Through The Mist Darkly

Yesterday, I spent a most enjoyable day helping to celebrate the 90th birthday of Mr. George Neal.  I wrote about Mr. Neal a couple of weeks ago and his contribution to Canadian aviation and it was great to see so many people come out to a party at the Toronto Aerospace Museum.

Greetings from the Premier of Ontario, Prime Minister of Canada and Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (on behalf of the Queen) were given.  A cake was presented and a general good time was had by all.

I spent a few hours helping set things up and one of my tasks was to work on a Powerpoint presentation that played throughout the festivities.  Made up of pictures of Mr. Neal and his aircraft, it also contained transcripts of emails from wellwishers from all around the world.  Most poignant were those from ex-military pilots who credited the de Havilland Caribou with saving their lives in Vietnam. 

de Havilland Canada built the DHC-4 Caribou for the US Army where it was designated as the CV-2.  With the remarkable STOL (Short Take Off and Landing) capabilities developed for the Beaver and Otter, the DHC-4 was ideally suited for operations in jungle conditions where “runways” were hastily hacked out of the fast-growing vegetation. George Neal was the test pilot for the prototype and production models and the pilots credit him with demonstrating the incredible properties that convinced the Army to purchase more than 170 airframes.

A live auction was held for the chance to go flying with George in his vintage Chipmunk.  I seriously considering getting myself an early Christmas present but the bidding for this once in a lifetime opportunity quickly outstripped my budget.

The chance to celebrate a living legend does not come very often.  It was an honour to be a part of this happy occasion. 

Tags: Flying Is Fun, aviation by EyeNo
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Ypres, Somme, Vimy, Passchendaele, Sicily, Korea, Afghanistan and a hundred other battlefields where Canadians served, fought and died.  Remembrance Day comes again with our Armed Forces still in harm’s way.

The old warriors are fewer every year.  They polish their medals, brave the cold of November and march once again.  They tell their stories and share their memories of the times that forged Canada’s identity in a crucible of fire and destruction.

They fought, and still fight, on the air and sea and in the air.  They brought and still bring pride and pain to their families, communities and country.  They lost and still lose their youth and innocence on battlefields thousands of miles from their homes and many, far too many, lost and continue to lose their lives.

So November 11th comes once again.  The ceremonies are repeated and a single trumpet will sing its sad song.  The old and young will mingle once more as the wreathes are laid in solemn tribute.  The entire country will pause for a minute or two in silent contemplation of those we have lost.

We owe our soldiers more than we can ever pay.  They are the instruments of our national will and conscience.  We send them to fight far, far away so we don’t have to fight at home.  The very least we can do is remember them and their sacrifice.

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.”

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I dropped into the Toronto Aerospace Museum today just to see what was going on and to see if any projects had been planned for me while I’ve been travelling.  Luckily, I brought my camera.

Today we took possession of a 1956 de Havilland DH87B Hornet Moth that has been purchased from George Neal, a member of the museum.

Mr. Neal (middle) flew his airplane in for the handover and it was truly a special and bittersweet day.  Here, he poses with Claude Sherwood (museum CEO, left) and Paul Cabot (curator). The Moth may never fly again as it’s scheduled to go on permanent display.  Mr. Neal, at the tender age of 90, sold the aircraft to finance a project where he’s building a Hawker Fury.  He’s a member of the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame (inducted in 1995) and holds the distinction of being one of the first Canadian pilots to be qualified to fly the RCAF Vampire, our first jet fighter.  Neal’s testing and demonstrations of aircraft such as the Beaver, the Otter, and the Caribou, allowed them to be successful around the world . He retired in 1983 as Director of Flight Operations of de Havilland Canada.

The day was superb, the winds were light and George performed a perfect landing in a perfect example of this rare airplane.

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I loved this picture as soon as I saw it in the viewfinder.  Vintage Wings of Canada’s WACO Taperwing watching the sun come up in the hanger at the Toronto Aerospace Museum.  One of the best parts of being a volunteer there is the chance to roam around before the public shows up.

I’m honoured that Vintage Wings of Canada saw fit to include this their online article “Eye of the Beholder”.

Tags: Flying Is Fun, photo by EyeNo
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Just spent the last week in Switzerland for yet another training session.  When is my company going to learn that trying to train me is like trying to train a rock?  Actually, as these things go it was a productive week.

Flew with Air Canada last Saturday night stuck in cramped economy and then had to hop a train for a one hour trip to the town of Einsiedln which is famous for it’s Benedictine monastery.  Which, of course, means bells – lots of bells – all night long bells.

