Frontier Airlines made history when they hired Emily Howell Warner on January 29, 1973. She was the first woman airline pilot hired by a U.S. commercial airline.

On February 11, 1958, Ruth Carol Taylor was hired by Mohawk Airlines, becoming the first African-American flight attendant in the United States.

On May 20th 1932, Amelia Earhart became only the second person to fly across the Atlantic from west to east, and the first women to do so. In her Vega aircraft she was heading for Paris from Newfoundland, but her instruments malfunctioned and she ended up in a farmers field in Ireland.

The annual Canadian Maple Wings Association Spring Luncheon for both Vancouver "Western Arrow" Chapter & Victoria "Dogwood" Chapter is on June 23rd in Victoria. Hosted by the "Dogwood" Chapter.

Anthony Walsh is deeply involved in trying to get the B-767 fin 604 (Gimli Glider) for permanent display at the Gimli museum. Unfortunately, the present owner has scrapped most of the aircraft, however there are sections of the hull available for purchase.

Consequently there is a fund-raising process in place and donations of any amount would be most welcomed.

If you would like to support this endeaver, then please send a cheque marked GIMLI GLIDER FUND to the address below. You’ll receive tax receipt in mail later from the Rural Municipality of Gimli:

RM of Gimli,
P.O. Box 1246
Gimli, MB
R0C 1B0

Tel: (204) 642-6650 (# needed if sending express)

Anthony Walsh will be keeping a tally of donators, and there will be a posted list of donors at the future Gimli glider pavilion, so please advise amount when you send off the cheque.

Anthony Walsh This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

2015

• May 15th - Air Canada rouge launched non stop service between Montreal and Venice with B767-300ER equipment. The service will operate until October 11th 2015.
• May 18th - Scheduled service inaugurated between Toronto and Austin, USA with CRJ-705 equipment.
• May 22nd - Start of seasonal services between Toronto and Atlantic City.
• Airbus aircraft A321 c/n 3884 ex Air France has been leased from Aercap. (source Speednews May 22/15)
• Air Canada rouge’s 20 Airbus A319s will be converted by mid-June 2015 from current 3x3 seating configuration with a blocked middle seat to two side-by-side business class seats in a 2x2 .

1939 - February - A Trans-Canada Air Lines aircraft was the first flight to land at Calgary airport.

The Last Flight of Viscount CF-THS Air Canada 637 
With the Vickers Viscount long out of service in Canada, Captain Jim Griffith never thought he would ever fly one again, but in 1983, nearly ten years after the last one flew with Air Canada, the phone rang and he got another chance to take the grand old lady to the dance.

Late August 1983 in Winnipeg proved hot and muggy, stretched out on a lawn chair in my back yard I studied condensation droplets dribbling down the side of the tankard holding my first ice-cold beer of the day. The phone rang. It was my good friend Gerry Norberg.

“Jim” he said, “have you still got a Viscount endorsement on your licence?”

“Yes I do Gerry. What’s up?” I replied.

Gerry breathlessly explained. “The Western Canada Aviation Museum now owns the former Trans-Canada Air Lines hangar at Winnipeg and will use it for the home of their historic aircraft. Their Vickers Viscount, the largest aircraft in the collection, is stored in a former RCAF hangar up at Gimli. He continued catching his breath,

“When Beaver Industries donated the Air Canada Viscount they flew it up there but now two of the four engines are time expired and to make it airworthy for a flight to Winnipeg they need to swap two engines with Beaver Industries.”

“And?” I interrupted.

“They need someone to fly it to Winnipeg.” He blurted out and added, “They don’t have the money to pay anybody.”

“Hmm.”, I mumbled, stalling while I mulled over the possible consequences of the oblique request. Back in the days when cars had wings an aircraft endorsement was not required to act as co- pilot and restrictions like currency had not been invented yet. So I countered to Gerry, “How about coming along for the ride?” Without hesitation, he answered, “Sure.” “That settles it then. Let’s do it, but when?” I enquired.

“Oh but by the way,” he hesitated before adding “they had to take the rudder off to get it into the hangar so as soon as they finish changing the engines and put the tail back on … probably three weeks.”

For the rest of this story, follow this link to learn more

From the "Between Ourselves" magazine issue dated June 1943

TORONTO T.C.A.R.A. - A second Recreation Association has appeared among us. At a recent meeting of Malton, Central Control and Royal York personnel it was decided to form a body modelled along the lines of the Winnipeg group, which was the first TCARA formed in the spring of 1941.

Those present at once became Charter members of the Association and the following were elected officers:

• President, J. F. Burritt.Traffic Representative, Royal York.
• Vice President, I. F. Thomas, Station Manager, Malton.
• Secretary, E. Johnson, Crew Chief, Malton.
• Treasurer, C. E. Banfield, Ticket agent, Royal York.

The Executive Committee will consist of these four, together with the Chairmen of the various sub-committees representing the different activities of the Association. An intensive membership drive is now under way, and it is hoped that all those who have not already joined will do so immediately. Regular membership is open to all employees of TCA and associate membership to their wives, husbands and children, also to members of the Department of Transport, and to others closely associated with the company. The first social function was a dance held on June 9th (1943) attended by 170 members and friends at the Casa Loma. For July a boat cruise to Niagara-on-the-lake was planned.

Phil Pawsey sends us this photo of the group attending the DC-8 course at Los Angeles in 1960. L - R Back Row then Front Row - All have since passed away except myself. John Wild, George Lothian, Roy McCormack, Ron Baker, Joe Held, George Cambell, Al Ross and Phil Pawsey.
These photos are from The YYZ Ramp Rats part 1. There were no identifications, location or date – anyone care to let us know the details?

