We have welcomed 233 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, Maritime Central Airways, 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!

Frequent contributor to The NetLetter, Mike Nash of Prince George, British Columbia kindly sent us the following comment after we assisted in connecting him with former colleague and fellow subscriber, Patrick Leung.

"This sort of thing is one of the many side-benefits of the work that you guys are doing with The NetLetter and, incidentally, one of the rewards for subscribers who choose to contribute articles.

It was through The NetLetter, several years ago, that I discovered and connected with FoFS (Friends of Front Street) after I was contacted by an old Texas colleague from the Network Controller project from the 1970’s after you had published something else that I had written.

FoFS is a retirement group from my old office at 151 Front Street West in Toronto, and they meet for a reunion afternoon near Pearson Airport every fall. This is something that I haven’t yet managed to physically attend for obvious logistical reasons, but I have enjoyed the reconnections, correspondence and seeing photos from the events. When you are inviting submissions to The NetLetter, you could mention the possible side benefit of reconnecting with long ago colleagues as an enticement.

Thanks again for your work!

Mike

Editors' Note: Obviously, we fully agree with Mike's comments. It is always rewarding when we can bring people together.

The NetLetter Team.

Vic Bentley comments on the B-767 flight story by Mike Ronan in NetLetter # 1474 -

From the newsletter: ... "The longest scheduled nonstop flight by an Air Canada B-767 was Toronto to Tokyo, which lasted 13:45 hours and covered 10,324 kilometres.”

I flew this route numerous time on the DC-10 with Canadian. Most flights were 12+ hours, but one was 13:31 with 132 passengers. Distance 5735 nm (10,620 km) and we went 100 nm south of Inuvik and as far north as 67 degrees.

One bizarre briefing item for this trip with the DC-10 (probably true of other big jets, too) was the situation of unexpected head winds causing reduced fuel reserves at destination. In this case it was necessary to make an enroute stop at Anchorage or Fairbanks. But, the aircraft would be overweight for landing, meaning that a fuel dump down to landing weight was required. So you would have to dump fuel so that you could land and take on more fuel!! Go figure…

Seasons Greetings,

Vic

Darryl Danner comments on the DC-9 flight -

Reading a recent article in NetLetter #1475 about Mike Ronan’s DC-9 Long Range Flight from Vancouver to Toronto triggered a similar memory of an even longer flight.

On December 1, 1987, Earl Cummings and myself were tasked to fly a DC-9 ferry flight from Vancouver to Montreal during an Air Canada pilot strike. (we were management pilots at the time).

With full tanks we were initially filed YVR-YWG, but overhead Regina, we reworked the fuel required and found that we could make Montreal.

My log book shows the trip total of 2.5 hours of day flying and 2.6 of night for a total of 5.1 hours (5 hours and 6 minutes).

Darryl Danner, 12,509 hours and 25 years on the DC-9 and loved every minute.

Retired Captain Ken Jones remembers Fin #601.

I was surprised to see the story, ‘A story of a stripper!',  in NetLetter #1475. I had a history with this aircraft, B-767-200 C-GAUB Fin# 601.

On the morning of December 7, 1991, I was the captain on Flight 791-7 (YYZ-LAX) when the left engine’s gear box failed at V1 (130kts). We did a successful rejected take-off and returned to the gate, changed aircraft and were on our way with only a one hour delay. Those were the days when the captain could give complimentary drinks to all on board because of the delay. Air Canada also authorized giving out an extra free travel prize as part of a promotion at the time. Those were the days. 

My experience with Fin #601 still continued when on January 15, 2019 I received a e-mail from Mark Palser on behalf of ACPA (Air Canada Pilot’s Association) forwarding a letter they had received from a passenger, Mike McGrath commending on that flight that had occurred 28 years prior. Not knowing how to handle this PR situation I phoned Mr. McGrath to thank him for his kind words and still correspond with him every Christmas. 

My understanding is Fin #601 had now been broken up for scrap, a sad ending for a good friend. 

