Air Canada announced its decision to replace Aeroplan with a new frequent flyer program that will launch in June 2020 following the end of their commercial agreement with Aimia.

As you may know, Aimia has owned and operated Aeroplan for almost a decade. They are announcing this decision three years ahead to provide as much notice as possible to our customers, employees, and partners.

BEAUTECH POWER SYSTEMS, TX purchased its fourth ex-Air Canada E190 (019) from Nordic Aviation Capital for part out.

AEROVISION INTERNATIONAL, MI has acquired ex-Air Canada E190 (022) for part out.

AVIATION TECHNICAL SERVICES, WA was selected by Air Canada to install Airbus-supplied TAWS on 49 A320 Family aircraft.

AIR CANADA joined the Civil Aviation Alternate Fuel Contrail and Emissions Research (CAAFCER) project to test environmental effects of biofuels on contrails; NRC will trail Air Canada aircraft with modified T-33 research jet to sample and test contrails.

LUFTHANSA TECHNIK has a 10-year Air Canada contract to provide Total Component Support for its 737 MAXs (61 on firm order, 18 options and purchase rights for another 30); it also extended CFM56 service deal for A320s for another eight years to 2026.

(Source SpeedNews Apr 28/17)

In NetLetter nr 1364 "Readers Submitted Photos" we had two photos from Gerald McCarthy. This should have read Gerard McCarthy. We apologize for this error. Our archive copy of the NetLetter nr 1364 has been corrected.

Gerard has a great web site at gmac99.blogspot.ca with EPA Memorabilia.

Peter Sutherland has sent us this information -

While rifling through some old photographs, I came across this one which you may be interested in publishing in a future NetLetter.

The photo depicts Jim Finlay’s farewell luncheon on his departure from the UK held at Thames Court Country Club, Shepperton, U.K. October 1st, 1974.

In the photo they are simply listed ‘left to right’ (no “back row” or “front row”):

Roy Ledgerwood, ‘Cec’ McDonald, John Buchanan, Barry Stride, Tony Coleman, John Searle, Helen Hutton, Jack Helsby, Ken Banks, Jim Finlay, Gary Evans, Dave Dougans, Derek Burell, Bill Ferguson, Doug Stewart, Gib Sale, Alan Horabin, Ken Fletcher, Bob Williamson, Peter Sutherland, David Broad and Brian Sygrove.

Yours truly stands third from the right.

Best wishes, Peter Sutherland.

The first North Star landed at Winnipeg on September 14th, 1946 from Montreal to Santa Monica, California.

(source The Montreal Gazette Sept 14th, 1946).

Located in the "Between Ourselves" magazine issue dated July 1981.

Members of the Centralized Rating Unit and personnel involved in the implementation of the system are shown in this photo.

Seated from the left: Specialist Lisette Schweiger; Willie Druin, Supervisor; Robert Viau, Manager Cargo Services; Ray Dicaire, Manager, Centralized Rating Unit; Jean Forget, Supervisor and Mavis Kruhelnisky, Specialist.

Standing from the left: Specialists; Lutfur Osman, Charles Manuel, Ed Bownes, Manager, Cargo Training Program Development; Barry Woidla, Frank De Vincenzo, Michel Seinet, Marian Terlecki, Denis Perrier, Pierre Riel, Steve McMahon, Marc Larent, Joseph Wojtczak, Urs Wiesendanger, Michel Auger (Acting), Stan Moskoske, Daniel Blanchette, Gaetan Lavoie, Phil Mayoh and Denise Belec. 

The unit was formed in January 1980. The company became the first major airline to tackle the serious industry problem of cargo rating errors.

From the "New Horizons" magazine issue dated September 2004. (Used with permission)

Two of the items to be introduced during the fall of 2004 to energize the Hospitality class; one of the innovations includes baggage tags which will be handed out to overseas passengers at the end of a flight. They had been designed by Air Canada Multimedia. 

Another innovation is the postcard menus. The left portion separates from the menu and becomes a postcard. These are two of the eight postcards designed in-house.

Customer Service Agents at Frankfurt are pictured here in 2004.

From the left: Silvia Rosa Dos Santos Daude, Ilsa Berger, Michal Nadjar and Dors Kohler.

From the TCA "In Flight" magazine Vol 5, No 3 issued 1962.

Born on April 10th, 1937, the new airline, a Crown Corporation was incorporated. Originally it was proposed that both public and private capital be invested to create a national air carrier, but the Canadian Pacific Railway, which was invited to share in the enterprise, withdrew and left the Canadian Government to go it alone. TCA was thus created as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the government-owned Canadian National Railway, with an authorized capital of $5,000,000.

