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Vesta's Corner
 Why not allow the NetLetter to be your platform and opportunity to relive your history while working for either TCA, AC, CPAir, CAIL, PWA, AirBC etal?
Share your experiences with us! SEARCH RESUMES FOR MISSING ADVENTURER STEVE FOSSETT A team of searchers is back in the mountains of Nevada this week, hoping to find an answer to the mystery of Steve Fossett's disappearance. Fossett, a well-known pilot and adventurer, vanished last September while flying near a friend's ranch in a Super Decathlon. An extensive aerial and ground search, plus worldwide efforts using satellite imagery, failed to turn up any trace of Fossett or his airplane, and in February a court declared him legally dead. The new search team of 12 mountaineers, led by Canadian adventurer Simon Donato, will cover a rugged area on the east slope of the Sierra Nevada where Fossett was last seen. By traveling on foot, the searchers hope to explore hard-to-reach areas that have not previously been checked. They plan an eight-day search. To follow their progress online, go to their Web site, which is updated daily. www.AdventureScience.ca |
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Air Canada - our first 70 years
1947 - May 29th - Believed to be the first T.C.A. flight into Germany, a North Star took off from LHR for FRA commanded by Capt. Lindy Rood with Ron Peel as navigator, (From Ron Peel's book "My time at war ... and a little bit more"- eds) 1959  We have this photograph of CF-TEU Super Constellation at Orly France1995
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Air Canada News
 Air Canada Cargo will end its 65 year association with Scotland when it closes the last department still operating in Glasgow, Air Canada cargo will close its operations at the end of 2008 or sooner making the 5 remaining staff redundant and customers face having to transport their cargo shipments to LHR themselves to connect with flights to Canada Star Alliance news
Star Alliance has launched the first ever airline alliance product aimed at simplifying the often complex task of verifying travel documentation requirements, especially for itineraries which cover several countries. "Auto Doc Check" was developed by a joint Star Alliance initiative involving experts from eleven of its member carriers. Boeing on Monday August 18th., delivered EgyptAir's third Next-Generation 737-800. The airplane is the airline's first 737 to be painted in Star Alliance livery. |
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TCA/AC People Gallery
Bill Norberg has sent us this message with this photograph I was going through an old binder and came across an old photo that brought back a few pleasant memories. It seems that printing old group pictures is popular so thought I might send one along.It was taken at a Management Training Course held in Ste. Agathe QC in January 1955. I had just been appointed Chief Inspector Shops and Materials and was sent along to attend. It was one of the most useful and informative courses I ever attended in my airline days. In addition I made a number of good friendships along the way.  Front row left to right:Bill Norberg, Scott Bradell, Unknown(Station Services), Gene Vermander, Tom Sandilands(Course leader), Unknown. (I think he was an Ops manager from a southern location.) Garry Kendall, Tony Hink, Lyman Richardson (Inventor of Reservec), Bob Russell, Art Barnett, Canute Hangoe. Back Row left to right: Andre Gauthier, Charlie Adams and Les McDowell Bill Norberg Musings from "Horizons" Issue dated May 1995  Here we have a picture of some Flight Attendants helping colleagues to celebrate their anniversary service dates.Issue dated June 1995  Flight Attendants class of '95 earn their wings at "boot camp" Late in 1994, YHZ launched their first "Dreams take flight", here are the crew.  The YHZ hustle - those pictured posted a perfect performance.  Here we have a picture of Customer Service Eastern Region employees celebrating their company service time.Issue dated Sept 1995  With the inaugural flight ATL-YUL on March 6th, we have these pictures of the crew, and the ground staff at Atlanta. From an article on Systems Operations Control, we have these pictures. |
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Bytes and Pieces
Russion Air Show 2007Located on the shoreline of Galendzhik lake, some three hours drive from downtown Moscow, Zhukovsky Airport, once a secret test airport, is the perfect location to host the Russian Air Show: the reason is that flying boats are a major concern for Russians designers, so a large mass of water to display their impressive performances was considered a must. This is a wildlife show. Not only is this a chance to behold the extremely refined stage of Russian aircraft design, but also to watch live and much closer than you could ever do in the west, since European safety regulations concerning flight displays over civilian audiences do not apply in Russia. So get ready for the noise and the blast, and be welcome to Zhukovsky for the 2007 Russian Industry Air Show..  Just click on the image to view the slideshow or visit http://www.slideshare.net/Boland/russian-air-show-2007-97118 |
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Canadi>n/CPAir/PWA, Wardair, etc. Events & People
Marlie has sent us this memory - In the early 70's ( not sure of the date) he had a serious accident while on vacation and broke his neck. All the employees at CPAir worked a day for no pay in order to cover the cost of sending a B727, staff and medical equipment to Puerto Rico to pick him up and bring him back to Canada. We saved his life. The company then employed Doug after he was rehabilitated and he worked in the computer department. Now he is taking on a new challenge. Click here for PDF file of Doug's upcoming 2008 Everest Challenge Expedition. Amazing!!! Thanks, Marlie Marlie sent us some further information - I think that although the staff agreed to work a day without pay the company ended up covering all the fuel costs. I have included Gerry Mannings email to me below. FROM GERRY MANNING As several of senior managers were absent from Vancouver at that time they approached me to give approval for the flight. We took an aircraft off Vancouver - California and ensured all booked passengers were otherwise accommodated. I signed the flight order and the group took over and handled all details for the non-sched flight. The pilots and Flight Attendants donated their time. We took the Dr. and Dougs parents on the flight. It was a "Mission of Mercy" and very well handled by those who organized it. I was very proud of them. I honestly don't recall a request to other staff to donate time but my memory is no longer infallible (if it ever was!). Best reference on this escapade would be Don Macintosh. Regards;
