We have welcomed 51 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 feedback@thenetletter.net

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 Flight Attendant Bash.

Coming soon! Retirement celebration for all YVR CUPE Local 4094 members at Brown’s Social House, at Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza, on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, from 1700-2300.

Ticket includes food and 2 drinks from Brown’s.

Tickets are $20 (members only), payable only by e-transfer to partytime@local4094.ca. The e-transfer must include name, email address, employee #, original airline, year of hire, and year of retirement.

Source: Pionairs Alliance Newsletter #70, February, 2022

After reading the article from Mike Nash under 'Subscriber Feedback' in NetLetter #1476, John Cooke shares this memory -

I remember Mike from back in the 60's. I transferred from YYZ RES to YYZ C&SS in the late 50's and moved from 130 Bloor West to 151 Front St West (6th floor in the CN building) - before the CN tower was built.

I retired December 31, 1984 from Air Canada; I was originally hired as TCA.

I spent some time with Joe Comeau and his Dorval communications group. Names like Bob Jacquin, Jean-Georges Major, Ron Blue, Bob Bishop, Bob Belding and Roger Rouse .. are all familiar!

From Ken McLeod -

Hi everyone at the NetLetter...thanks for the "News" folks, enjoyed the pictures of 1963 and the home and home hockey games with Montreal and Toronto...they were good times.

Cheers all and keep well,

Ken McLeod, Halifax

From Captains David & Stew Thompson, 

Enjoyed the little brief on TFX. Prior to Wardair, this aircraft saw service with Central Northern Airways, where my father flew it frequently in the summer of 1956.

Cheers,

Captain David Thomson, retired Air Canada 2019

and Dad, Captain Stew Thomson, retired Air Canada 1988

From Jean Downie,

I enjoyed looking at the photos and reading the article 'Remember When' in Netletter #1479 extracted from "Between Ourselves,” Number 267, from March 1964.

It certainly brought back memories of being a member of the In Flight base at that time. Each flight attendant was given a memento to commemorate the opening of the Terminal. Maybe all staff received one? Of this, I am unsure.

Not an unusual gift at the time, although almost useless now that smoking is not considered to be as glamorous as in the past! Here is a photo of the lighter which was given to me, like new, never used!!

Good wishes, and thank you for keeping us all in touch!

Jean Downie, YYZ

Hi Terry,

Hope you and your crew are well. I am continuing to enjoy the product of all your hard work and have a contribution to make.

Reading through the latest NetLetter #1479 and seeing the hockey pictures gave me the incentive to look up some old pictures of the YYZ Air Canada Oldtimers team I used to play on during the 1980's.

In the photo of the 1963 Toronto team are a number of players I played with and against – namely Chuck Taylor, Charlie Lennox, John Brodeur, Sam Houston, Mike Davidson and Dean McKinnon.

I also played some hockey with Rick Schofield in YUL when I worked in C&SS as you will remember.

I have attached a picture of our team winning a Canadian Tire Community Service award in 1989. The picture in the award attachment is not very good so I have attached a separate and same team picture. The names of the players are on the award page.

The award page gives some information on the team and consisted of employees from a number of departments at the airport.

Hopefully, you can add this to a future NetLetter as I am sure the players that are still with us would love to see themselves and revive old memories.

Regards,

Nick Boere

Air Canada Oldtimers

Front row from the left are: Sandy Sandzuik, Art Flantula, Mike Davidson, Paul Stauch and Bill Kent.

Back row: Ron Cannon, Roger Chapman, Nick Boere, Dennis Moore, Ray Thomson, P.J. Morrison, Fred Stokes and Roy Suginomori.

Missing from the photo are: Al Jones, Len Pearson, Lino Fraresso and Jon MacKewicz. 

Editors' Note: Some of the names are partially illegible from the original copy. We apologize for any spelling errors.

Trans-Canada Air Lines' passenger service standards were high - a tradition passed along to Air Canada. After all, not everyone could fly across the Atlantic in comfort, as did then six-month old Janice Lynn Meader.

Little Miss Meader was the youngest passenger on the inaugural North Star flight to Shannon, Ireland on October 1, 1947.

Holding the bassinet (left to right) Passenger Agent Margaret Gallagher and Stewardess Theresa Mulligan. 

