We have welcomed 300 new subscribers so far in 2020.

We wish to thank everyone for your support of our efforts.

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, Air BC, Time Air, Quebecair, Calm Air, NWT Air, Air Alliance, Air Nova, Air Ontario, Air Georgian, First Air/Canadian North and all other Canadian based airlines that once graced the Canadian skies.

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!

Hello Everyone,

I am planning a fashion show of CP Flight Attendant uniforms (F/A) in YVR next year. Do any of you know where I might locate old CP Air F/A manuals going back about 60 years that would have information on rules for wearing our uniforms? For example, no hair touching our collars, girdles required, etc.

There must be an archives somewhere with these manuals. Would love it if someone could help me locate them. Also wonder if any of you have complete male F/A uniforms that we could add to the fashion show?

Many thanks!

Alix Bishop, YVR

Ken Patry, regarding this photo in "Subscriber Feedback" in NetLetter #1449, sends ths information -

Regarding the photo of Robert Service standing in front of the Barkley Grow, I think the pilot is Sheldon Luck. He and my father Don Patry were both pilots for Yukon Southern.

Enclosed is a picture of one of the Barkley’s they flew on floats.

Ken Patry

Warwick Beadle sends this additional information -

Regarding the Barkley-Grow photo question, I sent the document to a friend of mine in Whitehorse, Bob Cameron to see if he knew. His response follows. I hope it helps.

Regards,

Warwick Beadle CP 1968-2001.

Mr. Cameron's reply:

Hi Warwick,

Nice to see a few folks out there interested in the history! The pilot in the picture with Robert Service is Sheldon Luck. He had just given 'RWS' his first ride in an airplane (the Barkley)!

I have the original of that photo. The news reporter who took the photo gave a copy to Sheldon, who wasn't much on collecting photos. He gave it to my uncle Dick Fisher, who was often a co-pilot with Sheldon back in the Yukon Southern days.

Uncle Dick was an engineer with 'YSAT', worked a lot with Sheldon and Grant, and ended up at the top of the maintenance department of CPA when he retired. I have all his Yukon Southern photos.

Uncle Dick and Rex Terpening were among the managers who took off their suits and put on their coveralls to put back into service a DC-8 that was undergoing heavy maintenance when the maintenance crew went on strike. With the DC-8 in pieces the strikers thought they had the company over a barrel, but they underestimated the capability of management back in those days!

They were all out of the bush flying days of CPA and YSAT and hadn't forgotten their trade!

Submitted by Mike Nash -

In feedback section of The Netletter #1450 of November 28, 2020, you quoted Vic Bentley as saying that Andy Cruikshank’s ‘Ryan’ aircraft was the same model that Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic, “…the sister ship to the famous Spirit of St. Louis, in which he made his famous transatlantic flight.”

The connection to Lindbergh may actually be a lot stronger than Vic Bentley suggests. According to author Kerry Karram in ‘Four Degrees Celsius: A Story of Arctic Peril’ (Dundurn, Toronto, 2012), pages 44-46.

Andy Cruickshank was next in the production line for a Ryan monoplane when Charles Lindbergh approached him and asked if he could take delivery of the plane instead for the attempt on the first non-stop Atlantic flight. Cruikshank agreed to give up his position in the production line and Cruikshank’s aircraft became Lindbergh’s ‘Spirit of St. Louis’, with Cruikshank taking delivery of the next plane in production.

Submitted by Captain David Edward -

Hi,

Always look forward to receiving The NetLetter and appreciate all the hard work you do to keep us informed.

Reference the Submitted Photos section of issue NL  #1450, graduates of Brantford-Norfolk Aero Club.

My father, A.G.K.(Gath) Edward has been misidentified. Dad had a 30 year career, from, from 1940 to 1970, with TCA-Air Canada. I had a 40 year career, from 1958 to 1998, and the family tradition carries on.

Our eldest son, Gregory is in his 32nd year with Air Canada, flying the B-787 at the present time, and his son Casey is currently on furlough from his position as an First Officer on the A-220.

We had hoped to celebrate Casey's joining the family tradition and making him the first 4th generation pilot for the same airline. Sadly, he now becomes a 3rd generation pilot to be furloughed by the same airline.

Cheers

David Edward, TCA / AC Captain, Retired

Editors' note: We also hope that Casey returns to work as soon as possible and this family tradition continues.

