Thursday, January 31, 2008
It's Time To Play..... Otterflogger's "Name That Cockpit"!
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #44" in our "cockpit series", which will be a continuing "brain-strainer".
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
Yes, it is the North American P-51 "Mustang"! What a machine with the "Merlin" engine installed! "Anonymous" wins the "sail-boat" fuel!
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
Yes, it is the North American P-51 "Mustang"! What a machine with the "Merlin" engine installed! "Anonymous" wins the "sail-boat" fuel!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
A Storyteller's "Final Chapter".........
Manitoba "Aviation Pioneer and Hall of Fame" member Lawrie Gaffray has "passed through" on his "journey beyond". He was a character, and when I think of him, a "smile" creases my lips. He sure had some "great tales", that he would share as we loaded his wild rice into my Otter at Pawn Lake. Lawrie was a "good man", and led an "honourable life". Mission accomplished.
---------------------------------------------------
Obituary
LAWRIE GAFFRAY
November 15, 1932 - January 26, 2008.
After a courageous battle with cancer, and with his family by his side, we announce the passing of Lawrie, our dearly loved husband, dad, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend on January 26, 2008 at the Health Sciences Centre. He will be sadly missed by his wife of 10 years, Steina; his children, Ron, Jan (Paul) Robert, and Karen; grandchildren, Angie, Ryan and Christopher; Steina's children, Dillon, Signe and Lois Vincent and her eight grandchildren. Lawrie will also be missed by his brothers Don (Rosemary), Art (Andrea) and sister Ruth (George) Litzenberger, nieces and nephews, extended family and friends. Lawrie grew up and attended school in Mud Falls and Great Falls, MB. He joined the RCAF and became a jet fighter pilot. Later, a bush pilot, that led to a passion for growing and harvesting Wild Rice. Lawrie especially enjoyed the time he spent at his cabin on the Winnipeg River and at Pawn Lake. In later years with his wife Steina he enjoyed extensive travel. Lawrie will always be remembered for his vivid storytelling and wealth of knowledge. He was a loyal friend. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, January 31, 2008 at the Pine Falls United Church at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Lawrie's name may be made to the charity of your choice.
BARDAL FUNERAL HOME 843 Sherbrook Street, 774-7474
Condolences: www.bardal.ca
------------------------------------------
Lawrie's rice-picker at Pawn Lake.............
The "picker" and the "Otter"..........
The "picker", the "Otter", "Lawrie", and his "wild rice"........
Let "the record" state that Lawrie was "Honourably Discharged" from this earth.....
---------------------------------------------------
Obituary
LAWRIE GAFFRAY
November 15, 1932 - January 26, 2008.
After a courageous battle with cancer, and with his family by his side, we announce the passing of Lawrie, our dearly loved husband, dad, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend on January 26, 2008 at the Health Sciences Centre. He will be sadly missed by his wife of 10 years, Steina; his children, Ron, Jan (Paul) Robert, and Karen; grandchildren, Angie, Ryan and Christopher; Steina's children, Dillon, Signe and Lois Vincent and her eight grandchildren. Lawrie will also be missed by his brothers Don (Rosemary), Art (Andrea) and sister Ruth (George) Litzenberger, nieces and nephews, extended family and friends. Lawrie grew up and attended school in Mud Falls and Great Falls, MB. He joined the RCAF and became a jet fighter pilot. Later, a bush pilot, that led to a passion for growing and harvesting Wild Rice. Lawrie especially enjoyed the time he spent at his cabin on the Winnipeg River and at Pawn Lake. In later years with his wife Steina he enjoyed extensive travel. Lawrie will always be remembered for his vivid storytelling and wealth of knowledge. He was a loyal friend. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, January 31, 2008 at the Pine Falls United Church at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Lawrie's name may be made to the charity of your choice.
BARDAL FUNERAL HOME 843 Sherbrook Street, 774-7474
Condolences: www.bardal.ca
------------------------------------------
Lawrie's rice-picker at Pawn Lake.............
The "picker" and the "Otter"..........
The "picker", the "Otter", "Lawrie", and his "wild rice"........
Let "the record" state that Lawrie was "Honourably Discharged" from this earth.....
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Steve's Video Of The Day: "Great Danes!"
Yes, "Great Danes" are amazing "anatomical structures"! Oh yes, they also have a distinctive, outstanding "bark"!
VIDEO - "Great Danes!"
VIDEO - "Great Danes!"
Monday, January 28, 2008
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"!......by Karl E. Hayes
I figured it was time to profile the "oldest" sibling in the Otter family still flying. So, here is an Otter that goes "way back", loaded with history......... Check out what happened when a prisoner being transported on this aircraft did a "D.B. Cooper" imitation, detailed near the end of the "post".
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 3
The third Otter off the line CF-ODH was delivered to Arthur Fecteau of Senneterre, Quebec, a veteran French-Canadian bush pilot on 29th December 1952. Mr Fecteau had first set up business in Senneterre, in the heart of Quebec's mining district, in 1936 with a Travelair biplane. He managed to promote enough business flying Indians and fur traders to keep his tiny one-man business solvent. He traded his Travelair for a Moth, the first of a long series of De Havilland types he was to own. He gradually built up his business and his fleet. In 1948 he acquired a Beaver, the seventh off the line, which represented a radical change in thinking, as nearly all his equipment up to then had been second hand. He became convinced that new, modern equipment with increased performance, appearance and efficiency would have a strong appeal to the public.
With this in mind, he acquired his first Otter CF-ODH in December 1952. This particular aircraft had initially been allocated as one of the Otters to be delivered to the Ontario Provincial Air Service (OPAS), in whose registration sequence these marks are, and the aircraft had already been painted in their overall yellow colour scheme, but then Mr.Fecteau showed up at DHC with hard cash and negotiated the purchase of the aircraft. OPAS agreed, in order to help DHC establish the Otter in the commercial market. Thus the first Otter delivered to OPAS became CF-ODJ (14).
Gradually more Otters were added to the Fecteau fleet, some new and some second hand. The Otters proved ideal as bush aircraft in Quebec. They could transport entire mining camps from one location to another, including drilling equipment and building materials. They were invaluable for general charter work. As well as the main base at Senneterre, the company developed other bases throughout the province, at Chibougamau, Sept Iles, Matagami, Havre St.Pierre, Temiscamie and Gagnon. ODH is mentioned in the history of the RCAF Radar Station at Parent, Quebec for 12th June 1954: “Intercept on unknown aircraft. June's fine weather assisted by a light operational forecast indicated that an uneventful period lay ahead. This feeling of tranquillity was dispelled at 1415Z when a track was identified as unknown. Two of a flight of four aircraft en route to Parent were diverted towards this 'unknown' for positive identification. The aircraft proved to be an Otter, CF-ODH”.
In 1955 Arthur Fecteau incorporated his business as A.Fecteau Transport Aerien Ltee, which years later changed its name to Air Fecteau Ltee. The company became a subsidiary of Quebecair in 1968, but continued to trade under its own name. It took over the aircraft of Northern Wings Ltd (Les Ailes du Nord), another Quebecair subsidiary, in 1978 to give it a fleet of eleven Otters, making the company at that time the world's largest commercial operator of the Otter. In 1981 Air Fecteau merged with another bush operator, La Sarre Air Services, based at La Sarre, Quebec to form Propair Inc. This new company had a massive fleet, of no less than 14 Otters and 14 Beavers, as well as several single Cessnas. During the early to mid 1980s, the fleet was maintained at this level, spread around the company's many bases throughout Quebec. During the late 1980s, the Otter fleet was gradually reduced, and was down to 5 aircraft by 1990 and subsequently reduced further.
CF-ODH was the first Otter to be acquired by Monsieur Fecteau and of all the DHC-3s operated by his company over the years, ODH remains unique for the length of time it served the province of Quebec in the operation of the Fecteau companies, an incredible 47 years. As other Otters came and went, ODH was retained, perhaps for sentimental reasons? Its operation was also a safe one, with only one incident recorded, on 6th April 1974 at Lac Mistassini. As the accident summary recorded: “Climb, stall, cargo shifted, substantial damage”. ODH had been operating on wheel-skis from the frozen lake at the time. It was repaired and returned to service. However, all good things must come to an end, and after 47 years of service in Quebec, C-FODH was sold. Many would have liked to see this veteran remain in Quebec in a museum, but despite its age, this Otter had many more years of productive life left in it. It headed west, to its new base at Vancouver, where it was registered to Harbour Air Ltd in February 2000.
