Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Gleanings from the on the pwareunion.com website.

Posted May 14, 2022.

From the desk of Deanna Wiebe, Chair of Aviation, Associate Professor and Flight Instructor: Bissett School of Business, Calgary, Alberta.

Mount Royal University Award.

Not sure if you're all aware of the PWA award at Mount Royal University Aviation so I'll share what I know.

There is a trophy with names of recipients going back to 1975. The P.W.A. Pilots' Aviation Foundation Scholarship will continue for many years to come, as funding for the student scholarship has been secured by the creation of the scholarship bursary endowments.

There is enough money for 3 or 4 students to receive the award every year, for approximately $4000 each. The amount varies a few hundred or so depending on the year and the state of the fund, but it's in that ballpark. This is a significant award for our students!

Posted April 15, 2022.

From the desk of Neil Burton -

The Company Logo and the Trumpeter Swan.

Did you realize Central BC Airways, then perhaps P.W.A., had a trumpeter swan emblem prior to the mustache?

In reading 'Wings over the West' by John Condit, page 168, when a streamlined emblem was being brought up, in the boardroom after Russ Baker’s death, Mrs. Russ (Madge) Baker was very upset about a new emblem.

Might these cap badges also have the Swan logo?  Would anyone have the trumpeter swan hat emblem that could be photographed and added to the P.W.A Reunion site?

From the "InfoCanadi>n" magazine.

Two B-737's fitted for Pope's one-day visit.

From 'Info Canadi>n' magazine issue dated September, 1987 and edited by the 'NetLetter' staff to give an insight to what is involved with a Pope's visit - one of which is due later this year.

A Canadian Airlines charter flight carried Pope John Paul II and his 80-person entourage from Edmonton to Fort Simpson, N.W.T. on Sunday, September 20, 1987, fulfilling a promise he made to northern native residents of Canada three years ago.

For his 1984 tour, Pacific Western Airlines had been contracted to provide a back-up aircraft for the Air Canada B-727 scheduled to carry the pontiff. When their jet experienced last minute mechanical problems, Pacific Western Airlines took over the charter. Poor weather conditions caused the flight to overfly Fort Simpson but the Pope promised the disappointed crowds that he would return.

This year, (1987) Canadian Airlines won the honour of providing both the primary and the back-up aircraft for the September papal visit.

Because the Pope's schedules are so precise and are usually within two or three minutes of plan, both B-737's were fully crewed, catered and ready for any eventuality. The back-up aircraft operated half an hour behind the primary aircraft. Four flight attendants were on the primary aircraft with a fifth assigned to the back-up jet. In addition a mechanic and three other company personnel accompanied the Pope's charter.

Preparations for this special flight had been underway for weeks, and the two B-737's to be used were divided into three cabin areas.

The Pope and a few of his closest advisors and technical staff occupied the first three or four rows of the aircraft, this forward cabin was separated from the rear cabin by a regular cabin divider.

The centre cabin was reserved for the 40-member Vatican entourage, with a curtain separating them from the rear cabin containing the media. Special fine china, silverware and crystal was rented for use in the forward cabin only, while the rest of the passengers enjoyed First Class catering.