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Donation Request
 We want to thank all of you that took the time to send us a donation by either PayPal or Canada Post over the last few weeks. We had a fairly good response this year and the funds raised will be put to good use. We will be telling you more about this in future issues.This will be the last issue of the NetLetter asking for donations until next November but for those of you that ever have the urge to donate, you can always donate by using the donation link in our right hand column. If you would like to donate (any amount) then please click on "Donations" image above or the PayPal image below (to donate by Credit Card) or send a cheque made out to the ACFamily Network to: ACFamily Network #800 - 15355 24th Ave Suite 523 Surrey, BC V4A 2H9 We would like to thank all of you who have generously donated in the past. The donations are placed in a special account used to pay for ongoing expenses for the ACFamily Network, the NetLetter and other airline related projects. Sorry, we cannot issue tax receipts as we are not a charity. Thanks in advance, Vesta, Terry, Alan - Your NetLetter Team  Please note you do not have to have a PayPal account in order to pay by Credit Card. Just click the "continue" link indicated below on the PayPal site.  |
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Vesta's Jump Seat
 Why not allow the NetLetter be your platform, and opportunity, to relive your history while working for either TCA, AC, CPAir, CAIL, PWA, AirBC etal. and share your experiences with us! |
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Our first 70 years.
 1947 - October 1st - Inaugural service between Montreal and Shannon, Ireland. - October 15th - Introduction of a special gift food parcel service from Montreal to the U.K. 1949 - Dec 3rd - Inaugural service between Toronto and Barbados by North Star aircraft. 1973 - Apr 28th - Last Viscount service YVR-YYJ-YVR giving way to DC-9 service.  - Airtransit selected name for the demonstration STOL service between Montreal and Ottawa to commence in 1974.- Three more DC -9 ordered for delivery in 1974 bringing the total fleet to 52. |
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Air Canada News
 Air Canada said that it has matched the prevailing checked bag policy of internationalcarriers on U.S. transborder and transatlantic routes. Customers purchasing Economy Class tickets (Tango, Tango Plus and Latitude fares) for travel on or after January 19, 2010 to/from the United States, Europe and Israel will be able to check one bag for free, in addition to permitted carry-on baggage, and will be charged for a second checked bag as follows: - For flights to/from the United States (including Hawaii, excluding Puerto Rico): CAD/USD $30. - For flights to/from Europe and Israel: CAD/USD $50. Air Canada's new policy on U.S. trans border routes compares favourably with major U.S. carriers that charge for checking in both a first and second bag. Air Canada's checked baggage policy of two free checked bags for Economy Class ticket holders remains unchanged for all travel within Canada, as well as to/from Mexico, the Caribbean, South and Central America, Asia and Australia. |
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TCA/AC People Gallery
 Over the past months we have been publishing various photographs from earlier "Horizons", should any photos prompt a memory in seeing one of them, feel free to send us your comments and thoughts. Musings from the "Between Ourselves" magazine.
Issue dated September 1947
Armstrong Bows Out
Armstrong, which holds nostalgic memories for many a veteran Radio Operator, is no longer a TCA station. As a result of the abandonment of the northern transcontinental route around the Great Lakes, the Company staff at Armstrong has been replaced by Department of Transport personnel. The latter will continue the operation of the this radio range.  This year, to mark the 10 years of operation a certificate has been created to go with the 10 year service pin being awarded to employees.Here we have a photo of the London Ontario city office.  Studying the map are Stewardess Phylis Harding, S/L Forbell C.O. RCAF London, W.R.Campbell, S.L.Bowes and T.B.Sandilands. This other photo is of a DC-3 on the ramp.Some of the Calgary Traffic staff are pictured here.  Left to right: Lloyd French, R.A.Kold, John Balflour, Kay Pearson, Kay Luke, Pat Sandgathe, Flo Stager, Irene Gerlitz, Joe Perozak, Carol Prosser, Marion Greenslade. T.C.A's overseas routes for the North Star.Issue dated November 1947 On October 1st the inaugural North Star service between Montreal and Shannon, Ireland.