Harbour Air was founded in 1981 by “three far-sighted pilots who saw an opportunity on Canada's Pacific coast to build an airline that serviced the British Columbia forest industry”, according to the company's website. “The partners purchased a couple of floatplanes and set up shop in an old floating office on the waterfront in Vancouver Harbour”. Harbour Air began a scheduled service to the Gulf Islands and opened a new waterfront terminal on the river at Vancouver International Airport. The first Otters joined the fleet in 1985. In the spring of 1993, Harbour Air took over the float-plane operation of Trans Provincial Airlines, which had encountered financial difficulties, which gave the company a base at Prince Rupert, on the Pacific Coast of northern BC, as well as services from there to the Queen Charlotte Islands. By this stage, services were also being flown from Vancouver to points on Vancouver Island, as well as charters and sight-seeing flights.
On arrival at Harbour Air's facility at the Vancouver International Airport, the veteran C-FODH entered the hangar where it was converted to a Vazar turbine Otter. It then headed north to be based at Prince Rupert, where it started service during the summer of 2000, flying Harbour Air's schedules out to the Queen Charlotte Islands and up and down the BC coast. As of 19th October 2000 this Otter had a total of 23,714 hours total airframe time.
ODH was involved in a bizarre incident on 7th December 2000, returning from Masset on Queen Charlotte Island to Prince Rupert. One of the passengers was a prisoner, who was being escorted by a female deputy sheriff back to Prince Rupert to face assault charges. At about 1540 hours, when the Otter was about 50 kms out from Prince Rupert, cruising at 1,500 metres over the Hecate Strait, the prisoner managed, despite being handcuffed, to wrestle open the door and jumped to his death. As the Vancouver Province newspaper reported: ”The pilot was about to take the plane down to try to recover the man's body, which they could see floating in the ocean below them, but the deputy sheriff, who had been dangling halfway out of the plane moments earlier, went into shock so they abandoned the attempt and headed straight to Prince Rupert to get the woman to hospital”. On 22nd September 2001, ODH suffered a birdstrike landing at Seal Cove, the seaplane base at Prince Rupert, on a flight from Digby Island, but was undamaged.
The Harbour Air Otters alternate between the company's various bases. As at October 2002, ODH was based at the Vancouver City Harbour base, flying scheduled services to Vancouver Island. Since then, ODH has been converted with the scenic windows. What with this conversion, its turbine engine, avionic updates etc and looking pristine in its new paint scheme, ODH is not only the oldest Otter still flying but one of the finest and most modern. During 2004 it continued to be based at Vancouver, flying Harbour Air's scheduled commuter services.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 3
January 1, 2008. C-FODH. In service with Harbour Air, Vancouver as a Vazar turbine, fleet number 307.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Still "alive" and in the workforce today. Yes, the "longevity' of the Otter is outstanding, "exponentially magnified" by the environment she "has served in" and "still serves in".......... "Good job, 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 3
The third Otter off the line CF-ODH was delivered to Arthur Fecteau of Senneterre, Quebec, a veteran French-Canadian bush pilot on 29th December 1952. Mr Fecteau had first set up business in Senneterre, in the heart of Quebec's mining district, in 1936 with a Travelair biplane. He managed to promote enough business flying Indians and fur traders to keep his tiny one-man business solvent. He traded his Travelair for a Moth, the first of a long series of De Havilland types he was to own. He gradually built up his business and his fleet. In 1948 he acquired a Beaver, the seventh off the line, which represented a radical change in thinking, as nearly all his equipment up to then had been second hand. He became convinced that new, modern equipment with increased performance, appearance and efficiency would have a strong appeal to the public.
With this in mind, he acquired his first Otter CF-ODH in December 1952. This particular aircraft had initially been allocated as one of the Otters to be delivered to the Ontario Provincial Air Service (OPAS), in whose registration sequence these marks are, and the aircraft had already been painted in their overall yellow colour scheme, but then Mr.Fecteau showed up at DHC with hard cash and negotiated the purchase of the aircraft. OPAS agreed, in order to help DHC establish the Otter in the commercial market. Thus the first Otter delivered to OPAS became CF-ODJ (14).
Gradually more Otters were added to the Fecteau fleet, some new and some second hand. The Otters proved ideal as bush aircraft in Quebec. They could transport entire mining camps from one location to another, including drilling equipment and building materials. They were invaluable for general charter work. As well as the main base at Senneterre, the company developed other bases throughout the province, at Chibougamau, Sept Iles, Matagami, Havre St.Pierre, Temiscamie and Gagnon. ODH is mentioned in the history of the RCAF Radar Station at Parent, Quebec for 12th June 1954: “Intercept on unknown aircraft. June's fine weather assisted by a light operational forecast indicated that an uneventful period lay ahead. This feeling of tranquillity was dispelled at 1415Z when a track was identified as unknown. Two of a flight of four aircraft en route to Parent were diverted towards this 'unknown' for positive identification. The aircraft proved to be an Otter, CF-ODH”.
In 1955 Arthur Fecteau incorporated his business as A.Fecteau Transport Aerien Ltee, which years later changed its name to Air Fecteau Ltee. The company became a subsidiary of Quebecair in 1968, but continued to trade under its own name. It took over the aircraft of Northern Wings Ltd (Les Ailes du Nord), another Quebecair subsidiary, in 1978 to give it a fleet of eleven Otters, making the company at that time the world's largest commercial operator of the Otter. In 1981 Air Fecteau merged with another bush operator, La Sarre Air Services, based at La Sarre, Quebec to form Propair Inc. This new company had a massive fleet, of no less than 14 Otters and 14 Beavers, as well as several single Cessnas. During the early to mid 1980s, the fleet was maintained at this level, spread around the company's many bases throughout Quebec. During the late 1980s, the Otter fleet was gradually reduced, and was down to 5 aircraft by 1990 and subsequently reduced further.
CF-ODH was the first Otter to be acquired by Monsieur Fecteau and of all the DHC-3s operated by his company over the years, ODH remains unique for the length of time it served the province of Quebec in the operation of the Fecteau companies, an incredible 47 years. As other Otters came and went, ODH was retained, perhaps for sentimental reasons? Its operation was also a safe one, with only one incident recorded, on 6th April 1974 at Lac Mistassini. As the accident summary recorded: “Climb, stall, cargo shifted, substantial damage”. ODH had been operating on wheel-skis from the frozen lake at the time. It was repaired and returned to service. However, all good things must come to an end, and after 47 years of service in Quebec, C-FODH was sold. Many would have liked to see this veteran remain in Quebec in a museum, but despite its age, this Otter had many more years of productive life left in it. It headed west, to its new base at Vancouver, where it was registered to Harbour Air Ltd in February 2000.
Harbour Air was founded in 1981 by “three far-sighted pilots who saw an opportunity on Canada's Pacific coast to build an airline that serviced the British Columbia forest industry”, according to the company's website. “The partners purchased a couple of floatplanes and set up shop in an old floating office on the waterfront in Vancouver Harbour”. Harbour Air began a scheduled service to the Gulf Islands and opened a new waterfront terminal on the river at Vancouver International Airport. The first Otters joined the fleet in 1985. In the spring of 1993, Harbour Air took over the float-plane operation of Trans Provincial Airlines, which had encountered financial difficulties, which gave the company a base at Prince Rupert, on the Pacific Coast of northern BC, as well as services from there to the Queen Charlotte Islands. By this stage, services were also being flown from Vancouver to points on Vancouver Island, as well as charters and sight-seeing flights.
On arrival at Harbour Air's facility at the Vancouver International Airport, the veteran C-FODH entered the hangar where it was converted to a Vazar turbine Otter. It then headed north to be based at Prince Rupert, where it started service during the summer of 2000, flying Harbour Air's schedules out to the Queen Charlotte Islands and up and down the BC coast. As of 19th October 2000 this Otter had a total of 23,714 hours total airframe time.
ODH was involved in a bizarre incident on 7th December 2000, returning from Masset on Queen Charlotte Island to Prince Rupert. One of the passengers was a prisoner, who was being escorted by a female deputy sheriff back to Prince Rupert to face assault charges. At about 1540 hours, when the Otter was about 50 kms out from Prince Rupert, cruising at 1,500 metres over the Hecate Strait, the prisoner managed, despite being handcuffed, to wrestle open the door and jumped to his death. As the Vancouver Province newspaper reported: ”The pilot was about to take the plane down to try to recover the man's body, which they could see floating in the ocean below them, but the deputy sheriff, who had been dangling halfway out of the plane moments earlier, went into shock so they abandoned the attempt and headed straight to Prince Rupert to get the woman to hospital”. On 22nd September 2001, ODH suffered a birdstrike landing at Seal Cove, the seaplane base at Prince Rupert, on a flight from Digby Island, but was undamaged.
