We have welcomed 124 new subscribers so far in 2022.

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.

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

Thanks!

Vickers Viscount, CF-THS, has been retired to the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada (RAMWC) at Winnipeg for several years and has gone through an in-depth refurbishing program, ready for the public to view with a ceremony on May 22, 2022. 

Source: Robert W. Arnold, Viscount Project Manager, RAMWC

Editors' Note: See 'Subscriber Feedback' section for more info. 

Vic Bentley, who volunteers his time, sends us this information -

Canada will be marking Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.

On July 1, Canada Day, the Canadian Museum of Flight in Langley, British Columbia will host our community to a family-oriented commemoration of the 70 years that Queen Elizabeth II has reigned as Queen of Canada.

The event will have the primary objective of providing all families in our community with the opportunity to have an enjoyable and educational day out, regardless of means, through free admission and free activities. The QE II Commemorative Day will feature appropriate and tastefully themed crafts and participation activities for children.

'Wings over Springbank' Airshow - July 23 & 24, 2022

Featured performance: The Canadian Forces Snowbirds

The thunderous roar of formation-flying jets screaming across the Springbank sky will officially return this summer. The Canadian Forces Snowbirds, a nine-plane demonstration team, will mark their fourth appearance at the 'Wings Over Springbank' Airshow.

Springbank Airport (YBW) - YBW.ca
175 MacLaurin Drive,  Calgary Alberta, T3Z 3S4

Gates open at 10:00, close at 18:00.

Source: wingsoverspringbank.com 

Québec Aerospace Museum (Musée de l'aérospatiale du Québec - MAQ). 

Saturday, July 9, 2022, there will be a party for the members of the MAQ.

Ordinary General Assembly at 11:00, after which will be included an exclusive visit of the Lux terminal and the installations of WAAS Aerospace at Saint-Hubert airport will be organized for all members of MAQ and their families.

The Pionairs host Coffee Group meetings at local districts in Canada, United States and United Kingdom.

Check www.pionairs.ca and select your district from the 'Districts' tab.

Click 'Coffee Groups' in the list on the left. If no meetings are listed, feel free to contact your District Director to inquire about meetings. 

Pionairs Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands District Coffee Group meetings.

• Comox Valley
  • The last Thursday of each month. At Plates restaurant in Courtenay 11:00 a.m.
• Sidney
  • The last Thursday of each month. At Bevan Bistro in Sidney, 9:30 a.m.
• Victoria
  • The last Wednesday of each month. At Oaks Restaurant & Tea Room on Oak Bay Avenue, 10:00 a.m.

Jean-Paul Provost shares this information -

In NetLetter #1484 the ICAO Military Alphabet is mentioned. Although many reasons are given for the choice of 'Québec' for Q in the alphabet, I believe that Quebec was chosen because the alphabet was created at the ICAO HQ located in Montreal in the province of 'Québec'.

ICAO HQ and IATA HQ are both located in Montreal. All the rules and regulations of world airlines (passengers and cargo) have been written in Montreal ever since the beginning of commercial airlines.

Regards,

Jean-Paul Provost

Editors' Note: Ken Pickford, of our NetLetter team, shares this information -

There were multiple spelling alphabets used by various military, government and civil bodies. 'Québec' was used for Q in some of them as far back as the 1920's, including for aviation purposes.

'Queen' was also used in some versions. Scroll down to the tables in the following detailed Wikipedia articles (links below) and you will see where Québec was used for Q long before ICAO and IATA were created.

ICAO was closely involved in developing today's version which wasn't officially adopted by the U.S. military and NATO until 1956, after some changes by NATO. There's also a link to an article on the subject in the ICAO website.

References:

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_phonetic_alphabet

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_military_phonetic_spelling_alphabets

unitingaviation.com

Larry Harris has shared this interesting story for our readers. It can be called the 'Saga of the Million Miler'.

How many miles can a million miler mile if a million miler could mile miles?

Just so you remember, a 'Million Miler' was that envelope used to send papers from station to station.

While stationed in Kelowna (YLW) for Pacific Western I would occasionally be required to bundle up all the million milers we had received and send them back to the YVR mail room.

On one occasion I found a couple that were 99% used so I kept them and calculated how many miles these million milers had miled.

