Congresswoman who is critical of “No-Fly List” finds herself on same list - Of course she’s a Democrat.
Nasa reverses previous decision, Hubble repair mission a go - Good news!
Pilot lands 757 on Newark taxiway instead of runway - “Hey Bob, does this look a little short to you?”
Passenger goes into coma after security staff refuse to let him take insulin on aircraft - You knew this was coming
Just testing the beta version of Microsoft’s “Windows Live Writer” as a posting tool.
Supposedly I can just add pictures and upload them. Hmm….let’s see how this works.
Air Canada to charge for “increased entertainment choices” - Milton looks for more ways to make money.
Northwest Airlines retires last DC10 from service - Old airframes can’t compete in today’s world.
Nasa’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter catches an image of the Rover Opportunity perched at the edge of the Victoria crater.
Five years after 9/11 and, without a doubt, under pressure from the US, Canada announces that we’ll have our very own version of the infamous “No-Fly” list. Starting next year, passengers names will be compared against a database of those “deemed by the federal government to be a threat to air safety”.
Ottawa promises that this list will not be a copy of the US listing that is rife with mistakes.
I didn’t realize until I attended the volunteer’s meeting at the Toronto Aerospace Museum on Wednesday night that the Lancaster they’re rebuilding is the one that used to stand on a pedestal near the CNE on Lake Ontario. Drove by it for years and was always a little sad to see it becoming shabbier as time went on. Great to see that it will soon be restored to its original glory and I am excited that I might play some small part in making that happen. Here’s what it looks like today.
More information on the history of this airplane can be found here.
In what must surely be one of the strangest bits of logic, the airline loyalty card AEROPLAN is now offering to pay you the princely sum of $3.00 not to collect points while flying Air Canada on a Tango fare ticket. This comes on the heels of the announcement that Aeroplan miles now have an expiry period.
I’ve been an Aeroplan member since 1996 and we’ve gotten a few free flights out of the program. Next year, we plan on doing a tour of the Canadian Maritime provinces to celebrate our 25th anniversary and we’ll burn some miles for the flights. On a flight to Montreal, a Tango fare will get you 250 Aeroplan miles which isn’t much since you need 15,000 of them just to get the same 1 hour flight for free.
More on this bizarre story.
Tonight I’m off the Toronto Aerospace Museum for a volunteer orientation meeting. I expressed my desire to participate when I joined on Saturday and they certainly didn’t waste any time getting back to me.
I haven’t volunteered for anything in a lot of years and I know it’s something that I, and everyone should do. Frankly, nothing has really struck my fancy but the opportunity to be a part of the preservation of Canadian aviation history really strikes a chord with me. I’ll probably end up pushing a broom, given my technical and mechanical skillsets, but who cares. At least I’ll be participating in something worthwhile will be a great counterpart to spending the day fighting the corporate battles.
Look for an update tomorrow.
Yet another visit to Niagara Falls to show a European visitor the sights. Grabbed this shot of the Maid of the Mist in its hourly battle against the forces of nature. A cool and drizzly day.
Tucked away in an old building on the grounds of Downsview Airport in Toronto, the Toronto Areospace Museum attempts to document the history of flight in Canada. I made my first trip out there yesterday and to call it a “museum” is to give it an air of grandeur that it certainly does not have. However, what it does have is a collection of interesting and unique memorabilia of the golden age of aircraft development.
The most impressive item, by far, isn’t even old - or “real”. I refer to the full-size replica of the Avro CF-105 Arrow.
(click to enlarge)
The Arrow holds a storied and mysterious place in Canadian history. Rather than detailing it all here, read the Wikipedia entry.
The other pictures from my visit can be seen here.
Played golf yesterday afternoon at Nobleton Lakes, just north of Toronto. First time there. The weather was not the best and the course was trying to dry out from nearly an inch of rain the previous day.
Glad I brought my camera, it made up for the bad golf I played.
Still playing in Photoshop.
I’ve always liked photos that are adjusted to highlight certain colors. With time on my hands, I decided to try it for myself. The result is a little rough but I like the effect.
Took this picture yesterday from the top of the CN Tower. Below is the Toronto Island Airport. Peaceful right? Less than 2 weeks from today, Porter Airlines begins 10 daily flights to Ottawa and some residents are mighty unhappy.
Flying brand new Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft, Porter is either going to revitalize Toronto’s downtown or turn it into a noisy, dangerous nightmare depending on which side of the fence you stand. Toronto’s mayor David Miller is a vocal opponent and the project is fast becoming a defining issue in what was, up to a few weeks ago, a boring election race.
I don’t live anywhere near the Island airport. But I do live near its big brother, Pearson International. Yes we hear aircraft on a daily basis. I work between the 2 East-West runways and am treated to a constant stream of arriving or departing traffic when the wind is right. The sound is such a part of my life that I still vividly remember the days following September 11, 2001 when nothing flew. The silence was deafening. But, I don’t find the daily drone annoying. I’m a airplane junkie. Love flying on them, love looking at them, love hearing them.
Sure, the concerns of downtown residents probably have some validity but I really hope that Porter is successful. A city the size of Toronto deserves 2 airports and the convenience of a downtown airport will be a boon to the business and entertainment industry.
But I’m left with 1 question for Mr. Deluce (president and CEO), why the hell did you choose a raccoon as your mascot? Thieving, sneaky rabies-carrying varmints. Not a homeowner in the GTA has escaped these marauding pests. Perhaps it was a little dig?
It had to happen, the mornings are cold so this weekend brought the first frost delay of the Fall 2006 golf season.
Arrived at Peel Village Golf Course at 6:30 and didn’t get off the first tee until 20 after 9. Gave me an opportunity to get a few pictures that are posted over at my Flickr page.
The turkey is in the oven and Jan and I will have a quiet Thanksgiving dinner tonight.
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