We have welcomed 277 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!

Toronto Pearson Runway Run.

Planned for September 23, 2023.

Ever wanted to go for a jog out on the airport tarmac? Here's your chance!

The Toronto Pearson Runway Run gives you the opportunity to run a 5k or walk a 2k route right on the airport runway! Perhaps the neatest thing about this event is that it's business as usual for Pearson Airport so during the event you'll have up close (but not too close!) and personal views of airplanes taxiing, taking off, and landing.

The event, since 2016, features a 5k running course and a 2k walking course. The 5k run is timed and there are awards for top finishers, but most people tend to treat this event as more of a fun run on a unique course.

Source: www.runguides.com/event/230/runway-run

Click the image below for a video taken on the inagraual 'Runway Run' in 2016.

Larry Milberry refers to the article on Canadian stamps in 'Odds and Ends' in NetLetter #1498.

The latest Canada Post 'brouhaha' is around the new stamp honouring the DHC-2 Beaver on its 75th anniversary.

Problem is that they’ve incurred the wrath of the aficionados who object that the Beaver on the stamp has an American registration. Good point, you eagle-eyed folks, and shame on Canada Post. Their design gurus certainly are not sweating the small stuff!

From the latest blog by Larry Milberry at canavbooks.wordpress.com

Peter Rowlands refers to the article by Pierre Gillard under 'Submitted Photos' in NetLetter #1497 and sends this information -

Purportedly patterned after the C-119 Flying Boxcar, that generic two-engine trainer was a mainstay for multi-engine conversions to C-45's and C-47's and beyond for many RCAF pilots.

It was a good procedures trainer for sprog pilots; easy to operate without need of an instructor/supervisor.

The one last seen and best remembered was in Station Flight at CFB Summerside in the late 1960's supporting our two Expeditors which flew everywhere in eastern Canada between Sydney, Nova Scotia and the Soo (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario). 

Cheers, Peter.

Diane Bellamy sends this response after reading the article under 'Submitted Photos'  in NetLetter #1497 regarding Jane Powell -

Thank you for researching and reporting on the picture I sent you showing the christening of the inaugural flight to Chicago. It's a very interesting story.

Diane Kleiman Bellamy

From Garth Caron:

Regarding the Dave Michaelis article on the TCA Portable Stanley Thermos in NetLetter #1498 - 

The leather cases were made by Riley & McCormick. I believe these thermoses were hung in a round bracket in the small galley area, and were used for tea or instant coffee and were spigot controlled.

These must have been used on the Lockheed 10A, or 14 aircraft. I have a larger version metal thermos from TCA that might have come from the DC-3, or maybe the Lodestar (pictured).

Garth Caron

former PWA, NWT Air and Air BC employee.

Thanks to Pionairs District Director for New Brunswick, Rose-Anne Carney, for sending us photos from the collection of Ralph Trites. 

Below is the first of a series that will be continued in future editions.

Flight attendant, Marie Maki, poses with former boxing champions Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey.

Dawn Richlew, Miss Winnipeg Blue Bomber, circa 1965. The aircraft registration plate is visible top centre of the photo.

The Douglas DC-8-43, registration CF-TJB, carried fin #802 and was in the TCA / Air Canada fleet from May 1960 to June 1977 when it was withdrawn from use.

It was bought by a company called Transvalair and stored at Sion, Switzerland then broken up in December 1977.

Source: www.planespotters.net

More comments from those retirees who worked in C & SS YUL after reading the article in 'Remember When' in NetLetter #1498.

Karl Eliason: "It all sounds very familiar".

Dave Harwood: "I remember the 'music' the console printers would make after an IPL. There was always a section where the two way printers would play

Bud a lip - Bid a loop, Bud a lip - Bid a loop, Bud a lip - Bid a loop, Bud a lip - Bid a loop.

You knew the 'onlines' were almost up.

Terry Baker remembers these co-workers on the second floor of the computer building at Dorval in the 80's where he worked - supposedly.

