The NetLetter

For Air Canada Retirees
(Part of the ACFamily Network)


April 17, 2012 - Issue 1201

First Issue published in October 1995!
(over 5,400 subscribers)
In This Issue
ACRA Upcoming Events
Our First 75 Years
Reader Submitted...Photos
Air Canada News
TCA/Air Canada People Gallery
Alan's Space
Star Alliance News
Canadi>n/CP Air/PWA, Wardair, etc
Reader's Feedback
Odds and Ends
Terry's Trivia
Smileys
NetLetter Past Issues

Past Issues
Web Site Information

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Greetings!
Terry Baker
Welcome to the NetLetter!

We welcome you to allow the NetLetter to be your platform, and opportunity, to relive your history while working for either TCA, AC, CPAir, CAIL, PWA, AirBC, Wardair. etal. and share your experiences with us!

Terry Baker and the NetLetter Team

ACRA Upcoming Events- Compiled by Alan Rust
ACRA  LogoRetirees Welcome!

The following events are available for retirees through ACRA, the Air Canada Recreation Association.

Image Blank 200px 
ACRA System Golf turns 50!

Just as Air Canada celebrates its 75 year anniversary this year, the employees who started the Air Canada Recreation Association over 50 years ago are also celebrating with their 50th Anniversary System Golf Tournament!

 

This is a once-in-a-lifetime milestone event that we hope you can attend.

 

Date: September 9 - 12, 2012 
Where:
San Diego, California

Venue: Sycuan Resort & Casino 

 

Prizes: To help celebrate this event, Air Canada Vacations has donated a prize of a 7 Night all inclusive package for two to Mexico with Air and Hotel at the Gran Bahia Principe Coba in a Double Occupancy Junior Suite.

 

For further information and registration visit: www.acra.ca/events/system/golf.html  

 

Our First 75 years - Compiled by Terry Baker

AC 75 Years Anniversary1951 - Sept 23rd - An order for (5) Super Constellation aircraft was placed.

1968
- April - Swing Air Club introduced to permit youths between 12 and 21 years old to fly at half fare on space available basis.
- Sept - Company's first hi-jack, a Viscount from St..Johns to YYZ.

winter shed  1972 - Oct 26th  - North American Winter Schedule to Feb 24th 1973.







 

 

1975 - Oct 26th - Economy meals upgraded on YVR-YYZ-YVR flights to combat competition.

 

Reader Submitted Photos - Compiled by Terry Baker

Readers PhotosReader Submitted Photos -  The photos and information below have been submitted to us by our faithful readers.  


We welcome photos of interest from our readers. Please check your cupboards and shoe boxes, we bet you have some excellent photos lying around! If you do, send them to us and we will consider them for publication in a future NetLetter. We prefer good quality Air Canada/TCA, and Canadian/CPAir, etc. airline related photos, with descriptive text and names (whenever possible) included with the submission.


Image Blank 200px In the wake of the West Jet April 1st trick announcement that was in Alan's Space in NetLetter nr 1999, the NetLetter gang found this article: An Ottawa vintage aviation collection turned some heads with an April 1st announcement of the creation of a special variant of the venerable Beaver. Vintage Wings of Canada sent out its regular newsletter to its thousands of followers with a treatise on the Zwillingsbiber Twin Beaver "The Edsel of de Havilland." It dubbed the oddly appealing Photoshop creation the "Holy Grail for Beaver collectors." 

 

You can still read the story by following this link. I see they have added a huge disclaimer now, most likely because of all the feedback they received from people who thought the story was not a joke.


Image Blank 200px Jan Wegman has sent us these photographs:
The picture is a crew picture in the hotel lobby of the Hong Kong Crew Hotel. The date is 1987. Or it could possibly be a YYZ crew in Singapore. The In-Flight Service director is Bob Kowch. The female pilot was the first female pilot the company hired. (Gwen...). That is her daughter in front of her. Elizabeth Toth front row most left. The others escape me at the moment. (Anyone want to let us know some of the identifications and location here? - eds)

Image Blank 200px This photo must have been 1985 during the IFS strike. From right to left YYZ Fa's Christien Nauber, Elisabeth Wegman, Janet Begin. An old AC 727 in the background, as well as parking building Term 1.

Image Blank 200px Ron Rhodes has sent us this photo:
A "mainline" P.W.A. DC-3 has unloaded some passengers at Peace River who then proceeded to an "offline" point with an unimproved airstrip via the Barkley Grow seen taxiing out.

