Dear Subscribers,

There is nothing helpful that we can say concerning the COVID-19 virus but it is impossible not to acknowledge that it is affecting all of our lives.

We wish to thank you for allowing us to share a bit of your time and we hope that everyone remains safe and healthy during this difficult time.

The NetLetter Team

We always welcome feedback about Air Canada (including Jazz and Rouge) from our subscribers who wish to share current events, memories and photographs.

Particularly if you have stories to share from one of the legacy airlines: Canadian Airlines, CP Air, Pacific Western, Eastern Provincial, Wardair, Nordair, Transair and many more (let us know if we have omitted your airline).

Please feel free to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We will try to post your comments in the next issue but, if not, we will publish it as soon as we can.

Thanks!

Captain David Lamb shares his memory of Fin #201

I read about the retirement of C-FDQQ - Fin # 201. As soon as I saw it was heading into retirement a flight came to mind where 201 was the centre of attention.

It was a routine three-day cycle out of Winnipeg and I was flying with First Officer Jim Wood. We had flown together often and it was going to be a good cycle. Jim took the first leg as pilot flying and we boarded Fin #201 for the morning flight. The only minor concern was the Toronto weather, which had low cloud and marginal visibility. We were well organized as we approached Toronto. The weather was 300 feet overcast and visibility was 1 mile. Jim was right on the numbers and doing a good job when at 400 feet, still in cloud, I called out birds. Birds in the cloud? Yes, a flock of seagulls skirting up into the bottom of the cloud layer. Thump, thump, thump down the right side of 201 and into the right engine. There was nothing much more for us to do at that time. Jim continued for a normal landing but we only used idle reverse on the engines after touchdown. Immediately after we cleared the runway we shut down the right engine, advised maintenance and advised the tower.

As we rolled into old terminal two there was a maintenance truck waiting with the marshaller. We could see the mechanic shaking his head and staring at the right engine. When everyone deplaned Jim and I went down to the ramp and it was a sight to behold. The engine was packed with seagull feathers. The mechanic, still shaking his head, said, “looks like a million dollar engine change to me.”

We did the required paper work, picked up another 320 and eventually ended up in Montreal for the night. The next day we were in flight planning in Montreal checking our flight plan and there it was for our ‘Rapid Air,’ good old 201. Hmm, we thought, pretty fast engine change so we phoned Maintenance Central and asked about the engine. We could hear over the phone the maintenance guy clicking away on the computer and he started to read: “Right engine, bird strike, aircraft removed from service, power washed, borescoped, ground run, systems normal, returned to service.”

The engine survived, we presume, because it was at near idle thrust when the birds were hit and we were going about as slow as we could go. It was also shut down immediately after landing.

Well-done Toronto Maintenance. Good old 201 continued to soldier on.

David Lamb

Winnipeg

Brian Lager sends this response -

With reference to the covers in the 'Submitted Photos section of NetLetter #1434, a philatelist who collects covers would have some interest. However, it has little monetary value, just the historical value to a specialist. The cover is not a first day cover but a commemorative cover.

The stamps are very common and the circular date stamp is interesting but not, again, of any value. I am sure there are collectors out there who would appreciate these.

Being a collector myself, I can see the historical value, but they are outside my genre.

Have you considered giving them to the Air Canada archives as part of the airline's history? Nice to see them displayed in the Netletter.

Brian Lager retired Halifax.

From Neil Burton -

I notice that on occasion The NetLetter has items in its publication of WACA events.

Might you like to post copies of Vancouver Interline Club’s hosting of the 11th Annual General Assembly, at Vancouver, from October 8 to 14, 1978?

Believe up to 10 motor coaches were used to show the WACA guests the sights of Vancouver and a trip on Thursday, October 12, 1978, to The Harrison Hotel, at Harrison Hot Springs, for a luncheon hosted by the Government and the People of British Columbia.

Neil sent us a copy of the "WACA News" issued October 1978.

A copy of the "Between the Lines", a magazine published by the Vancouver Interline Club, dated October 1978 advertises the monthly dance which, that month, was sponsored by CP Air (below left).

Also a copy of the menu offered during the 11th Annual General Meeting of the Worlds Airlines Clubs Association (WACA) held on October 12, 1978 (below right).

My visit with Fin #712

I'm neither a pilot nor do I work in the airline industry. I've just always had an appreciation for machines, especially those that have proved their worth over time.