Here is the crew for that flight  l to r Purser Stewart J.D. Murphy, Navigator Bill Ramsey, Capt. J.A.Wright, Stewardess Teresa Mulligan, First Office G.G.Quinn, Radio Officer L.S.Burke. Here is a photo of Passenger Agent Margaret Gallagher and Stewardess Teresa Mulligan handle a crib with the youngest passenger in the inaugural Montreal to Shannon.Airline Salesmen These are the Traffic Representatives who recently completed a three weeks training course at Winnipeg. During the course, the 35 Salesmen covered almost every subject in the airline book and listened to lectures from 23 different speakers. Now they are at work putting into effect TCA's intensified sales program.
 Back Row- J. E. Struthers, London; J. H. Bowen, Montreal; A. Gauthier, Montreal; I. A. Lyons New York; A. N. Baker, New York; B. F. Corsiglia, Boston; H. W. Blythe, Detroit; W. H. Rockwell, Boston; M. A. Munks, Seattle; K. G. Horton, Regina. Centre- H. I. Nicholson, Montreal C. A. Lampman, Boston; J. G. Brennan, Montreal; D. I. Deguere, Saint John; G. J. Churchill, Halifax; A. I. Sutherland, Moncton; J. A. Morgan, Halifax; D. B. Graham, Ottawa; P. J. Williams, Windsor. Front-G. N. Leather, Chicago; K. D. Bradshaw, North Bay; B. N. Watt, Toronto; J. B. Gutzwiller, Cleveland; H. N. Bassett, Toronto; Bryon Johnston, Instructor; W. L. Yold, New York; J. D. Balfour, Lethbridge; S.G. Mooney, Edmonton; R. Koib, Calgary; J.C. Finlay,Victoria; D.C. Rowan, Port Arthur.Issue dated January 1950
Captain D.B.Dill was in command of the inaugural service between Toronto and Barbados by North Star equipment on December 3rd 1949.
 The flight landed in stormy weather at Seawell Airport after a 15 hour flight.Gleanings from the "Horizons" magazine Issue dated May 1973
Under the command of Capt. Trevor Bolitho, with Stan Hockley in the right hand seat and in-flight service Supervisor Kathy Johnson was the stewardess. The final Viscount service YVR-YYJ-YVR was operated on April 28th.
 Here we have this photo of Lucy Beaudry giving the Viscount an affectionate hug. Stan Mooney, Victoria District Manager estimates 3 million passengers used the service in the past 12 years.Dick Sebring, Chicago Reservations Manager shows his staff the incentive prizes available.  From the left - Phillip Collins, Patrick O'Connor, Sebring, Anne Marie Black and Susan Mullen |
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Star Alliance news
Adria Airways has been a regional member of the Star Alliance network since December 15, 2004. As part of the new membership structure and having successfully
maintained the high standards set forth by the Star Alliance, Adria Airways, along with Blue1 and Croatia Airlines are now transitioning to become full Star Alliance member carriers.
Customers prefer to use credit and debit cards for on-board purchases. Continental Airlines announced that effective now, its flight crews will begin accepting credit and debit cards exclusively for on-board purchases (except Duty-free), utilizing new hand-held devices that are more convenient for customers. Cash is still being accepted for Duty-free purchases. |
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Help Wanted
Norma Morin is seeking help -
Hi everyone,
I am a retiree from Montreal and have been accepted as a volunteer for the 2010 Olympics in Whistler. Only problem is I have no accommodation. Would you be able to help? I know it is difficult but if you know of anyone in the Air Canada family, friends, family members who could accommodate me in the Whistler area, for the period 10 February for approx 10 days. I would be so grateful, otherwise I will be refused. Desperately hoping for a miracle.
Interested people should contact Norma direct and NOT through the NetLetter.
Norma Morin tel 514-425-6711 Montreal
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Alan's Space
 The Oldest Flying Boeing Aircraft in the World!
(Thanks Ken!) This is as it should be - passengers in closed cabin, pilot in open cockpit so he will stay awake. The airplane is in Spokane, WA and is the oldest flying Boeing in the world. After 8 years of repair and rebuilding, and 8,000 hours of toil, the Boeing 40C rolled out last winter as a finished airplane, but it took a few weeks for the snow to melt before it was taken out of the hangar. Project personnel received the Standard Airworthiness Certificate from the FAA and completed the engine pre-oil and fuel flow tests for the first of the taxi tests. Facts about the Boeing 40 project:
 For full story and more photos click here...
