Zip – Some fun during a turbulent time
After all the uncertainty and controversy in the Canadian airline industry in the 1990’s, we began to see some resolutions in the early 2000’s. However, few people were pleased with the emerging outcome and there was little relief for those of us whose main interest was just to remain employed.
With the merger of Air Canada and Canadian Airlines, new and formidable competition came in the form of WestJet in Western Canada.
Air Canada’s response to WestJet was to form a similar ‘no-frills’ airline called 'Zip'.
I thought that this was a fantastic idea because, at long last, there was something fun happening. The bright neon paint jobs in blue, fuchsia (just a fun word to say), green and orange were, to me anyway, very amusing. Just seeing one of these aircraft taxi by made me smile.
The airline was formed in September 2002 and ceased operation only two years later in 2004; much too short a time. Air Canada also introduced Tango around the same time and is currently having great success with its Rouge subsidiary, but ‘Zip” could bring a chuckle to a passenger by just boarding the aircraft.
I came across the video below on the JustPlanes YouTube channel just recently. It was posted on March 15, 2019 and I can’t help but wonder where it has been for the past 17 years.
Air Canada allowed the JustPlanes crew to film C-GCPP (painted in beautiful fuchsia) during an hour flight around Vancouver.
Additional references:
Zip Fleet at Planespotter.net
Zip at Wikipedia
Canada Newswire press release at Airliners.net forum.
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D-Day Squadron Finalizes Plans. A total of 18 “Daks” will fly to Scotland for the 75th anniversary of the most pivotal battle of the war. The 18 U.S.-based aircraft will be joined by 17 European aircraft for the flypast, which will include parachute jumps by reenactors using round canopies. Many of the aircraft took part in the original raid, including "That’s All Brother", the plane that led the assault and was the first one over the beaches. The aircraft, which flew at Sun ’n Fun, was rescued from a scrap heap and refurbished by the Commemorative Air Force over the past three years. Additional reference: ddaysquadron.org |
 Aviation Football Club World Series |
| Seven a-side soccer tournament. When: October 03 - 06, 2019. Where: Barcelona & Salou, Spain. Deadline to register: August 31, 2019. Between 2005 - 2017 Air Canada ranked 31. (Source: afcseries.wixsite.com/aviationcup/tournaments) |
| Canadian Pacific Air Lines inaugural flight to Lima on October 24, 1953 and Santiago on September 23, 1957. |
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New flights to Brazil set. The federal Department of Transport says that Canadian Pacific Air Lines will be entitled to operate flights from anywhere in Canada to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo. |
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CP Air changes name and colours CP Air is going back to its former name, Canadian Pacific, and adopting its former red, white and blue colours. One DC-10 has already been repainted and the new colour scheme will appear on the fleet over a three-year period, with newly acquired Eastern Provincial Airways planes among the first to be painted. The existing orange and red emblem will give way to a combination of 'sky' white, 'corporate' red and 'Pacific' blue, and the words 'Canadian Pacific' will be painted in 'corporate' grey. (Source: AC "Horizons" magazine issue January 1986) |
| Dates in Air Canada history |
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 Here is the cover of the enRoute magazine issued November 2012. (Source: enroute.aircanada.com/en/magazine/past-issues) |
| Extracted from the "Parts and Pieces" magazine issue dated June 2003. |
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These are some of the retirees that stepped aside to reduce potential lay-offs to younger Stockeepers due to the downsizing of the Purchasing & Supply branch. Seen in our photo are I.A.M. Chief Steward Neil McGlinchy, Chauffeur John Hore leaving June 1, Lead Stockkeper at FSES Real Murphy, Stockkeepers Jim Biggs, Vincent Floccari, Robert B-Bob Gagnon, Ian Tyer, Donato Caivano, Gilles Palmieri, Barry Tremblay, Errol Chatham, Lead Stockkeepers Bill Braidwood, Ted Thurston and Bill Robson. Absent from the photo is stationery Stockkeeper Steve Chatham. |
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 From the “Horizons” magazine. |
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Issue dated October 1985.
