Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter
Since 1995 Saturday, October 25, 2025
|
|
|---|
Top: Vesta Stevenson, Terry Baker & Alan Rust Bottom: Wayne Albertson, Ken Pickford & Bob Sheppard |
|
|---|
Dear Welcome to The NetLetter, established in 1995 as a dedicated newsletter for Air Canada retirees.
We have evolved into the longest running aviation-based newsletter for Air Canada, TCA, CP Air, Canadian Airlines and all other Canadian-based airlines that once graced the skies. The NetLetter is self-funded and is always free to subscribers. It is operated by a group of volunteers and is not affiliated with any airline or associated organizations. The NetLetter is published on the second and fourth weekend of each month. If you are interested in Canadian aviation history, and vintage aviation photos, especially as it relates to Trans-Canada Air Lines, Air Canada, Canadian Airlines International and their constituent airlines, then we're sure you'll enjoy this newsletter. Please note: We do our best to identify and credit the original source of all content presented. However, should you recognize your material and are not credited; please advise us so that we can correct our oversight. Our website is located at www.thenetletter.net Please click the links below to visit our archives and for more info about The NetLetter. |
|
|---|
 We have welcomed 126 new subscribers so far in 2025.
We now have 4526 subscribers.
We wish to thank everyone for the continuing support of our efforts.
|
|
 Many back issues of The NetLetter are available in both the original newsletter format and downloadable PDF format (this is an ongoing project).
|
|
|
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.
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 Interline Club
Splitsville Riverport: 16:00 - 18:00.
The Old Spaghetti Factory: 18:30 - 20:30.
14200 Entertainment Blvd, Richmond.
Click the image below for pricing and full details.
|
 |
|
|
|---|
|
Submitted by Bill Tate -
Reading NetLetter #1566 brought back some fond memories after reading CSSA Sue McAllister’s ramp story.
As a commuter from YOW, Sue and her colleagues took very good care of the Ottawa commuting pilots. Some of the names I can still remember - CSSA Peter Browne, CSSA Roger (sorry forgot his last name) and many others.
When the CL-65 started up in YOW there were three busy routes - Newark (EWR), Washington Dulles (IAD) and Chicago (ORD). There were a few issues dealing with the IAD route and Sue jumpseated down with me to IAD and quickly solved the issue with United.
It was fun working with Sue and, on her retirement, we surprised her at the counter with a bouquet of flowers to say thank you from the YOW commuting pilots.
Peter (off duty) jumpseated with me much later on an A320 Philadelphia Flyers late evening hockey charter from YOW to PHL. Peter was very helpful as we arrived back to YOW around 02:30 with no customs and a locked bridge door for which he had the code - we didn’t! After several phone calls to Canada Customs, they had to “deputize” a police officer at the airport so we could clear customs. Otherwise, we all would have gone back to the aircraft and waited until 06:00 when customs arrived for work!
As I was doing red eyes to Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO), Peter would always send the morning joke of the day by ACARS to us for our “early” morning humour before arrival into YYZ.
I have added some hyperlinks from the National Film Board that I recently discovered on YouTube. In Jet Pilot there is a very young-looking Captain Jean Gilbert who I enjoyed flying with on the L-1011 in YUL when I was a second officer.
The other two hyperlinks from the NFB show the TCA YWG maintenance overhaul facility for Rolls-Royce Merlin engines for the North Star and the introduction of the Viscount to TCA.
The last one is for our CP Air colleagues showing a very young Fred Davis doing a Transpacific flight in a DC-6B.
(Editors' Note: We have added the links to these videos in our 'Featured Videos' section.)
Seeing the story of Archie Vanhee in NetLetter #1567 brought back memories of meeting Archie when he was flying for NorOntair in YSB when I was just learning how to fly.
Archie always took time to talk to new pilots and offer encouragement to us. A real gentleman!
Regards
C.W. (Bill) Tate
Retired A330 Captain YYZ Base
|
|
|
Submitted by Tony Merry -
I flew as a S/O F/O with Archie Vanhee on DC-8s and the picture of Brian Hellings as a navigator on CPs first Pacific crossing was interesting. He would go on to become a DC-8 captain.
Tony Merry, ex CP/CAIL.
|
|
|
|---|
|
Submitted by John Rodger -
A photo of the first group to receive a licence on the DC 8 at the Douglas Plant, probably late 1959. The airline acquired a fleet of Douglas DC-8 jet airliners powered by Rolls-Royce Conways, the first being received on 25 May 1960.