 Click on image above for video
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Canadi>n/CPAir/PWA, Wardair, etc. Events & People
 Over the past months we have been publishing various photographs from earlier in-house magazines, should any photos prompt a memory in seeing one of them, feel free to send us your comments and thoughts. Bill Wood has sent us this web site for a story about CF-CPA, a Lodestar being recovered from a bog into which it crash landed.Check this web site for a full story.
Perusing the "Info Canadian" magazine. Issue dated August 1st 1991
Employees show off at Florida airshow.
A group of St. Petersburg and Tampa employees recently participated in a Canadian Airlines B767 display and Canadian Holidays booth at an airshow in St. Petersburg, which is a major year round charter destination.  The group included, from top, Harold Hergot, captain, B767; Bill Saunders, station manager, Tampa and St. Petersburg Shohre Utterback, Airports supervisor, Marlene Flament, customer service agent; Hong Nguyen, customer service agent; Antoan Van Eyck, customer service agent; Carol Lopez, Canadian Holidays destination rep; Gladys Ramirez, customer service agent; Bruce Anderson, Airports supervisor, and Jack Raimann, customer service agent.From the May 1967 issue of the "Canadian Pacific Airlines Newsletter' magazine. We captured this photo of the first of four sales management development seminar held during April in Vancouver.
 From left: Gene Gaff, Grant Williams, H.B.O' Toole, Bob Godfrey, Fred Duncan, Bill Gordon, Jim McKerrow; Luis Andrade; Ken Wood, Jim Mutch; Ron McWilliams; Bill Slean, Ed Ogden, Ralph Woodman; Frank Holland (behind), Eric Birdsall, G. Iriserra, Roy Pellant, Reg Paull, Raul Hudson. Since February 1964, CPA held 3 delivery positions for the Boeing supersonic aircraft. Commercial operations are not expected until mid-1970'sExpo '67 opening April 18th was marked by these Tokyo employees.  From the left Passenger agents Teruo Yamada, Kazatuka Nagato, Stewardess Kazuko Togashi and Passenger agent Yoshkimasa Matsumoto. A new non stop flight record from Honolulu to Toronto was set on April 24th when a CPA jet covered the 4,733 mile distance in seven hours 59 minutes. Under the command of Capt. R.B.Birch, the DC-8 "Empress of Mexico City" beat the previous record of eight hours 7 minutes set on October 1966. |
 In an earlier "Between Ourselves" issued in 1972 there was a photo of a group meeting to discus aircraft spares pooling.
Bill Norberg was at that meeting, and sends us his memories -
Yes, 1972 was a long time ago but I still remember that meeting in broad terms. I was then and still am supporter of the principle of technical pooling of aircraft spares. It was always interesting to observe the differences between the Sales end of airlines compared to the Technical end. The thoughts of sharing sales strategies, plans or data was just not done. In fact I can remember a time when any form of cooperation was forbidden. The recent case where Westjet staff managed to get illegal access to Air Canada loads resulted in a lawsuit against them.
At the technical end of the airline, sharing of information and even sharing of spare parts was common place. Safety and reliability were vital aspects of successful operations. If an airline found a defect that could affect safety that information was always passed on to the manufacturers and other airlines.
When the wide body jets came into being the costs of spare parts including power plants were very high. To offset these expenses airlines internationally set up a Spares Pooling system. Spares levels were set to meet the needs of all the airlines involved. Airlines shared the costs of setting them up and as a result had access to them when and if needed.
If a spare unit was needed at any point around the system where the airline did not have spares of its own, it could have access to these shared components. They would use the component until they could replace it with one of their own, pay a service fee for the period of use, and have the part returned to its original location. This was particularly valuable where power plants were concerned. I guess when it gets down to basics, when you are having a technical problem that could affect operations...you will seek.... and get assistance wherever it may be.