Growing up near Moncton (YQM) in the 80's and 90's, I was able to see (and hear!) Air Canada's DC-9's taking off and landing on a regular basis. My first airplane ride was in one from YYZ to YQM when I was about 5 years old. I wasn't even aware of their retirement until I started noticing around 2000 that I barely saw them anymore, and the not too distant sound of reverse thrust being engaged wasn't being heard. Sure enough, Air Canada retired these workhorses in 2001-2002.

In the summer of 2003, before I moved to Ottawa to pursue my career the following year, I made a trip to the capital city and made a stop to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. Of course, my first priority was to see Fin #711/C-FTLL (serial 47021), which I knew had been restored to 60's livery and donated to the museum the previous year. I had my picture taken (see below) with the aircraft and was amazed and happy that the museum was preserving a piece of Canadian aviation history. A few years later, as a volunteer at the museum, I was able to see the very clean interior.

Fast forward to 2016, and I was on a business trip to Winnipeg. I had some time to spare upon my arrival, and I knew that the Stevenson Campus of Red River College had received the museum's sister ship, Fin #712/C-FTLM (serial 47022) to use as a maintenance trainer. I contacted the college, and Mr. Douglas Rowsome was extremely kind and agreed to show me around the aircraft when I arrived.

Once there, I knew this was going to be an amazing visit. The aircraft was hooked up to a generator, and her systems were running! This was 15 years after her last flight! Although not airworthy, the school had obviously kept some systems going. I toured the aircraft extensively, and enjoyed every minute of it. Fin #712 was not a museum piece, so I was able to sit in any seat I wanted and move the still functioning controls. The interior was like they dropped off the last passengers and parked her at the nearby college...a time capsule from 2002. Apparently, the aircraft was used for an interior airplane scene for the film New in Town (2009). I could not thank Mr. Rowsome enough for the visit!

I also learnt (more recently) that in her career, Fin #712 had a brief storage stint in the desert (Mojave), was then brought back to passenger service, then ran off the runway due to bird strike but was repaired and kept going until retirement.

Finally, in March 2020, I inquired as to whether or not Fin #712 was still in one piece. Sadly, I learnt that in August 2018, she met her demise and was crushed for scrap. At least after being retired from the air, Fin #712 was able to provide students with an opportunity for hands-on mechanical experience for many years!

Andrew Crain

Editor's Note: Fin #712 was delivered to Air Canada in July 1967 and remained in service until October 2001. 

See: www.planespotters.net

Many thanks to Andrew for submitting his story and pictures.

Trevor Trowel sends in another story -

Dinner at Dirty Dick's (A crew layover)

Old Tom the doorman of the Kensington Palace Hotel in London, dressed in his working uniform of quasi-military elegance complete with medals and top-hat, had told me that a very nice place to go for lunch was Dirty Dick's pub near the Underground Station at Liverpool Street.

He had told me that the pub served typically British food from a huge buffet and that I would not be disappointed. Just take the number 9 bus and ask the conductor to put you off at Dirty Dick’s.

Neil Burton sends us details of his first flight -

I was one of 9 young people who were winners of a local “Peanut Butter” contest, through a corner grocery.

Our prize was a flight, May 7, 1955, on a de Havilland Beaver (CF-GYO), of Pacific Western Airlines, on floats. Boarding took place from the float dock, of Fulton Field Airport (Kamloops Airport), on the Thompson River.

Airborne, the pilot flew us over Kamloops’ main street, Victoria Street, and we could see our neighbour friends lined up to enter the Paramount Theatre, 5th Ave. & Victoria St., to view the afternoon matinee.

We were in the air for about 30 minutes before returning to the Fulton Field dock.

Editor's note from Ken Pickford: The DHC-2 Beaver Neil flew on in 1955 is still flying today at almost age 69, and after many operators, still has the original registration (now C-FGYO).

Click Here for history and photos of that aircraft from Neil Aird's extensive site with detailed history of almost every Beaver built.

Neil Burton’s second first flight – On the British Airways Concorde.

Right, it’s just another contest to increase the sales at Chevron gas bars. Correct, but this time it paid off for another “First Flight”, on the British Airways Concorde aircraft. Some representative of Chevron called our summer cabin, and either my mother or sister-in-law took the call. They had to find me outside, but the representative either held or I had to call them back for those skill-testing questions. My answers must have been correct as I won a seat, one of 99 per flight. My flight was on Saturday, August 9, 1986.

At check-in, seats were assigned on a “first come, first served” basis, then it was a coffee and a danish snack before a 10 A.M. departure, boarding from a jetway at the YVR Terminal. This Concorde flight headed northwest over Vancouver Island and was said to have broken the sound barrier, over the Pacific Ocean and approached Mach 2. Yes, we were served an in-flight lunch of hors d’oeuvres, Beef Wellington, Camembert cheese and chocolates in a Concord design box. A drink of French champagne was available and a carnation corsage/boutonniere was on each guest’s tray.

