 The NetLetter
For Air Canada Retirees
(part of the ACFamily Network)
May 21, 2011 - Issue 1165
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First Issue published in October 1995!
(over 5,400 subscribers)
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Donation Information
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Send cheques payable to "ACFamily Network" to:
ACFamily Network
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| Greetings! |
We welcome you to allow the NetLetter to be your platform, and opportunity, to relive your history while working for either TCA, AC, CPAir, CAIL, PWA, AirBC, Wardair. etal. and share your experiences with us!
The NetLetter is an email newsletter published every weekend and contains a mixture of nostalgia, current news and travel tips. We encourage our readers to submit their stories, photos and/or comments from either days gone by or from present day experiences and trips. If we think that the rest of our readers will enjoy it, we will publish it here
We also This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in regard to anything we post here. Many readers have commented with additional information, names and personal memories from the photos and articles presented here.
The NetLetter, which is free, is open to anyone that wishes to subscribe but is targeted to retired employees from Air Canada, Canadian Airlines and all the other companies that were part of what Air Canada is today. Thanks for joining us!
Terry & your NetLetter Team
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| CAHS Upcoming Events - Compiled by Alan Rust |
 We have a listing below of all the CAHS (Canadian Aviation Historical Society) upcoming events that we are aware of. If you are at all interested in Canadian aviation history, then we encourage you to attend a meeting or visit their web site at: www.cahs.ca |
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CAHS National Convention
Edmonton - June 22th to 26th - Mark your calendars for the CAHS 48th annual convention where they will explore the rich aviation history of Edmonton, the province of Alberta, and Canada's North.
Presentations will range from civil and military aviation topics, to how regional heritage institutions are promoting this fascinating history, to creative ways authors are bringing these subjects to new audiences.
See: www.cahs.ca/events/convention.html for complete details.
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 Manitoba Chapter (Special Meeting)
Date: May 26, 2011
Time: 1900 hours
Guest Speaker: Special Meeting!
 For more information, visit the Manitoba Chapter's website by clicking here.
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 Vancouver Chapter
Date: June 14, 2011
Time: 1900 hrs
Guest Speaker: TBA
For more info call Jerry Vernon at (604) 420-6065 or visit the Chapters website by clicking here.
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 Ottawa Chapter
Date: Thursday, September 29, 2011
Time: 1930 hrs
Guest Speaker: TBA
Notice: No meetings until September, 2011. We will most likely be announcing future meetings in a separate general newsletter called ACFamily News & Events by then!
For more information visit the Ottawa Chapters web site by clicking here .
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 Montreal Chapter
Date: September, 2011
Time: 1100 hrs
Guest Speaker: TBA
Notice: No meetings until September, 2011. We will most likely be announcing future meetings in a separate general newsletter called ACFamily News & Events by then!
For more information, visit the Montreal Chapter's website by clicking here.
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 Calgary Chapter
Date: September, 2011
Time: 1900 hrs
Guest Speaker: TBA
Notice: No meetings until September, 2011. We will most likely be announcing future meetings in a separate general newsletter called ACFamily News & Events by then!
For more information, visit the Calgary Chapter's website by clicking here.
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 Toronto Chapter
Date: September, 2011
Time: 1830 hrs
Guest Speaker: TBA
Notice: No meetings until September, 2011. We will most likely be announcing future meetings in a separate general newsletter called ACFamily News & Events by then!
For more information, visit the Toronto Chapter's website by clicking here.
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ACRA Upcoming Events- Compiled by Alan Rust
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 Retirees Welcome!
The following events are available for retirees through ACRA, the Air Canada Recreation Association. |
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Retirees Welcome!
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 Are you aware of an ACRA Event that is open to retirees? Please use the online form by following this link to submit your ACRA Event. (ACRA Events only please)
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| Our first 70 years - Compiled by Terry Baker |
1958 - April 2nd - Brussels added to the route YYZ-YUL-BRU-DUS with Super Constellation equipment.
- May 17th - Zurich added to the route YUL-PAR-ZRH. |
| Air Canada Related News - Compiled by Terry Baker |
 Agreement with TACA Airlines to form code-sharing partnership between Canada and Latin America.
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| Reader Submitted Photos - Compiled by Terry Baker |
 Reader Submitted Photos - The photos and information below was sent to us by our faithful readers. If you would like to send us some old photos you have lying around. we will consider them for publication in a future NetLetter. We prefer good quality airline related photos, with descriptive text included with the submission. |
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Bill Norberg has sent us this photo showing members of the Winnipeg Retirement Club and some history of the club. I do not know most of these people but can identify several:
Back row #2 from left, Ernie Bell - Instrument Shop, #7 William Norberg- Machine shop (my dad), #8 John Mohler - Machine shop.
