Shirlee Schacter sends us this notice -

Friends of Front Street (also known as “FoFS”) is holding their 18th Annual Reunion on Saturday, November 3, 2018, from 11:30 a.m. to ?? at Hooters, 171 Carlingview Drive on the YYZ Airport strip.

This group, initially comprised of former employees from the Toronto branch of the Computer & Systems Services Department of Air Canada (C&SS), based at 151 Front Street in Toronto, branched out to include other Departments that interfaced with C&SS over the years, such as Transportation Services, Marketing, Sales and others.

There are over 400 names on the master list, of which about 50% have email contact.

If you feel you should be included on that list and did not receive your invitation, please contact Shirlee Schacter at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Canada's first Indigenous women-owned airline to launch out of YVR

In Vancouver, on Friday, September 21, 2018, a new Indigenous women-owned airline announced its launch and start of service coming next spring.

Called "Iskwew Air", the airline will begin its flights next March out of Vancouver International Airport's south terminal. The airline is expected to offer charter services and hopes to provide scheduled service to remote communities across the province in an effort to boost accessibility and Indigenous tourism.

Here is a photo of Teara Fraser, CEO and founder of Iskwew Air.

Source: www.yvr.ca

Flybe begins ‘Flyshe’ program to bring more women into aviation.

Europe’s largest regional airline has begun an initiative to bring more women into aviation, in the same week as the UK’s pilots’ union expressed fears that rising costs increasingly mean that only the wealthy can become flight deck crew.

(Source: ATW Daily News September 21, 2018)

In NetLetter #1399, Shirlee Schacter sent some photos taken at the Woodbine event.

We, at the NetLetter, gave an incorrect caption to one of the photos, and we send this correction:

Caption to picture in YYZ Pionairs Woodbine Event published in NetLetter #1399 should have read:

"Big smiles from "Buck" Buchanan and Sylvia Dexter".

Marlie Kelsey has posted photos from the CP Air/Canadian BC District Reunion, Parksville, British Columbia, September 16, 2018, on Facebook.

Here is a selection -

 The Whole Gang.

A report is in the CP Air section of this NetLetter.

Here is the cover of the enRoute magazine issued January 2012.

Snorkeling off the Scott Beach in the U.S. Virgin Islands, photo by Chris Nicholls.

Extracts from the "Horizons" magazine. Issue dated February 2006. (with permission).

Dreams Take Flight.

Dreams Take Flight started in Toronto in 1989 when a group of employees took 70 children to Walt Disney World Resort. Since then this special flight has expanded across Canada. Children on flights from Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary visit Disneyland in California. Children on the Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax flights see Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

Since the start of the program in 1989, more than 11,000 physically, mentally or socially challenged children have visited Disneyland or Walt Disney World Resort thanks to employees, retirees, family and friends from Air Canada and Jazz, and the many corporate sponsors of Dreams Take Flight.

Employees donate $10,000 winnings to Dreams Take Flight.

This group of Toronto-based employees entered a local radio station’s scavenger hunt and won the $10,000 top prize which will be donated to Dreams Take Flight. These employees showed that through teamwork and sheer determination, the near impossible can be accomplished.

This hardy team searched for 25 hard-to-find items including a live elephant, an original pay stub from an NHL hockey player, a Commodore 64 computer, a 1957 Chevy that works and a window speaker from a drive-in movie – not to mention having 12 people dress up as Santa Claus.

To help in the search, they enlisted colleagues, friends and family. In the end, all but two items were obtained. Many scavenger teams had contacted the Bowmanville Zoo for an elephant, however, when the zoo learned that the Air Canada team would donate its winnings to Dreams Take Flight, the zoo agreed our employees could lay claim to the elephant as theirs for the purposes of the hunt.

In our photo are some of the employees who participated in the hunt:

Back row: Julie Mailhot, Manager, Flight Dispatch Operations & ATC Coordinator; Tina Fallis, Flight Safety Awareness Manager; Josie Forbes, Project Control Manager; Kathy Dutchak, Manager, Finance & Administration – SOC; Mary Wolf, Manager, Non-Aircraft Procurement; Nancy Rockbrune, Black Belt; Cathy Hollister. Manager, Employee & Ground Safety.

