We have welcomed 139 new subscribers so far in 2022.

We wish to thank everyone for your support of our efforts.

Back issues of The NetLetter are available in both the original newsletter format and downloadable PDF format.

We invite you to visit our website at www.thenetletter.net/netletters to view our archives.

Restoration and posting of archive issues is an ongoing project. We hope to post every issue back to the beginning in 1995.

We always welcome feedback about Air Canada (including Jazz and Rouge) from our subscribers who wish to share current events, memories and photographs.

Particularly if you have stories to share from one of the legacy airlines: Trans-Canada Air Lines, Canadian Airlines, CP Air, Pacific Western, Maritime Central Airways, Eastern Provincial, Wardair, Nordair, Transair, Air BC, Time Air, Quebecair, Calm Air, NWT Air, Air Alliance, Air Nova, Air Ontario, Air Georgian and all other Canadian based airlines that once graced the Canadian skies.

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We will try to post your comments in the next issue but, if not, we will publish it as soon as we can.

Thanks!

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2022 will take place from July 25 through 31 at Wittman Regional Airport (OSH) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is the world’s largest fly-in event, welcoming more than 10,000 aircraft each year, along with an attendance of more than 600,000. The seven-day gathering features the latest innovations and aircraft from around the world, as well as a full spectrum of airplanes from more than a century of aviation history that is on display in the air and on the ground.

After reading the Vietnamese airlift story by Monika Hilson in NetLetter #1485, the NetLetter team scanned the 'Horizons' magazines from 1979/80, although we could not find info about the airlift Ms. Hilson mentions, however we did find two articles regarding the refugees.

Boat people need sponsors.

From 'Horizons' magazine issued July 1979 -

The human tragedy that is the Vietnamese boat people has captured the hearts and imagination of Canadians everywhere and indeed throughout the world.

The response by individuals and groups of Canadians to the plight of the refugees has been growing each day. Employees are participating through church groups and other organizations and through smaller sponsorship groups as well.

Canada is admitting 8,000 refugees and, over and above that number, Canadians are providing private sponsorship to many more. 

From 'Horizons' magazine issued July 1980 -

Employees welcome refugees.

The thousands of Indo-Chinese refugees arriving at Montreal's Mirabel airport during the past year have been welcomed and helped on their way to new lives in Canada by a band of employees who devote some of their spare time to Red Cross volunteer work. Another employee contingent of passenger agents organized transportation for the new arrivals.

Montreal Reservations Agents Lucille Lemieux, Ray Johnson and Jocelyne Dumont-Jerome, Special Assistant to the Vice President, Public Affairs, along with retirees Doris Inglis and Barbara Green all lent helping hands to the refugees.

On arrival, the refugees were met by representatives of the Department of Immigration and the Canadian Armed Forces. Once these formalities were completed, the new arrivals were taken to Barrack 154 at the Longue-Pointe army base for a maximum three-day briefing.

At the request of the Department of Immigration, Michel Langlois, Montreal Reservations & Sales Office Manager, agreed that the company would organize transportation for the new Canadian residents.

That's how Passenger Agents Tony Dube, Suzanne Ouellette, Claudette Yurchuk and Ida Snoody became assigned to Longue-Pointe at various times.

They were mainly involved in planning flight itineraries and issuing tickets. "The hours were long, up to 16 a day," said Ida. "The work was often difficult but the experience rewarding from a humanitarian point of view."

Our photo below shows Passenger Agents Ida Snoddy and Claudette Yurchuk who were involved in planning flights and reservations.

Regarding Ms. Hilson's story, we did find much more info on the following website:

See vietnamese-archive.org/the-journey for first-hand accounts and photographs of the special journey by Air Canada personnel who were involved. 

Below are two photos that accompanied articles by flight attendants Barbara Dunn and Louise Chong about their experiences on a refugee flight to Vancouver.

On the left, Barbara Dunn with a group of new arrivals.

On the right, at Vancouver Base, 1979 are, left to right: Joyce Ernyes, Leslie Nelson, Denise Nelderer, Viviane Lacoste, Rita Plawski, Louise Chong (kneeling), Alain Klein (In-charge). 

From a blog by Larry Milberry of www.canavbooks.wordpress.com

As usual, hardly a week passes that I’m not salivating over another of Les Corness’ wonderful old black-and-whites. First is a really classic scene from the early years of “modern” air transportation in Canada. CF-TDT fin #367 c/n 12093 DC-3P delivered September 28, 1946.