Captain Edward also supplied the following excerpt from InterPilot Journal - Issue 2 - 2018 (Page 20)

“Our eldest son Gregory, born in 1963, got his aviation diploma and pilot’s license in 1987 at Mount Royal College in Calgary. He flew in the bush with Athabaska Airways and then with Voyageur Airways in 1988. He was hired by Air Canada in 1989 and is currently a captain flying the B-787. He is also a project pilot on assignments with the company.

Gregory’s second son Casey was born in 1993. He got his wings in 2013 at Algonquin College and worked at Ottawa Aviation Services as an instructor until his hiring by Air Georgian (an Air Canada connector) in 2017. He is currently a F/O on the RJ.”

Submitted by Herbert Metzler -

I found these old pictures from a Hadj pilgrimage charter in Casablanca.

Must have been in the late 70's or early 80's.

Shown on the picture are Rudi Roth, Purser, Herbie Metzler (myself) OPS and Captain Stinston, Chief Pilot.

Cheers, Herbie

Editors' note: The aircraft in the photograph is C-FTOA (Fin # 301) which was delivered to Air Canada in February 1971 and remained in the fleet until October 1983. 

View history at Planespotters.net

In 2008, the East Canada Section of the Ninety-Nines initiated a stamp project in order to celebrate Canadian women pilots representing various flying careers.

In NetLetter #1444 we published details of the commemorative stamps issued by the East Canada Section of the Ninety-Nines in order to celebrate Canadian women pilots representing various flying careers.

Please note that these stamps cannot be purchased at Canada Postal outlets but are available at www.canadian99s.com/stamps.

Rosella Bjornson - First Canadian Female Airline Pilot. 

Rosella's interest in flying ignited when, as a youngster, she flew with her father, sitting on his knee, holding the controls of his Aeronca Champ.

Her seventeenth birthday gift was an easy choice for her parents - flying lessons! Her first lesson at the Lethbridge Flying Club was July 13, 1964.

The Rosella Bjornson stamp was released in 2014, where Rosella had her first lesson, on the fiftieth anniversary of that day.

In April 1973 Transair, Canada 's fourth largest airline, hired Rosella Bjornson as First Officer on a Fokker F28 jet, the first woman in Canada to achieve this position, and also the first jet qualified female airline pilot in North America. As the first woman hired by a commercial airline in Canada, and the first woman member of the Canadian Air Line Pilots Association, she joined a fraternity of 2800 male airline pilots.

Source: canadian99s.com/rosella-bjornson

Non-stop flights from Vancouver-Hawaii begin December 17; Calgary-Maui begins December 18.

Air Canada today welcomed Hawaii's announcement that Canadians are now eligible to be exempt from the state's mandatory 14-day quarantine on arrival in the Hawaiian Islands via a pre-travel testing process.

Source: Air Canada Mediaroom

Embattled Thai Airways has put up its entire Boeing 747 and its 777-200/300 fleet up for sale as it aims to raise cash amid a long-drawn business rehabilitation process.

The Star Alliance carrier disclosed on its aircraft trading website that 34 aircraft from its fleet will be put up for sale. Of these, 10 are 747-400's, six are 777-200's and another six are 777-300's.

The other aircraft include six Airbus A340-600's, which the carrier has not operated since 2015, and another three A340-500's, which it flew until 2012. Two 737-400's and one A300-600 round up the list of aircraft on sale. 

Source: flightglobal.com/airlines/thai-puts-34-aircraft-on-sale 

In a major shake-up of the country’s airline industry, the owner of South Korea’s flag carrier Korean Air has announced a W1.8 trillion ($1.62 billion) takeover bid for embattled rival Asiana Airlines.

Source: flightglobal.com 

• 1994 - October - First introduced the CL-65 on the Ottawa - Newark route.
• 1996 - June 2 - NWT Air introduce service between Whitehorse and Vancouver with B-737 combi.
  • Duane Clark, NWT Air's Director Commercial Operations, proudly shows off the "Yukon" to one of the many visitors prior to its launch.

• 1996  - May 14 - Lamar Durrett appointed President and CEO. at the Annual General Meeting.
  • May 14 - Inaugural service between Montreal and Brussels, Belgium.
  • April 15 - Inaugural service between Toronto and Nashville, Tennessee.
  • June 1 - New Rapidair service between Calgary and Edmonton with CL-65 equipment.
  • August 5 - Service between Toronto and Kansas City started.
• 1997- April - International flights were transferred from Mirabel (YMX) to Dorval (YUL).

A few of the Ramp and Cargo employees in Edmonton got together to wish Lead Station Attendant, Eugene Chomlak, a happy retirement after more than 23 years of service.