Image Blank 200px Robert Arnold has come up with another couple of photos taken in Winnipeg:
Always great to receive a copy of the NetLetter. Thought the readers of The NetLetter might enjoy two views of the Winnipeg Airport around 1952 from my TCA collection, formerly Tony Morien's collection. From the negative numbers on the back, these are "Sequence Photos". Maybe one of your readers can nail down a date and even recognize some of the people in the photos.

This photo shows the tail of TCA NorthStar Fleet 213, CF-TFM as passengers leave the terminal heading towards their aircraft. Note the TransAir air-stairs along with the TCA air-stairs in front of the terminal building. These were most likely used for boarding DC-3's.

Image Blank 200px This photo was taken from in front of the terminal building and shows CF-TFM taking on fuel while a baggage conveyer loads baggage and freight onto TCA Connie Fleet 406, CF-TGF.
With Kind Regards, Robert
Air Canada News
Air CanadaEurope for the summer.

- Athens via YYZ June 1st, via YUL June 2nd

- Barcelona via YYZ May 2nd via YUL May 19th
- Madrid via YYZ June 10th
- Rome via YYZ Mar 24th via YUL June 6th
- Dublin via YYZ June 7th
TCA/Air Canada People Gallery - Compiled by Terry Baker
 
TCA/Air Canada  LogoBelow we have musings from the "Between Ourselves" and "Horizons" magazine, Air Canada publications from years gone by, as well as various in-house publications.

The NetLetter has been fortunate enough to have our readers donate vintage Trans-Canada Air Lines and Air Canada publications from as far back as 1941 to share with you. These have been scanned and are being prepared for presenting in a special area of the ACFamily Network for archival and genealogy research.

Peter Pigott sends us this update: Just to let you know that I am an avid reader of NetLetter - particularly as you know I am working on a history of Air Canada to be published next year. I write full time for various aviation magazines, so whenever I can get back to the book, I do. It is hard to believe that I did "Wingwalkers: The History of Canadian Airlines" and "National Treasure: The History of Trans-Canada Air Lines" a decade ago. The passing of time always strikes me, particularly when I read the obituaries on your website of those who helped by relating their experiences and perspective of the airline. At least they will live on in the books.

As to the book on Air Canada, your readers might be interested to know that I have just completed the Yves Pratte years and now beginning those of Claude Taylor. Hopefully by the Fall I will be up to Robert Milton.

Peter Pigott 


On September 11th, 1968, The first hijacking in company history was a Viscount aircraft from St. John N.B. to YYZ with a demand to be taken to Cuba. The crew advised the hijacker that the aircraft required more fuel and the hijacker agreed to a landing at YUL. During negotiations at YUL, the hijacker gave up his quest peacefully and was taken into custody. The crew consisted of Capt. Ronald F. Hollett, F/O Robert Bromley, Stewardess Bev Atkinson. The fourth member of the crew was not identified.  

Issue dated - October 1995
Gathered from the "Parts and Pieces" magazine issued by YUL Stores
mapsystem Death penalty for MAP and all the Model 40 terminals as seen here in this garbage container in Main Stores. The Material Availability Package (MAP) was a good system in its time but like all things, they are replaced by bigger and better things. MAP was at its limit of expansion and would have been too expensive and to re-write its program. Therefore, on August 8th, ARTOS has taken its place as well as several other systems. Map will be active for display purposes for some time to enhance our transformation of materials between the two systems.

Image Blank 200px Part of the Stores team honour Jean Parents for his 30 years service -
Ben Besner, G. Giorgi, C. Zolatti,
J.C. Pelletier, M. Brihar, B. MacCoubrey,
J. Dilollo, V. Herbert, D. Tuff, M. Dionne, S. Coulter, R. Aitchison, E. Monaco, P. Nowaak, J. Parents, D. Bouchard, M. Adams, L. Principe, C. Gibbons, R. Richard, R. Mattews, G. Myrand, R. Thompson, D. Bolton, E. Wodarka, C. Lamarche, J.D. Gautier, C. Padvaiskas, P. Walsh, R. Goulding, C. Briard,
G. Spiers, and K. Shephard.