Front row #6 from left, June Morris - Stenographer, #7 --- Smith - Chief Draftsman Engineering. Hopefully someone can provide some more identities.
This group were the original Winnipeg Retirement Club and I think the photo was taken in the late 50's or early 60's but I really do not know. This group eventually included spouses after Al Johnston and I arranged their first co-ed dinner and dance in 1968. This group represents some of the earliest retirements from TCA in the Winnipeg area. Many had been seconded from the CNR when the airline was formed in 1937. They took their CNR service with them and when TCA formed the retirement plan in 1943 they were included. As a result many of these people were up in years and were among the early retirements. Memories!
Best regards Bill Norberg
Photo Feedback!
Juanita Ollivier (nee Scott) sends us this information - ... NetLetter #1163 in the photo section, submitted by former airline employees, there is mention of a letter from Clare Ash with a group photo taken in YVR 1967. It came from Stu Walkerden who has just retired in Sydney Australia. We remember the Paulsen brothers, in the picture, who became travel agents. By the way, Clare Ash is a male who worked for CP Air. I recall several people from TCA Toronto PA & Lead Agent classes of 1955. Rolie Davies, Geo Huffman whom I trained & later worked for (my husband) Bert, among others. I also finally remembered a lady whom you might have known. Gwen Jefferies & she transferred to Wpg from YYZ. Now this goes back a number of years. I think I was told that she might have gone into accounting, but she was in TCA YYZ Rsvns on Church St in my day.
Also Brian Walsh sends this -
"Clare Ash received this message from Stu Walkerden, who resides in Sydney, Australia" and she sends this message - I believe that Clare Ash is a man (not a woman) Cheers, Brian Walsh
and Clare himself sent this - enjoyed the latest netletter and thanks for the photo I submitted from Stu Walkerden - Clare is "he" not "she" (Clarence) Will forward other info now and then, Clare (Clarence).
(We, at the NetLetter, made this error, for which we apologise to Clare who is Clarence S. Ash and resides in Richmond BC is/was a volunteer at YVR (Grren Coats) helping passengers and is a Marriage Commissioner.
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| TCA/Air Canada People Gallery - Compiled by Terry Baker |
 Musings from the "Between Ourselves" and "Horizons" magazine, an Air Canada publication from years gone by, and various in-house magazines.
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Issue dated - August 1st 1955
Extracts from "Between Ourselves" magazine -
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 CODE WORDS ARE FORGOTTEN for a moment while this graduating class of Passenger Agents (Tel) pose with Instructor R. V. Davies, right, after completing their basic course.
From left, back row: A. W. Parsons, YC; Miss K. R. McArdle, UL; Miss M. A. McManus, WG; J. A. Finlay, VR; D. C. Hardy, YC; G. Brown OW. Middle row: A.M.Kritzer WG; Y. Tkach, QG; R. R. Johnson, YZ; Miss K. Parkes, OW; Miss A. A. Stadnyk, YZ. Seated: Misses C. Nemeth, CV; A. McCrudden, YT, E. Maloney, OW; M. M. Ouellet, UL.
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 NOW AND THEN: An Old stage coach shown with a new Viscount recently relived a trip along the Edmonton-Calgary trail.
The trip took two weeks and picked up old timers along the route. Today the Viscount makes the same trip in less than on hour. Stage driver John Pholen of Red Deer, helps Stewardess H. B. Farrell from coach. Capt. D. F. Raymes and First
Officer R. G. Tocher look an. The occasion? Alberta's Centennial year celebration.
Jack Stephens has sent us this information to supplement the photo -
Someone said: "A text without a context is a pretext." So here is a bit of color to the photo. Edmonton is the capital city of the Province of Alberta. Calgary is directly south about 309 km. with a driving time of 3 and a half hours. "Between 1883 and 1885 three stagecoach companies competed for passengers and freight on the Calgary-Edmonton run. For $25 one way, a passenger could leave Calgary with 100 pounds of luggage and expect to arrive in Edmonton in five days provided all went well. In many cases all did not. He might find himself and his fellow passengers drifting downstream as the drivers attempted to ford a river... In February 1888 a stage from Calgary became lost in fog...and spent the entire night just finding the trail. Then a snowfall further obscured the trail; it took two more days to find the nearest stopping house....that same year a stage got lost in a blizzard between Olds and Bowden. The driver walked round and round the vehicle all night to keep from freezing, only to find next morning that he was within shouting distance of the Lone Pine stopping house." (from The Great West Before 1900). (United Western Communications Ltd. 1991.) Just think....CF-TGN covered the same route in an hour.
