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Air Canada News
Our second 777-300, fin 732, arrived late afternoon on May 1st. Our third 777-300, fin 733, is scheduled to arrive in late May.
Fort Myers flights increase choice and convenience for travel to U.S.A. Announced May 1st., that Air Canada are expanding their service to Florida by adding a year-round, non-stop weekly flight between Toronto and Fort Myers starting June 16, 2007 with their new Embraer aircraft . Our 70th anniversary In 1953, "Air Canada" first appears as the official bilingual adaptation of "Lignes Aerinnes Trans-Canada".
Royal assent was granted on May 14th., to an amendment to the TCA Act merging the subsidiary "TCA (Atlantic) Ltd" into the parent company. In 1974, Boeing B727 joins the DC-9 on "RAPIDAIR" YUL-YYZ route. |
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Nice to know
Viking To Build New Twin Otters
A Vancouver Island company has committed to resurrecting one of the most popular passenger/utility aircraft ever built. Viking Air of Saanich (near Victoria) British Columbia intends to begin building DHC-6 Twin Otters this year. Parts will be built at the Saanich plant for assembly in Calgary. The company hopes to build nine aircraft this year, 12 in 2008 and 18 in 2010 to start satisfying a pent-up demand for the rugged, STOL-capable fixed-gear turboprops that has forced prices on the used market to skyrocket in recent years. "It's a terrific opportunity," Viking vice president of finance John Morrison told the Peninsula News. "In the aviation world the Twin Otter is a very cherished icon, much like the Beaver, and that we've been given the opportunity to bring it back into production is exciting." Viking, which for decades has been one of the leading repair and modification centers for de Havilland products, obtained the type certificates for six de Havilland products, including the venerable Beaver and Otter bush planes and the Caribou, Buffalo and Dash-7 transports, but it identified the Twin Otter as the most viable for production. A meeting of potential customers for the new Twin Otter last fall suggested a worldwide market of 400 aircraft over the next 10 years. De Havilland built 844 of them until production stopped in 1988, and more than 600 Twin Otters are still in service. The new aircraft will include updated engines, avionics and other systems, but will retain the rugged versatility of the 19-passenger unpressurized original. The aircraft can operate on wheels, floats and skis. Edmonton's and Halifax's Dreams Take Flight chapters take 230 children to Disney. At the crack of dawn on May 2nd 230 physically, mentally or socially challenged children from Edmonton and Halifax boarded Air Canada planes headed for Disneyland and Disneyworld. Escorted by a team of volunteers from Dreams Take Flight and its sponsors, including the crew onboard these flights, who donated their time, these children were given a chance to forget their problems for a day as they explored the land of Minnie and Mickey Mouse. To learn more about Dreams Take Flight activities throughout Canada, visit www.dreamstakeflight.ca.
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Found on the Internet
Passengers can now be screened at Home. Israel's national carrier announced the start of its "Pre-Flight Service from Home" program, a venture the company has nicknamed "check-in and security from your living room." Through the program, passengers will be able to check luggage and complete the airline's security screening at home, at the workplace or at other locations of their choosing. El Al agents show up at a time and place designated by the passenger to complete the steps the customer would otherwise have to go through at the airport. Once the process is complete, the passenger is given his boarding pass and his checked baggage is transported to Ben-Gurion Airport. The passenger can then skip the El Al check-in counter and proceed directly to passport control with just his hand luggage. The service costs $49 per passenger. Pre-flight check-ins can be completed between six and 24 hours ahead of flight time. http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#195111 BLIND PILOT COMPLETES U.K.-TO-SYDNEY FLIGHT
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Vancouver Island Pionairs BBQ
The Vancouver Island and Gulf Island Pionairs event.
The mid-island BBQ is planned for When: Tuesday July 24th
Where: The Rotary Park in Qualicum Beach located between the Tourist Booth & the Shady Rest on the old Is. Hwy. Time: 4:00pm Cost: $5.00 PP payable at the entrance. Hamburgers, chickenburgers, & hotdogs, buns, condiments, & tea & coffee are supplied. Participants are requested to bring utensils, plates, and drinks of their choice, a glass & a dish to share, i.e. salad, dessert or appetizer. Contact for more information - John & Maureen @ 752-3575 |
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Where are they now?
C-FCPG c/n 45623 Fin 602 DC8-43 delivered 15 November 1961
and named Empress of Montreal-Rome-Buenos Aires. - Sold on 17March 1980 to the FBA Corp - This aircraft was the first commercial aircraft to exceed the speed of sound. - It was broken up Opa Locka 1981 by Concord Int'l. |
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Ron Peel's first flight (conclusion)
Subject: Ron Peel's first flight (conclusion) The following is a highly edited extract from his book "Flying with Trans-Canada Air Lines" by Ron Peel <
Conclusion of Ron Peel's first flight for Trans-Canada Air Lines -
We needed crew rest and turned in as soon as we could scrounge some reasonable sleeping accommodation for our several VIP passengers and ourselves. Goose Bay was a military base with a large contingent of USAAF personnel at that time. There were no facilities to cater to civilians and that's why "scrounge" is appropriate to acquiring accommodation. My civilian crewmates and our passengers were not even allowed in the officers' mess. However I was still in RCAF uniform and was welcome. I soon found that I could take guests and lost no time in rounding up Jock, Kelly, Al and several of our VIP passengers and signing them in at the comfortable mess. There I took it upon myself to order a round of drinks for all ten of us. When I asked for the bill the bartender said all drinks were ten cents and that I owed him one US dollar. I hadn't any American money but he cheerfully accepted my Canadian ten and gave me nine US dollars in change. I think the change was worth about $9.90 Canadian at that time. If so, I paid ten cents for that round. Unbelievable, but true!
Diary, December 4th, 1943: entry reads, "Goose Bay Labrador. Up for breakfast though tired. Really cold; bags of snow and icicles. Beautiful. Played piano, pool. Some 'irk' (airman) broke our tail wheel and so we stay here. Spare being flown up from Dorval. Talks with head of Westland Aircraft (one of our VIP's) interesting."
Diary, December 5th 1943: entry reads, "Left Goose and got into Montreal. Soon 'home' (thanks to good old Tom) and then over to Margaret et al. had a very nice evening as usual with these grand people."
You may note that the preparations for my first round trip Atlantic flight with TCA began on November 10th, that I departed on the 13th, that I got home some twenty-two days later, and that a few problems were encountered. How things have changed!
Now if there is a delay in retrieving baggage, or if an in-flight announcement is not made in both official languages, somebody usually raises quite a stink.
Aviation's come a long way since Willy Willy Two!
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Terry's Travel Tips
(Note: this info is from May 5th so may not be available but other deals may have surfaced by now)
Here's a good deal - Here is this special. Fraserway RV Lobster Run Special! Star Alliance member carrier employees and retirees can find all of the information www.startrips.com |
