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NetLetter #1371 | July 23, 2017 |
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Canadian North B-737-200
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Dear Reader,
Welcome to the NetLetter, an Aviation based newsletter for Air Canada, TCA, CPAir, Canadian Airlines and all other Canadian based airlines that once graced the Canadian skies.
The NetLetter was created in 1995 by Vesta Stevenson (RIP) and Terry Baker and 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. Our website is located at www.thenetletter.net
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Coming Events
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 ACRA U.K. Badminton tourney.
September 28 thru 30, 2017. Full details at acrabadminton.org.uk
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 Here is a photo of the crowd who made it to last year’s event. |
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 ACRA / Pionairs Ottawa Golf Tournament
Monday, August 28, 2017
Shotgun Start @ 12:30
Registration @ 10:00
Cedarhill Golf and Country Club
56 Cedarhill Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K2R 1C5.
Click Here for full details
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Women in Aviation
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 During Air Canada’s 40th anniversary celebration in 1977, an article appeared in the July edition of Horizons about a young flight attendant named Britt-Marie Ferst who had appeared in a CBC telecast from the Silver Broom curling championship from Karlstad, Sweden. Ms. Ferst, who was born close to Karlstad, was one of two translators who worked at this event.
Ms. Ferst had moved to Canada as a young adult, full of spirit and determination. After arriving in Montreal, she moved to Vancouver where she began working as a secretary although she was still dealing with the challenge of learning English.
She applied to Air Canada for a flight attendant job in 1972 and, while still struggling with her English skills, passed the training course. However, this ambitious young lady had a career on the flight deck in mind and in 1973 enrolled with the Brampton Flying Club where she began to accumulate the required flying hours. In 1979, she became the first woman in Air Canada to move from the cabin to the cockpit when she was promoted to second officer on the DC-8 fleet.
Unfortunately, we have not been able to find out how Ms. Ferst’s career advanced in the following years. We would certainly appreciate any information regarding the rest of her remarkable life and career.
Click Here for the article in the July 1977 edition of Horizons
Click Here for the October 1979 article on her promotion to first officer.
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The Amelia Earhart ongoing saga from NetLetter nr 1370 -
Latest Earhart Theory Questioned
By Russ Niles
The History Channel says it’s having a look at a Japanese historian’s claim that a photograph that underpinned a much-hyped television special on the fate of Amelia Earhart was taken two years before she left on her round-the-world flight. As the documentary was hitting the airways, blogger Baron Yamaneko from Japan was posting a digitized image of the same photo, which he said appeared in a Japanese publication in 1935, two years before Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan’s fateful flight.
The blogger’s claim hasn’t been proven yet either but he did supply a link to the Japanese government archives with the photo and it is apparently dated 1935.
(Source: www.avweb.com July 11/17) |
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Air Canada News
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AFI KLM E&M has extended its GE90 support deal with Air Canada.
(Source: SpeedNews June 23/17)
 Chorus Aviation Inc. subsidiary Jazz Technical Services has completed the first Extended Service Program (ESP) life-extension modifications on a Bombardier Dash 8 Series 300, performing the work at its MRO facility in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Jazz Technical Services (JTS) was formed in 2016 to offer MRO services on Bombardier Dash 8-series, Q-series and CRJ-series aircraft both to parent carrier Jazz Aviation LP, which is holding company Chorus Aviation's biggest asset, and to third-party customers.
Jazz Aviation operates (26) 50-seat Dash 8-300s for the Air Canada Express regional-airline network, as well as two on charter operations under the Jazz operating name. The all-Bombardier operator also flies (16) 37-seat Dash 8-100s, (44) 74-seat Q400s, (11) 50-seat CRJ200s, (16) 75-seat CRJ705s and (5) 76-seat CRJ900s for the Air Canada Express network.
Headquartered in Halifax, Chorus Aviation owns Jazz Aviation and North Bay, Ontario-based Voyageur Aviation. The latter company owns both Voyageur Airways Limited and Voyageur Aerotech Inc.
