The NetLetter For Air Canada Retirees
(part of the ACFamily Network)
December 22, 2011 - Issue 1190
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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 #800 - 15355 24th Ave, Suite 523 Surrey, BC V4A 2H9
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Sponsors |
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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
We are working on a special Christmas Isssue for you and should have it out to you soon... Until then, here's a Christmas cartoon for you!
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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. |
Peter Hartman has sent us some photos in the hopes we can get some identities -
Peter is the second from the left showing an interest as Lou Morant gives some instruction on the aircraft power connection for keeping the aircraft warm during winter operations.
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Peter is the eight from the left in this photo watching Lou Morant (in the cap) giving a demonstration of the aircraft heater unit during aircraft winterization classes in March 1969. |
Another final photo is of a group of employees, completely unknown, but perhaps someone can give us some identities as well.
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A tale of two tails - sent in by Peter Hartman. |
Our first 70 years - Compiled by Terry Baker |
1957 - U.S. Customs & Immigration now performed at Dorval prior to boarding for U.S. destinations . 1958 - Spring - Viscount equipment introduced to Sudbury, Timmins, Sault Ste Marie, North Bay, Earlton, Rouyn-Noranda and Val D'Or 1975 - April - P.E.I. added to the Toronto-Ottawa route.
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CARP/ACFamily Special Discount |
SPECIAL RATE FOR NETLETTER SUBSCRIBERS!
We're pretty excited to able to offer ACFamily Network and NetLetter subscribers an exclusive discount to CARP. The normal rate of $34.95 for a CARP Membership and Zoomer Magazine Subscription has been reduced to $19.95 for NetLetter and ACFamily Members. This is the first of many discounts that will be offered to ACFamily Network members in the coming months.
Do you remember the "good old days" when we used to get substantial discounts by just mentioning that we were airline employees and flashing our ID cards? Now with so many web sites offering discounted rates to everyone on the internet, true Airline discounts have all but disappeared. To come to the rescue (and save us money) we have partnered with CARP to bring back some of the deals that we have been missing. By capitalizing on the buying power (or grey power) of over 300,000 retiree/members, they provide one of the best options for finding savings. Using this collective buying power, YOU CAN SAVE BIG MONEY on Health & Home Care, Financial & Insurance Services, Entertainment, Shopping, Telephone, Travel, Car Rentals, Roadside Assistance, Funeral & Memorial Services...and much more.
In case you've never heard of CARP, it's the Canadian Association for Retired Persons with a membership of over 300,000 retired Canadians.
Please view the videos below for more information and if you are interested, please join CARP through this link. As an additional bonus, all NetLetter subscribers that join CARP will get a complimentary subscription to the (new) ACFamily Network (worth $12) which will be coming online early in 2012. Please follow this link to subscribe or learn more.
This would make a good last minute Christmas Gift for anyone that's a ZOOMER (over 45 years old).
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CARP Infomation |
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CARP Affinity Partners |
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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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Airbus A320-211, H4-BUS (c/n 302) belonging to Solomon Airlines, had previously operated with Air Canada as C-FMEQ.
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Issue dated - October 1957 Acquired from the "Between Ourselves" magazine -
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Due to the inability of the Kapuskasing airport to handle the Viscount aircraft which the company plans to substitute for the DC-3 on the northern Ontario route, service will be suspended on December 31st 1957.
During this year, the new Timmins Terminal building at Montreal Airport accommodated the entire "heart" of TCA's operation, housing the Cargo, flight planning, crew scheduling, ramp agents and station manager.
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"WALLY" COURTNEY, DSM, Victoria , first sales employee, turns photographer at a party held for him in Vancouver on the anniversary of his 20 years' service with the Company. He was the recipient of a ZEISS camera given to him by his many TCA friends.
Smiling pretty for cameraman Courtney from the left are: Jack Robinson, DSM, VR; Jack McLean, DSM, QR: Jim Findlay, Assistant to the RSM, VR; Ernie Locke, DSM, YC; Ted Deyman, DSM, SEA; Jack Dolby, RSM, VR; Gordon Wilson , Director of Passenger Sales, UL; Gordon Gaffikan, Area Sales Manager, LAX; Tom Moore, DSM, WG; Don McLaren, Executive Assistant, VR; Len Sampson, DSM, XE.
