Wednesday, October 31, 2007
It's Time To Play..... Otterflogger's "Name That Cockpit"!
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #31" in our "cockpit series", which will be a continuing "brain-strainer".
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY UNSOLVED!***
Sorry folks, but here is the aircraft anyways. It is a Junkers G31. Too bad the photography wasn't better in those previous times, as the engineering of the cockpit looks outstanding! "Adios"!
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY UNSOLVED!***
Sorry folks, but here is the aircraft anyways. It is a Junkers G31. Too bad the photography wasn't better in those previous times, as the engineering of the cockpit looks outstanding! "Adios"!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"!......by Karl E. Hayes
Now here is an Otter that has a "varied resume"! The military, Minnesota, wheels, floats, scrapes and bruises, Alaska, a crash, airlifted by "chopper", ferried by a "Herc", rehabilitated, turbine conversion, in service today, and named “Capt.Greg Munro”. Check it out.
All information is from Karl Hayes' "masterful" CD entitled:
De Havilland Canada
DHC-3 OTTER
A HISTORY
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Otter 106
Otter 106 was delivered to the United States Army on 11th May 1956 with serial 55-3262 (tail number 53262). It was delivered from Downsview to Fort Bragg, North Carolina to “CONARC Board #5”, this being an evaluation board attached to the Continental Army Command. By January 1962 it had been transferred to Fort Eustis, Virginia, to the Army Transportation School, where it was in use as a “Category A Maintenance Trainer” (defined as an aircraft used for ground instructional technical training). It served as such alongside Otter 53260 (104) whose military career it would parallel. Like 53260, in September 1968 it was designated a “Category B Maintenance Trainer” (defined as an aircraft permanently grounded but with systems functioning). It continued under this designation until May 1973 when it was put up for disposal as military surplus. It was however to languish at Fort Eustis for another five years before it was sold.
It was advertised for sale as Lot 34 in the Defense Property Disposal Service sealed bid tender dated 23rd August 1978 as “Aircraft model U-1A serial 55-3262, located at Fort Eustis, Norfolk, Virginia. Aircraft has been subject to extensive reclamation. Instrumentation, communication and navigation equipment either missing, dismantled or incomplete. Parts detached but included - portion of wings and doors. Parts damaged including holes in the fuselage. Parts missing including flaps, one seat and all glass. Airframe and engine hours unknown. Data plate and historical records not
available. Poor condition. Estimated acquisition cost by Army was $122,740”. An accompanying photograph of the aircraft in the sales brochure showed it indeed to be in poor shape.
The purchaser of the Otter was William H. Magie, whose company was Wilderness Wings Airways of Ely, Minnesota to whom the Otter was registered as N90627. Despite its evidently poor condition, the Otter was rebuilt and entered service with Wilderness Wings Airways alongside its other Otter N432GR (179), serving the bush country of northeast Minnesota. The Superior National Forest extends north of Ely, up to the Canadian border with Ontario. The company also flew a Beaver (N11015), a Queen Air and Beech 18. However, it ceased operations in 1983. In March 1984 the Otter was registered to Richard T.Riley of Allston, Massachussets. In May 1987 N90627 was sold to Red Baron Leasing Inc of Anchorage, Alaska a leasing company which owned a number of Otters.
That month, the float equipped Otter was being ferried from Owen Sound, Ontario to Anchorage. In the course of the long ferry flight, N90627 stopped at Selkirk, Manitoba to refuel and for crew rest. As the Otter taxied away from the dock on 11th May 1987 to resume its delivery flight, the engine stopped and the pilot attempted a re-start. During the re-start the engine caught fire and the crew abandoned the aircraft, which then drifted to the shoreline of an island. The fire subsequently subsided, after causing extensive damage. The engine had been replaced in Owen Sound, and the aircraft had flown ten hours since then without any problems. After the initial start on the day of the accident, the engine ran for some time at a low speed and with a rich mixture and then stopped. During the attempt to restart the engine, the boost pump switch was selected on and the throttle was pumped in an effort to get the engine to respond. This technique, which is not correct, resulted in the engine becoming flooded with fuel. The pilot then noticed a smell of burning and the second pilot saw flames coming from the engine compartment and the exhaust augmentor tubes. The pilot then closed the mixture lever and opened the throttle in an unsuccessful attempt to clear the engine. When it became apparent that the fire was spreading, the crew pulled the emergency fuel shut-off handle and abandoned the aircraft. They were rescued by a nearby fishing boat.
During the inspection of the engine after the fire, it was found that the magneto boost coil was not connected. The aircraft was not equipped with an engine compartment fire extinguishing system, as this was not required by FAA regulations. The combination of a low engine speed and rich mixture provided the right conditions to foul the spark plugs. The fouled plugs caused the engine to run rough and stop. The booster coil is used to provide a more powerful spark to the plugs during the starting sequence. With the coil not connected only a weak spark was available, which was not sufficient to enable the fouled plugs to make the engine catch during the re-start sequence. The incorrect throttle technique flooded the engine and caused a vigorous fire when the fuel ignited.
The damage was repaired and the Otter eventually completed its delivery flight to Anchorage, where it was re-registered N666XX. It flew for Sound Adventures Air Service Inc on lease from Red Baron Leasing for nearly two years, based at Lake Hood. In April 1989 it was re-registered N888XX to Red Baron Leasing Inc. In June 1989 it was sold to Ketchum Air Service, also based at Lake Hood beside the Anchorage International Airport. It was flown down to Vancouver where it arrived on 12th December 1989 and it was converted to a Vazar turbine Otter at the Aero Flite Industries facility in Vancouver during the early months of 1990. It was complete by 6th April 1990 and re-registered N888KA on 29th April '90 and entered service with Ketchum Air, looking pristine after its complete overhaul and re-engining. It was used for the for the most part to fly hunters, fishermen and tourists during the summer months. It flew for Ketchum Air without incident until 20th August 1999 when a mishap occurred.
The Otter, with one pilot and three passengers on board, was taking off from an un-named lake about 30 miles west of Port Alsworth, Alaska. The lake was approximately two thousand feet long. The Otter was transporting the three hunters and their equipment to Tutna Lake, where more passengers were to be loaded to be brought to Anchorage. VMC conditions prevailed and a company VFR flight plan was filed. The pilot, in preparing for take-off, had intended to pump the flaps to the take-off position but because he had not switched the selector valve to the 'down' position, he inadvertently retracted the flaps. He used the 15 knot wind to sail the aircraft to the downwind end of the dog-leg shaped lake and commenced the take-off into the wind. He later described the airplane as “getting on step” normally and the headwind becoming a crosswind at the dog-leg in the take-off run. The Otter did not get airborne, the pilot retarded the power lever to idle and N888KA struck the four feet high bank at the end of the lake. The floats separated from the fuselage, which remained upright and slid about one hundred feet across rough tundra. Substantial damage was sustained to both wings and horizontal stabilizers and the underside of the fuselage. The four on board were uninjured.
This accident ended the Otter's career with Ketchum Air. The insurers offered the wreck to Kenmore Air Harbor, who decided to purchase it for rebuild. Retrieving the aircraft from the remote crash site proved quite a task. It first had to be airlifted by helicopter from the crash site to the small airstrip at Nondalton on Lake Clark. It was then shipped by barge twenty miles or so to the airfield at Port Alsworth and flown from there to Anchorage on board a Lynden Air Cargo Hercules. At Anchorage it was loaded into a container and shipped south to Kenmore's base at Seattle for rebuild. N888KA was registered to Kenmore Air Harbor Inc on 20th September 1999. In December 2000 the damaged Otter was noted in the hangar of Kal Air Repair Ltd at Vernon, BC, awaiting repair. Kenmore Air had contracted out the rebuild of the Otter to Kal Air, who would also fit large scenic windows to the aircraft.
Following completion of the rebuild, the Otter was flown to Paine Field, Seattle for painting into Kenmore Air Harbor's yellow and white colour scheme. It was re-registered to the company on 26th March 2002 as N707KA and named “Capt.Greg Munro”. It entered service with Kenmore Air as part of its large fleet of turbine Otters. It was exhibited at the Otter's 50th birthday celebrations held in Victoria, BC in October 2002.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, quite the history, still flying the West Coast to this very day! "Thanks", Karl!
