Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter
Since 1995 October 12, 2024
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Orbis Flying Hospital DC-10-30 Registration N330AU
Photo by Michael Ward
May 17, 2018 at Bridgetown, Barbados |
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Dear Welcome to The NetLetter, established in 1995 as a dedicated newsletter for Air Canada retirees.
We have evolved into the longest running aviation-based newsletter for Air Canada, TCA, CP Air, Canadian Airlines and all other Canadian-based airlines that once graced the skies. The NetLetter is self-funded and is always free to subscribers. It is operated by a group of volunteers and is not affiliated with any airline or associated organizations. The NetLetter is published on the second and fourth weekend of each month. If you are interested in Canadian aviation history, and vintage aviation photos, especially as it relates to Trans-Canada Air Lines, Air Canada, Canadian Airlines International and their constituent airlines, then we're sure you'll enjoy this newsletter. Please note: We do our best to identify and credit the original source of all content presented. However, should you recognize your material and are not credited; please advise us so that we can correct our oversight. Our website is located at www.thenetletter.net Please click the links below to visit our archives and for more info about The NetLetter. |
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 We have welcomed 88 new subscribers so far in 2024.
We wish to thank everyone for the continuing support of our efforts.
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 Back issues of The NetLetter are available in both the original newsletter format and downloadable PDF format.
Restoration and posting of archive issues is an ongoing project. We hope to post every issue back to the beginning in 1995.
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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.
We will try to post your comments in the next issue but, if not, we will publish it as soon as we can.
Thanks!
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 Retired Air Canada photographer, Brian Losito, sent us a few photos of Lockheed L-1011 TriStars.
Although short lived within the Air Canada fleet, they are well remembered by many.
Remember to click the images to see full size.
At left, a close up while taxiing in Toronto.
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A wider view of aircraft taxiing.
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C-GAGF - Fin #551 parked 'in the weeds'.
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Some shiny new aircraft at the Lockheed production line circa 1981
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In the foreground is L-1011-500 C-GAGF (Fin # 551) which was delivered to AC in February 1981.
In the background (top-centre) is L-1011-500 C-GAGG (Fin #552 ) delivered in September 1981.
Editor's Note by Ken Pickford:
All six of AC's long-range, shortened fuselage L-1011-500's were sold to Delta Air Lines in late 1991/early 1992 after only 10 years service with AC. Like most aircraft that are "shrunk" to increase range, the final longer range L-1011-500 was unsuccessful in the market with only 50 built.
One of the L-1011's problems in general, apart from the financial issues that affected both Lockheed and engine supplier Rolls-Royce during development, was the lack of a model fully competitive with the long-range DC-10-30 which was available six years earlier.
And by the time the L-1011-500 went into service in 1979 the more economic twin-engine widebodies, especially the Boeing 767, were only a couple of years away with one less engine and one less person in the flight deck.
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Terry Baker shares this memory.
On September 29, 1983, I was in my supervisor Andy McCready's office, which faced east on the third floor of the C&SS building at Dorval maintenance area. We were discussing important issues such as the previous evening's Montreal Canadiens hockey game.
Looking out the window, I noticed a group of people wearing suits rather than the traditional workers attire, congregating on the flat roof of the stores building. Then a CL-215 water bomber appeared flying low to the east along the runway, dripping water, so I assumed it had been demonstrating for the crowd on the roof top.
As the aircraft proceeded east it was getting lower and lower. I said to Andy "That aircraft is going to crash" until, after passing the cut of the route 13, the aircraft slewed left and crashed in the field. The two occupants emerged and ran away from the smoking wreck. Meanwhile the emergency trucks descended upon the scene.
"A Canadair CL-215 firefighting plane, registered C-GKEE, was damaged beyond repair in an accident at Montreal-Dorval International Airport, QC (YUL), Canada. Both crew members survived. The airplane operated on a demonstration flight for federal politicians and Canadair officials having received a $231 million contract from Canada.
Control was lost following a single engine flypast and the airplane crashed near the end of the runway.
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Ken Pickford did some research on the recent routing of the Air Canada B-787-9 with names of Employee Excellence Award winners for 2024 on the tail.
In the 4 weeks from September 9 to October 8 C-FVNB, (fin #857) logged 52 legs, over 205,000 miles/330,000 km (slightly over 8 times around the world at the equator, or 83% of the distance to the Moon), 16 airports, 12 countries, 4 continents.