Ken Jones, Captain retired

C-GAUB - Fin # 601 - Air Canada's first B-767, delivered October 30, 1982, was the 16th B-767 built.

Pictured here in its original livery, July 14, 1984 at Toronto

Photo by Andrew Thomas @ commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File

Rick Cisowski, retiree from YUL C&SS, shares this memory -

Around this date in 1977 or so, Bob Roach, Jim Drury and I finished a midnight shift, went out to the airport, and looked at the departures board and picked a destination. We decided on Barbados for 5 days. No hotel reservations, no nothing. I had 80 dollars and a library ID card in my wallet.

Fast forward 44 years and there's 32 dollars in my wallet, and an expired library card.

Despite all that.....Stay positive... Rick C.

In this issue we have a short article about Valerie Walker (see 'TCA/AC People Gallery').

Terry Baker remembers working alongside Valerie in the LHR Station Manager's office, where I was the office clerk and Valerie was a stenographer before her move to Canada.

Valerie was then known as Valerie Phipps. I had the pleasure of her company just once, while I was on a flight from Mirabel to London Heathrow and Valerie (now a flight attendant) was working the first class section. We caught up on the local gossip. Yes, I was on a pass and had been upgraded – I wonder how that had happened!

By Mary Manni, Day of Flight Coordinator, SOC, Toronto.

Unusual Baggage.

Suitcases aren't the only items some customers want to check in. One brought a cow to Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International Airport believing it could travel as a checked bag, another customer wanted to take a boa constrictor on board as carry-on baggage.

"Baggage is considered to be the personal effects required by a customer for one particular trip," says Bob Blake, Manager, Customer Service-Baggage. "You'd assume that would be clothes, gifts, and toiletries. But, that's not always the case."

Airport agents have seen some fairly unusual items plunked onto check-in counters such as automobile tires, human organs, engine blocks, car bumpers, sculptures, window frames, refined sugar, paintings, televisions, stereos, and even a recliner. Sports enthusiasts want to check in paraphernalia like skis, snowboards, hang gliders, kayaks, windsurf boards, bikes, camp stoves and golf clubs.

"Excess or unusual baggage requires special attention," Blake says. "It typically takes up more space and is heavier than standard baggage, requiring the aircraft - at times - to take on more fuel. That's why we apply handling charges."

There are exceptions to the rule, however. A scientist flying from Winnipeg with a collection of mosquitoes thought he'd have to pay for each one because Air Canada usually charges per animal. In this case, a single charge was applied!

RCAF's first female tactical helicopter pilot retires.

Claire De Repentigny grew up northeast of Montreal in the town that bears her name - Repentigny.

Always interested in aviation, she wanted to be a military pilot long before women were allowed in that role. So, she obtained her civilian license and was soon a fixed wing instructor teaching in and around the Montreal area.

In the spring of 1986, it was announced that women would be allowed to become pilots in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Claire was at the recruiting station the very next day and six months later she was enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces. 

In this photo below, pilots Captain Claire De Repentigny (left) and Captain Sue Weiker (right), with Flight Engineer Master Corporal Lyne Deshaies (centre), formed the Royal Canadian Air Force’s first ever all-female tactical aviation crew during an exercise in Wainwright, Alberta, in 1991.

Source: rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca

Air Canada's first B-767-300F (Fin #637 - C-FPCA) has certainly been kept busy since it's conversion. 

Excerpt from press release dated December 9, 2021

Air Canada's first dedicated Boeing 767-300ER freighter aircraft was put into service today and operated its inaugural flight from Toronto to Vancouver. Originally scheduled to first fly to Frankfurt, Air Canada Cargo deployed the aircraft early to provide capacity where needed.

"Our first freighter is being deployed earlier than initially planned in order to provide additional cargo capacity needed into and out of Vancouver to meet ongoing demand as a result of the flooding that disrupted British Columbia's transportation network. The freighter is planned to operate 12 trips between our Toronto and Vancouver cargo hubs."

