The NetLetter
For Air Canada Retirees
(Part of the ACFamily Network)
July 15, 2012 - Issue 1212
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First Issue published in October 1995!
(over 5,400 subscribers)
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NetLetter Past Issues
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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!
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Welcome to the NetLetter!
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!
Terry Baker and the NetLetter Team
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ACRA Upcoming Events- Compiled by Alan Rust
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 Retirees Welcome!
The following events are available for retirees through ACRA, the Air Canada Recreation Association.
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ACRA System Golf turns 50!
Just as Air Canada celebrates its 75 year anniversary this year, the employees who started the Air Canada Recreation Association over 50 years ago are also celebrating with their 50th Anniversary System Golf Tournament!
This is a once-in-a-lifetime milestone event that we hope you can attend.
Date: September 9 - 12, 2012
Where: San Diego, California
Venue: Sycuan Resort & Casino
Overflow: We've had to add an overflow hotel due to the overwhelming response. See website for further info.
Prizes: To help celebrate this event, Air Canada Vacations has donated a prize of a 7 Night all inclusive package for two to Mexico with Air and Hotel at the Gran Bahia Principe Coba in a Double Occupancy Junior Suite.
For further information and registration visit: www.acra.ca/events/system/golf.html
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| Our First 75 years - Compiled by Terry Baker |
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 1937 - April 10th - Trans-Canada Air Lines born.
1938 - April 1st - Experimental night flying began in Western Canada.
1943 - July 22nd - First east bound flight from Canada to England with TCA crew, west bound July 24th.
1944 - March 14th - Company introduced the "5 year" service pin.
1944 - April 1st - Annual free transportation on Canadian National Railways (CNR) added to the existing TCA employees privileges.
1976 - May 1st - Official opening of the in-flight base at Halifax.
1986 - December - Commenced regular services from YUL and YYZ, to Puerto Plata and Santa Domingo in Dominican Republic. Using wide-bodied aircraft the Company will be the first Canadian airline ever to start regular scheduled flights to that country. (source Parts & Pieces Aug 1986)
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 1940 - Dec 1st - Schedule for Passenger, Air Mail and Air Express issued. (sorry no larger image available yet) |
| Star Alliance News |
  TURKISH AIRLINES (Turk Hava Yollarl) took four months to gather some 18,000 photos of employees to decorate a Boeing 737.800 (RC-JHL) in a 'Globally Yours' scheme as a morale booster. |
| Air Canada News |
 ACE Aviation, former parent company to Air Canada (AC), has appointed Ernst & Young as liquidator and announced the resignation of all its directors and officers. On April 25, ACE's shareholders approved a special resolution providing for the voluntary liquidation of ACE. Its net assets as of April 30 amounted to C$381 million ($374.6 million), including 31 million shares in AC valued at C$31 million. The liquidator will now distribute ACE's remaining net cash to its shareholders after providing for outstanding liabilities, contingencies and the cost of the liquidation. Final distribution to shareholders and cancellation of the shares of ACE is expected to occur in mid-2013. In the first quarter, ACE reported a net loss of C$3 million, including unrealized losses of C$2 million on its investment in AC. (source ATW daily news July 2/12) |
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| Reader Submitted Photos - Compiled by Terry Baker |
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 Reader Submitted Photos - The photos and information below have been submitted to us by our faithful readers.
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 Betty Draper found this photo in a local paper and sent it to us:
Thought you might like this photo. The film council in Regina is celebrating 65 years of films - the photo shows the VIP's deplaning from a Trans-Canada Air Lines plane in Yorkton Sask. in 1956. Was a write up in LP today with attached photo.
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 Robert Arnold has sent us these two photos - The first is the introduction to the North Star from "Between Ourselves" November 1944.
The second item is of the Victoria-Seattle inauguration from December 1946 "Between Ourselves".
