Changes are coming!

The NetLetter has been growing steadily over the past few years and your NetLetter team has been making many changes. Some changes are behind the scenes technical "stuff" and not readily noticeable and some were more obvious. As we've grown (as evident in this NetLetter) we've been asked to publicize events, books, membership drives, etc. from other organizations. We are happy to do this, but it does take away from the content that is the NetLetter's intent for its subscribers, which is historical Canadian Aviation related stories photos and videos, especially in regard to TCA, Air Canada, CPAir, PWA, Wardair, CAI, etc. - snapshots of days gone by.

To get back to our roots, so to speak, here are some changes that are presently in the works;

1. New Newsletter - The introduction of a second newsletter called the ACFN News that we plan to send out the first and third weekends of each month. This will hopefully be launched in March 2016.
   
   
2. Content Adjustment - The NetLetter will drop some content in order to have a smaller footprint and will also make use of "ReadMore" links for larger articles that may only be of interest to a smaller portion of our readers. Most of the dropped content will still be available in the ACFN News under a separate subscription.
   
   
3. Feedback and Submission Links - We will be implementing a special link where readers can submit photos, links, articles, etc. in order to make it easier for you to submit material to us for possible publishing.
   
   
4. Integration with the ACFN - The NetLetter will become fully integrated with the ACFamily Network and placed under its umbrella, this will save some resources and allow us to have future newsletters under one roof where subscribers can choose which newsletters they would like to receive.
   
   
5. Scaleability Improved - Since we have now converted our servers and websites to be Cloud Based and fully scaleable, we can now expand without any limitations. We presently have 4,688 subscribers for the NetLetter. We would like to double that and have at least 10,000. With the upgrade we can take on as many members as we'd like now.
   
   
6. Donation Campaign - We will be launching another Donation Campaign (the last one was in 2010) to support the expansion of the NetLetter, the ACFN Archives, the ACFN Photo Gallery and a special "Obituary and In Memoriam" area to honor those past airline employees that contributed to Canadian Aviation. (more details to come).
   
   
7. The ACFamily Network is presently undergoing a major expansion and we are in the process of developing closer relationships with many other Canadian Aviation related Organizations in order to further enhance and promote the preservation of Canadian Aviation History. Some of the organizations we are presently working with (or would like to work with) are; Air Canada, Canadian Aviation Historical Society, Air Canada Pionairs, Air Canada Recreation Association, Project North Star, Retired Airline Pilots of Canada, Canadian Maple Wings, Quarter Century in Aviation Club and there are many more. The details of how we can work together with these organizations is still being determined and will be announced when completed.
   
   

Sincerely,

Alan Rust, Terry Baker, Wayne Albertson
Your ACFamily Network & NetLetter Team

March 12 - 13, 2016

Pilot's passion is to see women take to the skies.

Langley, British Columbia resident Kirsten Brazier's goal for the New Year is a lofty one, she aims to make sure 2,500 females fly for the first time.

In 2015, 1,700 females took their first flights at the annual "The Sky's No Limit - Girl's Fly Too" event.

Each year this event is held at the Abbotsford International Airport and this year 15,000 people are expected to descend at the airport on March 12th and 13th, 2016 for the world’s largest aviation outreach show of its kind. There are 1,300 female professional pilots in Canada, as compared to 23,000 male pilots. Kirsten is hoping to change that ratio.

Visit www.girlsfly2.ca for more information.

April 30, and May 1-2, 2016

Click on the image above for complete information regarding the Air Canada Pionairs

Annual Pionairs Conference and Annual General Meeting

Two new books on Canadian women in aviation from author Elizabeth Muir.

 "Canadian Women in the Sky" and "Air-Crazy"

When airplanes were first invented, women were not supposed to fly, even as passengers. It was a man’s world; but many women desperately wanted to join them in the sky; they were called air-crazy.” A few women did manage to share a flight as a passenger, but it was not until 1928 that the first Canadian woman received her pilot’s licence.

Read the stories of how women in Canada, from the Atlantic provinces to British Columbia, broke through the sky blue ceiling, first as passengers in planes, then as pilots, stewardesses and finally as astronauts, from author Elizabeth Muir.

(source Canadian Aviation Historical Society, January 2016)

Following the photo of CF-TCC in NetLetter nr 1333, Jim Bruce has sent us more photos of CF-TCC at Air Canada, Maintenance & Overhaul Base, Dorval 1962.

They’re all from the M&O Base at Dorval (inside and outside the huge hangar) and tie in with Alan Hunt being in charge of the restoration of the Lockheed 10A CF-TCC. Interesting to note that he rudder pedals shown in the instrument panel photo are labeled Cessna! 

The ship looks so small in this vast hangar used to housing DC-8s, Super Connies, and Vanguards. In the view from behind TCC looking towards the open door, you can see a Vanguard tail in he background. In the exterior shot of TCC, the a/c in the background is of course a DC-8 both in front of the hangar.

Brian Losito has sent us some photos from the TCA/Air Canada archives. Here is a photo of the early TCA stewardess uniform.

Ken Starnes sent us a copy of the booklet Air Canada Maintenance Base at Dorval, and here we have a photo from it.

Caption was "To ensure maintenance of the highest possible standards, technical personnel employed in the hangars and various shops ore given extensive and continuing classroom and on-the-job training." 

Starting from the left: Del Bougeois, Instructor; with Bob Cofell, Bud Sansom, Bud Clinch JR, and Urbino Francisco. I believe they were all junior CAT 1 Mechanics at the time, I knew all these people.

Ken Starnes

1970 - April - Service began to Prague.
1971 - April - B-747 introduced non-stop YYZ-YVR. Summer - service between YYZ-LHR and YYZ-YUL-Paris.
1972 - April 30th - Rapidair commuter service between YYZ and YUL.
1974 - June - Service inaugurated to Munich.
1978 - October - Timetable Great Lakes Airlines renamed Air Ontario from the private collection of David Zekria. (Pictured)

1964 - June - A fourth Convair (CF-CUY) sold to TOA Airways LTD, Tokyo, Japan following the 3rd Convair sold to TOA.
1958 - April - Timetable Quebecair from the private collection of David Zekria. (Pictured)
1983 - CPAir acquired the hotel operation of Canadian Pacific Enterprises Limited of Calgary.

Extracted from the "Canadian Pacific Airlines" newsletter issue dated January 1964.

In one of the largest group movements ever, 165 Canadian Pacific Pioneers (retired employees) flew from Vancouver to Honolulu January 21 and 22. It was organized by 82·year.old retired
railwayman Archie Sturrock who has taken 25 groups of Pioneers on trips since he retired 17 years ago.

TWO NEW YEAR's EVES brought double kisses for DC-8 Captain Cec McNeal from stewardesses Ina Laesecke, left, and Kumi Miyama, as Althea Young, left, and Eileen Suen kibitz behind. Situation resulted from crew crossing Date Line on Dec. 31 Hong Kong - Vancouver flight. Photo was used to publicize Orient route, received wide coverage across Canada and overseas. 

Issue dated March 1964

Legwork of stewardess Diane Lewis was measured by pedometer hanging at her waist during Vancouver - Amsterdam flight on March 13th. Measurement was made as part of a polar route promotion in Vancouver where Woodward's store's customers guessed how far a stewardess would walk on a polar flight. Winning answer: eight miles and 1,320 feet.

Issue dated May 1964.

Crutches, cameras and some of the approximately 100 items left on CPA aircraft by passengers each month are displayed by Montreal stewardess Lise Bujold. Articles, ranging from guitars to baby bottles, are auctioned off each year in public auction houses in Vancouver.

A Long Drive was involved in getting air starting unit or DC·8's from Montreal to Windsor when jet service started there recently.
Air engineer, Ed McAnany, leaving Dorval airport on 600 mile trip was given a send-off by, from left: Marc Bilodeau, John Kelly, Paul Gladysz, Andy Popiel and Gyula Lakatos

Issue dated June 1964

Service pins were presented by Jack McBride, left, Manager, CPA de Mexico, to Mexico City assistant traffic supervisor Julio Henriquez Ripoll, second from right, (5 years) and Alfonso Bravo Lopez (10 years). Looking on at right was Oscar Rodriquez, recently appointed as sales administrator.

Found in the "Rampage" magazine issue dated February 1989.

Sam Massara, Malcolm Brown, Dino Vessio and Steve Gonschlick dream of Dino's fresh pasta and enjoy them in mid-January weather.

Prompted by the article in NetLetter nr 1334, Peter Pigott sends this message -

As an aviation author, I have been an avid reader of NetLetter since its inception. Having written the histories of Canadian Airlines and Air Canada etc, it is wonderful to read of memories of former employees of both airlines. I read with interest the article on the DC-8 crash at YYZ regarding the spoilers - it comes into my latest book “Air Canada the History” which will be out in the Spring. Keep up the great work.

