NetLetter #1146
 For those interested in history, we have some audio files of interviews with some of TCA/Air Canada personnel provided to us by Phil Pawsey.Check our web site at www.thenetletter.org and click on Audio Archives or click on the image to the left. |
| Friends of Front Street Reunion |
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Shirlee Schacter sends us this update -
Just to give you an update of what's happening with our "Friends of Front Street Annual Reunion", we are still meeting but on a smaller, more intimate scale. This year we held it at Hooter's (my idea as I knew the pleasing serving staff would be well-received by the male attendees). It took place on Sat. Nov. 27th, and we had a turn-out of about 25 people. Everyone had a great time schmoozing and, of course, a lot of reminiscing about the old AC days. I've attached a couple of pictures (I was the picture-taker and not used to my new camera so the quality leaves something to be desired). |
 Here are the photos - left to right who are: Shirlee Schacter, Jeannie Lindo, Annie Matusiak, Cindy Mallory, Linda Haywood. |
 from left to rightStu Duncan, Gloria Foster, Frank Marando, Jeannie Lindo, John Mumedjian, Ed Storrie, Brian Speed, Annie Matusiak, Bruce Castator, Carol Reid, Linda Haywood, Cindy Mallory, Bob Haywood, Doug Mallory. |
 Standing: Doug Mallory & David ThomsonSitting: Wayne Holmes & Bashir Fancy |
 from left to rightEd Storrie, Hooters Server, Amanda, Brian Speed, John Mumedjian. |
| Our first 70 years - Compiled by Terry Baker |
 1971 - Sept - Inauguration the Exportation tabloid issued by the Cargo Dept. 1972 - Photo Identicards being issued to all employees. |
 Terminal II at YYZ handed over to Air Canada's operations. |
| TCA/Air Canada People Gallery - Compiled by Terry Baker |
 Musings from the "Between Ourselves" magazine an Air Canada publication from years gone by. |
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Issue dated - October 1962
Extracts from "Between Ourselves" magazine |
 FIRST FATHER AND SON Purser team in the Company's history is W. R. "Bill" MaIlar and his son Ron shown being congratulated by W. L. Fabro, Director of Passenger Service. Bill Mallar was just appointed Ass't. Chief Purser, Montreal Overseas Base while son Ron is based in Toronto. Bill Mallar graduated as a Purser in Dec. 1947. |
 Fondly remembered Junkers evokes nostalgia on final Ottawa flight, this was the headline which introduced the story and history of Junkers CF-ATF, which was donated by Mrs. Richardson of Winnipeg to the National Aviation Museum at Ottawa. The late James Richardson purchased Junkers aircraft used by Western Canada Airways and it was his wife who bought CF-ATF . Canada Airways which merged with Western Airways later provided much of the original staff for Trans-Canada Air Lines. We have several photos. After a test flight at Vancouver T.C.A First Officer John Racey and mechanic John Hutchison discuss the flying abilities of the Junkers. |
 Vancouver mechanics Greg Hoban and John Hutchison worked voluntarily to install the Wasp engine in the Junkers, seen here working on a Tyne engine. |
 Safe arrival at Ottawa on September 17th 1962, pictured are National Resources Minister Walter Dinsdale, First Officer John Racey and the daughter of Mrs Richardson handing over the log book. |
 CHARTERS, CHARTERS AND MORE CHARTERS is the aim of this group who met recently at the Mont Gabriel Lodge for a one-day meeting outlining TCA's Charter Program for the 1963 season. Top row left to right: L Paquette, G. McLarty, A. Sutherland, C. Wooley, A. Kaplan, G. L Duhamel, G. R. Wilson, J. M. Callen, D. Young, H. Young, P. Maddigan, R. Williams, Second row from the left: G.Gilbert, T. Nelles,. T. Talevi, A. Bergum, E. Locke, J. Heorns, D. Browner, R. KoIb, W. Cook, P. McCarthy, W. Ullshoefer. Front row from the left: G. Normandin, of Mont Gabriel Lodge, K. Keith, C. Burns, Miss V. McGill, R. Nicholson, H. Paillefer, Mrs. F. Laborde, G. Piquette, R. Dunning, K. MacDonald, H. Kennedy. |
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Issue dated - September 1972
Taken from "Horizons" magazine |
 The Company was a major participant in the Raytheon Display at the recent TRANSPO '72 exposition in Washington, D.C., and was the only airline exhibiting its advanced ReserVec 11 reservation system to visitors from around the world. The system operated live and on-line, and also made over 150 reservations while there. Involved in the display were, from the left: Jack Maloney, Director, Computer & Systems Planning, Montreal, Adelle Russel, Customer Service, Montreal; Anita Barclay, Passenger Agent, Toronto; Henriette Churney, Passenger Agent, New York; and Wayne Scaddar, Computer Systems Marketing Manager, who directed the Company's participation. |
 Over 200 years of Company service is the impressive total of the group shown above. The occasion was the presentation of 25 year pins and annual passes to four Heathrow employees, front row, by four long service managers. From the left, back row are:Scott McFadden, Regional Maintenance & Aircraft Services Manager; Frank Dunlop, Customer Service Manager; Warren Scrivener, Regional Properties & Supply Manager; and Al Johnston, Airport Services Manager. Front row, from the left: Davey Davidson, Aircraft Services Training Supervisor; Harry Berry, Aircraft Services Supervisor; Johnny Macrae, Lead Storeman; and Ray George, Commissary & Flight Catering Manager. |
| Alan's Space - by Alan Rust | |||||||
Christmas and New Years 2010 - 2011
We hope that all of you had a very Merry Christmas. For this issue, I thought I'd do something different and provide a link for you to amuse yourselve with between Christmas and New Years. This is traditionally a time of the year to slow down a bit and review the past year and look forward to all the things you're going to be doing in 2011. I found this site very interesting and I hope you do as well. As we age, it's important to keep our minds active, "if you don't use it, you lose it. The site I found is called Brain Age Games. There is a series of 5 tests to accumulate a final rating using Memory, Attention, Language, Reactions and Visual.