Source: 'Horizons' magazine issue October 2000

Ralph Quick shares another of his memories entitled 'The Canadian Invasion of Juneau, Alaska' about a Canadian Pacific Convair 240 charter in 1958.

This is a 63 year old memory of a charter flight to Juneau from Prince George, B.C.

Flight was from May 4th to May 7th 1958, on a Canadian Pacific Convair 240, 40 passenger aircraft. Crew consisted of Captain Chuck Wilson, myself as First Officer, a Stewardess, and Mechanic.

We carried 40 members of the Prince George Pipe Band with Pipers and Drummers. It was quite noisy and merry in-flight as pipers did renditions, while the stewardess valiantly served food and drinks.

Weather at JNU was below IFR limits so we did an IFR approach at Sisters Island, established VFR conditions and proceeded to JNU at low level in rain to our landing at JNU. 

Mary-Jane Lorette, of Air Canada, named chair of Star Alliance Management Board.

Excerpt from AC Daily January 28, 2022 

We are pleased to announce that Mary-Jane Lorette, Managing Director, International Network & Partnerships, was named Chairperson of the Star Alliance Management Board (AMB) at Wednesday’s January 26, 2022 Chief Executive Board Meeting.

She is the first female elected to this position and is the first person from North America to be appointed, as the previous chairs were from Europe or Asia Pacific. The group of 26 CEOs representing the Alliance member airlines endorsed Mary-Jane for the two-year term. 

At long last, some good news!

Air Canada has announced that 34 long-haul routes to Europe and Asia will resume this summer, with all now on sale.

Source: SimpleFlying.com

Air Canada launches new non-stop flight from Halifax to Vancouver.

Source: CTV News

for the latest posts at the Air Canada Mediaroom.

Excerpts from the most recent posts:

Air Canada today announced an expanded Summer 2022 international schedule with 34 routes relaunching across the Atlantic and Pacific. Starting next month, non-stop services will begin resuming from Toronto to Tel Aviv, Paris, Tokyo and Amsterdam, signs that recovery is well underway. Service from Montreal to Casablanca, Nice, Algiers, Rome, Tel Aviv and Tokyo will also be resuming. From Vancouver, Air Canada will be offering service to Frankfurt, Dublin, and Zurich.

Air Canada today announced an expansion of its North American network for Summer 2022 as the carrier's recovery from COVID accelerates. With the launch of new service on four transborder and three domestic routes, as well as the restoration of 41 North American routes, Air Canada will operate to 51 Canadian and 46 U.S airports this summer and offer customers the largest network and most travel options of any Canadian carrier.

New services will be launching to the U.S. from Montreal to Atlanta and Detroit, Toronto to Salt Lake City, and Vancouver to Austin. Within Canada, three new routes will begin between Montreal and Gander, Calgary and Fort St John, and Vancouver and Halifax. Additionally, service will be restored on 41 North American routes, including: 13 routes from Toronto, nine from Montreal, five from Ottawa, five from Vancouver, four from Calgary, three from Halifax, and two from Edmonton. The routes are timed to connect with Air Canada's domestic, U.S. and international network at the airline's global hubs in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.

Regarding this edition's header image, we found a very interesting article at:
logos-world.net/air-canada-logo showing and describing each of the TCA / AC logos since 1937.

Click the image or the link to read the full article.

Found in 'Horizons' magazine

Issue dated July / August 2000

The ABC of an 'H' check.

Just as your car needs a complete overhaul every now and again, so do aircraft.

Referred to as an 'H Check', this overhaul is usually carried out every 72 months, 26,400 flight hours, or 9,000 landings - whichever comes first.

Over 170 people invest 55 days and over 10,000 hours to perform this incredibly detailed check. The aircraft is reduced to a mere shell so that it can be thoroughly inspected for cracks, corrosion, delamination, and a host of other defects that accumulate over 18 years of service. Everything - and we mean everything - is removed from the aircraft - flight controls, engines, engine pylons, black boxes, sidewalls, floors, galleys, gears, lavatories, and chairs.

Recognized globally for our Boeing 767 expertise, we're able to attract third party maintenance work from carriers such as Martinair and Star Alliance member SAS.

