Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Terry Baker, co-founder of the NetLetter scours the internet for aviation related Trivia and Travel Tips for you, our readers, to peruse.

A380 cold weather trials at Iqaluit (YFB) February 2006.

(Source: blog by Larry Milberry, www.canavbooks.wordpress.com)

Early in 2006 John Graham, the airport manager at Iqaluit, gave me a heads-up that an A380 was coming to town for cold weather trials. This sounded like a great opportunity, so I organized a trip north from Ottawa on a First Air 737 for February 3, 2006.

The A380 was due on February 6, 2006, so I had time to cover some other aviation. On February 4, 2006, for example, I went over to Resolute Bay and back on a First Air 748. Next day I spent around town and the airport, then February 6, 2006 dawned as a fine, clear day.

John gave me the A380’s ETA, so I had time to set up at the arrival end of the runway. Here’s one of the shots I took as the mighty A380 (call sign “AIB501”) was about to touch down. This was the first ever A380 landing in “The New World”. 

The aircraft was F-WWDD sn004 (the 4th A380, now in a museum in France). Some cold soaking was conducted with “WDD” parked off the main ramp; see photo of it with the Lynden Air Cargo L.100 Hercules.

Does this look cold enough for you? “WDD” also made 1 or 2 test flights that week. In the other photos, “WDD” looms across the snow-covered ramp as a First Air BAe748 and ATR-42 await their next trips. Finally, a scene with “WDD” being de-iced for a test flight. 

After another wonderful Arctic trip, I finally got back to Toronto on February 13, 2006.

Piece of history.

Fancy owning a bit of an airline-operated Airbus A380?

A German company is using recycled fuselage parts from ex-Singapore Airlines super jumbos to make collectible identity tags from their outer skins. The aircraft have been broken up for spares by Tarmac Aerosave in Tarbes, France.

Each of the limited edition tags sports the aircraft type, registration number, edition number and size. Some 7,000 such items from (9V-SKA) - first flown from Toulouse on May 7, 2006, delivered to Singapore on October 12, 2007 and retired in October 2017,  sold out within 48 hours, says the company, which is now taking pre-orders for tags made from MSN005 (9V-SKB). Yours for a mere €27.95 ($30 USD).

(Sources: CNN Travel and FlightGlobal.com)

Another abandoned airport.

Stapleton International Airport served Denver, Colorado between 1929 and 1995, when it was replaced by Denver International.

In July 1997, a storm caused severe damage to its structure, so it had to get knocked down completely. All that remains today is one old control tower. 

(Source: www.skyscanner.net)

The Canadian Aviation Historical Society (CAHS.com) is offering this book for sale at $18.00 (GST included) plus $6.00 shipping per copy in Canada. 

Author Kerry Karram was inspired by her grandfather Andy Cruickshank’s diary to tell the story of the 1929 Arctic search and rescue efforts to save eight prospectors of the Dominion Explorers led by C.D.H. MacAlpine.

Grossly under-equipped, the expedition ran out of fuel and was stranded above the Arctic Circle. Within days, Western Canada Airways sent a rescue team headed by Captain Andy Cruickshank, in what was to become the most extensive aviation search in Canadian history.

The searchers encountered trouble: turbulent weather, forced landings, and plane crashes. The prospectors were also struggling, as they waited edgily for freeze-up and the anticipated crossing to Cambridge Bay. While Cruickshank and his team were trying to reconstruct a damaged aircraft, MacAlpine and his men were forced to run more than 112 kilometres on barely frozen ice to arrive at Cambridge Bay, where they still awaited rescue.

The CAHS is offering this book for sale at $18.00 (GST included) plus $6.00 shipping per copy in Canada.

Limited time offer – Please place your orders by 1 May 2020. 

(Source: CAHS National Newsletter March 2020).

1989 - June 16 -

• Service to Copenhagen, extended from the Toronto - Amsterdam route with 767-300R equipment.
• Nonstop flights between Toronto - Rome, Toronto - Milan, Toronto - Munich and Montreal - Rome.
• Service between Calgary and Ottawa reintroduced.
• 767 service introduced between Toronto and Halifax.
• Service introduced between Calgary and Yellowknife, Inuvik and Norman Wells.

1989 - May 1 -

• Service between Toronto and Tokyo commenced with DC-10-30ER equipment.

Issue dated March 30, 1989.

PWA Corporation received approval March 23 from the National Transportation Agency for its proposed acquisition of Wardair Inc. on the grounds that the transaction is not against the public interest.

The Agency’s decision is subject to a statutory review period of up to 30 days during which PWA Corporation is prohibited from completing its proposed acquisition.

PWA’s offer to purchase the shares of Wardair Inc. expires on April 14, 1989, but expects to extend its offer to permit expiry of the review period if necessary.

PWA Corporation is still awaiting approval of the acquisition from the Competition Bureau. It is expected by the end of April.

Issue dated April 13, 1989.

Canadian Club formed.

Canadian employees from across Canada met in Calgary, April 1, 1989 to co-ordinate plans for the start-up of three new local social clubs in Toronto and Atlantic Canada.

They will join established clubs in Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Yellowknife and Winnipeg as part of the 'system social club' known as the "Canadian Club".