The monastery has two bell towers and they’re not quite synchronized so at certain times of the day and night you’re subjected to duelling bells.

Yesterday, it was off to the airport at 4am Toronto time and then  to Montreal on a Swiss Airlines A330 which is configured like the worst low-cost charter plane.  The idiot in front of me decided to slam their seat back without warning which caused a glass of red wine, that I was trying to enjoy, to spill all over my jeans and coat.  Lovely stain patterns that I had to put up with for the rest of the day.  We arrived in Montreal at 3:30 and an hour later it was home to Toronto on an A320 that felt positively palatial in comparison.

So now it’s Saturday morning and I have 48 hours to rest and get ready for a flight to Hartford Connecticut for 4 more days of training (they’re not getting it). 

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Although I’m usually lucky enough to get business class when I travel to Europe, domestic travel is always in cattle class.  In order to help dull the pain, I pay a fair amount of money every year to for a "Maple Leaf Club" card with Air Canada.  This allows me to use the lounge and executive class check in facilities.  It’s been a good deal but I’m starting to think about whether it’s worth renewing next year.

I got to the airport in Toronto this morning with plenty of time to check in, go to the lounge and then wander down to the gate.  Or so I thought.  There were about 30 people in line waiting for one harried Air Canada agent.  I finally got through and heading off to go through security.  It was hell but that’s not Air Canada’s fault.

Got into the lounge without problem and immediately noticed a few things:

1. Coffee machine out of order
2. Real glass glasses had been replaced with plastic.  Not only is this wasteful but it sure sends an incredibly cheap message to your best customers.
3. The entire lounge was messy.  Lots of staff standing around, just no one doing anything.  Where are the supervisors?
4. The men’s room (usually a treat when compared to the standard terminal facilities) was out of toilet paper and messy.  Hello?  Doesn’t anyone check these things on a regular basis?

The flight was fine.  Flight deck was unusually chatty which is always a good thing.  Watched Caddyshack and had a good laugh and saw some incredibly high thunderheads which were stirred up by Hurricane Ike.  Left rainy Toronto and landed in sunny Vancouver.

Air Canada, you’re letting the beancounters ruin what was once a proud, great airline.  You’re sacrificing decades of goodwill to save a few bucks.  I know times are tough but you need to think these things through.  And don’t even get me started on your Jazz affiliate pulling all the life vests off their airplanes.  Somehow the phrase "penny wise and pound foolish" is stuck in my mind and won’t go away.

Tags: Flying Is Fun, aviation by EyeNo
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The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today launched Flight Rights Canada, to provide Canadian air travelers and carriers with a clear documentation of the rights and obligations they both have.

 

FLIGHT RIGHTS

• Air passengers in Canada are entitled to easy access to information regarding their rights with respect to air transportation services, including but not limited to such things as denied boardings, cancellations, and long delays. Passengers are also entitled to information about services for air travellers with various disabilities.
• Carriers are obligated to make their terms and conditions of carriage easily available to passengers.
• Air transportation regulations specify what elements must be addressed in a carrier’s terms and conditions of carriage.
• Carriers are required to address matters such as compensation for denied boarding as a result of overbooking, delays, cancellations, passenger re-routing, and lost and damaged baggage.
• The terms and conditions of carriage are legally binding on carriers.
• Passengers have recourse to a complaints resolution process that begins with the air carrier. Under this process, passengers should seek direct redress or remedy first from the carrier for any breach of service commitments or obligations.
• Passengers may seek corrective measures or a refund of direct expenses incurred, if they believe an air carrier has not lived up to the commitments in its published tariffs.
• If a complaint is not resolved between a passenger and the air carrier, the passenger can contact the Canadian Transportation Agency at 1-888-222-2592 or by e-mail at info@cta-otc.gc.ca. The Agency is an administrative tribunal with quasi-judicial powers. It is responsible for a wide range of adjudicative and economic matters pertaining to federally regulated air transportation.
• The Agency initially uses an informal approach to manage complaints. If passengers are unsatisfied with the informal process, they can launch a formal complaint to the Agency.

September 2008

---

CODE OF CONDUCT OF CANADA’S AIRLINES

Passengers have a right to information on flight times and schedule changes. Airlines must make reasonable efforts to inform passengers of delays and schedule changes and to the extent possible, the reason for the delay or change.

Passengers have a right to take the flight they paid for. If the plane is over-booked or cancelled, the airline must:
a) find the passenger a seat on another flight operated by that airline;
b) buy the passenger a seat on another carrier with whom it has a mutual interline traffic agreement; or
c) refund the unused portion of the passenger’s ticket.