The Harbour Air Otters alternate between the company's various bases. As at October 2002, ODH was based at the Vancouver City Harbour base, flying scheduled services to Vancouver Island. Since then, ODH has been converted with the scenic windows. What with this conversion, its turbine engine, avionic updates etc and looking pristine in its new paint scheme, ODH is not only the oldest Otter still flying but one of the finest and most modern. During 2004 it continued to be based at Vancouver, flying Harbour Air's scheduled commuter services.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 3
January 1, 2008. C-FODH. In service with Harbour Air, Vancouver as a Vazar turbine, fleet number 307.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Still "alive" and in the workforce today. Yes, the "longevity' of the Otter is outstanding, "exponentially magnified" by the environment she "has served in" and "still serves in".......... "Good job, Karl!"
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
Thursday, January 24, 2008
"Bolingbroke", in "Comfort".......
Two days ago I posted a "gem" of a video showing Bristol "Bolingbrokes" in action for a movie called "Son of Lassie". Patrick Lace left a comment on my post that the scenes were shot in Canada, in Victoria, and "guess what"? He was "spot-on", as usual! Then I remembered some photos I have "sat" on for too long. At the end of this past October my son's AAA Midget Hockey Team, the "Interlake Lightning", were playing in Brandon, Manitoba, and we stayed at the Comfort Inn. I always carry my camera "just in case", and......... "Tell you what, let's arrive at the Comfort Inn together"...........!!!
"Holy shit, Shane! What have you found?"
An "archaeological" find!
"And we didn't even have to dig!"
"Beautiful specimen!"
"She is a.........."
......Bristol "Bolingbroke"!
"God Bless" Warrant Officer R.D. Mathers (RCAF), Leading Aircraftman P.A. Trudel (RCAF), and Leading Aircraftman N.M. Glenday (RNZAF).
"Last word" of my "post" goes to Shane and the Bolingbroke..........."
"Adios"!
"Holy shit, Shane! What have you found?"
An "archaeological" find!
"And we didn't even have to dig!"
"Beautiful specimen!"
"She is a.........."
......Bristol "Bolingbroke"!
"God Bless" Warrant Officer R.D. Mathers (RCAF), Leading Aircraftman P.A. Trudel (RCAF), and Leading Aircraftman N.M. Glenday (RNZAF).
"Last word" of my "post" goes to Shane and the Bolingbroke..........."
"Adios"!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
It's Time To Play..... Otterflogger's "Name That Cockpit"!
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #43" in our "cockpit series", which will be a continuing "brain-strainer".
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
Yes, it is a "Cat", the Consolidated PBY "Catalina" flying boat! Lance wins the "sailboat fuel"!
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
Yes, it is a "Cat", the Consolidated PBY "Catalina" flying boat! Lance wins the "sailboat fuel"!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Steve's Video Of The Day: Bristol "Bolingbroke"!
Thousands of Bristol Blenheims were built during WWII, and in Canada they were called "Bolingbrokes". Check out this "video gem" I came across, believe it or not, from a 1945 film called, prepare yourself, "Son Of Lassie"! (No, I am not kidding!)
VIDEO -
Bristol "Bolingbroke"!Monday, January 21, 2008
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"!......by Karl E. Hayes
We all know Max Ward's story. From "bushplanes" to "jets", and the Otter was part of his early fleet. Northwest Territorial Airways followed the same route, and here is the first Otter they purchased. It was actually the only civilian Otter de Havilland Canada sold to South America. Colombia? "Hey", I wonder how much "Latin Lettuce" the "old girl" carried in her "southern career"? Also, this following Otter was the "very first" to have a "turbine" installed......
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 54
Otter number 54 is unique in being the only civilian Otter sold by DHC to South America. It was originally registered HK-399-X to Taxi Aereo de Santander Ltda of Colombia and delivered on 27th January 1955, the “-X” suffix being dropped after a period of test flying. The Otter was delivered by DHC test pilot Bob Fowler, accompanied by technical representative Crawford Byers. Bob Fowler describes the delivery: “As this was the first Otter to go to South America, we hoped to get its operation off to a good start. It was snowing when on 27th January 1955 we flew from Downsview to Toronto International Airport to clear out-bound Canadian customs, and then after clearing US customs in and outbound at Buffalo Airport, New York we again departed (VFR) in snow for Greater Pittsburgh Airport, and landed there after dark, almost frozen as Otter 54 had no heater for its career in Colombia”.
“We then flew next day to Fort Rucker, Alabama home of the US Army Aviation Corps and stayed there the nights of 28th and 29th January to familiarize the Army with the Otter, which they had just ordered in quantity as the U-1A. After two nights in Miami with thunderstorms, on 1st February we flew to Kingston, Jamaica and landed after flying around the coast of Jamaica due to solid thunderstorms over the whole island. On 2nd February with both of us wearing a seatpack and one-man dinghy, we set off for Barranquilla on the north coast of Colombia. With one engine, the only thing of interest during five hours of looking at the sea was a beautiful view of the snow-covered 20,000 foot peak of Santa Marta on the coast of Venezuela. February 3rd we took off for Bucaramanga, and after searching for over an hour finally found it in very rugged and smoky mountain country”.
Taxi Aereo de Santander Ltda was formed in 1948 as an air taxi concern operating Stinson Voyagers and later Cessna 180s from its base at Bucaramanga, the industrial capital of the Province of Santander in the north-east of Colombia, located in the foothills of the Cordillera Oriental mountains. At that time, airfields in the region were too small for any larger equipment. A progressive expansion programme brought three DHC-2 Beavers into the fleet and then the Otter, and with the introduction of these rugged aircraft, the company's network was expanded to operate on a regular basis to Gamarra, Barrancabermeja, the country's main oil refinery, and to the border capital of Cucuta, in the Norte de Santander Province, where passengers could link with the trunk carriers of the day. After another Colombian operator LANSA ceased operations in 1954, the company decided to expand operations. Five DC-3s were purchased and a network of routes established from the Bucaramanga base to Bogota and to more distant points in northeast Colombia.
In 1960 the company augmented its fleet with three Curtiss C-46s, converted to passenger use and designated “Super C-46T”. The company was re-named Lineas Aereas Taxader and possibly because it was getting into larger aircraft, the Otter was advertised for sale. The purchaser was a bush pilot from Yellowknife named Robert Engle, who acquired the Otter from Lineas Aereas Taxader for US$44,000. On 18th October 1961 he applied for the marks CF-NWA but these were not available and he was allocated CF-NTR. He was also given a ferry permit for the Otter from Bucaramanga to Calgary, where it was to be overhauled by Field Aviation.
Mr Engle contracted Denny McCartney of Vancouver, an aircraft engineer who specialised in such types as the Otter, to check over his new purchase and they travelled down to Colombia to take delivery of the Otter. When the inspections were complete, they took off in HK-399 from Bucaramanga on 29th November 1961 and flew north over the Magdalena River to Barranquilla on Colombia's north coast. The next day was stormy and they had to stay put, but on 1st December they flew along the coast to Panama, landing at Panama City Airport for an overnight. They departed 2nd December and headed north but had to make a precautionary landing in Costa Rica, at a private strip belonging to United Fruit Growers, to check and refill with oil. Some pilots, according to Mr McCartney, refer to Otters as “oilers” because of their oil consumption. They continued on to Managua, the capital of Nicaragua where they refuelled, continuing on for their next overnight at Tapachula, Mexico. December 3rd they flew to Acapulco, where the following day was spent carrying out an inspection of the Otter. December 5th saw the delivery flight progressing from Acapulco to Mazatlan for another overnight. December 6th saw the departure from Mazatlan, another precautionary landing at a small strip to check the oil, onwards to Ciudad Juarez to check out of Mexico and the arrival at El Paso, Texas. December 7th's routing was from El Paso to Albequerque, New Mexico and on to Denver, Colorado. Here there was another inspection of the Otter and a change of registration from HK-399 to CF-NTR. December 9th they left Denver and with one stop for fuel and oil in Wyoming, arrived at Great Falls, Montana. 10th December 1961 saw the final sector from Great Falls to Calgary, Alberta where the Otter was entrusted to Field Aviation for complete overhaul.
Robert (Bob) Engle had started out flying for Max Ward, flying his Otters out of Yellowknife, but decided to strike out on his own and in 1960 formed Northwest Territorial Airways with a single Beaver as its first equipment. He needed some waterfront in Yellowknife to get his operation going, and acquired Canadian Pacific's old building, which was then being used by La Ronge Aviation. Otter CF-NTR joined the fleet after its overhaul at Calgary, and also acquired was a Beech 18 on floats. Northwest Territorial graduated to DC-3s on scheduled services, then Lockheed L188 Electras and then jet equipment, becoming one of the major carriers in the Northwest Territories. In its early years however it was a typical bush operation, providing a full range of bush services from its Yellowknife base, with the Otter a key part of the early fleet.