We're in preliminary talks with other carriers, such as Airborne Express, KLM and LOT Polish Airlines to perform their heavy maintenance work.

Montreal's Heavy Maintenance team performs A340, Boeing 767 and DC-9 checks, while Winnipeg handles these for the A319 / A320.

Editors' Note: Air Canada now outsources heavy maintenance.

Issue dated October 2000

Trans-Canada Air Lines employees annual reunion in Spring Hill, Florida March 2000.

In this photo we have:

Back row: Eddie Blanchette, Russ Colyer, Harvey Hutton, Zenie Barecky, Ray Reid, Tony Chown, Roger St. Laurent, Bob McMillan, Joe Dugas and Rocky Proulx.

Front row: Syd Beattie and Elwood Harris. 

Crew of Toronto-Kelowna inaugural flight.

On June 19, 2000 Air Canada launched nonstop service from Toronto to Kelowna, the first ever Air Canada scheduled flight to this city. On arrival, the flight was met by Air Canada Pionairs, many of whom are Kelowna Airport Ambassadors.

From top to bottom, left column: George Daman and Rosemary Jobson, Airport Ambassadors; Corey Tabor, Flight Attendant; Lise Damskov, Airport Ambassador and Captain Derek Clarke.

Middle column: Nancy McPhee and Lula Anastanopoulou, Flight Attendants and Captain Gerry Norberg.

Right column: Ron Goran, Airport Ambassador; John De Verteuil, In-charge Flight Attendant; Gerry Damskov, Airport Ambassador and Captain Rob Giguere, Vice President, Flight Operations. 

Issue dated February 2001

New terminal at Edmonton International Airport.

In 2000, last fall, the Edmonton International Airport opened its new south terminal, complete with nine gates for jet aircraft. Doubling the size of the airport with its 312,156 sq. ft. 29,000 sq. m.), it can simultaneously accommodate two international flights.

The welcome area for arriving customers is larger, has spacious lounges, and more check-in counters and over-sized baggage conveyors for skis and golf clubs. The new US Customs and Immigration facility is six times larger than the facility in the older north terminal. 

Vancouver-New York (JFK) Inaugural.

On October 30, 2000 Air Canada launched the first daily non-stop between Vancouver and New York (JFK). "This new service is a very good example of how the integration of Air Canada and Canadian Airlines can serve to build our network here and strengthen our Vancouver hub," says Douglas Port, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Government Relations, at the inaugural event at Vancouver International Airport.

Air Canada and Canadian Airlines employees gathered round Douglas Port and Captain David Reid cut cake designed for the inaugural flight.

Issue dated July 2001

Following the article by Mike Nash in NetLetter #1475 entitled 'First Automated Canadian Airline Ticket', we, at the NetLetter, extracted this information from the 'Horizons' magazine issue dated July 2001.

Electronic Ticketing. The product and its potential.
By Tammy Stuebs.

To maintain its strong position in the global airline market, over the years, Air Canada has developed many exciting, innovative tools. Behind every innovation is an exceptional group of employees continually strive to test the waters and defy limits. The Electronic Ticket Planning Group (ETPC) is no exception. Their mission was to replace conventional paper tickets with electronic ones, and ensure seamless customer service is maintained.

What is an electronic ticket?

• First introduced in late 1995, Electronic Ticketing enables customers to travel without a paper ticket.
• Flight information is stored electronically in RESIII and the ticket's image, similar to a paper ticket, can be retrieved on-screen, agents and travel agents to review.
• E-Ticket has served as a foundation for other consumer-oriented products, such as the Personal Ticket Office and self-service Express Check-in kiosks.

In June, the first true Interline Electronic ticketing service was established between Air Canada and Star Alliance member United Airlines, when their two different computer reservations systems began working together to further penetrate the Transborder market. 

In this photo we have The Electronic Ticket Planning Group:

Standing, left to right: Jay Dickson, QIK-RES Sr. Analyst; Marielle Morneau, Manager, Agency Accounts; Julie Plante, Manager, Electronic Commerce-Electronic Ticketing; Tomi Klemm, Pricing and Ticketing Development Manager and Richard Pilon, Product Distribution Specialist.