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 for the latest posts at the Air Canada Media Centre. |
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 Click the logo to open the Air Canada YouTube channel. |
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Found in 'Horizons' magazine
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Issue dated July 1982
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Freed from the confines of the paint hangar, the newest addition to the company fleet basks in the sunshine on the Boeing tarmac. Note the concrete blocks, instead of an engine, hanging from the wing.
Air Canada took possession of Boeing 767-200 C-GAUB (fin #601) on October 30, 1982. It's entire 23-year career was with Air Canada. It was withdrawn from service in September 2005 and later broken up at YUL in March 2009.
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Hats off for the Mexican connection.
Ron Reed, Toronto Station Operations and Load Control Manager, honours the employees who acted as on-board Load Agents for the 36 flights of the 1981-82 Mexico Charter program.
The agents, who were temporary Load Masters for the assignment, serviced the aircraft and ensured they were correctly loaded and balanced.
From the left are Certificated Load Agents: E. Bowdery, H. Tiffin,
R. Graham, Jim Faulds, Load Supervisor; Ron Reed; Certificated Load Agents P. Hayashi, J. Schroen and G. Brown.
Absent from the photo are I. Gubala, D. Brown and M. Bruin.
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Representatives from the branches and regions launched the Employee Campaign for Funds at a Montreal meeting.
Back row, from the left, are: Roger Clark, Maintenance; John McDonald, Engineering; Ian Cook, C&SS; Jule Whitmore, Corporate Finance and Planning; George Landry, Flight Operations; Paul Morin, Purchasing and Supply; Julio Seiz, Properties and Facilities.
Middle row, from the left, are: Duane Clarke, Transportation Services; Hal Walker; Don Hatcher, Payload and Operations Control; Steve Belding, Atlantic Canada Region; Jim Whitelaw; Warren Reeves, In-Flight Service; Peter Taylor, Group Enterprises; Dave Fairweather, Western Region; J.P. de la Sablonnière, Eastern Region.
Front row, from the left, are: Eileen Czaharyn, Airline Sales and Service; Yvette St. Marie, Executive Offices; Lysanne Rich, Cargo; Jeannine Mello, Central Region; Marian Forbes, Public Affairs.
Dave Pember, U.S. and Southern Region and Liliane Filion, Planning & Coordination were absent.
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CP Air / Canadi>n People Gallery |
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Russ Baker a bush pilot with a vision.
by Andrew Geider
CP Air Corporate Archivist
From the 'Canadian Flyer' magazine
issue January 1998. |
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Born in Winnipeg in 1910, Russ Baker learned to fly at the age of 16. Within the next half dozen years, he was flying commercially on some of the earliest mail, passenger and freight services in Canada. He became famous for his bush flying operations in northern Canada.
As a bush pilot, he did much of his flying in connection with the Alaska Highway survey in the early part of the Second World War. While flying in the North, he earned the United States Air Medal for his rescue of the crews of three U.S. bombers who were forced down in the Yukon while on a wartime mission.
Prior to starting his own company, Central B.C. Airways at Fort St. James in 1946, Baker was divisional superintendent in Whitehorse for Canadian Pacific Airlines. He had previously pioneered West Coast flying as a pilot with Canadian Airways and as a partner with 'Ginger' Coote, a respected pilot of the bush-flying days. But it was with Central B.C. Airways that Russ Baker made a name for himself.
In the early days of flying, the success of any operation was almost entirely due to the capability of the pilot — not only from the standpoint of his skill in operating the aircraft, but from his initiative in bringing in new business, making friends with the local people, and sizing up the general business situation at the time. This is where Baker excelled.
Starting with one plane and two employees (Central B.C. Airways), he began the first of many acquisitions when he took over Kamloops Air Service in 1949. In 1950, it acquired Terrace-based Skeena Air Transport, and three years later Associated Air Taxi of Vancouver.
In 1953, Baker changed the airline's name to Pacific Western Airlines to assert its new position on the Pacific coast. In 1954 he nabbed the key to the Yukon, Whitehorse Flying Service, and the following year he added the coastal operations of Queen Charlotte Airlines. 1955 also marked his last acquisition, when he obtained Associated Airways Ltd., which operated out of Edmonton to Yellowknife and down the Arctic coast.
Russ Baker became synonymous with British Columbia air transport by supplying bases such as the Alcan Aluminum project in 1951 and the DEW (Distant Early Warning) Line in 1955. These projects gave Pacific Western Airlines the financial capital it needed to expand.
Russ Baker died of a heart attack on November 15, 1958, and was buried in Fort St. James, the city in which he founded Central B.C. Airways.