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 Brian Dunn has sent us this information and photo of the "Gimli glider" - The black and white photo taken after the evacuation of passengers and crew from FIN604 at Gimli, Manitoba. Aircraft was later jacked up and nose gear lowered to allow a gear-down ferry flight from Gimli to Winnipeg for major repairs of damaged fuselage. Brian Dunn/Editor www.yyznews.com
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 Alan Evans, in South Africa has sent us these interesting photos. Here is a B757 with a wake vortex.
And this one with a B767 and the vortex in the clouds.
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| TCA/Air Canada People Gallery - Compiled by Terry Baker |
 Below we have musings from the "Between Ourselves" and "Horizons" magazine, Air Canada publications from years gone by, as well as various in-house publications. The NetLetter has been fortunate enough to have our readers donate vintage Trans-Canada Air Lines and Air Canada publications from as far back as 1941 to share with you. These have been scanned and are being prepared for presenting in a special area of the ACFamily Network for archival and genealogy research.
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 This is a first day cover for the inauguration of the service from Toronto to Prince Edward Island on April 28th, 1975. |
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Issue dated - August 1943
Located in the "Between Ourselves" magazine -
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The first flight of the Canadian Government Trans-Atlantic Air Service roared eastward over the ocean on July 22nd, 1943 with its TCA crew.
Twelve hours and 26 minutes after taking the air with official passengers and a load of mail for the Canadian Armed Forces Overseas, it had settled to runways on the other side of the ocean - a new record for a non-stop trans-Atlantic flight from Montreal to Britain, bettering the old mark by 25 minutes. Breaking a record was not our aim and will not be, but the accomplished fact constituted an auspicious beginning for a service that will satisfy a great national need, 2600 pounds of mail and three passengers were carried on the first eastbound trip. The return flight, on July 24th, brought back 3000 pounds from the Overseas Forces, destined for Canadian letter boxes, and also naval, military and air force personnel.
Issue dated March 1944 -
Trans-Canada Air Lines Pension Fund reported total contributions of $194,269 for the initial nine month period, ending December 31, 1943. Of this sum, employees of the air line contributed $99,416, while Company matching contributions (up to 5% of salary or wages), amounted to $94,852.
Employee continuators numbered 2,071, to each of whom has been forwarded a copy of the Annual Statement of the Pension Trust Fund. issued by Mr. T. H. Cooper, Comptroller, together with a statement showing; the individual employee' contribution during 1943 the Company's contribution and interest, and the cumulative total to his or her credit in the Pension Trust Fund. The accumulation of funds as shown in the general statement should merit the confidence of the individual employee contributor. It is a happy omen for the future success of the Trans-Canada Air Line's Pension Plan.
A local Trans-Canada Air Lines Recreation Association (T.C.A.R.A.) was organized at Moncton during March and the inaugural dance held. The committee made up of Don Westman, Cliff Anderson, Ernie Breau, Mac Bulmer, Eddie Bourque and Harold Woodman.
Issue dated June 1944 -
During July 1943, a local Trans-Canada Air Lines Recreation Association (T.C.A.R.A.) was organized at Winnipeg.
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Issue dated - May 1976
From the "Horizons" magazine -
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 Halifax base opened.
Flight Attendants operating from the new In-Flight Base at Halifax had the opportunity to meet one another at a reception shortly after the official opening May 1.
Among those who attended were management personnel from the area as well as from In-Flight headquarters in Montreal.
Some 40 flight attendants have already been posted to the new base, and Ken Day, Project Coordinator for the base, is optimistic that up to 1200 attendants will be based there by year-end. The first scheduled flight to be operated by a Halifax crew to take off May 2 bound for Prestwick and London. Most initial flying for Halifax-based flight attendants will be overseas, with other routes added gradually.