Issue dated - January/February 1998
Image Blank 200px Congratulations to John Linsay of Winnipeg Stores on achieving 40 years with Air Canada. On July 4th, 1997, John had also decided to take a well deserved retirement and enjoy the rest of his life away from the hustle and bustle of Air Canada. Seen above from left to right are: Brian Jamieson, Mike Dubois, Miles Johnson, Bob Wheeler, Don Zarrow, John Linsay, Morley Plummer, Don Orchyk, Gord Garvie, Frank Perella, Bruce Lanyon, Lynn Bollen, Linus Endacott, Brant Bjarnason, and Larry Sirant. At the rear is Todd Michels, Ed Marykuca, Brent Kaczkowski and Dave Baran.


Image Blank 200px Purchasing Assistant Brian Robinson received his 25 year pin and passes from Manager of Materials Management and Component Maintenance, Bruce MacCoubrey. Joining in the celebration were many many of his collages and friends. Listed from left to right are as follows: Robert Gogo, Diane Brown Cote, Diane Drury, Hugh Baxendine, Steve Waugh, Clarance Dolan, Roy Zavorski, Gail Cawson, brother Dave Robinson, His Honor Brian Robinson, Robert Norcott, Anglea Nadeau, Manager of MM & CM Bruce MacCoubrey, Andrew Van den Elshout, Wayne Mclay, Peter Frarzago, Lois Pickard, Claudio Calabrese, Joe Ricciradi, Louise Potvin, Jeannine Beaudoin, Andrew Defour, Bridgette Gonsalves, Ingrid Young and Gillian Greves.

Issue dated - October 1975
From the "Horizons" magazine -
Image Blank 200px The participants, looking unruffled by the ACRA Flying Club fly-in at Toronto at the first annual Rally & Poker Derby are, standing from the left: Captain P. L. Windh, Jerry Milek, Reed Aiken, Ron Paterson, George Warriner, Jim Beloshesky and Don Morrison. Front row, from the left: Lars Jensen, Roger Siauenwhlte, Bob Rathwell and Don Washington.


Image Blank 200px Mirabel International Airport (YMX) officially opened on October 4th 1975.
The first aircraft to land at Mirabel (YMX) was an Air Canada B747 carrying the chairman and VIPs from other airlines for the opening ceremonies. Members of the crew were, from the left foreground; Captain Bill Benson, Chief Pilot 747 - Toronto; Phil Pawsey, Second Officer Supervisor 747; and Kent Davis, VP-Flight Operations. On the stairs from the bottom are: Fight Attendants Renata Schmidt, Claire Gosselin, Elizabeth Burns, Paulette Couture, Vivian Case, Gloria Boucher (partly hidden), and Andrean Berthiaume; Serge Woolley, Purser; Carlos Arriola, Flight Service Director and Bernard Claudel, Flight Attendant Supervisor. (our apologies to the faces that are distorted as this was scanned from a magazine where these Captains faces were right in the fold)

Alan's Space - by Alan Rust
Alan's Space747 - from Royalty to Restaurant to Ruin

The Juan T. Trippe Jumbo Jet was once the crown jewel of the Pan Am fleet, built in 1970 as the world's first commercial jumbo jet. Now it's the shabby ruin of a high-concept restaurant in Seoul, South Korea.
 
This jet was built in 1969, and named after Juan T. Trippe, one of the leading aeronautical pioneers of his time. He was a Howard Hughes figure who invented the very idea of the Jumbo Jet. He also founded the company Pan American Airlines, which in the 1930s and 40s was the biggest airline company in the world.

However modern times were not kind to Pan Am, and after Trippe's death in 1975 it began to ail. In 1991 the company filed for bankruptcy and was not bailed out by the US government. As a result it was broken up and all its planes sold. The Juan T. Trippe flew a few more routes between Nigeria, California, and Somalia for various owners, before being put out to pasture in 1999. However in 2001 a South Korean couple bought it as their dream-retirement package, had it chopped into 62 pieces and shipped it to Seoul, where they converted into a high-concept restaurant.

You cvan see the full story with lots of photos by following this link or clicking on the photo below.
 

Image Blank 200px 
Star Alliance News
Star AllianceTaipei-based EVA Airways Corp. (BR) has been accepted into the Star Alliance and expects to become a member by 2013. In total, the alliance has 30 airline members (the current 26 and four future members).
Canadi>n/CP Air/PWA, Wardair, etc. People & Events
- Compiled by Terry Baker
CAIL TailsNews and articles from days gone by gleaned from various publications from C.A.I.L. and it's "ancestry" of contributing airlines.



 

Image Blank 200px A couple of picturesque timetables. 
 
