904 (Lake Chapala-Mexico) Wing
Air Force Association of Canada
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Last updated
July 7, 2008
Wing Executive
June 2005 |
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Editor’s Comments
On your behalf, I would like to extend sincere thanks to outgoing President Bill Watt and the members of the Executive Council for their excellent work in the past year. As a result of their efforts we have made remarkable progress in establishing the first Wing of the Canadian Air Force Association here in Mexico . I am certain that with the continuity you have on this year’s Executive Council, 904 ( Lake Chapala-Mexico ) Wing will continue to grow and prosper.
There’s Hope for People with Glaucoma
A few weeks ago, our co-editor Mario Okunsky had an eye examination at the LCS, and was diagnosed with Glaucoma in the early stages. Ms. Luz Maria Zepeda the Optometrist at the LCS, referred Mario to an Ophthalmologist specializing in Glaucoma, Dr. Carlos Naranjo in Guadalajara . His office telephone number is: 01-333-640-1329. Both Dr. Naranjo and his secretary speak fluent English.
The following week, Mario went to see Dr. Naranjo in his office, where he confirmed the Optometrists diagnosis. Mario did indeed have Glaucoma in both eyes with a residual vision of 45% in each. Dr. Naranjo recommended that Mario have Laser Surgery in both eyes ASAP. An appointment was made for the following week and the surgery was performed, it was not only painless, but took less than 15 minutes in total.
Several weeks later Mario returned to see Dr. Naranjo and was told that the Laser Surgery was successful. Mario has recovered his full vision in both eyes. To make things even better, Dr. Naranjo has reassured him that he, like so many others, will never suffer from Glaucoma again. The total cost to do the Laser Surgery was $2,000.00 pesos per eye for a total of $4,000.00 pesos.
Resolution
The following resolution was passed at the Wing Annual General Meeting held at La Nueva Posada on Friday, 8 April 2005 .
| Resolved that the Executive Council of 904 (Lake Chapala-Mexico) Wing designate specific Wing meetings where the wearing on Air Force Association of Canada “summer dress” is to be encouraged. |
Election of Officer’s
The election of Officer’s for the operating year 01 July 2005 to 30 June 2006 was conducted by Ken Reppen, the Chair of the Nominating Committee. Ken presented the following slate of Officer’s:
| President: | Peter De Tracey |
| 1st Vice President: | James Wamboldt |
| 2 nd Vice President: | Ron Hudson |
| Secretary: | Jacques Girard |
| Treasurer: | Tombo Thomlinson |
Bill Watt, as Immediate Past President, will remain on the Executive Council for the coming year.
The slate of Officer’s presented by the Chair of the Nominating Committee was elected by acclamation.
| Meetings | |||
| Date | Theme | Speaker | Venue |
| 10 Jun | TGIF | Everyone | “Old” Posada |
| 08 Jul | Summer Meeting | None | La Nueva Posada |
AIR CANADA SELECTS BOEING 777s AND 787 DREAMLINERS
Apr 25, 2005 . ACE Aviation Holdings Inc., the parent company of Air Canada, and Boeing today announced a wide-body fleet renewal plan for the airline that includes up to 36 Boeing 777s and up to 60 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Air Canada will use the airplanes to modernize its existing fleet and improve operating efficiencies, creating one of the world's youngest and most simplified airline fleets.
"The new aircraft improves Air Canada's ability to manage its capacity more in line with the dynamic marketplace by giving it a constant stream of efficient aircraft guaranteeing its ability to take advantage of growth opportunities, such as China, or through retirement of older aircraft, shrink its capacity while improving the mix of extremely fuel efficient aircraft," said Montie Brewer, President and CEO of Air Canada.
"The success of the new Asia and Latin America routes introduced over the past year point to further international expansion as key to increasing shareholder value," said Brewer. "This new equipment will permit us to lock in and expand our market penetration in an area which is already yielding very positive economic returns. This, coupled with the flexibility negotiated both in terms of delivery and financial options, should assure that we are at the forefront of North American carriers in terms of the profitability of international operations."
Canadian Press
Ottawa — Two-thirds of the Canadian military's Hercules aircraft are effectively grounded and the expanding reserve force cannot fly aboard the rest because of soaring liability costs, a defence think-tank says.
Yet replacing the Hercules, the backbone of the air transport fleet, and other badly needed equipment is years off because the military lacks expertise and efficient procurement practices, the Conference of Defence Associations says. "At present, the department has inadequate numbers and expertise ... to execute the existing capital acquisition plan," the association said in a report to the Commons defence committee. "Existing approaches to military acquisitions and a dearth of project expertise lead to the troubling conclusion that transformation of the Canadian Forces ... would not be possible before the year 2020."
The conclusions come as the all-party committee prepares to release a report on military procurement Monday. The panel is expected to say defence purchasing is weighed down in politics and inefficiency. On Tuesday, the government is to release its international policy review, including a major defence policy statement that says Ottawa must "assure" access to long- and mid-range air transport.
The Hercules is the military's workhorse, its primary means of heavy air transport, but 19 of 32 were built in the 1960s, the defence association notes. "For all intents and purposes, DND has grounded two-thirds of the Hercules tactical airlift fleet," the report says. "The remaining aircraft are not allowed to transport reservists, given that the dangers and liability costs are unacceptably high."
Air Canada has decided to sell its passenger- and freight-configured 747B Combi aircraft, the association says, so "the government has virtually no credible air transport capability at its disposal." The report alludes to "the pressures a politician would endure during a national disaster as the armed forces tender a contract for airlift or wait for allied assistance."
February's federal budget set aside money for trucks, medium-lift helicopters and Arctic airplanes, while new mobile-gun systems are also on the way. But the bulk of military purchasing for ships, transport aircraft and other equipment is yet to come. The policy statement to be released on Tuesday promises a document in coming months detailing a major spending program.
The conference report says the Defence Department has to pull up its socks if it is going to see the program to its effective conclusion. "In the last six months, those responsible for advancing capital acquisition projects have missed 90 per cent of their milestones," the report says. "When that staff was twice its current size, it took 15 years to process major acquisitions."
The Commons panel is expected to conclude that four years of political delays imposed by ex-prime minister Jean Chrétien contributed to deterioration of the used submarine fleet Canada acquired from Britain in the 1990s. An October fire aboard one of those boats, HMCS Chicoutimi, claimed the life of a navy lieutenant.
Many of the purchasing problems lie in government procurement rules. During the tender process for the 1980s purchase of CF-18 fighter jets, only 25 per cent of the specifications focused on the military's technical and operational requirements for the aircraft. Three-quarters of the data the government released to bidders related to industrial benefits, offsets, job creation and technology transfer.
The conference warns that if existing public administration practices at DND do not change, "a long period of dormancy awaits many military capabilities. "As a consequence, some of these capabilities may be lost."
In a recent speech, Defence Minister Bill Graham agreed on the need to streamline military purchasing, saying it must be made a priority.
| 904 (Lake Chapala-Mexico) Wing Executive Council | |
| President | Pete De Tracey |
| Past President | Bill Watt |
| 1st Vice-President | James Wamboldt |
| 2nd Vice-President | Ron Hudson |
| Secretary | Jack Girard |
| Treasurer | Tombo Thomlinson |