Back row left to right: Station Attendants Randy Ries and Brent Bates; Lead Station Attendants Ken Guthrie and Ron Boa; Station Attendants John Christensen, Randy Demskie, Ken Gummer, Paul Baker, John VanRaamsdonk and Borden Mytrunec; Layne McDougall, Acting Customer Service Manager and Ron Stroud, Station Attendant.

Front row, left to right: Station Attendants Harry Henke and Kevin Briand and the guest of honour Eugene Chomlak (seated).

The new look is almost here!

Our models were all smiles as they got to try on Air Canada's new uniform, featuring the beautiful 'blue spruce' colour of Canada's forests. Cutover was planned for January 1996.

From left to right: Benoit Gautier, Captain DC-9 (Montreal); Katherine Reed, In Charge (Halifax) Air Nova; Michael Allen, Customer Sales & Service Agent (Dawson Creek) AirBC; Karin Guay, Mechanic (Dorval); Fred Wright, Station Attendant (Halifax); Sherrie Edmonds, Flight Attendant (Toronto); Maryanne de Souza, Customer Sales & Service Agent (Ottawa); Doug Smith, Mechanic (Toronto); Joyce Beaudoin, Customer Sales & Service Agent (Dorval); Judy Cameron, First Officer. B-767 (Toronto); Russell Brown, Flight Attendant (Winnipeg).

In Quebec City.

Pierre Tousignant, Manager, Customer Service (right) surprised Customer Sales and Service Agent Louise Viens on Hallowe'en with her 35-year service anniversary pin.

From left to right: Jeannette Pelletier, Steve Myles, Enrica Cova, Aude Garston, Louise Viens, Colette Fortier, Denis Grenier and Pierre Tousignant; and sitting, Louise Guimond and Claire Versailles.

San Francisco (SFO) celebrated the start-up of its new service to Vancouver with the crew of Flight 523.

Pictured here are: Jon Moore, In-Charge; Jill Hong, Flight Attendant; Kirk Davis, First Officer; Neville Fong, Manager, Customer Service - SFO; Captain C.A. McKinnon; Peter McKenna-Small, Flight Attendant and Ginger Miller, Regional Sales Manager.

"In one day, Air Canada vaulted ahead to become the largest carrier to the continental United States out of Vancouver. This proves our determination to be the prime airline for this city," says Rob Ramage, General Manager, Customer Service - B.C. & Pacific Rim.

Last flight of the L-1011.

January 14, 1996, marked the end of scheduled Lockheed L-1011 Tristar service with Air Canada. Originally introduced in March 1973, the tri-motor was an instant hit with passengers and flight crews, eventually covering the entire company route structure in its long range version, the L1011-500.

Retired for economic reasons in 1991, the fleet was partially sold, leased out or stored in Arizona's Mojave desert. In the spring of 1994, three of the four aircraft remaining in storage (Fins 504, 507 and 512) were brought back into service.

These aircraft were smoothly re-introduced on the daily Los Angeles and Vancouver-Toronto runs, rapidly winning a reputation for excellent cabin service. For 20 months, it soldiered back and forth across the continent, sometimes a bit slow to start, but with its high cruising speed, it was seldom late.

Now the decision has once again been taken to retire this grand old airplane to the sands of Arizona. During the last two weeks of January, the three aircraft, stripped of all Air Canada markings, have quietly been returned to the desert. On January 19, a small farewell party was held in Toronto to say goodbye to this very popular airplane. A pleasure both to fly and to fly in, with dependable power provided by Rolls-Royce, all who have been involved wish her well in retirement.

Here we have a photo of the crew of last scheduled L-1011 Flight AC152 on January 14, 1996 from Vancouver (YVR) - Toronto (YYZ).

Back Row - Second Officer Bob Patterson, First Officer John Wiggin, ln-Charge Peg Fraser-Smith, Flight Attendants Silvia Todorovic, Roland Berard, Liz Davis and Sean McGuire.
Front Row - Captain Jim Sheldon, Flight Attendants Sue Davidson, Marcy Salvatore, Eric Royer and Karen Brown.

Reported by Captains David Wall and Darryl Stuparek.

Pacific Western Airlines advert.

Source:
 www.vintageadbrowser.com

Keeping the presses rolling.

Larry Chao, machine operator, Print Services, Vancouver, cleans one of five printing presses that produce more than 4,000 print jobs a year for Canadian Airlines.

Tammy and Timmy fly to new heights.

