While we're on the subject of remembrance, we would also like you to remember those that have passed away within our own aviation community as well. The new obituary site for the ACFamily Network at: obits.acfamilynet.ca is now online and open for those who would like to submit the details of the passing of a friend or relative that worked in the Canadian aviation industry (any airline and any capacity). The intention is to have this site online indefinitely to honour those that have contributed to Canadian Aviation. The hope is to provide archived information on our loved ones for future generations in regard to genealogy as well.

We do ask that you have the permission of the family before submitting an obituary as we've had a few cases of families not wanting the obituaries of loved ones in a permanent website location (most funeral sites keep them for a few months only and charge a fee to keep them online). This service is provided at no charge by the ACFamily Network, but we will be setting up a donation page for those wishing to contribute to its upkeep.

Please note that although the site is live, and ready for submissions, there is still much work to do. I had to transfer over 300 obits from the old site and now each one needs to be "adjusted" to add the images and clean them up a bit. This will be done as time permits over the next few months. Since each change takes about 15 minutes, this adds up to about 75 hours needed to complete this.

Alan

Has this copy of the NetLetter been passed to you by a friend, co-worker, retiree or a relative? Why not get your own free copy delivered directly to your email address.

Go to www.thenetletter.net to sign up, and view past issues. We would welcome memories and/or photos of your career in the airline business, which you wish to share.

Mark your calendars... ACRA Montreal Children's Christmas Party takes place on Saturday, December 3, 2016.

This year’s event will be held at the hangar at the Air Canada Base (7373 Boulevard de la Côte-Vertu) from 2 – 5 p.m.

There will be a variety of activities to get the children of ACRA members in the Christmas Spirit! This event is free to all Air Canada ACRA YUL members and their immediate families, provided the employee has paid 2016 membership. Children 8 years and under will receive a gift if the ACRA member attends the event.

Click Here for full details and application form. ACRA members interested in attending must register by Wednesday, November 30, 2016 If you would like to participate in this event and are not part of ACRA, Click Here for an application form. 

New non-stop routes starting for "summer 2017" include:

• Toronto to Mumbai and Berlin
• Montreal to Algiers and Marseille
• Vancouver to Taipei and Nagoya

The addition of six new destinations to Air Canada's international network include year-round Boeing 787-9 service between Toronto and Mumbai and between Vancouver and Taipei.

The new services will launch for summer 2017, with the Montreal- Algiers and the Vancouver-Taipei routes subject to government approvals.

Launching the first global currency pre-paid card!

Together with CIBC, Air Canada launched the CIBC Air Canada Conversion Visa Prepaid Card a first-of-its-kind multicurrency pre-paid card in Canada, enabling Canadians to purchase and store multiple currencies that can be used at retailers around the globe wherever Visa is accepted.
The CIBC AC Conversion Visa Prepaid Card is available at no fee - click Here for more information.

Air Canada has renewed a five-year contract for slide and inflatable maintenance with AJW Technique.

Inside the 737 Test Plane

From www.wired.com
(Submitted by: Wayne Albertson)

THE SIGHT OF a passenger jet performing stunts might terrify you, but it shouldn’t. The Boeing 737 MAX is the first new plane of Boeing’s second century of existence, but before it can enter service, it has to prove itself. The 737 is a Seattle stalwart—the best-selling commercial jet ever—but that doesn’t mean it can afford to skimp on evolution.

That’s why Boeing has built the 737 MAX, a new take on the jet that’s 14 percent more efficient and 40 percent quieter than the outgoing version. But before airlines can cram you into the thing, Boeing’s got to prove it’s airworthy in just about any situation.

Click on photo below for full article.

The Silver Bullet - Fin # 754

If you've ever seen Air Canada Fin #754 (C-FBKT) there's no doubt that you remember it. The “Silver Bullet” flew in bare metal livery with the rondel on the tail and a red stripe and Air Canada signature along the fuselage.

During its brief time in the fleet (June 1988 to August 1989) it was both a source of frustration and amusement for Air Canada employees and customers. It was leased from Eastern Airlines to replace other DC9's that had to be taken out of service to perform mandatory overhauls that were coming due.

At the time when the "Silver Bullet" was part of our fleet I was working in Purchasing & Supply in Toronto in a position that required me to attend maintenance meetings each morning and report any parts issues to my manager. Fin #754 was frequently a focus of these meetings as it had numerous minor maintenance issues that the maintenance engineers delighted in joking about. 

The aircraft was already twenty years old and Eastern Airlines was having financial problems so it had not been maintained up to their usual standards. However, it was returned to EAL in good condition.

The aircraft continued in service with EAL and later Northwest Airlines until November 2006 when it was hit by a tug vehicle in Minneapolis and damaged beyond repair. It had flown for forty years before it was scrapped. You can actually purchase a model of Fin #754 in Air Canada livery on eBay for $38.00 USD + shipping.