On landing, from our venture over the Pacific, the Concorde was taxied to the CP Air administration building, where we deplaned and were allowed to walk around the aircraft, thus the engine and tail photos. During the flight all passengers were allowed to enter the cockpit to take photos.

I also took in the Abbotsford Airshow and saw the British Airways Concorde, registration G-BOAG, perform in the sky above the airport.

Cheers, Neil Burton, April 10, 2020

Women in Aviation International held another successful annual gathering during the 31st Annual International Women in Aviation Conference at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, March 5-7, 2020.

With its unique blend of top-notch speakers, busy exhibit hall, an array of education sessions, and more than 100 scholarship awards, the WAI 2020 conference delivered numerous opportunities to connect and network with female peers in the aviation and aerospace industry.

(Source: wai.org)

December 1, 1913 -
Lyubov Golanchikova becomes the first female test pilot.

Lyubov Golanchikova (1889–1959) was the third woman of the Russian Empire to receive a pilot's license. She was probably born in what is now Estonia.

She was the first female test pilot, testing airplanes for Anthony Fokker, the French aircraft firm Morane-Saulnier, and the Russian airplane manufacturer Fedor Tereshchenko.

During World War 1, she flew missions for the Red Cross and during the civil war, may have flown observation missions for the Red Army. In 1923, she moved to the United States and made several attempts to be the first woman to make a transatlantic fight, though none ever came to fruition.

After 1930, she quit flying and worked in various positions, including as a taxi driver.

(Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyubov_Golanchikova)

Posted on the Simple Flying YouTube channel -

Air Canada Removes Seating From B777's To Increase Cargo Capacity

Air Canada has decided to indefinitely suspend service at the Lethbridge airport beginning March 31, 2020. 

In a statement, the airline cites routes not performing at the level required to ensure commercial sustainability and "the current environment" without specifically mentioning the COVID-19 pandemic.

The statement reads: "We will be suspending our Air Canada Express flights between Lethbridge-Calgary, and Medicine Hat-Calgary as of the end of March.

(Source: Global News)

Issue dated November 1989.

Chicago staff welcome VP.

Zachary Clark, Vice President, Passenger International, made a trip to Chicago and met with local staff.

Seen in the photo are (from left to right): Dick Griffith, Public Relations Consultant; Pat Moore, Load Services Manager; Ron Waters, Manager - Chicago; Art Thrun, Senior Account Executive; Zack Clark; Al Zeller, Airport Manager; Janice Rowe, Sales Representative; Jim Arrigo, Sales Manager, Cleveland; Mike Podrasky, Sales Representative and Ernie Konstas, Sales Manager - Minneapolis.

Purchasing picks ping-pong.

Purchasing & Supply (Dorval) employees looking for a challenge during Fitness Week were able to join in a ping-pong tournament organized by Carole Lowe and Lois Pickford.

The participants are pictured here after the awards ceremonies.

They are (back row. left 10 right): Ken Green, Mike Legault, Bob Monks (Men's Champion and overall winner); Kay Lajoie (Women's Champion); Bernie Lapointe, Gail Cawson and Ingrid Young.

In the front row (same order) are: Bob Doret, John Dickie and Bernie Gillies.

Issue dated December 1989.

Clark visits San Francisco staff.

Zack Clark. Vice President. Passenger - International, paid a visit to San Francisco.

Highlights of his busy schedule included a get-together with sales staff' to review results for 1989, which year-to-date reflect a positive 30 per cent increase in revenue over the same period last year, a luncheon meeting with eight of Air Canada's top revenue producing travel agents, a tour of the cargo facility and meeting with airport customer service staff.

In the photo, Zack Clark is shown (centre) with (back row. left to right): Jim Gould, Susan Grohulski, Neville Fong, Lynn Gosney, Michele Stevens, Joyce Jercinovic. Steve Gabel, Mike Garzouzi and John Rimel.

Standing in front are (same order): Flavia Caroselli, Martina Wong, Joe Ross, Zack Clark, Jessica Victoria, Sharon Lysek, Angie Peet and Ahmet Eracar.

Issue dated January 1990.

40 Year Club membership reaches 200.

For the new members of the 40 Year Club, 1949 was a very memorable year. It was special not because Newfoundland became Canada's 10th province or because the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup but rather because 1949 was the year that these 12 employees joined Trans Canada Air Lines.