 



 


 


 

  

Canadian Pacific owned four Canadian-build Canso aircraft and outfitted them for 20 passengers. Registered as CF-CRP, CF-CRQ, CF-CRR and CF-CRV. CF-CRR was originally RCAF serial 9767 and credited with the sinking of U-boat U-342 on April 17th 1944.

Vern  Swerdfeger has sent us this web site:
http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/348/language/en-CA/First-Love.aspx
which contains many photos of the Canso, plus their history and memories by some of the people involved with the operation of them. 


 

 

 Further extracts from the "History of CPA - route development" document issued April 1967 - At the request of the British Government, the Canadian Pacific Railway Company developed an aircraft ferry service across the North Atlantic in June 1940.

Although the Royal Air Force Ferry Command assumed control of this Trans-Atlantic operation a year later, the service planned by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company was not significantly changed throughout the remaining years of the war.



Image Blank 200pxIn 1942, ten airline carriers were consolidated to form Canadian Pacific Air Lines, Limited. The acquired companies are: - Ginger Coote Airways, Yukon Southern Air Transport, Mackenzie Air Service, Prairie Airways Canadian Airways, Wings Limited, Arrow Airways, Starratt Airways, Quebec Airways and Dominion Skyways. Here we have this genealogy chart of CPAL.



Canadian Pacific Air Lines Limited distinguished itself during World War II by operating six Air Observer Schools and one Elementary Flying Training School. To ensure that serviceable aircraft were available for various Royal Canadian Air Force training bases, the Company also operated five engine overhaul and aircraft repair plants for the Department of National Defense. 
Issue dated - May 1991
Extracts from the "Info Canadian" magazine -
Image Blank 200px On May 4th, the A320 Family Day was celebrated in YVR. From left: flight attendant Tracy Rathwell, OSM Joseph Donato, Eric Oass, OSM Dale Ihamaki, and flight attendant Norma Kelly, all of Toronto. Donato also participated on the A320's first commercial flight on May 7th from Toronto to Edmonton.
Issue dated - March 1991
February 15th 1991 CPA welcomed the second B747-400 to join the fleet. It was named the "F.R. Russ Baker" Fin number 882 and C-FCRA were assigned. The first B747-400 fin 881 was named "Maxwell W. Ward" and fin 884 a B747-400 was named "Grant McConachie".
 
On May 15th P.W.A. increased its holdings in Ontario Express, who recently purchased Air Toronto,  to 90% and transferred its holdings to Canadian Regional Airlines Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of P.W.A.

Image Blank 200px On February 21st, eight Winnipeg flight attendants volunteered to work with the Sales Department promoting the opening of the T3 terminal in YYZ., featured. The group visited more than 80 travel agents.  In the photo we have Kym Camarta and Geoff Clydesdale, both of Winnipeg Sales, and local flight attendants; David Wheeler, Nicloe Betournay, John Perdue, Irene DeBlonde, Maria Rose and Tamara Michaleski; Missing were Wendy Maximillion and Gailene Korotash.

Reader's Feedback - Compiled by Terry Baker
Reader's Feedback 
Every week we ask our readers for their stories or  feedback on what they have read here in previous issues. Below is the feedback we have received recently. 



Image Blank 200pxRobert Arnold has sent us this information: In
NetLetter 1198, Ken Collie was inquiring on a particular Avro York. He asked two questions: what was the aircraft registration and why did it not get to the Western Canada Aviation Museum before it got torched in the Pas Mb? Firstly, the aircraft was registered as CF-HAS. Avro York CF-HAS c/n MW290 (c/n is RAF reg'n) started operations with TransAir Ltd. in September 1956 and flew freight for the airline until it was withdrawn from use in December 1962 and was placed in storage at The Pas Manitoba.

In 1965 it was purchased by an unknown buyer for its scrap value, but vandals set it alight before it could be cut up. The wings were salvaged by a local resident and a vintage aircraft restorer from southern Manitoba by the name of Bob Diemert acquired the four Merlin engines.

As for why it did not get to the Western Canada Aviation Museum in Winnipeg, the WCAM didn't come into being a museum until 1974, almost ten years later. Hope this addresses Ken Collie's concerns on the Trans Air Avro York at The Pas Manitoba.
The photo from the Robert W. Arnold Collection and this photo was taken by my father, W. Arnold, and shows CF-HAS in Trans Air titles while it was in Winnipeg for maintenance back in March 1961.
With Regards, Robert

Bob Ellis sends us this memory:
This aircraft was CF-HAS, the last of Arctic Wings/Transair's York's. My first flight with Trans Air was on this aircraft, from Winnipeg to Churchill with Jim (Fevering) Phillipson on March 22nd, 1956. The next day we went to Site 26 on the Dew Line. My first Arctic flight, with less than 350 hours in my book. Talk about green.