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
All information is from Karl Hayes' "masterful" CD entitled:
De Havilland Canada
DHC-3 OTTER
A HISTORY
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Otter 106
Otter 106 was delivered to the United States Army on 11th May 1956 with serial 55-3262 (tail number 53262). It was delivered from Downsview to Fort Bragg, North Carolina to “CONARC Board #5”, this being an evaluation board attached to the Continental Army Command. By January 1962 it had been transferred to Fort Eustis, Virginia, to the Army Transportation School, where it was in use as a “Category A Maintenance Trainer” (defined as an aircraft used for ground instructional technical training). It served as such alongside Otter 53260 (104) whose military career it would parallel. Like 53260, in September 1968 it was designated a “Category B Maintenance Trainer” (defined as an aircraft permanently grounded but with systems functioning). It continued under this designation until May 1973 when it was put up for disposal as military surplus. It was however to languish at Fort Eustis for another five years before it was sold.
It was advertised for sale as Lot 34 in the Defense Property Disposal Service sealed bid tender dated 23rd August 1978 as “Aircraft model U-1A serial 55-3262, located at Fort Eustis, Norfolk, Virginia. Aircraft has been subject to extensive reclamation. Instrumentation, communication and navigation equipment either missing, dismantled or incomplete. Parts detached but included - portion of wings and doors. Parts damaged including holes in the fuselage. Parts missing including flaps, one seat and all glass. Airframe and engine hours unknown. Data plate and historical records not
available. Poor condition. Estimated acquisition cost by Army was $122,740”. An accompanying photograph of the aircraft in the sales brochure showed it indeed to be in poor shape.
The purchaser of the Otter was William H. Magie, whose company was Wilderness Wings Airways of Ely, Minnesota to whom the Otter was registered as N90627. Despite its evidently poor condition, the Otter was rebuilt and entered service with Wilderness Wings Airways alongside its other Otter N432GR (179), serving the bush country of northeast Minnesota. The Superior National Forest extends north of Ely, up to the Canadian border with Ontario. The company also flew a Beaver (N11015), a Queen Air and Beech 18. However, it ceased operations in 1983. In March 1984 the Otter was registered to Richard T.Riley of Allston, Massachussets. In May 1987 N90627 was sold to Red Baron Leasing Inc of Anchorage, Alaska a leasing company which owned a number of Otters.
That month, the float equipped Otter was being ferried from Owen Sound, Ontario to Anchorage. In the course of the long ferry flight, N90627 stopped at Selkirk, Manitoba to refuel and for crew rest. As the Otter taxied away from the dock on 11th May 1987 to resume its delivery flight, the engine stopped and the pilot attempted a re-start. During the re-start the engine caught fire and the crew abandoned the aircraft, which then drifted to the shoreline of an island. The fire subsequently subsided, after causing extensive damage. The engine had been replaced in Owen Sound, and the aircraft had flown ten hours since then without any problems. After the initial start on the day of the accident, the engine ran for some time at a low speed and with a rich mixture and then stopped. During the attempt to restart the engine, the boost pump switch was selected on and the throttle was pumped in an effort to get the engine to respond. This technique, which is not correct, resulted in the engine becoming flooded with fuel. The pilot then noticed a smell of burning and the second pilot saw flames coming from the engine compartment and the exhaust augmentor tubes. The pilot then closed the mixture lever and opened the throttle in an unsuccessful attempt to clear the engine. When it became apparent that the fire was spreading, the crew pulled the emergency fuel shut-off handle and abandoned the aircraft. They were rescued by a nearby fishing boat.
During the inspection of the engine after the fire, it was found that the magneto boost coil was not connected. The aircraft was not equipped with an engine compartment fire extinguishing system, as this was not required by FAA regulations. The combination of a low engine speed and rich mixture provided the right conditions to foul the spark plugs. The fouled plugs caused the engine to run rough and stop. The booster coil is used to provide a more powerful spark to the plugs during the starting sequence. With the coil not connected only a weak spark was available, which was not sufficient to enable the fouled plugs to make the engine catch during the re-start sequence. The incorrect throttle technique flooded the engine and caused a vigorous fire when the fuel ignited.
The damage was repaired and the Otter eventually completed its delivery flight to Anchorage, where it was re-registered N666XX. It flew for Sound Adventures Air Service Inc on lease from Red Baron Leasing for nearly two years, based at Lake Hood. In April 1989 it was re-registered N888XX to Red Baron Leasing Inc. In June 1989 it was sold to Ketchum Air Service, also based at Lake Hood beside the Anchorage International Airport. It was flown down to Vancouver where it arrived on 12th December 1989 and it was converted to a Vazar turbine Otter at the Aero Flite Industries facility in Vancouver during the early months of 1990. It was complete by 6th April 1990 and re-registered N888KA on 29th April '90 and entered service with Ketchum Air, looking pristine after its complete overhaul and re-engining. It was used for the for the most part to fly hunters, fishermen and tourists during the summer months. It flew for Ketchum Air without incident until 20th August 1999 when a mishap occurred.
The Otter, with one pilot and three passengers on board, was taking off from an un-named lake about 30 miles west of Port Alsworth, Alaska. The lake was approximately two thousand feet long. The Otter was transporting the three hunters and their equipment to Tutna Lake, where more passengers were to be loaded to be brought to Anchorage. VMC conditions prevailed and a company VFR flight plan was filed. The pilot, in preparing for take-off, had intended to pump the flaps to the take-off position but because he had not switched the selector valve to the 'down' position, he inadvertently retracted the flaps. He used the 15 knot wind to sail the aircraft to the downwind end of the dog-leg shaped lake and commenced the take-off into the wind. He later described the airplane as “getting on step” normally and the headwind becoming a crosswind at the dog-leg in the take-off run. The Otter did not get airborne, the pilot retarded the power lever to idle and N888KA struck the four feet high bank at the end of the lake. The floats separated from the fuselage, which remained upright and slid about one hundred feet across rough tundra. Substantial damage was sustained to both wings and horizontal stabilizers and the underside of the fuselage. The four on board were uninjured.
This accident ended the Otter's career with Ketchum Air. The insurers offered the wreck to Kenmore Air Harbor, who decided to purchase it for rebuild. Retrieving the aircraft from the remote crash site proved quite a task. It first had to be airlifted by helicopter from the crash site to the small airstrip at Nondalton on Lake Clark. It was then shipped by barge twenty miles or so to the airfield at Port Alsworth and flown from there to Anchorage on board a Lynden Air Cargo Hercules. At Anchorage it was loaded into a container and shipped south to Kenmore's base at Seattle for rebuild. N888KA was registered to Kenmore Air Harbor Inc on 20th September 1999. In December 2000 the damaged Otter was noted in the hangar of Kal Air Repair Ltd at Vernon, BC, awaiting repair. Kenmore Air had contracted out the rebuild of the Otter to Kal Air, who would also fit large scenic windows to the aircraft.
Following completion of the rebuild, the Otter was flown to Paine Field, Seattle for painting into Kenmore Air Harbor's yellow and white colour scheme. It was re-registered to the company on 26th March 2002 as N707KA and named “Capt.Greg Munro”. It entered service with Kenmore Air as part of its large fleet of turbine Otters. It was exhibited at the Otter's 50th birthday celebrations held in Victoria, BC in October 2002.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, quite the history, still flying the West Coast to this very day! "Thanks", Karl!
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
Friday, October 26, 2007
"First" Moose!
Moose hunting in the aviation industry is usually approached with "adrenalized anticipation" by "float pilots". It is extremely interesting flying, and it is "man vs. nature", it is a "hunt". The "hunt" is a "genetic trait" imprinted in the Canadian male from eons ago, when one had to "hunt" to survive or multiply. Well, I can tell you, the "trait" is still alive and well, and the pilots are deeply involved. They are like the "cheering section" for the hunters. I know I personally always look forward to the first moose I haul from the bush. Well, this year the "First Moose Award" awarded by our company goes to .............. from Poplar River, "Willard Bittern"!