Toronto Operations Centre was the scene of the Eleventh Annual Take Off With Tammy and Timmy.

Six scenic B-767-300ER flights over Niagara Falls at $20 a seat helped raise funds for the Easter Seal Society for physically limited children.

More than 100 Canadian employee volunteers helped raise $25,000 for the cause from the flights and hat and food sales.

In the photo below, ready for the next flight are, from left, Toronto staff Phyliss Maggio, Bruce Watson, Rita O'Driscoll, Gary Nash and Catherine DaSuza.

Hundreds involved in switch to Pegasus.

After months of preparation, the actual cutover of Wardair's reservation system to Pegasus took two days, October 21 and 22, 1989, of well-orchestrated teamwork by hundreds of Wardair, Canadian and Gemini employees.

Below we have this advertisement.

Colourful Ops Centre Opening Marks New Era for CPAir

One of the most dramatic and significant events in the 28-year history of CP Air was staged April 17 in the vast hangar of the new Operations Centre at Vancouver.

Witnessed by hundreds of employees who gathered on the balconies and stairways and lined the perimeter of the seating area, the opening ceremonies featured the unveiling of "aircraft of the year 2000", brief addresses by Ian D. Sinclair, CP Air chairman, and Honourable D. C. Jamieson, minister of transport.

Here we have Air Transat aircraft in its new colours (left) and the previous version (right).

Source:  Aviation Week

Canada’s Sunwing Airlines began flying after 230 days during which the holiday specialist had grounded its fleet in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

(Source: FlightGlobal.com, Nov 15, 2020)

Sunwing Airlines Inc. is a Canadian low-cost airline headquartered in the Etobicoke district of Toronto, Ontario.

Sunwing Airlines offers scheduled and charter services from Canada and the United States to destinations within the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

Operating one of Canada’s newest and most fuel-efficient fleets, comprising over 40 Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft with cutting edge technology and world-leading design, Sunwing has reduced fuel emissions and strengthened its commitment to providing customers reliable, cost-effective and environmentally conscious service.

Source: sunwing.ca

Air Canada 'Express'

Today, the 'Express' brand is mostly identified with the group of domestic 'feeder' airlines affiliated with Air Canada. 

However, back in the mid-eighties, it referred to the Air Canada Cargo brand. With the arrival of the B-767's to replace the DC-8 passenger fleet, the opportunity arose for the company to enter the fast growing air freight market by converting a total of eight DC-8-60/70's to all-cargo configuration.

When I began my career in 1980, there were a few DC-8-50's in cargo configuration but, if I remember correctly, they were primarily used domestically. I remember that it was quite common, at the start of the graveyard shift, in Toronto 'Stores' to receive a request from Dorval Expedite to run an AOG (Aircraft-On-Ground) part to a DC-8 freighter in the loading process at the cargo terminal before its 23:30 departure for Vancouver; usually for an aircraft scheduled to return to the east in the morning.

The decision to convert the 'Stretch 8's' was a significant investment both in converting aircraft but also in upgrading cargo facilities on the ground. The company's plan was establish a share of the international cargo market. It's difficult to say how successful the plan was.

By the 1990's, the company had begun the process of privatization and the industry was going through many changes. The growth of dedicated airfreight carriers such as Fedex reduced the available market and Air Canada, beginning a period of significant restructuring, gradually left the dedicated air cargo market.

It will be interesting to see how the company progresses with the idea of converting some of the aging fleet of B767's to freighter service. Will it be able to take advantage of the increased demand in air cargo and will it be sustainable in the future?

Attached below are links to two PDF copies of 'Expressly Yours', a newsletter that was published by Air Canada Cargo during the 1980's.

Image caption:

Mechanics at the Dorval Maintenance Base are working around-the-clock to complete over 80 modifications to Fin No. 877. All of our DC-8 Freighters feature an integral, computer-controlled weight and balance system providing flight crews with valuable information when operating in parts of the world where accurate weight and balance facilities may be lacking. DC-8's are the only aircraft in Air Canada's fleet to incorporate this system.

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

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Posted by Darrell Wood on October 31, 2020. 

A comment by Cliff Dueck

As a newly minted S/O on the DC-8 in the early 70's flying with an unnamed captain, I can definitely confirm this as true. Life is too short to be serious all the time.

And this from Brian Spear

As a thirty five year worker and hundreds of flights, I have been told that in many cases the flight attendants request this "turbulence" from the flight deck to get the passengers to sit, while they attempt a food/beverage service.