Aron Charad, Al Kurys, Lilian Norcott, Bob Herron, Jim Pearce, Steve Charlton, Anne Marie Stiegler, Maryse ? - secretary, Monique Castonguay(?), Shirley Graham, Mavis Morrison, Bob Bishop, Bob Belding, Bev Cotton, Bill Downard, Bill Heshka, Ken Taylor, Bonnie Alexander, Roger Rouse, Andy MaCready, Ray Valois, Lois Morrison, Edna Morrison, Guy Langevan(?), Hans Peregoni(?), Bob Heramchuk and Brian Ward.

I am sure I have forgotten some and misspelled others.

Bob Sheppard shares this memory with us -

We were away overnight (recently) visiting the Vancouver Circle Craft show at the Vancouver convention center.

When we got home, my wife got out a small knurled handled hammer that she was going to use to hang a small artwork that we purchased. Seeing the hammer reminded me of an incident many years ago.

On dayshift I got a radio call that a DC-9 was about to arrive with the forward flight attendant seat inoperative. Really a big deal and it could be trouble as the '9's' usually turned in a very short time.

I was waiting at the gate as the plane arrived and was anxious to check out the seat. Finally the last passenger deplaned and I quickly got to work. I found nothing wrong with it, so I went to check the log book entry to see what they noted as being the problem. The log stated that "one of the screws supporting the seat had come out".

After rechecking the seat I asked one of the flight attendants to point out the problem to me. "Oh, I fixed it", she said. "You did?". "Yes, I tightened the screw."

It was a large screw and I guess I was giving a somewhat puzzled look, so she reached into her bag and pulled out one of those little hammers that has several sized screw drivers built into the handle.

"I bring it with me on every flight and make small repairs when I can". I thanked her for her resourcefulness and made sure all the screws were tight and it was indeed serviceable and a possible delay was averted.

Northern Lights Aero Foundation’s 13th annual Elsie MacGill Awards Gala, held on October 22, 2022, honored eight outstanding women in aviation and aerospace.

The event is named after Elsie MacGill, the world’s first female aircraft designer.

More info:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsie_MacGill

The women’s rights activist was appointed chief aeronautical engineer for the Canadian Car and Foundry Plant, and became known as the 'Queen of the Hurricanes' after she became “pivotal in the production of the Hawker Hurricane.”

The 2022 award recipients are:

• Business Award – Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Air Canada executive vice president.
• Education Award – Stéphanie Angrand, instructor, Canadian Forces Leadership School.
• Engineering Award – Damineh Akhavan, CEO of Global Women in STEM.
• Flight Operations Award – Kim Winsor, Air Canada training captain.
• Government Award – Gisele Garceau, professional engineer and commercial pilot.
• Trailblazer Award – Marlene Shillingford, Chief Warrant Officer, 2 Canadian Air Division.
• Rising Star Award – Donya Naz Divsalar, CEO of Caidin Biotechnologies.
• Rising Star Award – Zainab Azim, future astronaut, Virgin Atlantic.

Full bios for each of the recipients can be found at:
northernlightsaerofoundation.com/wall-of-fame

Source: Skiesmag.com

• 1953
  • April 16 - North Star service introduced to Regina and Lethbridge.
  • November 1 - North Star service introduced to Cleveland.
• 1954
  • January 16 - Scheduled service to Mexico City via Tampa. Pre-inaugural was October 1953 and scheduled service was planned for November 1,1953 but was denied by US CAB.

From the Larry Milberry blog

Here's one of the most glorious views of any TCA DC-3.

It's from an original 4 x 5 Kodachrome transparency made by Canadair circa 1946. CF-TEC had been RAF KG485. It joined the TCA fleet in May 1946, served into 1958, then became CF-DTB with Canada's Department of Transport. After more than 35 years with the DOT, it moved on in 1998 to Buffalo Airways in Yellowknife.