 This is a neat site that provides you with a few tests to see what "Brain Age" you are currently at (according to them).I had big problems with the "anagrams". Ended up with a "Brain Age of 61 (and I'm 60). I'm sure you can do better! Click on image or visit www.freebrainagegames.com To read more about this test, see www.freebrainagegames.com/about.html and as they advise, please don't take your brain age too seriously, it's just a game... Well, it's the day after Christmas. As you get older, it's harder and harder for your love ones to buy for you. Here's some useful gifts that some of our subscribers received!
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| Canadi>n/CP Air/PWA, Wardair, etc. People & Events - Compiled by Terry Baker |
 News and articles from days gone by gleaned from various publications from C.A.I.L. and it's "ancestry" of contributing airlines. |
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Issue dated - October 1998
Gleanings from the "Canadi>n Flyer" magazine - |
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Inter-Canadian takes over from Air Atlantic at the end of its commercial agreement effective Oct 25th. Inter-Canadian operate a fleet of 110 ATR-42 aircraft. Air Atlantic will begin selling their fleet of 11 aircraft and Inter-Canadian will offer employment to most of its 500 employees. The Air Canada Strike Action Plan was put into force on Sept 2nd at the beginning of a 13 day stoppage by Air Canada's pilots. An average of 15 to 20 extra sections were operated daily. |
 Dale and Gary Ausmus of Calgary are identical twins. Gary joined PWA in 1974 and Dale was with Hughes Aircraft before joining PWA. In 1977 both were working at Fort McMurray sometimes sharing shifts . Customers and some co-workers had trouble telling them apart. When Dale moved to Edmonton, Gary would check in a passenger at Fort McMurray, and Dale would greet them in Edmonton, and some wanted to know how Dale managed to be there to greet them. |
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She's been a Flight Attendant and Inflight Instructor with us since 1987, There are two more brothers in the family, one of whom is a pilot, but not with CDN. As well. Tim and Nicola's stepfather, Nick Janzen, recently retired from CDN after almost 20 years of service as a Vancouver CSA. |
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| Reader's Feedback - Compiled by Terry Baker |
Every week we ask our readers for their stories or feedback on what they have read here in previous issues. Below is the feedback we have received recently.
Jannet Tricarico, President of Pionairs points out that, although the "Horizons" article in NetLetter nr 1143 mentioned the founding meeting of the Pionairs and sends this correction - the first official AGM gathering in 1978 was held in Miami......yet the organization was first founded in 1977 - the same year Air Canada celebrated their 40th Anniversary. After that meeting our bylaws were written and approved and in April 1979 filed with Canada Industry. As a federally registered non-profit and non-political organization whose Bylaws (incorporated April 27, 1979) have been approved by the Corporations Directorate of Industry Canada. The Founders were retirees of Air Canada/Trans-Canada Air Lines. Early in the year 2000, retirees from Canadian Airlines International and its constituent airlines also were invited to join the Pionairs which is now over 13,000 members strong.