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On the 10th anniversary of service to Hamilton Ontario, a new ticket/Sales office was opened.
Here we have, from the left, R.C.Rathwell, T.C.Charles, Mrs B.J.Meldrum and H.A.Smith.
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MANITOBA INDUSTRIAL LEAGUE CHAMPS - The TCA Fastball team, emerged winners in the recent playoffs of the 19.team Manitoba League.
The team was organized in 1956 and is composed of players from all departments in TCA. Players are: Front row, from the left: G. Letourneau, D. Garvie, E. Boren, F. Lanyon (Coach) , Dave Johnson (Manager) , Dave Dallinger, Dick Lanyon, Jim Ursel, E. Ste. Marie.
Back row, from the left: B. Hotel, J . Canacher, Ross Lowrie, Barrie Burton, Ed MacDonald, G. Ste. Marie, Gord Smith, Don Wilkinson and Neil Chambers. Not shown in the picture are G. Timlick and E. Yozenko . (Judging from the crutches sported by B. Hotel, the playoffs must have been quite intense, if so that may account for the two missing players - eds)
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Issue dated - November 1974 Now we check out the "Horizons" magazine -
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Toronto employees had an opportunity to tour the Company's first 727 still sporting plastic covering on its 144 seats and smelling like a new car.
Escorted by Passenger Agent Eugene Gonzales, Elaine House and Louise Volpe of Personnel take their first look at the aircraft, one of five to enter Rapidair service in October.
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Ed Gallagher, Procurement Supervisor, Purchasing & Facilities, Winnipeg ended a 28-year company career surrounded by some 200 friends who would not allow him and wife EIsie to forget Air Canada.
Among the gifts presented to the Gallaghers were a Viscount window inscribed with the names of fellow workers, a pencil holder made by CAE staff from a condemned fuel pump rotor and a miniature oxygen bottle.
In addition, Ed received a certificate from the Company sponsored 177 Air Cadet Squadron in appreciation of his help to that organization.
Shown at the retirement party are, from the left : John Bordian, Sam Brown, (CAE), Don Wilbur, (CAE); Les McDowell, EIsie and Ed; Kitch Olson and Wally Sinkwich.
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Alan's Space - by Alan Rust |
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Alan Rust |
Boeing Planes that never flew
Have you ever heard of the Boeing International Husky?
How about the Boeing 755?
If you haven't, you're not alone. They are the airplanes that never flew. KING 5's Glenn Farley takes you to a place of mystery to look at aviation history that never was.
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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 - March 1978 Found in the "CPAir NEWS" magazine -
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INSPECTING NEW FACILITIES at Tokyo's new international airport at Narita prior to the move from Haneda airport al the end of March are, from left: Misao Kosano. marketing & sales admln. Shizuo Hoshino, catering supervisor and Franz Metzger. station manager.
After 11 postponements and despite the presence of 15,000 protesters and 13,000 military/riot police in the area, Narita airport, Japan, finally opened peacefully on May 20.
The first CP Air aircraft (742), Flight 401 from Vancouver, touched down at the new airport the following day, Crew members were: Captain L. G. Moffan; First Officer E. J. Quinlan; Second Officer W. C. Cowan; Passenger Service Director Van Aarup and flight attendants Natsuko Masuda, Sally Mussallem, LI Kwong, Olivia Van Soldt, Dorlnka Reggl, Fred Hofer, Carol Blackmore, Hal Staud, Susan Achlam, Masako Naganuma, Gabi O'Brien and Louise Morton.
Vancouver-based personnel at Narita to observe the first arrival were: John Stimson, manager, security. Jim Wilkinson, manager,facilities, planning.
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Charles W. Townley of Kingston, Ont., wrote to the company in these words: "Thought you might like to see how a senior citizen put in the time on a recent flight from Edmonton to Toronto. My wife and I enjoyed the flight immensely and hope to fly again with CP Air."
