Calgary ACRA hosts the 22nd Annual Lobster Party on June 6, 2015. This year’s event will be held at Thorncliffe Greenview Community Association.

Tickets are $50 for ACRA members and $60 for non-members. You can purchase tickets from Al Barbaro, Dan Dubuc, Norm Kneeshaw, Geoff Nicholas or Lorie Hyrnkiw. For more information check the Facebook events page: www.facebook.com or contact us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Registration Cut off date has been extended to Friday, June 5, 2015! 
Open to non-Pionair Members as well this year...

Register now!

Mark your calendars! The Canadian Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) will be holding its 52nd National Convention and Annual General Meeting in Hamilton, Ontario, on 17-21 June 2015 at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel.

For complete details, please visit www.cahs.ca/convention-2015

Robert Arnold sends in these comments -

After reading the interesting article by Jack Stephens found in NetLetter nr 1315 about Linda Meckling, I thought I would follow up with a few photos I took at the Air Canada 75th Anniversary which was held on September 20, 2012 at the Western Canada Aviation Museum (now the "Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada").

In the photo you see from left to right, Shirley Render, Executive Director of the museum, Keith Olson, former Viscount pilot for Air Canada, Linda Meckling, retired Viscount Flight Attendant who also worked for the airline. Next you see Air Canada Captain, Larry Brown along with Air Canada Captain Gerry Norberg. A great time was had by all.

Regards,
Robert Arnold

 Michelle Wall sent us this url of numerous postcards of views in BC. We have captured these three of aircraft, but with no dates available..

There are a lot of great photos under "Travel Old B.C." where these photos originated. You can follow this link if you would like to view all 407 photos.

1942 - May 1st - First flight inaugurating air mail service between Gander and St. John's, between Moncton and Gander Nfld and between Sydney and Gander Nfld.

1979 - Oct 28 - Flights to LaGuardia commenced from Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg.

Spotted in the "Between Ourselves" magazine Issue dated October 1959

The TCA Tigers, Saskatoon's entry in the local RCAF softball league, are shown here following a successful season. The team, made up of Sales and Operations personnel, traveled to Regina to meet the TCA Aces and came home with another win to their credit. Top row, from the left: P. Hnatiw, K. Johns, D. Newfeld, E. Davis, Bottom row: B. Woodcock, T. Ploss, C. Sutherland, J. Kearney, H. Olson and D. Jones.

Found in the "Horizons" magazine Issue dated September 1979.

New cargo facilities were opened in Jamaica during 1979. Shown in the photo are from the left, front row: Reservations Supervisor Carlysle Hudson, Jack Angus and Guy Courtois, Project Leader, Montreal. Centre: S. Ross. Passenger Agent; Airport Manager W. Panton, Passenger Agents A. Ferguson and N. Henry; Cargo Agent W. Chambers; and Secretaries P. Burgher and L. Jones. Back row: CTO Supervisor D. Gruchy; Shipper L. Mignott; Sales Representative F. Bartley; Shipper V. Simpson; Office Messenger L. White; Passenger Agent P. James; Toronto Cargo Sales Representative D. Denton; Cargo Manager K. Shaw, New York and Customer Service Supervisor J. Miles, Montego Bay.

Everybody loves a parade and Halifax employees are no exception. Under the direction of the Passenger Sales & Service division, staff members from all departments pitched in to build the float while others rode on it in the Halifax Natal Day parade, a traditional event in the port city.

Featuring the theme, ''Bringing us all Together", the display depicting various aspects of the company's operations was trucked along the route by driver Arnold Burris. Halifax Mechanic. Playing passengers in the photo are Nancy Banks, daughter of Ron Banks, Maintenance and Glen Wadden, son of Murray Wadden, Personnel & Administration Manager. Others on the float are, from the left: Michelle Gaulin, Flight Attendant; Bertha Lemke, Clerk-Steno; Art MacDonald, A/Commissary Manager; Mary Moriarty and Craig Corbett, Passenger Agents; Uli Toggweiler and Linda Corcoran, Flight Attendants; David Pettipas. Station Attendant; Peter Baker, Passenger Agent and Mechanics Bill Boutilier and Bob Lee.

In 1979 Toronto Passenger Agent Christine Fisher and Station attendantsDonald Johnston of Thunder Bay and George Clark of London Ontario celebrated their 25th anniversaries with the company.

The trio topped the seniority list at the recent Quarter Century Dinner in Toronto and host John McMurtry; V.P. Central Region, welcomed them along with his 'junior' guests - the 27 employees in the region who had most recently joined the ranks of' the '25-year Club'. The invitations also included 14 employees who had achieved 30-year service mile-stones; indeed, the 44 guests around the dinner table were celebrating a grand total of 1,200 work-years with the company! Representatives from each of the eight stations in the Central Region were in Toronto for the gala evening which has become an annual affair. John McMurtry, V.P. Central Region, cut the anniversary cake for his guests at the Quarter Century dinner in Toronto. Vying for the first slice are, from the left: Mabel Hamilton, Beth Richardson, Mary Barbeau (from Sudbury), Barbara Allen, Cathy Peck, Jack Callen, Sr. V.P. Ontario, Christine Fisher, Phyl Bent (seated), Joan Dancy and Irene Gouldie all of Toronto.