I arrive and tie up at Weaver Lake, where Willard and some Poplar River community members had been hunting with some of the Poplar River kids, passing on tradition.
"First" moose!
A very young Bull, and the meat will be tender and outstanding.
Make sure you have a "sharp" knife............
Weaver Lake is on the Poplar River, and a "Made in Canada" wooden canoe is the "vehicle" of choice.
Make sure you have "firepower".
Two other "hunting boats"......
.........and "old UKN"!
The "last word" of my "Post" goes to "The Grinch".... I mean Willard, as in true "traditional style", he "carves and shares" the "roast beast".... I mean moose!
"Adios"!
I arrive and tie up at Weaver Lake, where Willard and some Poplar River community members had been hunting with some of the Poplar River kids, passing on tradition.
"First" moose!
A very young Bull, and the meat will be tender and outstanding.
Make sure you have a "sharp" knife............
Weaver Lake is on the Poplar River, and a "Made in Canada" wooden canoe is the "vehicle" of choice.
Make sure you have "firepower".
Two other "hunting boats"......
.........and "old UKN"!
The "last word" of my "Post" goes to "The Grinch".... I mean Willard, as in true "traditional style", he "carves and shares" the "roast beast".... I mean moose!
"Adios"!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Alaska "Sky Trucks", 2007, by Michael S. Prophet
Good aviation photography really "cranks my turn"! If you have noticed on my Blog, I like to take pictures also, "moments in time" in my life. I am not very good with a camera, but I try. When I come across an "outstanding" aviation photographer, I like to keep "tabs" on him. I have "Posted" before a couple of times about Richard Seaman, "The Flying Kiwi", who is a great photographer, and this next fellow whom I will "link" you to has the passion Richard has. I have been exposed to his work through the DC-3 Yahoo Group, of which I am a member. It is said a picture is worth a thousand words, so I should "shut up". Therefore, meet a man who loves "heavy haulers", "radials", "oil", and "smoke", Michael S. Prophet.
HERE IS - Alaska "Sky Trucks", 2007, by Michael S. Prophet
(This man is "good", with a capital "G"!)
WEBSITE - VINTAGE AVIATION PICTURES
HERE IS - Alaska "Sky Trucks", 2007, by Michael S. Prophet
(This man is "good", with a capital "G"!)
WEBSITE - VINTAGE AVIATION PICTURES
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
It's Time To Play..... Otterflogger's "Name That Cockpit"!
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #30" in our "cockpit series", which will be a continuing "brain-strainer".
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
Yes, it is the Falcon 900 "EX"! "Anonymous" wins the "sailboat fuel"! Good job!
- photo by Ian Odger
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
Yes, it is the Falcon 900 "EX"! "Anonymous" wins the "sailboat fuel"! Good job!
- photo by Ian Odger
Steve's Video Of The Day: Listen To A "Bear"!
A number of days back, some moose hunters were practising their "moose calls" on the dock, when someone mentioned hearing wolves at night while they were out hunting. When there are lots of wolves present, moose are scarce. Then someone 'piped up'; "Hey, has anyone ever 'heard' a 'Bear'?"... to which I quickly replied, "I have heard a 'Bear', boys, what a 'sweet sound'!"
VIDEO -
VIDEO -
Listen To A "Bear"!
Monday, October 22, 2007
"In The Bush"!
During the "moose hunt", many inquiring people ask me where we drop hunters off to hunt. Well, we usually look for a spot on a river, or a lake with creek access to a river. There should be some swamp close by, a "beaver flood" or two, and lily pads, willows and birch also in the vicinity. Obviously the spot has to be large enough to depart again in an aircraft "fully loaded", and you need a good spot against shore for loading and unloading. Here is a typical moose hunting "spot".........
Tied to shore!
Unloaded, on nice "high and dry" land!
You will need a nice "fire pit" and a supply of "fuel"......
......such as this!
A "rack" for "hanging" moose also will be necessary, such as this "skookum" one.
By the way, when moose hunting, a lake that produces well when fishing is a "bonus". This particular lake is small, but has an abundance of 40" Northern Pike in it, which can be caught in early October with regularity. This is a typical moose hunting spot, a "gem" in the bush. By the way, Vince Crichton and his buddies "harvested" a moose from this lake, a beautiful animal, and a "great time was had by all". The "Last Word" of my "Post" goes to UKN, surveying her "domain", as she patiently waits for me until we depart once more.............
"Adios"!
Tied to shore!
Unloaded, on nice "high and dry" land!
You will need a nice "fire pit" and a supply of "fuel"......
......such as this!
A "rack" for "hanging" moose also will be necessary, such as this "skookum" one.
By the way, when moose hunting, a lake that produces well when fishing is a "bonus". This particular lake is small, but has an abundance of 40" Northern Pike in it, which can be caught in early October with regularity. This is a typical moose hunting spot, a "gem" in the bush. By the way, Vince Crichton and his buddies "harvested" a moose from this lake, a beautiful animal, and a "great time was had by all". The "Last Word" of my "Post" goes to UKN, surveying her "domain", as she patiently waits for me until we depart once more.............
"Adios"!
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"!......by Karl E. Hayes
The old Otter has proven through "longevity" to have a very robust airframe and systems. It is, though, still a "mechanical entity", and failures occur, although failures such as the one suffered by the following Otter are rare.
All information is from Karl Hayes' "masterful" CD entitled:
De Havilland Canada
DHC-3 OTTER
A HISTORY
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Otter 12
Otter 12 was delivered to the RCAF with serial 3666 on 31st March 1953. Prior to delivery, it had carried an AB code for publicity purposes with DHC. After delivery, it was assigned to the Goose Bay, Labrador Station Flight, with code QD. The historical records of the Flight document its activities at Goose, which during the 1950s was also a USAF base. In October 1952 the 59th Fighter Interceptor Squadron had moved in, initially equipped with the F-94 Starfire, later with the F-89 Scorpion starting in 1955 and progressing to the F-102A Delta Dagger in 1960. Also based at Goose was the 59th Search & Rescue Unit, with Grumman SA-16 Albatross aircraft.
Otter 3666 was the only RCAF Otter based at Goose and it served the Station's needs for three years serving alongside a C-47. It provided transport to outlying radar sites and a platform for parachute jumps. It was active in the rescue role and flew many medevacs. It flew on wheel-skis from the base in winter, and on floats from a nearby lake during the summer. A lengthy medevac is recorded on 10th December 1953. The Otter flew 800 miles northwest of Goose to Povungnituk on the north-eastern shore of Hudson Bay. The patient was an Eskimo woman and her critically ill child. Having taken off from Goose, the Otter refuelled at Fort Chimo, Quebec, arrived at Povungnituk that afternoon and took off with the patient to return to Goose. As darkness fell on the way back, and with a blizzard approaching, Flight Lieutenant Turtle set the Otter down on a lake and spent the night with his patients in a temperature of -30C. They took off early the next morning but developed an oil leak en route. Despite oil streaming across the windshield, reducing visibility, the pilot managed to nurse the Otter back to Goose. On 25th January 1954, 3666 was involved in another medevac, from Goose to St.Anthony.
Although there were no other RCAF Otters based at Goose at that time, 3666 often had the company of visiting Otters from 408 Squadron, temporarily deployed to Goose to assist in the squadron's mapping and surveying tasks. On 21st March 1954, a 408 Squadron Otter came down on a frozen lake while flying from Goose Bay due to engine failure. A USAF F-94 Starfire was despatched to search but could not locate the downed Otter. A USAF Albatross of the 59th Search & Rescue Unit eventually located the Otter on its radar and dropped supplies to the downed crew. The Goose Bay SAR RCAF C-47 took off for the scene next morning, arriving at first light. The three crew on the stranded Otter had just got up after spending a bitterly cold night in their aircraft. The tail section of the Otter had collapsed during the forced landing on the lake. A week later the C-47 flew in the repair party. 408 Squadron Otters continued to visit Goose throughout the summer, with 3661, 3678 and 3679 present during June 1954. On 15th August '54 one of the 408 Squadron Otters flew the Duke of Edinburgh from Goose to a fishing camp at Eagle River.
