Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter
Since 1995 Saturday November 22, 2025
|
|
|---|
Air Spray Lockheed L-188(AT) Long Liner (former Los Angeles Dodgers 'Kay O')
Photo by Gary Vincent September 30, 2014 at Red Deer Alberta |
|
|---|
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. |
|
|---|
 We have welcomed 134 new subscribers so far in 2025.
We currently have 4,534 subscribers.
We wish to thank everyone for the continuing support of our efforts.
|
|
 Back issues of The NetLetter are available in both the original newsletter format and downloadable PDF format.
|
|
|
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!
|
|
|
|---|
|
Our thanks to Peter Pihach for sending in this photo of Alan Rust taken September 11, 2001 -
"I had the opportunity, when I was a Maintenance Coordinator, to work with Alan Rust for a short time. As this position was new to me, Alan helped me with ordering parts required, taking radio calls from pilots (not familiar with some of the terminology etc.).
He even took me on an A320 service check, as that is the kind of generous person he was. As I did not have a licence to drive airside, he drove me to take tail photos of a variety of aircraft during 9/11".
Peter Pihach
|
 |
|
|
|---|
|
Wardair SuperJet News
|
|
Issue dated July 1982
|
|
By Karen Kroshinsky, Supervisor YMX Passenger Services.
Le Grand Spectacle
A title usually reserved for rock concerts and carnivals was used to describe Wardair's Inaugural flight through Quebec City.
A newscaster who dubbed the flight 'Le Grand Spectacle' advised listeners to pack their lunches and binoculars and "head out to the airport".
He estimated at least 400 spectators turned up for the first DC-10 landing. Wardair's weekly flight to Paris out of Quebec was a great success.
The ground-handling was done by Quebecair and Quebec Sol and a supervisor and maintenance foreman from Montreal were on hand to represent Wardair.
Thinking of a holiday? Why not try Quebec City. With its fine cuisine, night life and "joie de vivre", it is a great alternative to an expensive European vacation.
Editors' Note: Thanks to Caz Caswell for providing a few copies of SuperJet News.
|
|
|
|---|
 |
|
There’s A New Livery in Town:
Air Canada Reveals Special Livery in Collaboration with Disney’s “Zootopia 2”
November 6, 2025 - Air Canada today revealed a brand-new “Zootopia 2” themed aircraft livery celebrating Walt Disney Animation Studios’ highly anticipated sequel, only in theatres November 26.
This special livery on an Airbus A220 aircraft, Fin 138 will be seen in the skies and at several destinations including Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Los Angeles, New York LaGuardia, Denver and Boston.
|
|
 for the latest posts at the Air Canada Media Centre. |
|
 Click the logo to open the Air Canada YouTube channel. |
|
|
|---|
|
Found in 'Horizons' magazine
|
|
Issue dated May 1994
|
|
Air Ontario was formed in June of 1987 as the result of the merger of Austin Airways and Air Ontario Ltd (formerly Great Lakes Airlines).
Shown here from left to right: Lead Station Attendant Larry Sigurdson; Captain John Ohara; Air Canada Sales & Service Agent Peter Burt; Lead Station Attendant Jim Carter; First Officer Taylor Sebastian and Purser Paul Bennett.
|
 |
|
|
A group of Vancouver certificated aircraft technicians and mechanics head back to school for a seven-week course covering the complex systems of the Airbus A320.
Graduates of the two A320 Endorsement courses included left to right:
Back row: Richard Tichbon, Certificated Aircraft Technician (CAT); Jim Ainscow, Mechanic; Richard Botham, CAT; Mechanics Ted Nawrocki, Willie Loosz and Mac Gaffney; Gord Turner, Technical Instructor - Toronto.
Front row: Jésus Vito, Mechanic and CATs Dean Joyce and Fred Gillow.
|
 |
|
|
Issue dated June 1994
|
|
Captain Ross Emmans and his crew had the distinction of operating Air Canada's last DC-8 freighter flight across the Atlantic.
They flew from Zurich to Prestwick and then on to Toronto. This was also the airline’s last scheduled flight through Prestwick after about 50 years of operation. Captain Emmans was presented with a Scottish memento, a tartan 'tammy'.
In the photo from left to right: Jim McCall, Cargo Sales Manager; First Officer Colt Archer; Second Officer Juergen Kuehnen; Captain Ross Emmans; Ian Dawson, Cargo Sales and Service Coordinator; Willie Kerr, Commissary Coordinator; Dave Auld, Cargo Sales and Service Coordinator; Colin Kennedy, Cargo Sales and Service Agent and Constable Willie Kennedy.
|
 |
|
|
A party was held for Paris Sales Agent Chrystiane Galland (far right) who celebrated 25 years of service with the airline.
Joining in the celebrations were, left to right: Senior Sales Agents Annick Cardon and Lysiane Prudhomme; Passenger Agents Jacqueline Berthier and Christiane Mallet; Annie Broquet, Manager, Personnel Services;
Françoise Frontice, Senior Sales Agent and Claude Morin, Area Manager, Airport Services.
|
 |
|
|
|---|
CP Air / Canadi>n People Gallery |
|
|---|
|
Last Commercial Operation of the Hercules Division at Pacific Western Airlines.
Article by Stu Russell.
On April 21, 1984, Pacific Western Airlines operated the final Hercules flight with aircraft CF-PWN from the Panarctic Oils base camp at Rea Point on Melville Island NWT (now Nunavut) to Edmonton International Airport.
It was an historic event as the Hercules Division was another structural component that had built the airline.
|
 |
|
Fin #383 in Rea Point, NWT (now Nunavut) just before departure.
Left to right: First Officer Jim Semeniuk, Captain Roy Reaville, Project Manager Stu Russell, Second Officer Bill Webster, Maintenance Crew Chief Brent Kirkpatrick, Engineer Robin Bergdahl and Load Master Ron Howe.
|
 |
|
In Edmonton (YEG) after arrival.
Left to right: Project Manager Stu Russell; Second Officer Bill Webster; Engineer Robin Bergdahl; First Officer Jim Semeniuk; Captain Roy Reaville; Load Master Ron Howe; Manager Hercules & Resupply Al Philpott; Chief LM Vern Kuzio; Captain Rick Simons; Maintenance Crew Chief Brent Kirkpatrick.
|
|
|
About the aircraft
Registration C-FPWN - Tail number 383 - MSN serial #4129
Born L100-10 L382B March 1966 Marietta, Georgia - Zambian Air Cargo
Operated by Pacific Western Airlines March 1969 - 21 April 1984 – with a couple of lease outs in Alaska in between.
Died as N9205T L100-20 L382F Nov 1989 Jamba, Angola - Tepper Aviation.
|
 |
|
Last Telex Flight Times.
|
|
|
|---|
|
Our YouTube video is posted by 'The Global Peasant' and takes us along on a luxury bus ride from Hamilton to Toronto.
|
 |
|
|
|---|
|
Air Inuit receives the world’s 1st Boeing 737-800NG passenger/cargo combi aircraft
Air Inuit has received the world’s first Boeing 737-800 passenger/freighter ‘combi’ aircraft. The plane, which is configured to carry a mixed load, is the culmination of three years of work from aircraft acquisition to its entry into service.
The aircraft is based on a standard Boeing 737-800 passenger-carrying platform but has been specially adapted to accommodate a mixed load of passengers and cargo simultaneously.
Registered as C-FTUW, it was recently delivered to the carrier, having undergone conversion by KF Aerospace in Kelowna, British Columbia.
|
 |
|
|
Last Surviving Short-Fuselage de Havilland Comet 1XB, G-APAS, has been transferred from the RAF Museum Midlands at Cosford to the South Wales Aviation Museum. While corrosion prevents the wings from being reattached, the fuselage will be preserved and displayed to share the aircraft’s pioneering history with future generations.
|
 |
|
|
|---|
Los Angeles Dodgers Lockheed Electra II
Ken (cheekily) tried to console me after the Blue Jays loss to the Dodgers in this year's World Series. I have always been a baseball fan and, ironically, a Dodgers fan prior to the beginnings of the Expos and Blue Jays franchises.
My mother fondly remembered going to Montreal Royals games in her youth, which led to an affinity for the Dodgers franchise. After the loss of the Expos to Washington D.C. (they should have moved to Vancouver, no need to change the nickname!), my National League loyalty switched back to the Dodgers. So, I am only mildly disappointed.
