We have welcomed 21 new subscribers so far in 2023.

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!

Air Canada Recreation Association (ACRA) UK Badminton Tournament 2023.
Planned for late September 2023 at Lanzarote, Spain.

The ACRA Committee are putting plans in place to hold our annual tournament in Lanzarote in late September 2023.
So get your racket out of the cupboard and get practicing.

Check web site www.acrabadminton.org.uk/

Lanzarote is one of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean.

It is the fourth largest of the Canary Islands, about half the size of its neighbour Fuerteventura. It is 1000 km from mainland Spain, and about 125 km from the African coast. It has been a biosphere reserve since 1993.

Source:en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lanzarote

Barbara Dunn comments on the bagpipe item in NetLetter #1501

Speaking of bagpipes, I remember landing in Prestwick after flying from Vancouver on a DC-8 stretch. It was Robbie Burns Day and we could hear a piper at the entrance to the terminal; no jet bridges in Prestwick in those days.

I’m afraid my Scottish heritage got the best of me. I walked across the tarmac and convinced the piper to come back to the aircraft with me and walk down the aisle playing his pipes.

Some of the passengers were a bit startled as they were cat napping during the station stop, but most of them thought it was great. My Scottish grannie would have been proud.

Cheers,

Barbara

Submitted by Paul Stenner -

Good day Gentlemen,

In response to last week's stories on the grand lady, the Lockheed L-1011, I wish to submit a photo of how dining in First Class used to be on that Air Canada aeroplane.

In First Class, the two forward seats in the middle row were designed to do a 180 degree turn and face aft. There was a table that was placed between the two second row seats facing forward and the now aft facing seats. Voila......there was a dining table for four and as you can see a lavish spread was laid out for the lucky passengers to enjoy.

As luck would have it we were a deadheading crew and were offered it. I was flying with the late Captain L.K. Sanderson and F/O Ron Pare and have never forgotten this memorable "dining in the sky" experience whilst being on the payroll.

Happy days and fond memories!!

F/O Paul Stenner

Submitted by John Rodger -

Hi Guys,

This was an honour that my good friend Ken Acton (on the right below) received from the town of L'Ile Bizard. Thought it would be great to put in one of the Netletters.

John

An honour for one of our own. Ken Acton worked at Air Canada in many positions in the Maintenance Department. Upon retirement in 1993 he joined the Pionairs.

Ken has lived in L’Ile Bizard, Québec for many years and has always volunteered to help others.

Besides starting up minor football on L’Ile Bizard he made sure kids got a chance to play hockey, especially those who could not afford to play indoor. He took it upon himself to start outdoor hockey for those kids in 1987.

Some kids that could go inside also liked to play outside. One of those was none other than Vincent Lecavalier who had a superstar career with Tampa Bay Lightning. Ken had to make up special rules for guys like Vincent so all the kids had a chance to play and improve their hockey skills.

Vincent never forgot where he came from. He called Ken and asked if he could come to see the kids. He showed up with dozens of official Tampa Bay sweaters (his #4) for all the kids that played outside.

In 2022 Ken was honoured by the city of L’Ile Bizard by naming an outdoor rink in his name 'La Patinoire du Coach Ken'. 

Over the years Ken had lots of volunteers assist him, one being my son David and since 2005 Eric Charest (seen in the photo wearing one of the sweaters that Vincent Lecavalier gave out).

Ken is a writer doing articles for motorcycle magazines under the pen name 'Thunder'. While working at AC he also did a newsletter for the maintenance department.

He also volunteers for NOVA West Island, who raise money for the unmet needs of communities through the development and delivery of professional, innovative health services.

At NOVA West Island, experienced, caring, and dedicated professional staff and volunteers work together to improve the quality of life for vulnerable adults, youth and families. 

Ralph Quick received this photo from his son of a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) issued for Mumbai.

Highlighted is the statement – 
"DAILY 0220-1000
NOTAM SUBJECT TO QUERY. AD TO BE CONFIRMED.
RWY 09/27 CLSD DUE RWY RECARPETING WORK IN PROGRESS."

Hence this comment by Ralph -
"What do you think, Indoor - Outdoor or maybe Shag?"

A Trans-Canada Air Lines trip from many years ago.

Almost 60 years ago my aunt, Joyce Dolson, ventured by train from Toronto to Ottawa. At the Ottawa station, she joined up with a friend and her parents who was returning home to Kapuskasing. They began the long drive from Ottawa to Kapuskasing.

Following a visit in Kapuskasing, Joyce decided that rather than drive back, she would fly and boarded a Trans-Canada Air Lines flight bound for Malton Airport in Toronto. Expecting she would drive back, her family in Toronto were quite surprised to receive a telegram asking them to meet her at the airport on her return!

Below is a copy of the ticket with a fare of $27.30 plus $4.10 in taxes. 

A year later, Joyce flew again from Malton, this time to Porquis Junction, the original name for the airport now known as Iroquois Falls Airport. 