A crowd of well-wishers is seeing off TCA DC-3 CF-TDT at Edmonton’s famous downtown airport. Here’s your basic definition of “airport security” in Canada circa 1950. Delivered initially to the RCAF as FZ558 in late 1943, “TDT” next served TCA 1946-61.

I photographed it in Winnipeg when it was in its final weeks with the company in September 1961, just before it was sold to Matane Air Service in Quebec, on December 1, 1961.

In October 1966 it was sold to H. O. Rich of Miami, Florida registered as N7709. Sold to Universal Air Leasing in April 1969 then Tucker Enterprises aka Palm Tree Airways in July 1970. Last heard of, “TDT was derelict in Nassau in 1971 as N7709.

Monika Hilson recounts a story about working in the first class cabin -

On the DC-8 there were 12 first class seats. They were the choice of the elite in the 1960's that could afford the fare.

It was wonderful to see nicely dressed up and well mannered passengers. We, 'stewardesses', were actually looked up to as a dream career. All of us were immaculate from head to toe, well groomed young and attractive.  I had never seen a passenger sitting in a cut off undershirt until 25 years later working a flight to Waikiki, what a shock!

In first class we had a seven course dinner. I can see you all salivating now. It started with beluga caviar, and champagne. Next came the fresh lobster claws, shrimp and scallops done in an exquisite sauce.

Now you could order a cold soup with beautiful breads or a soup called Mulligatawny. We always had vintage French wines. Following that we served a Chateaubriand or another choice of meat, usually Chicken Kiev. The meats were carved at your seat. There was a beautiful red rose and about three wine glasses that were set up on a large linen tablecloth.

Next was the beautiful choice of cheese and fresh fruit and last was the dessert trolley with coffee followed by the liquor trolley and ending with Cuban cigars.

One time I was delegated to work the first class galley. Usually the senior 'stewardess' took the position but, on this occasion, she was a bit tired of working with the public too much.

I hated working the galley. Who wants to move china, glasses, scrape dishes and look after the pilots who did not want to eat their crew meal and would wait to see what was left over from first class. 

Now, here is what happened on that flight. It was a rather short take off and we climbed suddenly. Right behind me, I was sitting on the jump seat, I could hear the click of the oven door opening up.

As I was strapped in and we were climbing rapidly I could not get up. All of a sudden, to my horror,  I see a beautiful Chateaubriand rolling down the aisle past me. The passenger in the first row caught it and, when we levelled off, I went up to him and said, "thank God we have two of them".

Actually, there were no extra meals on board and we had to work with what we had. I proceeded to the galley, closed the curtain, washed it off and stuck it back into the oven. It turned out very well for escaping down the aisle. 

Extracted from 'Horizons' issued April 2016.

Photo in celebration of International Women's Day,
March 8, 2016.

Women in high places.

Here are some of the female Chief Executive Officers (CEO) in aviation -

Annick Guérard took over from Jean-Marc Eustache as head of Air Transat on May 27, 2021.

New Calgary-based low-cost carrier, Lynx Air, has appointed Merren McArthur as its President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

She previously served as CEO for both Tigerair Australia and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines, and founding CEO of Virgin Australia Cargo.

Marjan Rintel will succeed Pieter Elbers as President and CEO of KLM by July 1. 

"I am honoured to return to KLM and take over the baton from Pieter. His 30-year track record is impressive".

Other members of the elite crew of female airline CEO's are: Jayne Hrdlicka,  Virgin Australia; Lynne Embleton, Aer Lingus; Anne Rigail, Air France; Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, VietJet; Yvonne Manzi Makolo, RwandAir and Christine Jeanne Ourmières-Widener, TAP Air Portugal.

Source: Report on Business - May 2022

Star Alliance and its 26 member carriers celebrated the 25th anniversary of the world’s first and leading global airline alliance on Saturday, May 14, 2022.

This bold vision was established in 1997 based on a customer value proposition of global reach, worldwide recognition, and seamless service. It continues today by leveraging technology to foster a harmonious experience for customers.

Source: WorldAirlineNews.com

Lufthansa Group is to acquire seven Boeing 777-8 freighters, as well as three B-777Fs, while taking seven more B-787's to offset capacity shortfall from delays to its B-777-9 order.

Source:

FlightGlobal.com (registration required)

Found in 'Horizons' magazine

Issue dated February 2003

Airbags installed on AC's Airbus fleet.

Tech Services crews in Montreal have been installing AmSafe airbag seatbelts on Air Canada's A319 and A320 aircraft since November 2002, and complete the retrofit project with the last new delivery, fin #298.