Ken Day, Project coordinator for the Halifax In-flight crew base is shown flanked by Flight Attendant Supervisors Sandy Hinves, left and Kristianne Collier. |
 The first flight attendant crew to operate out of Halifax worked the May 2 scheduled flight to Prestwick and London. From the left are, seated: Atman Kalfon, Kathy Hazelwood, Daniel Molet and Vance Simpson. Standing are Claude Bourgie, left, and Jean Paul Jones. |
 Canada's short take-off and landing (STOL) demonstration came to a close April 30 when Airtransit's last flights departed Montreal and Ottawa at 1800 hours. Participating in last flight ceremonies at Montreal are, from the left: Captains Don McBride and John Marion; Passenger Agent Elaine Goldwater; Captain Art Tonkin, Director, Flight Operations; France Sarrazin and Martin Aylmer, Lead Passenger Agents; Howard Whitton, President and Captain Bob Caski.
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 Accident Prevention Program at Montreal held March 30/31st
The Ramp Service personnel shown in the photo were the first in the industry to receive training on the Ramp Supplement course. From the left, front row are: J.E. Adams, N. Marinescu, H.B. Smith and B. Grannary Center row: A. Tessier, B. Lasorsa, G. Menard and P. Lamarre. Back row : M. Grignon, C. Laurin, M. Tremblay, M. St. Andre and R. Lovat.
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| Alan's Space - by Alan Rust |
 C54 Skymaster at AirshowA flight sequence of a C54 Skymaster during the South African Air Force Harvards 50 Year Anniversary
I believe this video was taken on the 21st April 1990, with the C54 piloted by Raymond Hobart Houghton & Sarel Ceronio.
Quite a show and it's amazing that an old aircraft could take the stress of these maneuvers. They shut down the two starboard engines at one point and then restart them simultaneously. This aircraft must have been in top condition for its age.
They first began service in 1942 and were built between 1942 to 1947 and the cargo/military version was developed from the Douglas DC-4 (Canadair Northstar) according to Wikipedia.
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| DC4 Skymaster Flight Sequence - SAAF Harvard 50 Year Anniversary |
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Canadi>n/CP Air/PWA, Wardair, etc. People & Events
- Compiled by Terry Baker
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 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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 Clare Ash tells us that while going through some old documents he came across a photo from the May 1981 Rendezvous Canada Marketplace held in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Shown at CP Air booth left to right: CP Rep Japan, Rene DeVleshelidere - Amsterdam/Paris. Peter Garms - Germany
Roger Van Den Heede - Vancouver, Bram Wright - Melbourne, Australia, Fleming Timmerman - Scandinavia Bert Ulrich - Switzerland, Clare Ash - Vancouver, Seated - Allan Tremblay - London, U.K, Sherry Summers - Vancouver. (Could anyone supply the name of the CP rep - Japan? - eds)
On April 29th 1986, Canadian Pacific Air Lines inaugurated the first non-stop service by a North American carrier between Canada and the Republic of China with service between Vancouver and Shanghai utilizing DC-10-30 equipment. (source CP Air news alert Jan 1986)
Integration of Wardair into Canadian began on January 1st 1990
On December 3rd 1989, Stockholm became a destination for Canadian Airlines International.
in 1989, 55 employees had their names drawn for two positive space passes to evaluate Canadian's new Business class service.
Extracted from the "Parts & Pieces" the YUL Stores in-house magazine issued August 1986.
Nordair Metro, which started service March 31, 1986, has applied for a foreign carrier permit to operate a combination charter service between the U.S. and Canada. They will be using DC-4's and Corvair 580's as equipment to such cities as Atlantic City, Boston, New York, Washington D.C., Chicago and Detroit. (Aviation Daily 14-7-86)
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Issue dated - July 1979
Extracted from the "Blue Skies" magazine -
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 Vancouver Passenger Sales Office Staff took a moment to pose for this team photo outside their office at GranVille Square. Front row (left to right): Tom Laurie, Janet Armstrong, Barb Koopman, Violet Hsiung, Dave Sollaway, Greg Smith, Jim Watson, Wayne Dale, Dan Cotter. Second row (left to right): Teresa Donald, Linda Isman, Frank Suto. Back row (left to right): Avo Kingu, Debbie Goll, Dennis Myttenar, Claude Rougeau, Val Herring, Candace Field, Dave McLean. |
 On July 13, 1949 CP Air inaugurated its service to Australia. Flight time on the Canadair IV was 37 hours, 18 minutes. The crew was (left to right): F/O C.N.Sawle (Chief Pilot) , Captain J.K. "Bud" Potter, Helen McCracken and Pamela Hookham. |
| 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. Don Edwards sends us these comments referring to the photos in NetLetter nr 1209 of the Viscount incident in "Readers feedback":
I found the pictures of Viscount C/N 274 interesting for a number of reasons. The pictures show both Fwd and Aft passenger doors open with the door emergency slide not deployed and attached to the door in its container. Prior to take off, the procedure was for the slide to be attached to the door sill and upon opening the door the slide would detach and drop to the ground. The first two out (ideally the crew) would slide down, pick up the ends and stretch it out and away from the aircraft supposedly enabling passengers to slide to the ground!!
In today's operating environment, I know this looks somewhat primitive however, this was designed and fabricated in the WPG shops and first installed on the aircraft by maintenance prior to 1960. I believe this was a first in the airline industry.
My interest comes from being a Draftsman in the Winnipeg engineering office in the late nineteen fifties... Stu Grant was the designer and I prepared all the drawings required to fabricate and install this early safety project.
I must also say, since we are talking approx. 1958/59, I am delighted to still be around and commenting! As we used to joke in WPG at that time......."how do ya like them apples."
Regards, Don Edwards.
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 Ken Pickford has done another editing job for us on NetLetter nr 1209-
The item on the Viscount landing at YWG in January 1963 with the nose gear retracted. We have these photos of the incident. These photos from the www.vickersviscount.net web site.
 
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 My eagle eye only spotted very minor spelling glitches in the text printed on the photo: "First passenger from Fredericton" - Fredericton is spelled correctly in the text but on the photo itself it reads "Frederickton" with a K.. (Here we have a corrected photo - eds) |
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 Caz Caswell refers to the article in NetLetter nr 1209:
Nice to see that there was a Wardair reunion; I would loved to have been there for that. Don Saunders report made very interesting reading and it is true what he says about the enthusiastic staff, unblemished, unique and proud safety record. The enthusiasm was still there during my tenure [1978-1989].
Now living back in the UK; the wife and I flew over again this year, to spend time with family and friends. One friend we saw I am sure Don will know; Murray Kot. We had a great time reminiscing about our days at Wardair and those that Murray often sees.
Murray was also keen on warbirds; with fellow crew member Ed Ruth rebuilt and flew the Fiesler Storch and amazed many. Ah! Such great memories...
I have just written an article on Wardair for the UK magazine 'Jets Monthly'; the July issue is out now in the UK, and I am guessing it will be in the Chapters stores around August time. They used many photos from my collection spanning the years from the humble beginnings through to 1989. I hope others will enjoy the read as I enjoyed putting it all together. A copy of the cover for easy identification.
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Dave Townson sends this referring to NetLetter nr 1210:
That's a beautiful and nostalgic picture of the CP Air 747 and DC-3 together in matching livery, but the big Boeing was not delivered until December 1973. Meanwhile it was good to hear news of Captain Harry Baedak again.
 Dave also sent this observation regarding the Lancaster in NetLetter nr 1211:
Terry, shouldn't that Lancaster be a Lancastrian? Regards, Dave.
We, at the NetLetter, researched further, and although the article stated a Lancaster, it seems that the Lancaster, with the military equipment removed, passenger accommodation added and a new streamlined nose cone and tail cone added. Renamed Lancastrian, it was first produced for a Trans-Canada Air Lines North Atlantic service with 10 seats and a range of 4,000 miles. By the time the aircraft was withdrawn from service in 1947, some 1,900 ocean crossings had been made.
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Odds and Ends.
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 Sometimes we receive articles and information that just doesn't fit in our other areas. This is where it goes!
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The NetLetter's chief pilot relates this: An embarrassing experience.
In early 1976 under a C.I.D.A. agreement with CANAC, I was seconded to Antigua to run the computer section for the local airline L.I.A.T. I returned home once a month for a week-end.
As I had my clothes in Antigua, I traveled with only a brief case and, several times, going through customs, the officer would ask me how long I had been away, and I would answer "four weeks". The officer would, invariably, answer "Your luggage will be on the carousel sir". The officer was quite taken aback when I told him "I travel light". A more detailed explanation satisfied them.
My final trip to Antigua, to wrap up my tenure, was August 1976. This time I was unable to get a flight from Mirabel, as on previous occasions, so I routed through AC to YYZ, then planned, YYZ to ANU. on B.W.I.A.
I was advised by Jim Pearce, our office manager at C & SS Dorval, that my ticket would be held at the check in desk of B.W.I.A. in Toronto. Well, as always happens, the ticket was not waiting for me, and I made a quick call to Jim on the public phone. Jim arranged to get the situation rectified, and I proceeded to the check in desk again BUT, I had left my brief case unlocked and when I grabbed it off the shelf and swung it down, the contents spread all over the terminal concourse. Including some small gifts for the people working for me, such as some small perfume samples and various other Air Canada "give-a-ways" supplied to me by Jack Mahoney our branch V.P., there were several wicked looking letter openers. I scrambled amongst the passengers legs retrieving the articles, stuffed them back in the brief case, and then faced the check in attendant, who had a smirk on her face, offered me my ticket, and a first class boarding pass.
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 Another miscellany of postage stamps. |
Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips - by Terry Baker
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Summer Travel
Summertime is here again and with rising summer temperatures come very full flights! Employee Travel reminds you that from now until Labour Day, employees should be aware of the very high flight loads departing all our European stations. Our colleagues in Europe are busy attending to our customers and they may be unable to assist employees in obtaining back-up ZED tickets on other airlines.
This is a friendly reminder to please ensure you arrange and purchase your back-up ZED tickets prior to your departure from home! Please also remember that some stations including Madrid and Zurich do not have Employee Ticketing facilities. Other airlines will be experiencing similar volumes, so don't be caught waiting for days - be prepared! Also when traveling, please remember all employees are expected to check-in on the web or at the kiosks where available
(Message from the Daily July 6/12)
One of the deals from Caesar Interline Spain
From Madrid to Barcelona to Bilbao, Seville or Malaga, Spain is breathtaking and a bargain. Add a railpass or a car rental and let's get going. Madrid 3 nights from $140* Barcelona 3 nights from $212* Bilbao 3 nights from $273* Seville 3 nights from $100* Malaga 3 nights from $175*
*Prices shown are us$ per person based on double occupancy, during the month of July, 2012. Call for other dates and other cities, car rentals and/or train passes/tickets.
Visit us at www.caesarhotels.com or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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| Smileys - Compiled by Terry Baker |
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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 This cartoon appeared in the "Between Ourselves" issued January 1944.
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The NetLetter is an email newsletter published (usually) once a week 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 welcome your feedback 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!
We hope you have enjoyed this issue of the NetLetter, see you next week!
Sincerely,
Your NetLetter Team
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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.
E&OE - (errors and omissions excepted) - The historical information as well as any other information provided here is subject to correction and may have changed over time. We do publish corrections when they are brought to our attention.
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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
- Stewardess - Lisa Ruck, Brooklin, 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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1943 - Schedule issued effective April 1st.
This year (2012) we are celebrating the 75th Anniversay of Air Canada which started way back in 1937. Below are some memories from those years.