TCA began business with a very modest fleet, two 10-passenger Lockheed 10A Electras (CF-BAF, CF-TCA and CF-TCB) and a single-engine Stearman biplane (CF-ASF), obtained by buying out Canadian Airways Limited. Actual service began on September 1st, 1937 when one of TCA's Lockheeds flew from Seattle airport to Vancouver. TCA inaugurated AirExpress flights between Winnipeg and Vancouver on September 19th, 1938.

On April 1st, 1939, TCA began carrying passengers Vancouver to Montreal, with intermediate stops, using the Lockheed 14H's or "Super Electras". At Stevenson Field, Winnipeg the first TCA stewardess training took place. TCA's first aircraft, a single-seater Stearman, acquired in 1937. 

The twin-engine Lockheed 10A 'Electra", one of five used on TCA's first air route, between Vancouver and Seattle 1937.

Converted Lancaster Bombers, renamed Lancastrians, were used by TCA, 1943-46,  to fly VIP's and war effort equipment to the U.K..

Following World War II, TCA put a fleet of 30 twin-engine, 21-passenger Douglas DC-3's.

One of three Bristol Freighters which TCA put into service in 1953 to provide all cargo flights in Canada.

Work-horse of the TCA fleet for 14 years was the North Star, a Canadian-designed aircraft which went into service in 1947.

2015 Annual EPA Christmas Lunch at YHZ December 11th. (used with permission).

Here are some photos from this event found on the facebook site of Gerard McCarthy.

Left to right: Barry (Bookie) Clouter, Merv Janes, Mike Woolridge & Garland Snelgrove.

Found in the "Info:Cargo" magazine issue dated July 1992.

The header was - "They switched because of you! "

This photo opportunity was just too good to pass up. Apparently, passengers aren't the only customers to "walk the wing."

YVR employees quickly gathered to an impromptu group shot in front of this wing walkers truck. Air Canada was delivering cargo to a Canadian Air Cargo freight facility, for shipment out on June 15th.

On hand to witness the occasion were YVR employees Hugh Dalton, Tim Jarvis, Bob Richards, Blake Coulter, Marcel Catellier, Les Schubert and Peter Hattersley. Bill Gallant and Keith Lang, cargo controllers, YYC who were visiting YVR that day joined in. 

(There were only 9 names provided - eds)
A special thank you to Peter Hattersley who contributed the photos and story.

When Jennifer Reynolds, Passenger Marketing, YYZ learned about an Aviation Sub-Contractor's Exhibition, she saw unique marketing opportunities for two departments within the company. Cargo and Maintenance & Engineering.

The annual event brings aerospace manufacturers and military organizations from North America for a one day show and tell. Now in its fifth year, the exhibition is sponsored by the federal External Affairs and International Trade agency. Reynolds managed to secure an invitation for Canadian Airlines to exhibit their products and services. 

In our photo from left: Russ Worgan, Ann Metier and Doug Orvis, cargo sales reps and Noel McGivern, Service Quality coordinator, YYZ Maintenance staffed the Canadian Airlines booth at the 5th Annual Aviation Sub-Contractor's Exhibition.

Ken Pickford spotted this error in NetLetter nr 1365.

Under the CP Air, Canadi>n People Gallery -

PWA charter department photo - one last name is spelled "Renneberg" in the text but "Benneberg" on the photo itself.

(The correct name is Renneberg we apologize for this error - eds)

Jim Griffith suggests you check this web site before you fly, just in case you run into overbooked flights and are traveling as a revenue passenger. (For travel in the USA).

www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/fly-rights

Michael Ryan has sent us this information -

Restored WW2 Spitfire pays tribute to those who flew it including EPA's Captain H.C. "Charlie" Trainor.

More information at this web site -

gmac99.blogspot.ca/2017/03/restored-ww2-spitfire-pays-tribute-to

Thus this information might be considered as a Tribute to all of them. Of course "Charlie" as he preferred to be called, was a proud member of our EPA Family here in Atlantic Canada, flying our B737's in the early years of my employment with the Airline.

I will always remember, upon his arrival at the gate to see him most days stroll into the Terminal, smoking his signature "Benson and Hedges" with a friendly greeting to all... and, as he smoked away reminding us with a little smile on his face, "boys, it can't go tell I'm back on-board".

