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Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter Since 1995

Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Since 1995

Dear NetLetter,

Welcome to the 981st issue of "NetLetter". The NetLetter is the longest running newsletter (launched in 1995) that is dedicated to Air Canada retirees.

Please feel free to forward this email through the easy links at the bottom. They will have the choice to subscribe to us through those links as well.

We now estimate that the NetLetter is read by over 2752 retirees when counting our email distribution and those that print the NetLetter and give them out to their friends. The "NetLetter" is written by Vesta Stevenson and Terry Baker from Vancouver Island (see sidebar) and also with articles and comments from "you" our readers. Formatting of text, photos, etc. for this HTML version is done by Webmaster Alan Rust and is published courtesy of the ACFamily Network at www.acfamily.net

Vesta's Corner
Vesta Stevenson
07-07-07
Is this date lucky or significant?
Many couples are getting married on this date.
The Boeing B787 Dreamliner is being rolled out on this date with coverage being provided by Tom Brokow.

Will Air Canada passengers on the B777 get any special treatment today?

(ps We hope that all the children that are born on this day will be lucky too)

Air Canada News

Air Canada At the end of June the airline will return a leased MD-11F to World Airways, terminating its all-cargo service between Shanghai and Toronto. World has signed a one-year ACMI contract extension with Air Canada Cargo for international cargo service between Toronto and Frankfurt beginning July 1, 2007.

Fleet Dispersal - as more new Boeing 777s join the fleet some of the Airbus A340s will be returned to lessors over the next several months and into 2008.  Four of the remaining A340-313Xs will be then turned over to Swiss International Airlines and the other four -313Xs will be going to LAN Chile.  Exact dates and tail numbers to each are not known at this time.   The two A340-500s are also to be returned this fall and are expected to end up with TAM Brazil.   The first 777-200LR was delivered from Paine Field to Montreal on June 25th and is expect to enter service shortly.  The fourth 777-333ER is also expected to be delivered before the end of June.(Source YYZNews.com)

News from the Districts
Maureen Johnson sends this correction -

Subject: Re: Mid-Island BBQ

I guess between booking the Rotary Park & contacting Harold Thomas, I somehow, mixed up the dates, changing from July 17th to the 24th! The correct info is:
The BBQ is booked for July 17th at the Rotary Park, which is on the waterfront along the Old Island Hwy. in Qualicum Beach. Guests are asked to bring plates, utensils, and a beverage if they want something other then coffee or tea, & a salad or desert to share. The cost is $5 per person payable at the gate. They are asked to call Maureen at 250-752-3575 or Bill at 250-954-3217 by July 11th to confirm attendance. This year BBQ chicken with a dinner bun will be served instead of hamburgers & chickenburgers.

Many thanks for the paper you produce!
Sincerely,
Maureen Johnson
Our 70 Years

70 year Anniversary




From "Between Ourselves" October 1946 -
Stewardess 1940
We have this picture of the uniform worn in the late 40's/early 50's. Click on the image to read the suggestions on how the uniform should be worn.

Joe Sky, Regina Station Manager, made a suggestion to start a TCA Amateur Radio Ham club. In the December 1946 edition, 8 names were published, so we assume the clubs origin was November 1946, and still thrives today - doesn't it?
1952
  • Jan 1st Saint John municipal airport transferred from Pennfield Ridge.
  • Feb 1st Fredericton service inaugurated.
  • Mar 2nd New York operations transferred from La Guardia to Idlewild (JFK)
  • Apr 17th North Stars added to the Montreal - St John's route via Moncton, Sydney.
  • May 1st tourist class introduced on transatlantic service
  • Nov 1st Goose Bay service inaugurated.
  • Nov 5th Dusseldorf was added to the system.
  • Order for 15 Vickers Viscounts placed in December.

