Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter
Since 1995 Saturday, April 25, 2026
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CP Air B-727-200
C-GCPA - Fin #771 Empress of San Francisco Vancouver - May 1982
Photo courtesy of Gary Vincent. |
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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. |
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 We have welcomed 58 new subscribers so far in 2026.
We currently have 4,599 subscribers.
We wish to thank everyone for the continuing support of our efforts.
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 Back issues of The NetLetter are available in both the original newsletter format and downloadable PDF format.
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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!
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Subscriber Lee Rusinko contacted us regarding photos of his father, John Rusinko, that appeared in CP Air News and had been posted in The NetLetter back issues.
"I don’t know much about his career other than he started with CP Air in Vancouver and would return there at various points with postings in Prince Rupert and Prince George at points in time. He became the manager of Operations in Edmonton from about 1978 – 1988ish. He then left what was then Canadian to work for Wardair in Vancouver."
Terry was able to retrieve the photos from his archives.
"Thank you very much for taking the time to gather these. It’s nice to see a couple photos of my dad as a young man. I was 3 when we lived in Prince George/Prince Rupert. The glamorous postings on his path. My Dad spent his whole career in the airline industry, and I can honestly say he never spoke negatively about his work. So much change from 1959 when he started until his last days."
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From CP Air News May 1971. North American Service Managers meeting in Vancouver, John Rusinko is standing in the back row - 7th from the left.
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From CP Air News July 1971. Customer service training seminar, John Rusinko kneeling 2nd from the left.
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Air Canada Unveils Next Generation Glowing Hearted Cabins
Air Canada has detailed its most significant cabin investment, unveiling new long-haul cabin designs at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany. The first major expression of its new Glowing Hearted standard, the design delivers a distinctly Canadian experience, emphasizing comfort, care, and connection for all customers on every flight, while signalling the airline’s bold growth ambitions.
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 for the latest posts at the Air Canada Media Centre. |
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 Click the logo to open the Air Canada YouTube channel. |
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Found in 'Horizons' magazine
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Issue dated December 1997
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Local LAX staff planned a party to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Air Canada's operations in LAX and the 60th anniversary of the airline. Many employees and retirees joined in the festivities.
Seated, left to right: Audrine Marshall, Customer Service Agent; Myrna Lawrence, Lead Training Instructor.
First row: Customer Service Agents Yanna Om, Debbie Uyeda Taira, David Verano, Leanne Jacobson, Bertha Lemke, LaWanda Smith and Micheline Adam.
Back row: Customer Service Agents Miguel Morales Jr. and Jim Cordero; Louise Valois, Lead Customer Service Agent and Captain Randy Gouge.
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In 1997, Air Canada paid tribute to a number of employees celebrating the 40th anriversary of their service with the company. Celebrants were invited to a tribute dinner in Montreal hosted by Lamar Durrett, President and CEO.
Special guests Claude Taylor, Chairman Emeritus and Robin Wohnsigl, Vice President, Technical Operations were on hand to recognize the loyalty and commitment of these long-standing members of the Air Canada family. Congratulators on 40 years of service from your colleagues and friends!
Pictured from right to left are: Robin Wohnsigl, Vice President, Technical Operations; René Opzoomer, Flight Service Director - Dorval; Ken Creran, Mechanic - Winnipeg; John Lindsay, Stockkeeper - Winnipeg; Claude Taylor, Chairman Emeritus; Trixie MacLeod, Customer Sales & Service Agent (Airports) - Toronto; Al Graham, Customer Sales & Service Agent (Airports) - Toronto; Karl Lenchuk, Mechanic - Winnipeg; Bob Kowch, Flight Service Director - Toronto; Lamar Durrett, President and CEO.
Absent from photo: Captain Norm Foster, Flight Ops - Toronto; John Robb, Non-Destructive Testing Technician - Dorval; Fred Walker, Certified Aircraft Technician - Toronto; Betty Edwards, Customer Sales & Service Agent (Airports) - Regina.
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Issue dated March 1998
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Aeroplan Service - Our people are making the difference.