Our teams have also worked extremely hard over the last several days to get our freighter into service early to aid in the transport of goods to Vancouver," said Jason Berry, Vice President, Cargo, at Air Canada.

Given the immediate demand for cargo capacity, the first freighter entered service without its final livery. At a later date, it will be painted in an Air Canada Cargo variation of the Air Canada livery introduced in 2017.

Full press release at Air Canada Mediaroom 

Photo by Wayne Albertson at Vancouver, December 18, 2021

Air Canada Announces Two New Connections to Western Canada From Quebec City (YQB) Starting Next Summer.

Air Canada is pleased to announce today two new seasonal services departing from Jean Lesage International Airport in Quebec City: Vancouver and Calgary.

Flights to Vancouver will start on May 20, 2022, with up to three flights a week and service to Calgary will debut on May 21, 2022, offering up to four weekly flights. These new routes will be operated by Air Canada Rouge on an Airbus A319, featuring Premium Rouge and Economy services, product enhancements including upgraded streaming entertainment and options to purchase high-speed wi-fi.

Source : aircanada.mediaroom.com

United Flight Uses 100 Percent SAF To Power Passenger Flight.

The 100 or so passengers on United 2701 from O’Hare to Reagan National on December 1, 2021 likely didn’t notice anything different but the airline says the planet breathed a tiny bit easier.

The Boeing 737-8 flew the 612 miles with one engine burning 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made by World Energy.

Normally, airlines are allowed to carry passengers using a maximum of 50 percent SAF in a blend with Jet A. On this flight, United was allowed to fill one tank with 100 percent SAF to run one of the engines.

The flight was set up to show “there are no operational differences between the two and to set the stage for more scalable uses of SAF by all airlines in the future,” Kirby said.

United’s math determined that by using half SAF, the flight contributed a net 75 percent less carbon to the environment than if it had been flown on pure Jet A.

Source: AVweb.com 

Avianca will only operate Boeing 787-8s in simplified widebody fleet.

Colombian flag carrier Avianca says its future wide body fleet will feature only Boeing 787-8's, as it seeks to emerge from US Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with a simplified roster of aircraft.

Source: AVweb.com 

Found in 'Horizons' magazine

On Tuesday, March 8, 2016 flight AC1234 departed for Fort Myers from Toronto.

It's unlikely that anyone noticed anything unusual but there was one small detail that made it a very special flight. In celebration of this year's International Women's Day and this year's theme 'Pledge For Parity', Air Canada Flight 1234 was operated by all-female crews in the flight deck, in the cabin and on the ground! 

Sally Crowthers (pictured),  a Station Attendant was on duty that day.

Captain Denise Walters was in command together with
First Officer June Hughes.

SELL MORE GET MORE.

Shifting gears from responding to customer requests to actively selling products requires a significant shift in thinking and a little incentive goes a long way. To help foster the entrepreneurial spirit in Call Centres, the 'SELL MORE GET MORE' program was launched.

The program began on January 1, 2016 and includes short and long-term contests designed to energize, engage and motivate Call Centres employees to go after every selling opportunity that arises. An evolution from the short-term program Sell More Waive Less, 'SELL MORE GET MORE' is aligning the goals of each employee with the sales goals of the organization.

Above and Beyond - LHR Cargo to the rescue!

On May 3, 1999, a national Bank Holiday in England, faced a daunting challenge. A consignment of rotor blades for a grounded search and rescue helicopter in St. John's, Newfoundland, was urgently needed.

Flown in from Norway, the exceptionally long blades were transferred to AC861. This was no easy task. First, they had to be unpacked, then carefully fitted into the aircraft's cargo hold where they were repackaged. The whole operation took a mere 22 hours from Norway to Newfoundland. Hats off to Lisa MacRobert and Laura Calmonson, Customer Sales and Service Agents, Cargo Yield and Capacity Control; John Oakley, Warehouse Shift Lead and the warehouse team for an outstanding performance above and beyond everyone's expectations. 

In this photo below - The team with the mostest.

Front row, left to right: Warehousemen Tony Maunders, Stephen Martin and Andy Olrod, and Lisa MacRobert, Customer Sales & Service Agent.