(If any of our readers have any stories or photographs from any of the "our 70" events we would be happy to publish them. Also we are seeking to borrow copies of "Between Ourselves" from the '60's through 80's - Eds)

Readers Feedback

Further to NetLetter nr 980 and the information on CF-TCD-
Art Gillard sends more data -Subject: Re CF-TCD MOD 14-H2 CF-TCD Trans-Canada A/L Fin #26 Del to Fairchild Acft Ltd as agents 10 May 38 Then to TCA same day.,the USA export certificate # 3814 for CF-TCD Cvtd to 14-08 29 Oct 42 Back on the line in UL 31 May 37  To G-AKPD R A Brand & Co Sept 47. had both Canadian & British C of A  27 July 48  Aircraft missing en route Croydon-Rome-Australia 29 Oct 48 2Crew 2 Pass on board, presumed crashed.  Wreckage of the plane was not found until 22 Feb 54 during the search for a crashed DH106 Comet 1 in the Mediterranean Sea off Elba Italy I forgot to mention for any one who is interested ,the USA export  certificate # 3814 for CF-TCD

Art Gillard    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Fred Coyle continues the Shearwater saga -
Hello George,
I read your piece on Shearwater with interest because I was there from 1954  until the move to Kelly Lake in 1960. I spent a year or two at Kelly Lake then transferred to HQ in Montreal, where I spent the rest of my career. I retired in 1990 after 36 years and one month of service.

Some names I remember from my Shearwater days are: (besides the names you listed)

Roger Berry, Pete McCarthy, Jim Turner, Rod MacAdam, John Rankin, Bob Lennox, Chuck Allison, Oscar Cormier, Bob Browne (he didn't like his name to be spelled without the "e'), Buddy Ettinger, Dave Lynch, Ken Grant, Charlie Waterhouse, Jack West, Jim Houlihan and George Reeves. I'm sure others will come to mind.  Eric Jokinen headed flight Ops. My sister Frances was his secretary.  District Traffic and Sales Manager was Al Sutherland. City Traffic and Sales Manager was Don McLean. Ron Cassidy was Cashier in the Nova Scotian Hotel and Ralph Wilcox was the Manager, Dave Murdoch was Airport Sales Manager. Dave was my first boss in TCA. I came over from MCA. John Ohlsson was in charge of cargo, I think.

I do not remember the designation YAW for Shearwater and I wonder whether that is a military designation.

The designation I seem to remember was YXF, before it changed later on to YHZ, probably coincident with the move to Kelly Lake, although I am not sure of that.

Kind regards and thanks for the memories!

Fred Coyle This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
and Ferg jumps in too -
and some of my contemporaries will have taken to the article regarding YAW Shearwater with interest.

Just to add a detail or two, The most southerly hangar was the "TCA terminal", it being a wartime wooden hangar with the south side comprised of a "lean-to" in the slang of the day, - a single storey addition the length of the hangar, comprising offices and a "waiting room", now anent a "lounge", (although little lounging took place). Near the exit door to the tarmac, stood a worthy coin slot dispenser, housing pop, chocolate bars, and a strange little adjunct dispensing warm Campbell's soup. I won't tell you what one inimitable Captain did with this item, but perhaps later when the opportunity presents itself. Also it formed the backdrop to what I remember was Halifax's first live TV program - the return of the Lieutenant Governor from the governors' meeting in Boston.

Perhaps this will elicit some offerings from those of the day

Ferg Kyle This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
John Norberg sends us one of his memories -
A memorable event in the Lockheed 14 era, 1944

There have been many interesting events in the operational life of  Trans-Canada Air Lines/Air Canada throughout these past 70 years. I have been privileged to have either been an active participant in a number of them or at least, a very interested observer. There was one in Winnipeg  I remember well during the spring of 1944. Pictures I have of the event are dated March 21st 1944.

CF-TCUIn those days all major maintenance work on the aircraft fleet was carried out in the Winnipeg base as well as all scheduled power plant changes. Aircraft CF-TCU ,an 18.08 model, had been in for as major maintenance check, which involved the replacement of both power plants. It was  policy  that a test flight was required when both power plants had been changed. The work was completed late in the day and a test flight was planned for around midnight so the aircraft would be ready for a next day departure.