All future Airbus aircraft A340-500/600 and A320 will come delivered with this system factory installed. Here are the Montreal Technical Services employees who worked on installing AmSafe airbag seatbelts.

Front row, left to right: Pierre-Yves Léger, Laki Makavita, Kirk Batt, Linda Kudzman, Tania Tzirtziganis, Sophie Ferigutti (in front of Tania), Sean Hailstone.

Middle row, same order: Ron Conlon, Christopher Linch, Henry Friess, Jean-Francois Leblanc, Constantin Deguise, André Boileau.

Back row: Richard Hébert, Richard Nelson and Andrew Armstrong.

Missing: Sylvain Brodeur.

Opened in July 1996, the Saint John, New Brunswick Call Centre with some 450 employees.

Here are some of the agents from Saint John Call Centre, left to right: Shannon March, Tammy Furlotte, Erika Levesque, Sara Shackleton (behind Erika), Connie McIntyre and Charlene Pelletier.

Issue dated May 2003

DC-3 - a reliable workhorse. 

The DC-3 was developed by Douglas followed its early successes with the DC-1 (Douglas Commercial one) in 1933, and the DC-2 in 1934.

The first DC-3 was delivered to American Airlines in 1936, after American asked Douglas for an aircraft that could carry more passengers than the 14-seater DC-2's, and that could fly greater distances.

The DC-3 proved to be the first truly economical airliner, and was considered one of the most reliable and trouble-free aircraft ever built.  By the Second World War, 90 per cent of all airline travel in the U.S. was on this type of aircraft. The last DC-3 was built in 1946 for Swissair.

Trans-Canada Air Lines purchased its first DC-3 in 1945; thirty operated between 1945 and 1963. Canadian Pacific Air Lines operated 17 until the late '50s. The DC-3 could fly at 165 mph, and had a range of 1,500 miles. Typical passenger capacity was between 21 and 28.

Following information from the Air Canada Pocket Guide:

• TCA first DC-3, CF-TDJ fin #357 c/n 6261 was delivered September 22, 1945. Sold to Goodyear October 4, 1948.
• The final DC-3, CF-TER fin #390 c/n 12253 was delivered April 3, 1947. Sold to Department of Transport, Ottawa June 17, 1958.
• None were lost in any accident while in service with Trans-Canada Air Lines.

The members of the City Sales Office team in Zurich.

From left to right: Oliver Simon, Sales Marketing Manager, Germany, Switzerland and Austria; Andrea Rohner, Customer Services Representative; Isabelle Knoblauch, Sales & Marketing Manager, Switzerland; Werner Schulz, Customer Services Representative.

Missing: Mona Kransic, Customer Services Representative.

Mackenzie Air Service, Ltd. -  Canada (1933-1942). 

Inaugurates operations on January 1, 1933 by flying fresh vegetables from Edmonton to the Eldorado Mines at Great Bear Lake. The route to Great Bear Lake is continued. During 1938, scheduled flights are undertaken linking the company’s base with Port Radium via Yellowknife and Gordon Lake.

During the spring of 1941, the carrier is purchased by Canadian Pacific Railway and is merged with the Canadian Airways, Ltd. service from Edmonton to Prince Albert under the marketing title United Air Services, Ltd. in July.

Six months later, on January 30, 1942, Mackenzie is one of several air transport companies merged to form Canadian Pacific Air Lines, Ltd.

Source: worldhistory.biz

Pictured is a timetable effective June 1, 1938. 

Source: timetableimages.com collection of Bjorn Larsson

Junkers 52

Canadian Airways Ltd. received its charter on June 27, 1930. In its 11-year history, the airline acquired more than 120 aircraft, made up of 34 types.

One of the best known airplanes in Canadian Airways' fleet was the Junkers 52, CF-ARM.

The Junkers 52 (c/n 4006) entered the Canadian Airways fleet on October 26, 1931, and had the distinction of being the largest aircraft in Canada at the time. It was called the "flying boxcar" and was designed as a freight aircraft with large doors for easy loading of bulky items. Cargo capacity was two tons.

On July 1, 1942 it was assigned fin #1 by CPAL. It was withdrawn from service in 1943 and was scrapped in May 1947.

Source: Air Canada 'Horizons' magazine. Issue dated February 2003.

See also: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Airways

A replica CF-ARM is on display at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada in Winnipeg 

From the "InfoCanadi>n" magazine.