Following this second visit, she chose to drive home with friends.

She’s an awesome lady and been active and adventurous her whole life. She still keeps busy playing bridge, whist, and enjoying the company of others in activities at a senior’s center in Toronto. 

For her 90th birthday, she joined a few other brave souls to hang from the top of the CN Tower in Toronto.

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 issues of the 'Between Ourselves' magazine.

Issue dated May 1956

Working out the load are Ramp Agents Herb Britton and Fin Findlay seen figuring out a weight and balance problem for one of our flights through Winnipeg.

St. John's, Newfoundland Reservations was the first office in the Atlantic Provinces to acquire a rotary reservations table. However recent installations saw similar equipment pressed into service in Boston, Halifax and Sydney.

The St. John's personnel shown are from the left: J. Fardy, PA (Tel); P. Fanning, Teletypist; L. Heffernan, PA (Tel); P. Maddigan, Lead Agent; H. Janisczak; RA; M. English, PA (Tel) and J. Dunne, PA (Tel).

Editors' Note: Job titles have certainly changed over the years. We are assuming that 'PA (Tel)' refers to a Passenger Agent (telephone), working reservations wearing headsets. A 'Teletypist' would probably be considered a sort of Communicator today. 

Found in 'Horizons' magazine

Marlin Country

Trinidad is Marlin country. The 'Air Canada Marlins', a Company sponsored swimming club, takes the aquatic sport seriously.

Members engaged in regular swim meets in the Caribbean area and had plans for competitions in Toronto, Montreal and other Canadian cities.

On hand for signing of the sponsorship contract were, from the left: James 'Choco' Ahloy, club coach; Stan Rogers, Manager, Trinidad; Steve Montrichard, Sales Representative, Trinidad and Clyde Ng Fan, Public Relations Officer for the Marlins.

Air Canada participants in Philadelphia's annual Delaware River cruise for the travel industry are seen with Philly Sales Manager Hugh Mackay, at the microphone.

From the left are: Joe Pareti, Sales Manager, New Jersey; Rhanda Spotton, secretary to the Public Relations Manager, New York; Donna and Hugh Mackay; and New York Passenger Sales Manager, Gerry Churchill.

The fare of Canadian roast beef and beer was much appreciated by the Yankee' guests.

Do you detect a touch of pride in the smiles of the threesome below?

They have every reason to be proud, having just completed a "Professional Purchaser' course involving four years of home study.

From the left are: Kitch Olson, VP Purchasing & Facilities, presenting diplomas to Jim Waugh, Les Nagy and Jim Jamieson.

From the 'CP Air News' magazine. 

SNO' FUN - Sno-golf has become an annual winter event in Prince George with visitors coming from far and wide to partake of the festivities.

CP Air staff took part in this year's event dressed as oranges (made from plastic refuse bags), won a prize and proved that orange is not always beautiful.

Shown left to right, back row, are: Brian McErlean, Lydia Kartasheft, 'Sno-Bear' Adelle Sharp and Brock Pedersen.

Front row: Ann McErlean, Linda Burton, Shirley MacNeil and Ralph Sharp. Children are daughters of Gary and Janice Ferns.

Stamp issued at Palau - date unknown.
Found on Facebook

Videographer, Ruairidh MacVeigh, has posted this video on the origins of the Avro 748. 

We take a look at an Avro product which ended up being one of the best-selling British commercial airliners in history, the 748, a twin-engined regional turboprop which prided itself on its short-field performance and incredibly rugged durability which made it a favourite among bush airlines and other carriers operating in the most remote regions of the world.

Excerpt from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Siddeley_HS_748

The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 is a medium-sized turboprop airliner originally designed and initially produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Avro. It was the last aircraft to be developed by Avro prior to its absorption into Hawker Siddeley.

Several Canadian airlines have operated the Hawker Siddeley 748 over the years, including Eastern Provincial Airways, Transair, First Air and Air North. A few are still flying as freighters for Thunder Bay, Ontario-based Wasaya Airways and Val d'Or, Quebec-based Air Creebec.

Name this propeller aircraft – 
Answer below in Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips.

Sky high airport fees.

Extracted from an article by Eric Atkins - Transportation Reporter.

Toronto Pearson's $40 airport improvement fee for departing passengers is much higher than the standard US$4.50 ($6) at U.S. airports. In addition, the federal government charge for security checks at Canadian airports runs as high as $25.91 per passenger, the standard U.S. rate is just US$5.60 ($7.56). All these costs are ultimately borne by travellers. St. John's raised its fee in 2021 by $7 to $42.

The Winnipeg Airports Authority raised its usage charge, called an airport improvement fee, by $13 to $38 in June, 2020.

On January 1, 2020, Vancouver raised its airport improvement fee by $5 to $25 for passengers not flying within British Columbia or to Yukon.

Then there are the charges passengers do not see but have to cover anyway.

These are aeronautical fees airlines pay to airports. They include separate fees for landing, using a gate and a terminal, baggage facilities, air navigation fees, U.S. customs pre-clearance, apron charges and fuel taxes.