Passengers have a right to punctuality.
a) If a flight is delayed and the delay between the scheduled departure of the flight and the actual departure of the flight exceeds 4 hours, the airline will provide the passenger with a meal voucher.
b) If a flight is delayed by more than 8 hours and the delay involves an overnight stay, the airline will pay for overnight hotel stay and airport transfers for passengers who did not start their travel at that airport.
c) If the passenger is already on the aircraft when a delay occurs, the airline will offer drinks and snacks if it is safe, practical and timely to do so. If the delay exceeds 90 minutes and circumstances permit, the airline will offer passengers the option of disembarking from the aircraft until it is time to depart.

Passengers have a right to retrieve their luggage quickly. If the luggage does not arrive on the same flight as the passenger, the airline will take steps to deliver the luggage to the passenger’s residence/hotel as soon as possible. The airline will take steps to inform the passenger on the status of the luggage and will provide the passenger with an over-night kit as required. Compensation will be provided as per their tariffs.

Nothing in Flight Rights Canada would make the airline responsible for acts of nature or the acts of third parties. Airlines are legally obligated to maintain the highest standards of aviation safety and cannot be encouraged to fly when it is not safe to do so. Similarly, airlines cannot be held responsible for inclement weather or the actions of third parties such as acts of government or air traffic control, airport authorities, security agencies, law enforcement or Customs and Immigration officials.

Flight Rights Canada does not exclude additional rights you may have under the tariffs filed by your airline with the Canadian Transportation Agency, or legal rights that international and trans-border passengers have pursuant to international conventions (e.g., the Warsaw Convention) and related treaties.

Long overdue.

Tags: airline, aviation, aviation, Canada, Travel, weather

Tags: aviation by EyeNo
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Bombardier announces the official launch of the new CSeries with a Letter Of Intent from Germany’s Lufthansa for 60 aircraft.  The plane will be built in China (fuselage), Northern Ireland (wings) and Mirabel and St. Laurent Quebec (cockpit, aft fuselage and final assembly).

The CSeries is positioned to fill the need for smaller, fuel efficient aircraft in the 110-130 seat range.  It will be powered by the revolutionary Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan engine.

Initially announced in 2004 as a concept, this announcement moves it from the drawing board to the manufacturing floor with the attendant creation of more jobs in a sector that is going through some very rough times.  The CSeries promises to be the right airplane for these times of high fuel prices and lowered expectation for airline load factors.  Airbus, Boeing and Embraer will have some catching up to do.

Quotes from the release:

“Today is a great day for Bombardier, our customers, our employees, our shareholders and our suppliers. I am proud to say that we have met our business plan objectives: a technologically advanced aircraft family, a strong pipeline of orders and repayable investments with governments and agreements with key suppliers. With the latest in system technologies and aerodynamics, the CSeries family of aircraft will revolutionize the economics and network strategies for airline operations in the 100- to 149-seat commercial market. It is another example of our commitment to designing and manufacturing innovative aircraft that will ensure our continued industry leadership,” said Pierre Beaudoin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier Inc.

“At Lufthansa, we are committed to a balance between commercial success, environment and business policies oriented toward sustainability,” said Nico Buchholz, Senior Vice President, Corporate Fleet, Lufthansa. “Our initial evaluations of the CSeries family of aircraft and discussions with Bombardier over the last few months have evolved and made us believe that the CSeries family of aircraft clearly meets our stringent requirements for sustainable fleet development, both in terms of environmental and commercial requirements, and flexibility for the future. We are proud to be a part of its launch.”

Both the announcement of the launch and the decision that a significant amount of manufacturing and assembly will be done in Canada bodes very well for the future of aviation in Canada.  Bombardier Aerospace is truly a Canadian success story built on the de Havilland Canada company which was formed 80 years ago.

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Canada Day 2008.

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Ok, so it’s a corny headline.  Heck it works.  High above the Rockies from seat 12F on a Air Canada A320.  I’d forgotten just how majestic they were.  I’ve seen the Alps and, yes, they’re beautiful too but there’s something about the Rocky Mountains that makes the Canadian heart stir.

A normal economy flight - no meal (unless you buy it) but I was in a good seat.  Watched the movie “Cloverfield” and you should save your money.  The same jerky camera style that made “The Blair Witch Project” so hard to watch.  Bargain basement CGI monster but at least it wasted and hour and a half.