Back row, left to right: Warehousemen Spenser Gadsolen and John Oakley.

Not shown: Warehousemen Chris Gomez, Nigel Carroll, and Customer Sales and Service Agent Laura Calmonson.

Air Canada's very own 'sky' Walker hangs up her wings.

After 46 years of dedicated service, Valerie Walker, In-Charge Flight Attendant, Montreal, has retired. An entire generation of Air Canada customers has enjoyed Valerie's personal service.

Valerie joined Air Canada in London, England, July, 1953, before she took to the skies as a flight attendant in 1960. Her last flight out of Montreal was on May 29, 1999 AC864 to London, England. Valerie, you'll be missed!

Here we have a pictorial of the fleet for Nordair

Source: Air Canada 75th anniversary book.

From the "InfoCanadi>n" magazine.

Issue dated December 10, 1987

Pat Doyle of Pegasus 2000 spreads some Christmas cheer at Vancouver airport in an annual project involving dozens of Vancouver employees from all occupational areas of the airline.

Issue dated December 15, 1988

Christmas crews at the airport

Frosty the Snowman, played by George Zuk, and Santa Claus, played by Pat Doyle, with two unidentified customers at Vancouver airport last year.

Employee volunteers will be extending season's greetings to our passengers this year in YVR and YYC airports. Dressed as Santa, Frosty the Snowman and Santa's elves, the 'Xmas Crew' objective is to help people get into the holiday spirit during the busy travel season.

Issue dated December 17, 1990

Seasons wishes from warm Auckland.

Canadian employees in Auckland, Canadian's southernmost destination, wish everyone 'up North' a happy holiday season. 

Ken Pickford shares this wonderful video found on YouTube. 

I came across with interesting 1961/62 footage of PWA operations supporting construction of the Granduc copper mine about 50 km north of Stewart, BC, and about 210 km as crow flies north of Prince Rupert, just east of the Alaska border (the road from Stewart to the mine mostly passes through Alaska).

No sound but fairly good quality footage (for those days). Some good aerial views of the mountains in that area.

Aircraft types appearing include the Avro Anson, DHC-3 Otter, DHC-2 Beaver and Curtiss C-46. Most of the last half of the video features the C-46. Was able to read the registrations of two C-46's (CF-CZM and CF-CZN). Both were among 4 of CPA's 8 C-46's that went to PWA in 1959 when CP's routes between Edmonton and the Northwest Territories were transferred to PWA.

The 8 ex-US military C-46's were acquired by CPA in 1955 (mostly from US cargo carrier Flying Tiger) to transport supplies during construction of the DEW Line radar stations across the Arctic. PWA also acquired two of their own C-46's in 1955, no doubt also for their activities supporting the DEW Line project. A couple of the CPA C-46s that didn't go to PWA later went to Nordair. Until CP's northern Alberta and NWT routes went to PWA in 1959, the C-46s were CP's primary type on those routes and were operated in both cargo and passenger configurations.

There are several sites with information on the Granduc mine which closed in 1984. The processed ore was trucked to Stewart and loaded on ships. Stewart is at the end of a very long, almost 200 km, fjord from the open Pacific.

There have been proposals to reopen the mine since then but nothing has happened as far as I know.

Editors' Note: The video is posted on the 'Reel Life / CanadaMotorSport' YouTube channel.

As per the video description, "this 8mm reel was found and rescued a year ago in a second hand store in Vancouver by a colleague and is now part of my growing collection of vintage amateur reels, numbering over 2000 reels. Enjoy!"

We have to wonder how many 8mm films like this are stored away in people's personal memorabilia collections. We are fortunate to live at a time when so much history has been preserved in video for all of us to enjoy.

There are seemingly shortages of everything these days and Airbus says it’s now effectively sold out of A321neo airliners.

U.S. private equity fund Indigo Partners placed an order for 255 of the aircraft on the opening day of the recent Dubai Airshow. At the announcement, Airbus CCO and head of international sales Christian Scherer was asked if the order meant the model was sold out. “The short answer is yes. But we are very flexible with our customers,” he said.

