McDonnell CF-101 Voodoo
Retirement is awesome! I have lots of time to indulge in my favourite pastime of playing cards.
There are several Senior Centres and branches of the Royal Canadian Legion in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia and a card game can be found on most afternoons and evenings.
While playing, it is a particular pleasure to meet people who have served in the Royal Canadian Air Force and listen to their stories; which they are always willing to share. Frequently mentioned is the CF-101 Voodoo interceptor aircraft that was deployed from 1961 and 1984. Thankfully, many of these aircraft have been preserved. I have also had the fortunate opportunity of meeting a few gentlemen who worked on these aircraft as maintenance engineers during their military service.
The CF-101 Voodoo was needed in defence of Canada during the very uncertain times of the “Cold War”. Luckily, none of their weaponry ever had to be used in conflict. 
On most Mondays, I enjoy a nice leisurely drive from my home in Cloverdale (a part of Surrey) through some of the picturesque farmland of B.C. to Abbotsford to play Euchre in the evening. On arrival within the Abbotsford city limits I drive along the western border of the Abbotsford International Airport (YXX) where McDonnell CF-101 Voodoo registration 101035 rests on display.
Personally, I am always fascinated by how a casual meeting at a friendly card game can result in hearing some very interesting personal stories. Everybody has one, listening can be very rewarding.
More information:
CF-101 Voodoo at Wikipedia
Preserved Voodoo page
YouTube video of CF-101 #035 being moved at YXX
This flight ops "Cap'n Bly" cartoon by "Jaques" has the caption "Don't get shook up if you don't make the "Unbelievable Magnificent" rating on your PPC... that's reserved for Supervisors".
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The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) no longer requires passengers who are travelling with their Nexus card to complete a paper CBSA Declaration Card (Form E311) when using a NEXUS self-serve kiosk at YVR, YYC, YEG, YWG, YYZ, YOW, YUL and YHZ. (Source: CBSA) |
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Our friends relate their trip from the Horseshoe Bay ferry to downtown Vancouver, enroute to YVR. We made it into town by bus without too much trouble to the Skytrain station. Skytrain tickets in hand my little one tries to go thru the gate... the gates to the Skytrain require you to scan your ticket to open the gate, they are right handed... she scans the left hand one... which of course opens the gate to the left of her, - where she is not... so I go thru, the gates close. You only get one kick at scanning, if you don't get it you have to buy another ticket. At least this time the subway car does not pull away from the station like it did in New York (lol)... Eventually I reach over and scan my ticket to get her thru the gate and we are on our way to YVR. |
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World Airlines Clubs Association (WACA) events: Hosted by the Interline Club of Portugal. 28th Passarola Tennis Cup and the 30th Passarola Golf Cup TAP Portugal (a Star Alliance member) has granted IDICN2 tickets for this event, subject to space availability, to LIS or OPO, except for airlines with flights to Portugal, at the following rates: European flights.......................€85,00 plus taxes No endorsement or refund applies to these tickets. Click Here for full information |
Pan Am's lasting and positive image from its inception in 1929 is remarkable in view of its long and agonizing decline, which began in the late 1960s and noticeably affected the quality of passenger services from about 1980 onward.
Perhaps the single most decisive reason for Pan Am’s decay was its inability to secure political support for acquisition of an American domestic route network in its home market. By the time it seriously started to lobby for them in the early 1940s, it had become by far the world’s most powerful airline, and other US airlines convincingly argued that Pan Am would create a monopoly if allowed to compete with them.
Over the next decades, its increasingly dire financial situation led to the gradual sale of its various divisions. In April 1985, it sold off its Pacific division - 25 per cent of its entire route network - to United Airlines.
Things only worsened when, on December 21, 1988, Libyan terrorists bombed Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, resulting in 103 passenger fatalities. The airline was later slapped with a $300 million lawsuit filed by more than 100 families of the flight.
Pan Am was finally forced to declare bankruptcy on January 8, 1991. Its last remaining profitable assets were purchased by Delta Air Lines, and the rest faded into history.
Click Here to read the full story.
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From the Canadian Pacific Airlines "Newsletter" issue dated July 1963.
This C-46, CF-CZL, is shown with a group of Inuit people on DEW line. The fleet of eight C-46's were purchased in early 1955 for DEW line freighting. When the DEW line work ended, four were converted to passenger configurations and later sold to PWA when they took over the Mackenzie operations. With the sale of the last C-46 Commando, another aircraft type becomes history in CPA. |
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Issue dated October 1963; Off-Line Hostess. Seattle was an important traffic point. A lot of passengers from the Orient, Europe and Latin America fly to and from Vancouver on CPA but are funneled through Seattle on connecting carriers. Because of the many nationalities involved, special passenger handling often was required, and CPA extended these extra services beyond its points of call. |
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Competing with CPA emblem weathercock on aerial "mile zero" post overlooking Vancouver on Mt. Seymour are four headquarter girls representing CPA destinations. |