On 13/14th September '54 3666 as well as the based C-47 serial 994 were involved in a search for a missing Bell 47 CF-HND. 3666 was also engaged in many more medevacs, bringing ill and injured persons from the bush to Goose. On 28th September 1955 the Otter on floats suffered an engine failure and was forced down at Northwest River. It suffered the ignominy of being towed back to Goose Bay by a USAF tug. On 6th March 1956, 3666 flew in company with a USAF helicopter to Sabre Lake, to retrieve an engine from a downed USAF jet. On 17th March 1956 it was engaged in parachute jumps at Salt Pond. Sadly, its days were numbered at this stage, for it was to crash near Goose Bay on 10th April 1956.
A few days earlier, the port inner trailing flap had been damaged and a new flap installed. The flight on 10th April '56 was an airtest for the installation. There were three crew on board and weather conditions were good, with broken cloud at two thousand feet and overcast at eight thousand. Visibility was 15 miles in light snow, with an occasional snow shower reducing visibility to half a mile. The Otter was delayed after start up because of such a snow shower and did not receive take-off clearance until visibility improved above VFR minima of three miles. The wheel-ski equipped Otter took off from runway 09 at Goose that afternoon. The take-off was normal and 3666 continued in a straight climb, followed by a slow turn to port. About six miles north of the airport, the Otter broke up in flight and plunged to the ground, sadly killing all three on board. The port wing had broken off and became wrapped around the fuselage, severing the tail assembly.
As the accident was very similar to that which befell a US Army Otter (number 92) two months earlier, a full investigation was launched into both accidents, the cause being traced to a defective flap mechanism. As the report summarised: “A piece of metal swarf had lodged under the ball of the flap hydraulic ratchet valve, holding it open. When the flaps were selected up, the ratchet valve being jammed permitted airloads to collapse the flaps in approximately three seconds, causing a violent trim change which was beyond the pilot's ability to control”.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"OUCH"! Yes, good thing these types of failures are rare on any aircraft.
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
All information is from Karl Hayes' "masterful" CD entitled:
De Havilland Canada
DHC-3 OTTER
A HISTORY
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Otter 12
Otter 12 was delivered to the RCAF with serial 3666 on 31st March 1953. Prior to delivery, it had carried an AB code for publicity purposes with DHC. After delivery, it was assigned to the Goose Bay, Labrador Station Flight, with code QD. The historical records of the Flight document its activities at Goose, which during the 1950s was also a USAF base. In October 1952 the 59th Fighter Interceptor Squadron had moved in, initially equipped with the F-94 Starfire, later with the F-89 Scorpion starting in 1955 and progressing to the F-102A Delta Dagger in 1960. Also based at Goose was the 59th Search & Rescue Unit, with Grumman SA-16 Albatross aircraft.
Otter 3666 was the only RCAF Otter based at Goose and it served the Station's needs for three years serving alongside a C-47. It provided transport to outlying radar sites and a platform for parachute jumps. It was active in the rescue role and flew many medevacs. It flew on wheel-skis from the base in winter, and on floats from a nearby lake during the summer. A lengthy medevac is recorded on 10th December 1953. The Otter flew 800 miles northwest of Goose to Povungnituk on the north-eastern shore of Hudson Bay. The patient was an Eskimo woman and her critically ill child. Having taken off from Goose, the Otter refuelled at Fort Chimo, Quebec, arrived at Povungnituk that afternoon and took off with the patient to return to Goose. As darkness fell on the way back, and with a blizzard approaching, Flight Lieutenant Turtle set the Otter down on a lake and spent the night with his patients in a temperature of -30C. They took off early the next morning but developed an oil leak en route. Despite oil streaming across the windshield, reducing visibility, the pilot managed to nurse the Otter back to Goose. On 25th January 1954, 3666 was involved in another medevac, from Goose to St.Anthony.
Although there were no other RCAF Otters based at Goose at that time, 3666 often had the company of visiting Otters from 408 Squadron, temporarily deployed to Goose to assist in the squadron's mapping and surveying tasks. On 21st March 1954, a 408 Squadron Otter came down on a frozen lake while flying from Goose Bay due to engine failure. A USAF F-94 Starfire was despatched to search but could not locate the downed Otter. A USAF Albatross of the 59th Search & Rescue Unit eventually located the Otter on its radar and dropped supplies to the downed crew. The Goose Bay SAR RCAF C-47 took off for the scene next morning, arriving at first light. The three crew on the stranded Otter had just got up after spending a bitterly cold night in their aircraft. The tail section of the Otter had collapsed during the forced landing on the lake. A week later the C-47 flew in the repair party. 408 Squadron Otters continued to visit Goose throughout the summer, with 3661, 3678 and 3679 present during June 1954. On 15th August '54 one of the 408 Squadron Otters flew the Duke of Edinburgh from Goose to a fishing camp at Eagle River.
On 13/14th September '54 3666 as well as the based C-47 serial 994 were involved in a search for a missing Bell 47 CF-HND. 3666 was also engaged in many more medevacs, bringing ill and injured persons from the bush to Goose. On 28th September 1955 the Otter on floats suffered an engine failure and was forced down at Northwest River. It suffered the ignominy of being towed back to Goose Bay by a USAF tug. On 6th March 1956, 3666 flew in company with a USAF helicopter to Sabre Lake, to retrieve an engine from a downed USAF jet. On 17th March 1956 it was engaged in parachute jumps at Salt Pond. Sadly, its days were numbered at this stage, for it was to crash near Goose Bay on 10th April 1956.
A few days earlier, the port inner trailing flap had been damaged and a new flap installed. The flight on 10th April '56 was an airtest for the installation. There were three crew on board and weather conditions were good, with broken cloud at two thousand feet and overcast at eight thousand. Visibility was 15 miles in light snow, with an occasional snow shower reducing visibility to half a mile. The Otter was delayed after start up because of such a snow shower and did not receive take-off clearance until visibility improved above VFR minima of three miles. The wheel-ski equipped Otter took off from runway 09 at Goose that afternoon. The take-off was normal and 3666 continued in a straight climb, followed by a slow turn to port. About six miles north of the airport, the Otter broke up in flight and plunged to the ground, sadly killing all three on board. The port wing had broken off and became wrapped around the fuselage, severing the tail assembly.
As the accident was very similar to that which befell a US Army Otter (number 92) two months earlier, a full investigation was launched into both accidents, the cause being traced to a defective flap mechanism. As the report summarised: “A piece of metal swarf had lodged under the ball of the flap hydraulic ratchet valve, holding it open. When the flaps were selected up, the ratchet valve being jammed permitted airloads to collapse the flaps in approximately three seconds, causing a violent trim change which was beyond the pilot's ability to control”.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"OUCH"! Yes, good thing these types of failures are rare on any aircraft.
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
Friday, October 19, 2007
Moose Hunt, 2007: "Let The Games Begin!"
Moose hunting season is a time of year I always look forward to. Cool mornings, changing colours, and a slower pace are all enjoyable. Lately, a "poor" Internet connection, the hunt itself, and my son Shane playing AAA Midget Hockey have severely restricted my "Blog posts". Anyways, Moose Hunt, 2007: "Let The Games Begin!"
Tied up at "Tiny's Lake", just north of Tomahawk Lake. No moose were harvested from this lake, although the lake won "Dock Of The Year" honours, self-explanatory.
Tied up at Viking Lake, on the Pigeon River. One nice "Bull" would be harvested from this lake. "Pontiac" would retrieve these hunters in C-180 CF-HDL, making two trips (minus the boat) when they were due to come out of the bush, as the morning I was to retrieve them, I had a "runaway" governor on UKN.
Dropping two hunters at Lynx Rapids, on the Pigeon River.
Ray Durupt and partner. Last year Ray hunted alone.
"MUCK"!
Loading the......
..."Scott" canoe!
The "Skipper" and "Gilligan" cast off the lines.....
