This is nice to hear. The last two DC-9s to fly in revenue service on Jan. 18 were C-FTLL (tail no. 711, MSN 47021) and C-FTMV (tail no. 747, MSN 47557). TMV was delivered in May 1972. However, TLL entered service in July, 1967. Now think about it for a minute: this aircraft served a single airline for 35 years. THIRTY-FIVE years. We often think of the DC-3 when we think longevity but I defy you to find a single DC-3 that served the same mainline airline for 35 continuous years. Look at it in these terms: in the period of time that TLL flew with Air Canada (delivered during Expo67 in Montreal), Air Canada: 1) retired its last Viscount (1974) 2) retired its last Vanguard (1972) 3) retired it's DC-8-40/50s (1983) 4) took delivery of, and retired its DC-8-61/63/73 fleet (1967-1994) 5) took delivery of and retired its entire B727 fleet (1974-1992) 6) took delivey of and retired its entire L1011 fleet (1973-1996) 7) took delivery and retired it's entire 747 Classic fleet (1971-1998) I'm glad to see that this longevity will be recognized by preservation at the Canadian Aviation Museum. I hope they deliver it by air. It should be spectacular, the runway at Rockliffe airport where the museum is located, is only 3300 ft long. They did take delivery of a CF-18 fighter recently (with the help of a mobile arresting system). Even for a light DC-9 that's a pretty tight squeeze. (for the private pilots on the list, you can fly into Rockliffe and park on the museum's outdoor display ramp, right next to the outdoor displays, and visit the museum entering through the back door; you go in the back door and go to the front desk to pay your admission). I'm going to miss the old Nines. I've flown many a mile aboard them on during my career of flying around Canada servicing paper machines. I much preferred them to the Boeing 737s. Every pilot I spoke to who flew them spoke of them with praise and affection. Mike Gammon ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roger James" <ejames@escape.ca> To: <AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU> Sent: Friday, February 15, 2002 3:50 PM Subject: Fwd: Air Canada to Donate Douglas DC-9 to Canada Aviation Museum > > > >Air Canada to Donate Douglas DC-9 to Canada Aviation Museum > > > > > > > > > > > > MONTREAL and OTTAWA, Feb. 15 /CNW/ - Air Canada and the Canada= > Aviation > >Museum today announced the donation by Air Canada of a vintage 1960s= > Douglas > >DC-9 aircraft to the national museum's collection. The aircraft is= > scheduled > >to be delivered to the Ottawa museum in the spring of 2002. Today's > >announcement comes as the airline officially marks the retirement of its= > DC-9 > >fleet after almost 36 years of service from coast to coast. > > "The Canada Aviation Museum prides itself in charting not only= > Canada's > >rich aviation heritage but also the important milestones in the history and > >technology of flight," said Anthony Smyth, Director General of the Canada > >Aviation Museum. "We appreciate Air Canada's understanding of the= > usefulness > >and significance of this aircraft which has played an important role in our > >civil aviation history and gratefully accept the guardianship of this= > aircraft > >for this and future generations. Undoubtedly, the Museum's wide audience of > >Canadian and international visitors will benefit greatly by seeing the= > first > >twin-jet commercial aircraft operated in Canada." > > "Air Canada is proud to help preserve this important piece of= > Canadian > >aviation history by donating a Douglas DC-9 aircraft to the Canada Aviation > >Museum in our nation's capital," said Captain Rob Giguere, Air Canada's > >Executive Vice President, Operations, at a ceremony today at the carrier's > >Montr=E9al headquarters to mark the official retirement of the DC-9= > aircraft > >from Air Canada's operating fleet. "Today marks an important milestone in= > the > >history of both Air Canada and Canadian aviation." > > "With the retirement of the DC-9 we say farewell to the workhorse of= > the > >Air Canada fleet for almost 36 years. The DC-9 changed the nature of air > >transportation in Canada and represented for most Canadians their first > >experience of jet travel. It connected Canadians from coast to coast,= > between > >most Canadian cities large and small, with faster, quieter and more= > reliable > >air transportation than ever before," concluded Captain Giguere who piloted > >the DC-9 for almost 10 years, as did his father, Captain Ren=E9 Giguere= > until > >his retirement from Air Canada in 1968. > > Air Canada took delivery of its first DC-9 on January 6, 1966, and= > thus > >became the first airline outside the United States to adopt this aircraft > >type. It replaced Air Canada's Vickers Viscount fleet of 44 turbo prop > >aircraft which Air Canada had been the first to introduce in North America= > in > >1955. At the height of the DC-9 deployment, Air Canada had as many as 50= > DC-9s > >serving most of its destinations throughout North America. While in service= > at > >Air Canada, the DC-9 fleet was constantly updated with the latest in > >technological enhancements as well as customer service amenities. The fleet > >accumulated a total of more than three million hours of service and= > completed > >more than three million landings and takeoffs. > > The retirement of Air Canada's DC-9 fleet is part of the carrier's on- > >going fleet renewal program to improve operating efficiencies and give Air > >Canada one of the youngest, most environmentally friendly fleets in the= > world. > >In 2001, 13 DC-9 aircraft were removed from the operating fleet and the > >remaining five were removed in January 2002. Air Canada's last DC-9 flight= > was > >operated from La Guardia to Montr=E9al by Captain Ken Jones and First= > Officer > >Sylvain Boucher on January 18, 2002. > > > > NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A downloadable photo of Air Canada DC-9s parked= > at > >the airline's Dorval maintenance base is available at the following URL: > ><http://www.aircanada.ca/about-us/media/facts/logo.html>http://www.aircanad = > a.ca/about-us/media/facts/logo.html > > > > > The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site: > Roj (Roger James) > > *************************************************** > Trinbago site: http://www.tntisland.com > ICQ: ICQ # 15836110 > ICQ Pager: mailto:15836110@pager.icq.com > escape email #!1 mailto:ejames@escape.ca > yahoo email #2: mailto:triniroj@yahoo.com > Yahoo Pager: triniroj > Caribbean Brass & Soca Connection Group on Yahoo: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/caribsocabrass > Caribbean Brass & Soca Connection Club Website > http://www.tntisland.com/caribbeansocabrassconnection/ > ******************************************************* > Steel Expressions Orch > http://www.escape.ca/~ejames/se/ > email #1: mailto:steelexpressions@yahoo.com > email #2: mailto:steelexpressions@home.com > ******************************************************* > The Trinbago Site of the Week: > (NLCB) http://www.nlcb.co.tt/ > (National Lotteries Control Board) > courtesy of Roj Trinbago Website & TnT Web Directory > Roj's Trinbago Website: http://www.tntisland.com > TnT Web Directory: http://195.224.187.36/ > *********************************************************