We have welcomed 240 new subscribers so far in 2022.

We wish to thank everyone for your support of our efforts.

Back issues of The NetLetter are available in both the original newsletter format and downloadable PDF format.

We invite you to visit our website at www.thenetletter.net/netletters to view our archives.

Restoration and posting of archive issues is an ongoing project. We hope to post every issue back to the beginning in 1995.

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.

Please feel free to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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

Thanks!

Vancouver Island Christmas Lunch

Monday, December 5, 2022
Tapestry at Victoria Harbour,

777 Belleville Street, Victoria.
Noon to 1:00 pm - mix and mingle.
1:00 pm - lunch is served.

Set menu lunch - $25 for member or member's spouse/partner.
$30 for non-members.

Annual Pionairs Conference and Annual General Meeting 

Calgary, May 4, 2023. www.Pionairs.ca for the latest updates

Pierre Gillard of the Quebec Aerospace Museum sent us this photo of C-FNVV A320-211 c/n 404 fin # 416 visiting Montreal Saint-Hubert airport (YHU) on September 9, 2022.

Editors' Note: That aircraft is currently in AC Jetz sports team charter configuration. It was delivered to Canadian Airlines February 8, 1994, the last of their 13 A320's.

Click the link below for a photo of the aircraft in its final CP livery at YYZ June 2000, one of the relatively few aircraft that made it into the 'Proud Wings' livery.

www.airliners.net/photo/Canadian-Airlines/Airbus-A320-211/605640/L

Dave Michaelis sent in the following:

Came across this beautiful presentation of a TCA portable Stanley thermos protected with a wonderful Canadian made carrying case.

Wondering if anyone could tell me what years and aircraft type they were used on?

Cheers,

Dave Michaelis

Aron Charad sent this article to the Computer & System Services (C&SS) YUL retirees, which we hope will bring back memories for those who worked in the computer rooms of the company.

There is a group on Facebook called Vintage Mainframe Enthusiasts.

This was a recent post, and a few of the comments. It did bring back memories of the 70's.

POST: "I’m young. My dad used to take me to work with him in downtown LA. He worked an IBM 360/370. I miss the smell of IBM cards and oil and isopropyl alcohol and tapes.

The smell of a computer room from the 70's....... I’m only 56. I was like 5 or so when dad used to take me to work. I will always remember the smell of the IBM 129 Keypunch. He made sure I was kept busy or else I would be on the console. The sounds of the computer room....the tape vacuums. Watching the paper get misaligned and paper all over the floor. LOL! "

COMMENT 1: "I have very fond memories of my many hours in computer rooms. Those were millions-dollars machines and to be trusted with them was a very heady experience. Combination locks on the doors and then electronic badge access way before that was commonplace, special air conditioning and fire suppression systems, and the constant activity of tapes and printers was always exciting. Even at 04:30 in the morning!"

Doug Olson: "This person must have been one of us. My memories exactly."

Peter Webster: "I remember taking a whole box of 5081 (is that the right number?) cards to feed into the model 20 just when Don Maple, the boss, came by and sure enough, I flubbed it and the cards went everywhere! Don just smiled and went on. Seems like centuries ago. "

Peter Bayfield: "Oh, those wonderful memories. The sound of the ‘burster’ and the ‘waterfall collator’ at 4 AM……or the sound of a card jam on the 083 - 1000 card/minute sorter."

Doris Ipeelee remembers meeting a pilot years ago and asking them if they thought she too, could fly a plane one day.

"He said yes, of course, and ever since then I've grabbed onto that and I've always wanted to be a pilot," Ipeelee said.

She was seven years old at that fateful meeting. Now, after graduating from flight school and going through nearly two months of rigorous training with Calm Air, the Inuk pilot from Iqaluit is looking forward to flying in her home territory.

"When Calm Air offered me the job, I started crying so much because I was so excited to have the opportunity to land in Iqaluit, but also landing all over small communities."

This winter, Ipeelee will start flying in Nunavut. Her inaugural flight is still a couple months off, said Jan McNish, the chief pilot for Calm Air, but the airline is as pleased with the hire as Ipeelee is.

McNish said the airline has been recruiting pilots for the past year due to industry shortages. Ipeelee had been working for another company in Saskatchewan when her name popped up and McNish decided to reach out to her.

"She has a very good presence about her — a strong aura," McNish said, adding the airline looks for people who are ambitious and have a great attitude.

Source: www.CBC.ca

Air Canada Announces Bolloré Logistics as First Cargo Customer to Join Leave Less Travel Program

Air Canada announced today that Bolloré Logistics has become the first Air Canada Cargo customer to join the Leave Less Travel Program, which offers corporate and cargo customers effective options to offset or reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to business travel or freight transportation, and reduce their carbon footprint.