(Source: MRO news June 2017)
AEROMÈXICO CONNECT leased ex-Air Canada E190 (041) from Nordic Aviation Capital.
(Source: SpeedNews July 7/17)
AIR CANADA carried 166,850 pax (a single-day record) on June 29 2017, and >930,000 over the 6-day holiday period of June 29 - July 4, 2017.
(Source: SpeedNews July 7/17)
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TCA/AC People Gallery
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Gleaned from the "Between Ourselves" magazine issue dated November 1946.
On September 14, 1946, the North Star left Montreal for the first time on an experimental long range flight to California, under the command of Captain Ron Baker. Other than landing once at Dorval to check out the new service stands, it was the first time the North Star had been away from its home airport of Cartierville.
A total of thirteen passengers and crew were on board. The flight had planned stops at Toronto, Fort William, Winnipeg, Lethbridge, Vancouver and Santa Monica where the Douglas people were impressed by the aircraft, before it returned to Vancouver. The return was from Vancouver direct to Montreal. We have some photos below.
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 Arrival at Winnipeg
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Visiting Fort William
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Betty Draper found this article in the media - Largest aircraft in Canada.
 The "North Star" Canada's largest aircraft, is shown at Malton airport near Toronto, after its arrival from Montreal on a test flight to Santa Monica, California. The plane will carry 40 passengers and is a combination of Canadair and Douglas design. Miss Gloria Hercus, TCA stewardess, stands beside the nose wheel.
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From the "Horizons" magazine issued dated May 1978.
ACRA Presidents Meet
A lively exchange of ideas and information of Air Canada Recreation Associations (ACRA) was the order of the day when all 15 ACRA Presidents, 11 of them new comers to the Presidential office, attended a meeting held in the Personnel Headquarters, Montreal. President Claude Taylor and Harold Walker, Employee Services and Suggestions Manager addressed the meeting.
 In attendance photographed from the left, seated were: Dorothy Buss, Winnipeg; Taylor; and Helen Donovan, Moncton.
Standing: Gerald White, Past President representing Eve Riley, London, England: Denis Perrier, Sault Ste. Marie; Brian Murray, Halifax; Walker; Larry Conway, Los Angeles; Tony Tremblay, Quebec City; George Agnew, Vancouver; Barry Bourassa, Ottawa; Dave Leslie, Edmonton; Frank Foley, Saint John; John Stuckless, St. John's NF; Gord Thompson, Dorval; George Saliba, Toronto; and Bob Lance, Thunder Bay.
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Issued dated May 1979.
ACRA's. They bring us all together.
Almost 10,000 Air Canada Recreation Association (ACRA) members are spread around 16 Air Canada cities and were represented by their Presidents at the annual meeting of ACRA President hosted by the Thunder Bay ACRA on May 1-2nd, chaired by Hal Walker, Employee Services and Suggestions Manager.
 Attending the meeting in this photo from the left: Gord Thompson, Dorval; Brian Murray, Halifax; George Agnew, Vancouver; Frank Foley, Saint John; Wayne Wilson, Ottawa; Serge Colekessian, Toronto; Kevin McGee, London, Ont., attending for Ross DeSousa; Terry McHale, Edmonton; Paul Wachmenko, Sault Ste. Marie, for Denis Perrier; John Stuckless, St. John's; Vic Foster, London, England, for Eve Riley.
Seated from the left: Dorothy Buss, Winnipeg; Tony Tremblay, Quebec; Sharon Morett, Los Angeles for Ron Castelli; Bob Lance, Thunder Bay; Helen Donovan, Moncton; and Hal Walker.
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Issue dated March 1979.
The C&SS Dorval Programming team stands guard of MAP.
 In the photo seated from the left: S. Graham and R. Clermont.
Standing from the left are: T. Baker, R. Heramchuk, Project Leader; F. Deschanes-Renad, P. Williams, M. Castonguay, R. Stuart, G. Belanger, R. Allard, and B. Bogert.