Denny McCartney again made the Otter's acquaintance some time later, when it was used to assist in the recovery of Beaver CF-HGY of BC-Yukon Air Services, which had crashed into trees on the bank of the South Nahanni River in the Northwest Territories. The recovery of the Beaver is described in Denny McCartney's excellent book “Picking Up The Pieces”. After a major repair job at the accident site, the Beaver was made airworthy and set off for Watson Lake but suffered engine failure en route and had to set down on a small lake beside the Coal River. It needed a new engine. Fortunately Bob Engle was in the area at the time with Otter NTR, which was used to fly a new engine to the downed Beaver. Mr McCartney was able to repay the favour by inspecting and servicing the Otter, which was then operating on a contract from the Canada Tungsten Mines airstrip.
CF-NTR continued to fly for Northwest Territorial Airways for most of the 1960s. It was damaged in an accident at Yellowknife on 13th September 1968 while tied up to the company dock. Wardair Twin Otter CF-VOG was being taxied to the Wardair dock when its pilot somewhat lost the run of his machine and crashed into the Otter. As the accident report puts it, the Twin Otter pilot was at the time “attempting to arrest its forward motion”. The nose of the Twin Otter was pushed in, the floats damaged, and both engines over-temped. One wing of Otter NTR was crumpled and its floats and tail plane damaged. Repairs were carried out by Field Aviation in Calgary.
A year later, CF-NTR met with a much more serious accident, which ended its career with Northwest Territorial. On 1st August 1969 the Otter was engaged in water bombing a forest fire at Wholdaia Lake in the Northwest Territories. The aircraft was climbing away from the lake after a water pick-up when at about 300 feet the engine quit with a loud bang. The pilot immediately dumped the water load and turned back towards the lake. The Otter landed on the right float while still in a turn, bounced, stalled and struck heavily on the left float. The float struts collapsed, the nose sank until it contacted the bottom of the lake and the Otter flipped over and came to rest on its back, lying in eight feet of water. The accident report noted that the pilot had commenced flying at 0315 hours that day, and as water bombing a forest fire is a low-level operation demanding great concentration, by the time the accident occurred fatigue would have dulled the pilot's alertness. The stoppage of the engine in this aircraft type as a result of backfire is symptomatic of fuel exhaustion, the report noted. The salvage of the wrecked Otter was sold to a company called Minto Airways Inc of Seattle. Lawyers acting for the buyers incorporated a company in Canada called Minto Airways Ltd and applied to have the Otter registered to this company. The Department of Transport replied that before that could happen, the aircraft would have to be repaired, inspected and certified and this proposal did not proceed further.
Ownership of the Otter was eventually acquired by a Mr Harold Bradfeld, a resident of South Dakota. The aircraft was rebuilt and registered N3904. The new owner did not operate the aircraft himself, but leased it out. It first went to Eagle Air Inc of Sitka, Alaska and was flown out of Sitka for a time. Its next operator was a company based in Seattle called Western Rotorcraft Inc, who specialised in converting aircraft to turboprop power. During 1972 the Otter was converted by the installation of a Garrett AiResearch TPE-331 engine, becoming the first turbine Otter. It appears however that the testing at Lake Union, Seattle did not go too well, and that the concept of a turbo Otter at that stage was ahead of its time. The R-1340 piston engine was re-installed and the lease was terminated in 1976, and the Otter was then put up for sale.
In July 1976 Harold Bradfeld sold the Otter to Kachemak Air Service Inc of Homer, Alaska, to whom it was registered, retaining the registration N3904. It was flown from Lake Union, Seattle north to its new base at Homer, which was to be its home for the next 24 years. That winter, the Otter was flown south to Arizona, where William de Creeft, the company's owner, was visiting friends at Camp Verde. The Otter was then flown to Wickenburg, Arizona where it was repainted by Avart into the most attractive overall red scheme with black speed line, which it was to wear from then on. It then flew back to Alaska and into service with Kachemak Air Service.
Homer is located on Kachemak Bay on the Kenai Peninsula. During the summer months, the Otter operated on floats from Beluga Lake, and on wheels from the nearby Homer Airport during the winter. A minor but dramatic incident was recorded on 26th October 1982 at Homer. After removing the floats and re-installing the wheels at the end of the summer season, the pilot received permission to take off on a roadway bridge that spans Beluga Lake at Homer. The purpose of the flight was to ferry the Otter to the nearby Homer Airport. On take-off N3904 veered left due to a wind gust and when the pilot corrected with right brake, the nose tucked down. This allowed the propeller tips to come in contact with the ground. The take-off was continued and the Otter landed at Homer Airport without further incident.
A major source of business for the Otter was the local fishing industry, ferrying fishermen to and from the outlying fishing grounds. Pilot de Creeft transported fishermen active in the late 1970s, and subsequently their children and grand-children, so long was the Otter in service. The Otter flew alongside the company's Beaver N9762Z. Other taskings included support of the oil industry, supplying exploration camps with food and fuel, and moving the camps from place to place. Similarly, government scientists and geologists on surveys were provisioned and moved, as well as Fish & Game personnel. Native villages in the locality were supplied, as were logging camps. The Otter and the Beaver serviced the needs of the bush country for hundreds of miles around their Homer base. Occasionally there were trips further afield, one example being a medevac flight in the Otter to Chignik to pick up a patient who was then flown to Anchorage.
As the years passed by, as with other Otters elsewhere, demand for this type of general charter work reduced, and support of the tourist industry became the primary source of business. Building materials were flown in to sites where camps and lodges were being established. As the company's website informed: “Our Otter carried every stick of lumber, every brick, every stick of furniture to build and furnish the delightful Loonsong Lodge”. The Otter was used for brown bear viewing to the McNeil River bear sanctuary, for transporting backpackers, fishermen, kayakers and general cargo hauling throughout the region. It brought hunters to the Mulchatna region to the west of Homer. During the 1990s however the company found it difficult to continue trading profitably with the two De Havillands. The Beaver was sold, and reduced operations continued with the Otter until November 2000, when N3904 was taken from Beluga Lake for the last time, and put on wheels in preparation for a sale. This however was not the end for Kachemak Air Service, which continued in business with NC9084, their 1929-vintage Beech Travel Air.
The Otter was sold in December 2000, an event which made the local media. As the Homer News reported “Big Red is gone, and something about that makes Beluga Lake a bit less colourful. Homer pilot Bill de Creeft, owner of Kachemak Air Service, has sold the bright red de Havilland he has owned and operated since 1976. Other Otters will continue to use the lake but de Creeft was a familiar sight, even something of a flying landmark, drawing interest from Homer residents and visitors alike”. The Otter was sold to Chinook Air LLC of Fairbanks and moved to its new base at Wasilla, north of Anchorage, from where it was used to service a lodge, being operated on behalf of its new owners by Grasshopper Aviation, based at Wasilla. This operation continued for two years, until 28th December 2002 when the Otter crashed at Nikolai, Alaska. The purpose of the flight that day was to deliver a load of fuel oil to a remote lodge located at Mystic Lake, about 35 miles east of Nikolai. The flight to the private airstrip at the lodge was uneventful and the Otter was on the ground there for 45 minutes while the fuel oil was unloaded. The accident happened as the Otter was taking off empty for the return flight to Wasilla.
The pilot reported that just after an uneventful westerly take-off from the one thousand foot by thirty foot snow-covered airstrip, as the Otter climbed to about 800 feet above the ground and the airspeed increased to about 55 knots, he heard a very loud bang, followed by a loud rattling noise. The pilot said that as was attempting to turn the aircraft around and return to the departure airstrip, he experienced considerably difficulty in maintaining longitudinal directional control using the airplane's rudder pedals. Using a combination of aileron control and the remaining amount of rudder control, he was able to manoeuvre the airplane for an easterly landing on the airstrip. The pilot said that as the airplane passed over the approach end of the airstrip, the aircraft drifted to the right and he initiated a go-around. The airplane subsequently collided with a stand of trees on the north side of the airstrip and sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage and empennage.