Top row are George Hamel, Donat Vachon, Dyce Moore. Just below them Norm Brown & Rollie Gay.
Bottom row are unidentified individual, Omer Leclaire, Douglas representative Pat Patterson, Mac MacMullan, Johnny Richard, Johnny Farrell, Art Cooper, Ned Kay and Jack Robinson. All of these guys would be over 100 years old now if still alive. Most of these guys were crew chiefs & licensed mechanics.
It would be great if some of your readers could identify fellow beside Omer Leclaire.
|
 |
|
|
|---|
|
The issue begins the 31st year of publishing The NetLetter.
The NetLetter began in 1995 as the result of the desire of Vesta Stevenson to create a weekly newsletter for Air Canada retirees.
Vesta, who resided in Victoria, British Columbia, knew what she wanted to do, and although a "techie" with computers, she didn't know how to create a mail list.
Remember, this was in 1995 when the Internet itself was fairly new and there weren't nearly as many mail lists and websites as there are now, so we were on the cutting edge of technology.
Soon after, through email, Vesta contacted Terry Baker who also lived on 'the island' and they started an online collaboration. We believe that our NetLetter was the first to use this medium to disperse information for retirees of Air Canada.
Alan Rust joined Vesta and Terry shortly before Vesta's passing and served as the NetLetter website administrator until his own passing in April 2019. Alan created the original website and newsletter format that we still use today.
By Terry Baker -
I spent many hours scanning my own collection of internal magazines (as well as many donations) and today our archives consist of magazines from TCA / Air Canada, Canadian Pacific / Canadian Airlines International, Pacific Western Airlines and more dating back to December 1941.
|
 Click the icon to view the first issue of The NetLetter published October 12, 1995.
See 'Wayne's Wings' below for how we put The NetLetter together today.
|
 |
|
 |
|
This photo was taken at the Pionairs AGM
in March 2007 in Victoria, British Columbia.
It was the first time Terry, Vesta and Alan
had ever been at the same place at the same time.
|
|
|
|---|
|
Found in 'Horizons' magazine
|
|
Issue dated October 1993
|
|
In 1993, some 100 employees and retirees gathered in Glasgow for a party to celebrate 50 years of continuous service between Canada and Scotland.
Service began during the Second World War in July 1943 as the Canadian Government Transatlantic Air Service (CGTAS) carrying mail and cargo for the Canadian troops stationed in Europe.
Passengers on the 50th anniversary flight from Scotland received a traditional Scottish welcome as they were piped on board and were later treated to a special champagne service to mark the historic occasion.
Captain Howie Malone and his crew are shown here at Glasgow with the Scottish piper, prior to boarding the aircraft.
The crew comprised Captain Howie Malone, First Officer Peter Boyd, Purser Alessandro Piattelli and Flight Attendants Terry Smith, Heather Tedford, Diane Manchee. Maxine Bauldry, Elaine Heaton and Dominique Boivin.
|
 |
|
|
Issue dated December 1993
|
|
Air Canada's U.K. sales team was a big hit at the World Travel Market in mid-November in London. They did something a little different this time: their stand was set up in a nearby traditional pub outside the Earl's Court exhibition centre.
The team transformed two of the pub’s rooms to reflect the new route to New Delhi. The curries were very popular, and the scent of cinnamon attracted up to 500 guests, all of whom were existing or potential customers of the airline.
Members of the U.K. sales force in the Empress Rooms, from left to right: Christopher Seabury, Sales Office Coordinator; Jorge Rebocho, Customer Sales and Service Agent; Allan Owen, Sales Office Coordinator; Robert Boulert, Area Passenger Sales Manager; Andrew Edmonds, General Clerk; Geoffrey Beckett, Area Passenger Sales Manager; Bob Pinkerton, Manager Passenger Sales and (kneeling) Jack Parmar, Sales Office Coordinator.
|
 |
|
|
Customer Sales and Service Agents in Vancouver wore Indian attire to celebrate Air Canada's inaugural flight to New Delhi.