Allan Gray has sent us this photo -

July 1992, Maple Leaf Lounge YVR - with Claude Taylor Met the gentleman here, always time for a photo with his AC family. L to R Dixie Blackwood, Lucy McDonough, Claude Taylor, Jannet Tricarico, Allan Gray and Barbara Avitan.

Lufthansa passengers excited about solar eclipse. On March 20, customers on board LH 435 from Chicago to Munich had the rare opportunity to experience a total eclipse of the sun on board a scheduled flight. Thanks to a minor change in its flight path, the aircraft passed the complete shadow southeast of Iceland at a cruising altitude of 12,600 meters above sea level. The passengers got to see this natural event from a special viewpoint from 10.37 a.m. CET for almost four minutes – one minute longer than it was visible on the ground

Best photo-bomb ever? Seagull steals the show from Red Arrows display team.

An image that shows the latest addition to the world famous Red Arrows is a seagull has become an Internet hit. The amazing moment was captured by first year photography student Jade Coxon, 18, as she took pictures at the Llandudno Air Show on Saturday. And, since posting the stunning snap online on Sunday, Jade is over the moon to have got more than 1m views. The crisp pic clearly shows eight of the Red Arrows in tight formation trailing their famous vapour. But then where the ninth plane should be there is an intrepid seagull holding the formation in place and, amazingly, with his own vapour trail.

Follow this link for full story or click om image below

Al and Heather sent us this information and url -
Jimmy (The Greek) Melidones YVR was The Greek’s turf for 43 years, first with CP Airlines, then with Air Canada. He gave the word concierge new meaning. Read more about Jimmy here

Located in the "PWA Flightlines" magazine Issue dated April 1986

It was a twice in a lifetime thrill for Eve Forrester, 81, of Calgary. Viewing Halley's Comet was a twice-in-a-life-time thrill. Her first sighting was as a child in 1910 from her home in Scotland. ''I have never ever forgotten it,'' Mrs. Forrester said. "Mom and Dad got us up out of our beds to look at it. I didn't realize the importance of the sighting then, but it is something l will always remember.'' The Comet was easier to see in 1910, Mrs. Forrester said of her view from Charter Flight 234. This time, armed with binoculars, she said she thought she saw it. Mrs. Forrester enjoyed her early morning adventure on one of the Comet flights, but said with a smile, "I didn't know champagne could be so potent." Joining Mrs. Forrester for the photo are from left: Capt. Dave Mill, Syl Brooks-Dowsett, Alan McDonald, Peter Goossens, Assistant Lecturer, Calgary Planetarium; Patty McLafferty, Jeka Oklobdzija, and First Officer, Ron Muller. Pacific Western's Halley's Comet charters will be remembered by the hundreds of people who managed to get a ticket on one of the 23 flights for at least the next 76 years, when Hailey's returns to give earthlings another sighting. Even though most of the passengers won't be around for the Comet's next visit, their stories will live on with their families for generations to come. The special Halley's Comet charter program was probably one of the best public relations and promotional packages the airline has ever offered. Initially, the Charter Department scheduled three aircraft and put word out that people could take a Halley's Comet flight for $75. Within three hours all flights were booked and the waiting lists were growing. A few days after the promotion began it became evident that there were far more people who wanted to make the trip as a once-in-a-life time thrill than we could possibly accommodate. In the end there were 23 Pacific Western Halley's Comet flights: 13 from Calgary, 6 from Vancouver and 4 from Winnipeg. They were scheduled in the wee hours of the morning from March 21 to 25th 1986. Pacific Western can be proud they gave many people a chance to see it from a better vantage point. (Edited from an article by Marilynn Knoch, Editor - eds)

Shauna Dabrowski (front) was a little shy having her picture taken so her friends in reservations at Pacific Western Holidays gathered around to give her moral support. From left: Joan Coates. Sales Co-ordinator; Brian Ralphs, Sharon Holtan. Marilyn Lingren, Janiice Linton and Marion Olson.

Gleaned from the "Canadian Pacific Airlines Newsletter" found at www.cpair.blogspot.ca Issue dated July 1963

A new trans-Pacific record from Vancouver to Tokyo of 8h:28m established July 3rd 1963 in DC-8 fin 603. The record breaking crew on return to Vancouver. From left: Judy Inamasu, Carol Shimozawa, W.Tu (replaced steward Frank Ling at Hong Kong), Navigator Joe Nowazek, First Officer Rick Kilburn, Capt. Craig Stevenson, Second Officer Gordon Richardson, Purser Arnie Roeske, Joanne Louie (trainee stewardess) and Edith Underhill.

