Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

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: Canadian Airlines, CP Air, Pacific Western, Eastern Provincial, Wardair, Nordair, Transair, Air BC, Time Air, Quebecair, Calm Air, NWT Air, Air Alliance, Air Nova, Air Ontario, Air Georgian, First Air/Canadian North 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.

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The Wong Brothers

While converting the content for this edition into HTML format, I was concerned about the use of the phrase "The Chinese Airforce" in the submission we received from Roger Slauenwhite about the Central Airways Flying School.

We are very careful to avoid any offensive terminology as many phrases in common use in the past are just not acceptable today. Cartoons for the 'Smileys' section are frequently a problem.

I considered omitting the phrase because it did not seem to be critical to the story but I decided to look into it further; it led me to a wonderful story.

Alan Rust used to say "we don't know what we don't know" in reference to the constant learning curve of life. I was surprised that I had never heard of the story of the Wong brothers and their place in Canadian aviation but I am always excited to increase my knowledge.

In June 2015, the Toronto Star published an article by Angus Skene entitled "When the Wong brothers soared over Toronto" about Chinese Canadian aviation pioneer Robert Shun Wong.

Born in Nanaimo, British Columbia in 1917, Robert Wong was unfairly denied Canadian citizenship due to the Chinese Exclusion Act and not allowed to join the RCAF during wartime. However, he rose above the discrimination and more than did his duty (as a civilian) by training many of the pilots who did serve. 

After the war, Robert and his younger brother, Thomas Shun Wong, opened the Central Airways Flying School at the Toronto Island Airport and continued to train pilots for many years.

Treat yourself to an uplifting read by clinking the link below. 

When the Wong brothers soared over Toronto

I contacted Mr. Slauenwhite to ask for his personal experiences with the Wong brothers; he graciously replied with the following:

"I know quite a bit about their flying school. I learned to fly there and went on to be a part time Flying Instructor and Charter Pilot for Bob and Tommy Wong. I worked for Air Canada during the week in Sales and Central Airways on weekends. 

At Central Airways I was known as Roger White because Tommy found my name too difficult to spell, and he was the one who did the pay envelopes. My pay was $1.25 an hour when I flew, and after what seemed to be an eternity, my pay increased to $1.75. If you did not fly on a given day your pay was zero! 

The best flight I had, (which seems like yesterday) was a charter with Bob Wong in our Aztec to Idlewild Airport in New York (IDL) now John F. Kennedy Airport. It was a night flight. The passengers were the comedians, the Smothers Brothers, and two ladies, who had done a ton of shopping in Toronto. 

We lifted off runway 06 at Pearson Airport at the stroke of midnight, gut loaded and I do mean loaded. There were four passengers, two pilots, the baggage holds were full as well as the full tanks. 

We left in such a hurry we had to file our flight plan when we were airborne. I’m sure we were well over upper New York State before it was activated. 

This event all started at 21:30 at the Air Canada Reservation Office on Bloor Street where I was working that night.

We received a call requesting an Air Canada Viscount charter to New York that night from the Smothers Brothers. A simple request but not likely to happen. I called Bob Wong at home and things really started to happen fast especially when we verified their credit card was good for the trip. 

It was a long day for me having worked a full shift at Air Canada and then doing a return trip Toronto to New York at night. 

I did the landing the next morning at Toronto Pearson at 06:30. These were pleasant memories and I would do it all over again if that was possible. 

To answer your query without drifting off too much, I could write a book on my time at Central Airways. 

For me, Bob Wong was a gentleman who really knew airplanes. He was a graduate from an Aeronautical school in the US and a pleasure to work for. His brother Tommy was a different cut, but both were excellent pilots and had the respect of all their staff. 

In my view, the best pilot trained at Central Airways was Peter Gutowski (now deceased) who finished his career as an Air Canada Check Captain on the 747-400. We had several flights together when at Central Airways and he was the very best.

The photo below is of myself from the early 1970’s. I flew this Twin Piper Apache to Pearson Airport (YYZ) from the Island Airport (YTZ) for the photo. 

A good airplane for charter work, but not as fast as the aircraft along the side of it!"

Best of the season to all of you,

Roger Slauenwhite

From Charlie Burtch -

Thought this photo might be of interest to folks.

Editors' Note:

This image originally appeared in CP Air News Volume 11 No. 7 in July 1980 with the caption below:

Projected Traffic patterns and development of CP Air's winter 1980-81 and summer 1981 schedules for Western Canada Services were the main topics of discussion at the airline's semi-annual regional managers' meeting held June 18-19 in Whitehorse.

From left, on the wing of a restored CPA DC-3 at Whitehorse Airport, are Dan Burton, Grande Prairie manager; Wolf Wiedemann, Vancouver, assistant vice-president, sales and service; Norm Dawkin, Fort Nelson manager; Vic Cheropita, Watson Lake manager; Ralph Sharp, Prince George manager; and Norm Dartnell, Fort St. John manager.