This 1985 year's summit surmounters are, back row, from the left: Ilona Stickler, Passenger Agent, Frankfurt; Joan Lovegrove, Passenger Agent, London; Mr. and Mrs. Sieben, South African Airways and Continental Airlines, respectively; Heidi Lang, Reservations & Sales Office Supervisor, Frankfurt and Rolf Weinmann. Front row, from the left: guests Miss and Mrs. Christener; Passenger Agents Taili Englert, Frankfurt; Shirley Dunn, London; Martina Steffl and Marion Linder, Frankfurt. |
| The Winnipeg Pionairs' executive preparing for a busy season, the executive for the 1985-86 term includes President Winnie King, Vice Presidents Maurice Camyre and Carol Malec, Treasurer Mary Vanstone and Secretary June Morris. (No photo available - eds) |
Issue dated November 1985. The ninth annual system darts tournament was held at the Airport Resort Hotel in Vancouver. The event was well attended, with some 180 employees and family members participating. In total, 35 teams battled it out, but London hit the winner's circle in both the men's and ladies' events, despite stiff competition from Vancouver and Winnipeg.The 1986 event will be held in St. John's towards the end of October. Shown at the awards presentation are, back row, from the left: Kevin Clews, Greg Aitken, Les Avis and Les Barnes. In the front row are, from the left: Ken McKenzie, System darts chairman; Karen Clews, Helen Aitken, Zachary Clark, General Manager; B.C. and Pacific Northwest, who presented the trophy; Mary Avis, Dilys Lane and Moe Larter, chairman of the host committee. |
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Issue dated January 1986. The wind-up meeting of the 1985 Employee Campaign for Funds was held in the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal on December 17, 1985. Some 24 employees representing every branch in the company were on hand to receive trophies and plaques on behalf of their respective groups in recognition of their efforts to achieve the goals established at the beginning of the campaign. Annual contribution for 1985 was $687,677.00. Employee representatives received plaques indicating the percentage of employee participation in their respective areas and branches. In our photo from the left, are: Yvette Ste-Marie, General Clerk, Human Resources; Sylvie Lefebvre, Secretary, Cargo; Monique Booth, Secretary, Law; Ed Spaiches, Manager, Telecommunications, Central & East, Computer & Systems Services; Jeannine Rivard, General Clerk, Marketing & Planning Support; Jack Kantor, Vice President, ln-Flight Service; Pauline Noel, Executive Secretary, Passenger Marketing - International; John Gomes, Senior Economic & Pricing Analyst, Finance; Lynda Bowles, Customer Relations Representative, Transportation Services; Bob Doret, Director, Processes & Program Development, Facilities & Supply; Johanne Legault, Secretary, Government & Public Affairs and Rhanda Spotton, Public Affairs Assistant, Sales & Service - International (U.S.). |
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| Issue dated February 1986. That is entertainment. With 50th anniversary celebrations just around the corner, ACRA and System event representatives had a full slate of topics to discuss at their annual meeting held recently in Montreal. Back row, from the left are: Jim Miller, Noel Ebden, Butch Butchart, Bernie Allardyce, Bernie Curwin, Bill Kent, Jack Inouye, Bill Sansom, Fred Boudreau and David Paxton. Middle row, from the left, are: Ken Rodgers, Ken Mackenzie, Dave Childs, Keith Windsor, Chris Pulley, Roger Bernard, Michael Gargouzi, Bob Preiss, Joe Holmes, Crispin Colvin, Barry Drinkle, Evan Quick, Gil Gilbert, Dan Thibault, Jim Batten, Hugh Riopelle, Brian Connolly and Michael McHenry. Sitting, from the left, are: Barbara Bernoth, Diane Drury, Amy Amendola, President Pierre Jeanniot who addressed the meeting, Gisele Baird, Cory Smith and Barbara Peterson. |
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Issue dated June 2012 (Used with permission) We had the first photo of the page in NetLetter #1410. Here is the 1980's version. |
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Issue dated July/August 2012. (Used with permission) On July 24, Air Canada celebrated its second bio-fuel-powered flight! AC864 departed from Montreal for London using jet fuel derived from recycled cooking oil as well as employing other fuel-saving measures. |
Lufthansa Group carrier Swiss turned in the most profitable performance of its parent's network airlines over the first quarter 2019. Here we have this photo of the colour scheme for one of its aircraft.
(Source: Flight International magazine May 7-13. 2019)