Turkish Airlines has a wedding above the clouds. 

On May 6, two people who'd fallen in love after meeting on a Turkish Airlines flight returned to tie the knot in a ceremony overseen by Turkish Airlines, who supplied food, candlelight, rose petals, and a delicious wedding cake.

Happy Birthday to Star Alliance, now turning 18! Eighteen years ago in May 1997, Air Canada became one of five founding members with Lufthansa, SAS, Thai Airways International and United Airlines to launch Star Alliance, the first truly global airline alliance.

(Submitted by Alan Watson - 2010)

Check out this P-51 Cockpit shot. This is an excellent restoration, every nut and bolt, every instrument is like new...not even a chip on the paint. Put your mouse pointer anywhere and click/hold down/ and drag the photo to what you want to see.  Play with it because you will be amazed at how much you can see, (much more than the Pilot could have see in combat because he is limited by his harness and cannot rotate his neck 360 deg). 

Diane Drury refers to the photo of the 1979 International Paris Air Show in NetLetter nr 1315 -
Diane has identified herself with this message -
The missing name between Doreen Riley and Monique Paradis is Diane Drury from Montreal.

In NetLetter nr 1317, under "Info Request" the question was - Was CPA located in the PBY hangar in YVR"?

Max Lindeman sends this information -

Answer to the question of Harvey Jones:

Answer: yes it was, it was built to manufacture the PBY aircraft. I worked there starting in 1956 and some of the people that worked for Boeing stayed at the hangar and got hired by CPA. In fact there was a ramp to the Fraser River to launch the aircraft. Max Lindeman. Structures specialist. Ret.

Monty Montgomery sent us these details of his career -

I joined AC/TCA September 1956. I wore many "many hats" during my years with the company. I joined as a radio operator. I was loaned out to help get the "bugs" out of a pneumatic tube system. A system to send hard copy to different department in the terminal. It was the only one like in the world (which was a good thing). My ability with my camera was drafted many times.

The worse, the fateful flight 621 in Toronto. I took pictures within 5 minutes of the crash until the last of the clean up. I walked the flight path to relate the picture to the position it fell of the aircraft. I produced the audio visual of the "Wartime Show" A story about how these young "fliers" out of the bush went on to win a war and then build one of the best airlines in the world . I also was a part of the first "Maple Wing" reunion. My camera never slept.

Before "9/11" I carried a jump seat card and if it was the captain's last flight and I was available I went with him and his family. I'm probably the only person with a 1000 hrs in a cockpit and can't fly an airplane. At one point I had photo albums about 5 feet high of "last flight / retirements"

I'm glad to know that someone takes an interest in our past. It’s a different airline now.

Monty

More historical data found by Betty Draper in "The Leader-Post" issued January 30th., 1939.

April 1 Date For Passenger Air Service.
Kingston, Ont. Jan 30 - Trans-Canada Air Lines will start a passenger service between Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, April 1, Hon. C.D.Howe, Minister of Transport, said at a Chamber of Commerce banquet here Saturday night.

The airline hoped to extend passenger service to the maritime provinces before the end of the year, the Transport Minister said. Services from Toronto to Detroit and Toronto to Buffalo were also under consideration, and it was hoped they would be put into operation during 1939. Air service would tend to bring all sections of the country closer together, and he thought it would "go a long way" toward cementing better feeling among people of these sections. He emphasized every precaution would be taken to ensure safety of passengers in TCA planes.

From "The Leader-Post" issued January 27th, 1939

Details of Air Line in New Map.
A highly-detailed map of the route of Trans-Canada Air Lines showing all airfields from Halifax to Vancouver whether they be principal or secondary ports, intermediate airfields or proposed sites, together with locations of radio range stations and teletype systems, has been prepared by the Department of Transport.

Between Regina and Vancouver alone, there are 20 airfields, of which the three principal ones are at Regina, Lethbridge and Vancouver, with secondary ports at Swift Current, Medicine Hat, Cranbrook, Grand Forks and Princeton.

Legend accompanying the map shows not only the exact layout of the landing strips, if any, but also whether the field had been cleared, stumped, graded or partly graded, surfaced, seeded or hard-surfaced. Further legend indicates whether boundary lights have been completed, whether there are beacon towers, teletype services or power supply. Incomplete is the leg east of Montreal to Moncton and Halifax which route has not yet been completed.

Metro Transit operates its MetroX service from downtown to Halifax Stanfield International airport. The #320 bus operates every 30 minutes during peak morning (6 am to 9 am) and afternoon (3 pm to 6 pm) times.
The regular schedule departs every 60 minutes. Fares are $3.50 for adults and $2.75 for seniors. Passenger baggage is allowed on the MetroX, however, please review their baggage policy for specifics.

Be aware of the seating plans when traveling on the DH8-300 aircraft.

Recently we were in seats 13 and, on boarding traipsed to the back of the aircraft knowing how the row numbers increase BUT on that particular aircraft seats 13 was up the front, so we had to squirm our way back against the flow of boarding passengers who evidently knew where their seats were located.

On the return DH8-300 flight we were again located in seat 13 and, on boarding was surprised to find that row 13 was really at the back of the aircraft. The flight attendant kindly let us sit in row 1 instead of having to go to the back of the aircraft.

Our International Maple Leaf Lounge in LHR Terminal 2 was selected as the winner of the First Class Lounge design category in the Aviation Sector of the International Yacht and Aviation Awards

Found on the Internet