About 2016 "DTB" left Buffalo to become N856KB with Basler Turbo Conversions of Oshkosh. As recently as August 2020 it's been photographed there out in the weather and still in its (fading) red-and-white DOT colours.

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

Here is the aircraft lifecycle as posted at www.PlaneLogger.com

• 42-92761 United States Army Air Force February 25, 1944.
• KG485 Royal Canadian Air Force March 10, 1944.
• CF-TEC Trans-Canada Air Lines May 16, 1946.
• CF-DTB Government of Canada-Department of Transport March 19, 1958.
• CF-DTB Buffalo Airways February 9, 1995.
• CF-DTB Hay River Air Services April 22, 2016.
• N856KB Basler Turbo Conversions LLC September 18, 2018.

From the early days of Trans-Canada Air Lines.

We go back in time in case some readers are interested in genealogy information on their families. We peruse the early additions of the 'Between Ourselves' magazine.

Extracted from 'Between Ourselves' issued mid-summer 1948.

For two weeks during June, 1948, Canada played host to 150 aviation technical experts from 23 airlines and 17 countries at Ste. Agathe, Quebec.

They had convened for the annual technical conference of the International Air Transport Association. Among TCA's delegates to the important international aviation conference were

Director of Maintenance and Engineering, J. T. Bain; Director of Engineering, J. T. Dyment; Director of Flight Development, B. A. Rawson; Director of Communications, S. S. Stevens; Assistant Director of Engineering, D. C. Tennant; Trans-Atlantic Flight Operations Superintendent, Lindy Rood; Supervisor of Flight Dispatch, N. Humphrys; Supervisor of Airways Engineering, C. F. Proudfoot; Communications Technical Assistant, H. A. Ferris; Senior Engineer, K. H. Fritsch.

Clerical staff from TCA offices assisted in recording the aeronautical discussions. Included in the group were Marg Ronnander (Winnipeg), Phyllis Allen (Winnipeg), Gwyneth McGowan (Toronto), June Ferguson (Ottawa), Shirley Robinson (Montreal), Joan Paul (Montreal), Peggy Gillard (Winnipeg), Phyllis Harding, Flight Service Supervisor, (Toronto) and Evelyn Kay, Sales Representative, (Montreal).

Pictured below is part of the group of TCA'ers who were at the Ste. Agathe conference.

Back row, left to right: C. A. Proudfoot, Margaret Ronnander, Noel J. Humphrys, Gwyneth McGowan, S. S. Stevens and Lindy Rood.

Middle row, left to right: Shirley Robinson, Evelyn Kay, J. T. Dyment, G. R. McGregor and B. A. Rawson.

Front row, left to right: Peggy Gillard, Phyllis Harding, Phyllis Allen and June Ferguson.

Issue dated November 1948.

One of the first employees to join TCA at Moncton, Leah Rayworth, Secretary to Eastern Region Operations Manager, T. F. K. Edmison, is presented with her five-year pin by Captain W. E. Barnes.

Watching the ceremony are, left to right: Captain Edmison, Dorothy Parkes, W. Weldon, Jean Nickerson, Miriam Russell, Bette Fletcher, N. W. Burris, Katherine Cranston, R. Sellors, District Traffic and Sales Manager; Peggy Cornelius and T. Butler.

Issue dated February 1950.

Regina Christmas party.

Standing, left to right: Jack McIver, George Pike, Gray Gillespie, George Wilson, John McCormick, Norman MacDonald, Don Cranna, Hal Marks, Jack MacLean and Jim McLeod (Moores Limousine) (partly).

Sitting, left to right: Ken Birch, Pam Hodgkinson, Betty McIver, Betty Gillespie, Pat Birch, Wynn Pike, Sheila MacDonald, Sue Marks, Edith McCormick, Gladys MacLean, Eileen Cranna and Dave Hodgkinson (his knee only!).

Editors' Note: Unfortunately,the original photo was clipped on the right.

From the 'CP Air News' magazine.

