Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter
Since 1995 Saturday, July 27, 2024
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Air 2000 Boeing 757-28A Registration G-OOOA Manchester - May 1987 Photo by Ken Fielding |
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Dear Welcome to The NetLetter, established in 1995 as a dedicated newsletter for Air Canada retirees.
We have evolved into the longest running aviation-based newsletter for Air Canada, TCA, CP Air, Canadian Airlines and all other Canadian-based airlines that once graced the skies. The NetLetter is self-funded and is always free to subscribers. It is operated by a group of volunteers and is not affiliated with any airline or associated organizations. The NetLetter is published on the second and fourth weekend of each month. If you are interested in Canadian aviation history, and vintage aviation photos, especially as it relates to Trans-Canada Air Lines, Air Canada, Canadian Airlines International and their constituent airlines, then we're sure you'll enjoy this newsletter. Please note: We do our best to identify and credit the original source of all content presented. However, should you recognize your material and are not credited; please advise us so that we can correct our oversight. Our website is located at www.TheNetLetter.net Please click the links below to visit our archives and for more info about The NetLetter. |
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 We have welcomed 67 new subscribers so far in 2024.
We wish to thank everyone for the continuing support of our efforts.
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 Back issues of The NetLetter are available in both the original newsletter format and downloadable PDF format.
Restoration and posting of archive issues is an ongoing project. We hope to post every issue back to the beginning in 1995.
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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.
We will try to post your comments in the next issue but, if not, we will publish it as soon as we can.
Thanks!
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The Abbotsford Airshow is August 9 - 11, 2024.
Some of the aircraft are the Snowbirds,
USAF F-22 Raptor, RCAF CF-18 Hornet
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Submitted by John Rodger -
Hi Guys,
At the Pionairs' Québec District Spring Luncheon we found out there was a special couple in attendance, John and Jessie Ryan.
John is 104 & Jessie is 96. They celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary the first week in June. John (Jack) was in Avionics and ended his career in Maintenance Central. He's been retired 39 years.
The photo below shows (left to right) Ingrid Young, Québec District Director, with John and Jessie.
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Concluding the trip from YUL to Dawson City by Pierre Gillard –
Sunday March 31, 2024.
After a busy last day in Vancouver including a helicopter flight with Helijet, I was very tired when I returned to the airport.
Being more than three hours early, there is no line at the Porter Airlines check-in counter, nor is there any at security. My plane is Embraer ERJ-195-E2 C-GKQP and my flight PD318 departs on time. The plane is almost full, but in the end I have no one sitting next to me. After the snack service, exhausted, I realize that I am able to sleep in episodes, which is quite rare on a plane as far as I am concerned.
I find that seeing the sunrise by plane is always a special moment. After we land in Dorval. I collect my suitcase and go to the machines to buy a ticket for bus 747 and guess what?
None of them are functional and there is no employee at the STM counter to help me. Finally, very conciliatory, the bus driver let me board without a ticket. Thus ends this magnificent journey which took me to the Yukon.
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Below is a photo of Coulson Air’s giant Martin JRM-3 'Hawaii Mars' water bomber, registration C-FLYK, photographed at Sproat Lake in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island on May 27, 2024.
This plane should join the collection of the British Columbia Aviation Museum next August after its final flight.
Editors' Note: The Mars bomber is due to be transported to the museum at YYJ during August 2024 for permanent display.
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Photo by Pierre Gillard
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Additionally, click the photo below to view a video, posted by CHEK Media, of the aircraft taking a few paying passengers on a tour before it flies to its new home.
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Shirlee Schacter shares this information -
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 The ever-popular Annual Spring Members Appreciation Luncheon was held on Wednesday May 29, 2024, at the Mandarin's Flagship location in Brampton, Ontario. It was a big success with a record number of attendees.
This Luncheon is subsidized by the Pionairs Ontario District as a thank-you to the membership for their continued loyalty and support.
The vast food selection was delicious and certainly in abundance and the venue also included another highlight with District Director, Lesley Huether, drawing names for a number of prize giveaways to many happy recipients.
Below left, Sheila Moscoe and Carla Marraffino welcome the attendees.
