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The Gift of Friendship

We are a different breed, aren't we? We could not have had careers in so-called '9 to 5' jobs. We chose long hours, shift work, working outside in all kinds of weather or working in cylinders high in the air and spending most of our lives with quite a variety of interesting 'characters'.

Diverse groups of people form a synergy (in the air or on the ground) to work together to load & unload baggage, maintain aircraft, schedule flights and move passengers safely to their destinations. It's the 'characters' that make working in aviation fun and provide the most treasured memories.

For myself, there are no bad memories, I loved working with these characters. Luckily, I have continued many of the friendships formed during my career.

I have also realized that reaching my senior years, unfortunately, includes saying goodbye to many dear friends. I never met Vesta Stevenson but I did enjoy a long friendship with Alan Rust. As stated in every edition of The NetLetter, their inspiration remains with us.

Below is a photo taken on December 6 of myself, Bob Sheppard and Ken Pickford taken in Richmond, B.C. Ken lives near Geneva but tries to make an annual trip to Vancouver each December to visit with friends. Bob and I were able to join him for lunch at the White Spot restaurant. Terry Baker was unable to join us on this occasion but his presence was definitely felt.

We are all extremely fortunate to share friendship with over 4,500 NetLetter readers, the most precious gift - and lots of fun!

The Ultimate Paper Airplane

Over the last decade, designer Luca Iaconi-Stewart has been building an incredibly detailed model of a Boeing 777, right down to the tiny seats and moving landing gear, using only paper folders and glue.

Posted on the 'Wired' YouTube channel

From 'Horizons' magazine December 13, 1989

Customer care - Christmas-style

Air Canada: Once Upon a Tree

Click the image below to view the video

Air Canada first airline to test new de-icing solution.

This winter, Air Canada will become the first airline in the world to test a novel way of de-icing planes. The new system, created by Boston-based De-Ice, consists of strips attached to the exterior of the airplane that connect to proprietary electronics inside the aircraft. When activated from the Flight Deck these strips generate a high-frequency current that causes adjacent materials to produce heat. The process is similar to an induction stove top, melting snow and ice without the need to go to a de-icing station, which typically adds 30-45 minutes to the journey.

Source: Air Canada Daily (ACAeronet access required)