In 1989 there were only some 200 employees who belonged to this elite club which was founded by one of its newest members, Chairman Claude I. Taylor, in 1981. Every year, the group is honoured at a special banquet where each new member receives a commemorative gift and two POS F passes. The employees' names are also inscribed on a special plaque which is on display at Air Canada head office in Montreal.

In his speech, President & CEO Pierre J. Jeanniot commended the group for being part of a team which laid the groundwork and the foundation for what Air Canada is today, "a strong, vibrant and world recognized leader among airlines throughout the industry". 

The evening's special guests also included Ray Iverson, Lead Mechanic Winnipeg, who celebrated 45 years with the airline this year, and Vic Hussey, who narrowly missed membership with 39 years and four months service to his credit.

New members of the 40 Year Club joined president & CEO Pierre J. Jeanniot to pose for a celluloid souvenir to add to their 40 years of memories.

They are (front row, left to right): Fred Mark, Frank Janoschak, Ken Gordon, Jim Baldwin, George Brammer, Doug Kermode and Claude Taylor.

Back row (same order): Gil Gilbert, Bill Mattocks, Bill Rumsey, Pierre Jeanniot, Norm Ings, Vic Hussey, Ron Clubb and Ray Iverson (45 years).

Bob Munro and Jack Owen were unable to attend the gathering.

Issue dated March 1990.

On Tuesday, February 13, 1990 flight AC409 became the first revenue-earning flight operated by our new Airbus A320, with fin 202, C-FDQV carrying 57 revenue passengers, eight contingents and eight crew from Montreal to Toronto.

The flight crew was made up of: Captains Jim McQueen and Michel Bernard and First Officer Bev Jewett.

The ln-Flight Service crew included: Serge Colekessian, Purser and Flight Attendants Dianne Manchee, Johanne Houde, Yves Lapierre and Andre Roy.

Also on board to check on how things went was Pierre Belleau, Communications and Standards Supervisor.

Service changes during 1990 -

Effective April 1, 1990.

• Air Nova's withdrawal from the Gander-Deer Lake-Montreal route.
• Re-gauging Air Canada's St. John's-Montreal flight to DC-9 equipment (from B-727).
• Elimination of two Air Canada flights between St. John's and Halifax, to be replaced by Air Nova.
• Introduction of non-stop Air Canada DC-9 service between Charlottetown and Toronto, eliminating the Ottawa stop.
• Cancellation of Air Canada flights between Saint John and Montreal, to be provided by Air Nova services through Fredericton.
• Introduction of Air Nova direct service between Fredericton and Ottawa.
• Elimination of Air Canada service between Fredericton and Montreal and Ottawa from Toronto Island Airport.
• The new high frequency operation - called Rapidair Metro – is being marketed as an extension of Air Canada's popular Rapidair product.
• On July 5, 1990 Air Canada discontinued its once daily DC-9 service on the Victoria-Calgary route as well as the Victoria-Vancouver portion of the Victoria-Vancouver-Edmonton service.

1989 - June 16 -

• Service to Copenhagen, extended from the Toronto - Amsterdam route with 767-300R equipment.
• Nonstop flights between Toronto - Rome, Toronto - Milan, Toronto - Munich and Montreal - Rome.
• Service between Calgary and Ottawa reintroduced.
• 767 service introduced between Toronto and Halifax.
• Service introduced between Calgary and Yellowknife, Inuvik and Norman Wells.

1989 - May 1 -

• Service between Toronto and Tokyo commenced with DC-10-30ER equipment.

Issue dated March 30, 1989.

PWA Corporation received approval March 23 from the National Transportation Agency for its proposed acquisition of Wardair Inc. on the grounds that the transaction is not against the public interest.

The Agency’s decision is subject to a statutory review period of up to 30 days during which PWA Corporation is prohibited from completing its proposed acquisition.

PWA’s offer to purchase the shares of Wardair Inc. expires on April 14, 1989, but expects to extend its offer to permit expiry of the review period if necessary.

PWA Corporation is still awaiting approval of the acquisition from the Competition Bureau. It is expected by the end of April.

Issue dated April 13, 1989.

Canadian Club formed.

Canadian employees from across Canada met in Calgary, April 1, 1989 to co-ordinate plans for the start-up of three new local social clubs in Toronto and Atlantic Canada.

They will join established clubs in Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Yellowknife and Winnipeg as part of the 'system social club' known as the "Canadian Club".

Piece of history.

Fancy owning a bit of an airline-operated Airbus A380?

A German company is using recycled fuselage parts from ex-Singapore Airlines super jumbos to make collectible identity tags from their outer skins. The aircraft have been broken up for spares by Tarmac Aerosave in Tarbes, France.