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In NetLetter #1536, Terry Baker remembered some of the people in Computer & System Services (C & SS) Dorval. He recalls the following working in the operations room with the computers at Dorval -
Art Shibuya, Joe Richard, Sheldon Doskie, Doug Olson, Gemma Young, Jim Campbell, Jim Fitzmorris, Jim Pearce, Jimmy Drury, Joe Flaig, Karl Eliason, Ken Clark, Ken James, Kim Sansom, Al Kurys, Mario Pazzia, Moe ?, Paul Pelletier, Peter Symes, Terry Ramsay, Rick Carter, Rick Ciszowski, Robert Herron, Ron Denney, Ron Hebert, Sally Rouse, Eric Watt, Brian Swinburne and Peter Webster.
For several years, pre COVID, Aron Charad set up a Christmas Zoom session which had 32 participants, all associated with this group. The stories and memories really flowed.
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During his flight on Air North, Pierre Gillard spoke with the flight attendant.
 Boarding the Air North ATR 42 for my flight between Whitehorse and Dawson City in the Yukon I am surprised to see that our flight attendant is wearing a flight suit. I also note her French accent during her first announcements.
When she passes among passengers to offer drinks and the traditional sandwich of the company, I speak to her in French. During a little pause during this flight of about an hour, she comes to talk to me.
Her name is Christiane and she is originally from France. She arrived in Yukon 17 years ago with her husband to develop the dog sledding activity for tourists.
Some time ago, she decided to let go of this activity, which was becoming somewhat tiring, to become a flight attendant at Air North, a job she loves.
She also explained to me that the flight crew on Air North ATR's, during winter, wear a flight suit, as these planes regularly serve destinations located high up in the north of the country where a temperature of -50C can sometimes prevail. Obviously, the crews also receive coats and boots suitable for polar conditions. So this is the flight suit explanation!
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Here we have a few front covers of the
'Between Ourselves' magazine from
Midsummer – October 1946.
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2009
- May 1 - Inauguration of service between Montreal - Rome and Fort de France, Martinique.
- June 1 - Inauguration of service between Montreal - Geneva.
- June 19 - Service between Toronto and Dublin started.
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From 'Expressly Yours' magazine
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Issue dated May 1987
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Welcome home Fin #877
Fin #877 (C-FTIV), a former DC-8-63 stretch passenger aircraft, arrived back in Canada during April 1985, after having wintered in sunny Italy, but the sojourn was not just for pleasure.
The aircraft underwent major transformative surgery at the Alenia Aeronautica plant in Venice, emerging in Cargo configuration.
On arrival at the Dorval Maintenance Base, Air Canada's world-renowned 'airplane doctors' began working around-the-clock to complete 80 related modifications before releasing the DC-8-63F for service.
All of our DC-8 Freighters feature an integral, computer-controlled weight and balance system providing flight crews with valuable information when operating in parts of the world where accurate weight and balance facilities may be lacking. DC-8s are the only aircraft in Air Canada's fleet to incorporate this system.
Editors' Note: C-FTIV was orginally delivered in April 1970. It served in the AC fleet until April 1983. It was last registered as YA-VIC with Kam Air of Afghanistan in June of 2010.
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Miller Cup News.
What better opportunity to present the Miller Cup to Eastern Region employees than in conjunction with the week of Air Canada's 50th anniversary?
In appreciation of the dedication and commitment to Customer Service that helped win the Miller Cup, a 'Thank You' contest was held among Eastern Region employees.
Two sets of tickets to sunny Jamaica were offered, as well as deluxe condominium accommodations for one week in Ocho Rios.
The lucky winners were Yves Boutin, Station Attendant - YMX and André Caron, Cargo Agent - YQB.
Staff at Mirabel accepted the Miller Cup on behalf of all Eastern Region employees, from left to right:
Christiane Castagnier, Yves Labrecque, Jean-Pierre Roy, Yves Boutin, Liliane Pelletier, Jean-Guy Roberge, Guy Caron, Gilles Leduc, Jean-Paul Couturier, Richard Martin, Nicole Marticotte, Jean-Guy Drapeau, Daniel Legros, Léonard Aubin (holding the cup), Robert Deschamps, Jocelyn Lavoie, Daniel Dion, Lynda Zizanis, Lina Longo, André Mathieu, Michel Guillet, Micheline Dubuc, Roger Bourgeault, Alain Locas, Francine Lamoureux, Gerry Brault, Yvon Paquette, Marcel Gendron, John Reid, Paul Rolland, Jean-Guy Lavoie, Guy Cormier, Serge Baribeau and Catherine Jacquin.
