We have welcomed 137 new subscribers so far in 2021.

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

Back issues of The NetLetter are available in both the original newsletter format and downloadable PDF format.

We invite you to visit our website at www.thenetletter.net/netletters to view our archives.

Restoration and posting of archive issues is an ongoing project. We hope to post every issue back to the beginning in 1995.

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: Trans-Canada Air Lines, 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 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!

Subscribers Monika and Wayne Hilson, who advised us of Eva Mossop's 100th birthday, have sent in a few photos of their celebration of the event at a Vancouver restaurant.

For more photos and info about this remarkable lady, see the Vancouver Sun article entitled:

‘I’m taking them all out’: West Ender wings it to a second century at vancouversun.com/news

Terry Baker shares his memories of his Baltic cruise in May 2003.

Our trip started on Monday May 19th from Vancouver Island. Due to over sales on Air BC from Nanaimo Airport, we decided to take our car and cruise to the mainland on BC Ferries.

We had booked into the Delta Vancouver Airport hotel. The rates quoted were $59.00 CDN and pay our own parking, or $79.00 with free parking for 14 days. We were going to be away for 21 days, so we had a rate of $109.00 with free parking for 21 days. Cost of parking was $7.50 per day!

On Tuesday, we checked in at 09:00 for the 13:40 flight to London, England using our C1 pass. Lucky we were early, as we were advised that the flight had been cancelled due to a lack of interest on behalf of the public – ignoring the fact that 22 cons were listed! The agent suggested going via Calgary and picking up the YYC-LHR flight there. The agent was most helpful and even changed our routing for us.

Our friends collected us from LHR on Wednesday morning, and we spent 3 days with them. On Saturday, we squeezed our suitcases into a Ford Escort; this was a challenge in itself! We drove down to Dover to board our cruise. 

From Captain Rob Giguere, retired.

Thought your readers might appreciate this additional story about the Boeing 727.

Netletter  #1466 had a great story about the B-727 history and it’s last days with Air Canada. Captain Steve Bradley’s last flight on the B-727 wasn’t quite the last revenue flight. When he wrote that story who would have guessed the 727 would have a curtain call.

I offer an epilogue, with a little known add on.

While the last “scheduled” flight was indeed on fin #418 in November 1992, subsequently, aircraft 410, C-GAAJ, Serial #20941 was returned to Air Canada service in the spring of 1993!

Fin #410 was one of the B-727's configured with dual Litton INS navigation and HF radios. It was ideal for outer Caribbean charter ops.

As such, after leaving scheduled service in 1992, fin #410 was sub-leased to a start-up sun-destination charter carrier, 'Destinair' based in Ottawa. In early 1993, “Destinair” failed and the aircraft came back to Air Canada as the lease on the aircraft with Citicorp was still in place.

There were charters to operate, the 727 simulator was still operational and soon a plan was hatched.

I had been one of the last check pilots qualified on the B-727 and was asked to requalify a couple crews in order to put the aircraft back into service. In short order, with a little assistance from Transport Canada, Captain Ken Moe, First Officers Dan Boyd and Gerry Heron, Second Officers Paul Washington and Jim Sullivan and I were all requalified on the B-727.

Through the late spring of 1993 we operated some “pick up” flights of the remaining 'Destinair' charters with fin #410. The flights were all to southern destinations including Montego Bay (MBJ), Puerto Plata (POP), Santo Domingo (SDQ) and San José (SJO).

Although late May was the end of the sun charter season it was the start of the Stanley Cup finals between the Montreal Canadiens and the Los Angeles Kings. On June 4th, Dan Boyd, Paul Washington and I operated a charter for the Canadiens to LAX for games 3 & 4. The series was tied going into the Kings home arena. The Canadiens prevailed winning the 2 games. We returned them from LAX to YUL on June 8th, 1993 for game 5. With the Canadiens winning the Cup on June 9th there was to be no return to LAX for a game 6. The leg LAX-YUL on the 8th June 1993 turned out to be the very last revenue B-727 leg in Air Canada service.

Subsequently, fin #410 was leased to Aerolineas Argentinas for 5 months.

Once again, the aircraft was returned to Air Canada from Aerolineas, in November of 1993.

