The NetLetter

For Air Canada Retirees
(Part of the ACFamily Network)

 

January 26, 2013 - Issue 1239
First Issue published in October 1995!
(over 5,400 subscribers)
In This Issue
Women in Aviation
Reader Submitted Photos
TCA/Air Canada People Gallery
Alan's Space
Canadi>n/CP Air/PWA, Wardair, etc
Reader's Feedback
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


Women in Aviation - Compiled by Terry Baker
chinese women Robert Howe sends this message:
I gleaned this off the internet but would like more information and / or assistance please. The photo is very interesting of 2 Chinese Women who went into the annals of Chinese modern day history. Here is what I can recall from the photos article. One of these women became the first licensed female pilot in China. One of these women became a representative for China (the forerunner to the U.N.). One of these Women became the first female officer in the People's Republic of China Airforce. If you can assist me in finding the source for this photo, again I would appreciate it.
Regards, Robert Howe

YVR Retired
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.  


 

Betty Draper has sent us this information: I know you always look for material - I found this in the Draper archives. I worked as a Radio Operator for DOT and these photos were in the files, taken about 1944-48, at Watson Lake. It looks like dimensions for the Runway at Watson Lake on the reverse of the runway photo.
watson-lake-2




Jim Bruce has sent us this relic:
Came across this dog-eared little gem of 72 pages issued 1954 and acquired when I joined TCA in 1956. Have any of you not seen this before? Or has this ground already been plowed? 
Cheers, Jim



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.

1973 - July - Formation of the Canadian Maple Wings Association (C.M.W.A.).

1986 - April 27th - B-747 service to Manchester inaugurated, added to
the Toronto - Glasgow service.

June 20th - L1011 direct service Toronto - Manchester inaugurated.

Wardair became one of 70 domestic and international airlines to join ReserVec.

We have this photo of Jan McCandlish, a Flight Attendant, Vancouver extracted from the 1986 Annual Report.






Issue dated - May 1986
From the "Horizons" magazine -
Billie Stewart-Nicholls, a stewardess with Trans-Canada Air Lines from 1944 to 1952, poses beside a photograph taken of her in 1950. She was the airline's entry in the 'Miss Airways' contest in London, England.

During the spring of 1986, some 700 members of the Canadian Maple Wings Association (C.M.W.A.) met at the Sheraton Centre in Toronto. Modeling an assortment of airline fashions are, from the left: Sheila Gustavson-Bell, Mary Beairsto-McKeon, Velma Miller-Olynik, Tuula Skytta-Ross, Geraldine DesRosiers-Scott, Edna George-Claydon, Barbara Forbes-Mitchell, Belva Wilkins-Hughes and Shirley Audet-West.

Back in 1973, several former stewardesses living in Toronto planned a small get together. Word spread and what started out as a house party for about 30 people ended up as a luncheon for 300 people at a nearby hotel, complete with door prizes and a fashion show. Encouraged by this interest, the C.M.W.A. was formed as is still going today.

In the July 1973 "Horizons" magazine was the following report of the event which led to the formation of the Association.

TCA Girls Hold Reunion
More than 300 "Trans-Canada Air Lines" stewardesses who joined the Company between 1938 and 1964 recently held a very successful reunion in suburban Toronto. One highlight of the event was the cutting of a special cake by guest of honour Mrs. Lucille Garner Grant, the first stewardess to be employed in 1938. Mrs. Billie Houseman Walkerchuk, known to most of the group as chief stewardess for many years, paid a fitting tribute to the gathering for their role in building the Company into a great airline. She received a standing ovation. In the fashion show following the luncheon, some professional models received much laughter and applause for their humorous appearance in early TCA uniforms. Among those present were some of the Company's first stewardesses: Mrs. Rose Crispin Lothian, Mrs. Ruth Leslie Heenan and Mrs. Annette Brunelle Donovan. Former stewardess Mrs. Sheila Gould, who was with the Company's medical office in Vancouver, recalled one delayed flight in 1939. She accompanied the complete load of ten male passengers into a nearby field to pick fresh strawberries and the obliging farmer supplied fresh cream "just to make the long voyage a little more pleasant". Mrs. Elizabeth Harris, the event's coordinator, Mrs. Carol Anderson, publicity chairman and the other organizers originally expected an attendance of about 30 and were pleasantly surprised when the original estimate was exceeded tenfold.

Alan's Space - by Alan Rust
Alan's Space
Alan is on vacation! 
 
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 its "ancestry" of contributing airlines.
In December 1987. A booklet titled "Meet the Canadians" was issued containing photos of the North American Sales Group. Here we have the eleventh page.