To my surprise both of them had only gone 6 to 7 thousand miles.

So, why do they call it a 'Million Miler'.

Beats me,

Larry Harris

In NetLetter #1404, Robert Arnold gave us an update on Vickers Viscount CF-THS. Here is a follow-up of the preparation for its new home at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada.

Well, as you can imagine, over the past few months or so I’ve been quite busy on the Viscount getting it ready for opening day May 19, 2022.

Needless to say, it’s been a bit of a slog uphill, as Mother Nature wasn’t all that kind to our Viscount while it was in storage.

There were a few surprises that were discovered after being in outdoor storage for the past three years. When the Viscount was finally brought inside the new museum facilities on December 10, 2021, a small team of volunteers went hard at it as they began cleaning the three years of dirt and grime that had built up while discovering all the weather-related issues along the way.

The majority of damage was inside the cabin. This mostly included a cracked bulkhead wall and some of the paneling that covered the vestibule and lavatory doors. These were the big issues. The good news was only one wall was found in bad shape while the other three were okay. 

Photos of the preparation. 

Note the windows covered in blue film.

General view shortly before work began.

Airstair now in place.

View of cleaned and detailed engine bay.

Dave Peters hard at work removing the stubborn baked on UV film. This took several weeks to complete.

Dave skillfully applies the new prop angle markers.

Dave operates the wing jack as we put in place the jack stands under each main gear.

Robert W. Arnold

Viscount Project Manager, Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Jack Morath alerted us to the fees in place at LHR, referred to NetLetter #1484, and decided to pass along how he operates -

We pick up and take our three grandchildren a few times during the year either two or three of them. Recently we paid the £5 for dropping them off. Picking them up is more expensive as I believe you have to use the car park.

What we have done is be in mobile phone contact with the children when they arrive while we are outside of the airport. They take the shuttle bus to the Long Stay Car Park for that particular Terminal and we organise it so that we will arrive at the car park the same time as the children. We are now allowed half an hour free car parking which enables us to drive out within that time and hasn't cost us anything.

You can do the reverse by taking them to the Long Term car park and drop them off there. The shuttle bus runs every ten minutes or so between that Car Park and that particular terminal. Again costing nothing.

Jack

Lord W. Eric Watt shares this information and photos -

I visited the Pima Air and Space Museum (PASM) in Tucson Arizona, where I live.

As a former Air Canada employee, I am always struck by the sight of a former TCA aircraft on display. Here is where the very first Vickers Viscount delivered and flown by TCA rests.

CF-TGI, Fin # 601, now registered as N22SN, sits in the Tucson Arizona sunshine. It is locked up tight in the condition it was donated. One wonders why?

It was the 1st turbine powered aircraft to fly commercial revenue service in both Canada and USA, when it departed Toronto for New York with 40 passengers.

As the very first Viscount in North America, delivered for Trans-Canada Air Lines…as the first turbine powered airliner in North America…one would think that some aviation enthusiasts in Canada would want to repatriate and refurbish it in TCA colors, placing it indoors, out of the Tucson sun.

In the meantime, as a Pima Air and Space Museum member…I will visit it often. I encourage everyone to visit…and imagine it in TCA colors.

George Brien sent us this - originally appeared in NetLetter #326 November 12, 1998.

A short "flash from the past" about TCA when job descriptions didn't cover all the situations.

The story by Bill Norberg reminded me that similar flares were still kept in stock by local maintenance during the mid-fifties.

Many of the smaller airports had basic runway lighting which did not show up too well during periods of poor visibility such as snow or fog (radio range letdowns with a minimum of 400 foot ceiling and 1 mile visibility didn’t help much either).

A box of railway flares were kept on hand and these could be ignited by breaking off the end somehow, which created a very bright flare.

An inbound DC-3 from Boston to Yarmouth was having a difficult time picking up any runway lighting, so after several approaches a request was made for 'flares'.

Not sure how I converted from being a radio operator to becoming the "flare operator" but borrowing an airport jeep, off we went to the end of runway 33. The flares only lasted about 10-15 mins so when the captain reported turning final, off we went lighting and setting a flare every 100 yards down the right hand side of the runway and quickly got back to the terminal.