Take care...Jack
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Issue dated - January 1958
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 PUBLIC RELATIONS MEN across the system were guests of Rolls-Royce, Montreal, recently when they attended lectures on Conway and Tyne turbine power plants that are to be installed in the DC-8s and Vanguards respectively.
From the left: Leo Palmer, Ottawa; John Rankin, Halifax; Denis Barclay, Toronto; Mike Nelligan, Toronto; Mike Hildred, Montreal; Pierre Jerome, Montreal; Ross Smyth, Montreal; Ken Parker, Rolls-Royce engineer who con ducted the lectures; Don Aiken Winnipeg; Max Scott, Sales Manager, Rolls- Royce; Hal Miloff, Montreal; Ed Thackray, editor, Between Ourselves.
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 Quebec City airport named Ancienne Lorette officially opened December 1956. |
| Alan's Space - by Alan Rust |
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| Alan Rust |
First Boeing 747-8 Intercontental flight - March 20, 2011 - (submitted by Ken Bjorge)
A third Boeing plane completed its first flight on Sunday, March 20, 2011 when the company's largest-ever passenger plane touched down in Seattle. The 747-8 Intercontinental spent four hours and 25 minutes aloft during a maiden flight that kept pilots busy making maneuvers not usually associated with a first flight. The usual Mt Rainier backdrop was covered in clouds, so it flew by Mt. Baker for a photo op instead. This is the biggest passenger airplane that Boeing has ever built.
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| Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental First Flight |
You can read the full story and see more photos by clicking on this link.
(PS - I know this news is a couple of months late, but old news is our job!)
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Canadi>n/CP Air/PWA, Wardair, etc. People & Events
- Compiled by Terry Baker |
 News and articles from days gone by gleaned from various publications from C.A.I.L. and it's "ancestry" of contributing airlines. |
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Issue dated - September 1969
From the PWA "Keeping Posted" magazine -
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 Air Traffic Controllers aren't the only employees to sleep on the job, we spotted this one, Dale McCormick, baggage handler at Kelowna trying to snatch 40 winks between mid-night charter flights during the summer.
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 This photo is of, from the left, Lew Stannard, Station Manager, John "Scottie" Currie, John Ross all from Kelowna, BC
Quebecair made application to operate an air shuttle service between Montreal and Toronto and would be the first such service to be introduced in Canada. However, PWA pointed out that they inaugurated a similar service between Calgary and Edmonton on May 22nd 1963 and is, therefore, the first and only, non reservations-guaranteed seat service by air in Canada. |
| Reader's Feedback - Compiled by Terry Baker |
Every week we ask our readers for their stories or feedback on what they have read here in previous issues. Below is the feedback we have received recently.
Terry Baker writes -
The photo of the Avro York and Jack Morath's comments, in NetLetter nr 1164, brought back a memory for me.
When I was sent to South Africa from my National Service stint, in 1952, the gang went by Avro York, except 16 of us, me included, who went by Union Castle cruise ship from Southampton to Cape Town for 3 weeks, then a week at Cape Town and then a 7 day train trip to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). When we got to meet up with some of the guys who had flown out they told us that the flight took several days more than planned due to repeated mechanicals.
Apparently the Yorks had been used on the Berlin Airlift flying in coal, and every time they hit turbulence and upon landing, a cloud of coal dust showered down upon them. I was stationed from two years, during which time Ian Smith declared independence from Britain, and a local Rhodesian, Ray Amm, won the famous Isle of Man motor cycle race, for which the whole country got a day off work. After my stint, a group of us returned to the UK for demobilization via train, and Union Castle cruise line from Cape Town.
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In NetLetter nr 1164, Bev May identified a couple of people on the flight CDN 7, first published in NetLetter nr 1162, and now we have this information from Lorne McKibbin - I recognize the captain in the photo of the CDN 7 crew on the last flt into HKG before the handover to the Chinese as Parry Mackinnon.
