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Two A320's carried the Star Alliance logo. C-FDRH (fin #203, pictured) delivered to Air Canada in February 1990 and C-FDRK (fin #204) delivered in March 1990 Both were painted in the special colours in April 2014 and withdrawn from service in September 2019 and are currently stored at Marana Pinal Airport in Arizona. Photo by Bill Abbot |
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C-FDSN (fin #206) was delivered in November 1990 and later painted in one of the coolest liveries (my opinion) ever to commemorate the first NBA team in Canada (at the time playing home games at the 'Air Canada Centre'), It has been stored at Greenwood-LeFlore airport in Mississippi since November 2020. Photo by Aero Icarus |
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C-FFWN (fin #212) was delivered to Air Canada in March 1991 and painted in 'Symphony of Voices (65th anniversary)' special colours from September 2002 to November 2009. It has been stored at Marana Pinal Airport in Arizona since October 2019. Photo by Makaristos |
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C-GQCA (fin #403) was delivered to Canadian Airlines in July 1991. Transferred to Air Canada in 2001, it briefly became a part of the 'Tango' fleet before being assigned to the 'Jetz' fleet in October 2003. It is shown here in special livery for the North American part of the 'U2 360 Tour' in May 2010. It was acquired by SU Airlines of Gambia in June of 2021 and is still listed as active. Photo by John Murphy |
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Posted by the Artificial Reef Society of BC on YouTube, our video chronicles the transporting and submerging of former Canadian Airlines B-737-200 (originally delivered to Pacific Western Airlines in 1975) registration C-GBPW to be preserved as an artificial reef in the Stuart Channel off the coast of Chemainus, British Columbia on January 14, 2006. See Terry's Trivia below for more on this and other submerged aircraft around the world. |
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From Bill Tate referencing NetLetter #1507 - As always I really appreciate the stories. As an FYI the cockpit section of one of two RCAF Comets is located in the storage hangar of the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa. To access the storage hangar it is an add-on fee including a guided tour of the storage hangar. Regards, Bill Tate, Retired Air Canada A-330 Captain |
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Clint Ward, retired B-747 Captain sent in the following:
I was a close friend of a great aviation artist, Jim Bruce who passed away suddenly this past year. When I first visited his home, I noticed a painting on the wall. I admired his rendition of the Viscount that was the first aircraft type that I flew as a captain. When he sensed my excitement he offered me a print. It hangs proudly in my workspace, a constant reminder of the 12 years the Viscount occupied in my aviation life. I am a member of RAPCAN and a little over a year ago I made a suggestion to the editor of our magazine to use a painting by Jim, "At The Blast Fence," on the cover and devote the entire issue to stories about the Vickers Viscount. The idea was accepted and the May 2022 issue used the cover photo. I was just thinking that it would make a wonderful lead image in an issue of The Netletter. I am attaching the lead article from that magazine. A memorial service for Jim Bruce will be held in the Montreal Aviation Museum on May 18 of this year. Clint Ward Photo: Terry Slobodian (left), President and CEO of the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada with Robert W. Arnold (right) are shown holding the artwork. |
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Editors' Note: Mr. Bruce's artwork was first brought to our attention by Robert W. Arnold, Viscount Project Manager for the Viscount restoration at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, and published in NetLetter # 1486. We wish to thank Mr. Ward for his suggestion and additional information. |
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At The Blast Fence by Jim Bruce |
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The Trans-Canada Air Lines Vickers Viscount depicted in my painting on the cover is a 724 Series Viscount registration CF-TGQ #609 delivered June 5, 1955. TCA received its first Viscount 724 CF-TGI #601 on December 12, 1954. The Viscount became operational on April 1, 1955 with daily round-trip service, Montreal-Toronto-Fort William-Winnipeg. The blast fence was erected on the tarmac near TCA’s line maintenance hangar to help mitigate the intensity of the engine run-up prop-wash from the Dart engines, thus protecting traffic and buildings on adjacent Ferry Road. I joined TCA in Winnipeg on August 1, 1956 as an aeronautical draftsman assigned to the Engineering Department in the Overhaul and Maintenance Base at Stevenson Field (now Winnipeg International Airport). The Chief Engineer was an affable gentleman named ‘Baldy' Torell. My boss was Chief Draftsman Leo Styrczula who became a good friend. The TCA Winnipeg Base was where the Viscount and Douglas DC-3 fleet received line maintenance and were overhauled. My work consisted of preparing engineering drawings for service manuals and modifications to the aircraft. |
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Additional info at: royalaviationmuseum.com |
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We wish to honour the careers of a couple of pioneer pilots of Trans-Canada Air Lines as suggested by our readers. |
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Suggested by Neil Burton Zebulon Lewis "Lewie" Leigh, CM OBE (June 19, 1906 – December 22, 1996) was a Canadian aviator. He never used his first name and was always addressed as "Lewie". He was the first pilot to work for Trans-Canada Air Lines in 1937.
Lewie joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940. His first assignment was anti-submarine flying, but he was transferred to Transport Command in 1942. It is there that he is chiefly remembered for his excellent administrative abilities, almost overnight revolutionizing how Transport Command ran, more like a professional airline than the previous hodgepodge of assignments. Leigh frequently got out from behind the desk to oversee the work being done. Leigh continued in RCAF service until 1957. He would write his memoirs after his service titled And I Shall Fly. He was one of the founders of the Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame and was inducted in 1974. Sources and additional info: Lives Lived by Dan Brown |
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Suggested by Barbara Dunn Norbert Jack Logan (June 9, 1921 - August 2, 2022). Jack was a long-time TCA/Air Canada pilot who rose to the position of Director of Flight Operations in the company.
In November 1945, he joined Trans-Canada Air Lines. Jack wore many different Company hats in Montreal for TCA/Air Canada, but his Captain’s hat was always at the ready. He became Director of Flight Operations in 1971. In 1973 a career highlight for Jack was being selected to Captain the Royal Flight that brought Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip from London to Ottawa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, and later flew them back home to London. In total, Jack flew 25,000 hours; 3,000 hours with the RCAF and 22,000 hours with TCA/Air Canada, first learning to fly on Tiger Moth biplanes and ending his career flying Boeing 747’s. Pictured: Jack with Canadian Museum of Flight director, Bruce Scott on the occasion of Jack's 100th birthday. Sources and additional info: |
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Another cartoon by Dave Mathias which appeared in the 'Between Ourselves' issued February 1976. The caption reads "Sure it costs more by Concorde but you'll arrive before the prices go up!". |
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