The success rate from the several times that we tried it was poor to nil but it did give the passengers who were waiting in the terminal the impression that we were "doing all possible to assist" and I must admit that the flares were quite impressive as seen from the ground (too bad they couldn't be seen as well from the air).

We wish to thank Monika Hilson who has sent in several memories of her career which we will be publishing as a series over coming issues. The first of the series follows.

Air Canada Airlift

Air Canada Vancouver-based crews were assigned to airlift Vietnamese refugees from various points in South-East Asia to major Canadian cities in 1979-1980. This refugee resettlement program would become one of Canada’s largest and most ambitious, bringing over 50,000 Vietnamese ‘boat people’ to our shores and throughout the country.

Trying to remember 40 years ago, my first flight to Kuala Lumpur. We were so excited to be able to fly there and ferry a flight to that part of the world. What to encounter - we knew relatively little about the Vietnamese boat people except that they escaped from their homeland by boat and ended up in a refugee camp.

Our first set of passengers - we were surprised how many young children there were. Most of them had been split up and only the wife with children, or an Uncle with his sister's children, and so on.

Very few were couples. I remember counting 30 babies on laps. The amazing thing was they never cried and they were such sweet children. To our amazement all they had was a small Red Cross bag and that was their worldly possession; coming on an Air Canada flight to start their new life in Canada and now Saskatchewan of all places, coming from a tropical paradise.

Above left:

The Air Canada Crew in Kuala Lumpur.

Right to Left: Denise Pemberton, Monika Hilson, Sharon Tetz, Sigrun Cowan (in-charge), Patricia Ponte, Margaret Rothlisberger.

Above right:

Monika Hilson helping dress a young child on flight. Monika was involved in bringing clothing and toys to distribute to families aboard the flights.

Nadja Keist - Air Traffic Controller

"I had spent around 50 hours inside the Bristell B23 within the past year, and the week before I finally passed the skill test and received a sheet of paper with the delightful title 'temporary permission to exercise the following privileges'.

Before starting my pilot training, I had just completed the demanding three-year training to become an air traffic controller for Skyguide in Switzerland.

Working in aviation has always been Nadja's childhood dream. In 2018 she started training to become an Air Traffic Controller."

After a year of studying and simulator sessions, she received her ATC student's license and began to work at the tower and approach frequencies of Bern airport. Two years later she finally became a licensed air traffic controller.

Ever since then, she has spent most of her time getting her private pilot's license. In the few hours she is not at the airport or in the air, Nadja enjoys playing the guitar and going to the gym. 

Source: Air Facts Journal

Air Canada announces acquisition of 2 new Boeing 767-300 freighters.

The two factory-built freighters will be in addition to the eight Boeing 767-300s that are being converted for Air Canada Cargo operations. Earlier this month, Air Canada Cargo added its second B767-300ER freighter conversion.

Air Canada Cargo’ first quarter 2022 revenue is up 42% to $398m from the first quarter of 2021.

Jason Berry, vice president, Cargo, at Air Canada, said: “Since their entry into service, our Boeing 767-300BDSF freighters have proven their value to Air Canada and Air Canada Cargo. Today’s announcement is a further signal of our long-term commitment to freighters as we continue to adapt and grow at Air Canada Cargo.

“These additional factory-built B-767-300F aircraft will allow Air Canada Cargo to speed up the expansion of its freighter fleet, helping provide reliable, dedicated service to key cargo routes around the world, further bolstering the capacity provided by Air Canada’s mainline fleet.”

The Boeing 767-300 freighters allow Air Canada Cargo to offer five different main deck configurations, increasing the overall cargo capacity of each aircraft to nearly 58 tonnes or 438 cubic metres, with approximately 75% of this capacity on the main deck.

Source:
 www.aircargonews.net

See also:
 Air Canada Reports First Quarter 2022 Financial Results 

Montréal and Toronto to Venice service being relaunched.

On the Easter 2022 weekend, we resumed service from Montréal and Toronto to Venice with a once-weekly service. Both routes, operated for the first time since the summer of 2019, will be served by an Airbus A330.

Air Canada To Resume Slew Of International Routes.

The Montreal-based carrier is relaunching international flights from Toronto, Montreal, Halifax and Vancouver.