From left right: Sybil Wyles, Nelly Ahmed, Claudette Siegel, Nalini Yee, Mary Jo Bishop, Jean-Jacques Bourgeault, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer; Chrisanna Fagan, Jana Graham, Marina Novokshanoff, Marlene Havilland and Monika Webb.
|
 |
|
|
Issue dated January 1994
|
|
Air Canada brought a touch of India to Heathrow when the first Boeing 747-400 cornbi took off for New Delhi.
Customer Service Agents, dressed in traditional saris, offered Indian sweets and delicacies to passengers in the departure lounge. Passengers also received inaugural flight certificates.
Pictured here are the people responsible for implementing the promotional and operational activities at Heathrow.
Back row, left to right: Tom Doggett, Quality Assurance Manager; Murray Williamson, Customer Service Manager; Sally Oakman, Customer Service Agent; Tony Coleman, Area Manager, Customer Service - U.K. and Ireland and Peter Schubert, Customer Service Agent.
Front row, left to right: Customer Service Agents Sue Davies, Maria Helena Scott and Debbie Kumar.
|
 |
|
|
|---|
CP Air / Canadi>n People Gallery |
|
|---|
|
From the "Canadi>n Flyer" magazine
|
|
Issue dated November / December 1999
|
|
The Year of the Comet
by Peter Pigott
|
 In early September of 1949, the village of Farnborough, England was witness to an incredible series of flypasts. At a time when the older villagers could remember the first flight in Britain 40 years before from the pasture that would become Farnborough's airfield, the shiny, metallic object hurtling overhead held the same mystery as a UFO.
Even the Society of British Aircraft Constructors (SBAC), holding only their second annual Farnborough exhibition, had never seen anything like it. For streaking above Hampshire was an airliner without propellers! The Jet Age had begun.
Conceived during the darkest years of the war by Geoffrey de Havilland and named after his D.H. 88 racer that had won the 1934 England to Australia Air Race, the Comet recaptured Britain's lead in aviation.
It was pressurized, had a cruising speed of 490 mph and, for its 36 passengers, was vibration-free, its engines magically quiet. Built under secrecy at Hatfield, its debut at the Farnborough Air Show rendered every piston-engine airliner in the world obsolete.
"The Comet is so good," wrote the editor of the magazine American Aviation, that it does not conform to the British Guide to Muddling, it is very 'unBritish'.
Airline presidents from all over he world came to gape, and Canada was represented by Gordon McGregor of Trans-Canada Air Lines and Grant McConachie of Canadian Pacific Air Lines (photo above).
|
|
|
Issue dated February 2000
|
|
Two brands, one plane
By Lance Goshko
Although ownership of Canadian has changed hands, our 'Proud Wings' icon will survive any imminent changes being made to the exteriors of Canadian's fleet, during the merger transition from Canadian to Air Canada.
Both Air Canada and Canadian have devised a "transitional paint scheme" which will not only recognize the forging of a new corporate relationship but the retaining of Canadian's distinctive brand.
The revamped paint design uses a white fuselage with AC's red maple leaf on a green background. The names prominently displayed on both sides of the aircraft. “This is monumental when you consider the longstanding rivalry between these two airlines, who are now unified by sharing both brands on the same plane,” said Chris Marshall, project leader of the AC/CDN transitional livery project.
“However, you cannot find any two finer symbols of Canada than the maple leaf or the goose. Both certainly symbolize ‘Canada’ on a world stage. Both continue to represent their respective brands in the marketplace.”
Ultimately, 50 aircraft will receive dual logo painting when the project is completed. Sixteen planes that recently received the ‘Proud Wings’ livery remain as is for the immediate future.
|
 |
|
|
|---|
|
YouTube videos suggested by Captain C. W. (Bill) Tate -
Editors' Note: We may have featured these videos previously but they are well worth a second look.
|
 Jet Pilot (1964) - A film showing how the introduction of jet travel changed traditional ideas of space and time. The jet pilot in this film sped from northern cold to tropical heat in only a few hours. The film is a dramatic illustration of how high-speed travel shrinks the world and brings people together.
|
|
|
Routine Flight (1955) - This documentary short takes you on a tour of Trans-Canada Air Lines’ maintenance shops in Winnipeg before taking off for a trial flight on the British-built Vickers Viscount, the first propeller-turbine airliner.
|
|
|
Transpacific Flight (1953) - Host Fred Davis, on his way to shoot stories in Japan and Korea, interviews the pilot, navigator and flight attendants on board a Canadian Pacific Air Lines DC-6B from Vancouver to Tokyo.
|
|
|
|---|
The NetLetter Team
Thanks to our readers, it's still fun.