Front row: Annie Prasnjak, Emergency Response Planning Manager; Krista Clark, Manager, Internal Quality Audits; Sandra Boyle, PMO Project Manager; Lita Mueller, Administrative Assistant; Jan Yeo, Supply Accounts Assistant.

At Paris customers have access to two Air Canada self-service check-in kiosks, which includes a passport reading device.

Standing by the Air Canada check-in kiosk at Paris Airport are:

From the left: Jean-Pierre Oiry, Senior Station Co-ordinator; Gilles Charlu, Customer Service Manager; Laetitia Waeyaert, Passenger Agent; Patrice Buret, Senior Sales Agent; Cedric Tasnier, Passenger Agent.

Issue July/August 2010. (Used with permission).

Air Canada employees participate in the GTAA run in Toronto. On Saturday, June 19, 2010, Air Canada employees participated in the GTAA’s third annual Runway Run for charity.

Runway 06R-24L was closed for the event and participants jogged or walked alongside other active runways to raise money for a great cause.

In our photo are: Nikki Tsimiklis, Daniela Provato, Lidia Campanaro, Mike Trauzzi. Mary Manni, Michael Foley, Linda Lancione, Chris Timson and Karima Lalani.

Starting in November 2009, aware of being in WestJet territory, Calgary employees held a Customer Appreciation Day at the airport – a big hit with our passengers.

So employees from Customer Relations, Airports, GSE and In-flight, led by Marlene Pipella, GM Customer Relations, got together to think of ways to put Air Canada back on the brains of Calgarians.

They set their sights on the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth - 'The Calgary Stampede'.

Issue dated September 2010. (Used with permission)

Changing the way we buy at Air Canada.

Did you know that Air Canada spends over $5.6 billion a year buying goods, services or products? Everything from the earbuds we resell onboard, to the van services that drive our crews to and from hotels during layovers, to the very paper this story is printed on — from more than 4000 suppliers?

It is imperative that we adopt a well thought out process for selecting our suppliers, many of whom are strategic to our business.

In our photo we have:

Sitting left to right: Lou Carvalho, Senior Director Catering Product; Luc Piché, Senior Director Strategic Procurement; Andrianna Pischos, Manager, In-Flight Catering Product; Danny Lavigne, Manager, Strategic Purchasing Commercial.

Standing: Wally Gebara, Suppler Accounts Manager; Sabrina Felicioni, Catering Product Specialist; David Kelusky, Amit Sachder and Jordan Shapiro.

Consultants from A.T. Kearney, a global management company; Jennifer Tune, Manager Strategic Purchasing Commercial; Victor Cheng, Manager Supply Chain Galley Planning and Catering Performance.

Found in the "Parts & Pieces" magazine issue dated 1996, June July & August.

Scam of the Month

Here is a picture of a real character and actor, Gordon Church,  a Stockkeeper in Dorval stores was solely responsible for this prank that he pulled off on quite a few of his peers. Racks were being pulled from one location to another by leaving them assembled to save time in re-assembly.

As we all know these racks were put up in the early 1960's and the dirt and cigarette butts were dragged with the racks. Gordon decided to look under the end of one of the racks just as gullible me, Frank Pedder, arrived for me to see him move the dust around only to find an old $20 bill.

He had many of us going for a while until he confessed that it was his $20 bill and not a found one.

Marlie Kelsey tells us that the CP Air/Canadian BC District Reunion was held at the Bayside Quality Resort Inn in Parksville on September 14 - 16, 2018.

This is an extension of what started as the YXY reunion in 2003 and now includes all the bases from YXS to YXY including YYE, YQH, YQU and YXT and YPR.

Friday the 14th was Meet and Greet, Saturday the 15th was the dinner, attended by 89 people and on Sunday the 16th, brunch was available. Marlie has posted many photos on Facebook.com. The NetLetter has some posted here as well under "Reader Submitted Photos".

