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The featured video in NetLetter #1503 of the Avro 748 brings back a memory for me. In April 1976, I was seconded to Antigua to run the computer section for Leeward Islands Air Transport Services, the local airline. Their equipment were 8 Islanders, a Trislander and several Avro 748. Whilst there, a crew, some with wives, of engineers and mechanics from the UK were sent to perform a spar change to these aircraft. Due to the salty air they were operating in, this modification was urgently required. The exercise took about 9 months. To keep the crew occupied - and out of the bars - we organized various activities with them including ten-pin bowling, cricket & soccer games against the locals, BBQ's and a cruise around the west coast of the island. One of the cricket teams I captained consisted of several wives and, to keep the game lighthearted, I had every member take a spell at bowling, much to the annoyance of several of the male opponents, when facing a female bowling, particularly when they were given out by hitting a fly ball, which was duly caught. There were no declared results of such matches, only an excuse to visit a bar by both teams. Each morning, I would take two of the children to the school, which I passed each day during the week, to save their parents from having to doing it. Terry Baker. |
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Allan Gray sent in the photo below for identification - Ken Pickford advises - The aircraft in the photo is a BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) Boeing 377 Stratocruiser in the original bare metal livery. Can see BOAC identification and their famous 'Speedbird' logo on the forward fuselage and large Union Jack on the tail. Note small 'FLOOD RELIEF' markings on rear fuselage below the windows, so it obviously participated in transporting relief supplies during the major Manitoba floods in the spring of 1950. The aircraft would have been almost new then. BOAC took delivery of 10 Stratocruisers in 1949 and 1950. They also acquired United Airlines' fleet of 6 in 1954 when UA disposed of their Stratocruisers after only 5 years in service. They were used almost exclusively on United's LAX/SFO - Hawaii routes and were replaced by the faster Douglas DC-7 in 1954. P.S. A couple of items on the 1950 Manitoba flood disaster. www.cbc.ca/player/play/1459183171917 www.gov.mb.ca/mit/wms/rrf/historical_1950.html Ken
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Janice Harvey sent in the following - "My father, John M. Wilton, was the TCA Manager in Lethbridge, Alberta from 1942-1960, and then Air Canada in Vancouver, British Columbia from 1961 until his retirement in early 1970 after 31 years of service. I have some old photos which I’d like to share or donate to aviation history, if possible." We will be publishing the series of photographs over the next few NetLetter issues. |
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TCA Winnipeg, Manitoba 1942. John Wilton is on the far right. |
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TCA / Western Airlines office located in the Marquis Hotel, Lethbridge, Alberta. John Wilton is on the left in the back row. |
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San Diego to Montreal in Air Canada A220-300 business class! Posted by SANspotter. |
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From Dan Holmes - I always enjoy reading the Netletter and seeing things from my past at Air Canada. I got a chuckle reading Ralph Quick’s item in NetLetter #1503 on a NOTAM concerning a runway closure in Mumbai for recarpeting. He wondered what kind of carpet they were using. Seems obvious to me – 'flying' carpet of course. Best regards, Dan Holmes |
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Photo by Bomber Pilot @ commons.wikimedia.org/wiki |
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Photo by Simon Butler @ www.flickr.com/photos |