Saturday, October 25, 2008
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"! .....by Karl E. Hayes
From Burma, to Vancouver, to the boreal forests of Northern Saskatchewan, this fine girl has found her "niche", still "fit as a fiddle" to this very day!
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
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Otter 273
Otter 273 was delivered to the Union of Burma Air Force on 8th December 1958 with serial UB651. It was one of three Otters delivered that month (273, 274 and 277), all three being packed into crates and shipped to Burma where they were re-assembled and entered service. A further six Otters were delivered to the Air Force in 1960/61. Burma was subsequently re-named Myanmar. Its Air Force aircraft were re-serialled, adopting Burmese numerals, equivalent of the old serial with a '4' prefix and deleting the UB. Thus, UB651 became 4651, depicted on the side of the aircraft in
Burmese numerals.
In 1989 six of the Burmese Otters were purchased by Mr.Trevor Ross of Vancouver. Five were located at Mingaladon Air Base and one at Hmawbi Air Base. All six were shipped to Vancouver where they were stored in the Aeroflite Industries hangar at the International Airport, and offered for sale. They had arrived by December 1989. Otter 273 was sold to Athabaska Airways Ltd of La Ronge, Saskatchewan to whom it was registered C-FHPE in May 1990 and converted to a Vazar turbine. The conversion was done by Aeroflite at Vancouver. It was noted there on 7th May 1990 after the conversion had been completed, about to be delivered. It had arrived at Prince Albert by 13th May to be painted. The 'HPE' of the registration, according to the company's maintenance section, stands for 'High Priced Engine'! The Otter entered service on general charter work based at La Ronge, and was subsequently joined by the company's second turbine Otter C-FSGD (316).
When Athabaska Airways merged with La Ronge Aviation Services to form Transwest Air, with effect from 1st September 2000, both Otters became part of the Transwest fleet. C-FHPE was registered to Transwest Air Limited Partnership, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan in November 2001, although remained based at La Ronge.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 273
January 1st, 2008. C-FHPE. Transwest Air, La Ronge, Saskatchewan. Vazar.
- by Karl E. Hayes
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With "neighbours" like this female, who is complaining?
C-FHPE, ex-Burmese UB651, at Vancouver, May 1990, still sporting some Burmese marks
- photo by John Kimberley
C-FHPE of Athabaska Airways at Stony Rapids, Saskatchewan, January 1993
- photo by Larry Milberry
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 273
Otter 273 was delivered to the Union of Burma Air Force on 8th December 1958 with serial UB651. It was one of three Otters delivered that month (273, 274 and 277), all three being packed into crates and shipped to Burma where they were re-assembled and entered service. A further six Otters were delivered to the Air Force in 1960/61. Burma was subsequently re-named Myanmar. Its Air Force aircraft were re-serialled, adopting Burmese numerals, equivalent of the old serial with a '4' prefix and deleting the UB. Thus, UB651 became 4651, depicted on the side of the aircraft in
Burmese numerals.
In 1989 six of the Burmese Otters were purchased by Mr.Trevor Ross of Vancouver. Five were located at Mingaladon Air Base and one at Hmawbi Air Base. All six were shipped to Vancouver where they were stored in the Aeroflite Industries hangar at the International Airport, and offered for sale. They had arrived by December 1989. Otter 273 was sold to Athabaska Airways Ltd of La Ronge, Saskatchewan to whom it was registered C-FHPE in May 1990 and converted to a Vazar turbine. The conversion was done by Aeroflite at Vancouver. It was noted there on 7th May 1990 after the conversion had been completed, about to be delivered. It had arrived at Prince Albert by 13th May to be painted. The 'HPE' of the registration, according to the company's maintenance section, stands for 'High Priced Engine'! The Otter entered service on general charter work based at La Ronge, and was subsequently joined by the company's second turbine Otter C-FSGD (316).
When Athabaska Airways merged with La Ronge Aviation Services to form Transwest Air, with effect from 1st September 2000, both Otters became part of the Transwest fleet. C-FHPE was registered to Transwest Air Limited Partnership, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan in November 2001, although remained based at La Ronge.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 273
January 1st, 2008. C-FHPE. Transwest Air, La Ronge, Saskatchewan. Vazar.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
With "neighbours" like this female, who is complaining?
C-FHPE, ex-Burmese UB651, at Vancouver, May 1990, still sporting some Burmese marks
- photo by John Kimberley
C-FHPE of Athabaska Airways at Stony Rapids, Saskatchewan, January 1993
- photo by Larry Milberry
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