Issue dated July 1973

Lightning accuracy - CP Air computer to mastermind bookings

You'll be seeing more of these in the future as CP Air introduces its computerized reservation facilities. It's a cathode ray tube and keyboard that will be installed at telephone sales positions, in ticket offices and airport service counters.

Necessary information will be flashed on the tube within three seconds of a request being punched on the keyboard.

With this unit are left to right: Barbara Martel, of computer services; Roger Bailes, of payload control; Mike Kiousky, of computer services; Marg Twamley, of reservations; and Mary Simpson, of computer services.

Editors' Note: Quite an interesting piece of history considering the technological advancements in the almost fifty years that have passed since this story was published.

DC-3 aircraft available to Frobisher Bay Nunavut

Posted by Carle Chadillon 

Nordair had a DC-3, available for charters at all times, based at Frobisher Bay.

On June 23, 1959, Nordair was authorized to serve Cape Dyer,  The service was an extension to flight 41B/42B leaving Montreal on Thursday, returning on Friday, with stops at Frobisher Bay and Cape Dyer.

A sample of the rates, at the time, charged for Frobisher - Cape Dyer were $57 return $114.

Montreal - Cape Dyer was $186 return $372

Posted by Michel Lafrance 

Photo of a Super Constellation at Frobisher Bay (now Iqaluit) Airport (YFB), circa 1968.

Posted by John Desramaux

Royal Tour 1976 Montreal Olympics, Saint-Hubert Longueuil airport (YHU)

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip (back to camera) with the flight crew.

Royal flight crew: Danielle Raymond, Suzanne Duperron, Carole Boucher, Beverly Biborosch, Marcel Laurin, Bernie Duperron and Captain John Smith.

When an aviation video begins with the line "Back in July, I did something really stupid", it has to be worth watching.

Videographer, Alex Praglowski, (who says that he stands 6' 8") packed his sense of humour and embarked on a trip across Canada flying exclusively on Dash 8-400's. 

Click to image below to share in his journey.

Name this aircraft – 

Answer below in Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips.

Gerry Schwartz, a consummate Canadian dealmaker who came up in the go-go 1980s of leveraged buyouts, and venture capital fame, announced Friday he would be stepping down as CEO of Onex Corp., the private equity firm he founded nearly 40 years ago.

At one time Air Canada was in his sights.

Just before the COVID-19 pandemic, Onex bought Calgary-based WestJet Airlines Ltd. in a $5-billion deal, including debt. Schwartz has been a player in many such high-profile deals since founding Onex in 1984, including the consolidation of the dairy industry and the multi-billion battle for telecom giant BCE Inc. 

Source: financialpost.com

Worlds last flying Super Constellation in Australia.

The world’s only flying Super Constellation is at Shellharbour Airport (SHL) and can be seen at the HARS Museum every day.

Connie’s last active duty was with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard from mid 1972 until its relegation to storage at Davis Monthan Air Base at Tucson, Arizona in June 1977.

In 1990 some Society members were in Tucson collecting Neptune spares and saw this derelict Super Constellation. In a moment of madness the thought occurred that it should be recovered to complete Australia’s aviation history and negotiations commenced for its acquisition. Considered obsolete and of no further use, storage maintenance ceased in 1981 and as a result was designated of scrap value only. In addition, most of the engine accessories and instruments had been cannibalised.

Failure to re-seal the aircraft after an inspection permitted access to legions of birds to nest and foul the interior over many years. This in turn discouraged the scrap metal merchants from bidding on the aircraft due to the infestation of guano and the subsequent imperfections that it would cause in the smelting of the aluminium.

In November 1991, HARS started what was to become a major project when 54-0157 was placed in our care for restoration and delivery to Australia.

Connie is now the only flying L-1049 Super Constellation in the world. Until recently, the other was the Breitling Super Constellation in Switzerland. Amazingly both aircraft were built next to each other in the factory.

Connie is #4176 and the former Breitling Constellation is #4177. 