Missing from the photo, but part of the team are: E. Masson, R. Belding, R. Legare and from the Purchasing & Supply Systems Analysts E. Black and G. Kobor.
(Note: Yes that's our own Terry Baker co-founder of the NetLetter in this photo.)
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Issue dated June 1978.
 A pre-inauguration Super Constellation flight is pictured on arrival at Zurich from Montreal May 5, 1958. The non-stop flight took just over 13 hours. Scheduled service began May 18 between Montreal and Zurich with an enroute stop at Paris. |
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Click Here  for a YouTube video posted by the YYZ Ramp Rats depicting their lighter sides. |
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Alan's Space
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 Obituary Notice and Tribute for a Great Lady - Mary Dohey
(Submitted by: Michael Barbetta)
For any of our regular readers, you may have noticed that we rarely publish obituaries. This is an exception as Mary was a very special lady that many of you may know or remember due to the hijacking that she was involved in way back in 1971. We thank Michael Barbetta for bringing her recent passing to our attention.
Mary Dohey, was a Newfoundland born flight attendant who was the first living person to receive the award Cross of Valour, Canada’s highest award for bravery, for her conduct during the hijacking of a commercial DC-8 aircraft in 1971.
At the risk of losing her life, Dohey declined an offer of a safe release from an Air Canada DC8 to remain with her fellow crew members and pacify hijacker Paul Cini, on flight 812 from Calgary, Alberta on November 12, 1971. During eight hours of terror, the hijacker, with a black hood over his head, was armed with a shotgun and two bundles of dynamite. Mary had to hold on to the wires of the dynamite and not let them touch.
Cini threatened to take the lives of the crew and all the passengers on board the airplane. Although continually threatened with the gun, Miss Dohey spoke to the aggressor and succeeded in discouraging him from undertaking violent measures which would have killed many people. When the aircraft was diverted and landed in Great Falls, Montana, she was able to persuade the hijacker to allow all the passengers and part of the crew, including herself, to disembark. With absolutely no assurance that she would come out of the ordeal alive and because of her concern for the welfare of the remaining crew members, Mary Dohey turned down the offer of release. The hijacker wanted $1.5 million. The plane landed and the demands were passed over. There was only $50,000 in that briefcase unknown to the hijacker. Mary continued to appease the hijacker until the drama was brought to an end.
Mary Dohey graduated years earlier as a psychiatric nurse and that training and experience proved invaluable. Because of the courage she displayed during the hijacking, Dohey was awarded the Cross of Valour in December 1975.
See more information about the hijacking at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Dohey
Photos
Videos
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Interview with Mary Dohey
May 12, 1988 |
Re-enactment of 1971 hijacking
November 2, 1992
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Mary Imelda Dohey (Obituary)
- 83 years old at time of passing
- Date of birth: September 22, 1933
- Place of birth: St. Bride's, Newfoundland, Canada
- Date of passing: June 12, 2017
MARY IMELDA DOHEY, C.V.R.N. September 22, 1933 - June 12, 2017 - Mary was the first living recipient of the Cross of Valour Medal for bravery of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril.
 She saved 200 passengers and crew members lives in a hijacking of an Air Canada flight on November 12, 1971. When given the opportunity to stay behind with passengers by the hijacker, after she convinced him to let the plane land, she chose to go back up with her crew hoping she may be able to keep him calm and save them.
When meeting Mary, you would never know about this prestigious award as she was humble and a woman of great faith in God. She accepted the joys and challenges in her life with equal grace. Mary was the youngest of 14 children and will be particularly missed by her niece Nora O'Rourke and her dear friend Judy. A very special thanks to all the staff at Dorothy Ley Hospice who filled Mary's last days with compassion and wonderful respect for her fierce independence. A celebration of Mary's life will be held from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m., on Sunday, June 25th on the main floor at 350 Princess Royal Drive, Mississauga, ON L5B 4N1. Online condolences/tributes can be made at www.forevermissed.com/mary-imelda-dohey
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CPAir, Canadi>n People Gallery
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 Found in the "Info:Cargo" magazine issue dated October 1992. |
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 On September 23, 1992, Toronto TSSC celebrated their 2nd., anniversary and Toronto sales representatives were on hand to congratulate the group, as well as several invited guests.
Here we have this photo of the "Magnificent Seven", the "charter" members who were there, two years ago, to answer calls on the first day.
From the left: Darlene Cain, Suzanne Franzini, Carol Morson, Debbie Falconi, Tracey Husby, Judy Reynolds and Terry Skinner.
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A Plum job in Rome.
 Italian grapes as big as plums are enroute to Canada from Rome. Antonio Di Fabio, left, and Aldo Romani inspect the shipment.
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Winter schedule.
 Planning for the winter schedule at the European Regional Meeting in London during 1992.
In this photo from the left: Richard Alexander, (YVR); Marvin Fiddler,(FRA); Mark Bright, (LGW); and Ted Ranson, (YYC).
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YUL Credit and Collections covers Cargo for Eastern Canada.
 They were given Service Quality recognition, in 1992, for their fast response and assistance in opening new accounts. "Their recognition is well deserved'', comments Karola Oates, manager, Cargo Sales. Quebec.
In this photo, from the Ieft: Frances Pion, Phil Passarelli, Mirtha Trinidad, Nancy Grant-Fiorilli, NicoIe Jodoin, Dinaz Lakdawalla, Georges Paquette, Claudette Raynor and Ginette Sagar, supervisor accounts receivable.
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 Wayne's Wings
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 Canadian North – Continuing a Noble Tradition
The tradition of providing vital air service to the Canadian north pioneered by airlines such as Transair (NL # 1352) and Nordair (NL # 1351) is continued today by Canadian North.
Established in 1989 as a subsidiary of Canadian Airlines International, the airline is today 100% aboriginally owned by its parent company, Inuvialuit Development Corporation.
A fleet of eight B-737’s in all passenger configuration, four B-737’s in combi configuration and three Dash 8’s deliver people and cargo to remote locations from hubs in Edmonton and Ottawa. Two B737-200’s are equipped for landing on gravel and ice airstrips and all three Dash-8’s are equipped to land on gravel.
As a small airline, they must be flexible in the products and Canadian North operates a variety of charter services including being the official airline of the CFL.
Lately, the airline’s livery has often been seen in the background of news reports concerning carrying firefighters from all over Canada to combat wildfires in British Columbia (photos below).
They have carried volunteers from Sudbury, Dryden, Winnipeg, Halifax, Guelph, Quebec City, Val d’Or and Prince Albert and are still receiving requests.
It is nice to see that the spirit that built the Canadian airline industry is still present and participating in uniting people in a time of need.
See the links below for more information
Canadian North ‘Who We Are”
Canadian North at Wikipedia
NL # 1333 – B737-2xx Series Still in Service
Special thanks to Gail Quinn of Canadian North for additional information and images.
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Reader's Feedback
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Reading the article in NetLetter nr 1368 about Elvis Presley in “Alan's Space” has prompted this memory for Norman Hogwood in New Zealand and he is sharing it with us -
A couple of items in that issue resonated with me. The Elvis Presley aircraft is one. I attended seminars in Memphis, hosted by FedEx, on two occasions. On the first visit I joined a group one evening on
a tour of Graceland. Sickening! All the young girl tour guides could do was to keep weeping, and of course the master bedroom was sacrosanct!
I got the most pleasure out of an inspection of his fleet of aircraft in the back yard, especially the CV880 with a circular bed and other features. On my second visit I skipped the Graceland tour! Never again!
The Pan Am item brought back some very happy memories. I had a very good friend working for them in NYC and he gave me (and Cary if she was accompanying me) fantastic passes for travel out of
AKL to SFO, and to LAX when they changed the routing. Being invited to dine upstairs in the bubble was really special!