Attached was this poem:
Eastward bound on a seventhirty-seven, Up there the birds don't fly, A few kilometers closer to Heaven, In a cloudless azure blue sky. Our thoughts are high and our spirits too, As we wing our way through space, With faith and navigation true... And our seat belts hooked in place. On the intercom comes our Captain's voice, "We're making our descent to the 'Peg," Destination for some...fly on is our choice, As we prepare for the second last leg. Ascending aloft and on to Hogtown, We fly with the speed of a comet, Our passage is sure...we cannot bog down, Praise the Lord...praise also Mahomet. We wine and we dine in the lap of the gods, As closer we come to our goal, Then down through the mist to the frozen sods, Wheels down...on the tarmac we roll. So here's to our plane, the skipper and crew For a very fine flight from the west. I'm sure you'll agree, as we do too, That Canadian Pacific is the best. Responding and not be outdone, Sheila Cameron and Cliff Cunningham, headquarters customer relations representatives, sent the Townley's the following reply with the notation "with apologies to poets, past and present":
We thank you for your poem That says it all-in rhyme. We're glad you had a good flight That brought you home on time. The crew was pleased to serve you, The staff at each end, too. We're glad you "Caught our Spirit" And liked the way we flew.
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FAREWELL PARTY was held in Lima to mark transfer of Eric Scher, formerly airport services manager there, to Winnipeg where he is reservations / CTO manager.
Among guests were, from left: C. Bastidas, office boy; C. Maldonado, accounting clerk, Mr. Scher; G Boutellier, flight attendant: C. Franchy, supervisor, sales & service. cargo, and R. Zegarra, cashier.
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BACK IN UNIFORM for heavy summer travel period are Ihese fIve former flight attendants who were recalled under a new program.
From left: Mrs Gertraude (Zajc) Holmes, Mrs. Helen (SmIth) Marshall, Miss Jenny Lamb and Mrs. Pat (Swan) Biggs. Front is Mrs Donna (Knowles) Weatherly.
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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.
We made the usual boo boo with dates. In NetLetter nr 1888 under "Our First 70 years", Mike Stirrup spotted this error - Not that it matters but I suspect that the correct date for the Honeywell replacement computer was 1967 (not 1957). As a wet-nosed rookie programmer I vividly remember the horror of the old pros at the decision. Great job by you and the team in consistently delivering the netletter. Regards...Mike Brian Walsh sends us this memory - In reference to the story in NetLetter #1188 (50th anniversary of flight attendant service in the airline industry). I remember the day that Jewel (Butler) O'Hanlon flew on the B737. I was a supervisor at Fort St. John (YXJ). We arranged for the local press to come out, and we even had a bagpiper on hand to escort her into the terminal. It was quite an event. Brian Walsh, Victoria B.C.
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George Brien sends us this memory - Hi folks NL 1181 had a picture of the new staff in YBG that brought back memories to me.
BAGOTVILLE'S Airport, hub of our activity in the Saguenay area, was the scene for this group photo of our Operations staff there. They are from the left: Jean-Rach Gobeil, Station Attendant, Lionel Comeau, Dennis Kerwin, Jacques Vernier,Roger Gallant and Alfred Leblanc, Operations Agents, and Gaston Yanasse, Station Manager.
George writes - In Dec. 1955 , I was based in YFC with a title called "Regional Spare Operations Agent", and when Station Manager W I. Himmelman called me into the office and slowly took his pipe out of his mouth, I knew it was time to get my bags packed Regional Spare was another way of saying "where we need you, we'll send you"
TCA had just traded off Canada- Mexico City routes with CPA in return for DC3 routes in Quebec YUL/YQB/YBG/YZV and also YUL/YVO/YUY/YYB/YXR/YYZ and I believe they threw in YQA(Muskoka) as a bonus.!!!!
My assignment was to YBG, (Bagotville), an RCAF base in the Kingdom of Saguenay and the job description was a bit vague but to assist in training and setup of the new station. One of the CPA agents, Lionel Comeau, remained and transferred to TCA and we were joined by new recruits Dennis Kerwin and Jock Vernier from YUL who would be trained as Operations Agents.
The new station Manager was Gus Vanesse, an ex Bush Pilot and then Assistant Flight Dispatcher with TCA/YUL.
The Terminal building looked more like a large two story house than an Airport Terminal, even more so because the ex CPA agent along with his wife and children lived on the second floor which made it convenient for us as she provided lunch for us at noon. We all stayed at the Chicoutimi Hotel and since Gus had the only car, he provided the ground transportation for us all.