'Russ Baker Way’, on the approach to Vancouver International Airport, is named in his honour in Richmond, B.C.
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Issue dated April 1997
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A little reminiscing at London, Ontario (YXU).
Gathered together in London, Ontario are former CP Air employees: 1973-1984 vintage, along with their 'boney' friend!
Left to right, back row: Louis Gagnon, Wayne Cummins, retired Sales manager, Saskatchewan; John Turcot, retired passenger agent, YXU; Bill McMurray, retired Sales rep, YXU; Tony Hodgson, passenger agent, YVR airport; Rob Siddall, passenger agent YYZ airport; Brian Burbridge, passenger agent, YYZ airport; and Barb Lemmon.
Centre row: Maryann Burbridge; Antoinette Hodgson; Cheryl Gagnon, passenger agent YYZ airport; Kathy Percy; Fran Conway (with Halloween ghost, 'Fred'), retired passenger agent, YXU; Jane Leschasin and Suzanne Siddall.
Front Row: Mike Lemmon, retired DSM, YXU 1973-1984; John Percy current Sales manager, YXU and Darlene Havers, retired secretary, YXU.
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Issue dated June 1997
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The Beanie girls.
Yeah, we bad! Toronto Flight Attendants from the left:are Cynthia Cusimano, Eugenia Venchiarutti-Ambrose and Gabriella Tanner don Canadian Airlines beanie caps.
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Issue dated December 1997
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 Ideas Plus program coordinators met in YVR on November 5,1997 to prepare for the launch on December 3, 1997.
Coordinators in attendance were from left to right: Doug Brennan, CRA; Alain Desgagne, Inter-Canadien; Jon Shaw, HR Purchasing; Norah Carmichael, Corporate Communications; Arlene Doersam, Inflight; Maureen Malanchuk, HR; Ted Pierre, Flight Ops; Lynda Zavitz, Ideas Plus; Gary Reid, Cargo.
Missing from photo: Ruth Buhagar, Airports; Jim Noonan, Res/CTOs; Sheldon Page, Capacity Planning; Marla Martin, Marketing; Janet Craig; Sales; Paul Flegal, Internal Communications Coordinator, CRA and John Ford, Project Manager, AA.
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Less Than 10 Active Jets? The State Of the DC-10 In 2024
from 'Long Haul by Simple Flying'
Today, the number of trijets is dwindling, and, sadly for aviation enthusiasts, there are no longer any commercial passenger operators.
However, it’s largely cargo and special-purpose operators helping keep these aircraft in the skies. One of the most notable trijets is the McDonnell Douglas DC-10.
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As mentioned in the video, the last of 60 USAF KC-10's (modified DC-10-30's) was retired in a ceremony on September 26, 2024 at Travis Air Force Base in California (video links below).
It made its last flight to the huge boneyard in Tucson, Arizona. The KC-10 had an excellent record in USAF service for more than 40 years.
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| USAF KC-10A Sunset - Farewell to 'Big Sexy' |
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| Last KC-10 leaves Travis Air Force Base |
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Some Airbnb options in Wasilla, Alaska -
Climb aboard back to 1956! This DC-6 air freighter spent its life flying the skies of Alaska, hauling critical freight and fuel to remote villages around the state.
Now you can climb aboard for one last flight and stay in this 2 bedroom, 1 bath airplane house with full kitchen, living room, and cockpit!
The DC-6 airplane house is located alongside our private airstrip (1,700 ft long) and has plenty of room for your car, truck, and bushplane parking.
Now it’s a two-bed, one-bath stay, with a fire pit on the wing deck, with Airbnb prices around US$448 a night.
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Control tower stay with Northern Lights
An upcoming highlight already in construction is a 60-foot (18.3-metre) control tower with all-glass geodesic dome, which will be an Airbnb stay where guests can lie in bed and gaze at Alaska’s spectacular Northern Lights.
Climb aboard your 'Private Jet' and enjoy this Douglas DC-9 converted into a full 3 bed / 2 bath house! Complete with full kitchen, bathroom, sauna and wing deck.
Hangout in the cockpit and have a beer in the captain's chair, or grill up some Salmon and Steaks on the wing deck overlooking the private runway.
Bookings have just opened for the DC-9, which is three-bed, two-bath, and has a sauna, hot tub and heated floors. It can host seven guests and prices are around US$849 a night.
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Click the icon to view a YouTube video on house this 'house' was constructed.
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N330AU - Oldest active DC-10
I was interested to learn that the current oldest DC-10 still active today is used to bring training to doctors and nurses in developing countries with little access to professional development and training.