Source:
hars.org.au/lockheed-c-121c-super-constellation

Air Saint-Pierre

Alex Praglowski recently posted a sequel to the video in our 'Featured Video' section entitled 'I flew from Canada to France... in an HOUR?' (click the image below to view). 

In the video Alex relates his short flight from St. John's, Newfoundland (YYT) to Saint Pierre (FSP) in Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean.

Air Saint-Pierre currently operates a single (very busy) ATR 42 for 'international' flights and a Reims-Cessna F406 on the inter-island service. Its ATR 42 was delivered in December 2020. 

I have been quite surprised to learn that the airline has been in continuous operation since 1964, originally with a code-share agreement with Eastern Provincial Airways.

It flies up to four round trips a day to the other airport in the collectivity, Miquelon. It operates scheduled services to four airports in Canada, typically operating one to two weekly services to Montreal, three weekly services to St. John's, three to four weekly services to Halifax and two weekly summer services to the Magdalen Islands.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Saint-Pierre  

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

In the Air Canada Pionairs UK/EU Newsletter #326 - Aug/Sept 2022, it was announced that Jack Morath,  Social Director in the LHR District for many years, was stepping down.

I would like to share my memories of working with Jack -

Jack and I go way back...

We started in the 60's organising  events for the Purchasing & Supply department at LHR. Later, during the 'Cabbage Patch' event, the Douglas Aircraft mechanics helping to repair the DC-8 were included.

There was ten pin bowling, horseback riding, pitch & putt golf, softball games, a trip down the river Thames complete with a live band for much dancing, a very popular event.

I left LHR for YUL in 1965. Jack carried on and when the Pionairs started up in LHR, Jack became its social director and, assisted by his wife, Aureen, organised pub nights, theatre evenings, visits to various factories including Vickers (Viscount) and Bristol (Concorde) as well as evening strolls around downtown London with a tourist guide.

The annual weekend at a North American city, including, Halifax, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Washington, Los Angeles, Dollywood and, finally, a 3 night cruise out of Miami. A single weekend in Nice, France was included.

These weekends were a very popular event and fully subscribed with 50+ people, enough to fill a school bus used to visit touristy areas and always a final dinner. I assisted Jack for the Dollywood event.

For an Alaska cruise, I found out that for every group of 15 persons I could get the 16th free. Jack organised the retirees at the UK end, and I arranged the hotel and cruise details - I was the freebie!

After the years since the 70's, Jack has now retired from his social activities for the UK Pionairs and he will be sorely missed. 

Answer to 'Name this aircraft' in the 'Odds & Ends' section. . 

The Beechcraft 1900D is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop regional airliner manufactured by Beechcraft. It is also used as a freight aircraft and corporate transport, and by several governmental and military organizations. With customers favouring larger regional jets, Raytheon ended production in October 2002.

London Heathrow Airport: A Complete History

Although Heathrow is the main airport for London today, this was not always the case. It was around 1410 when historians cite the first known mention of a semi-rural lane called Heathrow, which at the time was spelt La Hetherewe (very posh indeed). La Hetherewe was a wayside village along a minor country lane. 

In the early 20th Century, there were a couple of small airfields in the same area. Northolt Aerodrome, north of today's airport, was used for aircraft testing and assembly. And to the south was Hounslow Heath Aerodrome. This was London's main airport from 1917 to 1919, and the only one able to handle international flights.

Hounslow Heath Aerodrome closed in 1919, and Croydon Airport became London's main airport. Up until the Second World War, this was the UK's main airport. It saw many innovations, including the world's first purpose-built air traffic control tower and the first passenger terminal in the UK. It transferred to RAF use during the war.

Although the airport returned to civilian use after the war, Heathrow became designated as the main airport for the city. Croydon finally closed down in 1959.

Excerpt  from:
simpleflying.com/london-heathrow-airport-history/

Click the link for the full article and additional photos.

"Always be nice to your children because they are the ones who will choose your retirement home."- Phyllis Diller.