Regards,
Lorne McKibbin
Ex Capt. CDN Airlines
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Alan's article "The Green Thing" in NetLetter nr 1164 prompted some responses -
Jacqueline Ritter sends this - This little story is excellent I am tired of my parent's generation and my generation being blamed for ALL the necessity of the "Green Thing"
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And from Nicolas Spiros
Boy, does that bring childhood memories from the old country in the 40s and 50s and beg the question "Can any of today's kids tell us why garbage trucks were unheard of then?" We simply had no trash! Why we had no trash? No, not 'cause we were so poor we couldn't afford trash but 'cause firstly, the number one culprit, PLASTIC, had not raised its ugly head yet!
Secondly, the existing packaging was recycled WITHOUT LEAVING OUR HOUSE! Paper came in handy in starting either the hearth or the stove or the outdoor wood burning oven. Local stores (remember, supermarkets had not appeared yet) used
newspapers to wrap all goods they sold; the speed with which they formed those big cones to pour bulk items in, like fish or other small stuff, always impressed me. Toilet paper was a rare sight but newspaper, cut up in small squares and hung with wire, was in almost every bathroom. Tin cans and bottles were always welcome as household containers Needless to say that food leftovers fed animals (remember, pet foods were either unknown or unaffordable) or used as fertilizer So, trash bins were not a household item yet!
Thank You Alan!
Nicolas Spiros
(My memory tells me the term "Dustman" and "Rubbish" were the vogue in the U.K. - remember Lonnie Donogan's "My ol' man's a dustman" - eds)
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Odds & Ends - Compiled by Terry Baker
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 Sometimes we receive articles and information that just doesn't fit in our other areas. This is where it goes! |
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 NOT EASILY MISSED: A BEA Vanguard takes off above a ground-control approach truck at Heathrow in about 1963 (Photo from CAA Archives).
AIR traffic control technology improved in leaps and bounds as London Airport grew from handling a couple of dozen flights a day in the 40s to becoming one of the world's busiest aviation hubs. Yet, even in the early 60s, when this picture was taken, some of the equipment was beginning to look rather antiquated.
This vividly striped Bedford truck with its equally instantly noticeable trailer, housed Federal ground-control approach radar and was a familiar sight for many years, trundling round to various positions on the airfield as and when required, depending on which runway was in use. (source Skyport-Heathrow magazine)
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 Reminder -
The Canadian Air & Space Museum will host its 6th annual Wings & Wheels Heritage Festival at Downsview Park, Toronto on May 28-29, 2011.
The pricing for Air Canada active employees and Retirees is as follows: Active employees and retirees + 1 guest = $10 Members of ACRA, DTF, and Pionairs = $8 HST included. Payment at Festival entrance. No advanced sales ID required.
Highlights, a couple updates...First static display of the Discover Air Hawk One Canadair Sabre in Toronto area is confirmed. New Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules from 436 Squadron at CFB Trenton is confirmed for Saturday only.
(The Russian MiG 17 jet fighter is currently AOG and unlikely).
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Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips - by Terry Baker
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| Terry Baker |
Here is one way to avoid those extra taxes that traveling on airlines attract.
Jonathan Trappe, of Raleigh, North Carolina, went on a little trip across the English Channel recently, but his mode of transportation was very different. The 36-year-old American daredevil was strapped into a chair and suspended from a cluster of helium-filled balloons. He left Kent, England, at 5 AM, and four hours later began to cut away the balloons and float back to earth, landing in a cabbage field in France. "It was just an exceptional, quiet, peaceful experience," he says of the trip.
"It's about dreams and enjoying an adventure." A trained pilot, Trappe says a number of safety precautions were in place before he set off.
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| Jonathan Trappe's Guinness Record Cluster Balloon launch time lapse |
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Smileys - Compiled by Terry Baker
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As we surf the internet and back issues of airline magazines we regularly find airline related jokes and cartoons. Below is our latest discovery.
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 This Baroncelli cartoon from "Between Ourselves" issued January 1958. |
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Disclaimer: Please note, that neither the NetLetter or the ACFamily Network necessarily endorse any of the airline related or other "deals" that we provide for our readers. We would be interested in any feedback (good or bad) when using these companies though and will report the results here. We do not (normally) receive any compensation from any companies that we post in our newsletters. If we do receive a donation or other compensation, it will be indicated as a sponsored article or link.
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We hope you have enjoyed this issue of the NetLetter, see you next week!
Sincerely,
Your NetLetter Team
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First published in October, 1995
- Chief Pilot - Terry Baker, Nanaimo, B.C.
- Co-pilot - Alan Rust, Surrey, B.C.
- Flight Engineer - Bill Rowsell, Londesboro, Ontario
To contact us, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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