...and the "adventure begins"!
"Adios"!
(P.S. Ray and his buddy are "out of the bush" now, and never harvested a moose, but had a great time!)
Tied up at "Tiny's Lake", just north of Tomahawk Lake. No moose were harvested from this lake, although the lake won "Dock Of The Year" honours, self-explanatory.
Tied up at Viking Lake, on the Pigeon River. One nice "Bull" would be harvested from this lake. "Pontiac" would retrieve these hunters in C-180 CF-HDL, making two trips (minus the boat) when they were due to come out of the bush, as the morning I was to retrieve them, I had a "runaway" governor on UKN.
Dropping two hunters at Lynx Rapids, on the Pigeon River.
Ray Durupt and partner. Last year Ray hunted alone.
"MUCK"!
Loading the......
..."Scott" canoe!
The "Skipper" and "Gilligan" cast off the lines.....
...and the "adventure begins"!
"Adios"!
(P.S. Ray and his buddy are "out of the bush" now, and never harvested a moose, but had a great time!)
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
It's Time To Play..... Otterflogger's "Name That Cockpit"!
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #29" in our "cockpit series", which will be a continuing "brain-strainer".
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
Yes, it is the the Bristol Beaufighter! Softjug wins the "sailboat fuel", good job!
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
Yes, it is the the Bristol Beaufighter! Softjug wins the "sailboat fuel", good job!
Monday, October 15, 2007
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"!......by Karl E. Hayes
I love the stories about the Otters that served in Vietnam, and then returned to their "place of birth" to continue their careers, "flying the bush". Sometimes I wonder how many Vietnam Vets, whom I hold in extremely "high regard", have actually flown recently in a Canadian-registered Otter enroute to a fishing lodge or outpost, that possibly transported them many years ago during that "dark time". Yes, "I know", worn gears in my brain, but I bet it has happened, possibly unbeknownst to all. Anyways, check out this "fine ship"!
All information is from Karl Hayes' "masterful" CD entitled:
De Havilland Canada
DHC-3 OTTER
A HISTORY
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Otter 140
Otter 140 was delivered to the United States Army on 24th July 1956 with serial 55-3289 (tail number 53289). It was delivered to the 2nd Aviation Company, Fort Riley, Kansas and deployed with the unit to Illesheim, Germany. Although the 2nd Aviation Company moved to France in 1959, 53289 was assigned to support the Corps of Engineers, who were carrying out a survey in Iran. By April 1962 it had returned to Germany, where it was serving with the 394th Transportation Battalion. In January 1963 it re-joined the 2nd Aviation Company in France, where it continued to serve until July 1966 when it went to the depot at Coleman Barracks, Mannheim, Germany for overhaul and then storage. In March '67 it was allocated to the Aviation Section of the 69th Air Defence Artillery Brigade, 32nd Army Air Defence Command, based at Wurzburg Airfield. The Section had two OH-13 and one CH-34 Choctaw helicopter, the Otter and a Beaver. They were used to transport the Group Commander and his staff. The Otter returned to the Depot at Coleman Barracks in November '67. From there it was returned to the United States and then transported to Vietnam where in July 1968 it joined the 21st Signal Group, based at Nha Trang.
53289 was the only Otter serving with the unit at that time, its mission being to support all the outlying signal operations under the Group, which covered most of South Vietnam. Gerald Buchta was the pilot and he describes his arrival in country: “I arrived in Vietnam and was assigned to the 21st Signal Battalion on 5th June '68 and was sent to Vung Tau for Otter transition. It was the first time for me to even see an Otter, much less fly one, but I managed to get through the mandatory take-off and landings until I was told that I would have plenty of time to get proficient during the rest of my stay. I flew the Otter back to Nha Trang and received a mission to transport a group of communications specialists to Pleiku the next morning. The weather was not good, with thunderstorms forecast along the entire route, but since I really did not know better we left as scheduled.”
“Thunderstorms can always create problems and they certainly did for me this inaugural flight. The flight path was over and around some mountain peaks up to 6,800 feet and almost immediately after departure IFR conditions were encountered. The rain, thunder, lightning and turbulence were ferocious, with water coming into the cockpit around the instrument panel and my feet. My comfort level was at zero and I began to wonder if this was going to be my first and last mission. In spite of all this adversity the Otter just kept chugging along and after about two and half hours I was able to contact Pleiku tower, who was able to make radar contact and asked my altitude. When I responded he very urgently asked that I begin an emergency climb since my indicated position was in mountains higher than my altitude. Now since I was still in IFR conditions I only had my chart for reference I wondered about how I had gotten through the storm only to have it all end possibly flying into a mountain. However, vectors to final were followed successfully and we landed without further incident, with the passengers not having a clue that they all almost had met their doom while I also considered my future if all the missions would be like this one.”
Destinations served by the Otter included Quang Tri, Hue, Phu Bai, Da Nang, Chu Lai, Dak To, Pleiku, Qui Nhon, Ban Me Thuot, Gia, Nghia, Da Lat, Phan Thiet, Tay Ninh, Bien Hoa, Xuan Loc, Vung Tau, My Tho and Can Tho. The Otter continued flying for the 21st Signal Group until May 1969 when it was taken in charge by the 79th Transportation Company at Qui Nhon, who prepared it for shipment back to the United States. It arrived at the Army Depot, Atlanta, Georgia in October 1969 where it was placed into storage alongside many other Otters returned from Vietnam. It was deleted from the Army inventory in May 1972 and put up for disposal as military surplus.
53289 was one of six Army Otters purchased by Air Craftsmen Ltd of St.John Airport, New Brunswick, a company which traded in Otters, buying military surplus aircraft, restoring them as civilian aircraft and selling them on. The six Otters were reserved as CF-BEO/BEP/BEQ/BER/BEU and BEW. Otter 140 was reserved as CF-BEW and on 11th October 1972 a ferry permit was issued for a flight from the Forest Park Army Depot, Atlanta, Georgia to St. John Airport, New Brunswick where the aircraft was overhauled and converted to civilian configuration. It was then sold to White River Air Services Ltd and set off on its delivery flight on 12th June 1973 via Moncton and Toronto Island Airport to its new base at Moosonee, Ontario. It was registered to White River Air Services on 15th June '73 as CF-BEW, later becoming C-FBEW. In 1974 White River Air Services and Austin Airways Ltd came under the same ownership, which led to C-FBEW being operated as part of the Austin Airways fleet, based at Timmins, Ontario and serving the Ontario bush country.
In June 1983 the Otter went on lease to Pickle Lake Air Services Ltd, based at Pickle Lake, Ontario. It was still operated by this company when it crashed on 17th March 1986 at a 'no name' lake 46 miles north of its Pickle Lake base. On arrival at the remote lake, the pilot carried out a precautionary approach to assess the surface conditions. With climb flap set and the skis partially retracted, the aircraft was flown over the ice, so that the wheels left imprints in the snow cover. The pilot carried out an overshoot during which he noted water in the tire tracks, deemed that area unsuitable for landing and circled left for a second pass over another section of the lake. The same procedure was followed, but after the throttle was advanced for the overshoot, the port wing folded upward and the aircraft rolled over. One passenger, who was sitting on the cargo and was not restrained, was injured. All other occupants were properly restrained and were uninjured. It appears that during the first approach, the port ski had struck an ice ridge, damaging the ski and its attachments, which subsequently failed. The ski, which was connected to the fuselage by check cables, swung out under the port wheel and severed the wing strut, causing the wing to fold.
By coincidence, the same fate befell this Otter as did the previous aircraft, number 139. Otter BEW was considered salvageable and an attempt was made to retrieve it from the accident site by helicopter. This did not work and the Otter was further damaged when dropped by the helicopter. The Otter was taken to Kuby's Aircraft, Kenora, Ontario. The fuselage of the aircraft was still present in Kuby's Yard during 2004.
***LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 140
C-FBEW. Following its crash on 17 March 1986 near its base at Pickle Lake, Ontario and further damage caused when it was dropped by the helicopter attempting to retrieve it from the crash site, the wreck was brought to Kuby’s Aircraft, Kenora, Ontario where it lay for many years. It was one of four wrecked Otters sold to Recon Air of Geraldton, Ontario in October 2005, and which were trucked to Geraldton for rebuild.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Wow", she will "fly again"........ (and may be flying already.....)
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
All information is from Karl Hayes' "masterful" CD entitled:
De Havilland Canada
DHC-3 OTTER
A HISTORY
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Otter 140
Otter 140 was delivered to the United States Army on 24th July 1956 with serial 55-3289 (tail number 53289). It was delivered to the 2nd Aviation Company, Fort Riley, Kansas and deployed with the unit to Illesheim, Germany. Although the 2nd Aviation Company moved to France in 1959, 53289 was assigned to support the Corps of Engineers, who were carrying out a survey in Iran. By April 1962 it had returned to Germany, where it was serving with the 394th Transportation Battalion. In January 1963 it re-joined the 2nd Aviation Company in France, where it continued to serve until July 1966 when it went to the depot at Coleman Barracks, Mannheim, Germany for overhaul and then storage. In March '67 it was allocated to the Aviation Section of the 69th Air Defence Artillery Brigade, 32nd Army Air Defence Command, based at Wurzburg Airfield. The Section had two OH-13 and one CH-34 Choctaw helicopter, the Otter and a Beaver. They were used to transport the Group Commander and his staff. The Otter returned to the Depot at Coleman Barracks in November '67. From there it was returned to the United States and then transported to Vietnam where in July 1968 it joined the 21st Signal Group, based at Nha Trang.
53289 was the only Otter serving with the unit at that time, its mission being to support all the outlying signal operations under the Group, which covered most of South Vietnam. Gerald Buchta was the pilot and he describes his arrival in country: “I arrived in Vietnam and was assigned to the 21st Signal Battalion on 5th June '68 and was sent to Vung Tau for Otter transition. It was the first time for me to even see an Otter, much less fly one, but I managed to get through the mandatory take-off and landings until I was told that I would have plenty of time to get proficient during the rest of my stay. I flew the Otter back to Nha Trang and received a mission to transport a group of communications specialists to Pleiku the next morning. The weather was not good, with thunderstorms forecast along the entire route, but since I really did not know better we left as scheduled.”
“Thunderstorms can always create problems and they certainly did for me this inaugural flight. The flight path was over and around some mountain peaks up to 6,800 feet and almost immediately after departure IFR conditions were encountered. The rain, thunder, lightning and turbulence were ferocious, with water coming into the cockpit around the instrument panel and my feet. My comfort level was at zero and I began to wonder if this was going to be my first and last mission. In spite of all this adversity the Otter just kept chugging along and after about two and half hours I was able to contact Pleiku tower, who was able to make radar contact and asked my altitude. When I responded he very urgently asked that I begin an emergency climb since my indicated position was in mountains higher than my altitude. Now since I was still in IFR conditions I only had my chart for reference I wondered about how I had gotten through the storm only to have it all end possibly flying into a mountain. However, vectors to final were followed successfully and we landed without further incident, with the passengers not having a clue that they all almost had met their doom while I also considered my future if all the missions would be like this one.”
Destinations served by the Otter included Quang Tri, Hue, Phu Bai, Da Nang, Chu Lai, Dak To, Pleiku, Qui Nhon, Ban Me Thuot, Gia, Nghia, Da Lat, Phan Thiet, Tay Ninh, Bien Hoa, Xuan Loc, Vung Tau, My Tho and Can Tho. The Otter continued flying for the 21st Signal Group until May 1969 when it was taken in charge by the 79th Transportation Company at Qui Nhon, who prepared it for shipment back to the United States. It arrived at the Army Depot, Atlanta, Georgia in October 1969 where it was placed into storage alongside many other Otters returned from Vietnam. It was deleted from the Army inventory in May 1972 and put up for disposal as military surplus.
53289 was one of six Army Otters purchased by Air Craftsmen Ltd of St.John Airport, New Brunswick, a company which traded in Otters, buying military surplus aircraft, restoring them as civilian aircraft and selling them on. The six Otters were reserved as CF-BEO/BEP/BEQ/BER/BEU and BEW. Otter 140 was reserved as CF-BEW and on 11th October 1972 a ferry permit was issued for a flight from the Forest Park Army Depot, Atlanta, Georgia to St. John Airport, New Brunswick where the aircraft was overhauled and converted to civilian configuration. It was then sold to White River Air Services Ltd and set off on its delivery flight on 12th June 1973 via Moncton and Toronto Island Airport to its new base at Moosonee, Ontario. It was registered to White River Air Services on 15th June '73 as CF-BEW, later becoming C-FBEW. In 1974 White River Air Services and Austin Airways Ltd came under the same ownership, which led to C-FBEW being operated as part of the Austin Airways fleet, based at Timmins, Ontario and serving the Ontario bush country.
In June 1983 the Otter went on lease to Pickle Lake Air Services Ltd, based at Pickle Lake, Ontario. It was still operated by this company when it crashed on 17th March 1986 at a 'no name' lake 46 miles north of its Pickle Lake base. On arrival at the remote lake, the pilot carried out a precautionary approach to assess the surface conditions. With climb flap set and the skis partially retracted, the aircraft was flown over the ice, so that the wheels left imprints in the snow cover. The pilot carried out an overshoot during which he noted water in the tire tracks, deemed that area unsuitable for landing and circled left for a second pass over another section of the lake. The same procedure was followed, but after the throttle was advanced for the overshoot, the port wing folded upward and the aircraft rolled over. One passenger, who was sitting on the cargo and was not restrained, was injured. All other occupants were properly restrained and were uninjured. It appears that during the first approach, the port ski had struck an ice ridge, damaging the ski and its attachments, which subsequently failed. The ski, which was connected to the fuselage by check cables, swung out under the port wheel and severed the wing strut, causing the wing to fold.
By coincidence, the same fate befell this Otter as did the previous aircraft, number 139. Otter BEW was considered salvageable and an attempt was made to retrieve it from the accident site by helicopter. This did not work and the Otter was further damaged when dropped by the helicopter. The Otter was taken to Kuby's Aircraft, Kenora, Ontario. The fuselage of the aircraft was still present in Kuby's Yard during 2004.
***LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 140
C-FBEW. Following its crash on 17 March 1986 near its base at Pickle Lake, Ontario and further damage caused when it was dropped by the helicopter attempting to retrieve it from the crash site, the wreck was brought to Kuby’s Aircraft, Kenora, Ontario where it lay for many years. It was one of four wrecked Otters sold to Recon Air of Geraldton, Ontario in October 2005, and which were trucked to Geraldton for rebuild.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Wow", she will "fly again"........ (and may be flying already.....)
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
It's Time To Play..... Otterflogger's "Name That Cockpit"!
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #28" in our "cockpit series", which will be a continuing "brain-strainer". "Hey", you "boys" are "good", amazing, actually, I might have to start looking for "Romulan cockpits" if you get "this one" right away!
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
Yes, it is the the Taylor "Aerocar". What a "concept". Drive the roads or fly above them! "Anonymous" wins the "sailboat fuel"!
+++ BONUS MATERIAL!!! +++
FOR SALE - Taylor AEROCAR! (Many Links!)
VIDEO - Taylor AEROCAR! "Colour Footage"! (How is your Spanish?)
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
Yes, it is the the Taylor "Aerocar". What a "concept". Drive the roads or fly above them! "Anonymous" wins the "sailboat fuel"!
+++ BONUS MATERIAL!!! +++
FOR SALE - Taylor AEROCAR! (Many Links!)
VIDEO - Taylor AEROCAR! "Colour Footage"! (How is your Spanish?)
Monday, October 08, 2007
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"!......by Karl E. Hayes
The more Otter "histories" I read about through Karl Hayes' research, the "fonder" I become of the airplane. I love the "tales" of "man and machine". I especially like when Karl has included "Otter incidents" told in the "first person". Here is a "sphincter-tightening", "plaque-blowing", "cardiac arrythmia" causing incident related by someone who was there, Bruce Boatner, the Crew Chief of the Otter known as the "Iroquois Princess"!