 

I'm not exactly sure when it flew last, I think in the very early sixties, but it sat for quite a few years in the hangar at The Pas. As to why it didn't end up at the WCAM, I can't say. Was the WCAM established at that time?


Bob Ellis, Ret'd Transair/PW


Ron Rhodes sent us this picture which we had in NetLetter nr 1199 , but with no identifications.
 
Carol Bell sent us this response: I love getting the NetLetter and seeing the current news and blasts from the past. Regarding the picture of the engine in the YUL Power Plant Shop, I believe the fellow on top of the engine is Bert Bell. I worked with him in Inspection. I do not know who the fellow on the ground is.

Please keep up the great work that you all do and know that it is greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Carol Bell (nee Folkes)
Odds and Ends.

  

The Vancouver Aircraft and Aviation Collectibles Show is being held on October 6th, 2012 at the Oakridge Centre Mall Auditorium. Open from 09:00 to 17:00. Admission $2.50.  www.VancouverAviationShow.com  


Laszlo Bastyovanszky thought our readers would enjoy this short video - courtesy of retired CBC journalist Keeble McFarlane, of Toronto.
FYI - This is about a time when air travel was indeed an adventure! A couple of American fellows had started an airline based in Kingston, Jamaica that they called ACT - Air Caribbean Transport.

They had acquired  three DC-7s which had originally been ordered by BOAC but which I don't think it ever flew, since the 707 had already begun service and BOAC had opted for those ACT flew between Jamaica, Belize, Guatemala and Costa Rica. The planes had been converted to part-cargo, part-passenger in order to maximize the potential earnings. Sadly, ACT didn't last very long - within months it crashed and burned (financially, of course!) because the business just didn't pan out. 
Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips - by Terry Baker

Terry BakerUnited ZED tickets
United Airlines state that, due to their reservation system migration, our ZED agreement for e-tickets must be temporarily pushed back to paper tickets as of March 23rd 1:30 GMT time. Therefore all employees/retirees who hold e-tickets for travel on United Airlines will need to process a refund and then proceed to go back flight shopping for a zed paper ticket. We hope the reinstatement of the electronic ticket agreement with United Airlines will take place in the near future.

All employees and retirees have the responsibility to ensure that they and their traveling companions do not inconvenience the revenue customers on our flights.
 
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Smileys - Compiled by Terry Baker
Smileys
As we surf the internet and back issues of airline magazines we regularly find airline related jokes and cartoons. Below is our latest discovery.
 

cartoon From "Horizons" issued October 1975, we found this cartoon by Aidan Larkin in Shannon.
(Come on people, lets use our passes and get these aircraft seats occupied - eds)

The NetLetter is an email newsletter published (usually) once a week and contains a mixture of nostalgia, current news and travel tips. We encourage our readers to submit their stories, photos and/or comments from either days gone by, or from present day experiences and trips. If we think that the rest of our readers will enjoy it, we will publish it here.

We also welcome your feedback in regard to anything we post here. Many readers have commented with additional information, names and personal memories from the photos and articles presented here.

The NetLetter, which is free, is open to anyone that wishes to subscribe but is targeted to retired employees from Air Canada, Canadian Airlines and all the other companies that were part of what Air Canada is today. Thanks for joining us!

We hope you have enjoyed this issue of the NetLetter, see you next week!  
Sincerely,
Your NetLetter Team

Disclaimer: Please note, that neither the NetLetter or the ACFamily Network necessarily endorses any of the 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.

 

E&OE - (errors and omissions excepted) - The historical information as well as any other information provided here is subject to correction and may have changed over time. We do publish corrections when they are brought to our attention.
First published in October, 1995
  • Chief Pilot - Terry Baker, Nanaimo, B.C.
  • Co-pilot - Alan Rust, Surrey, B.C.
  • Flight Engineer - Bill Rowsell, Londesboro, Ontario 
  • Stewardess - Lisa Ruck, Brooklin, Ontario 
To contact us, send an email to [email protected]

End your promotion with a kick -- consider a postscript to reinforce one of the key product or service benefits.
 
Sincerely,