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_| TCA |_ B E T W E E N y O U R S E L V E S
_|\| AIR |/|_ N E T L E T T E R
> CANADA <
>_./|\._< for Air Canada retirees
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Chief Pilot - Vesta Stevenson
Co-pilot - Terry Baker
number 265 date Apr 22nd, 1998 1st Published in October 1995
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. CORRECTION -
In the report of the Vancouver Island luncheon in NetLetter nr 264, the
statement, attributed to Bill Fisher, regarding the 1999 AGM being scheduled
at Marriott Anaheim is incorrect and should have read that the Marriott at
Anaheim was one of several locations being investigated.
NO FIRM decision has been made, an announcement will probably me made during
the upcoming AGM.
(The eds apologize for the inconvenience caused.)
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. We welcome Donna McIntosh living in the London Ont area an email to
Henry Anderson living in Pierrefonds, Que, email
Stewart William with email
Michael Purvis has an email of
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. Where are they now.
Andy Mercer has returned to Brampton Ont, and his new email is
Kay & Syl Napolitano have changed email to
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. Reading about the CGTAS recently in the NetLetter has prompted
Charlie Mackie to send this bio -
My first job with Radio Station CJRC in Winnipeg, and I copy Press
Wireless News from New York via Radio. I punched the news info on to a
typewriter from the code coming in from NY at 35 WPM and then gave it to
the announcer to read over the radio to the public.
I obtained my 2nd Class Commercial Operators license when I was 18
years old, and then worked for Canadian Airways Ltd first at their
Brandon Ave Station in Winnipeg and then to Lac du Bonnet and then up to
Favorable Lake in the Northeastern part of Manitoba. I was hired as a
radio operator but that was name for Jack of All Trades, as did
everything except fly the airplanes, collecting tickets, loading and
unloading aircraft, refuelling same, giving out weather reports and then
the Radio work.
I wanted to get back to Civilization to take a position with DOY in
Ottawa on their Monitoring station, located at the Booth Farmhouse on
the Experimental Farm in Ottawa. My job there was to monitor German
radio station DAN for hours on end, and when that station stopped sending ,
that was the time the German Submarines would send their messages, and I
would punch the Panic button to all the DF stations so they could take bearings
on the Sub. Also made recordings of Tokyo Rose and sent them to the
powers that be in Ottawa.
In 1941 I joined TCA at Ottawa being hired by George Briggs then
Station Manager, and was then sent to Winnipeg for 6 weeks training. I
was happy about that as Winnipeg was my home town, but after one week of
midnight shifts I was immediately shipped back to Montreal to St Hubert
airport to take over from a guy just fired.
Eventually they moved the Operation to Dorval airport, and Our Radio
station was located in one of the hangars, while the new administraton
building was completed for public use
Even the Air Traffic Control tower was just a box mounted on stilts
just outside our hangar. In the hours when there was no Controller we
had to go and take over on "remote" and talk our aircraft into the
airport.
About a year and half later I was sent to Halifax for a 6 week stay which
extended into over a year. However in 1943 I received a call
to join the CGTAS, to replace my former roommate, Dick Smith who was the
radio operator on the Lancaster that went down off Newfoundland with
Maurice Gauthier and crew aboard.
So I yoyoed back and forth across the Atlantic on the Lanc and could
fill a book with the experiences I had on that adventure. So I
flew as a Radio Officer from 1943 until 1946, at which time I was asked
to go to Goose Bay Labrador to take over and convert all the Military
Radio installation and change it for use on the Civil Aviation
frequencies. I became OIC and had a number of radio operators to handle
the aircraft position reports and traffic for all the new Civilian
Frequencies.
I was then sent to Moncton , under protest by myself as I had been
promised I would return to Montreal after my Stint in Goose Bay.
So was in Mocton about 3 months living in Dog Patch, and then back to
Montreal eventually, where I relieved George Briggs for some Vacation
time, and took over the as OIC of the Teletype operation for a short
period.
As I wanted to get back out West I took an opening in Calgary in 1949
and was there until 1952, but I was still anxious to move to
Vancouver as my girl friend at the time was living there. (she later
became my Wife).
On one of my trips over to visit her the flight was unable to land at
Vancouver because of Snow and was diverted to Victoria. I could not
believe my eyes with all the Green grass and flowers in the Middle of
February. so when the opportunity came a few months later to move there
I jumped at it. So was in Victoria (Pat Bay) for 22 years before taking
early retirement. There were several attempts by the Ivory Tower in
Montreal to move to a management postion elsewhere, but I refused and told
them to get some other guys to collect the Ulcers and I would remain
High Man on the Local Totem Pole.
After early retirement I went to Irian Jaya for several months down
into the Jungles, to help a Missionary friend of mine build a boat to
enable him to proceed further into the unknown jungles to reach tribes
with the Gospel. The trip down there involved going to Manila, and then
to the island of Mindanoa back to Hong Kong down to Jakarta, and then
flying the length of Indonesia to most Eastern part of that country of
Irian Jaya and then over the mountains down into the southern jungles.
There was still some cannibal activity there in 1974 but managed to keep
out of their pots.
Upon returning home went to work for an Avionics company at the Pat Bay
airport ,then worked for Viking Aviation, as an electrical technician,
with my job being mostly to rewire GrumanGoose aircraft which had been
rescued from the Ocean, and consequently all the wiring had to be taken
out and replaced, as salt water soon caused uncontrolled corrosion in
the wiring.
That lasted about three years and took full retirement as far as gainful
employment was concerned and have been a professional bum ever since.
I could tell you a lot of stories of incidents that happened over my
lifetime but will save that for another time.
My wife and I had 5 Girls which have long since left the nest.
Re Bill Norbergs reference in Netletter 259 to the Lancaster and the
propellor tip coming off, I was the Radio Operator on that flight
enroute from Prestwick to the Azores
So thats it for now, more later.
Charles Mackie. <
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. Terry's Travel News.
Canadians could be fined or deported for failing to get a passport entry
stamp on their first arrival in a block of 10 European countries called the
Schengen Convention countries - Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece,
Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands,
Portugal, and Spain.
Visitors are required to obtain an official passport entry either at the port
of entry, or within 72 hours if they wish to stay more than 3 days.
Britrail has introduced a Party Pass for 3 or 4 people that offers 50%
discount on the 3rd and 4th pass. Price of a 4-day Flexipass for each of
the group of 4 range from ca$183 pp, this allows four travel days a month.
The Airline Club of Singapore is hosting the 3rd great Singapore Sale and
Malaysia Tour.
July 10th to 16th.
Includes - cocktail on arrival, breakfast & dinners, Malacca city tour,
Kuala Lumpur, Batu caves, Johor Baru.
visit the home page http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/5900
Contact your local Interline club, or WACA,
or email:
Cost: SG$750.00 pp dbl.
Deadline: May 1st.
Helsinki Interline Club is hosting Fantastic Finland Suana Party.
Jun 26th to 28th
Includes - accommodation, breakfast & dinner, Suana party BBQ
Stay for Jun 29th and take a tour to Tallinn in Estania, check for visa
requirements.
Cost: us$210 approx, or us$270 approx to include Tallinn.
Deadline May 10th.
Contact your local interline club or WACA.
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. That's it for this time, please we need your input, send
comments and email addresses of any others who may be
interested to Vesta with a copy to Terry.
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Copyright 1998 by Vesta Stevenson & Terry Baker.