Dear Readers,

Terry, Wayne and myself would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2016. We will have very exciting news for 2016 as this looks like the year that we can finally move forward with the expansion plans that we have for the ACFamily Network which produces the NetLetter.

More news on this in January, but we are well underway to finalize a major launch to provide many more features for Air Canada employees, retirees, and all the people who worked for the various airlines from the past few decades that formed the existing Air Canada.

Thanks for reading the NetLetter and providing your feedback, content and donations over the past 20 years in which the NetLetter has been in existence.

Regards,

Alan Rust
ACFamily Network

In 1939, Clara Adams became the first woman air passenger to circle the world. It took 16 days, 19 hours, 8 minutes and 10 seconds.

Overall, she logged more than 150,000 maiden-voyage miles. Her final flight to have her ashes scattered from a plane was carried out as per her wishes. Her resting place is vaguely recorded as "the ocean"

This class started on December 1, 1975 (40 years ago), time flies.

(The photo was submitted without any names - recognize anyone? - eds)

Al was in charge of restoration of the Lockheed 10A CF-TCC for TCA 25th Anniversary.

Location: Dorval M & O Base.

Jim included this one of himself also taken in 1962.

I was an aeronautical draftsman at the Dorval base. This photo was taken outside the main hangar with DC-8 CF-TJA #801 in the background.

2015 – Nov 21st - Air Canada's first reconfigured Boeing 777-300, Fin 731 took to the skies from Toronto-London Heathrow with its brand new cabins which mirror our Boeing 787 Dreamline. (source The Daily Nov 23/15)

Dream Team: Air Canada takes a "pit crew" approach to 787 maintenance.
Air Canada maintenance and engineering's Boeing 787 Dreamliner pit crew van is shown n the ramp at Vancouver International Airport. The van has met an aircraft that had arrived from Seoul.

(source: Skies magazine)

Found in the "Between Ourselves" magazine issue dated June 1960

Pre-inaugural jet flights sets two speed records to London UK.
One official trans-Atlantic speed record was shattered and another established on the pre-inaugural flight of the company's DC-8 to London UK on May 27th (1960). The distance 3,334 statute miles between Ottawa and London in 5 hours 55.22 minutes. The average speed was 562.9 mph. The previous record was 6 hours 46 minutes established by an English Electric Canberra with average speed of 496.8 mph in June 1955.

An official record for the 3,247.6 statute miles air route between Montreal and London covered the distance in 5 hours 44.42 minute at an average speed of 565.3 mph. The DC-8 was under the command of Captains R.M.Smith and G.B. Lotian.

(Riding the jet stream, a BA B777 reached 761 mph New York to London UK earlier in 2015 - eds

Five Boston employees were presented with cheques at an award night for their individual performances in selling trans-Atlantic space.

The big award winner was Nadine Regan, being congratulated by DSM Gerry J. Churchill.

Others are, from the left: Joseph Regan, Mary Sullivan, Nadine and Churchill, Emily-Ann Lucas and Richard Figali.

Back to school - Hostesses, Stewardesses and Stewards on the DC-8 conversion course were on the receiving end of a little service for a change as Attendants brushed up on their techniques for the inaugural of jet service over the Atlantic June 1st 1960.

In this photo Steward Dave Thompson lifts a rib roast from the DC-8 galley mock -up in the training class at Dorval is serving Yvonne Schaefer from Kitchener, Gill Homan from Portsmouth, UK and Steward Shurl Isreal.

In the second photo the centre of attention is Shurl Isreal as he demonstrates the oxygen bottle and face mask and points out its location in the seat.

His attentive listeners are, from the left: Giseal Huff from Switzerland, Yvonne Schaffer, Luciana Benzi from Italy, Elizabeth Pratisalli from Switzerland and Gill Homan from England

And finally, in this photo Elizabeth de Montfort from Paris is shown how to use the bread tongs by Joyce Lacroix, Sheila Dawson from England and Carolyn Malo from Montreal are waiting for service.

The first direct consignment of airmail from Nassau to Canada is handed over to District Manager Murray Short by Harold Woodman, President of Nassau Air Dispatch, left. The pilots are Captains J. R. Cunningham and Jack Smith. The new service ensures overnight Dominion wide distribution of airmail and makes possible next day delivery following its departure.

1946 January - Canadian Pacific Air Lines Timetable. (Pictured)

1994

- April 7th - Final issue of "Info Canadi>n" magazine, initial issue of the replacement was May 5th.
- June 1st - Daily service between Toronto(YYZ) and London (LHR) commenced.

Found in the "Info Canadi>n" magazine issue dated April 1994

Our photo is of Canadian's Noise Management Committee 1994 trying to tone down the volume of noise-related issues.

From the left: Norm Dawkin, Malcolm Metcalfe, Ken Fredeen, Pierre Roy, Gene Nimetz, Stu Russell, Dave Honnett.

Far flung members of Airports' Sabre training test class gathered in Raleigh.Durham, North Carolina for some first-hand Sabre experience.
Pictured here, from Ieft, are CSA Maggie McKnight of Lethbridge; Calgarians BevLuiken and Brian Shevkenek, both CSAs; CSA Lucci Ricci from Vancouver; Torontonian Jo Ann Iannone, CSA: Christiane Bourque, a CSA from the Magdalen lslands: CSA Laurie Savetz, also from Vancouver; and CSA Sherdia Tang from Hong Kong.

Located in the "Contact" magazine issued January 2000

During November 1999, Maintenance and Engineering launched Shop 740 a new machine shop at the east end of Vancouver Ops Centre providing a 2,500 square feet which was 30% larger than the satellite shop it replaced. The shop's 20 employees provided input for the design.