I’ve made it as far as the Richmond Inn and so far all I see is construction.  It’s almost as if they were preparing for something.  Oh yeah, the Olympics.  After work tomorrow, I hope to make it over to my old stomping grounds of West Vancouver and North Vancouver.  Lots of places to see.

Of course, no trip to Vancouver would be complete without a trip to White Spot for one of their Triple “O” hamburgers.  Those things have been clogging my arteries since 1967 when we moved out here.  They don’t taste as good as I remember but at least I made my pilgrimage.

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Pilot Tim Leslie heads out for a little fun in a North American Mustang Mk IV at Vintage Wings of Canada.

Standing this close, you feel the thunder of the Packard built Rolls Royce Merlin engine.

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Greetings from Ottawa, Canada’s Capital.  Air Canada got me here briskly on one of their little Embraer E190’s and the 2008 Dodge Charger that Thrifty rented me finally found it’s way to the Chimo Hotel.  It would have been a lot easier if they hadn’t closed the onramp to the highway.  Unfortunately, my GPS doesn’t have a live update feature to warn you of construction.

The Canadian Aircraft Historical Society meetings have started but nothing on the agenda excites me this afternoon so I’ll wait until our excursion to the National Aviation Museum gets underway in a couple of hours.

I’m looking forward to seeing the collection of classics.  They dropped a brochure in the welcome package and they certainly have a few I’m looking forward to seeing:

• The Silver Dart (first powered flight in Canada)
• Curtiss JN-4 Canuck
• De Havilland Beaver
• Douglas DC-3
• Boeing 247D
• Avro Anson
• Spitfire
• Meserchmitt BF 109F
• Avro Lancaster X (same model as my museum’s restoration project)
• Sopwith Camel
• Bell Huey helicopter
• Lockheed Starfighter
• and others

Another treat will be to see the largest remaining piece of an Avro CF-105 Arrow.  The nose is the biggest thing to survive the wrecking ball.

I’ve got enough digital cards for 250 pictures and I’ll probably run out before the night is over!

Tomorrow morning, I plan on getting up beaucoup early to take drive downtown and walk around Parliament Hill and Sparks Street.  It’s about 20 years since I’ve been back in Ottawa.

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As I took a break before contemplating the commute home tonight, I came across this article in the Globe and Mail.

Air Canada pays $68,948 in fuel costs to get one of their efficient Boeing 777’s from Toronto to London’s Heathrow Airport. Even if the aircraft was completely full (349 seats), it would still cost $197.56 per person.

Even with fuel surcharges, the rising cost of oil is squeezing any profit out of the airline industry.  Players like AC can probably weather this storm but you’ve got to wonder how the low cost, no frills charter companies are going to survive. Hell, even some of the debt and cost laden big US carriers likely won’t survive this for very long.

Air travel started off as an adventure, worked it’s way up to a rich man’s mode of travel and finally became an option for the masses to see the world.  How long before we slide backwards and only the rich or business people in a hurry will be able to afford it?

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The trusty suitcase has hardly had time to air out but it’s time to hit the road again.  This time, however, it’s for fun - not business.

I’m off to Ottawa Thursday morning to attend the Canadian Aviation Heritage Society annual general meetings. CAHS is the oldest and largest organization in the world dedicated to the celebration and documentation of Canada’s flying heritage.

This year’s meetings have some really special events that I’m looking forward to attending. Thursday night, we’re off to the Canadian Aviation Museum for a BBQ and behind the scenes tour.  Saturday, it’s on the bus to Vintage Wings of Canada in Gatineau Quebec to see the country’s largest collection of privately owned classic and warbird aircraft.

We got a sneak peek at one of the aircraft when they flew their De Havilland Fox Moth into Downsview for the Wings and Wheels Festival.

It’s nice to be flying for fun for a change.

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I’m currently in Montreal on business and I’m still recovering from the Wings and Wheels Festival at Downsview on the weekend.  Long hours on my feet tired me out but it was a great event.

I was most impressed by the guys and gals from the Canadian Armed Forces who brought their toys out to play.  They’re very friendly and a credit to Canada.

The CF-18 flew in on Thursday and spent the weekend in the hanger so everyone could get a really good look at this awesome fighter.  This shot was taken just after the doors were closed to the public.  The gentleman standing is “Cherry” the pilot and peering into the cockpit is the aircraft commander of the CP-140 Aurora.

I’m still trying to process all the pictures I took and they’re being uploaded to this Flickr set.

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Off on vacation this week but it’s hardly a rest.  For the last 2 days I’ve been hard at work helping prepare for this weekend’s 3rd annual Wings and Wheels Festival at Downsview Park in Toronto.  This is the major fundraiser for the Toronto Aerospace Museum.