In NetLetter #1398 we had an appeal from Marlie regarding the incident with CP Air 021 which CBC News with Ian Hanomansing was working on and were interested in speaking to anyone with a connection to the crash or anyone who may have information that could help shed light on this 50-year-old case.

On Saturday, at the reunion, Johanna Wagstaffe from CBC came over to Parksville and interviewed 3 of the pilots and two women who were flight attendants during that time along with Jim Austin who was an Engineer. They were thrilled to be able to talk to them and did interviews from 1130 to 1530. They were looking to speak to people who flew during that time to find what it was like. What safety procedures were followed? What was it like to be a pilot and flight attendant at that time?

Lots of pictures taken at the reunion and they are posted on CP Air FB. There is such a strong feeling of camaraderie after all these years and even the CBC staff commented on that.

(Note: Terry Baker of the NetLetter team was invited to the Meet and Greet and can attest to the camaraderie amongst those present - eds)

Prairie Airways. 

In the summer of 1935 the directors of the Moose Jaw Flying Club decided it would be a propitious time to set up a small airline specializing in charter and passenger flying.

They hired member, Dick Ryan as manager and formed Prairie Airways. The airline initiated operation flying a DH Puss Moth and a high-wing Cessna monoplane.

In April 1938 Prairie Airways received the first feeder line airmail contract issued by the Canadian Post Office Department. Their low bid was based on estimates using the two Beechcraft S18D's on Saskatchewan routes that extended from Prince Albert to North Battleford, south to Saskatoon and Moose Jaw and then connecting with Trans-Canada Air Lines at Regina. The two S18D aircraft were ordered through Canadian distributor, Aircraft Industries of Canada in Montreal.

Late summer, 1940  -- Directors of Moose Jaw-based Prairie Airways began discussing an offer from Canadian Pacific Air Lines to purchase their firm. This was approved; Prairie's GM, Dick Ryan, joined CPA’s staff as manager of its Saskatchewan region, but soon was loaned to the management staff of 3 Air Observer School (AOS) in Regina.

(See From Boxkite To Boardroom by Richard W. "Dick" Ryan.)

This timetable issued in June 15, 1940 is from the collection of Don Henchell.

(Source: timetableimages.com)

In late 1941 Canadian Pacific Air Lines acquired Prairie Airways and its five aircraft (two Beechcraft S18D's, a Barkley-Grow T8P-1, a Cessna Airmaster and a Waco ZQC-6).

(Sources: www.aerodacious.com and Saskatchewan Aviation Chronology 1940-49)

There usually was a Fairchild 71 or an 82 any day around Edmonton from the late 1920s into the early 1960s. This lovely period view, by Leslie Corness, features CPA's famous -82 CF-AXQ getting some daily servicing. Built in 1939 c/n 69 for Mackenzie Air Services of Edmonton, it migrated to CPA in 1942 with that company's takeover of a host of smaller northern operators. On December 3, 1946, CF-AXQ was acquired by Waite Fisheries of Ile-a-La·Crosse, Saskatchewan.

When the pilot got into deteriorating weather on January 28,1947 his windscreen iced up so badly that he couldn't see properly on landing and crashed near home base. 

The beloved “82” first had flown at Longueuil near Montreal on July 6, 1935. Twenty-four were built, including examples for Mexico and Argentina.

(Source: Leslie Corness collection via Larry Milberry/CANAV Books)

Captain Ralph Quick has sent us this memory -

18 Minute Search and Rescue.

Sometime in the 1970’s F/O Brian Brownridge and I were approaching Watson Lake (YQH) in the Yukon. We were at 28,000 feet in a CP Air B-737 Flight 21 overflying YQH due to weather.

Fog dominated the ground for as far as we could see. At YQH the weather was reported as ceiling obscured ⅛ of a mile in fog. As we came overhead I noted a hole in the fog about 1 ½ miles wide located 5 miles east of YQH on the Alaska Highway between YQH and Lower Post.

About a minute past YQH we heard an American pilot call YQH on frequency 126.7 and saying “I'm on a road heading North and I have 20, maybe 30 minutes fuel left “. YQH replied he was not able to read him as he was breaking up.