All information is from Karl Hayes' "masterful" CD entitled:
De Havilland Canada
DHC-3 OTTER
A HISTORY
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Otter 301
Otter 301 was delivered to the United States Army on 25th November 1958 with serial 58-1691 (tail number 81691). It was assigned to the 17th Aviation Company, Fort Ord, California. It was delivered from Downsview to the Sharpe Army Depot, Stockton, California before continuing on to Fort Ord. It was re-assigned to the 18th Aviation Company in January 1962 for deployment to Vietnam, and flew for the Company in Vietnam. In April 1966 it was returned to the United States where it underwent depot level overhaul at the ARADMAC Depot, Corpus Christi, Texas and it was then returned to Vietnam where it re-joined the 18th Aviation Company in July 1966. It was still serving with the 18th Aviation Company when it was destroyed on 27th January 1969.
The Otter was then serving with the Company's First Platoon, based at Marble Mountain, Da Nang. Bruce Boatner, the aircraft's crew chief, has written the following account of what happened: “On January 27th, 1969 we were on the south leg of the afternoon courier mission. That day 'Reliable 691' (the aircraft's callsign) was being flown by WO 'Andy' Sanford and Captain Dale Barber. 691 had the head of an Indian girl stencilled on the cowling and was sometimes called the 'Iroquois Princess'. It was mid afternoon when we approached the vicinity of Quang Ngai and there was chatter on the radio about local ground fire. This was not unusual for those parts, except that in this case it appeared that the location referenced was off the departure end of the runway”.
“As we landed I noticed two Huey 'Slicks' parked on a grassy area near the approach end with their crews stripped to their T-shirts, waiting for the call to their next mission. We were on the ground for some time, so I wandered over to talk to them. They confirmed hearing the ground fire reports but didn't seem too concerned about it. Some poor fool was sweating through his last day in-country and was hitching a ride to Da Nang. Two large cardboard boxes containing all his belongings were loaded on board along with a full load of passengers. At Quang Ngai we frequently had to hold the ARVNs (South Vietnamese soldiers) off at gunpoint to prevent them from storming the plane, they were so desperate to get out. Quang Ngai was not the place to be when night came. They didn't seem to understand that the old Otter could not get off the ground with 75 people on board”.
“As we taxied to the run-up area, I asked if the pilots had heard the reports of ground fire on the way in. They both said they had and I informed them that the Slick crews had heard them too. The tower had not mentioned a hazard when they cleared us for departure, but when queried, acknowledged that they had received unsubstantiated reports of ground fire off the end of the runway. During the run-up, I had a sense of dread (I later found that both pilots were feeling it as well). We did the world's longest run-up, checking everything twice, hoping something would blow up so we wouldn't have to take off. The pilots discussed the procedures for executing a highperformance take off as an evasive manoeuvre. They would keep clean flaps until we hit about 80-100 mph on the ground, then rotate and drop the flaps simultaneously”.
“It was a truly splendid take off and we were all in the process of mentally congratulating ourselves on our cleverness when there was a loud bang and the engine dropped dead. We were in a very nose high attitude and I could see the pilots both struggling to push the nose over and avoid going into a tail slide. I yelled to the passengers to brace themselves, that we were going in. I remember wondering if I had given my pre-flight emergency spiel and then feeling a sense of relief as all eight passengers executed a perfectly choreographed response. There was a momentary sensation of weightlessness, then the wind began whistling past the open window to my left. I estimate that we were at about five hundred feet when we got hit. Apparently the enemy had set up a machine gun in a perfect position directly off the end of the runway, so they could pick off a plane like a fish in a barrel”.
“One of the pilots managed to get a Mayday call back to the tower. After a hard but otherwise near perfect three point landing in a rice patty we skidded into a dyke which tore off the engine and the left landing gear. The left wing then impacted the ground and bent up about two thirds of the way out. The Otter stood up on its nose and felt like it was going to flip over on its back, but then slammed back down on its belly. For the slightest moment, there was complete and total silence. I opened the cargo doors and the passengers jumped out into mud up their knees. The crew's first concern was changing the radio frequencies and locating mailbags and other sensitive materials. We were sitting ducks in the mud, but taking refuge in an aluminium eggshell filled with several hundred gallons of 115/145 Avgas was not an attractive alternative, so we followed the passengers out.”
“After what seemed like a very long time, the sweet sound of approaching Hueys filled the air. Our old buddies from back at the field had heard the Mayday and had jumped in and cranked up. Both Hueys circled and opened fire on something we could not see, then one landed and picked up most of the passengers and the mail bags. The other Huey continued to circle and fire, then the first one returned and took the upper position while the other one landed to pick up the rest of us. The Huey leaped up as I was barely on board. Another plane from our Platoon flew in and took us back to Marble Mountain. It was a very odd feeling to be again sitting in an Otter and about to repeat the same departure that had just proved so traumatic, though this time we were under heavy escort by a couple of Cobra gunships. The next couple of weeks were terrible, being a crew chief without a ship, but I was eternally grateful when the Company assigned me to 'Reliable 53282', which proved to be a strong and faithful beast through the rest of my tour. 'Reliable 81691' was eventually retrieved by a Chinook and dropped off back at the airfield at Quang Ngai. As an ignominious ending, the fuselage was hoisted up on supports, to be used as jump practice for Vietnamese paratroopers. This sad spectacle was a daily momento for the Otter crews of the I Corps courier henceforth”. 81691 was deleted from the Army inventory and the wreck subsequently scrapped.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
A "strong and faithful" servant to the end, the "humiliation" suffered in her "expiring days" was an "unfitting finale" for the "Iroquois Princess".........
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
All information is from Karl Hayes' "masterful" CD entitled:
De Havilland Canada
DHC-3 OTTER
A HISTORY
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Otter 301
Otter 301 was delivered to the United States Army on 25th November 1958 with serial 58-1691 (tail number 81691). It was assigned to the 17th Aviation Company, Fort Ord, California. It was delivered from Downsview to the Sharpe Army Depot, Stockton, California before continuing on to Fort Ord. It was re-assigned to the 18th Aviation Company in January 1962 for deployment to Vietnam, and flew for the Company in Vietnam. In April 1966 it was returned to the United States where it underwent depot level overhaul at the ARADMAC Depot, Corpus Christi, Texas and it was then returned to Vietnam where it re-joined the 18th Aviation Company in July 1966. It was still serving with the 18th Aviation Company when it was destroyed on 27th January 1969.
The Otter was then serving with the Company's First Platoon, based at Marble Mountain, Da Nang. Bruce Boatner, the aircraft's crew chief, has written the following account of what happened: “On January 27th, 1969 we were on the south leg of the afternoon courier mission. That day 'Reliable 691' (the aircraft's callsign) was being flown by WO 'Andy' Sanford and Captain Dale Barber. 691 had the head of an Indian girl stencilled on the cowling and was sometimes called the 'Iroquois Princess'. It was mid afternoon when we approached the vicinity of Quang Ngai and there was chatter on the radio about local ground fire. This was not unusual for those parts, except that in this case it appeared that the location referenced was off the departure end of the runway”.
“As we landed I noticed two Huey 'Slicks' parked on a grassy area near the approach end with their crews stripped to their T-shirts, waiting for the call to their next mission. We were on the ground for some time, so I wandered over to talk to them. They confirmed hearing the ground fire reports but didn't seem too concerned about it. Some poor fool was sweating through his last day in-country and was hitching a ride to Da Nang. Two large cardboard boxes containing all his belongings were loaded on board along with a full load of passengers. At Quang Ngai we frequently had to hold the ARVNs (South Vietnamese soldiers) off at gunpoint to prevent them from storming the plane, they were so desperate to get out. Quang Ngai was not the place to be when night came. They didn't seem to understand that the old Otter could not get off the ground with 75 people on board”.