This taking place at what is now known as Halifax Stanfield International Airport. Procedures have changed quite a bit for sure...

It is to be noted Gerard McCarthy, our local EPA Blogger, deserves the credit for making this information and tribute to Captain Trainor available.

Cheers, Mike Ryan - retired EPA/CPAir/Cdn Airlines Employee

Keith Simpson has written an article which appears in the 2017 edition of the magazine "Propliner" and provides the history of the Barkley-Grow aircraft fleet in Canada, some of which ended up with Canadian Pacific Airlines and Pacific Western Airlines.

Keith's father was a pilot with CP/Canadian until 1990, his brother was a CP sheet metal mechanic for 20 years, and Keith was in their computer department from 1978 to 1994..

The Government of Canada has introduced a new entry requirement for those travelling to or through Canada who are not Canadian or American citizens, or permanent residents of Canada.

You may require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). For more information, consult www.canada.ca/eta to determine if this requirement applies to you.

Terry’s Trips Down Memory Lane

During the 1980's my wife and I had many trips to England and, on one of the trips, we were accompanied by a couple, a co-worker who worked in the same office as me (in Dorval) and his wife.

On one memorial trip, we decided to do a pub crawl, not for the drinking part necessarily, but because the accommodations and food were much cheaper than at hotels or motels. Unfortunately, I didn't keep a trip report, so this is from memory, and also not in the sequence of events.

Visiting Shakespeare’s home in Stratford upon Avon, the other couple showed their "student cards" and joined a group of visitors already entering the house - no charge! Another time they hocked a camera and then made an insurance claim that it had been stolen when they returned to Canada, not a nice thing to do, but that was how this couple operated.

In Cirencester, there was a fair being set up in a car park and, next morning there was not a sign of the fair having been there. The site was spotless - a message to the locals! To get to one of the pubs, we had to back down a one way street as we had missed a turning. We found that staying in pubs was not the best choice after all, the accommodations and food were OK, but each evening, when the pubs were "turned out" (in those days 10:30 pm) some imbibers would stand around under our bedroom windows and talk in rather high voices, and then, later, there was a drift of voices saying "goodnight Flo", "goodnight Joe" or whatever, as they proceeded to their homes. Next morning at breakfast we arrived to the aroma of stale beer and smoke – yuk!

So we gave in after several pubs, and went into motels. We should have guessed that about my co-worker who, incidentally, looked the splitting image of a mafia “Don” - square on all sides. On one occasion, we were in Lisbon, Portugal for a weekend with a group from our office in Dorval, including the “Don” and his wife. Those were the days of the InterTAP interline 3 day deals with confirmed space. When we checked out, the “Don” dutifully checked the details of his bill and noticed a charge for an ashtray. He immediately took the said ashtray out of his suitcase and declared that he did not want it! The charge was removed.

Future trips did not include this couple who later left Air Canada and joined the United Nations where he received a placement in Rwanda, Africa and then Vienna. On one occasion, we joined a group from the office for a three day weekend in London, England. During our transfer to the hotel, we took a London Transport double decker bus from the bus station to our hotel in Peckham. We all placed our suitcases under the staircase on the double decker bus, and sat down inside. As the bus went around a right-handed corner, a bag flew out from under the stairs - it belonged to one of our party. The owner and I immediately attempted to get off at the next bus stop, but the conductor insisted that we pay the fare and thus delayed our mission of retrieval. Despite asking several people on the street if they had seen this errant suitcase, speeding down the road, no one owned up. We never did find that suitcase which was one with wheels, and presumably was last seen careening down the main road. We made a lost luggage report to London Transport.

The person in question who lost the bag went to a store and bought some necessities and, to rub the mishap in, the hotel assigned the person to a room which was no bigger than a converted cupboard, with no room to swing a cat. After returning to Canada, a letter was received from London Transport to inform the owner of the lost suitcase that some luggage had been found and would they present themselves to identify it - all the way from Canada - no way.

Found in the "Horizons" magazine issue dated December 1979.

Anyone who has travelled on a B-767 Rouge configuration in economy class can understand where the idea for the additional economy seating configuration came from in this image of loading cattle on to a DC-8 freighter in 1979 - except the cattle had more leg room!

A groaner!

A vulture carrying two dead raccoons boards an airplane. The stewardess looks at him and says, I am sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger.

This Flt.Ops "Cap'n Bly" cartoon by "Jaques" has the caption "I hate to bust up your bubble boys ... but there's no such thing as "The Big Picture".