Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Life in the Air Force

from the Canadian Armed Forces YouTube channel

In the air or on the ground, the Royal Canadian Air Force has something to offer you. Defend Canadian airspace, perform search and rescue, or deice aircraft before takeoff.

If you're looking for excitement or something unique and challenging the Royal Canadian Air Force is for you!

Regarding NetLetter #1496 - 'Odds & Ends' 

I was happy to read that the B.C Aviation Museum have acquired the Convair. I was hired as a stewardess for Canadian Pacific Airlines in 1956. The Convair was flying the Vancouver - Calgary run.

It was a training flight for new stewardess’s with stops in Penticton, Castlegar and Cranbrook. It was quite turbulent at times and we had to close the passenger door when the outside stairs were taken away.

It was a very heavy door so caused a little anxiety until we had it safely closed. I live in Victoria so will really enjoy seeing the Convair again when I visit the museum.

Cora (Bethel) Thomson

From the "InfoCanadi>n" magazine.

Issue dated January 12, 1989

Cy Dunbar, captain B-737, Halifax, (left) has the rare opportunity to travel back in time. As a captain on the recently restored Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum's Lancaster he flies one of two remaining airworthy Lancasters in the world.

This is the exact aircraft on which Dunbar made his last Lancaster flight on July 10, 1963. Dunbar has over 2,500 hours on Lancasters, including 450 on this aircraft. Standing to the right of Dunbar is former crew member Don Reynolds during a visit to London, Ontario.

Issue dated March 30, 1989

In what was described by a spokesman for the Johnson Family Foundation in St. John's, Nfld. as a thoughtful gesture, Canadian Airlines provided free tickets for 4,000 teddy bears who travelled from Toronto to St. John's, where they were put up for adoption at the Janeway Children's Hospital.

Under the 'Cuddle Friend Program' a teddy bear is given to each child patient to keep upon completion of five nights at the hospital.

Larry Milberry has put together a progressive blog on aviation subjects and can be followed on the web site canavbooks.wordpress.com.

We have, with permission from Larry, some of the photos and story of those aircraft which ended up at either Canadian Pacific Airlines or Trans-Canada Air Lines etal.

A history of some B-727 aircraft.

Last airline to operate the B-727 on scheduled routes in Canada was Ottawa-based First Air. Here are a couple of views of First Air's "combi" C-FRST c/n 19169 at Iqaluit (YFB) on August 12 and 15, 1992.

A B-727-90C, C-FRST was originally delivered to Alaska Airlines on October 27, 1966, from where First Air acquired it on December 31, 1985. It left service in 2000.

During its 'orange' era, CPA operated four B-727-117's (1971-77) and two B-727-217's (1975-80).

CF-CUS (c/n 20513 - fin #724) was sold to National Aircraft Leasing of Los Angeles as N117TA on May 24, 1977 and later served Mexicana as XA-GUV and Servicios Aéreos Nacionales S.A. (in Ecuador)  as HC-BIB. It was broken up in Miami in 1998.

It's seen below on approach at Toronto on March 6, 1972.

CP Air B-727 CF-CPK in the background at Toronto on March 16, 1973. 

Having served CP Air from 1970 to 1977, CF-CPK (c/n 20328, fin #722) was sold to National Aircraft Leasing of Los Angeles on June 6, 1977 and migrated to Mexico as XA-GUU, Ecuador as HC-BIC and the UK with Dan Air as G-BKCG.

It made its final landing with TAME Ecuador as HC-BLV.

Canadian Pacific Airlines inaugural DC-6B service arrival at Auckland, New Zealand.

Credit: Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs, Ref: WA-32938 - F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.

Reprinted from 'Parts & Pieces' from January 17, 2005.

Subject: "DEAR GOD" ... a dog's version

Dear God:

• Why do humans smell the flowers, but seldom, if ever, smell one another?
• When I get to heaven, can I sit on your couch? Or is it the same old story?
• Why are there cars named after the jaguar, the cougar, the mustang, the colt, the stingray, and the rabbit, but not ONE named for a dog?
• How often do you see a cougar riding around? We dogs love a nice ride! Would it be so hard to rename the 'Chrysler Eagle' the 'Chrysler Beagle'?
• If a dog barks his head off in the forest and no human hears him, is he still a bad dog?
• We dogs can understand human verbal instructions, hand signals, whistles, horns, clickers, beepers, scent IDs, electromagnetic energy fields, and Frisbee flight paths. What do humans understand?
• More meatballs, less spaghetti, please.
• When we get to the Pearly Gates, do we have to shake hands to get in?
• Are there mailmen in Heaven? If there are, will I have to apologize?

To be continued...