“As we taxied to the run-up area, I asked if the pilots had heard the reports of ground fire on the way in. They both said they had and I informed them that the Slick crews had heard them too. The tower had not mentioned a hazard when they cleared us for departure, but when queried, acknowledged that they had received unsubstantiated reports of ground fire off the end of the runway. During the run-up, I had a sense of dread (I later found that both pilots were feeling it as well). We did the world's longest run-up, checking everything twice, hoping something would blow up so we wouldn't have to take off. The pilots discussed the procedures for executing a highperformance take off as an evasive manoeuvre. They would keep clean flaps until we hit about 80-100 mph on the ground, then rotate and drop the flaps simultaneously”.
“It was a truly splendid take off and we were all in the process of mentally congratulating ourselves on our cleverness when there was a loud bang and the engine dropped dead. We were in a very nose high attitude and I could see the pilots both struggling to push the nose over and avoid going into a tail slide. I yelled to the passengers to brace themselves, that we were going in. I remember wondering if I had given my pre-flight emergency spiel and then feeling a sense of relief as all eight passengers executed a perfectly choreographed response. There was a momentary sensation of weightlessness, then the wind began whistling past the open window to my left. I estimate that we were at about five hundred feet when we got hit. Apparently the enemy had set up a machine gun in a perfect position directly off the end of the runway, so they could pick off a plane like a fish in a barrel”.
“One of the pilots managed to get a Mayday call back to the tower. After a hard but otherwise near perfect three point landing in a rice patty we skidded into a dyke which tore off the engine and the left landing gear. The left wing then impacted the ground and bent up about two thirds of the way out. The Otter stood up on its nose and felt like it was going to flip over on its back, but then slammed back down on its belly. For the slightest moment, there was complete and total silence. I opened the cargo doors and the passengers jumped out into mud up their knees. The crew's first concern was changing the radio frequencies and locating mailbags and other sensitive materials. We were sitting ducks in the mud, but taking refuge in an aluminium eggshell filled with several hundred gallons of 115/145 Avgas was not an attractive alternative, so we followed the passengers out.”
“After what seemed like a very long time, the sweet sound of approaching Hueys filled the air. Our old buddies from back at the field had heard the Mayday and had jumped in and cranked up. Both Hueys circled and opened fire on something we could not see, then one landed and picked up most of the passengers and the mail bags. The other Huey continued to circle and fire, then the first one returned and took the upper position while the other one landed to pick up the rest of us. The Huey leaped up as I was barely on board. Another plane from our Platoon flew in and took us back to Marble Mountain. It was a very odd feeling to be again sitting in an Otter and about to repeat the same departure that had just proved so traumatic, though this time we were under heavy escort by a couple of Cobra gunships. The next couple of weeks were terrible, being a crew chief without a ship, but I was eternally grateful when the Company assigned me to 'Reliable 53282', which proved to be a strong and faithful beast through the rest of my tour. 'Reliable 81691' was eventually retrieved by a Chinook and dropped off back at the airfield at Quang Ngai. As an ignominious ending, the fuselage was hoisted up on supports, to be used as jump practice for Vietnamese paratroopers. This sad spectacle was a daily momento for the Otter crews of the I Corps courier henceforth”. 81691 was deleted from the Army inventory and the wreck subsequently scrapped.
- by Karl E. Hayes
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A "strong and faithful" servant to the end, the "humiliation" suffered in her "expiring days" was an "unfitting finale" for the "Iroquois Princess".........
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
Saturday, October 06, 2007
The "GATHERING" Of Mustangs and Legends!
My friend Ken Kalynuk from Sport RC.com sent me some fine "links" to a recent "Mustang" happening. Check them out!
LINK - Sport RC.com "Gathering of Mustangs"!
LINK - The "GATHERING" of Mustangs & Legends: "The Final Roundup"!
LINK - Sport RC.com "Gathering of Mustangs"!
LINK - The "GATHERING" of Mustangs & Legends: "The Final Roundup"!
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
It's Time To Play..... Otterflogger's "Name That Cockpit"!
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #27" in our "cockpit series", which will be a continuing "brain-strainer".
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
- photo by Ian Odger
"PPssstt! Hey Buddy, wanna' buy a Rolex?"
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
Yes, it is the the twin-engined British Aerospace BAe 125 Series 800A, the world's best selling mid-size corporate jet, now marketed as the Raytheon Hawker 800. "DM" wins the "sailboat fuel"! Here "she" is! Thanks for the "comments", guys!
- photo by Ian Odger
- photo by Ian Odger
"Adios"!
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
- photo by Ian Odger
"PPssstt! Hey Buddy, wanna' buy a Rolex?"
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
Yes, it is the the twin-engined British Aerospace BAe 125 Series 800A, the world's best selling mid-size corporate jet, now marketed as the Raytheon Hawker 800. "DM" wins the "sailboat fuel"! Here "she" is! Thanks for the "comments", guys!
- photo by Ian Odger
- photo by Ian Odger
"Adios"!
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Built "Canadian Tough"!
I recently did a "moose hunting" trip to the Bloodvein River. As old UKN "augered" through the sky, I surveyed the local "geography" of the Precambrian Shield. Carved by glaciers, wind, and water, I figured it was built "Canadian Tough". Then I spied a "bull moose", living in the boreal forest. "Yup", moose are built "Canadian Tough". I followed the Bloodvein River, as it flowed through "solid granite". The Bloodvein River is definitely built "Canadian Tough". I reached my destination, and landed on the Bloodvein.
I anchored on the shoreline.......
.......and surveyed the area.
"Hey", UKN is built "Canadian Tough"!
Look at her floats, Edo 7170s, built in February, 1952, by MacDonald Brothers of Winnipeg, Manitoba. They built them "Canadian Tough".
I had Pontiac with me "swamping", and here he unties the canoe. He flies the bush, so I guess he rates as built "Canadian Tough" (when he isn't falling in the water). He dresses the part, anyways. Then, my two moose hunters loaded, and boarded their canoe, and prepared to set out on their hunt.
A female moose hunter! They build women "Canadian Tough" around here!
Meet Jill Oakes and Rick Riewe, a married couple, and both University of Manitoba professors!
They will be hunting the Sasaginnigak River, where it joins the Bloodvein River.
The "adventure" begins........
I have since retrieved Rick and Jill from their hunt, and they had a fantastic time. They ate ducks and Northern Pike, and called a 48" "Bull Moose" to within 50' of them the second day of their hunt. It stood broadside, and after quickly "mentally analyzing" the work involved in harvesting an animal that size, they chose not to shoot, as they were looking for a small bull. They felt no regret shooting, and enjoyed the moment, and probably felt a "twinge" of "euphoria" as the majestic moose slipped back into the bush. In closing, let me state again, "Canada: Built Tough"!
"Adios"!
CHECK OUT - More on Jill and Rick!
CHECK OUT - The "Plane" Jill Built!
I anchored on the shoreline.......
.......and surveyed the area.
"Hey", UKN is built "Canadian Tough"!
Look at her floats, Edo 7170s, built in February, 1952, by MacDonald Brothers of Winnipeg, Manitoba. They built them "Canadian Tough".
I had Pontiac with me "swamping", and here he unties the canoe. He flies the bush, so I guess he rates as built "Canadian Tough" (when he isn't falling in the water). He dresses the part, anyways. Then, my two moose hunters loaded, and boarded their canoe, and prepared to set out on their hunt.
A female moose hunter! They build women "Canadian Tough" around here!
Meet Jill Oakes and Rick Riewe, a married couple, and both University of Manitoba professors!
They will be hunting the Sasaginnigak River, where it joins the Bloodvein River.
The "adventure" begins........
I have since retrieved Rick and Jill from their hunt, and they had a fantastic time. They ate ducks and Northern Pike, and called a 48" "Bull Moose" to within 50' of them the second day of their hunt. It stood broadside, and after quickly "mentally analyzing" the work involved in harvesting an animal that size, they chose not to shoot, as they were looking for a small bull. They felt no regret shooting, and enjoyed the moment, and probably felt a "twinge" of "euphoria" as the majestic moose slipped back into the bush. In closing, let me state again, "Canada: Built Tough"!
"Adios"!
CHECK OUT - More on Jill and Rick!
CHECK OUT - The "Plane" Jill Built!