Thanks Jannet
(If you are not yet a member of the Air Canada Pionairs, visit their web site at www.pionairs.ca - eds) Murray Allen sends us another of his memories - I submitted an article a few months ago about an incident concerning Capt. John Wild, which occurred in the late fifties while I was working as a station attendant for TCA. I appreciated the article being printed in the NetLetter, and I hope others enjoyed the story. There are a couple of other incidents that took place during those years while I was so employed which I thought were amusing. I will share one of those with you now. Bruce Logan, a Reformed Baptist by faith, was the mechanic for the airline, stationed in Fredericton at the time. He always preached to us that honesty was the best policy. There were only a few employees at the station back then and we knew most of what was going on with the others. Wilson (Wilce) Himmelman, was the station manager. Occasionally, because of poor weather conditions in Saint John, N.B. ,a flight, originating in SJ, and destined for Boston, would be terminated in FC. Customs Officers insisted that the hot meals on board be removed and the food be destroyed. In one such instance we must have taken off about twenty steak dinners, which we piled, one on top of the other, in the maintenance garage. I recall that each meal was inside a heavy plastic container. Following the departure of the aircraft (I forget where it was to go), led by Wilce, we descended on the steak dinners. Mr. Logan was sitting at his desk preparing his after flight report. Wilce opened one of the dinners and was surprised by the lack of a steak. He went on to the next- same thing-no steak. When the result was the same with the third one, Wilce turned to Bruce, who was getting quite red in the face by that time, and asked, "Bruce, do you know anything about the missing steaks?" Bruce blurted out, " I didn't think anyone would want them Wilce, so I put them in a box and placed in the trunk of my car. I planned to take them home for my dog." Wilce affixed him an accusatory stare and said, "Bruce, you haven't got a dog!" It was true, he did not. Poor, flustered, Bruce, had to retrieve the meat from his car and place each one back where it belonged. As most of you recall, the steaks were not very big, and so each of us were able to devour two or three. I think any that were left were taken home by those who honestly had a pet canine.
Murray, Murph, Allen TCA from 1955 to 1963. |
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Larry Loretto sent this comment regarding the video in NetLetter nr 1145 - What a great video of our YVR employees! I have tried to send an e mail to them to say "well done", great to see staff with such drive! Regards Larry Loretto. Murray Wadden shares his experiences - For days on end, we dispatched Bus after Bus, filled with broken hearted families who cried thinking that they would be unable to share Christmas with Loved Ones!
From Ramp Side came "Harry Sulley" (good old Newfie Lad) holding a Guitar in his hand and asking if 'anyone owned this Guitar'?
PIONAIRS! NETLETTER! PENSION COMMITTEE! |
| Odds & Ends - Compiled by Terry Baker |
 Sometimes we receive articles and information that just doesn't fit in our other areas. This is where it goes!Catering Truck Grounds A380 It's been a rough couple of months for the A380 fleet and the latest incident, although far less dramatic than the uncontained engine failure of a Qantas super jumbo, could nonetheless ground an Emirates A380 for months. It was felled by a catering truck at Toronto's Pearson International Airport and speculation on various forums is that it will be there until February as technicians work under a temporary structure to repair damage to the leading edge of the right wing. The A380 has been moved to an unused area of the terminal and a blue tarp encloses the area of the repair.
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The scissor mechanism failed and the truck body fell onto the leading edge of the right wing. There were no injuries. The on-the-spot repairs outside in the Canadian winter suggest the damage was severe enough to prevent a ferry flight and that hangar space was not available at Pearson. |
| Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips - by Terry Baker |
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The Dutch have a propensity to name anything and everything - even the runways at Schiphol's runways. The oldest runway is 04/22 "Oostbaan", (east runway), opened in 1945 for civilian use.18L/36R "Aalsmeerbaan opened 1950, 06/24 was opened 1960 and named "Kaagbaan", 1967 they had 09/27 operational named ""Buitenveldertbaan", this was the longest runway at that time and the decibel sensitive locals call it "Bulderbaan" (noisy runway)..18c/36c built 1968 named "Zwanenburgbaan".
Now the longest built in 2003 18R/36L is 12,467 ft long and 198 foot wide, named "Polderbaan" and the only runway capable to handle the Airbus A380 aircraft. |
| 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.
Stand up guys. That's what six passengers did aboard a Boeing 737 of Tatarstan Airlines (Russia). They were part of a charter group returning from a popular Turkish resort. There were 148 vacationers and only 142 seats on the aircraft. The six passengers would have to wait six hours for the next flight, so they opted to stand for 4 hours on the B737 . Each earned approximately us$200 each for their sacrifice Ash-Scattering Plane In Crash  A New Jersey pilot and his passenger came uncomfortably close to becoming metaphors for their mission when the Cessna 182 they were in crashed on takeoff from Greenwood Lake Airport Saturday. The aircraft is owned by Last Wish LLC, which specializes in scattering the cremated remains of those who'd like to spend eternity as part of their favorite hunting, fishing or recreational sites. It's not clear if there was a silent witness to the crash but pilot William Fallon and his passenger Mark Gangi avoided joining the dearly departed and are in the hospital with a variety of injuries, some of them serious.As for the crash itself, it would appear something went wrong just after takeoff, as the wreck ended up at the end of the runway. "It looks like they hit the ground, nosed it and spun around," West Milford Acting Police Chief Gene Chiosie told local media. The remains of the 182 are undoubtedly headed for the scrapyard.
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We hope you have enjoyed this issue of the NetLetter, see you next week!
Sincerely,
Your NetLetter Team |
First published in October, 1995
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