Indigo operates four ultra-low-cost carriers including U.S.-based Frontier, Wizz Air in Hungary, Chile’s JetSMART and Volaris in Mexico. Frontier will get 91 of the aircraft but not right away.

The A321neo is enormously popular and most manufacturing slots are taken for the next three years. The Indigo airlines will get a few aircraft in the next few years but most won’t be delivered until after 2025.

Frontier CEO Barry Biffle told Aviation Week the fuel-sipping neos will make Frontier one of the greenest airlines in the world. 

Source: AVweb.com 

Canadian carrier Cargojet Airways has emerged as the launch customer for the Boeing 777-200LR freighter conversion initiated by US-based Mammoth Freighters.

Cargojet is to take a pair of the converted twinjets, and will hold options on another pair – as well as options for two conversions of the larger 777-300ER.

The first aircraft to be delivered to Cargojet will be a modified B-777-200LR with serial number 29742, originally delivered to Delta Air Lines in 2009.

Mammoth says the twinjet, fitted with General Electric GE90 engines, will enter the conversion process in mid-2022 and be delivered in the second half of 2023.

The company unveiled its conversion programme for the two 777 models in September, noting it had acquired access to a feedstock of Delta B-777-200LRs. 

Source: FlightGlobal.com 

Christmas dinner - in the hangar!

We've all done our share of working on Christmas Day. I always thought that it was more of an inconvenience to my family than myself. I actually quite enjoyed being at work with my extended family.

 While looking for Christmas themed photos in old issues of 'Info Canadi>n', I came across one that immediately brought back a special memory of a wonderful Christmas dinner prepared (I was told) in the YVR Ops Centre Paint Shop ovens!

I don't remember the specific year but it was in the early 2000's not long after we OAC (Original Air Canada) stock keepers moved over to the Ops Centre. 

As Christmas was approaching, I was told about a lady in the Paint Shop who arranged to cook a few turkeys in the ovens and (with volunteer assistance) prepared an excellent dinner for everyone on duty in the hangar for a small fee. It was a wonderful Christmas dinner which I had the pleasure of enjoying with a great group of new friends.

The lady whose initiative was responsible for the dinner was Noreen Schmitt who, I soon learned, was one of the most respected and beloved employees at Canadi>n. She passed away in 2013 and has been missed by many.

I never got to know Ms. Schmitt beyond casual greetings, which is my misfortune. However, I frequently heard stories of her kindness and generosity. 

It's always about the people we encounter in life. Even casual acquaintances can leave us with treasured memories.

Happy Holidays everyone! 

Giovanni Scavazza and Noreen Schmitt, both with
Canadian's Vancouver paint shop installing decals.

Photo from 'Info Canadi>n', December 21, 1989

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

Rolls-Royce is claiming the record for the world’s fastest flight by an all-electric aircraft after its Spirit of Innovation hit a maximum speed of 387.4 MPH in a series of flights on November 16., 2021.

The aircraft, an electric version of the Nemesis NXT kit racing plane, is Rolls-Royce’s test bed for electric technology and is funded by U.K. government innovation initiatives. It uses a 400-kW power system and Rolls has always said its intent was to set the records. Its maiden flight was two months ago.

The company claimed a total of three Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FIA) records on November 16, 2021.

It averaged 345.4 MPH on a 1.86-mile straight line flight, recorded a time to climb of 3,000 meters with a time of 202 seconds. It also flew the 9.32-mile course at the U.K.’s ministry of defense military aircraft testing site at an average of 300 MPH.

The flights have to be verified by FIA before they become official. Test pilot and Rolls-Royce director of flight operations Phil O’Dell was at the controls.

Source: AVweb.com

Our cartoon by Dave Mathias appeared in the 'Between Ourselves' magazine issued August 1956.

The caption reads "Would Mr. Thorndyke, passenger for Stittsville, please check with the airport traffic manager for an apology".