Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

It was a twice in a lifetime thrill for Eve Forrester, 81, of Calgary.

Viewing Halley's Comet was a twice-in-a-life-time thrill. Her first sighting was as a child in 1910 from her home in Scotland. ''I have never ever forgotten it,'' Mrs. Forrester said. "Mom and Dad got us up out of our beds to look at it. I didn't realize the importance of the sighting then, but it is something l will always remember.''

The Comet was easier to see in 1910, Mrs. Forrester said of her view from Charter Flight 234. This time, armed with binoculars, she said she thought she saw it. Mrs. Forrester enjoyed her early morning adventure on one of the Comet flights, but said with a smile, "I didn't know champagne could be so potent."

Joining Mrs. Forrester for the photo are from left: Capt. Dave Mill, Syl Brooks-Dowsett, Alan McDonald, Peter Goossens, Assistant Lecturer, Calgary Planetarium; Patty McLafferty, Jeka Oklobdzija, and First Officer, Ron Muller.

Pacific Western's Halley's Comet charters will be remembered by the hundreds of people who managed to get a ticket on one of the 23 flights for at least the next 76 years, when Hailey's returns to give earthlings another sighting. Even though most of the passengers won't be around for the Comet's next visit, their stories will live on with their families for generations to come.

The special Halley's Comet charter program was probably one of the best public relations and promotional packages the airline has ever offered. Initially, the Charter Department scheduled three aircraft and put word out that people could take a Halley's Comet flight for $75. Within three hours all flights were booked and the waiting lists were growing. A few days after the promotion began it became evident that there were far more people who wanted to make the trip as a once-in-a-life time thrill than we could possibly accommodate. In the end there were 23 Pacific Western Halley's Comet flights: 13 from Calgary, 6 from Vancouver and 4 from Winnipeg. They were scheduled in the wee hours of the morning from March 21 to 25th 1986. Pacific Western can be proud they gave many people a chance to see it from a better vantage point.
(Edited from an article by Marilynn Knoch, Editor - eds)

A new trans-Pacific record from Vancouver to Tokyo of 8h:28m established July 3rd 1963 in DC-8 fin 603.

The record breaking crew on return to Vancouver. From left: Judy Inamasu, Carol Shimozawa, W.Tu (replaced steward Frank Ling at Hong Kong), Navigator Joe Nowazek, First Officer Rick Kilburn, Capt. Craig Stevenson, Second Officer Gordon Richardson, Purser Arnie Roeske, Joanne Louie (trainee stewardess) and Edith Underhill.