Although I was now qualified on the A320, once again, I was back in aircraft 410, with Dan Boyd and Gerry Heron ferrying it from Montreal to the aircraft “boneyard“ in Marana, Arizona (MZJ, Pinal Airpark) with a Customs stop enroute. We presumed that flight was the last leg ever for Serial #20941.

Much to my surprise, in mid 1994 I received a call from an aircraft engineer who had seen my name in the logbook as the captain who ferried the aircraft on its last leg to Marana. He wanted to know more about a recurring snag on the #1 RMI as the aircraft was going to be converted to a freighter. Subsequently, the aircraft re-entered service with First Air in Ottawa registered as C-FUFA where it served for another 6 years.

I share Steve Bradley’s 1992 assessment that the B-727 was a great aircraft that served the airline well over a wide route network. The B-727 is fondly remembered by me along with the large cadre of crew that had the privilege to fly it.

Editor's Note by Ken Pickford:

A few photos of Fin #410:

YYZ Aug. 27, 1991.
www.airliners.net/photo/Air-Canada/Boeing-727-233-Adv/234339/L

Val-d'Or (YVO), Nov. 5, 2001
www.airliners.net/photo/First-Air/Boeing-727-233-Adv-F/206944/L

Registration C-FUFA in First Air livery - YVR, July 19, 1999
Photo by Ken Fielding at commons.wikimedia.org/wiki

Northern Lights Aero Foundation Elsie Awards - 2020/2021.

Rising Star award - Kathleen Legge.

Kathleen is a King Air 200 captain for Maritime Air Charter, often doing the rewarding flying of organ transfer medevacs. In addition to being Assistant Chief Pilot, Company Aviation Safety Officer, and Marketing Manager, Kathleen is also the Director of Flight Operations.

Kathleen also works as a contract captain for NovaJet Aviation Group based in Toronto, flying private & corporate charter on a Gulfstream Astra SP.

Source:
youtube.com/watch?v=QcJItKeOfGk

Air Canada sees a "strategic advantage" for its cargo business in Canadian hubs like Toronto as shippers seek to bypass logjams at some U.S. gateways.

Lifted by e-commerce demand, cargo-only flights emerged as a lifeline for carriers during the pandemic when commercial traffic slumped. Half of air cargo normally travels in the belly of passenger jets.

While North American airlines are reducing all-cargo flights as passenger traffic rebounds, that shift is more gradual in Canada due to a slower easing of travel restrictions.

Cargo remains important for Canada's largest carrier, accounting for 43% of second-quarter revenue, even as it restores passenger flights, a company executive told Reuters.

Full story at Reuters.com

In partnership with Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) and Mesa Airlines, United Airlines Ventures (UAV) has signed a conditional agreement to acquire 100 ES-19 all-electric airliners from Sweden-based electric aircraft start up Heart Aerospace.

The agreement is contingent on the aircraft, which is still in the early stages of development, meeting United’s “safety, business and operating requirements.” In addition, Mesa plans to add 100 ES-19s to its fleet under similar conditions.

The ES-19 will have a 400-kilometer (216-NM) range, have a charge time of less than 40 minutes and seat up to 19 people. The company is aiming to fly the aircraft for the first time in 2024 and have it certified for commercial operation under EASA CS-23 regulations by the end of 2026. According to United, UAV and BEV are some of Heart’s first investors.

Source: avweb.com/aviation-news

Swiss International Air Lines has teamed up with Neste, one of the world’s leading sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) providers to establish the first-ever end-to-end logistics chain for importing SAF to Switzerland.

This makes Swiss the first commercial airline to use SAF in its scheduled flight operations from Switzerland. Aircraft fuel with a biogenic component has been importable to and usable in Switzerland since July 1, 2021, thanks to new customs provisions. Swiss’ first delivery of neat SAF amounts to more than 460 tonnes. 

Source: www.aviationpros.com/airlines/press-release

1998 - July 13, Service commenced between Toronto and San Jose, California with A319 equipment. 

For the Super Constellation aficionados!

View the life of CF-TGE by visiting this url:
rbogash.com/connie.html

Larry Milberry has put together a blog named 'The Great Lockheed Twins'.

Click Here to open the blog.

We have, with permission from Larry, some of the photos and story of those aircraft which ended up at Trans-Canada Air Lines or Canadian Pacific Airlines. We will present these over several NetLetters.