The insurers hired a Bell 204 helicopter from Big Lake, Alaska to retrieve the wrecked Otter. It flew to the scene of the accident at Nikolai and airlifted N3904 to Talkeetna, from where it was trucked back to Wasilla. At the time of the accident, it had some 16,500 hours on the airframe. It was put up for sale and purchased by a Mr Ed Tuohy of Tucson, Arizona. He had a hangar at the small airfield at La Cholla, near Tucson and was in the business of fixing up wrecked aircraft, having already dealt with a few single Cessnas which he had retrieved from Alaska. On 23rd May 2003 he put a advertisement on the 'Barnstormers' website, advertising the Otter for sale “DHC-3 Otter project. For sale. Damage to tail, left main gear, gear box and carry thru spar at least. Firewall back only for $125,000. Excellent for turbine mod to your specification”. At that stage the Otter was still in Wasilla, Alaska but he was making arrangements to truck it back to Tucson to his base at the La Cholla airfield. It subsequently passed through Tok, Alaska on the back of a truck, headed south. As at May 2004 the Otter was still advertised for sale, as a rebuild project or for parts.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 54
January 1st, 2008. N3904. Following its crash at Nikolai, Alaska in December 2002 and the subsequent purchase of the wreck by Rich Fowler and Carl Penner, the rebuild of number 54 continued during 2007 at Heber, Utah. The remains of Otter 327 were purchased for use in the rebuild, and 327 and 54 were mated in May 2007, the rebuild continuing during the rest of the year.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Quite the girl"! Hopefully she "returns to the skies" soon, with Otter 327's "transplanted parts" keeping her "viable" for another 50 years!
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 54
Otter number 54 is unique in being the only civilian Otter sold by DHC to South America. It was originally registered HK-399-X to Taxi Aereo de Santander Ltda of Colombia and delivered on 27th January 1955, the “-X” suffix being dropped after a period of test flying. The Otter was delivered by DHC test pilot Bob Fowler, accompanied by technical representative Crawford Byers. Bob Fowler describes the delivery: “As this was the first Otter to go to South America, we hoped to get its operation off to a good start. It was snowing when on 27th January 1955 we flew from Downsview to Toronto International Airport to clear out-bound Canadian customs, and then after clearing US customs in and outbound at Buffalo Airport, New York we again departed (VFR) in snow for Greater Pittsburgh Airport, and landed there after dark, almost frozen as Otter 54 had no heater for its career in Colombia”.
“We then flew next day to Fort Rucker, Alabama home of the US Army Aviation Corps and stayed there the nights of 28th and 29th January to familiarize the Army with the Otter, which they had just ordered in quantity as the U-1A. After two nights in Miami with thunderstorms, on 1st February we flew to Kingston, Jamaica and landed after flying around the coast of Jamaica due to solid thunderstorms over the whole island. On 2nd February with both of us wearing a seatpack and one-man dinghy, we set off for Barranquilla on the north coast of Colombia. With one engine, the only thing of interest during five hours of looking at the sea was a beautiful view of the snow-covered 20,000 foot peak of Santa Marta on the coast of Venezuela. February 3rd we took off for Bucaramanga, and after searching for over an hour finally found it in very rugged and smoky mountain country”.
Taxi Aereo de Santander Ltda was formed in 1948 as an air taxi concern operating Stinson Voyagers and later Cessna 180s from its base at Bucaramanga, the industrial capital of the Province of Santander in the north-east of Colombia, located in the foothills of the Cordillera Oriental mountains. At that time, airfields in the region were too small for any larger equipment. A progressive expansion programme brought three DHC-2 Beavers into the fleet and then the Otter, and with the introduction of these rugged aircraft, the company's network was expanded to operate on a regular basis to Gamarra, Barrancabermeja, the country's main oil refinery, and to the border capital of Cucuta, in the Norte de Santander Province, where passengers could link with the trunk carriers of the day. After another Colombian operator LANSA ceased operations in 1954, the company decided to expand operations. Five DC-3s were purchased and a network of routes established from the Bucaramanga base to Bogota and to more distant points in northeast Colombia.
In 1960 the company augmented its fleet with three Curtiss C-46s, converted to passenger use and designated “Super C-46T”. The company was re-named Lineas Aereas Taxader and possibly because it was getting into larger aircraft, the Otter was advertised for sale. The purchaser was a bush pilot from Yellowknife named Robert Engle, who acquired the Otter from Lineas Aereas Taxader for US$44,000. On 18th October 1961 he applied for the marks CF-NWA but these were not available and he was allocated CF-NTR. He was also given a ferry permit for the Otter from Bucaramanga to Calgary, where it was to be overhauled by Field Aviation.
Mr Engle contracted Denny McCartney of Vancouver, an aircraft engineer who specialised in such types as the Otter, to check over his new purchase and they travelled down to Colombia to take delivery of the Otter. When the inspections were complete, they took off in HK-399 from Bucaramanga on 29th November 1961 and flew north over the Magdalena River to Barranquilla on Colombia's north coast. The next day was stormy and they had to stay put, but on 1st December they flew along the coast to Panama, landing at Panama City Airport for an overnight. They departed 2nd December and headed north but had to make a precautionary landing in Costa Rica, at a private strip belonging to United Fruit Growers, to check and refill with oil. Some pilots, according to Mr McCartney, refer to Otters as “oilers” because of their oil consumption. They continued on to Managua, the capital of Nicaragua where they refuelled, continuing on for their next overnight at Tapachula, Mexico. December 3rd they flew to Acapulco, where the following day was spent carrying out an inspection of the Otter. December 5th saw the delivery flight progressing from Acapulco to Mazatlan for another overnight. December 6th saw the departure from Mazatlan, another precautionary landing at a small strip to check the oil, onwards to Ciudad Juarez to check out of Mexico and the arrival at El Paso, Texas. December 7th's routing was from El Paso to Albequerque, New Mexico and on to Denver, Colorado. Here there was another inspection of the Otter and a change of registration from HK-399 to CF-NTR. December 9th they left Denver and with one stop for fuel and oil in Wyoming, arrived at Great Falls, Montana. 10th December 1961 saw the final sector from Great Falls to Calgary, Alberta where the Otter was entrusted to Field Aviation for complete overhaul.
Robert (Bob) Engle had started out flying for Max Ward, flying his Otters out of Yellowknife, but decided to strike out on his own and in 1960 formed Northwest Territorial Airways with a single Beaver as its first equipment. He needed some waterfront in Yellowknife to get his operation going, and acquired Canadian Pacific's old building, which was then being used by La Ronge Aviation. Otter CF-NTR joined the fleet after its overhaul at Calgary, and also acquired was a Beech 18 on floats. Northwest Territorial graduated to DC-3s on scheduled services, then Lockheed L188 Electras and then jet equipment, becoming one of the major carriers in the Northwest Territories. In its early years however it was a typical bush operation, providing a full range of bush services from its Yellowknife base, with the Otter a key part of the early fleet.
Denny McCartney again made the Otter's acquaintance some time later, when it was used to assist in the recovery of Beaver CF-HGY of BC-Yukon Air Services, which had crashed into trees on the bank of the South Nahanni River in the Northwest Territories. The recovery of the Beaver is described in Denny McCartney's excellent book “Picking Up The Pieces”. After a major repair job at the accident site, the Beaver was made airworthy and set off for Watson Lake but suffered engine failure en route and had to set down on a small lake beside the Coal River. It needed a new engine. Fortunately Bob Engle was in the area at the time with Otter NTR, which was used to fly a new engine to the downed Beaver. Mr McCartney was able to repay the favour by inspecting and servicing the Otter, which was then operating on a contract from the Canada Tungsten Mines airstrip.
CF-NTR continued to fly for Northwest Territorial Airways for most of the 1960s. It was damaged in an accident at Yellowknife on 13th September 1968 while tied up to the company dock. Wardair Twin Otter CF-VOG was being taxied to the Wardair dock when its pilot somewhat lost the run of his machine and crashed into the Otter. As the accident report puts it, the Twin Otter pilot was at the time “attempting to arrest its forward motion”. The nose of the Twin Otter was pushed in, the floats damaged, and both engines over-temped. One wing of Otter NTR was crumpled and its floats and tail plane damaged. Repairs were carried out by Field Aviation in Calgary.
A year later, CF-NTR met with a much more serious accident, which ended its career with Northwest Territorial. On 1st August 1969 the Otter was engaged in water bombing a forest fire at Wholdaia Lake in the Northwest Territories. The aircraft was climbing away from the lake after a water pick-up when at about 300 feet the engine quit with a loud bang. The pilot immediately dumped the water load and turned back towards the lake. The Otter landed on the right float while still in a turn, bounced, stalled and struck heavily on the left float. The float struts collapsed, the nose sank until it contacted the bottom of the lake and the Otter flipped over and came to rest on its back, lying in eight feet of water. The accident report noted that the pilot had commenced flying at 0315 hours that day, and as water bombing a forest fire is a low-level operation demanding great concentration, by the time the accident occurred fatigue would have dulled the pilot's alertness. The stoppage of the engine in this aircraft type as a result of backfire is symptomatic of fuel exhaustion, the report noted. The salvage of the wrecked Otter was sold to a company called Minto Airways Inc of Seattle. Lawyers acting for the buyers incorporated a company in Canada called Minto Airways Ltd and applied to have the Otter registered to this company. The Department of Transport replied that before that could happen, the aircraft would have to be repaired, inspected and certified and this proposal did not proceed further.
