We have welcomed 127 new subscribers so far in 2023.

We wish to thank everyone for the continuing 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.

Please feel free to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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

Thanks!

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), at its annual Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Las Vegas Convention Centre, Henderson Executive Airport, is devoting resources to introducing aviation-related university and technical school students to career opportunities available in business aviation. 

The Career Fair runs October 18, 2023 from 1 - 5 p.m., and October 19, 2023 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

On October 19, the third day of the weeklong trade show, NBAA will highlight nine career categories: airport business, business management, broker/sales, cabin attendant, innovation and technology, maintenance, marketing, pilot, and scheduler/dispatcher.

Source: nbaa.org

We received the following request from Ross Lunan - 

Wonder if there is any way to search the content all the newsletters for any references to my father, who served in TCA/AC from August 1938 to February 1974?

His full name is William Alan Lunan , goes by Alan Lunan, and has younger brother Malcolm Lunan, who also worked at the base.

Are you aware of any information about the company in its early days 1938-41 in Winnipeg, when my father worked there, one of the original 1500 first  employees, as a Radio Technician. As I discovered he was involved in checking out the onboard radio and navigation instruments during the development of the original L10a service from Montreal - Vancouver. 

He transferred to St. Hubert, Quebec  to work in the TCA Ferry Command Contract, then to Dorval during the war/post war era, then to the new Dorval Maintenance Base through to his retirement.

Terry Baker searched through our library of 'Between Ourselves' and 'Horizons' magazines and provided the following response -

I checked the earliest issues of magazines (1941 - 1943) but no reference to your father. During the war years, there was very little information in the magazines about the staff transfers to St. Hubert.

However in Horizons magazine issued February 1974 is this entry under 'Retirements'.

Quote - "W. A. Lunan, Technician, Dorval, joined the company on August 23, 1938" - Unquote

Regards,

Terry 

Editors' Note: Do we have any readers who may have been colleagues of either Alan or Malcolm Lunan? 

Terry Baker shares this memory.

The 1970's were the years when airlines began to operate interline tours in which their employees, and those of other airlines, could participate. Such tours could be golf in Hawaii by United Airlines while American and Delta offered various tours and Olympic Airlines with tours of Athens, Greece.

The 'TAPTours' of Air Portugal, the only tour my wife and I used several times.

In March of 1973, for $49.99 per person, we had a 3 day / 2 night trip (including meals except lunch), including a morning tour of Lisbon, an afternoon tour of the environs including Cascais and Pena castle and, most importantly, confirmed air space, the hotel was the Fénix Lisboa.

The route, on a B-707, was via Santa Maria (Azores) airport (SMA) both ways. During this trip, we met another couple from England who happened to also be on a TAPTour. They lived just several houses away on the same street we used to live on. We had not seen them for 10 years. He worked for British European Airways.

In January 22, 1973, at a cost of $79.99 each, we took the 7 day tour which included 5 days in Oporto. This flight from Lisbon, was on a Caravelle aircraft.

We left Oporto on January 28, 1973 to Lisbon, but the flight to Montreal was full, so we were routed on a B-707 via New York (JFK), from there we used our pass on an Air Canada DC-9 to Montreal.

During a 3 day / 2 night trip in 1974, as the flight was not busy, we got to chatting with the flight attendant who told us he used to work for TCA. When we deplaned, he handed us a bag with several small wine bottles, crackers and cheese, we devoured these as a picnic on the ramparts of the castle overlooking Lisbon which, in those days, was a bird sanctuary, with several birds joining us.

With several co-workers, for the next several years, we would go on TAPTours for a golf weekend. During one visit, one of our members tried his luck on the tables in the casino at Cascais, watched by the rest of us in the balcony. Having settled at the table he glanced up at us and waved, during which time the dealer had dealt his cards and he had lost his bet.

However, all was not lost as he bought an exotic metal waste bin at the market, complete with rain water, which sloshed all over us when he tipped the bin over to view the underneath.

Our final golf trip was in 1976. The following year the price was $299.99 per person and included the airfare.

In those early days, Lisbon was a nice looking city, with sidewalks composed of small stones hand laid in a pattern. Sadly, with the influx of tourists during the world fair, cars were parked on the sidewalks in most places and the oil drips has marred the appearance.

The castle has since been remodeled as a tourist attraction. We have fond memories of our various trips on those TAPTours.

Helen Harrison Bristol was educated in England and Belgium but it was in England that she commenced her flying studies at Eastbourne in 1933.

She earned her private license in 1934 and travelled to South Africa and became an instructor in the Royal South African Air Force on military aircraft.

Bristol then went on to upgrade her qualifications and earn commercial licenses in the U.S. and Canada. During WWII, she became the first Canadian woman ferry pilot to serve with the RAF Transport Auxiliary.