Here’s a photo of the Shop 740's employees. (unfortunately no names were provided.- eds)

Note: I canvassed a few of my colleagues at the Ops Centre and received the following responses. Herman Yee, Maintenance Manager, said "Subba was there - at MTU now" and “Wow, that is old… I see Gerry Dziech and the gang. A few are working at MTU, the rest I believe are retired"

Tony Metzler and Dick Teranishi recognized Frank Perry as "the guy wearing the ramp pass behind the guy in front wearing blue coveralls."

Thanks to Herman, Tony and Dick for their assistance, Wayne

C-GKCP - Delivered to CP Air November 1, 1982. Acquired by Canadian North November 2, 2004 and flew as Tail # 523.

No longer flying and is being used for on-the-ground training of flight attendants. Follow on Twitter.

Note: This is the only one of the five aircraft that flew in Zip livery.

In the photo submitted by Robert Arnold in NetLetter nr 1332, Dennis Giguere wishes to set the record straight -
Captain Rene Giguere is the correct spelling re the picture of my Dad in latest issue. (Captain Dennis Giguere also retired)

Continuation of the story from NetLetter nr 1332 regarding the DC-8 article.

That was for testing and ferry flight. Improved and enlarged DC-8s were introduced as technology advanced. The Conway’s proved a little too thirsty and the cabin capacity a little too lean with a mere 146 passengers. By the time the wide-bodies arrived, it was obvious her days were numbered. That's when she was farmed out. Old fin 810 had a change of paint and, on April 13th 1976, started flying for Cubana registered CU-T1210. But while the old kite plied the Montreal - Havana route and did flights throughout the Caribbean for Cubana. it still came home to Dorval for maintenance under the !ease agreement.

The Cubans logged 2,578 hours on the aircraft before turning it back in on February 1978. Unemployment was not a long term problem for fin 810, another quick paint job and she was back on the line. This time for Air Jamaica, delivered on May 8th 1978, registered as 6Y-JMF. Again we kept the maintenance contract in Montreal along with all the aircraft's records.

The Jamaican assignment racked up another 1.366 hours and 26 minutes before being returned March 1979. By the time she was ready to leave the Air Canada fold 810 had gone through 1,000 tires, 149 engine changes and 20.067 landings.

(The conclusion will be NetLetter nr 1334 – eds)

Located in the "Between Ourselves" magazine issued June 1964.

The last Super Constellation delivered to new owners.

Super Constellation aircraft fin # 405 CF-TGE c/n 4544 was the last of the 14 aircraft once owned by the company and was sold to Mr Gil Tobin on May 15th, 1964 and, according to the records of Fin 405 it had flown 19,993 hours as of December 31st 1963.

There were no bands to mark the event at Dorval Base, but there were a number of mechanics who took a few moments to take a last look as it was towed away after Jim Spurr, Surplus Sales Specialist P & S had handed over the keys.

The aircraft had a very colourful career and it is believed that the aircraft never left the Montreal area. Sold to the Montreal Air Services and registered as CF-RNR and leased to World Wide Airways in August 1965 when it was impounded at Montreal on the bankruptcy of World Wide Airways at the time the aircraft was in a hangar undergoing overhaul due to a cracked wing spar. The aircraft was grounded and stripped of its engines, electronics and serviceable spares it was stored at Montreal until December, 1968.

In 1992 Phil Yull, a member of several Super Connie clubs located the aircraft in a farmers field and negotiated its purchase, dismantled the aircraft and shipped it to Millardair hangar at Pearson airport. From there it was moved to the Constellation Hotel near YYZ and displayed on a pedestal.

In later years it was relocated at YYZ and used as a restaurant.

Efforts to purchase the aircraft came up short and the aircraft was sold to a USA company and it ended up in the Seattle Museum of Flight in its full Trans-Canada Air Lines colours. www.museumofflight.org

Mike Horan in Ireland, having read "Wayne's Wings" in NetLetter nr 1330 sends this url which features a BAe-146 aircraft.

The pilot of this Cityjet plane that was scheduled to land in Cork Airport on November 17th, 2015 aborted the landing at the last minute and brought the plane back into the air. In the video the plane can be seen contending with heavy crosswinds that were still prevalent in the wake of Storm Barney. The plane, which was making its way from London City Airport, can be seen making glancing contact with the ground before taking off into the air again. Thankfully, after the pilot performed a go-around procedure the plane was able to land safely. While the video might look pretty shocking, this type of incident is more common than you might think.

Regarding the article sent in by Betty Driver under "Odds and Ends” -

"A couple of comments: The articles about the mail being delivered to Regina in the "big Lockheed" need a minor correction. The two pilots were R M (Bob) Smith and H W (Herb) Seagrim which is spelled with an 'i' not an 'a' as written in the story. I know this for certain because Herb Seagrim was my father. By the way, Bob Smith was my first boss when I joined as a pilot in August 1965. He was Flight Ops Director at Dorval."

Under "Wayne's Wings" and the article about the DC-8.

"The second bit of information I have concerns the arrival of the first DC-8. I was working on the old Dorval ramp at the time and remember it well. It was August 1959 and we had organized special crew to handle it with 6 guys and a lead for a crew of 7. Three big thick steel plates were placed on the ramp to take the weight of the gear and the aircraft was carefully taxied on to them. I believe it was fin 803 and was in Dorval as part of the certification and introductory program. I don't know where it went as I left what was a summer job to go back to school."