Issue dated - November 1981
Items from the "CPAir NEWS" magazine -
Athens Flights Suspended
CP Air suspended flights to points to Athens on Sept. 30th, 1981 owing to inadequate financial results on the route. The company suspended flights to Athens for the 1980-81 winter period, but it had reintroduced service last summer and made a renewed marketing effort. Losses continued to mount. However a major difficulty was that CP Air did not have the right to carry traffic between intermediate European points and Greece.
 
The decision was made not to open a Calgary reservations office made for additional space at One Bentall Centre in downtown Vancouver. The transition was handled by a group formed and known as "SPARC", Here we have a photo of some of the 25 employees who have served on SPARC. They are, from the left: Brian Carlyle, Darlene Cornelson,  Diane Laverly, Cathy Perkins and Cindy
Beaton.



EDMONTON employees turned out in force to assist in the third annual CP Air Great Alberta Road Race. Proceeds went to cancer research. Friends and wives of employees also helped. Back, from left: Peter Simpson, Joy Bell, Harry Stilling, CTO manager; Bob Walker, Gary Staudinger, airport; Henry Schmidt, airport; Boris Onisko, director of passenger sales, prairies; Bart McCaughey, sales; Dan McMillan, cargo. Standing in centre, from left: Arne Pederson, sports sales development, Vancouver; Maxine Thomson, airport; Barb Kowal, airport; Patty McMillan, Mary-Ann Hawthorne, sales; Helen Fishburne, Bill Fairbairn, city ticket office; John Wright airport; John Mikkelsen, sales; Joe Pokrywa, sales; Tony Herben, cargo. Kneeling, from left: Bee Walker, sales; Dick Bell, sales; Sherann Broder, special promotions, Vancouver; Jim Mutch, director, Western Canada Services; Carole Kurylowlch

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.

Tony Iudica sends us a copy of the Air Travel Journal issued March 30/April 2, 1987. The contents deal with the anniversary of TCA's inaugural flight into Logan airport, Boston on April 1st, 1947, being the first foreign airline at Logan. Tony adds the following comments:
Hi guys. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you. I found this article in my high school yearbook of all places - I graduated in '72. It's the Logan Airport Air Travel Journal published May/Jun 1987 about Air Canada's 50 year anniversary. The pictures they used are a riot. I worked under Eileen McCoy and she definitely didn't look like that. By the way she was a great person and manager! Anyhow, thought this would bring a chuckle to the gang!
Cheers, Tony Iudica
AC/Bos/Tpa Retiree!

 

Ken Pickford sends us this information:
Re: the Robert Arnold photo of the TCA North Star CF-TFU at Winnipeg circa 1958 in NetLetter nr 1236. That was one of the 3 Canadian Pacific Canadair Fours (CP didn't use the North Star name) sold to TCA in 1952. It was the first of CP's 4 aircraft (one was written off at Tokyo in a non-fatal runway overrun into the water in February 1950). The aircraft in the YWG photo was registered CF-CPI at CP and named "Empress of Sydney". It had a notable place in CP history. It operated CP's first international flight in July 1949, routing Vancouver-San Francisco (fuel stop)-Honolulu-Canton Island (fuel stop)-Nandi-Auckland-Sydney, with 2 overnight stops at Honolulu and Nandi (hotel and meals included in the fare).

The same aircraft below at Sydney on July 15, 1949, prior to the return flight of the inaugural. I recall this photo in an earlier NetLetter. As a further piece of trivia, the CP aircraft had 5 windows in the rear cabin (like BOAC's, which they called Argonauts) while TCA's factory-delivered North Stars had 4 windows in that area. I believe that aircraft was converted to a freighter by TCA prior to retirement. (CF-TFU c/n 147 fin 221 was indeed sold by CPA to TCA and delivered December 10th, 1951. Converted to all cargo April 13th, 1955, leased/purchased by Overseas Aviation, Gatwick UK. Leased to A.J. Gaul on October 13th, 1961 following the collapse of Overseas Aviation who sold it to Keegan Aviation on July 1st 1961 and then sold to LEBCA (Linea Express Bolivar), reregistered as YV-C-LBV and delivered via Prestwick to Venezuela on January 20th, 1962. The aircraft The Canadair C-4 crashed into the sea off Maiquetia Airport due to fuel exhaustion on July 6th, 1962. (Incidentally CF-TFJ fin 210 c/n 134 and CF-TFE "Probisher" fin 205 c/n 129 both ended up with LEBCA and were damaged beyond repair on  August 27th, 1964 in Miami by hurricane Cleo. - eds)

Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips - by Terry Baker

Terry BakerRegarding the recently announced revised pass travel, the following is of interest - Retirees will receive the same passes as employees with one exception. Retirees will pay the newly reduced service charge for all 3 C2/J09 passes. (Charge is waived for actives)
(full details on the aeronet web site.)