Issue dated July 30, 1987

Dave Hodge, former host of 'Hockey Night in Canada' and currently sports director for a Vancouver radio station, presented plaques July 8 on behalf of the Canadian Cancer Society to a group of Vancouver employees.

In making his presentation, he praised the employee group for contributing their time and energy in the battle against cancer.

Accepting the award from Hodge, left, are Brenda McSweeney, Revenue Accounting Clerk; Gordon Moul, B-737 Captain; Sandy Jung, Personnel Administration Coordinator; Liz Davis, Benefits Administration Assistant; Gerry Goodridge, Manager, Public Relations B.C. and Lil Freeman, Personnel Administration Coordinator.

Our video has been posted on YouTube by Ruairidh MacVeigh under the title CP Air - Canada's Second Airline.

It is quite difficult to condense the remarkable history of Canadian Pacific Airlines into a 23 minute video, but this is an excellent attempt. 

Click the image below to view the video. 

Allan Gray advised us of this article by Morgan Ostler published in the Campbell River Mirror. Excerpt below:

Decade-long effort to install floatplane tribute to Campbell River aviation soars.

The long-awaited installation of the famous DeHavilland Beaver floatplane was hoisted on a display pedestal on Monday, April 25 at the Campbellton entrance to Campbell River, commemorating a significant period in the history of the city. 

The Tyee Spit, a long strip of land which juts out into the Campbell River estuary was considered the busiest floatplane base in Canada in 1966.

The much-admired de Havilland Beaver, amongst many aircraft that used the Spit, was known as the 'Workhorse of the North.' Although that famous plane was first constructed in 1947, it was no longer built by de Havilland Canada after 1967. Still, the Beaver continued to lead the way in the charter industry for the next half century.

See full article at: www.campbellrivermirror.com

We found the video, linked below, posted by Jim Howard on YouTube. It shows Jim at the controls of a DeHavilland Beaver floatplane taking off at Campbell River in 2012.

Editors' Note: The aircraft in the video is not the one mounted at the Campbellton entrance to Campbell River. This one is still flying today for Northwest Seaplanes of Seattle, Washington.

Some Australian Aviation Inventions

Distance measuring equipment (1944/45)
Australia has made several important contributions to airline safety. Distance measuring equipment, which calculates the distance between aircraft and a ground system using radio waves, was invented by engineer James Gerrand under the supervision of Welsh-born Australian radar pioneer Edward George Bowen while the pair were working for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), which has brought the world a multitude of amazing inventions.

Black box flight recorder (1953)
A spate of unsolved crashes of de Havilland Comet jetliners prompted Aussie researcher David Warren to come up with the idea for a device that could record cockpit sounds back in 1953. Warren, whose father perished in 1934 in a mysterious plane crash, created a prototype in 1956, and the gadget was commercialized not long after, improving airline safety immeasurably.

Inflatable escape slide and raft (1965)
Australia made yet another crucial contribution to airline safety in 1965 with the invention of the inflatable escape slide, which doubles up as a life raft. Devised by Qantas employee Jack Grant, the blow-up apparatus has become a standard feature on passenger aircraft around the globe.

Additional info at:

www.australiangeographic.com.au

impactinnovation.com

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Australian_aviation_firsts

UK budget airline, EasyJet, will remove a row of seats from some of its planes so it can operate flights with fewer cabin crew it announced.

The airline said it will remove the last row of seats on some of its Airbus A319 aircraft, limiting the number of passengers on board to 150.

By removing the seats, it means the aircraft will be able to operate with three cabin crew members instead of four. According to UK regulations, airlines must provide one cabin crew member for every 50 passengers on board an aircraft.

www.businessinsider.com

Great Lakes Airlines - Sarnia's own

Great Lakes Airlines was a regional airline formed in Sarnia, Ontario in 1958 by John Blunt. In the 1980's it merged with Austin Airways and became Air Ontario, later acquired by Air Canada and now part of Jazz.

An inevitable nickname, 'Great Shakes',  was quickly bestowed on the airline due to the vibrations experienced on take off of their mostly turboprop fleet and, of course, the simple rhyme.

I remember that their gates were located in a satellite area of Toronto's Terminal 2, without boarding bridges, that we had to drive by on the way to Air Canada's gates.

Being new to the airport experience, I was pretty leery of being in the vicinity of the  propellers as they taxied and made sure that my eyes and ears were open as I drove by. 

I tried to find a fleet list of the aircraft that had flown for Great Lakes but was unsuccessful. I did find a page of seventeen photographs (five by NetLetter subscriber, Gary Vincent) at www.airhistory.net/basic-operator/20869/Great-Lakes-Airlines

I also found an article published on the Sarnia Historical Society website entitled 'When Sarnia Had its Own Airline'.

Written as a personal memory by Phil Egan for The Sarnia Journal; excerpt below. 

"Great Lakes Airlines, at the time, had grown out of the fleet air arm of the Holmes-Blunt Group of companies that also owned Holmes Foundry, Eagle Machines in London, and other companies.

It operated two, 44-seat piston-engine Convair Metropolitan aircraft. One flight carried Sarnia business travellers to Toronto and back each day. The other aircraft was mine to peddle for charter.

I sold golf charters in summer to Georgia and the Carolinas, and hockey charters to Maple Leaf Gardens in winter. We used to offer a package that included round-trip flight from Sarnia to Toronto, a round-trip bus ride to and from Maple Leaf Gardens, and a ticket to the game (greys). The whole thing cost $25.

It was a small airline, and everyone did their bit to make it work. Laurie Chivers, the “chief stewardess,” used to stop at John’s Restaurant on her way to work to buy 44 doughnuts for the morning’s flight. General Manager George Capern also flew some of the flights."

Additional info:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Lakes_Airlines_(Canada)

Convair 580, registration C-GQHA,
at Toronto, November 1977

Photo by Gary Vincent

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

In NetLetter #1475, we mentioned a new Facebook page titled Air Canada Family Friends by Ann Harper and David Slobod.

They have now set up their own website: Air Canada Family Friends Reach (ACFF Reach).

Intro below:

This is a progressive step forward that will offer our Facebook ACFF membership the opportunity to look for and connect with an even wider array of colleagues dating as far back as our memories stretch. Around this “ACFF Reach” table we can share a sense of history and remember times of transition from the Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) inaugural flight of September 1, 1937 through to January 1965 when the national airline, Air Canada, was born.

The journey from government ownership to privatization enriched our lives by allowing us to see the past as an important mindset in moving forward to an incredible future.

Editors' Note: Well worth a visit.

The National UK pension has increased by 3.1%. Unfortunately, this does not affect the pensions received by expats living in Canada or New Zealand which are without a reciprocal social security deal with the UK.

The pension payments are frozen and fall in real terms year-to-year, despite having paid the full contributions while living and working in the UK. The weekly rate is now GBP141.85 (CAD221.00) for the basic state pension, and GBP185.15 (CAD297.00) for the new state pension. The "freeze" is costing an expat up to GBP7,000 (CAD11,270.00) per year. (Rate $1.61 April 29, 2022.) 

Hobbit-themed getaway in Okanagan highlands becomes coveted minibreak location.

Nestled in between the Kootenay Boundary Region and the Okanagan Valley is a little piece of Middle Earth. 

Modelled after the Hobbit Hole owned by the star of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit — Bilbo Baggins — the earth home is just minutes outside of Osoyoos. It boasts a kitchenette, fireplace, dreamy bedroom and outdoor fire pit where guests can let their imaginations run wild.

Many people even come in costume as their favourite hobbit, elf, dwarf or character.

Sources: 

www.airbnb.ca/rooms

www.kelownacapnews.com

Continuation of the Air Canada nee Trans-Canada Air Lines History. Started in NetLetter #1483.

(Source: Air Canada 75 years of innovation)

• 1959
  • The rapid growth of airline traffic in Canada spurs airport building in 1959, including Malton Airport in Toronto (Pearson's precursor, below left).
  • Meanwhile in Montreal, construction of Dorval's new $20-million maintenance and overhaul base begins, in preparation for the big jets; the upcoming DC-8's and Vickers Vanguards. The base is designed solely for turbine-powered aircraft and covers a massive 18 acres.
• 1960
  • TCA breaks ground by using jet aircraft for non-military purposes. The first of its revolutionary DC-8s begins service from Montreal to London on June 1, 1960. Flight time is reduced from 11 hours to six.
• 1962
  • In honour of its 25th anniversary, TCA flies a trusty Lockheed Electra from Halifax to Vancouver. Company staff has grown from 71 to 11,719 in a quarter century.
  • The Queen Mother chooses a TCA flight from London to Montreal on June 7, 1962, as her first commercial flight alongside other passengers (Below right).

More next NetLetter – Editors. 

Our cartoon by Dave Mathias appeared in the 'Between Ourselves' magazine issued February 1956.