Ownership of the Otter was eventually acquired by a Mr Harold Bradfeld, a resident of South Dakota. The aircraft was rebuilt and registered N3904. The new owner did not operate the aircraft himself, but leased it out. It first went to Eagle Air Inc of Sitka, Alaska and was flown out of Sitka for a time. Its next operator was a company based in Seattle called Western Rotorcraft Inc, who specialised in converting aircraft to turboprop power. During 1972 the Otter was converted by the installation of a Garrett AiResearch TPE-331 engine, becoming the first turbine Otter. It appears however that the testing at Lake Union, Seattle did not go too well, and that the concept of a turbo Otter at that stage was ahead of its time. The R-1340 piston engine was re-installed and the lease was terminated in 1976, and the Otter was then put up for sale.
In July 1976 Harold Bradfeld sold the Otter to Kachemak Air Service Inc of Homer, Alaska, to whom it was registered, retaining the registration N3904. It was flown from Lake Union, Seattle north to its new base at Homer, which was to be its home for the next 24 years. That winter, the Otter was flown south to Arizona, where William de Creeft, the company's owner, was visiting friends at Camp Verde. The Otter was then flown to Wickenburg, Arizona where it was repainted by Avart into the most attractive overall red scheme with black speed line, which it was to wear from then on. It then flew back to Alaska and into service with Kachemak Air Service.
Homer is located on Kachemak Bay on the Kenai Peninsula. During the summer months, the Otter operated on floats from Beluga Lake, and on wheels from the nearby Homer Airport during the winter. A minor but dramatic incident was recorded on 26th October 1982 at Homer. After removing the floats and re-installing the wheels at the end of the summer season, the pilot received permission to take off on a roadway bridge that spans Beluga Lake at Homer. The purpose of the flight was to ferry the Otter to the nearby Homer Airport. On take-off N3904 veered left due to a wind gust and when the pilot corrected with right brake, the nose tucked down. This allowed the propeller tips to come in contact with the ground. The take-off was continued and the Otter landed at Homer Airport without further incident.
A major source of business for the Otter was the local fishing industry, ferrying fishermen to and from the outlying fishing grounds. Pilot de Creeft transported fishermen active in the late 1970s, and subsequently their children and grand-children, so long was the Otter in service. The Otter flew alongside the company's Beaver N9762Z. Other taskings included support of the oil industry, supplying exploration camps with food and fuel, and moving the camps from place to place. Similarly, government scientists and geologists on surveys were provisioned and moved, as well as Fish & Game personnel. Native villages in the locality were supplied, as were logging camps. The Otter and the Beaver serviced the needs of the bush country for hundreds of miles around their Homer base. Occasionally there were trips further afield, one example being a medevac flight in the Otter to Chignik to pick up a patient who was then flown to Anchorage.
As the years passed by, as with other Otters elsewhere, demand for this type of general charter work reduced, and support of the tourist industry became the primary source of business. Building materials were flown in to sites where camps and lodges were being established. As the company's website informed: “Our Otter carried every stick of lumber, every brick, every stick of furniture to build and furnish the delightful Loonsong Lodge”. The Otter was used for brown bear viewing to the McNeil River bear sanctuary, for transporting backpackers, fishermen, kayakers and general cargo hauling throughout the region. It brought hunters to the Mulchatna region to the west of Homer. During the 1990s however the company found it difficult to continue trading profitably with the two De Havillands. The Beaver was sold, and reduced operations continued with the Otter until November 2000, when N3904 was taken from Beluga Lake for the last time, and put on wheels in preparation for a sale. This however was not the end for Kachemak Air Service, which continued in business with NC9084, their 1929-vintage Beech Travel Air.
The Otter was sold in December 2000, an event which made the local media. As the Homer News reported “Big Red is gone, and something about that makes Beluga Lake a bit less colourful. Homer pilot Bill de Creeft, owner of Kachemak Air Service, has sold the bright red de Havilland he has owned and operated since 1976. Other Otters will continue to use the lake but de Creeft was a familiar sight, even something of a flying landmark, drawing interest from Homer residents and visitors alike”. The Otter was sold to Chinook Air LLC of Fairbanks and moved to its new base at Wasilla, north of Anchorage, from where it was used to service a lodge, being operated on behalf of its new owners by Grasshopper Aviation, based at Wasilla. This operation continued for two years, until 28th December 2002 when the Otter crashed at Nikolai, Alaska. The purpose of the flight that day was to deliver a load of fuel oil to a remote lodge located at Mystic Lake, about 35 miles east of Nikolai. The flight to the private airstrip at the lodge was uneventful and the Otter was on the ground there for 45 minutes while the fuel oil was unloaded. The accident happened as the Otter was taking off empty for the return flight to Wasilla.
The pilot reported that just after an uneventful westerly take-off from the one thousand foot by thirty foot snow-covered airstrip, as the Otter climbed to about 800 feet above the ground and the airspeed increased to about 55 knots, he heard a very loud bang, followed by a loud rattling noise. The pilot said that as was attempting to turn the aircraft around and return to the departure airstrip, he experienced considerably difficulty in maintaining longitudinal directional control using the airplane's rudder pedals. Using a combination of aileron control and the remaining amount of rudder control, he was able to manoeuvre the airplane for an easterly landing on the airstrip. The pilot said that as the airplane passed over the approach end of the airstrip, the aircraft drifted to the right and he initiated a go-around. The airplane subsequently collided with a stand of trees on the north side of the airstrip and sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage and empennage.
The insurers hired a Bell 204 helicopter from Big Lake, Alaska to retrieve the wrecked Otter. It flew to the scene of the accident at Nikolai and airlifted N3904 to Talkeetna, from where it was trucked back to Wasilla. At the time of the accident, it had some 16,500 hours on the airframe. It was put up for sale and purchased by a Mr Ed Tuohy of Tucson, Arizona. He had a hangar at the small airfield at La Cholla, near Tucson and was in the business of fixing up wrecked aircraft, having already dealt with a few single Cessnas which he had retrieved from Alaska. On 23rd May 2003 he put a advertisement on the 'Barnstormers' website, advertising the Otter for sale “DHC-3 Otter project. For sale. Damage to tail, left main gear, gear box and carry thru spar at least. Firewall back only for $125,000. Excellent for turbine mod to your specification”. At that stage the Otter was still in Wasilla, Alaska but he was making arrangements to truck it back to Tucson to his base at the La Cholla airfield. It subsequently passed through Tok, Alaska on the back of a truck, headed south. As at May 2004 the Otter was still advertised for sale, as a rebuild project or for parts.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 54
January 1st, 2008. N3904. Following its crash at Nikolai, Alaska in December 2002 and the subsequent purchase of the wreck by Rich Fowler and Carl Penner, the rebuild of number 54 continued during 2007 at Heber, Utah. The remains of Otter 327 were purchased for use in the rebuild, and 327 and 54 were mated in May 2007, the rebuild continuing during the rest of the year.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Quite the girl"! Hopefully she "returns to the skies" soon, with Otter 327's "transplanted parts" keeping her "viable" for another 50 years!
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Steve's Video Of The Day: The Unbreakable "Jug"!
Climb in the cockpit, "strap-on" a "fine piece of iron", fire up the Pratt and Whitney R-2800, fly a "mission" into occupied France, and take "numerous rounds" coming back across the English Channel........ and do it all again "the following day"!
VIDEO -
The Unbreakable "Jug"!
Friday, January 18, 2008
"Sleepy" Otters..........
Otters are semi-aquatic mammals of the Mustelidae family, related to stoats, weasels, skunks and badgers. Otters have a keen sense of smell and sharp hearing on land... in clear water they can spot prey with their eyes... and in murky waters their whiskers detect the twitching of fish. Otters do not hibernate in winter, though they tend to be less active, spending much of their time in a "holt", which is an "otter's den". "What"? "Otters don't hibernate"? "Somebody forgot to tell these Otters".................
Otter GSL.......
Otter BEO.......
Otter LEA.......
Otter ODJ.......
Otter SMG.......
Otter KOA.......
Otter CDX........
"Well", there you have it, Otters do hibernate, in their "holt" at Selkirk, Manitoba! "By the way"........
"Beavers" hibernate also.......
.........and so do "Thunderchickens"!
"Last word" of my Post goes to the "fish shacks" on the frozen Red River............
"Adios"!
Otter GSL.......
Otter BEO.......
Otter LEA.......
Otter ODJ.......
Otter SMG.......
Otter KOA.......
Otter CDX........
"Well", there you have it, Otters do hibernate, in their "holt" at Selkirk, Manitoba! "By the way"........
"Beavers" hibernate also.......
.........and so do "Thunderchickens"!
"Last word" of my Post goes to the "fish shacks" on the frozen Red River............
"Adios"!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
It's Time To Play..... Otterflogger's "Name That Cockpit"!
"Whoops!" Running a little late this week, have been preparing for the Reggie Leach Classic Hockey Tournament that started this evening, along with my son's AAA Midget games. "Guess what?" Reggie will have the "Stanley Cup" in Riverton on Saturday and Sunday. I get the "inkling" there could be a "photo op"..........
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #42" in our "cockpit series", which will be a continuing "brain-strainer".
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
!!! HINT !!!
"Think" Spartacus, Maximus................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
Yes, it is the Gloster "Gladiator"! Lance wins the "sailboat fuel"! Good job!
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #42" in our "cockpit series", which will be a continuing "brain-strainer".
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
!!! HINT !!!
"Think" Spartacus, Maximus................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
Yes, it is the Gloster "Gladiator"! Lance wins the "sailboat fuel"! Good job!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Steve's Video Of The Day: "How To Start" A "Tractor"?
There is a "saying" in the aviation industry as follows: "They treat their aircraft like tractors", with "they" being the operators. In other words, the required "TLC" just isn't present. Watch this "farmer" start his Broussard "tractor", odds are without a "preheat". I love "round engines", but this is not how you treat them.
VIDEO - "How To Start" A "Tractor"?
VIDEO - "How To Start" A "Tractor"?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
"Floating" Across Canada: Ruud Leeuw's "Bushplanes at Sioux Lookout, Ontario!"
The History of Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada
Sioux Lookout's name comes from a nearby mountain, which, in the late 1700's, was used by Ojibway Indians to watch for Sioux warriors who were expected to ambush their camp. As it happened, the Ojibway did the ambushing and killed all but one of the Sioux. There may be a different Sioux version of this story but if so, it is not told here in Ojibway country. Because of this strategic location, Sioux Lookout was a surveyors camp in the early 1900's. From Sioux Mountain early canoe brigades using the English River System could be sighted from a great distance. Hudson Airport in Sioux Lookout was one of the busiest airports in North Amercia during the Red Lake Gold Rush.
-from www.ontariotowns.net
-----
"Well", you guessed it! Next stop for Ruud, ......."Sioux Lookout"!
"Floating" Across Canada: Ruud Leeuw's "Bushplanes at Sioux Lookout, Ontario!"
Sioux Lookout's name comes from a nearby mountain, which, in the late 1700's, was used by Ojibway Indians to watch for Sioux warriors who were expected to ambush their camp. As it happened, the Ojibway did the ambushing and killed all but one of the Sioux. There may be a different Sioux version of this story but if so, it is not told here in Ojibway country. Because of this strategic location, Sioux Lookout was a surveyors camp in the early 1900's. From Sioux Mountain early canoe brigades using the English River System could be sighted from a great distance. Hudson Airport in Sioux Lookout was one of the busiest airports in North Amercia during the Red Lake Gold Rush.
-from www.ontariotowns.net
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"Well", you guessed it! Next stop for Ruud, ......."Sioux Lookout"!
"Floating" Across Canada: Ruud Leeuw's "Bushplanes at Sioux Lookout, Ontario!"
Monday, January 14, 2008
Steve's Video Of The Day: "Fishin'" For "Beer"!
"Hey", I just profiled Otter 90, CF-ITS. Then I found this McMurray Air Service & Gateway Aviation video. 10 to 1 odds ITS was one of the Otters seen in the video. Nice video of the "golden times", gives me a "woodie".
VIDEO -
"Fishin'" For "Beer"!Steve's "Otter Of The Week"!......by Karl E. Hayes
Many of the Otters we have profiled have had "injury-plagued" careers. The Otter is one airframe, though, that always seemed able to be "rejuvenated and returned" to the air. Here is one aircraft that experienced some "bush rash", but seemingly somewhat less than an average Otter would over a long career.
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 90
Otter 90 was delivered to Stanair Ltd, Fort Nelson, BC on 21st March 1956, registered CF-ITS. Stanair was the aviation department of the Stanolind Oil and Gas Company, which since 1948 had been exploring the Yukon, Northwest Territories, northeastern BC and northwestern Alberta regions. The company's first two aircraft were two DHC-2 Beavers, acquired in 1953. Based at Fort Nelson, BC, they were used to move seismic crews, surveyors and geologists around the swamps and boreal forests of northern Canada. Otter ITS was added to the fleet in March 1956, bringing a welcome increase in capacity to support camp moves, and Otter NFI followed later.
Despite its operation in these remote regions, the Otter was not involved in any accidents. It features twice in the Western SAR Area file, when communications difficulties were encountered. The first occasion was on 7th February 1958 on a flight from its base at Fort Nelson to the Beaver Strip and onwards to Steen River. The second occasion was on 10th June '58 on a flight from Fort Smith to Fort Simpson. ITS continued in service with Stanair for eight years, before being sold to McMurray Air Services Ltd of Uranium City, Saskatchewan in April 1964. It continued to fly for this company until taken over by Gateway Aviation Ltd of Edmonton. The three McMurray Otters ITS, LAP and MES, were registered to Gateway Aviation in October 1969.
ITS joined the Gateway Aviation fleet, painted in their colours, although it remained based at Uranium City. It suffered an accident in May 1971, which is described in Denny McCartney's excellent book “Picking Up The Pieces”. The Otter had gone through the ice on a lake half way between Uranium City and Great Slave Lake. It was the first week in May and the ice had started melting. ITS was quite some distance from the shore, and had sunk through the ice, with the fuselage resting in the water and the wings flat on the surface of the ice, the posture of many an unfortunate Otter over the years. The rescue party flew to the scene on another Gateway Otter. Steel drums had already been placed alongside the fuselage to prevent ITS from sinking if the ice gave way. The pilot explained that he had made a good landing and at the end of the run he had come to a complete stop when suddenly the left wheel broke through the ice. He shut off the engine and scrambled out, in complete disbelief at what had happened. The aircraft had continued to settle into the water as the ice failed, until the wings were flat on the ice surface, preventing the aircraft from sinking to the bottom.
The rescue party concluded that the ice was in too dangerous a condition to lift the aircraft and that it was only a matter of days before the ice would fail completely, sending the Otter to the bottom. Speed was of the essence, and so they created a canal to the shore by blasting through the ice with dynamite. The fuel drums under the wings were replaced with pontoons, to provide greater flotation, and which left the wings free of the ice. The Otter was floated down the channel to the shore, where it was winched up onto solid ground, where repairs began. Next, an airstrip was built from which the Otter could depart. The rescue party cut down a line of stunted northern spruce trees level with the ground and cleared the strip of stones. On 12th May 1971 CF-ITS took off from this makeshift airstrip, flying first to Uranium City and then to Edmonton, where permanent repairs were made.
CF-ITS returned to service with Gateway Aviation, and continued in the company's service, being re-registered C-FITS, until it was sold to Slate Falls Airways Ltd of Sioux Lookout, Ontario to whom it was registered in September 1976. It was to faithfully serve this carrier for more than twenty years. Only one incident is recorded, on 5th October 1988 at Lake St.Joseph, Ontario. While cruising, the engine lost all power and the Otter made a safe, forced landing on the lake. It was found that a cylinder had failed. In November '88 the registered owner was changed to Slate Falls Airways (1987) Ltd, still based at Sioux Lookout. Having served the Sioux Lookout community for more than twenty years, ITS was sold and in January 1997 was registered to its new owners, Cochrane Air Services Ltd of Cochrane-Lillabelle Lake, Ontario. For the most part the Otter was used to service fishing lodges during the summer months, on behalf of the Kesagami Fly-In Outposts Company. Before the start of the summer season, the Otter was used on skis during March/April of each year to fly fuel into the fishing lodges, in preparation for the summer season.
One incident was recorded on 19th June 2001. The Otter was on a VFR flight from Kesagami Lake to Lillabelle Lake waterdrome. At approximately fifty miles northeast of Cochrane, the Otter experienced a partial loss of power which the pilot was unable to rectify. The Otter was not capable of maintaining a constant altitude, so the pilot elected to conduct a forced approach to a lake 41 miles northeast of Cochrane. The pilot landed ITS successfully and activated the aircraft's ELT beacon. When the flight became overdue, the manager of Cochrane Air Services notified the Rescue Co-Ordination Centre, who despatched a Canadian Armed Forces Hercules from Trenton. The ELT signal was received by the Hercules and a local helicopter company, Expedition Helicopters Inc, despatched a Jet Ranger to effect rescue of the eight passengers and pilot. Rescue operations were uneventful, with the last passenger extracted from the scene twenty three hours after the Otter had landed. A cylinder failure in the R-1340 engine had caused the power loss. C-FITS was soon repaired and back in service with Cochrane Air Services.
***LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 90
C-FITS. This Otter flew for Cochrane Air Services until the end of the summer 2005 season, when it was sold. It was noted in early December 2005 at the AOG facility at Kelowna, BC paint stripped and in the course of conversion to a Walter turbine. It was sold to Tofino Air Lines of Gibsons, BC, registered to them on 3rd February 2006 and departed Kelowna on delivery early June 2006.
From Kelowna C-FITS flew to Campbell River on Vancouver Island where it was fitted with a ‘glass cockpit’ by ASAP Avionics Service. Very few Otters have this modification. A company called SAGEM Avionics Inc hold the STC for this modification, for which ASAP Avionics is a licensed installer. As its website explains: “One or two SAGEM multi- function displays (MFDs) can be used to present engine data. The MFDs can be further enhanced with a moving map display to improve situational awareness. The upgraded installation reduces the clutter of conventional instruments, increases operational efficiency and improves flight safety”. The Otter then continued to Tofino, its new base, on the west coast of Vancouver Island and entered service with Tofino Air. It joined a fleet of four Beavers serving the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Vancouver Island and Canada’s Gulf Islands. The company offers a scheduled seaplane service from Vancouver’s South Terminal to Sechelt, Nanaimo, Victoria and Gabriola Island, plus scenic charter tours from its Tofino base, using the Otter or a Beaver depending on the passenger load.
- by Karl E. Hayes
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Great story! "Blow" a channel through the ice with "dynamite", and float the Otter back to shore! "Wile E. Coyote" would be proud!
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
-photo by Pete Killin
-photo by Pete Killin
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 90
Otter 90 was delivered to Stanair Ltd, Fort Nelson, BC on 21st March 1956, registered CF-ITS. Stanair was the aviation department of the Stanolind Oil and Gas Company, which since 1948 had been exploring the Yukon, Northwest Territories, northeastern BC and northwestern Alberta regions. The company's first two aircraft were two DHC-2 Beavers, acquired in 1953. Based at Fort Nelson, BC, they were used to move seismic crews, surveyors and geologists around the swamps and boreal forests of northern Canada. Otter ITS was added to the fleet in March 1956, bringing a welcome increase in capacity to support camp moves, and Otter NFI followed later.
Despite its operation in these remote regions, the Otter was not involved in any accidents. It features twice in the Western SAR Area file, when communications difficulties were encountered. The first occasion was on 7th February 1958 on a flight from its base at Fort Nelson to the Beaver Strip and onwards to Steen River. The second occasion was on 10th June '58 on a flight from Fort Smith to Fort Simpson. ITS continued in service with Stanair for eight years, before being sold to McMurray Air Services Ltd of Uranium City, Saskatchewan in April 1964. It continued to fly for this company until taken over by Gateway Aviation Ltd of Edmonton. The three McMurray Otters ITS, LAP and MES, were registered to Gateway Aviation in October 1969.
ITS joined the Gateway Aviation fleet, painted in their colours, although it remained based at Uranium City. It suffered an accident in May 1971, which is described in Denny McCartney's excellent book “Picking Up The Pieces”. The Otter had gone through the ice on a lake half way between Uranium City and Great Slave Lake. It was the first week in May and the ice had started melting. ITS was quite some distance from the shore, and had sunk through the ice, with the fuselage resting in the water and the wings flat on the surface of the ice, the posture of many an unfortunate Otter over the years. The rescue party flew to the scene on another Gateway Otter. Steel drums had already been placed alongside the fuselage to prevent ITS from sinking if the ice gave way. The pilot explained that he had made a good landing and at the end of the run he had come to a complete stop when suddenly the left wheel broke through the ice. He shut off the engine and scrambled out, in complete disbelief at what had happened. The aircraft had continued to settle into the water as the ice failed, until the wings were flat on the ice surface, preventing the aircraft from sinking to the bottom.
The rescue party concluded that the ice was in too dangerous a condition to lift the aircraft and that it was only a matter of days before the ice would fail completely, sending the Otter to the bottom. Speed was of the essence, and so they created a canal to the shore by blasting through the ice with dynamite. The fuel drums under the wings were replaced with pontoons, to provide greater flotation, and which left the wings free of the ice. The Otter was floated down the channel to the shore, where it was winched up onto solid ground, where repairs began. Next, an airstrip was built from which the Otter could depart. The rescue party cut down a line of stunted northern spruce trees level with the ground and cleared the strip of stones. On 12th May 1971 CF-ITS took off from this makeshift airstrip, flying first to Uranium City and then to Edmonton, where permanent repairs were made.
CF-ITS returned to service with Gateway Aviation, and continued in the company's service, being re-registered C-FITS, until it was sold to Slate Falls Airways Ltd of Sioux Lookout, Ontario to whom it was registered in September 1976. It was to faithfully serve this carrier for more than twenty years. Only one incident is recorded, on 5th October 1988 at Lake St.Joseph, Ontario. While cruising, the engine lost all power and the Otter made a safe, forced landing on the lake. It was found that a cylinder had failed. In November '88 the registered owner was changed to Slate Falls Airways (1987) Ltd, still based at Sioux Lookout. Having served the Sioux Lookout community for more than twenty years, ITS was sold and in January 1997 was registered to its new owners, Cochrane Air Services Ltd of Cochrane-Lillabelle Lake, Ontario. For the most part the Otter was used to service fishing lodges during the summer months, on behalf of the Kesagami Fly-In Outposts Company. Before the start of the summer season, the Otter was used on skis during March/April of each year to fly fuel into the fishing lodges, in preparation for the summer season.
One incident was recorded on 19th June 2001. The Otter was on a VFR flight from Kesagami Lake to Lillabelle Lake waterdrome. At approximately fifty miles northeast of Cochrane, the Otter experienced a partial loss of power which the pilot was unable to rectify. The Otter was not capable of maintaining a constant altitude, so the pilot elected to conduct a forced approach to a lake 41 miles northeast of Cochrane. The pilot landed ITS successfully and activated the aircraft's ELT beacon. When the flight became overdue, the manager of Cochrane Air Services notified the Rescue Co-Ordination Centre, who despatched a Canadian Armed Forces Hercules from Trenton. The ELT signal was received by the Hercules and a local helicopter company, Expedition Helicopters Inc, despatched a Jet Ranger to effect rescue of the eight passengers and pilot. Rescue operations were uneventful, with the last passenger extracted from the scene twenty three hours after the Otter had landed. A cylinder failure in the R-1340 engine had caused the power loss. C-FITS was soon repaired and back in service with Cochrane Air Services.
***LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 90
C-FITS. This Otter flew for Cochrane Air Services until the end of the summer 2005 season, when it was sold. It was noted in early December 2005 at the AOG facility at Kelowna, BC paint stripped and in the course of conversion to a Walter turbine. It was sold to Tofino Air Lines of Gibsons, BC, registered to them on 3rd February 2006 and departed Kelowna on delivery early June 2006.
From Kelowna C-FITS flew to Campbell River on Vancouver Island where it was fitted with a ‘glass cockpit’ by ASAP Avionics Service. Very few Otters have this modification. A company called SAGEM Avionics Inc hold the STC for this modification, for which ASAP Avionics is a licensed installer. As its website explains: “One or two SAGEM multi- function displays (MFDs) can be used to present engine data. The MFDs can be further enhanced with a moving map display to improve situational awareness. The upgraded installation reduces the clutter of conventional instruments, increases operational efficiency and improves flight safety”. The Otter then continued to Tofino, its new base, on the west coast of Vancouver Island and entered service with Tofino Air. It joined a fleet of four Beavers serving the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Vancouver Island and Canada’s Gulf Islands. The company offers a scheduled seaplane service from Vancouver’s South Terminal to Sechelt, Nanaimo, Victoria and Gabriola Island, plus scenic charter tours from its Tofino base, using the Otter or a Beaver depending on the passenger load.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Great story! "Blow" a channel through the ice with "dynamite", and float the Otter back to shore! "Wile E. Coyote" would be proud!
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
-photo by Pete Killin
-photo by Pete Killin