From 1961 until her retirement in 1969, she taught float plane flying on the west coast.

Source: gmam.ca

Air Canada CEO Talks Strategy And Focus Areas

Canada is often considered a sleeping giant, living in the shadow of its much more populous neighbor south of the 49th parallel. Though it is the world’s second-largest country by area, its population has only just reached 40 million, ranking 37th worldwide, with 85% living within 100 miles of the US border.

Air Canada, with its maple leaf logo, is very much a symbol of its home nation. And like the country, the airline is seeing changes.

Michael Rousseau became president and CEO at Air Canada in February 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, following a long career that included posts as CFO and deputy CEO.

Talking with Air Transport World at the company’s headquarters near Montreal Trudeau International Airport, Rousseau noted the transformations affecting the nation and its airline sector.

Read full article at Aviation Week

Air Canada to Acquire 18 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner Aircraft under ongoing Fleet Renewal and Fuel Efficiency Drive

Air Canada said it has placed a firm order for 18 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner aircraft. Deliveries of the new aircraft are scheduled to begin in Q4 2025 with the last aircraft scheduled for delivery in Q1 2027. They will be used to replace older, less efficient wide-body aircraft currently in the Air Canada fleet. The agreement also includes options for another 12 Boeing 787-10 aircraft, which will provide flexibility for growth to meet future customer demand.

"Air Canada has made investing in the passenger experience a core priority. Our experience shows customers greatly enjoy flying on the Dreamliner, so we are pleased to offer them a larger version of this popular aircraft, which will premiere a new, state-of-the-art interior cabin design. As importantly, the 787 is highly fuel efficient and will generate operational savings as well as support our sustainability goals of reducing emissions," said Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada.

Source: Air Canada Media Centre

Lufthansa to keep A380's through late 2020's- early 2030's.

Lufthansa plans to continue operating A380-800's through the late 2020's or early 2030's to backfill capacity missing due to delayed B-777-9 and A350 aircraft deliveries.

"It depends on demand and when Airbus and Boeing are able to deliver other airplanes," says Lufthansa Group Chief Executive Carsten Spohr.

The German carrier retired all fourteen A380's at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and initially was committed to the type's permanent exit. However, as demand rebounded after the relaxation of travel restrictions, the airline decided to reactivate six aircraft. It recently committed to reintroducing another two. The other six units were sold to Airbus during the pandemic.

Source: www.ch-aviation.com

Found in 'Horizons' magazine

Issue dated June 1981

Sending employees to Jonquière, Québec, for immersion French courses is not new - but using the functional approach in the classroom is.

A group of Toronto-based flight attendants were the first in-flight employees to attend a three-week session using the new method at the French Immersion Centre at Jonquière College.

Practicing French doesn't end in the classroom at Jonquière as students spend time with their families.

Beverley McBain-Bourke, Flight Attendant, in our photo on the right, chats with Mme Régis Trembley, who has opened her home to some 150 students over the years.

In this photo, Robert Becks, Flight Service Director, left, and Elga Enser-Sharpe, Flight Attendant, review course material they can use on the job.

Issue dated April 1982

During a tour of various stations, President Pierre Jeanniot met staff, here are some photos -

Mr. Jeanniot is seen with some employees prior to a meeting in Moncton.

From the left are: Lorraine McSwain, Secretary; Ed Wade, Station Agent; Marget Kerr, Passenger Agent; Pierre Jeanniot; Sandra Thériault Passenger Agent and Carl Nelsen, Acting Customer Service Supervisor.

Shown during a break in a communications session at Miami are, from the left; Mr. Jeanniot; Rosa Marie Poll, Cargo Secretary; Mark Lydia, Cargo Agent and Victor Gutierrez,
Cargo Supervisor.

Taking time out after a question and answer session in Fredericton are:

Seated from the left: Annette Richard, Clerk-Steno; Tom Purdy, Airport Customer Service Supervisor and Georgina Toner, Passenger Agent.

Standing, from the left, are: Harvey Muttart, Cargo Agent; Kit Blois, Station Agent; Carman Burns, Passenger Agent; Mr. Jeanniot and Gordon Brien, Station Agent.

• 1942
  • July 1 - First revenue flight as CP Air.
• 1957
  • September 23 - DC-6B inaugural service to Chile under the command of Captain R.A."Bob" McInnes, First Officer Gordon Richardson and Second Officer Larry Reeves.
• 1959
  • March - Inauguration of service between Vancouver - Winnipeg -Toronto - Montreal. Round trip air fare for 'Tourist Class' was $199; in 1984 it was $249.

From the "CP Air News" magazine.