Regards. Bill Norberg
Vern Swerdfeger has sent us these photos and comments - It's off to the paint barn for Boeing's newest wide body....the 747-8 Freighter. It was very dark and these shots had to be taken at ISO 3200 as the sun had already gone down. Its a long one, 250' 2" long, and that is 18' 4" longer than the 747-400 Freighter. The GE GenX engines on the "Dash 8" sure do look big as well!
Vern
   Bev May sends this information reference the article in NetLetter nr 1097 by Bill Cameron - CF-CRR was operated by Transair/Midwest out of Winnipeg in the early 1970's (!973-74). I believe It had been converted to a water-bomber at that time and was used on fires in northern Manitoba. Somewhere in my stuff I believe I have a photo of the aircraft at that time. Bev. May
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This n That.
CONCORDE'S HEATHROW HOME AT RISK Officials at London's Heathrow airport say they just can't find a good spot to display their Concorde and may have to get rid of it, a prospect that has Concorde fans up in arms. "The Queen of the Skies should now be the Queen of Heathrow," said Ben Lord, spokesman for the Save Concorde Group. Instead, the airplane has been shuffled around from place to place, and is now stored behind a maintenance hangar. Earlier this year, the airport tried to sell off the airplane to a buyer in Dubai, but the deal fell through. Plans to display the Concorde in British Airway's new terminal also did not materialize. "Heathrow is the world's most congested airport and finding a permanent location is not proving straightforward," an airline spokesperson told the London Times. "We are looking at a number of options for the aircraft including a permanent home at Heathrow but have not made any decisions." Lord said his group would vehemently oppose moving the airplane. "Heathrow played a vital role in the 27 years of Concorde's commercial lifetime, and it's critical that Alpha Bravo remains there," he said. The AN-225, the worlds largest commercial freight aircraft has entered the record books having flown a generator from Frankfurt to Yerevan Armenia. The flight took place August 11th last and the unit plus loading frame weighed 189.98 tonnes The sole example of this aircraft is owned by Antonov Airlines.
 Asian airline puzzled by mysterious mid-air toilet clogs Any time you put 300 people in a metal tube, the strain on the in-flight toilet system is going to be immense - but Hong Kong based airline Cathay Pacific is having more than just a bit of trouble. The airline is actually dealing with a huge mystery. Their toilets are so unreliable that a Hong Kong bound flight had to make an unscheduled landing in Mumbai, India when all ten of the bathrooms became clogged and unusable. The 278 passengers on the "crappy" flight were delayed for 18 hours. But to be honest, I'd rather spend 18 hours in Mumbai than 18 minutes on a plane with no bathrooms. In other incidents, two other Hong Kong bound flights had to refuse boarding to a substantial amount of passengers when all the bathrooms on one side of the plane stopped working. All these incidents are on the Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft, and Cathay Pacific is said to be working overtime to figure out what is causing the problem. A Cathay Pacific spokeswoman suggested that passengers may be to blame. 'You would be amazed at what we find in the pipes when we clean the system - not just face towels but medicine bottles, socks and even children's stuffed toys', Until the real reason is uncovered, engineers are carrying out deep cleaning treatment and replacing pipes. |
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Terry's Trivia & Travel Tips
 Baggage fees for some US airlines in us$ - 1st bag 2nd bag
Alaska 15 25
American Airlines 20 30
Continental 18 if checked online 20 if checked online
20 at the airport 25 at the airport
Delta 15 if checked online 25 if checked online
20 at the airport 30 at the airport
Frontier 20 30
JetBlue 0 30 checked online
Southwest 0 0
United 15 if checked online 20 if checked online
20 at the airport 25 at the airport
USAir 20 if checked online 30 if checked online
25 at the airport 35 at the airport
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Smilie
 Here we have another smilie sent in by Vern Swerdfeger From the CPA Newsletter issued March 1967 we have this cartoon by Dave Mathias (TCA/AC)A South African Airways B747 just off LHR had a problem and said they were returning and would need to dump fuel for landing. London Departure: "You are approaching Windsor Castle, and the Queen is in residence. Hold the dump until you have passed Windsor." SAA 747: "Phone the Queen and ask if she would like the fuel or the aircraft." |