Editors' Note: We are not sure about the origin and history of the 'Miller Cup'. Can any of our readers enlighten us?
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Lead Cargo Agent Mike Dunlop retrieves International 'EXPRESS' shipments from our DC-8 freighter in Heathrow (LHR). Non-dutiable goods will be customs cleared within two hours of wheel stop.
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From 'Horizons' magazine
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Issue dated December 2003
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In December 2003, Air Canada launched more 'Sun Destinations'.
Below is a list of what was new, heading into the 2003/2004 holiday season.
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Starting dates -
- December 18 -
- Calgary -Cancun - launch of new twice a week service.
- December 19 -
- Calgary - Ixtapa, Mexico - new once a week flights.
- December 20 -
- Montreal - Montego Bay, Jamaica - new non-stop flights.
- Montreal - Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic - new twice weekly flights.
- Calgary - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - new once a week flights.
- Calgary - Montego Bay - new non-stop flights.
- Vancouver- Puerto Vallarta - new once a week flights.
- Winnipeg - Montego Bay- new non-stop flights.
- Ottawa - Punta Cana - new once a week flights.
- Toronto - La Romana, Dominican Republic new once a week flights.
- December 21 -
- Vancouver - Cancun - new scheduled service.
- Winnipeg - Punta Cana, Dominican Republic - once a week flights.
- Toronto - Grenada - new once a week flights.
- December 23 -
- London, Ontario - Punta Cana - new once a week flights.
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CP Air / Canadi>n People Gallery |
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Continuation of the DC-6 story started in NetLetter 1531 through 1537.
Conifair Aviation - air spraying specialists.
Conifair (an abbreviation of 'Conifer spraying by air') had been formed in 1978, first operating two L-749 Constellations, later joined by four DC-4s, all of which were converted to agricultural sprayers. They had spray bars along the top of the wings, which were fed by tanks in the fuselage containing the insecticide.
Flown under contract to the Canadian Department of Lands & Forests, their principal objective was to protect the conifer forests from the spruce budworm pest. Conifair's base was at St. Jean, Quebec, but most flying was undertaken from Rivière-du-Loup, which was much closer to the forests.
After completion of the 1983 spraying season in July of that year, the two Connies were stored and put up for sale. Spraying operations would continue with the DC-4’s and with the new DC-6’s recently bought by the company. Our subject was flown to St. Jean, registered C-GBZC, painted into the Conifair colour scheme (photo below) of blue cheat line with a thin red line at the lower edge of the blue, and converted to a sprayer, with the installation of internal tanks and spray bar.
It was given the number 09 on the rear fuselage and company roof titles. The other two DC-6's purchased by Conifair from Detroit became C-GBYA (ex-N3022F) and C-GBYS (ex-N2904F). All three DC-6s joined the DC-4s in the attack on spruce budworm, flying from Rivière-du-Loup during the spraying season. C-GBZC was active during the 1984 and 1985 seasons.  |
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C-GBZC at Saint-Jean, Quèbec - August 1984
Photo courtesy of David Osborne
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Subscriber Ken Swartz sent in the following -
Dutch aviation historian Ruud Leeuw is trying to identify a PWA Curtiss C-46 photographed in British Columbia in the mid-1960's. The C-46 carries the fleet number 502, but the registration is not visible.
Perhaps one of the NetLetter readers might know more about the aircraft’s registration and details of its use by PWA?
Click the link or the image below and scroll down the page for known details about this aircraft.
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Canadian Pacific Airlines offices at Fort McMurray, Alberta in 1956.
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There are several videos posted on YouTube by videographers who have toured the Pinal Airpark in Marana, Arizona.
Below is a screen capture from a video posted by XLRS Aviation.
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Row of Rouge aircraft parked at Pinal.
Click the image to view the full video.
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Author and frequent NetLetter contributor, Larry Milberry, has advised us of the following:
Good day and here’s some RCAF news. After battling at the job for 6 years, Hugh Halliday and I have finished Volume 1 of our 2-part RCAF Centennial history:
'The Royal Canadian Air Force: 100 Years of Service'.
 Designed by James Jones (Canada's Air Force at War and Peace, etc.) it’s a gem of a book for any serious aviation reader, and a wonderful gift for any occasion.
Click Here to see our main booklist for the details.