For instance, Pearson charges Air Canada about $1,500 to land a Boeing 737 Max, $7.49 for every domestic passenger on board and $2.91 for every minute the plane is at the gate.

When the per-passenger fees are included, Canadian airport costs are 83 per cent higher per seat than in the United States.

Source: Globe & Mail - December 3, 2022
(Subscription required)

Eastern Airlines Update

In our January 29, 2017 issue, NetLetter #1359, I wrote about the return of Eastern Airlines. I concluded that article by saying that there will be more to be written; after six years this may be a good time to give it a try.

See my original article for more on the history of the original 'Eastern Air Lines'; for this article, I am trying to decipher the complicated history and current status of 'Eastern Airlines, LLC'.

'Eastern' is both one of the most famous and infamous brands in the history of commercial aviation. However, it remains highly recognizable and its trademarks are considered 'intellectual property', so the current airline tries to take advantage of the familiarity for marketing. 

Eastern Airlines, LLC (Limited liability company) began as Dynamic Airlines in 2010 and later added 'International' to its name to reflect its transition from a charter airline into scheduled international services. 

In 2011, Eastern Air Lines Group, Inc. (based in Miami, Florida) began operations as a low-cost charter airline serving Caribbean and Latin American destinations It also operated charter flights for some professional sports teams such as the Florida Panthers, San Francisco Giants, Miami Marlins, Oakland A's and Portland Timbers. 

It ceased operations in September 2017 and its fleet and 'intellectual property' were acquired by Swift Air (now iAero Airways). 

Dynamic International Airways then successfully exited bankruptcy restructuring in April 2018, obtained a license to use the Eastern 'intellectual property' from Swift Air and was then rebranded as Eastern Airlines, LLC.

The only certainty to me is that today's iteration of 'Eastern Airlines' really has no relationship to the original 'Eastern Air Lines'. 

Editor's Note: Our NetLetter team has had numerous discussions concerning use of the terms 'Air Line' and 'Airline'. It seems that, in the early days of aviation, two words were used to distinguish between ocean, rail and air 'lines'. Over time it has morphed into 'airline' which is more commonly used today. However, we still take care to ensure use of accurate corporate names of the 'air lines' of the past. For example: 'Delta Air Lines' still uses the two-word format

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

Answer to 'Name the aircraft' in 'Odds & Ends'

The Bristol Type 170 Freighter is a British twin-engine aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company as both a freighter and airliner. Its best known use was as an air ferry to carry cars and their passengers over relatively short distances.

A passenger-only version was also produced, known as the Wayfarer.

The Freighter was developed during the Second World War, having attracted official attention from the British Air Ministry, which sought the development of a rugged vehicle capable of carrying various cargoes, including a 3-ton truck.

Various changes to the design were made to accommodate their requirements, but being completed too late to participate in the conflict, the majority of sales of the Freighter were to commercial operators. In response to customer demand, an enlarged version to maximize vehicle-carrying capacity, known as the Bristol Superfreighter, was developed.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Freighter

Editors' Note: Trans-Canada Air Lines owned three type 31. Registered CF-TFX, CF-TXY and CF-TXZ, fin #501 - 502 - 503.

Delivered September / October 1953 and sold to Central Northern Airways on December 22, 1955.

Since the inception of C1 passes for Air Canada retirees, the Pionairs has been advocating for an increase in the annual amount of C1/J’s to match previous upgrade levels. Pionairs is very pleased to announce that the 2023 C1/J pass allotment for retirees will increase from 4 passes annually to 6 annually. All other C1/J pass conditions remain unchanged.

One more instance of the National Pionairs lobbying successfully with the company.

If you are not a member of the Pionairs, why not reconsider.

Found on Facebook

From Propliner 2022 magazine.

Trans-Canada Air Lines Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation CF-TGF (c/n 4563) pictured taxiing at Heathrow London Airport (LHR) on July 18, 1959.

Photo by James Davidson.  

Great things developed for Trans-Canada Air Lines soon after World War II. New aircraft like the DC-3 and North Star were the biggest change, allowing for a much expanded route structure.

More than 20 newly rebuilt DC-3's were delivered by Canadair starting in 1945, so the well-worn fleet of Lockheed’s was sold. No doubt the planes went at give-away prices. Toronto-based buyers alone included Imperial Oil, which took CF-TDB, BA Oil – CF-TCH and CF-TDE, Massey Harris farm equipment company in Toronto - CF-TDG and Noranda Mines – CF-TCV.

For their new role as corporate planes, the basic old TCA Lockheeds were gutted, then rebuilt with swish interiors. As such, they served into the early 1960s – Rolls-Royces of the airways, the granddaddies of today’s Global Express.

The route map shows how TCA, recently having added Canadair C-4 North Stars, was eagerly expanding domestically and on the Atlantic. As you can see, 1947 advert graphics could be quite basic.

Source: canavbooks.wordpress.com