Each of the limited edition tags sports the aircraft type, registration number, edition number and size. Some 7,000 such items from (9V-SKA) - first flown from Toulouse on May 7, 2006, delivered to Singapore on October 12, 2007 and retired in October 2017,  sold out within 48 hours, says the company, which is now taking pre-orders for tags made from MSN005 (9V-SKB). Yours for a mere €27.95 ($30 USD).

(Sources: CNN Travel and FlightGlobal.com)

Another abandoned airport.

Stapleton International Airport served Denver, Colorado between 1929 and 1995, when it was replaced by Denver International.

In July 1997, a storm caused severe damage to its structure, so it had to get knocked down completely. All that remains today is one old control tower. 

(Source: www.skyscanner.net)

The Canadian Aviation Historical Society (CAHS.com) is offering this book for sale at $18.00 (GST included) plus $6.00 shipping per copy in Canada. 

Author Kerry Karram was inspired by her grandfather Andy Cruickshank’s diary to tell the story of the 1929 Arctic search and rescue efforts to save eight prospectors of the Dominion Explorers led by C.D.H. MacAlpine.

Grossly under-equipped, the expedition ran out of fuel and was stranded above the Arctic Circle. Within days, Western Canada Airways sent a rescue team headed by Captain Andy Cruickshank, in what was to become the most extensive aviation search in Canadian history.

The searchers encountered trouble: turbulent weather, forced landings, and plane crashes. The prospectors were also struggling, as they waited edgily for freeze-up and the anticipated crossing to Cambridge Bay. While Cruickshank and his team were trying to reconstruct a damaged aircraft, MacAlpine and his men were forced to run more than 112 kilometres on barely frozen ice to arrive at Cambridge Bay, where they still awaited rescue.

The CAHS is offering this book for sale at $18.00 (GST included) plus $6.00 shipping per copy in Canada.

Limited time offer – Please place your orders by 1 May 2020. 

(Source: CAHS National Newsletter March 2020).

Northwest Territorial Airways

Robert Engle was an American entrepreneur who moved to northern Canada in 1958 and started NWT Air in 1961 with a single De Haviland Otter which he piloted himself.

The airline operated passenger and cargo charter service in the vast Northwest Territories. In 1981, it was granted a permit to operate scheduled service and opened routes from Yellowknife to Rankin Inlet, Iqaluit and Winnipeg and, in 1983, it began service between Yellowknife and Edmonton.

NWT Air also operated overnight express service throughout Canada and a trucking company out of Edmonton. The airline was sold to Air Canada in the late 1980's but continued to operate as NWT Air with Engle at the helm. In 1997 the company was acquired and integrated into First Air.

Mr. Engle was inducted into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame on May 29, 2014. He passed away just a few months after his induction.

Videographer Henry Tenby’s latest post to the JetFlix YouTube channel chronicles a Royal visit to the North in 1994. Henry was employed as the official photographer at Northwest Territorial Airways (NWT Air) and brought a video camera with him so he was able to record highlights of the trip. Please see the link below to view this very entertaining video.

Sources and additional info:

NWT Air at rzjets.net

Robert Engle inducted into the Canadian Aviation HOF at CBC.ca

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

A380 cold weather trials at Iqaluit (YFB) February 2006.

(Source: blog by Larry Milberry, www.canavbooks.wordpress.com)

Early in 2006 John Graham, the airport manager at Iqaluit, gave me a heads-up that an A380 was coming to town for cold weather trials. This sounded like a great opportunity, so I organized a trip north from Ottawa on a First Air 737 for February 3, 2006.

The A380 was due on February 6, 2006, so I had time to cover some other aviation. On February 4, 2006, for example, I went over to Resolute Bay and back on a First Air 748. Next day I spent around town and the airport, then February 6, 2006 dawned as a fine, clear day.

John gave me the A380’s ETA, so I had time to set up at the arrival end of the runway. Here’s one of the shots I took as the mighty A380 (call sign “AIB501”) was about to touch down. This was the first ever A380 landing in “The New World”. 

The aircraft was F-WWDD sn004 (the 4th A380, now in a museum in France). Some cold soaking was conducted with “WDD” parked off the main ramp; see photo of it with the Lynden Air Cargo L.100 Hercules.

Does this look cold enough for you? “WDD” also made 1 or 2 test flights that week. In the other photos, “WDD” looms across the snow-covered ramp as a First Air BAe748 and ATR-42 await their next trips. Finally, a scene with “WDD” being de-iced for a test flight. 

After another wonderful Arctic trip, I finally got back to Toronto on February 13, 2006.