Air Canada is restarting 34 international routes in its summer 2022 schedule, saying the resumption of services dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic is a sign the “recovery is well underway.”

Details at: www.routesonline.com

2016 - Air Canada Rouge service launched:

• May 19 - Toronto - London (Gatwick).
• May-29 - Toronto - Prague.

Found in 'Horizons' magazine

Issue dated March 2002.

DC-9 calls it a day.

After 35 years of service, the DC-9 was retired from the fleet on January 13, 2002. It has left behind the legacy of being the workhorse of the short-haul markets, especially during the introduction of the jet age.

In the early 1960's. the airline needed to purchase a short/medium-haul jet. "Based on economics, technical studies, and passenger traffic forecasts, the DC-9 was purchased for its low operating costs and ability to provide frequent service between short-haul markets," said George Reeleder, Senior Director Scheduling.

"The DC-9 was not only ordered as a prop replacement but it was a competitive necessity as U .S. carriers such as American, Delta and United were going to introduce jets on competitive routes to New York and Chicago. The Vickers Vanguard just could not compete in the jet era."

With a seating capacity of 72, the DC-9-14 quickly proved too small and its range was limited.

On June 12, 1965, the airline ordered twelve DC-9-32's. It was 4.5 metres longer and could seat up to 115 passengers. Equipped with a high-lift wing system of leading edge slats, it provided better short-field performance and increased lift allowed pilots to fly the aircraft slower and therefore use less runway for landing. The 30 series became the best-selling version of the DC-9 as airlines appreciated its economics and performance.

"You fly it manually. There are no computers," said Captain Martin Herron who flew the aircraft for 18 years. I'm going to miss flying that airplane." 

From an article by Mary Manni,

Coach/Counsellor at Toronto's Call Centre.

• Air Canada was the first international carrier to order the DC-9.
• The DC-9-14's cost $4 million each.
• The first Air Canada flight occurred on April 6, 1966, Montreal - New York (JFK).
• DC-9 was Air Canada's first aircraft to provide liftable armrests.
• DC-9 was Air Canada's first aircraft to have an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU).
• Air Canada ordered 50 between November 1963 and February 1973.

Issue dated July/August 2002.

Destina.ca was launched in April 2002.

Within three years, the Canadian online travel industry was expected to generate some $4.5 billion in travel business. It is one of the fastest growing sectors of the Internet, and it's for that reason that Air Canada launched Destina.ca in April.

"We launched Destina.ca because the world of distribution is being re-defined, and we saw an opportunity to play a lead role in the evolution of distribution in Canada," said Lise Fournel, President & CEO Destina and VP Information Technology - 2003 - 2006.

"Destina.ca is part of Air Canada's strategy to develop competitive business units that generate revenue and save money for the corporation."

Editors' note: Destina.ca has since ceased operation. 

Lise Fournel continued in the position of Senior Vice-President E-Commerce and Information Technology from May 2006 to April 2016.

Below - The Destina.ca crew take a well-earned break to pose for Horizons.

Found on the CP Air Employees Facebook page -

Shown in this photo holding the EPA CUP is part of the combined team of Charlottetown (YYG) and Fredericton (YFC) who last year, ruled supreme the EPA hockey greats of 1979.

Team members from left to right are:

Don McCallum, YYG; Paul Brothers, YFC; Claude Goodwin, YYG; Paul Clark, TAS YYG; Chris Nicholson, YFC; Bob Hennessey, TAS YYG and Rosco Currie, YFC.

From the "InfoCanadi>n" magazine.

Issue dated June 1988.

Annual Sales Blitz.

May 1988 was blitz month for Canadian Airlines sales offices across Canada.

Sales reps and volunteers from each city, equipped with information kits and timetables, visited all top accounts, travel agencies and other businesses to publicize the introduction of the B-767.

In Calgary, volunteer pilots and flight attendants in uniform accompanied sales staff as they blitzed local radio stations as well.

In this photo, disc jockey Don Slade of Calgary radio station CFAC greets with open arms, from left:

Barry Moffitt, Captain B-737; Penny Holden, Flight Attendant; Alan McDonald, Sales Representative and Vaughn Moir, Captain B-737. 