Peter Pigott

Dawn Thomson recently came across NetLetter nr 1122 which was issued May 20th, 2010 and referred to an article regarding the belly landing of Viscount fin 273 CF-THM at Dorval in 1961. It was sent in by Jack Stephens who had received it from Ed Jones.

The NetLetter # 1122 can be viewed here-

Dawn writes -
I came across your publication with reference to a wheels up landing at Dorval airport in 1961. My dad was the Captain of that aircraft and was upgrading other Captains during that training flight. A three engine approach turned into a one engine go around when it became apparent the gear was not down. The inboard propellers nicked the runway surface and were shut down during the go around, the outboard engine that was already feathered could not be restarted. Dad was now flying from the right seat and was unable to gain more than a few hundred feet in altitude and very near stall speed. He elected to turn the aircraft with rudder only, positioning aircraft to land with gear doors selected down. The pictures posted by Jack Stephens via Ed Jones was the end result.

My dad’s name is James H. Thomson retired 1976. I fly for Jazz air.

Dawn Thomson.

Kelly Smith, after reading NetLetter nr 1333, sent us this information -

I read with interest about the 1960 DC-8 Trans-Atlantic speed record set by C.M. Smith and George Lothian so I thought I would send along another DC-8 speed record set by another "Smith" (I don't know the year).

Thanks, Kelly M. Smith
(son of Captain Roger L. Smith, AC 1939-1971) (Kelly attached scanned copies of media reports about the event. We, at the NetLetter, found the
original report in the "Between Ourselves" magazine issued January 1962.) 

DC-8 sets record in Atlantic hop. A world speed record was established November 17th 1961 when a Company DC-8 Jet flew from Prestwick, Scotland to Winnipeg in six hours and 54 minutes. The aircraft was piloted by Capt. Roger Smith of Montreal when almost an hour was shaved of the regular flight time of seven hours and 50 minutes. Capt. Smith flying at an altitude of 36.000 feet, took advantage of a lack of normal westerly winds to average 530 miles per hour during the 3.650 mile flight.

During October 1961 a DC-8 jet broke the speed record in the opposite direction when it flew from Winnipeg to London, England in a non-stop flight.

Norman Hogwood is seeking information -

I wonder now if anyone of your friends or readers know of the current whereabouts of an AC Captain Peter Blake.

In 2000 I was the Air NZ rep on a Star Alliance safety audit of United Airlines. We had a fine bunch of guys from ANA, Austrian Airlines, VASP (Brazil – now defunct), Lufthansa and AC (Peter and a mechanic). Peter was our audit team leader. The group was split into three with one covering flight ops in Denver, another engineering in SFO while Peter and a few others including me, went to Chicago for the week. At that time, Peter was a CRJ skipper so he has probably risen through the ranks to B777/787 by now. We had a great time together and it would be nice to know how he’s doing.

Thanks in advance.
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Those of you who have an affection for the Vickers Viscount aircraft should visit www.vickersviscount.net.

Norman Hogwood, after reading in the media about the recent flights involved with severe turbulence sends this -

Hi Folks. I was reading about an incident involving severe turbulence this morning and someone had asked what happens in the cockpit at such times. Another person suggested he Google "BCal flight over the Andes” which is a report written by the Captain of a VC10 British Caledonian flight about a trip in 1971.
Well worth a read, especially just before taking that holiday trip. www.british-caledonian.com

Cheers. Norm 

Would anybody have a copy of the Air Canada North American schedule for January and February of 1967? and if so is there a contact I could use?

Jim Griffith
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Whenever we launch a new route at YVR we try our best to pull out all the stops with a jaw-dropping cake at the gate event and our Air Canada rouge inaugural to Osaka was no different. This incredible cake was so beautiful passengers were afraid to eat it. An amazing piece of edible art that helped celebrate an awesome new service out of YVR. (source YVR Newsletter)

Travelling soon?
Here are some city passes available for savings on sightseeing –

A380 Operators (December 31st, 2015)

• Emirates 72
• Singapore Airlines 19
• Lufthansa 14
• Qantas 12
• Air France 10
• British Airways 10
• Korean Air 10
• Malaysia Airlines 6
• Qatar Airways 6
• Thai Airways 6
• China Southern 5
• Etihad Airways 5
• Asiana 4

TOTAL 179