Issue dated March 1984

CP Air's reservations agents in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal during 1984 were getting new advanced-technology computer terminals to replace the IBM machines which have been in use since Pegasus was introduced in 1975. About 400 terminals will be purchased in the $1 million upgrading program.

"The IBM terminals have served us well, but as of later this year we will no longer be able to get contract maintenance for them because of their age," explained Don Harding, Manager, Telecommunications.

CP Air selected three manufacturers able to provide Pegasus-compatible equipment and maintenance and technical support for their machines in Canada and invited them to install a terminal at Vancouver Reservations for a 10-week trial period.

The three machines tested are shown in the photos below.

Editors' Note: The terminal finally chosen wasn't any of the three in the photos. It was another model made by Raytheon.

Pat Parisien and the Westinghouse 1642 

Val Mousseau and the Raytheon PTS 4000

Sheila Phillips and the IBM Series 1 

The Great CP Air Hawaiian Bubble Bash Sweepstakes is generating enough new business on domestic routes to warrant an extension of the promotion until September 9.

The promotion was created last fall as an incentive for travel agents to book their clients on CP Air. Winners, selected in a draw, can take up to 11 companions with them on a free return trip to Hawaii in the upstairs bubble on CP Air's B747's. In Hawaii they stay at the Hyatt Regency, Waikiki.

Three travel agents were drawn as winners in the first phase of the program last year, and this behind-the-scenes promotion proved to be so titillating that it was decided to extend it to consumers effective January 6.

Now, any passenger flying on a domestic route until September 9 can fill out an entry form and be eligible to win a 'bubble bash.' Five passengers will be selected altogether, and in addition, CP Air will use its computer system to determine how each winner booked. If a travel agent did it, the agent wins a 'bubble bash' as well.

YouTube channel 'Megaprojects' presents this video on the history and legacy of the CF-100 Canuck, the only Canadian-designed and mass-produced fighter jet.

Click Here for more videos about this historic aircraft. 

The Vickers Viscount celebrated its 75th anniversary on July 16, 2023, the prototype series 630 G-AHRF (c/n 1) having made her maiden flight from Wisley Aerodrome on that date in 1948.

Britain's most successful airliner, a grand total of 444 aircraft were built, including the prototypes. Most were sold to airlines across the globe, including a large number in North America, notably Capital Airlines, Trans-Canada Air Lines, Northeast and Continental. TCA was first in North America with serial number 40 CF-TGI fin# 601 a type 724 delivered December 8, 1954.

The aircraft is now located at the Pima Air and Space Museum, Tucson, AZ stored outside and subject to the elements despite representations by retired TCA personnel to have the aircraft more protected.

Source: Propliner magazine

CP Air Empress of Santiago -
Douglas DC-8-55CF 'Jet Trader'

My article in our previous issue (NetLetter #1518) featured an aircraft that carried several liveries while remaining in the Air Canada / Canadian Airlines family.

This issue features an aircraft that has carried multiple liveries for a variety of operators around the world for over half a century.

Line #274, a Douglas DC-8-55CF, was built in July 1966 at the Long Beach plant. It was registered as N1509U and initially leased by the Douglas Corporation to Pan American-Grace Airways (September 1966), Braniff Airways (February 1967) and then leased by Braniff to Seaboard World Airlines (May 1967).

It was acquired by Canadian Pacific Airlines in November 1967, re-registered as CF-CPT (Fin #608) and christened the 'Empress of Santiago' (classic livery below). It was leased to air cargo operator Flying Tiger Line, re-registered as N789FT, from September 14, 1977 to January 31, 1978.

I asked Ken Pickford if he had any memories of this aircraft while it was with Canadian Pacific:

"At CP  Fin #608 was used almost exclusively in all-passenger service, except for a couple of years (1972/73 or thereabouts) when it did operate in combi configuration with 69 economy seats at the rear.

'Jet Trader' was the Douglas marketing name for the combi/convertible model with main deck cargo door that could be used as all-passenger, all-cargo, or mixed passenger/cargo.

I remember that period quite clearly. It operated 5 days a week (except Thursday and Friday) YVR-YEG-YYZ-YUL as CP82. Overnighted YUL and returned on same route the next morning as CP83 (except Friday and Saturday).

On Thursday the incoming aircraft on CP83 continued as CP405 YVR-TYO-HKG arriving HKG Friday night. Overnighted HKG and returned Saturday HKG-TYO-YVR as CP406 arriving YVR Saturday morning (same day due Date Line) and continued as CP82 to YEG-YYZ-YUL.

CP405 / 406 had a restriction due to the bilaterals with Japan and Hong Kong that it could only carry passengers going all the way YVR-HKG. No local traffic on that flight YVR-TYO or TYO-HKG. It was probably for that reason that for one schedule period in 1973 they stopped selling the passenger seats on CP405/406 although I'm pretty sure they remained on the aircraft as it still operated CP82/83 on the other 5 days Y class only.