Also participating in the Calgary blitz and visiting another radio station at the time of this photo were Ralph Tweten, First Officer B-737; Joanne Andrusiak and Cindy Gielnik, Flight Attendants and Andrea Olson, Customer Service Agent, Reservations.

This Week in History, 1910:

The crazy man of the air makes Vancouver's first flight.  Charles K. Hamilton was a daredevil who crashed over 60 times in his short career.

On March 25, 1910, American Charles K. Hamilton made the first airplane flight in Vancouver in a Curtiss Reims Racer biplane.

Source:
www.canadianflight.org/content/charles-hamilton

AN-225 rebuild project.

Ukraine aircraft manufacturer Antonov is launching an international fundraising campaign to find the $3 billion it says will be needed to build another An-225 cargo plane. The only An-225 was destroyed during a battle for control of Hostomel Antonov Airport near Kyiv in late February.

It’s not clear if the aircraft was intentionally attacked or was collateral damage in the attack. Regardless, its loss struck a nerve and resulted in an outpouring of lament from all over the world. Whether that turns into an outpouring of cash remains to be seen.

Antonov issued a statement saying it would take on the project itself but it’s a little strapped these days and needs the help. “Despite these hard times, the Antonov team is resolute in their belief that the irreversible loss of the legendary aircraft as one of the symbols of modernity cannot be allowed and that work must start on the revival of the flagship transport aircraft, AN-225 Mriy,” the company said. “We propose to establish an International Fund.”

National pride notwithstanding, there are some practical considerations involved. The An-225 was the only aircraft that could carry certain pieces of heavy equipment whose rapid deployment is needed in emergencies and national disasters. Although there has been a lot of talk about a second uncompleted An-225 existing, no one seems to know where it is.

The An-225 had a maximum takeoff weight of 640 metric tons or about 1.4 million pounds.

Source: AVweb.com 

Mexican president taps predecessor's jet for wedding, birthday rentals.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Monday that his government would offer to rent out a luxury presidential jet for birthday and wedding parties after failing to find a buyer.

Lopez Obrador, an austerity advocate who uses commercial flights, has been vowing to sell the Boeing 787 Dreamliner since his 2018 election campaign, calling it an "insult" to the people.

It will be rented out to generate income to cover its expenses and maintenance costs, he said. The jet will be available if someone "is getting married and is going to take their family and friends" by air, as well as for birthdays and company trips, Lopez Obrador said.

The plane was purchased for about $218 million during former president Felipe Calderon's 2006-2012 term in office, but the only one who used it was his successor Enrique Pena Nieto.

Source: www.reuters.com

 Lockheed L-1011 Tristar - C-FTNA / N312EA

My article from NetLetter #1344 on Air Canada's L-1011 Tristar fleet mentions C-FTNA (Fin # 501), one of two aircraft (the other being C-FTNC, Fin # 503), leased from Haas -Turner and shared between Air Canada and Eastern Airlines between 1972 and 1981. It flew exclusively in the Air Canada fleet until 1988. 

Excerpt from my previous article:

Fin # 501 (C-FTNA) was leased by Air Transat in June 1988, subleased to Air France in June 1989 and then returned to Air Transat in February 1991 where it remained until July 6, 2001 when it was damaged beyond repair after being hit by a hailstorm on takeoff at LYS. Visit Aviation Safety Network for the complete report on the incident. The aircraft is now preserved at Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport.

I don't know how I missed it at the time, but I recently came across a short video on YouTube (linked below) of a guided tour of the aircraft where it now rests. It has been transformed into a meeting room for various events. It is also used as a training plane, receiving numerous educational visits.

The dialog contained in the video is in French but quite self-explanatory to English speakers.

Visit www.PlaneSpotters.net to view the aircraft lifecycle.

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

Travellers Tales – Alan Clark (husband of Lorraine Clark)

Originally appeared in the February/March 2022 UK Pionairs newsletter.

The Falklands – Natures unspoiled treasure.

Located 8,700 miles south of the UK, 400 miles from Argentina, this collection of 740 islands is home to 219 animal species including Penguins, Sea lions, Whales, Dolphins and many exotic birds.