From left on ground, Hammy Smillie, Vancouver, senior reservations controller; Chris Ketchum, Vancouver, route planning and development manager for domestic routes; Warwick Beadle, Whitehorse manager; Paul Kirkpatrick, Vancouver, route analyst; Al Vance, Vancouver, sales planning manager for Western Canada Services; Tom Laurie, Terrace/Kitimat manager; George McBurnle, Vancouver, public relations representative; and Bill Shilvock, Vancouver, director of Western Canada Services.

Additional note from Ken Pickford -

The retired DC-3 in the photo is the one that was later mounted on a pedestal and rotates with the wind like a weathervane. It's at the Yukon Transportation Museum adjacent to Whitehorse airport.

Related item on the DC-3, with YouTube video (from 2012, posted by author of the article). 

www.explorenorth.com/library/aviation/cf-cpy.html

More recent video from August 2019:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyGjX0cZCQw

Halina Scharich posted this photo on CP Air Employees Facebook page of the YVR Flight Attendants class of 1968, with the question: "Does anyone recognize the new flight attendants?"

Dorinka Williams responded with this information -

Let's see if my memory serves me well. ln the front left to right: Peter Herbold, Halina Scharich, Reia Kayamori, Margo Stockwell, Judy Tenant, Jane Pedlar, Dorinka Williams, Dorinka Belos, and then, Kay Horigani, Kit Nicholson (Hallaran), Eve Hagi, Van Aarp.

Back row: Ron Chisholm, Johnny Cheung, Jerry Guinard, Gerry Rotherham, Linda Favell, Linda Davies, Fred Hoffer, Ron Cook, Robert Mullineau and Dave Sheppard.

Edda Wagner posted this photo on Facebook on November 9, 2020.

Found this picture today, some of you might remember working this for the Klondike days; taken in either 1981 or 82. 

When Roger Shergold saw the post, it jogged his memory and he responded with -

She was originally the Empress of Edmonton, apologies to aircraft 710. Built to take part in Klondike Days in Edmonton, and she was the brainchild of George Foster.

A local truck owner helped us out by hauling her to the river for the raft race. We parked her on a grassy slope with all the other rafts and many of us spent the night on her. Many barbeques and beer. Next day the crowd helped us get her into the river and away we went. We won first prize!

The next year we got her to Kamloops thanks to the same trucker and CN Rail who let us use a gondola car to get her there. We came second, and hauled her back to Edmonton by rail and truck. Later that year we entered Klondike Days again. After the race, we tied her up by the river bank, and since the weather was getting wet and windy, we left her there.

Next day the weather was still nasty, so we didn’t go back until the following day. She was gone. Slipped her mooring either on her own or with help, we didn’t know. She was never seen again. I like to believe she made it all the way to Hudson Bay and then into the Atlantic, and then stuck in the ice. She'll be found hundreds of years from now and be the subject of songs, like the Edmond Fitzgerald. Or History students will study her and get degrees!

Anyway God bless her and all who sailed on her.

• 1996
  • June 1 - All scheduled flights moved from Edmonton Municipal Airport (YXD) to Edmonton International Airport (YEG).
  • Skyriders - Air Canada's young flyers program launched.
• 2020
  • December 15 - First non-stop flights from Toronto Pearson to Doha, Qatar with B-787-9.
  • December 18 - First non-stop flights from Doha, Qatar to Toronto Pearson with 787-9.   

Each Christmas, for the past several years, some 32 retirees from the C & SS department in Dorval have been exchanging e-mail greetings for the Christmas season.

This year all were concerned that the Covid-19 has interrupted their retirement plans to varying degrees, but look forward to better times during 2021, including the hopes that a ZOOM session will be arranged.

TCA Alumni Reunion.

The 25th Reunion of the Trans-Canada Air Lines Alumni was held November 25-29, 1996 at the Tradewinds Resort, St. Petersburg Beach, Florida. Information about the reunion was mailed to active alumni members. All former TCA employees were invited to join the alumni and attend the 1996 reunion. Membership dues were $8 (single/couple) per year. TCA Alumni President was Courtney Greene, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Era ends with Viscount sale.

The last 24 of the Company's Viscounts have been sold to two Montreal firms in an agreement signed during April 1974.

The total package being sold to United Aviation Services Ltd., and Beaver Enterprises Ltd., also included one simulator, spare parts including engines and propellers, and all applicable ground equipment. The aircraft will be delivered to their new owners in phases to last over a one-year period. 

The sale of the British-built aircraft marks the end of an era in North American aviation. The Company, then Trans-Canada Air Lines, put Viscounts into service on April 1 1955 on the
Montreal - Fort William - Winnipeg route. It was the first North American carrier to operate turbine-powered aircraft, thus setting the stage for the dawn of the jet age.

In all, the Company purchased a total of 51 of the 48-passenger aircraft which became the mainstay of the fleet in the late 1950's and early 1960's.

The last Viscount flights took place on schedule April 27, 1974, on the Sault Ste. Marie - Toronto - Montreal - Ottawa-Val d'Or return, and the Montreal - Quebec City - Fredericton - Saint John - Moncton - Halifax return routes.