Present to celebrate the inauguration of Aeroplan's Super Elite desk in Montreal were:
Left to right: Steve Beisswanger, Maria Simonette, Christine Dean, Alain Parent, Vivian Sallai, Maria Peinado, Stephen Lussier, Gabriella Bars, Frank Di Lena and Dave Burns.
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550_850-aeroplan%20staff.jpg) |
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On December 15, 1997, Air Canada staff in San Francisco celebrated its 200,000th passenger being boarded. For the year, a new record of 208,016 boarding passengers was set, a 13% increase over 1996.
Pictured from left to right are: CSA's Nadia Whitmore and Augusta Rosas; Lead CSA Suzanne Maunu; CSA's Enzo Palladino and Robert Biller and the 200.000th passenger Joyce Qadir with friend Reece Markowsky.
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CP Air / Canadi>n People Gallery |
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From the "CP Air News" magazine
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Issue dated March 1980
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Data preparation is a fast pace place.
The key punch gals here key an incredible 15 million documents a year - that translates into a blurry 12,000 key strokes per person per hour. That's fast.
From front left they are: Cathy Thomson, Vivian Chan, Rose Lee and Martina Lam, all key operators.
Directly behind consoles are from left: Rebecca Lau, key operator; just behind her supervisor Nessie Fane; Elsie Burlo, control station operator; Sandy McGeachy, key operator; Helen Chanas, control station operator and Phyllis Watt, sitting, senior key operator.
Back row from left: Linda Johnson, Jeannie Yao and Amy Tang, all key operators; Dorothy Thornton, control station operator; Margaret Cheong, Susanne Chan, Swee Choo Wong, Amy Wong, Amy Lee, Grace Park, Parin Damji, Yoriko Karija, Abeda Shaikh, Eva Bernhardt, Aurora Castillo, Winnie Poh and Tina Chu, all key operators.
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From Canadi>n Flyer magazine
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Issue dated April 1997
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Gathered together in London, Ontario recently are former CP Air employees, 1973-1984 vintage, along with their boney friends!
Back row, left to right: Louis Gagnon, Wayne Cummins, retired sales manager, Saskatchewan; John Turcot, retired passenger agent, YXU; Bill McMurray, retired sales rep, YXU; Tony Hodgson, passenger agent, YVR airport; Rob Siddall, passenger agent YYZ airport; Brian Burbridge, passenger agent, YYZ airport; and Barb Lemmon.
Centre row: Maryann Burbridge; Antoinette Hodgson; Cheryl Gagnon, passenger agent YYZ airport; Kathy Percy; Fran Conway with Halloween ghost, Fred, retired passenger agent, YXU; Jane Leschasin and Suzanne Siddall.
Front Row: Mike Lemmon, retired DSM, YXU 1973-1984; John Percy current Sales manager, YXU; and Darlene Havers, retired secretary, YXU.
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In NetLetter #1579 we posted a photo with Nanchang CJ-6 aircraft taken by our Bob Sheppard while on a cruise of New Zealand. Retired Canadian Airlines Captain Antony Merry of Sidney, British Columbia sent in the following:
"Regarding the picture of the WW2 Nanjing Chinese training aircraft, I do believe this is the same model as four privately owned ones currently flying out of Victoria (YYJ) and quite often in formation! Worthwhile checking into."
As suggested, Bob did some checking and found the video below from the Tobyn Burton YouTube channel.
Remembrance Day Flyby - Yak-18T & Four Nanchang CJ-6s Takeoff & Landing at YYJ
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We also found this video, posted by the Historical Aviation Film Unit channel in 2013, of several Russian Yak 52 and Chinese Nanchang CJ-6 post-war warbird trainers are shown here during their display at the Classic Fighters airshow held at Omaka Aerodrome, Blenheim, New Zealand.
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More defunct airlines of Canada
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CanJet
CanJet was a Canadian low-cost airline headquartered in Enfield, Nova Scotia and based at Halifax Stanfield International Airport. In addition to initially flying scheduled passenger service, CanJet operated charter flights using its own brand as well as flying contract and ad hoc charters for other tour operators and airlines throughout Canada and the United States.
CanJet was wholly owned by IMP Group International and had 572 employees as of March 2007. The airline ceased operations in 2015.