Sitting, left to right: Christian Quintal, Manager, Customer Service Innovation Projects; Catherine Lakas, Customer Service Learning Development Manager; Rosanne Newman, Analyst, QIK Access; Monica Pagetto, Product Distribution Coordinator; and Cindy Isaacs, Customer Service Delivery Manager.

Missing: Kerry Graves, Manager, Call Centre Products; George Green, Manager, Industry and Systems Administration; Sandra Holmes, Computer and Technical Crime; Brent Madigan, Pricing Analyst; Carol Miles, Project Manager; Gloria Poirier, Field Support and Database Manager and Bonnie Walker, Manager, Agency Rewards and Recognition.

From the "InfoCanadi>n" magazine.

Issue dated July 1993

A310 conversion is Engineering's biggest project.

Bringing the idea of an executive A310 to life, Engineering devoted a full year on designing and now supervising the configuration of the Department of National Defense (DND) executive aircraft.

Engineering's design for the aircraft required over 4,000 work hours, says Systems and Interiors Engineering manager John Witt. "We've spent a full year on this project - it's Engineering's biggest job ever."

DND is introducing four A310's to its fleet and Canadi>n is preparing the aircraft for delivery and maintaining them at the DND base in Trenton.

Editor's Note by Ken Pickford: The Canadian Armed Forces took 5 of the 12 ex-Wardair A310's (all 5 still in service), inherited when Canadian acquired Wardair in 1989. The article mentions 4 but I see it's dated July 1993. The 5th arrived in August 1993.

Providing engineering support on the A310 project was, from left, Vic Riley, manager of Structures, Gerry Ruge, manager of Projects, and Ian Simpson, technician Aircraft Technical Projects.

Missing from picture was Ken Goosen, director of Central Engineering, who was involved in solving design and certification.

Systems and Interiors engineers included, from left, Ed Wagstaff, Russ Gibbon, Andy Burns, John Witt, and Dan Hink.

Bringing the engineers' concepts to life, producing blueprints for construction was the responsibility of, from left, Jim Swoboda, Julian Roy, Doug Keller, and Bryan Fiebelkorn.

The group put in exhaustive hours at the computer-aided design machine and on the drafting table.

Among the many Calgary employees who are helping to renovate the A310 is, from left, Dan Hook, Air Engineer II; Bill Findlay, Mechanic - Aircraft upholsterer; Audrey Cameron, Cleaner; and Ian MacKay, Foreman.

Much of the structural design for the executive aircraft is being handled at the DND hangar in Calgary. Involved in this design is, from left, structural engineers Scott Brooks and Rob Meath, Tim Cooper, Project Foreman in Calgary, Nick Besseling, Draftsperson and Chris Marshall, Systems and Interiors Technician. Missing from photo is Gunner Wohlfarth, Structures Engineer.

Handling the electrical engineering to meet the complex communications for the executive aircraft was Avionics.

From the left, Dennis Chan, Technician, Don Morrison, manager, Ardeshir Darabi (seated), Engineer and Technicians Rob Ransley and Joe Kam. 

Photo essay by Howard Leibman, Contact News.

Our Featured Video comes from the Simple Flying YouTube channel. 

In 2020, KLM retired its last Boeing 747 aircraft. This brought the curtain down on nearly half a century of jumbo jet operations at the Dutch flag carrier. The first variant of the ‘Queen of the skies’ that KLM operated was the 747-200, which initially had the same short upper deck as the original 747-100.

However, several examples of KLM’s B-747-200's ended up having a stretched upper deck (SUD), which would eventually become a standard feature on later B-747's, but there’s an interesting story behind how these came to be, click the image to view the full video. 

Airbus has cancelled Qatar Airways’ $6 billion contract for 50 A350 aircraft because of the airline’s $600 million lawsuit against the manufacturer over peeling paint.

Airbus announced the unusual move on Friday, January 21 after Qatar went public with images of blistering and peeling paint on the 21 planes it has so far received under the contract. It claims the paint flaws are a safety hazard that expose the copper lines used to conduct lightning strikes through the composite structure.

It says it had to ground the aircraft while the paint issue is resolved and the loss of revenue from using the planes is a big part of its claim.