Fifty-one year old N330AU was donated by FedEx in 2010 and stored for a few years during conversion before Orbis revealed its third-generation Flying Eye Hospital in 2016.
This DC-10 is line #96 and was originally delivered to Trans International Airlines (N101TV) in April 1973 as a DC-10-30CF passenger/cargo convertible aircraft (photo below). Trans International Airlines changed its name to Transamerica Airlines in 1979.
The aircraft was briefly leased to Nigeria Airways (1979) and Air Florida (1981 - photo below)) before being acquired by FedEx in 1984. It was re-registered N301FE and converted to all cargo.
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Click the icon to view a video of N330AU departing Moffett Field near San Francisco.
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Photo by Alain Iger
September 1978 on approach to Paris Orly
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Photo by Gerard Helmer
Circa 1981 at Amsterdam
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Photo by Wilco737
September 15, 2015 at Victorville Airport
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| Terry's Trivia
& Travel Tips |
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Terry Baker, co-founder of the NetLetter scours the internet for aviation related Trivia and Travel Tips for you, our readers, to peruse.
Attention Canadians! If you're traveling to or transiting through the United Kingdom on or after January 8, 2025, you'll need to have an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). You can apply for an ETA as of November 27, 2024.
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U.S. passport renewal -
 Americans for the first time are now able to renew their passport online, according to an announcement made recently by the U.S. Department of State.
The move, the State Department says, marks “a significant step forward in ensuring that Americans can more easily access passport services.”
Instead of printing a paper application and mailing it with a cheque, Americans can now renew their passports through a secure process that will save time and effort. According to Reuters, the State Department has been beta testing the program for the last two months.
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Air Creebec is a regional airline based in Waskaganish, Quebec.
 It operates regularly scheduled flights, charter and freight services to 16 destinations in Quebec and Ontario. The main bases are located at Val-d’Or, Montreal and Timmins, with hubs at Waskaganish, Chisasibi, and Moosonee.
Established in June 1982, the airline first took flight a few weeks later, on July 1. At that time the Cree owned 51% of the company and Austin Airways owned the remaining 49%.
In 1988, the Cree purchased the remaining airline assets in the largest commercial deal undertaken by any aboriginal group in Canada to that date – bringing Air Creebec completely under Cree ownership. Air Creebec now employs over 400 people, about one-third of whom are First Nations.
Air Creebec operates 18 aircraft registered with Transport Canada. Our fleet includes Dash 8-300, Dash 8-100 and HS748 cargo aircraft. We are in the process of acquiring additional aircraft to better serve our clientele.
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C-FNXN De Havilland Canada DHC-8-311
Photo by Pierre Gillard
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Heroes of Luggage: A Tribute to Air Canada's Baggage Agents
Air Canada's baggage agents, standing tall,
With a smile and a helping hand for us all.
They assist with our bags, big and small,
Making sure we have them when we leave the hall.
They work in the office, yet always on call,
Dealing with the public, they give their all.
Responding to concerns, both in person and on the phone,
Their hard work is never done, they're always alone.
They track and catalogue our luggage with care,
Making sure it's resolved, without a glitch or a snare.
Their knowledge and efficiency, beyond compare,
Their customer service, always beyond repair.
They handle the baggage with care and precision,
Ensuring it reaches its destination with decision.
They work tirelessly, with no hesitation,
Their aim is to provide the best customer satisfaction.
With computer software, they track and trace,
Making sure our bags are in the right place.
In case of any delay, lost or damage case,
They work diligently to find a solution, with pace.
Their professionalism and patience, always on display,
Even in the face of irate customers, they never sway.
They handle each issue with tact and grace,
Their aim is to leave a lasting positive impression, in every case.
Air Canada's baggage agents, we thank you,
For all that you do, to make our travel smooth.
You are the unsung heroes of the airline crew,
We appreciate your hard work, in all that you do.
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From Caz Caswell's Top Gun Air series
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Wayne, Ken & Terry Richmond, British Columbia - December 2019
(Bob Sheppard was not available for the photograph) |
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Wayne, Bob & Ken Richmond, British Columbia - December 2023
(Terry Baker was not available for the photograph) |
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We wish to honour the memories of
Vesta Stevenson and Alan Rust. They remain a part of every edition published. |
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E&OE - (errors and omissions excepted):
The historical information as well as any other information provided in the "NetLetter" is subject to correction and may have changed over time.
We do publish corrections (and correct the original article) when this is brought to our attention.
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