Current Family Affair program. The current Family Affair travel period has been extended for all travel to be completed by June 30, 2013. The last ticket date remains March 31, 2013. As announced in January 16th's Daily and in Kevin Howlett's letter posted on the Portal, the details of the new and improved Family Affair program along with booking instructions will be forthcoming in the future.

Your chief pilot recently booked a tour package through Air Canada Vacations via the Employee Travel Service. To obtain seat selection it was necessary to contact ACV by 1-866-529-2079 with the frustrating wait listening to elevator music. After 10 minutes, I was offered a service of being called back by an agent instead of an indeterminate wait. I accepted, gave my phone number and was called some 10 minutes later. Certainly saves the frustration.
 
ZED E-Ticketing now available for Gulf Air (GF) and Air Mauritius (MK) effective now. Paperless ZED e-tickets are available on the Employee Travel Site.

We have just received confirmation that Disney World in Florida is discontinuing all airline discounts effective Jan. 18, 2013 at 5 pm EST. Bookings already completed will be honored. There will be no new bookings after 5 pm EST today. Let us help you with your new bookings today! (source Caesar Airways Vacations)

Here are some of the cruise deals from Dargal Interline:
7 Night Alaska ~ Celebrity Cruises ~ Celebrity Century
May 05 Vancouver; Inside Passage (Cruising); Icy Strait Point; Hubbard Glacier (Cruising); Juneau; Ketchikan; Inside Passage (Cruising); Vancouver; From: Inside: $499 Oceanview: $989 Balcony: $1199 Suite: $1349

15 Night Hawaii ~ Celebrity Cruises ~ Celebrity Century
Mar 04 San Diego; At Sea; At Sea; At Sea; At Sea; At Sea; Honolulu; Lahaina; Kailua Kona; Mount Kilauea - Evening Sail; Hilo; At Sea; At Sea; At Sea; At Sea; Ensenada; San Diego; From: Inside: $899 Oceanview: $1069 Balcony: $1729 Suite: $2179

7 Night Europe - Mediterranean ~ Azamara Cruises ~ Azamara Quest
Apr 21 Seville; Guadalquivir River; Seville; Gibraltar; Motril; At Sea; Valencia; Barcelona; Barcelona; From: Inside: $630 Oceanview: $840 Balcony: $1120 Suite: $1960

14 Night Hawaii ~ Princess Cruises ~ Golden Princess
Mar 13 Los Angeles (San Pedro); At Sea; At Sea; At Sea; At Sea; Hilo; Honolulu; Kauai (Nawiliwili); Maui (Lahaina); At Sea; At Sea; At Sea; At Sea; Ensenada; Los Angeles (San Pedro); From: Inside: $749 Oceanview: $799 Balcony: $1449 Suite: $1749

18 Night South America ~ Carnival Cruise Lines ~ Carnival Splendor
Mar 05 Buenos Aires; At Sea; At Sea; Rio de Janeiro; At Sea; Salvador; At Sea; Recife; At Sea; Fortaleza; Crossing the Equator; At Sea; At Sea; Barbados; At Sea; Grand Turk; At Sea; At Sea; New York; From: Inside: $549 Oceanview: $649 Balcony: $1129 Suite: $1899
Cruises: Rates are quoted in U.S. dollars per person (based on double occupancy). PORT CHARGES ARE INCLUDED. Taxes & fees are not included. Fuel supplement may be applicable. All rates are subject to change, availability and eligibility. All offers apply to new bookings only, are capacity controlled and may be withdrawn without notice.
For more information on these & other Dargal Interline specials:
Call Toll Free: 1-800-690-3223
International Toll Free: (country code)-800-2832-7425
Suite 200-1632 Dickson Ave Kelowna BC V1Y 7T2
Open weekdays:9am-10pm (EST) Sat: 10am-9pm (EST)Sun: 11am-8pm (EST)
[email protected] www.dargal.com 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

 

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.

In view of the revised pass privileges, we thought this cartoon by "Countryman"   from "Between Ourselves" issued November 1955 would be appropriate.

 

 

 

 

 

This cartoon we found in the "Between Ourselves" magazine issued March 1947 and is by J.F. McDevitt, a mechanic in Toronto. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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 endorse 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]