Issue dated January 1964

Two New Year's Eves brought double kisses for DC-8 Capt. Cec McNeal from stewardesses Ina Laesecke, left, and Kumi Miyama, as Althea Young, left, and Eileen Suen kibitz behind. The situation resulted from the crew crossing Date Line on Dec. 31st., 1963 on a Hong Kong-Vancouver flight, the photo was used to publicize Orient route, and received wide coverage across Canada and overseas.

My name is Marcel Dube Air Canada retiree. When reading NetLetter Issue 1210 June 25 2012, I notice the gentleman punching holes from Winnipeg is Lloyd Smith.

	He came to Montreal around the 70's to complete his time before retiring due to the Winnipeg base closure. I remember well, we were partners on DC-8 overhaul. I include also some pictures of fin 724 the DC-9 destroyed by fire in hangar on June 2nd 1982.
	A photo of myself, on the left, and Felix Bachman on the right replacing a five feet wing section on a DC-9 wing cut by a snow blower blade on the taxiway in Dorval. The bottom photo is of our group discussing how to make the repairs. In the picture, the third man from the left is lead mechanic Jos Kurdna and the other is Guy Collin the foreman. I retired on 2001 after 32 years as mechanic and foreman at Dorval Base . Marcel Dube.

We received this request from Virginia Turner

We recently saw your web site and wonder if you may recall Ross Peyton of Peyton Lodge-Pangnirtung and then NWT, now known as Nunavut and owner of Peyton Lodge at Clearwater Fjord. I am writing to also inquire about brochures printed by Nordair about fishing arctic char in Clearwater Fjord.

(If anyone has any brochures perhaps you can contact Virginia e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - eds)

Patricia Henderson sent us this url -
www.cobourghistory.ca/stories/plane-landing-in-cobourg-1951

Ted Beaudoin has been researching the Royal Air Force Ferry Command for his book "Earth Angels Rising". 

This decade-long project, for which research began in Jan. 2005 and ended in January 2015, has morphed into a trilogy.
Perhaps some of you readers may have had relatives within Canada`s civil aviation community who did join, either as full-pay employees of the British Air Ministry - who funded the RAF FC, or were seconded to it by their own carrier.
Contact for Ted Beaudoin is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The conclusion of my secondment to Antigua, started in NetLetter nr 1318 & 1319 -

During my final month, I had a call from the United Nations in New York, the group that called me were into placing computer equipment into small emerging nations and the software supplied was to do various surveys of land, population and crops etc for the government and, after suitable demos to the local government, the equipment and software was donated, set up and training provided, and then they were on their own.

I was asked if the LIAT unit could be used for a demonstration, and I agreed. When the one person from the UN arrived, he asked if I could conduct the demo to the local government officials. He was unable to do the demo as his partner had gone sick. Fortunately everything had turned out OK.

Later over a beer in the local bar, the UN guy asked me if I was interested in such a job, the territory being the Caribbean and South America - such a temptation, but being a family man I had to decline. I passed him the name of one of my co-workers who I knew had applied previously for a job with the UN. This co-worker was contacted and he ended up working for the UN in Rwanda in South Africa and then Vienna.

The upshot of my job there was that LIAT asked me if I could 'drop in' later on the make sure everything was working OK and to trouble shoot if necessary. I agreed and got a tele every January for the next 7 years inviting me down. Each time LIAT supplied transport on BWIA, a car and hotel plus some 'beer money' and I would spend 3 weeks there helping out and generally discussing projects.

During one such visit, British Airways were powering up their reservations system for LIAT, together with TV and radio coverage. I was nosing around with David Attale when I heard someone call out 'Is Mr Baker here?', the LIAT rep said 'Over here'. I had lights shining on me, and a mike thrust into my face and I was asked questions about the new system being implemented - I stammered and spluttered until I was rescued. It seems that there was a Baker from BA in charge and they had the wrong one - my only claim to fame on the TV!

I have lost touch with LIAT etal, but one day, when I do a Caribbean cruise I may take in Antigua just for old time sake.

Terry Baker.

Proofreading is a dying art, wouldn't you say?
Newspaper headlines...

• Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter
  
  
• Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
  Really? Ya think?
  
  
• Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
  Now that's taking things a bit far!
  
  
• Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
  What a guy!
  
  
• Miners Refuse to Work after Death
  No-good-for-nothing' lazy so-and-so's!
  
  
• Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
  See if that works any better than a fair trial!
  
  
• War Dims Hope for Peace
  I can see where it might have that effect!
  
  
• If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
  Ya think?!
  
  
• Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
  Who would have thought!
  
  
• Enfield ( London ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
  They may be on to something!
  
  
• Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
  You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?
  
  
• New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
  Weren't they fat enough?!
  
  
• Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
  That's what he gets for eating those beans!
  
  
• Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
  Do they taste like chicken?
  
  
• Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
  Chainsaw Massacre all over again!
  
  
• Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
  Boy, are they tall!
  
  And the winner is....
  
  
• Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead