Moncton; Ray and Edith Head, Gander; Brenda Himmelman, Shirley Smith, Christina Kenny, Theresa and Bob Anderson, all of Saint John; Gerald and Pat Keily, Gander; Bride and Ron Thomey, Gander.

Front row, from the left, are: Carl and Kathleen Nelson, Maxine and Ed Sheppard, Halifax.

Issue dated January 1985.

Bombay and Singapore cargo staff meet.

Sales and cargo agents from Bombay had an opportunity to meet their counterparts in Singapore on a recent visit.

While there, sales staff attended sessions in reservations and ticketing procedures and cargo employees underwent intensive training on the acceptance and handling of dangerous cargo.

Admiring the view from the 11th storey terrace of the Air Canada sales office in the Singapore Airlines building are, from the left: Cargo Officers Godfrey DSouza and Peter Rhubottom; Janki Mehta, Senior Customer Service Officer; Customer Service Officers Sheila Fernandes, Smiti Haldipur, Aruna DSouza, Vibha Bawa and Denis Crasto, Cargo Officer.

Transfer by Cessna.

There are times when airline operations are far from routine, and improvisation is called for, often at a moment's notice.

Such was the case when our flight crew in Zurich were needed to work the Paris-Zurich portion of Flight 870. As no convenient scheduled flight was available, a Cessna 401 was chartered to get them to their plane on time.

In Paris the crew posed for a photo in front of the Cessna and the Zurich-bound B -747.

Shown from the left are: the pilot of the Cessna; Captain Moe Labine; First Officer Ron Hudson; Second Officer Ron Tretsell; Flight Attendant Ingrid Bobzin; Purser George Brabant; Flight Attendant Elizabeth Mclaughlin and Flight Service Director Andre Claude. 

The moment everyone was waiting for - Santa and his elves arrive in Toronto.

To welcome Santa and the elves were, from the left: Suzanne Trumpour, Tina Farrugia, Gail Downard, Jane Stoddard, Tony Waterfall (the bearded fellow), Angela Diedrick, Chris Dale, Dawn Moreau and Linda Haywood.

 "Our people make our personality" was the theme of a 1984 campaign launched at St. John's.

The three-month program, prepared by Bob Osadchy, Manager, Newfoundland, and Bob Horsman, Passenger and Reservations Sales Manager, St. John's, was aimed at reminding the Newfoundland travelling public of the professionalism and experience of Air Canada employees.

The ads featured six photos of employees working at different jobs, and highlighted their combined length of service with the company. "Over 42 years in Newfoundland, our people have built a reputation for getting you where you want to go".

"We're proud of our reputation and we're proud of each other" the ad copy emphasized. The six airport employees in the photo share a total of 83 years of company experience.

They are, from the left: Charlie Fowler, Passenger Agent; Jed Long, Station Attendant; Janice Brien, Passenger Agent; Bob Halliday, Customer Service Supervisor; Bill Thorne, Station Attendant and Bill Hand, Customer Service Supervisor.

Below are a few Pacific Western Airlines Passenger Ticket / Baggage Check coupons.

(Source: from the personal collection of Gklavas Athanasios)

First corporate cup - CP AIR dominates! Until noon! Extracted from a report by Mike Evans.

Action B.C. supported by the Provincial Government Ministry of Health sponsored the first British Columbia Corporate Cup of Athletics at Swangard Stadium May 19, 1979.

The Corporate Cup consisted of 10 running and throwing events ranging from a six mile team run to a softball throw relay and superstars obstacle course.

CP Air's team average was 36 years and represented CP Air's ethnic mix of employees with the following countries of birth: Canada 3; New Zealand 1; Australia 1; China 1; UK 2.

CP Air's strength lay in the men's distance team and in the women’s events.

Off to a good start with leading in four events with a superb run in the 6 mile race by Wiggs, placed fourth in the ladies event and by Sierpina (11th), Dunn (25th) and Schlichtling (26th) in the men's event. This was good for second place.

CP Air's team took the lead with a 6th place in the women's relay by (Wiggs, Read, Walker) and 5th place in the mixed relay (Wiggs, Walker, Schlichtling and Evans).

However advancing years took their toll despite more points in the sprint and athletic events, our master' relay team (Dunn, Carr, Read) we gradually slipped to finish 10th overall.

In our group photo we have -

Back row: Paul Carr, Tony Dunn, Fred Zaph, Mike Evans and Patty Walker.

Front row: Marie Read, Stan Sierpina, Gunter Schlichtling and  Winnie Wiggs.

Anthony Di Buono sends us this correction regarding the crew with the Pope John Paul II flight mentioned in NetLetter #1408 -

Greetings!

Nice to review that very momentous flight.The Purser was Anthony Di Buono, and not Anita Mielewczyk.

I worked with Nina Rossi and Maciejka Voss, in First Class. Anita Mielewczyk worked in economy class.

Thanks

We received this e-mail from Patrick Kessack regarding the "Cabbage Patch" incident at LHR on November 6, 1963 –

Terry,

I notice from your bio that you worked on the cabbage patch project in 1963. I was on duty on the night that the incident occurred working for TWA as a Ground Service Helper in those days. TWA had a daylight flight from JFK into LHR that also departed for FRA in the late evening, virtually coincident with the TCA flight also to FRA as I recall. The two aircraft usually departed almost simultaneously. On the night in question my colleagues and I had worked the flight and were awaiting TWA 702 departure. Once it was airborne and at the point of no return, we would get clearance from Ops to go off duty.

As we sat in the tearoom exchanging small talk we heard a heavy thud and one of our number said: “That's one gone in. That's the same sound as the Vulcan bomber a few years back. I was on duty that day. Definitely one gone in”. We all dashed outside as did our Ops Agents and the TCA Ramp guys all looking at each other wondering if it was TWA 702 or the TCA DC-8. Eventually the TCA Ops guys confirmed it was the TCA DC8. We offered help if it was needed but all seemed to be in hand.

The following morning I was on duty for the 0700 to 1530 shift and deliberately drove around the perimeter road on the way into work to take a look-see. I got quite a good view as I drove past and was quite surprised at how close it seemed to be to the roadway. I hadn't realized until reading your bio that the aircraft got repaired.

I remained with TWA at LHR until 1991 working my way through the ranks of GSH, Ops Agent, FIC, Supvr Ground Services, Supvr Passenger Services, and Manager Ground Services, the latter for 16 years with a 5 year spell as Manager Ground, Food and Aircraft Services. In 1991 with the sale by TWA of its LHR routes to American Airlines, I joined AA as just plain Manager Services under a transfer of undertaking arrangement. Since the job title seemed to allow, any department that the AA takeover team hadn't realized needed caring for got tacked under my line of responsibility. I stuck with it for 4.5 years until the first voluntary severance package came along and I took it, subsequently working for ASIG at LHR for 2 years and then British Midland for 10 years until retirement in 2008. Peter Baldry interviewed me for the BD job in December 1997.

Good old days and best wishes Terry,

Pat Kessack TWA/AA/ASIG/BD 1963 to 2008.

After responding to Patrick Kessack with my memories of the event, Patrick sent us this follow up information -

TWA had a similar incident at FRA with a B707-331 a few years later. The fuselage was cracked but they were able to fly it back to the USA unpressurised at low altitude for the subsequent repair job. It was still flying into the early 80s, tail number N766TW. My boss and I rode it JFK/STL en-route from LHR for a meeting. I didn’t tell him it was a cabbage patch repair until we arrived into STL. He was a nervous flyer who should have been a bank manager rather than an airport manager. His management philosophy was to lock everything up and throw away the key. PB says he should have been a bank manager at the North Pole. They both sat on the same AOC meetings in the 80s and had a little two and eight over de-icing assistance. PB got it resolved to his credit.

Best regards,

Pat Kessack

Ken Pickford offers the following clarification regarding Pat's statement:

"TWA had a daylight flight from JFK into LHR that also departed for FRA in the late evening, virtually coincident with the TCA flight also to FRA as I recall".

"Regarding the destination of the "Cabbage Patch" flight.

It was flight 861 to Montreal, not Frankfurt. AC didn't serve FRA until April 1966 in conjunction with dropping Dusseldorf. I recall a NetLetter item with photos of the last DUS and first FRA flights".

Ken

In NetLetter #1408 under "Terry's Trivia & Travel Tips" there was an article quoted from the "Parts and Pieces" magazine regarding the Viscount and Vanguard seating.

Ken Pickford sends us this information –

The Viscount and Vanguard had more than one configuration during their TCA/AC service. If not mistaken the Viscount started off as all F class with 44 seats (11 rows 4-abreast). A few years later they were changed to 2-class with 39 Y (5-abreast except last row 4-abreast), and 12 F class 4-abreast at the rear. Not sure but there may also have been an all-Y configuration with more than 51 seats. Some timetables show a mix of F/Y and all-Y Viscount services but not sure whether the all-Y flights may have had the same 12F/39Y configuration and they just sold the entire aircraft as Y on routes with little first class demand. I've always been curious about that. Some TCA old-timers more familiar with the Viscounts may know. The 48 seat configuration mentioned was the final Viscount layout when they reverted to 4-abreast but with one more row than the original 44-seat layout and were sold as all-Y class. The spacious 4-abreast seating but sold as Y class made the Viscounts a bit more competitive with the DC-9's in the last few years of Viscount Service.

The Vanguard started off with a very large F class cabin, almost half the capacity (46 F class 4-abreast and 50 Y class 5-abreast) for a total of 96 seats. With Y class becoming the dominant product, the F cabin was at some point reduced to 18 seats in the rear cabin plus 90 Y, total 108. TCA/AC Vanguards were nicer than those operated by British European Airways (the only other original Vanguard customer) as TCA/AC had more spacious 5-abreast seating in Y class while BEA's were 6-abreast and quite cramped.

The item referring to the Vanguard as being the first AC aircraft with more than 100 seats must be wrong. The Vanguard didn't go into service until early 1961 (and as mentioned only had 96 seats originally). The DC-8 had already been in service for almost a year by then with well over 100 seats. I would be very surprised if TCA operated their early DC-8's with fewer than 100 seats. It was probably closer to 130 or so.

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

Events being hosted by Interline Club of Portugal.

October 2 - October 5, 2019
Grande Festa 2019
Venue: Lamego (Porto Wine Douro Region). Departs from, and concludes in, Lisbon Portugal
Registration deadline August 01, 2019: Price TBA.

October 14 - October 18, 2019 
Passarola Tennis Cup Tournament
Venue: Vilamoura (Algarve). Departs from, and concludes in, Lisbon Portugal: Price TBA.

October 27 - October 31, 2019
52nd Annual General Assembly (AGA): The 2019 Interline Celebration
Boksburg (Johannesburg), South Africa: Price TBA.

Full details will be posted on www.waca.org/events when available.