On one occasion a couple of ground staff approached me while I was in my 1st Class seat to ask where in Pan Am did I work. I just told them I worked for Air NZ and asked why their inquiry. It was because they hadn’t seen such a high priority pass before!
The other good thing about the PA service was the routes were operated by B747SP which meant non-stop to SFO or LAX, thus cutting out the 90 minute transit at HNL on NZ. Unfortunately the pax numbers increased and they were replaced by B747-100’s which meant lobbing into HNL!
Norman.
Ken Pickford sends this comment -
Wardair Boeing 727 item in "Wayne's Wings" in NetLetter nr 1370 - comment from Doug Keller that "Stromfjord" (actually "Sondre Stromfjord) in Greenland is now "Sondrestrom" is a bit out of date. The current name is "Kangerlussuaq". They adopted the local Inuit name Kangerlussuaq in the 1990s, much like many communities in northern Canada (e.g. Frobisher Bay, now Iqaluit etc.).
The IATA code is still SFJ. During WWII when it was built as a US air base, it was originally known as "Bluie West-8". By the way, in addition to that 727 being the first 727 in Canada, it was also the first Boeing jet sold to a Canadian carrier.
Ken
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Odds and Ends
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Airy-port
 Heathrow's owners have just come up with a delightful promotional video, showing happy travellers enjoying its airy surroundings, or, as the blurb puts it, "small interactions juxtaposed with the epic landscape of Heathrow". The trouble is, if you count the number of people in each shot, it doesn't look much like London's bustling hub any time we have visited.
We appreciate that there has to be a certain amount of artistic license to these things - and we suspect this was filmed very early on a Sunday morning, or during a strike - but passengers riding the escalator of solitude, dozens of free seats at the departure gate, and cheerful children skipping across a near- empty concourse? Welcome to the Heathrow of your dreams.
(Source: Flight International June 20/17)
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Larry Milberry of CANAV books sends this announcement.
 An all-around beauty of an aviation book. $30.00 + $12.00 Canada Post + $2.10 tax = $ 44.10 (Canada). USA and overseas CDN$52.00. PayPal directly to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or post a cheque by snail mail to CANAV Books, 51 Balsam Ave., Toronto, Ontario M4E 3B6 Canada.
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Canadian leisure carrier Air Transat is to take 10 Airbus A321neo LRs on 12-year lease from Dublin-based lessor AerCap, making it the North American launch operator for the LR variant.
 The aircraft will be delivered between spring 2019 and fall 2020, replacing Air Transat’s Airbus A310s, which will be gradually retired from the fleet. Airbus confirmed that Air Transat will be the North American launch customer for the A321neo LR, which has a range of up to 4,000nm.
(Source: ATWonline Jul 10/17)
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Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips
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 Terry Baker, co-founder of the NetLetter scours the internet for aviation related Trivia and Travel Tips for you, our readers, to peruse.
BC Airways began flying between Seattle and Vancouver (Lulu Island) during August 1928 using a Fokker Tri-motor aircraft.
(Source: Vancouver Sun archives)
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 Air Gaspe Inc timetable issue May 1st, 1969 (From David Zakria collection).
Air Gaspé Inc began charter flights in 1951 and became a subsidiary of Quebecair in 1973.
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Vern Swerdfeger sends us this url -
 His comment "BC could use a fleet of these at this time!" B747-400 GLOBAL SUPERTANKER - FIRE FIGHTER - AWESOME!
Click Here for the link.
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Smileys
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 The life of a pilot from the "Between Ourselves" magazine issue dated February 1955.
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 Likely to be one of the most photographed aircraft at the Paris Air Show is Embraer’s E-195 E2, dubbed the "Profit Hunter," which is painted in a special livery featuring an eagle's head.
Photo by Alan Dron.
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Terry Baker | Alan Rust | Wayne Albertson
Ken Pickford (missing from photo)
NetLetter Staff for 2017
(you can read our bios at www.thenetletter.net/history)
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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 neither the NetLetter or the ACFamily Network 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.
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The life of a pilot from the "Between Ourselves" magazine issue dated February 1955.