Ken's research found an interesting connection between Dodgers history and an aircraft still flying in Canada. Current registration C-GFIX, a Lockheed L-188 Electra, is a firefighter with Air Spray at 67 years old.
However, from 1962 to 1970 it was the charter aircraft for the Dodgers under registration N1R. It was named "Kay 'O" by team owner Walter O'Malley in honour of his wife, Kay.
It was exchanged for an American Airlines Boeing 720B jet but was never operated by AA. It went through a variety of operators in the United States until 1980 when it was acquired by Mandala Airlines of Indonesia. It was withdrawn from service in 1994 before being acquired by Red Deer, Alberta-based Air Spray in 1995.
|
 |
|
|
|---|
| Terry's Trivia
& Travel Tips |
|
|---|
|
Terry Baker, co-founder of the NetLetter scours the internet for aviation related Trivia and Travel Tips for you, our readers, to peruse.
Old age isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative.
A Seoulful first
Air Canada's first transpacific flight winged its way to Seoul, Korea on May 16, 1994 inaugurating the three-times weekly service aboard B747-400 combi aircraft.
|
|
More defunct airlines of Canada
|
|
Founded in 1993, based in Montreal, ceased operations 1998.
Fleet: Airbus A310-300 (4), Boeing 747-100/200 (2)
|
 |
|
Air Club International Boeing 747-128 C-GCPC at Frankfurt
August 11, 1996
Photo by Konstantin von Wedelstaedt
|
|
|
A Canadian charter and later scheduled airline founded in 1986 based in Montreal and Toronto.
Expanded into scheduled passenger services, becoming Canada's third-largest airline at one point.
Ceased operations on March 22,1993.
Fleet: Boeing 747-100/200 (9), Boeing 757-200 (10), Douglas DC-8-60 (11)
|
 |
|
Nationair Douglas DC-8-63 at EuroAirport
(serving Basel, Switzerland; Mulhouse, France; Freiburg, Germany)
June 1987
Photo by Eduard Marmet
|
|
|
Enerjet was originally formed in 2006 by a small group of entrepreneurs addressing what they perceived to be a gap in the service provided by Canada's major airlines.
It was initially known as New Air & Tours until October 20, 2008, when New Air & Tours revealed its name and corporate logo to be styled as Enerjet.
On November 16, 2021, the company revealed its new name as Lynx Air. It ceased operations on February 26, 2024.
|
 |
|
Enerjet Boeing 737-700 at Calgary
August 2009
Photo by 'RAF-YYC'
|
|
|
An airline based in Schefferville, Canada founded in 1981 and ceased operations in 1999.
|
 |
|
Air Schefferville, De Havilland Canada DHC-6-200 Twin Otter
at Schefferville, Quebec - July 1987
Photo by Christian Hanuise
|
|
|
|---|
|
Our cartoon by Dave Mathias appeared in the Horizons issued December 1980.
Caption "It's not just us, Mr. Finchley. All airlines are cutting down!".
|
 |
|
|
|---|
Wayne, Ken & Terry Richmond, British Columbia - December 2019
(Bob Sheppard was not available for the photograph) |
|
|
|---|
Wayne, Bob & Ken Richmond, British Columbia - December 2023
(Terry Baker was not available for the photograph) |
|
|---|
We wish to honour the memories of
Vesta Stevenson and Alan Rust. They remain a part of every edition published. |
|
|---|
Subscription Management
Each copy of our newsletter is addressed to each individual subscriber. The info below is visible to you only and not to other subscribers.
We presently have the following subscription info in your profile.
First Name: Last Name: Email: City: Province/State/County: Country:
If you feel that this info needs updating, please click below to edit your info.
Modify my profile Please note: You cannot change your email address, please contact us directly should you wish to do so. |
|
|---|
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.
Disclaimer: Please note that the NetLetter does not necessarily endorse any airline related or other "deals" that we provide for our readers.
We would be interested in any feedback (good or bad) when using these companies though and will report the results here.
We do not (normally) receive any compensation from any companies that we post in our newsletters. If we do receive a donation or other compensation, it will be indicated as a sponsored article or link. |
|
|---|
If you feel that The NetLetter does not apply to you
please click below Unsubscribe We thank you for your past support. |
|
|---|
|
|
.jpg)