I was joined by Operations Agent Earl Young from Stephenville and we worked the 8hr x 7day shift for the length of the tour. (Our union was not quite as rigid in those days but we did enjoy a great per diem). Most of our duties consisted in training the new recruits on procedures etc working on the job and since Earl and I were limited in our knowledge of the French language, we had to leave the check in procedures to the ex CPA chap and handle the radio/tely comms along with weight and balance.
At the time we were running North Stars on the route YUL/YQB/YZV and Stn Mgr Gus, as an ex dispatcher, was always trying to make up time on the station stop. One day we went all out and had the passengers/bgge off . reloaded and flight dispatched in 6 mins and that was the highlight of the month for Gus and he got it out of his system , and we went back to normal work pace.
As Christmas drew nearer, I was beginning to worry about getting home. Working 7 day weeks built up some time off so on Dec 23 I got the OK to leave and caught the last seat on the flt deck and made it home for Xmas.
I thought that was the end of the YBG experience but I ended up going back in Jan/56 for another 6 weeks. The people and the team spirit in those days was a great motivator to get things done and although it was about many years ago, I can still recall the great guys we had to work with up there.
George Brien
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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! PILOT'S TOILET INCIDENT SPARKS TERROR CONCERNS The Nov. 16, 2011 flight of Indianapolis-based Chautauqua Airlines operated as Delta Flight 6132, an ERJ-145 out of Asheville for LaGuardia, took a turn for the unusual when the Captain stepped out of the cockpit and failed to return as expected.
The flight was carrying 14 passengers and was progressing normally until, at about 30 minutes from a holding pattern for LaGuardia, the Captain left the cockpit to use the lavatory and got stuck there. Unable to force the door open, the Captain pounded until he acquired the attention of a passenger. The Captain endowed that passenger with his confidence and a message for the copilot.
However, when the copilot received the message, recordings archived at www.LiveATC.net clearly show the copilot did not apply the same confidence to the messenger. "Someone with a thick foreign accent is giving me a password to access the cockpit," the copilot tells controllers, "and I'm not about to let him in." Some minutes later, the Captain won his contest with the lavatory door and was able to return to the cockpit.
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Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips - by Terry Baker
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Terry Baker |
Here are some interline deals offered by James Rose - Norwegian Cruise Lines7 NT ~ Norwegian SpiritPorts of Call: New Orleans, At Sea, Costa Maya, Roatan, Belize City, Cozumel, At Sea, New Orleans. December 18 Inside $530, Oceanview $625, Balcony $891, Suite $1812 December 25 Inside $748, Oceanview $815, Balcony $1052, Suite $3997 January 1 Inside $653, Oceanview $672, Balcony $938, Suite $1907 January 8 Inside $435, Oceanview $530, Balcony $748, Suite $1527 January 15 Inside $435, Oceanview $577, Balcony $748, Suite $2192 January 22 Inside $435, Oceanview $530, Balcony $767, Suite $1717 January 29 Inside $435, Oceanview $482, Balcony $767, Suite $1907 JAMES F. C. ROSE - YOUR Cruise Expert - since 1993 e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.web site: http://members.shaw.ca/jamesroseinformation: (204) 889-3885 fax: (204) 889-3885 reservation (204) 889-3885 & (800) 414-8091 Call for information on the many more deals James has available. Brian Walsh sends us this information - There is no standard mains voltage throughout the world and also the frequency, i.e. the number of times the current changes direction per second, is not everywhere the same. Moreover, plug shapes, plug holes, plug sizes and sockets are also different in many countries. Those seemingly unimportant differences, however, have some unpleasant consequences. Most appliances bought overseas simply cannot be connected to the wall outlets at home. There are only two ways to solve this problem: you just cut off the original plug and replace it with the one that is standard in your country, or you buy an unhandy and ugly adapter. Here is a great site that clearly explains the plugs required in various countries. http://users.telenet.be/worldstandards/electricity.htm#plugs Cheers, Brian Walsh Victoria B.C. London UK Gatwick airport has become the first in the UK to introduce dedicated family lanes in its immigration halls. It has also installed automated ePassport gates which are designed to speed up the arrivals process for passengers landing in the UK.
The Irish government has decided to retain the euro3.00 departure tax in a bid to stimulate the economy.
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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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Allan Gray has sent us a copy of the 1979 calendar issued by the Cargo Department which feature some futuristic images of (proposed) Air Canada cargo transports. Here is the one of the pictures.
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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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