Bolloré Logistics has agreed to compensate a significant portion of its GHG emissions associated with its projected shipments with Air Canada Cargo with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) which represents a purchase of 620,000 litres in 2022. This participation in Air Canada's Leave Less Travel Program will enable Bolloré Logistics to reduce its Scope 3 GHG emissions.

Two of the eight recipients of the Elsie MacGill award for 2022 are:

• Business Award – Arielle Meloul-Wechsler (pictured), Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer and Public Affairs
• Flight Operations Award – Kim Winsor, Air Canada training captain.

Source: www.WingsMagazine.com

Posted on facebook by Cort Benson on July 29, 2022.

Photo from Monique Maurice.

Flight Attendant class April 1964.

Issue dated mid-summer 1948

The inauguration of North Star service on TCA's transcontinental airways.

The occasion was an important one. And it was suitably marked for posterity. Highlights were a pre-inaugural Montreal to Vancouver flight of prominent Canadians, the exchange of inter-city goodwill messages, presentations of corsages, boutonnieres and a ten-gallon hat, luncheons and receptions, enthusiastic comments by newsmen and an unexpected cold champagne shower in Chicago.

The pre-inaugural flight left Montreal bound for Vancouver on May 28, 1948.

En route it stopped to fill its passenger complement of civic government and Board of Trade officials (from Toronto, Hamilton, Winnipeg and Calgary), leading Canadian newspapermen and TCA officials.

Westbound, the crew were Captain Al Edwards, Captain Art Rankin, Stewardess "Billy" Houseman and Purser Steward Bill Grant.

In Calgary, Captain Art Rankin, Flight Operations Superintendent, Western Region is presented with a ten gallon hat by Mayor Watson of Calgary, when the pre-inaugural transcontinental flight stopped there.

Eastern Region Traffic Manager, J. G. Maxwell watches from the far left; W. R. Campbell, Central Region Traffic Manager, is on the steps third from left; the Stewardess is "Billy" Houseman; and Calgary District Traffic and Sales Manager, J. F. Burritt, third from right, looks on from the rear.

Found in 'Horizons' magazine

Issue dated May 1979 

London, England staff meets the board.

The company's Board Of Directors met in London, England for the first time outside of Canada and took the opportunity of touring our facilities at Heathrow (LHR).

During the visit they had lunch with some of the staff. Catering was provided by the company's flight kitchen.

In the photo, from left to right are: Finbarr Quinn, Sales Manager, Birmingham; Norman Ings, Administration Service Manager, U.K. & Ireland; Fred Warwick, General Foreman, Aircraft Line Maintenance, Heathrow; Dr. Lorna Marsden, Director; Jack Morath, Baggage Service Supervisor. Heathrow; Frank Smith, Cargo Sales & Service Manager, U.K. & Ireland and Geno F. Francolini, Director.

Thomas Kim posted the photo below (circa 1980's) on Facebook in October.

Those who remember being able to park on the roof of Terminal 1 in Toronto (YYZ) for airplane watching will recognize the view. 

In the foreground are three CP Air aircraft, a DC-8 and B-727 parked at gates, and another B-727 on pushback. In the background are cargo facilities with the Air Canada '747' hangar in the distance. A Wardair B-747 is just visible exiting the hangar; Wardair rented hangar space from AC at the time.

Editors' Note: The DC-8-43 in the photo, CF-CPF/C-FCPF, was CP's first DC-8, delivered February 22, 1961. Originaly named Empress of Vancouver, then Empress of Rome, and briefly before retirement in late 1981, Empress of Santiago. Sold to a long-defunct Colombian cargo carrier for spare parts. 

Below are CP Air poster (left) and a timetable cover (right) found at vintageairliners.com  

From the 'CP Air News' magazine. 

Issue dated March 1976

VIP Aircraft - A Boeing 707 of the People's Republic of China waits in CP Air's hangar at Vancouver for a flight to Los Angeles recently.

The aircraft arrived from Peking to fly former U.S. President Richard Nixon and Mrs. Nixon to China for an eight day visit in February.

Nearing Completion - Two new simulators due for delivery later this year undergo tests at the CAE Electronics Ltd. test centre in Montreal.

The two pieces of equipment, a Boeing 747 simulator in the foreground and a Boeing 727 will join two other company owned simulators, a DC-8 and Boeing 737, now installed at the recently-completed training building at the YVR Operations Centre. Cost of the new simulators is $6 million,

How the Spruce Goose was Moved to Oregon

Posted on YouTube by Peter Dibble, the video linked below chronicles the journey of the legendary 'Spruce Goose' from Long Beach, California to the Evergreen Aviation and Aerospace Museum at McMinnville, Oregon. 