Lots of displays of classic and modern aircraft, automobiles and motorcycles.  Today was media day and the professional photographers asked for a grouping to show the idea behind the festival without the need for words.

While walking from the museum to the main display hanger, I heard a semi rumble up behind me.  Imagine my surprise when I turned to see this.

A Canadair CT-144 “Tutor” jet in the distinctive Snowbirds colours.  Seems the Canadian Armed Forces sent this trainer down from Camp Borden with a crew to put it together for display.  The Snowbirds are known the world over for their incredible aerobatic displays performed in aircraft that were built in the mid 60’s.

The crew of 5 along with a local crane operator spent all day unloading and assembling the Tutor inside the museum and they were still at it when I left this afternoon.

Tomorrow (Friday) will be just as busy as more aircraft arrive including the massive C-177 Globemaster transport.

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Tomorrow night it’s off to Switzerland again for more meetings.  Flying on the British Airways “Sleeper” flight which leaves at 11:30pm.   By the time I arrive at my hotel it will be about 6:30pm Swiss time.

This trip involves a couple of firsts.  I’ll be leaving for Zurich from BA’s new Terminal 5 at London’s Heathrow Airport.  We’ve all seen the horror stories about the opening of T5 but it appears that they’ve worked the bugs out.  Here’s hoping.

I’ll be staying in the town of Rapperswil on this trip.  Rapperswil lies at the other end of Lake Zurich from the city itself.  Googling shows that it’s called the “Rose City” which is interesting because Brampton is known as “Rosetown”.  I imagine Rapperswil will look better than Brampton.

When I get back (a week tomorrow), we start a week of vacation but it won’t be much of a holiday.  As soon as I get over the jet lag, it’s off to the museum for the annual Wings and Wheels festival.  I’m working the show office during the actual festival (May 24 and 25) but they need help a couple of days ahead in preparation.

This is the 3rd annual Wings and Wheels and it gets bigger every year.  A collection of modern and historical aircraft as well as vintage cars and motorcycles are lined up and it promises to be a great time.   If you’re in the area and want to drop by,

here’s more information.

Some highlights on the aviation side will be:

• Canadian Armed Forces CP-140 Aurora
• CAF CF-18 Hornet
• C17 Globemaster III
• Twin Otter
• Air Canada’s Lockheed Electra
• Hamilton’s Avro Lancaster
• the Museum’s Avro Arrow replica

plus lots of other aircraft.

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Went to the museum yesterday for the annual general meeting.  Democracy is a wonderful thing until personalities get involved.  It was, to put it mildly, a rather tense gathering. But that’s not the reason for this post.  The first thing that caught my eye was something that finally made its way out of storage.

The Canadair CL-41A better known as the Tutor trainer.  Made famous by Canada’s Snowbird precision aerobatics squadron, the Tutor taught thousands until it retired from active service in 2000. 

Our Tutor, registration 114618 went into service on the 8th of January 1971 and spent most of its working life with the 2 Canadian Forces Training School at CFB Moose Jaw Saskatchewan.  I’d heard we had one but it has been tucked away in a remote storage building that we’ve been asked to vacate. 

One of the most distinctive features of the Tutor is the nose mounted anti-collision light.  Years ago, when we had a cottage on the Trent River near Campbellford, we were treated to a display by the Snowbirds as they practiced overhead.  I’ll always remember one particular manoeuvre that had them flying low in formation with all their noselights on.  Never thought I’d get this close to one.

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With all the years that have passed, it’s easy to forget how badly the airline industry was rocked by the events of 9/11.  People were afraid to fly.  Carriers lost billions of dollars and some, such as Canada 3000, never recovered.

The airlines had to do something.  American Airlines put together 2 TV commercials that attempted to once again instill the confidence that had been lost.

Update:  While poking around, I came across this British Airways ad from 1983.  The use of the Manhattan skyline with the Twin Towers prominently displayed now just come across as very, very sad.

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Over a 1000 holiday care packages destined for Canadian troops serving in Afghanistan are being held in Montreal because the Armed Forces cannot transport them if they are not directly addressed to individuals.

Even though the gifts were packed in an armoury and have been kept under lock and key, officials say that they cannot vouch for the contents which constitutes a security risk.

Give me a freaking break!

CBC story

At the same time, from CNN,  US officials refuse to deliver thousands of greetings addressed to “Any Wounded Soldier” fearing anthrax or letter bombs.

The terrorists have already won if we’ve come to this.

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