We manage to keep our subscriber level around 4,500 purely by your recommendations to family and friends.
The majority of subscribers are, of course, in Canada but we also have many in the United States as well as South America, Europe and Asia.
The technology has changed (considerably) but the goal remains the same.
The NetLetter is always about the remarkable people whose careers have been in aviation. When we refer to 'The NetLetter Team', you are included. We always give priority to subscriber submissions and are most gratified whenever a connection to good memories is achieved.
Each issue starts with Terry selecting pieces from the vast library of company literature that he has collected and scanned over many years.
He sends me a Word document (the original format) which I then covert to 'HTML' (internet language) to create the newsletter. When done, I send out a 'draft' to Terry, Ken and Bob who perform the invaluable task of proofreading (I keep them busy). They catch spelling and punctuation errors as well as broken links.
Recently, subscriber Bob Lynch has been helping us out by doing a wonderful job of enhancing the photos that we extract from the magazine scans.
We always ask permission and give acknowledgement to photographers before using a thumbnail of an aircraft photo and, thankfully, a growing list have gracefully allowed us to link to their work.
Our policy is to always stay positive, avoiding controversy and criticism. We seem to be doing something right!
Thank you all so much for supporting our efforts and being a part of the 'team'.
|
 |
|
|
|---|
| Terry's Trivia
& Travel Tips |
|
|---|
|
Terry Baker, co-founder of the NetLetter scours the internet for aviation related Trivia and Travel Tips for you, our readers, to peruse.
A few rare airlines that have operated in Canada.
|
|
Roots Air - A very brief experiment by Canadian clothing retailer Roots, this short-lived airline started and ended operations in 2001, after just over a month of flying.
A Roots Air A320 taxis for the airline's first flight from YYZ March 26, 2001.
|
 |
|
|
Worldways Canada was a Canadian charter airline that started operations in 1973, ceased operations on October 11, 1990 and went out of business in 1991.
|
 |
|
A Douglas DC-8-63 of Worldways Canada
at London Gatwick Airport - June 1983.
Four of CP Air's five DC-8-63s were acquired
by Worldways after retirement by CP Air.
Photo by Eduard Marmet
|
|
|
Trans Fair was a Canadian airline that operated from at least the mid-1950s, flying aircraft like the Convair 240 out of Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, Quebec, before Buffalo Airways acquired its Convair 240 in 2005.
While there was no major airline named Trans Fair, the name likely refers to a historical Canadian carrier that operated charter and freight flights.
|
 |
|
Trans Fair C-GTFC Convair CV240 at
Red Deer Regional Airport, May 12, 2010.
|
|
|
|---|
 |
|
From 'Between Ourselves' magazine
Issue dated December 1953
|
|
|
|---|
Wayne, Ken & Terry Richmond, British Columbia - December 2019
(Bob Sheppard was not available for the photograph) |
|
|
|---|
Wayne, Bob & Ken Richmond, British Columbia - December 2023
(Terry Baker was not available for the photograph) |
|
|---|
We wish to honour the memories of
Vesta Stevenson and Alan Rust. They remain a part of every edition published. |
|
|---|
Subscription Management
Each copy of our newsletter is addressed to each individual subscriber. The info below is visible to you only and not to other subscribers.
We presently have the following subscription info in your profile.
First Name: Last Name: Email: City: Province/State/County: Country:
If you feel that this info needs updating, please click below to edit your info.
Modify my profile Please note: You cannot change your email address, please contact us directly should you wish to do so. |
|
|---|
E&OE - (errors and omissions excepted):
The historical information as well as any other information provided in the "NetLetter" is subject to correction and may have changed over time.
We do publish corrections (and correct the original article) when this is brought to our attention.
Disclaimer: Please note that the NetLetter does not necessarily endorse any airline related or other "deals" that we provide for our readers.
We would be interested in any feedback (good or bad) when using these companies though and will report the results here.
We do not (normally) receive any compensation from any companies that we post in our newsletters. If we do receive a donation or other compensation, it will be indicated as a sponsored article or link. |
|
|---|
If you feel that The NetLetter does not apply to you
please click below Unsubscribe We thank you for your past support. |
|
|---|
|
|
.jpg)