I called YQH on 122.2 and said we were reading him five square would you like us to take over. A relieved radio operator said sure and said that we should know that this pilot had left Whitehorse for Muncho Lake after strong recommendations not to, by the YXY Met Office. Also that he had reported by YQH eastbound for Muncho Lake 1hr and 20 mins ago. My reply was that should put him on the Smith River road (as it was the only road heading north that was east of YQH). He concurred. Before talking to the pilot made clear that we would do all talking to pilot on 126.7 and all talking to YQH on 122.2.

What followed was an amazing sequence of events. Considering that from our altitude he could have been up to a 180 miles in any direction we had him safely on the ground on pavement 18 minutes after his initial call. Thanks to a cleaning lady he even had an RCMP car blocking the Alaska Highway for him. I can just see you wondering what a cleaning lady has to do with all this.

To abbreviate the radio communications

W- is Watson Lake Radio. First letter calling to...
A- is American Pilot. Second letter from...
E - is Empress 21...

A E - what type of aircraft?
E A - a Bede 4 (factory manufactured home build 4 place high wing a/c with high wing loading)
A E - do you have ADF?
E A - yes.
A E - tune in 248 KC (YQH radio) and tell me what you see.
E A -  It's pointing straight ahead.
W E -  he’s on the Cassiar Road.
E W -  I concur.
E A - I just passed Bus (the way he said we knew he was low level and the bus had been close)
E W  - that checks the bus left for Cassiar 7 minutes ago.

So 3 minutes after first call we knew he was about 5 miles south of the Alaska Highway on the Cassiar road which intercepts just west of the town of Watson Lake.

A E - be prepared to make right turn. The road you're on ends in a T just ahead of you. Report eastbound.

I warned him because if he overshot the end of road out into the muskeg with low visibility and he tried a fast turn he would probably stall out at his low level.
I now knew he had enough fuel to make the hole in the fog.

W E - how many cars have the RCMP got?
E W -  Two.
W E - would you call RCMP and ask them to block the highway in the fog free area east of town.
E W - Roger.
E A - I am eastbound, I think I can make Muncho Lake.

This proved he didn’t have clue where he was (Muncho was 180 miles away and he had no fuel )

A E - just stay on the road (he was flying in 1/8th of a mile in fog and had to fly over the town)
E W - called RCMP no officers there. Cleaning lady says she will pass message on.

I had asked F/O to get me an airspace reservation 28,000 and below within 30 miles of YQH and now used this to do a rapid descent for the hole so that we could be in position to warn A if a car coming out of fog was going to hit him. Had kept passengers in loop with PA as to what was happening.

A E - you will be coming out of the fog shortly and there could be a police car blocking road.

As we approached the hole at 6,000 ft. above ground we could see a police flasher. No sooner saw that, than a dot appeared out of the fog.

A E - have you in sight the police car ahead is blocking road for you. If you feel you have enough fuel would recommend a circuit “watch out for wires crossing road “.

In all the Yukon this was a short stretch of road between two built up areas YQH and Lower Post that might have wires crossing road. The American went down to the end of clear air turned around and came back towards the police car. I expected him to land but he just kept on coming and soon he was in a position that a landing seemed impossible. All of a sudden he dived and then leveled off and I realized he was decelerating rapidly after landing. As he was only about 300 ft to the police car I said to Brian “he’s going to hit the car “. He must have had good brakes as somehow he stopped.

First thing he said was “phew those wires were close “. The dive was to get under the wires.

He said thank you for assistance and we continued to YXY.

Captain Ralph Quick
CP Air, CAIL,  Retired

In NetLetter #1398, in the CPAir section we had an article regarding Canadian Pacific Airlines, (Airlines 1 word), with several photos of early aircraft and the hangars show Canadian Pacific Air Lines, (Air Lines 2 words).

Ken Pickford, who proofreads the NetLetter before we send it to our subscribers, stated that the name of Canadian Pacific Airlines in our original draft of the article was incorrect and should be Canadian Pacific Air Lines, "Air Lines" (2 words). We questioned this as the tickets we have also shows Canadian Pacific Airlines, (Airlines 1 word).