The rugged treeless terrain, unusual rock formations and white sandy beaches leading to turquoise seas is something to behold, unlike no place on earth. The views from the rolling hills out to the abundance of water is simply breath-taking.

The Falkland islanders mainly live in Stanley, numbering 3200, with only a few hundred living scattered around the sheep farms in isolated communities. The other residents are military with a large camp at Mount Pleasant.

Margaret Thatcher (and the UK in general) is revered among the islanders as the saviour during the Falklands war in 1982; this year is the 40th anniversary. There are many statues of her and streets in her name.

The weather in the Falklands is an ever-changing cycle of snow, high winds and rain. Four seasons in one day is always expected. High winds are the greatest challenge is it's 50 MPH most days and can reach 100 MPH. So appropriate clothing is a necessity.

Currently the only way to reach the Falklands is by Military Air Bridge a 19hr flight, but once COVID relents, up to 3 cruise ships a week stop off on a South American cruise. All the islanders owning a 4 x 4 will greet you at the port to give you a tour of this nature's wonder they call home.

Continuation of the Air Canada nee Trans-Canada Air Lines History.

Started in NetLetter #1483.

Source: Air Canada 75 years of innovation

• 1948 -
  • G.R. McGregor took the helm of TCA in 1948. He was the oldest fighter pilot and top-scoring RCAF ace to serve in the Battle of Britain and a member of the first unit on the continent after D-Day. His tenure at TCA lasted 20 years.
  • Aircargo (now called Air Canada Cargo) officially hits the skies in the spring of 1948. The first shipment takes 7,500 pounds of pesticide from Montreal to northern Saskatchewan to save the rapeseed crops infested by army worm.
  • TCA performs the largest mass movement of immigrants in air transport history in 1948, when it carries 6,000 immigrants from the U.K. on 175 crossings of the Atlantic.
• 1949 -
  • Pilot René Giguère becomes the first TCA pilot to hit the 10.000 hours flying mark with the company, over 3,200,000 kilometres worth of piloting.
  • The employee moustache competition gets hairy! A pre-Christmas contest among staff at the engine overhaul shop in Winnipeg grows to 24 contestants. The entry fee is 50 cents, but those who back out have to pay a $2 penalty. The big winner is Ed Turner, who pockets $30 for his "full Whisker, distinguished in appearance and symmetrical in Shape."
  • Miss Gwen Robyns, a British journalist, finishes the last leg of a 45,866-kilometre tour around the globe on a TCA North Star in May 1949. The flight is to prove women can travel the world "fantastically easily," even with the 66-pound (30 kg) baggage allocation. Her luggage includes 12 cotton and wool dresses, two suits, a coat and a one-ounce cashmere sweater. Her lightweight shoes are made by the Queen's shoemaker.
• 1950 -
  • TCA flies 40 special round-trip flights between Winnipeg and Eastern Canada from May 8 to 13, 1950, to help out during a five-day emergency flood relief. The airline carries 500,000 pounds of non-perishable foods and other necessities to 2,500 evacuees when the Red River overflowed.
  • In July 1950, TCA welcomes its 3 millionth passenger; Mr. F.W. Crickard, a Vancouver businessman on his way to York. It turns out he was also aboard TCA's first Trans Canadian flight in 1939! He tells newsmen that TCA has "built one of the finest organizations in the aeronautical world and one of which every citizen of the Dominion can be justly proud."
  • In August 1950, a Chicago travel agency organized the Masked Mystery Flights, and TCA gets on board by shepherding 17 blindfolded men and women - who have no idea where they'll land - to Montreal for a weekend in the Laurentians. From August 22 to 31, 1950, a national railway strike helped TCA introduce thousands of people to air travel.
  • Thirty new routes are added in the 1950's, including Paris, Brussels, Vienna, Zurich, Tampa and Antigua. Over the same period, Canadian Pacific Air Lines, which would later merge with Air Canada, inaugurated service to Lima, Buenos Aires and Santiago.

Editor's Note by Ken Pickford:

Checking CP timetables during the 1950's, 8 international destination were added including the 3 South America points mentioned.

• Latin America - Mexico City, Lima, Santiago, Buenos Aires
• Europe - Amsterdam, Santa Maria (Azores), Lisbon, Madrid

More in our next issue of The NetLetter.