As I recall, there were four individuals on the test flight. The two pilots, a crew chief named Tony Bruneau and an electrical mechanic whose name escapes me at this point. The prime purpose of the flight was to carry out a complete check of the new powerplants that included a feathering and un-feathering cycle of each propeller. All went well until the propeller  feathering tests were attempted. One propeller was feathered successfully but it would not un-feather, not withstanding several attempts. The test flight was then terminated and the aircraft headed back to the airport. During the flight back to the airport, one of the pilots decided to try again to un-feather the propeller. Inadvertently he feathered the remaining operating power plant. It also failed to un-feather like the first one. They now had a Lockheed 18, with both propellers feathered that had a gliding capability not unlike a brick, which obviously could not make it to the airport. They had no choice but to try a forced landing under very difficult circumstances. It was night, they had no electrical power on the aircraft and could not easily see where they might find a suitable landing site.

CF-TCUBefore much time had passed they were getting close to the ground and had to try and make the best of a bad situation. When they got close to the ground they saw directly ahead of them, what appeared to be a power transmission tower. The pilot took evasive action to avoid hitting it and in so doing managed to have the left wing hit the biggest tree in the bush. The bush in the area was generally quite small. However the one it hit was about 10 to 12 in inches in diameter and tore off the left wing outer panel. The aircraft contacted  the ground wheels up  in a fairly level attitude after hitting the big tree and slid to a stop, amazingly  with no fire. Tony Bruneau simply opened the cabin door of the aircraft and stepped out onto the snow-covered ground. No one was injured but the aircraft had significant damage to the left wing and the lower blades of both propellers. What they thought was a transmission tower, turned out to be a group of smaller trees that just looked like it could be a tower.

A crew of mechanics and no doubt, several members of management showed up at the site of the forced landing to determine what should be done to recover the aircraft. The aircraft   was jacked up and landing gear lowered so the aircraft could be moved back to the base. The outer wing panels were  removed as well as the horizontal stabilizer and rudders to permit it to be  towed behind a flat truck bed. The fuselage was covered with a canvas tarpaulin so the company name would not be obvious to the public at large. I am not sure what benefit that might have been because I suspect just about every person in Winnipeg knew what had happened by that morning.

When the aircraft arrived back at the base it was placed on jacks and power applied so they could test the electrical feathering systems. Guess what? As is often the case in such circumstances, they both unfeathered and feathered normally. I never did find out exactly what might have been the cause but such intermittent faults in aircraft operating systems are not unknown. As a minor point of interest the Captain on that flight was  Art Anders, the same pilot that did such a fine job of operating the first Royal Flight in October 1964 when we introduced the new Air Canada livery to the public. Captain Anders did an outstanding job of bringing the powerless aircraft safely down without injury to personnel. The aircraft had the belly replaced in typical Lockheed fashion, new powerplants and propellers installed, and it was back in service in good time.

John W. Norberg  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

June 15, 2007
AC People Gallery
Calgary 1954 Remember who?
Here is another photo of staff in Calgary 1954 supplied by Pat McGillan This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Canadi>n People Gallery

CPA CSA For the former CPA retirees - Taken from "Canadi>n Flyer" dated April 1998

(We are seeking to borrow copies of the "Canadian Flyer" - Eds)

CF-CUA Memorial update

CF-CUA Memorial Follow up to article in NetLetter nr 950 -

CF-CUA  MEMORIAL SERVICE UPDATEFollowing message received from Richard Donovan -26th June 2007

Hello Terry,

You may recall our communication, last November, when I wrote to you explaining how I was writing a novel based on circumstances surrounding the bombing of Canadian Pacific's DC-3 CF-CUA, over Quebec, in 1949?   I was trying to trace colleagues of the flight's operating stewardess, Mrs Gertrude MacKay, and I also wrote how I'd recently joined a growing band of individuals who were working to finally see a permanent memorial erected, dedicated to those who'd lost their lives in the tragedy.