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Readers Feedback
 In NetLetter nr 1017 we published a picture of Vancouver airport being built in 1939 sent to us by Bill Wood.Following that, Jannet Tricarico sent some pictures of the steps taken to camouflage the factory during the war years. Here are some of them.  Before the war in 1939 (click on image to enlarge) After the camouflage installed. Nice car park! Is this an Lockheed 0749 Constellation here?From: Don Palmer Subject: Maritime Central Airways The article and letters published in NetLetter nos 1025 and 1027 re Gerry MacInnis of Maritime Central Airways were very welcome. I always felt that MCA is the forgotten airline in Canadian aviation history due, largely, to the fact that employees just got on with the job without any fuss, and founder Carl Burke was rather low-key in his approach and not very charismatic as was Grant McConachie or Max Ward. By 1953 MCA was the third largest airline in Canada, operating a fleet of aircraft unique to its operational requirements from Avro Anson and Lockheed 10 for training, forest patrol and limited passenger use through DC3, Canso and C46 equipment to the two Bristol Freighters acquired from Associated Airways of Edmonton, in service on the Pine Tree line before the then TCA took delivery of its Bristols. With the contract in the very early 1950s to supply the Pine Tree line of radar sites in Labrador, Resolution and Baffin Islands MCA really expanded. It could be said that the years up until about 1956 were the fun years with MCA with no check pilots (can you imagine), operations manuals or other forms of nonsense. Chief pilot did most of the training; Captains knew bloody everything and co-pilots learned by the process of osmosis. The only Company issue was of undercarriage fuses for the Lockheed 10 electrically operated gear constantly blew fuses. Unfortunately, MCA's downhill road began when, in about 1956, a string of fatal accidents occurred, none of which should ever have happened. Included are a few photos to show the kind of work MCA did in the early 1950s.  1. The first is of Capt. Gerry MacInnis and his Canso crew, having landed at Goose Bay October 31st 1953, when the nose gear collapsed. Note the sharp paint job on the Canso and the spiffy flight crew uniforms. Oh well, it was a working boat, after all. Undercarriage gave lots of problems on MCA's Cansos due to operational requirement to "throw out the gear" into salt water after a water landing, to slow down, maneuver and to taxi right up on pebble beaches at several northern locations. 2. Canso engine change at Goose Bay, al fresco 3. DC3 on skis, Goose Bay  4. Prime ocean front real estate in these days of global nonsense at about 60deg north on the Labrador coast just south of Cape Chidley. View unobscured by trees  5. Resolution Island from the south April 10th, 1954  6. Unloading supplies at Resolution Island landing strip on frozen lake taken April 10th, 1954. 7. MCA Bristol Freighters at Frobisher Bay April 19th, 1953 as it was then, now Iqaluit  8. Canso on the beach, Saglek Bay  9. Caching gas, on Sept 26th, 1953, for survey crews flying Norseman equipment at Lake Minipi, Labrador. 10. On Sept 18th 1952, Captain Frank Henley delivering fuel oil to Indian House Lake, Quebec.(  11. Firing up the Herman Nelson heater to warm the engines for an early morning start at Goose BayWe had three other pictures sent to us some time ago  Saint John Airport The outer cover of the M.C.A. timetable and inside the M.C.A. timetableWhilst on the subject of MCA, we have this information from Gord Girvan - A short note to pass on to the many people who subscribe to The NetLetter.  There is an airline book out there that is a great read for anyone interested in Canadian Aviation Pioneers. It is called "A Biography Of Carl Burke", who formed two of Canada's successful airlines; Maritime Central Airway & Nordair.Mr. Burke was inducted into Canada s Aviation Hall of Fame in 1982. The author is Allan MacNutt, a resident of Abbotsford; a 50 year professional pilot himself, who flew in many countries around the world in a variety of capacities. Some copies of the book have been made available to me by Mr. MacNutt. Anyone interested in purchasing a copy can contact me at Thanks. Gord Girvan |
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Terry's Travel Tips
 Ryanair slashed its winter prices as, on Wednesday 20th August, it released 2 million seats for travel in October for just EUR5 one way (incl taxes and charges).These tickets could only be booked only on www.ryanair.com for 5 days until Sunday 24th of August. (The trick here is to figure out what it would cost to return! Keep an eye on Ryanair for future sales - eds) A model of an Airbus A380, with a wing span of 85 foot in the colours of Emirates Airlines will be positioned in the centre of the roundabout at the tunnel entrance to the central area of London's Heathrow airport (LHR) where the model of the Concorde aircraft used to be. Long waits for your international departure from Montreal's Pierre Elliot Trudeau airport? Why not put your feet up and have a free drink and snack and read a magazine to pass the time in the new VIP lounge. You don't need to be a member of any frequent flier program, just fork over ca$30.00 or ca$28.00 if enrolled on-line in advance. - Enjoy. |
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Smilie
 The Denver airport is 5,280 foot above sea level making Denver known as the Mile High city.However, flying into Denver airport does not make you a member of the "Mile high" club - there one other criteria involved for membership!  Who is name calling here? |