Excerpt from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hughes_H-4_Hercules

The aircraft was transported by barge, train, and truck to its current home in McMinnville, Oregon (about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Portland), where it was reassembled by Contractors Cargo Company and is currently on display.

The aircraft arrived in McMinnville on February 27, 1993, after a 138-day, 1,055-mile (1,698 km) trip from Long Beach.

Expanded Canada-India Air Transport Agreement to allow unlimited flights between both countries.

From visiting friends and family to getting goods to markets around the world, Canadians rely on the aviation industry to provide diverse international air services. Expanding Canada’s existing air transport relationships allow airlines to introduce more flight options and routings, which benefit passengers and businesses by providing greater choice and convenience.

The Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra announced on November 14, 2022 the recent conclusion of an expanded air transport agreement between Canada and India. The expanded agreement allows designated airlines to operate an unlimited number of flights between the two countries. The previous agreement limited each country to 35 flights per week.

This significant move will allow airlines of Canada and India to better respond to the needs of the Canada-India air transport market. Going forward, officials of both countries will remain in contact to discuss further expansion of the agreement.

The new rights under the expanded agreement are available for use by airlines immediately.

More info at:
www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2022

Name this propeller aircraft – 

Answer below in Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips

Delta Air Lines has pledged an “upfront equity investment” of $60 million to Joby Aviation as part of the airline’s commitment to “home-to-airport transportation service” for its customers.

Starting with its New York and Los Angeles markets, Delta called the link-up with Joby a “first-of-its-kind arrangement” in which the companies will work together to offer “the opportunity to reserve a seat for seamless, zero-operating-emission, short-range journeys to and from city airports when booking Delta travel.” 

Source: AVWeb.com 

October 2022, Canada Post released the second instalment of its Canadians in Flight stamps, an issue that celebrates the people, planes and technology that have allowed Canada’s reputation for innovation to soar.

The five-stamp set commemorates ground-breaking female pilot, legendary bush plane and three innovators who changed aviation.

Source: canadianaviationnews.wordpress.com

Violet Milstead (1919-2014).

One of Canada’s first female bush pilots, Toronto-born Vi Milstead instructed at Toronto’s Barker Field before signing up with Britain’s Air Transport Auxiliary during the Second World War. The civilian organization ferried military aircraft between factories and front-line squadrons.

Over 28 months, Milstead logged more than 600 hours in 47 types of aircraft, including massive, multi-engine bombers. Following the war, she moved to Sudbury, Ont., where she flew as a bush pilot and also instructed.

More Info:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violet_Milstead

The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver.

The Beaver is considered the best bush plane ever built and was named one of Canada’s top 10 engineering achievements of the 20th century.

The all-metal plane’s short takeoff and landing capability – along with its ability to be fitted with wheels, floats or skis – made the Beaver ideal for accessing and connecting remote areas of the country.

More info: 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Canada_DHC-2_Beaver

Kenneth Patrick (1915-2002) and the CAE flight simulator.

New Brunswick’s Kenneth Patrick, a former Royal Canadian Air Force officer, introduced simulator technology to Canada through CAE Inc. (then Canadian Aviation Electronics Ltd.), the company he founded in 1947.

By the 1980's, CAE had developed a simulator so realistic it was no longer necessary for all flight training to be completed on actual aircraft. Today, air travel is the safest mode of transportation, in part because commercial pilots train in simulators – most produced by CAE Inc.

More info: www.cae.com/news-events

Wallace Rupert Turnbull (1870-1954) and the variable pitch propeller.

This Saint John, New Brunswick native was a pioneering aeronautical engineer who developed the variable pitch propeller.

The device allowed pilots to adjust the pitch, or angle, of propeller blades in flight as easily as one would change gears in a manual car. This improved the aircraft’s efficiency.

More info:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace_Rupert_Turnbull

Wilbur R. Franks (1901-86) and the G-suit.

Dr. Franks, born in Weston, Ontario, developed the world’s first anti-gravity suit used in combat, during the Second World War.

The rubber suit, which he personally tested and was also known as the Franks Flying Suit, was lined with water-filled pockets that created enough hydrostatic pressure to counter strong gravitational (G) forces.

 More info: 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilbur_R._Franks

Air Transat - 35th anniversary

I recently received a Simple Flying newsletter recognizing Air Transat's 35th anniversary. I confess that I have never flown on Air Transat but I have interacted with their maintenance staff on several occasions.

At the end of my career, working in Vancouver expedite, Air Canada had a fleet of six A330-300's and we were considered to be the A330 base so we usually had at least one overnight for an 'A' check. However, Air Transat actually had a larger fleet (at least twelve at the time) and we frequently borrowed or purchased parts from them. 