Source: AVweb.com 

The Evolution Of The British Airways Livery

In 1997, British Airways decided to launch 'Project Utopia', a plan to change the carrier’s image from a traditional British airline to a more modern and global carrier. The centerpiece of this program was the “World Tails” livery, which would see artists from around the globe create distinct tail arts for the entire fleet. Design firm Newell & Sorrell led the changes and implemented the repainting of hundreds of aircraft.

While the initial rollout only saw 15 designs, this number quickly doubled over the years as new art was chosen. The tails were inspired by the destinations BA flew to, important historical events, and local UK art. Designs ranged from the 'Animals and Trees' piece from Botswana to one celebrating the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Editors' Note: Be sure to visit the Simple Flying website for more designs and story behind the changes.

Source: SimpleFlying.com

Boeing 747-206B(M)(SUD)

I've been trying to remember if I had ever seen one of the 'stretched upper deck' versions of KLM's B-747 fleet. When I was stationed in YYZ, KLM arrived daily alternating between B-747's and DC-10's, depending on the time of year.

I do remember very clearly an evening when we lent a couple of crew oxygen cylinders to KLM and I was sent out to the aircraft (parked on a gate) to deliver them.

I was waiting at threshold for a KLM representative to sign the loan paperwork when a series of tall blond flight attendants streamed by me, I think that I forgot why I was there. At the end of the line was the in-charge flight attendant who apparently had been advised of the loan and approached me to take possession of the cylinders.

Excerpt from Wikipedia:

The combi aircraft model, the 747-200M (originally designated 747-200BC), could carry freight in the rear section of the main deck via a side cargo door. A removable partition on the main deck separated the cargo area at the rear from the passengers at the front. The -200M could carry up to 238 passengers in a three-class configuration with cargo carried on the main deck. The model was also known as the B-747-200 Combi. As on the -100, a stretched upper deck (SUD) modification was later offered. A total of 10 combi 747-200's were operated by KLM. Union de Transports Aériens (UTA) also had two aircraft converted. 

It seems that all of the 'SUD" aircraft have been scrapped with one exception, PH-BUK, which is being preserved at the Nationaal Luchtvaart-Themapark Aviodrome at Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands. This aircraft spent its entire career in the KLM fleet, delivered in 1978 and withdrawn from service in 2003.

PH-BUK upper deck

Photo courtesy of David Watkins @ www.jetphotos.com

PH-BUK being lifted from a barge in Harderwijk as part
the plane's transport to the Aviodrome museum.

Photo by Christiaan Visse @ commons.wikimedia.org

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

Some Interline deals from Perx & Dargal -

Cruises

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Resorts

• The Fives Beach Hotel & Residences Playa del Carmen starting from $222/night AI ($111 per person).
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Waterloo Warbirds now offering passenger flights in a classic MiG-15 UTI.

Waterloo Warbirds, a small but dedicated group operating four classic jet trainers and one WWII veteran Harvard trainer, is pleased to at long last offer a unique experience for aviation enthusiasts and thrill-seekers alike: a flight in the original Russian swept-wing fighter jet, a MiG-15 UTI.

This offering is a long-time coming for the Ontario, Canada-based jet team. Waterloo Warbirds’ MiG-15 (serial number 1A10017) was built in 1954 and started its life as a single seat jet fighter.

After entering service in Poland, it was eventually converted to a two-seat trainer (SBLim-2, also categorized as a MiG-15 UTI), powered by a Klimov VK-1A jet engine with over 5,900 pounds of thrust.

The MiG served in this capacity until being retired in February of 1992, a remarkably long military career for a single-engine jet. It was then purchased by a company in the United States and was dismantled and shipped to Pennsylvania in 1993. It was issued registration N15LC and finally flew again in 1998. In 2009, the MiG was purchased by Richard Cooper of Viper North and the registration changed to N15VN. Viper North brought the MiG to Canada in 2013, and in 2017, she became a member of Waterloo Warbirds’ fleet as C-FMVN, nicknamed Natasha.

Source: skiesmag.com

Our cartoon, by Dave Mathias, appeared in the 'Between Ourselves' magazine issued June 1961, with the caption "ELECTRONIC reservations system or not, we've one oversale who won't be satisfied with punching a blown transistor in the nose!"