Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

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

Montreal Dorval-based World Wide Airways bought Douglas C-54D Skymaster CF-NNN (c/n 10826) in May 1961 from World Airways.

Following a successful test flight at Oakland, California, on May 26, the aircraft completed a non-stop 11 hour 45 minute long delivery flight to Dorval, Québec.

Acquired by World Wide to undertake chick flights to Cuba, the Skymaster entered service on a run from Toronto to Havana on June 17. Further livestock flights were made to Cuba from Toronto in later months, but the aircraft was seriously damaged when the nosegear was inadvertently retracted during crew training at Dorval on March 10, 1964.

Subsequently repaired, the aircraft was sold to Rutas Internacionales Peruanas in July 1965 as OB-R-769 - only to be destroyed taking off from Panama City on August 4, 1965.

Founded in 1945 by Captain Donald M. McVicar, World Wide Airways also flew Curtiss Commandos, DC-3's, a Lancaster, North Star and eventually three Super Constellations.

With thanks to Tom Singfield for sharing this magnificent view of the aircraft taken by Tony Breese.

Ace McCool is an over-the-top spoof of the airline industry. It relates the hilarious misadventures of a fly-by-night, corner-cutting airline called Down East International, based in Moncton, New Brunswick.

The stories start with Ace McCool, a World War II pilot, and the rag-tag characters he picks up along the way as his airline progresses from DC-3 to a Boeing 727 over the years from just after the war to 1985.

Editors' Note: We old-timers may remember reading some of these hilarious episodes written by Jack Desmarais formerly with TCA.)

Available from Amazon.ca, at various prices, in eBook, hardcover and softcover formats.

The first Vickers Viscount type 724 received by Trans-Canada Air Lines on December 8, 1954 was registered as CF-TGI fin 601 c/n 40.

It was leased to Transair in March 1963 and returned to Air Canada in January 1971 and stored at Winnipeg until 1973 when it was sold to the first of several U.S. owners.

After several years stored in Tucson, Arizona It was donated to the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson in 1991 where it remains today.

The Canadian aviation fraternity should get together and bring this famous aircraft back home, where it belongs in TCA livery as CF-TGI.

Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) the PAM closed to the general public in March 2020 but has now reopened.

Source: vickersviscount.net

Photo courtesy of Tim Martin

Taken at Winnipeg - September 1970

From the Canadia>n Air Cargo Annual report.

In June 1991, our own Canadian Cargo staff at Hong Kong replaced a former contract operator.

Front row, from left: Raymond Lai, Simon Chan, Francis Law (standing) and Dennis Tse.

Back row, from left: John Gibson, Terry Wong, Roy Yip, David Chin, Taley Cheung, Salome Yeung, Al Ridgway, Jacob Wong, Tommy Yu, Samuel Lee, Alfred Chui and Daniel Ngan.

TSSC Network Complete

The opening of the Vancouver Telephone Sales and Service Centre (TSSC) in April 1991 made our network of four TSSCs complete.

Along with Dorval (YUL), Toronto (YYZ) and Calgary (YYC), Canadian Air Cargo customers across Canada are getting speedy and efficient telephone responses.

From the left: Doug Thomson, Hope-Ann Weidman, Fred Whiting, Ian McLafferty, David Knight, Murray Armstrong, Ken Mok, Gillian Brough and Patrick Cheung.

Missing from photo: Shirley Cherry, Heather Johannson, John Lynch and Geoff Packham.

TCA's first woman passenger agent, Doris Forbes, arrived at Winnipeg in May 1941.

She moved to Lethbridge as Chief Passenger Agent on March 8, 1943.

The first flight of the Canadian Government Trans-Atlantic  Air Service (CGTAS) roared eastward over the ocean on July 22, 1943 with its TCA crew.

Issue dated June 1943 

Victoria Service

Our main line, on June 6, 1943, was extended to include Victoria.

Captain Don Brady, First Officer Norman Ramsay and Stewardess Mina Wood were the crew.

TCA will fly all airmail between the Island and the Mainland. By decision of the Board of Transport Commissioners we are not authorized to carry passengers or air express locally between Vancouver and Victoria. But we shall transport passengers and air express originating on the Island and destined to points beyond Vancouver.

In addition, through passengers are entitled to make stopovers at Vancouver.

Editors' Note: Local passenger service on the Vancouver-Victoria route was operated by Canadian Pacific Airlines until 1947 (inherited from CPA predecessor Canadian Airways).

The route was transferred from CPA to TCA in 1947. 

Found in 'Horizons' magazine

Issue dated May 1973

Fam tour with British European Airways

The BEA (British European Airways) World Interline School in London, England, considered one of the best in the industry, offers a three-day course on BEA's facilities to employees of other airlines. The course includes lectures, films and tours of the airline's Engineering Base and terminals.

Shown with a BEA employee during a course in 1973 are, from the left: H. MacIntyre, Sales Office Supervisor, Toronto; M. Dumaine, Customer Service Training Instructor, Los Angeles; P. Machina, Training & Development Manager, Los Angeles; L. Smith, Reservations Manager, Toronto; K. LeClair, Training & Development Manager, Montreal; Miss S. Wojcik, Customer Training Instructor, Los Angeles and J. McGuire, Reservations Supervisor, Ottawa.

New cargo terminal opens in Vancouver

The Company's latest air cargo terminal was officially opened this month at Vancouver's International Airport.

Costing more than $1.2 million, the modern, temperature controlled facility is designed to handle 130 million pounds of freight and air express, and more than 500,000 lbs. of mail a year in and out of Vancouver.

The area consists of nearly 40,000 sq. ft. of sheltered cargo processing facilities, more than double the size of the previous complex, plus 5,000 sq. ft. of office space. The remainder of the four-acre site is used for truck manoeuvring and handling, parking, and equipment storage.

According to Bill Garven, General Manager, B.C. & Pacific Northwest, the new complex will greatly enhance the network of cargo terminals across the System which now provides more than a million sq. ft. of cargo handling capacity.

"In the last few years, we've experienced substantial growth in air freight movements through Vancouver. In '71 for example, we handled more than 50 million lbs. of cargo, an increase of 20 percent over the previous year," he said.

Special features of the cargo building include a truck loading dock where 24 trucks can be accommodated at any one time; partially mechanized systems for expediting cargo from the terminal to the freighter aircraft, and a unique reception counter which assures prompt and efficient customer service.

According to Cargo Terminal Manager Jim York, the facility is an excellent example of the practical use of current air freight handling techniques.

"All of our mechanical systems have been designed as simply as possible. This enables us to use the equipment to the maximum extent, and when necessary, ensures speedy maintenance."

Another feature of the terminal is that Canada Customs has provided an officer on site during the business hours of the day, five days a week.

"This facilitates the processing and clearance of cargo shipments from international points," says York.

There are eleven DC-8 freighter flights from Vancouver each week to eastern Canada, the U.K. and Europe, and direct connections to points in the United States.

In addition to the freighters which can carry up to 80,000 lbs. of cargo, passenger aircraft are also able to transport freight including the daily Boeing 747 which can carry 40,000 lbs. in containers.