Source: via Larry Milberry www.canavbooks.wordpress.com

Another Kenting Lockheed 14 was CF-TCO (photo above), which had begun with Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA ) in July 1939, then joined Kenting in October 1947. It suffered a belly-landing at Aklavik in the Arctic in August 1959, then had another crash landing at Cambridge Bay about a year later.

One can only imagine the brutal cost in manpower and expense in making major repairs at these remote sites. Around 1970 "TCO" was stored at the Bradley Air Museum in Connecticut, where it remained to the early 1990s, and where it received some storm damage.

Today, it's at the Kermit Weeks Museum in Florida. "Hurricane Charley" hit the museum in 2004, "TCO" suffered more damage, so is not likely to be seen in pristine form in the very near future.

Editors Note: CF-TCO 14H-2 Super Electra arrived at TCA on July 22, 1939 and assigned fin #37. It was sold to Photographic Survey Company on October 23, 1947 after accumulating 17,198 hours. 

(Source: Air Canada "Pocket Guide" by Frank Pooley)

More from Larry Milberry in 'CP Air, Canadi>n People Gallery' section below.

Found in 'Horizons' magazine

Charlie says goodbye.

LaGuardia staff threw Ramp Coordinator Charlie Saladino (center) a farewell party to celebrate his retirement after over 30 years of service.

Helping him celebrate were, from left to right: Customer Service Agents Linda Triolo, Suzanne Cummings and Kathy Charbonnier; Saladino; Barbara Cronin, Secretary; Customer Service Agents Glen Smith and Susan Deppe and Lead Customer Service Agent Karen Burglin (sitting).

Thirty years in New York.

Hank Fleming, Lead Cargo Service Agent at New York's JFK International Airport received hugs and congratulations on his 30th anniversary with the airline.

Helping him celebrate were, back row, left to right: Eugene Gonsalves, Cargo Sales and Service Manager - Northeast U.S.; Cargo Customer Service Agents Henry Miranda, John Ferrelli and Pete Geisel; Rich Hewlett, Cargo Sales and Service Supervisor; Cargo Customer Service Agents Tony Molfetta, Danny Lubisco, Al Pierre, Rick Tejera and Theo Harding Jr.; Nick Molfetta, Cargo Sales Representative and (front row) Cargo Customer Service Agent Wendy Santos and Hank Fleming.

Continued from Larry Milberry blog in 'TCA/AC People Gallery' 

Photo below is a Nordair Douglas DC-4 (C-54G Skymaster) CF-IQM c/n 36088 at Prestwick Airport circa 1959-1961. 

Here likely on an immigrant charter to Canada judging by the crowd of onlookers. Later it went to Buffalo Airways and believed to be out of service by 2021.

Source: Larry Milberry at www.canavbooks.wordpress.com

Having started as USAAC C-60A 42-56041, Lodestar CF- CPK came to Canada for Canadian Pacific Airlines (CPA) in July 1943. It then served the company's far-flung routes from Vancouver, across the Rockies to Edmonton, and north down the route to Whitehorse and other points on the Northwest Staging Route.

Duties included supporting wartime construction projects such as the Alaska Highway and the CANOL pipeline. With the advent at CPA of the DC-3, CF-CPK was sold in 1950 to Canada Packers Ltd. of Toronto, a major meat processing company.

On February 10, 1960, during an ice storm at Malton, CF-CPK flew through a tree while trying to land, then diverted to Niagara Falls, New York. On October 16, 1969 CF-CPK was flying between Opa-locka and St. Petersburg, Florida when fire erupted.

A successful crash-landing was made, but the old Lodestar was a dead loss. In this classic view (below), notice how CF-CPK proudly flew the company logo. These still were the days when a corporate plane often showed the company colours, unlike today, when nearly all such aircraft operate in as much secrecy as possible. I photographed CF-CPK running up at Malton (YYZ) on February 5, 1961.

Source: Larry Milberry at www.canavbooks.wordpress.com

Editors' Note: CF-CPK, c/n 2534, delivered July 29, 1943 assigned fin # 266 and sold to Canada Packers September 22, 1950.

Source: CPAL History by D.M. Bain

From the Air Canada 'Horizons' magazine.

Issue dated May 1973.