In mid-December 1973, the first 2 B-747-200's went into service on the YVR-TYO-HKG route, replacing DC-8-63's. By late 1974 or so the aircraft returned to all-passenger configuration and remained that way until it was sold to a British cargo carrier in 1978 and its passenger-carrying days ended."

As Ken says, the aircraft was acquired by IAS Cargo Airlines (United Kingdom) and re-registered as G-BSKY in February 1978, to be followed by a list of cargo operators:

Aerolineas Nacionales del Ecuador (1982), African International Airways (1985), Flash Airlines (Nigeria, 1985), Liberia World Airlines (1993) (photo below), Air Cargo Plus (Liberia, 2001) and finally Kinshasa Airways (Congo, 2002), which ceased operations in 2006. 

Planespotters.net shows that aircraft being bought by Hewa Bora Airways (Congo) in September 2007 and currently in storage, presumably somewhere in the Congo.  

I could not find a photo of the aircraft in its current state, the most recent photo I could find is from January 2003 at Sharjah International Airport, United Arab Republic.

It can be seen at:
 www.jetphotos.com/photo/45849  

Glasgow - Prestwick
September 1975

Photo courtesy of David A. Montgomery

Registration EL-AJQ - Liberia World Airlines 

Ostend / Bruges International (OST), Belgium
May 8, 1997

Photo courtesy of Marco Dotti

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

On May 6, 2023, a party from the Vancouver Interline Club members boarded the 'Crown Princess' and enjoyed a 7 night Alaska cruise.

This is the first time that the VIC had planned a cruise since the they hosted the WACA AGA in 1996.

Here are some of the photos:

Those Fabulous TCA Super Connies.

Trans-Canada Air Lines’ future equipment was on the agenda of its board of directors in August 1951. The alternatives were either the Douglas DC-6B or the Lockheed 1049.

The first Super Constellation arrived in Montréal on February 26, 1954. Captain George Lothian was in command of the flight. The first airplane was registered CF-TGA and assigned Fleet Number 401.

On May 14, 1954, CF-TGA inaugurated TCA’s new Super Constellation service across the North Atlantic. The routing was Toronto–Montréal–Prestwick–London. 

The flights from Toronto to London were scheduled for a flying time of 14:05 (16:05 total) eastbound and 15:10 (18:10 total) westbound.

By August 1954, after the fleet had built up to five Super Constellations, Paris and Düsseldorf were added to the European network as a continuation of the London flight. One included Shannon, Ireland, two stopped at Gander, one at Goose Bay and four at Prestwick. Later Vienna became another European destination.

In the spring of 1958, two new destinations were added: Brussels (en route to Düsseldorf) and Zurich (an extension of the Paris flights). With the arrival of Super G models, Montréal–London nonstop flights became possible with the flight time from Montréal to London scheduled for 10:35 (12:50 westbound).

The same year, flights from Vancouver via Winnipeg to London were added. These flights were called the 'Hudson Bay Route.'

We suggest that you view YouTube video from British Pathé (click the icon) featuring what was probably the arrival at YVR of the inaugural westbound flight on that route, plus highlights of a visit to Vancouver as it was in 1958.

That flight operated once a week (originally Wednesday westbound, Friday eastbound) with stops at Gander and Winnipeg.

In the Super Constellation’s heyday, trans-Atlantic flights originated in Cleveland and Halifax, in addition to Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montréal. But the era of the big piston-engine airliners on the North Atlantic was coming to an end. By late 1960, the aircraft were rapidly being replaced with TCA’s new Douglas DC-8 jets.

On December 26, 1960, the last Super Constellation flight departed Vienna.

On December 29, the last flight left Düsseldorf and, on December 31, 1960, the very last transatlantic Super Constellation flight flew Zurich–Paris–London–Montréal–Toronto, arriving in Canada on January 1, 1961. From that point on, all transatlantic flights were jet.

The TCA Super Constellation fleet eventually consisted of 14 aircraft of four basic models:

• Five 1049C's: CF-TGA to CF-TGE.
• Three 1049E's: CF-TGF to CF-TGH.
• Four 1049G's: CF-TEU to CF-TEX.
• Two 1049H's: CF-TEY and CF-TEZ (galley aft of rear entry door and all seating forward).

The 1049C and 1049E models were later upgraded to 1049G standard.

Source: Originally posted by Peter F. Marshall to CAHS archives May 22, 2010.

Our cartoon is from the 'Between Ourselves' magazine issued October 1964.

The caption reads "According to the 'Management Consultants' report we have to make some changes in our organization around here, Finchley.

Can you operate a fork lift?"