AirBC staff.

July 29, 1995 marked five years since the the AirBC Reservations team joined forces with Air Canada at Vancouver.

Shown here after receiving their 5-year Air Canada pin are, front row, kneeling: Joyce Chow, Kim Floritto, Aletta McLaffery, Mona Raouf, Betty Staughton.

Standing: Lisa Walkley, Karen Newberry, Kathy Waters, Suzie Ong, Caro Clark, Linda Daigle, Connie Rock, Pat Van Dyke and Nancy Goudy.

Back row: Janine Crocock.

Missing from the photo: Tracey Bushell, Judy Bylander, Jaydee Colins, Maria Nicol, Marc Gagnon, Annie Hiekel, Sharon Mason, Kyle Nowroski, Brian Stuski and Kathi Szaabo.

In 1996, Moncton Customer Sales and Service Agent George Surette (centre) receives congratulations on his 30th anniversary.

From left to right: Terry Murphy, Customer Sales and Service Agent; Marcel Guilbert, Manager, Customer Service and Customer Sales and Service Agents Marie-Reine Gaudet and Earl Nickerson.

The Delhi Sales, Accounts and Reservations team gathered to celebrate "The Festival of Lights".

Back row, from left to right: Rakesh Bhambri, Ratindra Jan, Henry Moses, Saurabh Karnik, Vishesh Knanna, Ramesh Marwah, Paul Dhillon.

Third row, left to right: Amrita Sihota, Mona Choudhuri, Shilpa Sharma, Sarabjot Gill, Ruchi Banerjee, Ritu Khanna, Althea Mackrodt, Rachna Kohli and Anita Malhotra.

Second Row, left to right: Shahjan Paul, Sonica Baijal, Mukat Kaur, Ramesh Singh, Akhil Anand, Ramesh Kumar, Ranbir and Marietta Fernandes.

Front row, left to right: Punit Trikha, Naresh Misra and Thomas George. 

The Operations office at Indira Gandhi International Airport was opened with an Indian "Pooja" ceremony during a station visit by Zachary Clark, General Manager - Passenger Sales International.

From left to right: Customer Service Officers Ash Handa and Joe D'Cunha; B.N. Joshi, Airport Service Manager; Madhusudan Pawar, Customer Service Officer; Paul Dhillon, General Manager - India; Customer Service Officers S. Venkatraman, Anil Marwah and Zachary Clark.

At Mirabel (YMX), Customer Sales and Service Agent Murielle Saint-Germain celebrated her 35th anniversary with her friends and colleagues.

From left to right: Customer Sales and Service Agents Lise Legault-Dafoe, Claire Gagnon, Liette Parent, Anna Lemay and Gérard Chalifoux; Guy Comtois, Manager, Customer Service; Customer Sales and Service Agents Robert Bentley, Héléne Haanpaa and Micheline Tremblay.

Air Canada Turned One in Israel.

Air Canada's dynamic team in Tel Aviv celebrated the airline's first anniversary of nonstop service at a reception at the Canadian Ambassador’s residence. Starting with two flights per week in June 1995, passenger demand for the service led Air Canada to boost its flights to four per week in the spring of 1996.

In this photo, from left to right: Sara Dor, Noemi Stein, Motty Klar, Iris Lewit, Avivit Erlichman, Simi Seidenman, Ambassador David Berger, Robert Boulert, Zachary Clark, Meetra Ansari, Shirley Greenberg-Tsadok, Allison Liberman and Hai Malachi.

Los Angeles Cargo Customer Service Agent Bill Johnston celebrates his 30th service anniversary with his colleagues.

Back row, left to right: Howard Wargo, Warehouseman; Barbara Emerson, Cargo Agent; Bob Mawhinney, Lead Cargo Agent; Bill Johnston; Bob Lane, Cargo Agent and David Burke, Manager, Customer Service.

Kneeling, left to right: Richie Meier, Warehouseman; Linda Shipke, Cargo Agent and Bob Fuhrmann, Customer Service Manager.

Pionairs hold AGM 1996.

In the spring of 1996, Air Canada's Pionairs held their annual convention in Ottawa. Pionair President Fraser Muir announced that the retiree group would assist the company in updating and developing Air Canada's valuable archival material.

Air Canada Chairman Hollis Harris, Geoffrey Elliot, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Government Relations and Irene Vazalinskas, Manager, Industry Travel addressed close to 600 participants at the closing banquet. Bernice Paul, Pensions & Estates Administration Manager, was also on hand to answer questions and offer advice to retirees.

In our photo, from left to right: Fraser Muir, President; Laurent Dagenais, Marylin Goulet, Evelyn Cryans, National Secretary; Leo McIntyre, Vice President; Joan Muir, Hollis Harris, Beth Vezina, Wilse Jessee, Past President; Margot L'Espérance, First Vice President; Mary Jessee, Ben Vezina, Treasurer and Leo Goulet, Pension Representative.