David Varnes, Secretary Treasurer for IAM LL764 in Vancouver has written an excellent article about Fin #754 in the October issue of the Lodge’s Snag Sheet publication; David’s article begins on page 3. While you’re there, check out back issues of the Snag Sheet for more of David’s literary work.

Norman Hogwood, in New Zealand, sends this memory after reading the article on the Bristol Freighter in NetLetter nr 1351 -

Just opened NL 1351 as we have been on holiday for a week at beautiful Coopers Beach in Doubtless Bay in the Far North. I meant to have commented on the B170 item in NL 1350. I had one flight in one of those lumberers! A NZ company called Straits Air Freight Express (Safeair) operated a fleet of about 10 of them just flying almost exclusively across the Cook Strait between Wellington and Blenheim on behalf of NZ Railways and also under contract to NAC for cargo carriage on the same point to point journey. While in the NAC Safety Dept, my boss (a retired B737 captain) and I had to have a meeting with Safeair to discuss some ground handling matters so flew over to Blenheim in one of our F27’s. Coming home we were invited to take a B170 trip. Naturally, my boss climbed the ladder to the cockpit while I occupied the sole seat in the “cabin” below. In the adjoining cargo bay was one huge bull and he and I rattled our way across the Strait for 30 minutes or so! My Air NZ boss was a pilot on RNZAF B170’s based in Singapore during the Malayan emergency.

One day I had an invite to visit the ATC tower at Wellington and while there I witnessed an emergency involving a B170 losing an engine on takeoff. It was interesting to watch the staff clear the airways to allow the 170 do a one engine harbour circuit (they don’t go too well on one) and it disappeared but safely emerged from round the headland to land OK.

Captain Dennis Giguere advises -

Re the article in Alan's Space, "the youngest ever airline captain", on March 8, 1968 I was promoted as an Air Canada Captain at age 25.
When I retired in March 2002 as seniority # 1, I was (I believe) the longest serving Captain with 34 years in the left seat.

Captain Dennis Giguere
Air Canada Retired

Re Wayne's Wings Fokker F28 article in NL # 1353

I was not able to confirm the airline that first flew the Fokker F28 in Canada, but our faithful readers responded:

Bob Ellis -
Transair operated 2 F-28s in the late 60s and early 70s. I didn`t fly them and can`t give you actual dates. It would be great to see Transair`s  logo back in the NetLetter again.
(Alan responded - when we redo the header logo, we'll see if we can fit it in)

Pete Varty -
Re Netletter 1353
The first operator of the F-28 in Canada was Transair which from my source had 2; CF-TAV and CF-TAY. TAV operated 10/72 to 6/79.  TAY 4/73 to 2/79 Both went to Air Niugini which operated them for about 25 years.
Great work... keep it up!

Ross Taylor -
In regard to Wayne's Wings item on the F-28, little old TransAir of CYWG was the first airline to operate the F-28 n Canada. It became quite a useful aircraft after the teething troubles that accompany a new type being introduced to the Canadian climate were overcome.

Doug Holloway - Transair started flying the Focker F28 in Canada in 1972 - far as I know, the first in Canada.

Thanks to eveyone, Wayne

Laszlo Bastyovanszky sends this article -

Switzerland has long been a popular destination with foreign officials who are seeking discreet banking services. But while their money may be hidden, their arrival in Geneva isn’t any longer.

Here’s how it works: The program regularly scans an antenna that collects transponder codes from the planes entering and exiting Geneva. If there’s a match with a plane linked to an authoritarian government, it posts a tweet.

(Retirees using this method of banking service – beware - eds)

Dug out of the “Horizons” magazine issue November 1980.

Our company name. The adoption of the name "Air Canada" in place of "Trans-Canada Air Lines" covered a surprising length of time. TCA, way back in 1953, had applied for and received, authority to use "Air Canada" as a trade name where and when it thought fit. At the time, this authorization did not contemplate the abandonment of the corporate name "Trans-Canada Air Lines", but as the company's services extended into Europe, there the designation "Trans-Canada" was virtually without commercial meaning (as nine out of ten Englishmen insisted on translating the letters TCA into "Trans-Canadian Airways".

At the same time, other countries were designating their national airlines with the word "Air" followed by the name of their country. The Board of Directors (at a June 1959 meeting as the company was entering the jet age) decided that the company would adopt "Air Canada" as its primary trade name which, being bi-lingual, avoided the use of two separate names in the Canadian market.

The authorized French equivalent for "Trans-Canada Air Lines" was "Lignes aeriennes Trans-Canada".

In 1961, and again 1962, Private Members' Bills appeared in Hansard again proposing the name change. Comments from the company were made in 1963, but the matter was allowed to rest until March 1964. The bill was finally passed, with the change becoming effective on January 1st, 1965.

This cartoon, by Dave Mathias, is from the "Between Ourselves" magazine issued December 1951. The caption is "Just a company regulation - can't drink in uniform!"