As a direct result of the notices you put out, I'm happy to report that we received a lead which resulted in us finding a relative of the flight's captain, Pierre Laurin, as well as hearing word concerning Gertrude's friend, Raymonde Oulette.  Sadly, we learned that Raymonde had died, some years ago, having retired from a long career which had ultimately seen her flying as one of Canadian's most senior hostesses.

I am writing to you, on this occasion, in the hope that you might be able to offer your kind support, once more, by printing this letter and bringing to the attention of your readership our current plans for a commemorative gathering, later this summer.

Although the group has experienced some delay, it appears that the memorial installations are now set to be erected over the next year or so.  Until such time, the local land-owners have generously granted us permission to hold a (long overdue) service of remembrance, which we've scheduled to take place at the Sault-au-Cochon crash site on Sunday the 9th of September 2007, the 58th anniversary of the disaster.

Readers are cordially invited to visit the group's web-site at http://www.ritamorel.org where a virtual memorial, to those lost aboard CF-CUA, is now displayed, and where an open invitation to the event, and final details of it, will be published nearer the date.

In the meantime, could I ask those readers who would like to attend, and anyone who believes that they hold information that might lead us to more relatives( still seeking C.P.A. stewardess, Lucille Brunet) or have personal memories relating to those who were involved in the tragedy, to contact either myself, Richard Donovan, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel/Fax (Spain) 95-2514563  (will call back )or Martin Mayrand, the group's founder, in Vancouver: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In closing  thank you for the considerable help you've already provided to us.

Help Wanted
John Gallagher need some help -
Subject: YYZ OLD CP Hangar
I almost finished with my world's greatest aviation accident investigation mystery novel.
The events all take place during the summer of 1998.
I'm thinking of an interesting twist to have the airline destroy the aircraft, which is parked in the old CP hangar.
I'm using the information about the Dorval DC-9 fuel Pump fire, of Feb 2002.
The CP hangar at CYYZ was demolished a few years ago to make room for the new runway.
I need to know its construction and most important if it had an automatic sprinkler or foam or whatever.
Thank you
John D. Gallagher    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

43° 48' 30" N
79° 52' 50" W
(Any photographs would probably be appreciated - Eds)
Terry's Travel Tips

Terry Baker

Airway Vacations announces
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Travel dates: December through February 2008 or October-November 2007 for $100 more. Based on the least expensive air routing on Aer Lingus so book now!
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Subject: 'Petit Pont' - Bed & Breakfast -
Greetings from Maison 'Petit Pont' - Bed & Breakfast in the sunny Vendeé area of France. We invite you to take a look at our lovely B&B, set in a peaceful country location, just 45 minutes from La Rochelle.
Surrounded by fields and reasonably flat, it is a perfect area for walking, bird watching and cycling. Relax in a hammock with a good book under the trees in the garden, next to a small lake and simply listen to the birds. Our setting is very quiet and peaceful .... perfect for getting away from the hustle and bustle of every day life. Ligné is a tiny hamlet away from busy roads. Our B&B has quiet rooms with lovely views.
Our website is full of interesting information, so please bookmark and contact us for availability or any other information you may require.
We hope to see you here sometime.
Kind regards,
Andrew and Liz
http://www.petitpont.eu/
Tel: + 33 251 87 63 23
Chambres d' hôtel - Maison 'Petit Pont',
St Valérien, Ligné,  85570 FRANCE
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Key information:
Large French farm house with sections dating back to 1850
Accommodation for 6 guests on the 1st floor - rate includes generous Continental breakfast
Delightful large tree filled garden - ducks roaming about, fish in the small lake
Bicycles available and marked Walking Routes
Typical French country Wine cellar
Evening meal on request
45 minutes drive from La Rochelle
2.5 hours north of Bordeaux
3 hours south of St Malo (ferry terminal)
Well served by TGV and Ryanair into either La Rochelle or Nantes (airport transport available)
Smilie

SmileyHow's this for an imaginative airline name?

FlyforBeans is a new budget airline that has been launched at Cardiff International Airport in the U.K. They plan to have three B737-300 for service to European destinations.

(We don't know if their chances of success are worth a hill of beans, or if they offer 54 types of service - Eds)

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