Whether dealing with their main base in Dorval or Vancouver, it was always a pleasure to contact them. They could not have been more friendly, professional and cooperative.

Air Transat was founded by the current Premier of Quebec, François Legault (and partners) and made its inaugural flight on November 14, 1987 from Montreal to Acapulco with an L-1011 leased from Air Canada. I cannot confirm the aircraft but fleet history shows that C-FTNC (AC fin # 503) was leased in November 1987.  

I have always thought that Air Transat filled the niche travel market vacated by the acquisition of Wardair by Canadian Airlines. During its 35-year history the Canadian aviation industry has seen several airlines come and go, however, Air Transat has remained consistent and has performed strongly in its market.

It was named the World's Best Leisure Airline at the 2021 Skytrax World Airline Awards.

As per PlaneSpotters.net it currently operates a fleet of 27 aircraft, 16 A321's and 11 A330's, with an average age of 10.7 years. It seems to be in very good shape for the future.

C-FTNC Air Transat L-1011 Tristar

Photo by Ken Fielding

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

Answer to 'Name the aircraft' from 'Odds & Ends'.

The EMB-120 Brasilia is Embraer’s 30-seat twin-turboprop airliner. Embraer (Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S.A.) has its headquarters in Sao Jose dos Campos, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The EMB-120 first entered service in 1985 with Atlantic Southeast Airlines. 

More info:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embraer_EMB_120_Brasilia

The following photo of the former Trans World Airlines terminal at New York's JFK airport (now part of a hotel) dates from the 1970's. Was the terminal designed to resemble a stingray?

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_Center

Photo by Roland Arhelger

A ZOOM meeting with the Computer & Systems Services (C&SS) YUL retirees was held recently at which a dozen retirees enjoyed a lively banter of memories from their working days with the company, some of which would have turned upper management hair grey had they known.

However the computer operation was handled in a professional manner. The ZOOM was monitored by Aron Charad, courtesy of Shawn Goodin from Charlotte who worked with Aron at EDS. 

The group included Brian Swinburne, Eric Watt, Kathy and Doug Olsen, Debbie MacDonald who reported 10 inches of snow where she lived, Karl Eliason, Joe Mallory, Terry Baker, Jim Fitzmorris, Rick Ciszowski, Joe Richard and Kathie Upton.

Several archival photos of the retirees were shown during the session. 

Following up on the article in NetLetter #1496.

It was on August 1, 1930, that the British airship R-100 docked at Saint-Hubert airport after its epic 78 hour trans-Atlantic flight which covered 3,300 mi (5,300 km) at an average ground speed of 42 mph (68 km/h). The planning of the visit of the 720-foot-long (215-meter) airship had begun several years earlier.

The Canadian government funded the construction of the $1 million mooring mast at the time. Its construction was completed in 1928.

The facilities included a hydrogen production plant. The local and regional authorities had worked hard to make the visit a popular success. A train station had been specially fitted out on Guy Street in Montreal for this event. On Saturday, August 2 alone, nearly 150,000 people took the train to see the R-100.

The airship suffered damage during the Atlantic crossing so it remained in Saint-Hubert until August 8. When it returned to England, extensive damage was observed to the structure of the R-100. A sister airship, the R-101, crashed in France in October the same year. This led the British government to cancel its airship program and the R-100 was scrapped.

Nearly half a million people came to see the R-100 in the fields of Saint-Hubert.

Considering the limited means of transport at the time, this was an exceptional public event and Canada’s biggest aviation event. More importantly, the arrival of the R-100 allowed the establishment of the Saint-Hubert airport, which was officially opened in 1929. Today, it ranks as the oldest airport in Canada in continuous service.

Source: Quebec Aerospace Museum

Posted by David Pekrul on CP Air Employees Facebook page

"I wrote this a few years ago. Does this situation sound familiar to anyone?"

Airport Blues

I work for an airline and travel for free,
It gives me such pleasure and fills me with glee.
They say I am lucky to have all these perks,
To travel the world and see all it's quirks.
I plan my vacation and do all my packing,
I book my hotel and nothing is lacking.
I go to the airport to wait for my ride,
I'm feeling contented and happy inside.
But the clerk says they're busy and all flights are full,
(An employee on standby, without any pull.)
At the gate I now sit, just hoping to board,
At the end of the line and I pray to the Lord.
I watch all the passengers board one by one,
And I'm waiting in torment; it's really no fun,
Then a person I know, an employee named Bea,
Is invited on board and I wish it were me.
The gate is now empty and everyone's gone,
The clerk says they're full; how I hate that old song.
I travel for free, but didn't get far,
I vacation once more at the "Old Airport Bar".
I work for an airline and travel for free…………