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CanJet Boeing 737-201 - C-FGCJ
Ottawa - February 10, 2001
Photo by John Davies
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CP Air B-727s C-GCPA and C-GCPB
In NetLetter #1579 "Odds & Ends' we featured defunct airline AllCanada Express. Ken noted that two B-727-200s that had served in their fleet had been originally delivered to CP Air in March and April of 1975.
Registrations C-GCPA (Fin #771, Empress of San Francisco) and C-GCPB (Fin #772, Empress of Los Angeles) were CP's only B727-200s.
Ken's comment: "I remember flying on one of those aircraft from YYZ to YVR which must have been in March or April 1975 as it was brand new, only in service a week or two. Seating config 12F and 120Y if memory correct. Also recall another flight on one of those a/c somewhat later YVR-YOW. Due to thunderstorms in YOW area it diverted to YUL.
Both of the -200s went to Dan-Air in the UK in 1982 and 1983 (one after a short lease to Alaska Airlines). Originally leased to Dan-Air and later sold. Many years later they wound up back in Canada with YUL-based charter carrier Royal Aviation, registered C-GRYC and C-GRYR. Converted to freighters at some point and wound up with AllCanada Express as registrations C-FACR or C-FACK. Looks like they both ended their days in Africa (Nigeria)."
Both aircraft were acquired by Allied Air Cargo in 2005/06 and are currently stored in Lagos, Nigeria.
C-GCPA ended is career as registration 5N-RKY.
C-GCPB was operated for DHL Aviation Africa as registration 5N-JNR.
I went looking for photos of either of these aircraft in their various liveries. Below are photos of C-GCPB over its lifecycle.
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C-GCPB during Lease to Alaska Airlines
Vancouver - May 1982
Photo courtesy of Gary Vincent
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Dan-Air G-BKNG
Kos International Airport "Ippokratis", Greece
January 1985
Photo by Kambui
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Royal Airlines - C-GRYR
Toronto - June 23, 1994
Photo courtesy of Danny Grew
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AllCanada Express - C-FACK
Toronto - May 29, 2005
Photo courtesy of Danny Grew
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| Terry's Trivia
& Travel Tips |
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Terry Baker, co-founder of the NetLetter scours the internet for aviation related Trivia and Travel Tips for you, our readers, to peruse.
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Interline deals with Interline Travel
 This site requires registration to view discounts available to commercial and cargo airline employees plus CRS employees (Sabre, Amadeus, etc.), their spouses, dependent children under 21, retirees of the airlines (not defunct carriers), parents of the employee, parent-in-laws of the employee. FAA and Air Traffic controllers and their spouses also qualify as do retirees of the FAA and ATC.
We must submit a copy of your airline ID within 48 hours of booking or MSC reserves the right to adjust the booking to regular rates. Rates shown are valid on new bookings only, if within the final payment date.
Check out the Interline sale on MSC Cruises!!! Over 210 sailings to pick from. Departures from now until April 2027. Depart from Port Canaveral, Miami, Galveston or Seattle!
Sail for 3 to 8 nights with prices as low as US$291pp for a balcony! 7 nights to Alaska from just US$996pp for a balcony. Many sailings also offer Kids Cruise Free!
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Uniworld River Cruises has opened interline rates on over 25 dates from now through May 2026. Pick from Egypt and the Nile, Portugal, Italy, the Danube, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Eastern Europe plus Holland’s Tulip sailings for 7 nights.
Rates from USD$2,100pp. Our interline rates are up to 50% off the public rates. Click here to see the list (these rates include the 50% interline discount) and then call InterlineTravel.com to book at 800 766-2911 and avoid paying any booking fees!
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From Canadi>n Flyer magazine
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Issue dated June 1997
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Wayne, Ken & Terry Richmond, British Columbia - December 2019
(Bob Sheppard was not available for the photograph) |
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Wayne, Bob & Ken Richmond, British Columbia - December 2023
(Terry Baker was not available for the photograph) |
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We wish to honour the memories of
Vesta Stevenson and Alan Rust. They remain a part of every edition published. |
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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.
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