PWA taps ReserVec II in computer lease.

The formal signing of the contract took place May 17, 1973, allowing PWA to share space in Air Canada's ReserVec II. 

From issue dated November 1973.

When Pacific Western Airlines entered the computerized reservations age by joining the Air Canada’s ReserVec system, PWA employees were asked to suggest a name for their new system.

The final selection from more than 200 entries was ALFIE (Airline Flight Information Electronics) submitted by Captain Alan Joy. He is shown below receiving his prizes of two company passes to Vienna from Dunc Laing, Vice President, Western Region, Vancouver, (AC) left and a cheque from Jack Cooke, Vice President, Customer Services, PWA, right.

Posted on April 29, 2021 - The End of an Era.

Two Boeing 767-275 aircraft return to Calgary on their last flight for their eventual disposition to Air Canada. A sad day indeed. 

Editors' Note: We wrote about these two aircraft (Air Canada fin nos. 671 & 672) in NetLetter # 1445.

Posted on June 19, 2021 - Route Map 1985-1986.

This route map was current in 1985-1986.

A busy airline that provided jet services to so many western Canada communities.

Posted on February 16, 2021 -

PWA Soccer Team vs. New Zealand.

This is a photo after the PWA team (YVR) had beaten Air New Zealand at the tournament in 1983, at the British Airways Centre, Heathrow.

A great tournament, with teams from all over the world, and a good time was had by all. Thank You

Regards R. Dick, YVR - Now Happily Retired from the airline, and sports. 

Our Featured Video is posted on YouTube by Rob Brown and shows the entire Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Airbus CC-150 Polaris Fleet.

Posted by Samuel Gabriel Longo on June 12, 2021 on Facebook.

A Wrench in the Wings
(Lots of stories about Nordair from my early career)

Sam Longo, AME A&P

A compilation of essays revealing the personal and career adventures of an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME).

Most of the flying public is acutely aware of the qualified pilots that sit up front, expertly controlling and guiding their passengers safely from point A to B.

Surprisingly, very few of these same folks have any knowledge of the 17,000 Canadian Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AME’s) who are equally responsible for their flying safety. No aircraft can legally leave the ground without their license and signature prior to departure.

It is a rather obscure profession that is rarely highlighted yet remains necessary to all commercial flight. This book brings that career into sharp focus outlining the job with insight, lessons and real-life consequences.

A compilation of 75 columns from Air Maintenance Update magazine, the author brings humanity and humor into the mix to make it an interesting and insightful read.
Available from www.amazon.ca at $18.40 in paperback.

Source:
www.smashwords.com/books/view/1081065

From Nordair to Nicaragua

I continue to be fascinated by aircraft lifecycles. I happened across a Boeing 737-200 delivered to Nordair in November 1975 (pictured in edition header).

C-GNDL served in the Nordair fleet (with two short term leases to US carriers) until January 1987 when it was absorbed into the CP Air / Canadian Airlines fleet and assigned fin #705.

It ended its career in Canada by serving as the charter aircraft for Jean Chrétien's first election campaign as Liberal Party leader in 1993. Interesting that only a relatively small 'Liberal' decal appears on the fuselage as opposed to the full makeovers that aircraft chartered for political campaigns receive today. 

After the election, the aircraft was acquired by Polaris Aircraft Leasing where it flew for several small U.S. carriers until 2005 when it began a series of short term leases to airlines in Africa.

It was removed from service in 2010 and has been preserved as a tourist attraction at Managua, Nicaragua (photo below) since July 2012.

See www.planespotters.net for the full list of this aircraft's 45 year career.  

Liberal Party of Canada charter
during the 1993 federal election campaign.

Photograph by Gary Vincent at Vancouver, October 1993.

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

British Airways has introduced a digital ordering platform for customers to purchase food and drink from its 'Speedbird Café' menu in the air, directly to their seat on board.

The service will initially be available on selected routes from July 19, 2021 before rolling out across the rest of the short haul network on flights from LHR.

Service will run alongside the airline’s pre-purchase menu, including items from its Tom Kerridge range.

Pre-flight orders can also be made via highlifeshop.com up to 12 hours ahead.

Source: mediacentre.britishairways.com/news

For something different click the image below to watch an Air New Zealand flight safety video.