I’ll be mailing the first copies come August 12, 2024, so your order will be welcomed any time if you’d like one.
It’s easy to order by PayPal or Interac to larry@canavbooks.com or mail your cheque or money order to:
CANAV Books, 51 Balsam Ave., Toronto, Ontario M4E3B6
You’ll be delighted to see this exceptional production on the bookshelf beside your other RCAF histories. Then you’ll see -- “100 Years is One in a Hundred”!
Please drop a note if you have a question. Also, feel free to pass this around to any other RCAF fans.
Cheers, Larry Milberry, Publisher, CANAV Books
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Boeing 757 in Canada
I have always thought it interesting that neither of Canada's major airlines (Air Canada - Canadian) of the 1980's and 90's operated the Boeing 757.
A narrow-body due to its single aisle and same fuselage width as all other Boeing narrow-bodies (707/727/737) but as large as some wide-bodies, it was developed to fit somewhere between the B-737 and B-767 but never reached the production level of either of those fleets. A total of 1,050 where built with primary customers being Delta (205), American (177) and United (160) and production ceased in 2004.
My own exposure to this aircraft is during a short period when we had a maintenance contract with Delta in Vancouver. I did have one flight on board a B-757; in China from Beijing to Kunming in 2008.
The aircraft did appeal to the niche market of new 'low-cost' airlines such as Air 2000 in the U.K. which began operations in April 1987 with 2 B757-200's.
Air 2000 would later create a Canadian subsidiary, Canada 3000, and alternate some of their fleet (leased from International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC). Canada 3000 ceased operations suddenly on November 8, 2001, stranding thousands of passengers.
Planespotters.net lists 14 B-757's that were in the Canada 3000 fleet. Currently there are 9 of them still listed as active (after cargo conversion), 7 with Fedex and 1 with UPS.
The other one is the first B-757 delivered to Air 2000 (line # 127 - registration G-OOOA - photo in issue header) and is still active, the only one of the nine registered in Canada. The 37 year-old aircraft is now registered as as C-GIAJ with Cargojet Airways, acquired in 2014.
The Transport Canada database shows 26 B-757's, all converted freighters, currently registered in Canada - 17 with Cargojet Airways and 9 with Morningstar Air Express.
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C-GIAJ at Cincinnati - January 7, 2023
Photo courtesy of Donald Moore
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| Terry's Trivia
& Travel Tips |
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 Terry Baker, co-founder of the NetLetter scours the internet for aviation related Trivia and Travel Tips for you, our readers, to peruse.
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Continuing the tale of the tails –
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Alan Evans, a subscriber living in South Africa, sends us this information -
A report by Philip King.
 Toronto boasted several aerodromes in the early days of flight, in the 1920's and 1930's. But local officials realized that a bigger space was needed.
In 1937, the Toronto Harbour Commission bought 13 farms, totalling 571 hectares, northwest of Toronto in Peel County, and named the new facility after the 120-year-old pioneering community there, Malton.
In the photo, from Globe and Mail photographer John Boyd, crowds gather as the first plane officially lands at Malton Airport. It was a DC-3, the pride of the American Airlines fleet, on August 29, 1938.
It was a special goodwill flight, with American and Canadian passengers (including a Globe reporter), to Toronto from Chicago. The first scheduled passenger flight to the airport was a Trans-Canada Air Lines DC-3, which landed exactly a year later.
Malton Airport was sold by the City of Toronto to the federal government in 1958 and subsequently renamed Toronto International Airport. It was renamed Lester B. Pearson International Airport in 1984.
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Caz Caswell, who contributed a series of 'Top Gun Air' cartoons to the Airport News at YYZ, sent us this cartoon dated March 1990 from his collection –
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Wayne, Ken & Terry Richmond, British Columbia - December 2019
(Bob Sheppard was not available for the photograph) |
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Wayne, Bob & Ken Richmond, British Columbia - December 2023
(Terry Baker was not available for the photograph) |
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We wish to honour the memories of
Vesta Stevenson and Alan Rust. They remain a part of every edition published. |
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Subscription Management
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Please note: We do not share your information. |
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E&OE - (errors and omissions excepted):
The historical information as well as any other information provided in the "NetLetter" is subject to correction and may have changed over time.
We do publish corrections (and correct the original article) when this is brought to our attention.
Disclaimer: Please note that the NetLetter does not necessarily endorse any 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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