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Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter Since 1995

Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Since 1995

Hugh MacCallum has sent us this information -

I joined the Pionairs October 2015. I worked for AirBC/ACJazz/Jazz April 1979 thru to retirement September 30, 2005, initially as a float plane pilot based at CYZT/Port Hardy, then as a Dispatcher, then a Customer Svc Agt at CYYJ.

My interest in aviation began May 1961-’62 in the Canadian Arctic on DEW Line supply ships based at Tuktoyaktuk, NWT — a Bell G2 was carried on one of the LST’s to find leads in the ice pack.

My Dad gave me a 35mm Argus camera summer 1962 resulting in taking photos of aircraft (i.e.) DC-3 & 4, the Bell helicopter. From 1962 through 2012 I took 460 aircraft photos & then had a website created (by an International photographer living here in Sidney, whom I met in 2012) to display the photos c/w relative history. Click Here to visit Hugh's site. 

An inquiry from one of those viewing my site resulted in my research coming across your NetLetter. (NetLetter nr 1201 mentioned information on the Avro York - eds)

One of the pics is of the Avro York at The Pas, Manitoba (refer Gallery 1, images 13 & 14). My time with AirBC, included 3 years on the YVR ramp as an airside shuttlebus driver from CP Gate 19 to Twin Otters parked on the North Apron. Thus many pics of anything arriving departing during 1984-87 — refer Gallery 7, page 1,image 10, and pages 2, 3 & 4. 

I would think that many personnel from the amalgamated AC family would be interested.


Betty Draper has sent this cutting -

National Air Line sought. (by Canadian Press) Montreal, January 17th, 1933.

Stated to be the largest conference of airways officials ever to take place in Canada, a meeting of the officers of Canadian Airways, Limited, opened here today. Officers from Winnipeg and Vancouver were included in the delegates. James Richardson, president of Canadian Airways, presided.

The meeting is to discuss national air problems thoroughly and consider the feasibility of linking Canadian Airways' routes into a national network. An aggressive air policy may be the outcome of today's meeting, it was stated.


In NL #1348, Robert Pelley requested help in locating information regarding a flight between St. John's and Victoria in 1974.

Neil Burton has responded with this suggestion -

There was a “Great Belvedere Air Race of 1973”. It began in Mountain view, Ontario, on June 23rd, 1973 and ended in Fort Langley, B.C.

Again on June 30th, 1974, another race “Great Canadian Air Dash of 1974” was held from Montreal and ended in Vancouver, B.C., Thursday, July 11th, 1974.

Is there a possibility Wayne Tuck and Craig Loweys joined these races?

Neil Burton


Re: Bristol Freighter -- Maritime Central Airways owned one aircraft that crashed at Site 30 (Hall Beach), killing all three crewmen. Apparently the cargo (a small military truck) broke free from its tie-downs and rolled forward and rearward with disastrous results, finally stalling the aircraft and it crashed just off shore at that base during building of the DEW Line. I flew with MCA during '56 and '57.

Cecil Kipfer (retired Captain, Air Canada)


Greetings;

In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s I was in CPAL Flight Dispatch at Montreal Dorval Airport. We were quite good friends with the Trans-Canada/Air Canada Flight Dispatchers who worked in an office a few doors away, Ozzie Candy, Frank Angelopolous...et al. 

They told a (perhaps apocryphal) story of a Bristol 170 Freighter enroute YUL/LGA. When in range of LGA the flight crew asked for landing instructions. The instructions were forthcoming from LGA tower, and as the 170 turned on final approach the LGA tower operator acknowledged with “gear down and locked”.

The TCA/AC flight crew responded with ‘gear down and welded’....

Bill Cameron (CP Air Retired 1986)


David Wall writes-

I enjoyed Wayne's article about the old freighter and it brought back a memory. While the Brits built some of the prettiest airplanes they also were responsible for some of the ugliest, the Bristol Freighter fell into the latter category.

When I flew into JFK as a Viscount F/O in the '60s there was a tale in the lore of the Bristol Freighter about an unidentified comment made on VHF (JFK Ground) "Hey Trans-Canada, did you build it yourself?"

David Wall

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