This was Ken's response -

Re: Canadian Pacific Airlines vs. Air Lines, as mentioned the legal name was always 2 words, but the one-word format did appear off and on for marketing purposes. In the ticket small print somewhere inside there's likely a reference to it having been issued by Canadian Pacific Air Lines, Limited.

When the CP Air name was adopted in 1968 that was also just a marketing name, never had any legal significance.

(Note: All reference to Canadian Pacific Airlines in NetLetter nr 1398 was amended to read Canadian Pacific Air Lines.

This is a similar confusion between Trans-Canada Airlines (incorrect) and Trans-Canada Air Lines (correct) - eds)

Neil Burton has sent us the paper he has just finished about the use of a Seabee aircraft operated from Fulton Field Airport, Kamloops, by Kamloops Air Service, and pilot Harry Layton Bray and his fellow ex-servicemen.

Harry Bray earned his air time on both prop-driven aircraft and the jet propelled type. A note I have says he retired from Pacific Western Airlines in June 1981.

Also, part of this paper references ex Air Commodore Earl Leslie MacLeod’s MacLeod Aircraft Limited, of Vancouver, a dealer of the Republic Seabee. This lends an idea of who was operating the aircraft in B.C., during the late 1940 – early 1950 period.

This being the 80th year of a licensed airport, in Kamloops, I’ve added short tidbits of the years 1927 to the 1938 licensing. Hope you and your readers enjoy the history, should you choose to read it. 

Cheers, Neil Burton, September 22, 2018.

Along with our recent articles on BC airlines, we have this article of an operator with Seabee aircraft, Westinghouse Airways. 

In 1946 two sons of the American industrialist George Westinghouse established Westinghouse Airways headquarters in Victoria. They flew their Luscombe and three Seabee pusher flying boats out of Canadian Pacific and BC Airlines’ base in View Royal. The service was sold to BC Airlines in 1954.

(Source: www.victoriaharbourhistory.com)

Here we have a timetable. 

In 1927, Vern C. Gorst, owner and pilot of Seattle’s Gorst Air Transport often flew his Loening Amphibian Air Yacht into the harbour, mooring at the B&K wharf.

Gorst entered into partnership with fellow pilot and Seattle Percy Barnes in 1928. The two won Victoria’s airmail contracts for 1928 through 1930.

They briefly offering a scheduled passenger service between Victoria’s B&K wharf and their base on Seattle’s Lake Union.

In May of 1930 the company won an additional United States Postal Service airmail contract that ran though to June 1934 flying their red Boeing B-E 204 A Zephyr. 

(Source: www.victoriaharbourhistory.com)

We Khan do it.

Big ambitions for your airline start-up?

Why not name it after a ruthless and legendary warrior who ended up dominating much of Asia and Europe? Reigning for almost a quarter of a century and conquering all rivals who stood in his way.

Make way please for China's Genghis Khan Airlines.

(Source: Flight International magazine issue September 11-17, 2018)

The long-proposed regional airline in northern China is scheduled to begin operations next year with Comac ARJ21s instead of the Bombardier CRJ900s originally planned, and is a rebrand from Tianjiao Airlines.

(Source: aviationweek.com)

For Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific, it was between the "i"s -- on the livery of its Boeing 777-367.

Photos have emerged that appear to show a plane on the ground at Hong Kong International Airport, proudly emblazoned with the words "CATHAY PACIIC."

And to prove that it's a good sport, if not necessarily a good speller, Cathay Pacific shared the photos on social media, announcing on its Twitter account: "Oops this special livery won't last long! She's going back to the shop. 

(Source: cnn.com Sepember 21, 2018)

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

A friend from Calgary was visiting Victoria and, when presenting her driver’s license for boarding the agent noticed it was out of date, the friend had forgotten to renew.

Alberta does not advise holders when renewals are due; consequently the agent refused boarding without any other government document with a photo.

The agent suggested the friend nip along to get a fishing license, which has a photo on it. Boarding was effected upon the presentation of the fishing license.