Thursday, October 30, 2008
Steve's Video Of The Day: "Minimum Equipment List"!
As pilots we are all aware of an aircraft's "minimum equipment list", which of course is different for IFR or VFR flying. One thing that is common to both sets of flight rules, though, is "two wings"! Check this out, pretty "hilarious"......
"Ha ha!" Thanks, Clive!
VIDEO -
"Minimum Equipment List"!"Ha ha!" Thanks, Clive!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
It's Time To Play..... Otterflogger's "Name That Cockpit"!
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #80" in our "cockpit series", which will be a continuing "brain-strainer".
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
This is the cockpit of the DHC-4 "Caribou", a great de Havilland Canada product! Lance wins the "sailboat fuel"!
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
This is the cockpit of the DHC-4 "Caribou", a great de Havilland Canada product! Lance wins the "sailboat fuel"!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Steve's Video Of The Day: The True Story Of .... "Warden L. Bonney"!
Yes, I know, at first glance the title looks as if the video might be about "Billy The Kid"! Sorry, Billy The Kid's name was "William H. Bonney"! Warden Leonard Bonney's story is just as fascinating, though, and he wasn't involved in "criminal acts"! Check out the story of W.L. Bonney and his fascination with "The Gull".......
INFO - "Bonney" And "The Gull"!
MORE INFO - WARDEN LEONARD BONNEY!
VIDEO -
The True Story Of .... "Warden L. Bonney"!INFO - "Bonney" And "The Gull"!
MORE INFO - WARDEN LEONARD BONNEY!
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
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
Thursday, October 23, 2008
"Filthy" With Walleye! Must Be A "Keeper".....
Next on our camp-cleaning agenda was Keeper Lake! Keeper Lake was Nestor Falls Fly-In Outpost's first camp, and is still the "sentimental favourite". The continuously moving water channels feed throughout the whole lake, enabling a tremendous walleye population. The whole "cleaning crew" descended on Keeper Lake, and parking space was at a "premium", so with Otter SOR on the dock, we had to "heel-in" the other two aircraft.
Beaver MDB.......
...... and C-206 DWB!
The cabin........
Nestor Falls Fly-In Outpost's camps are all "solar", including lights, water pump, fridges and freezers. Propane is used for the hot water heater and cooking stove only. When you cannot put the solar panels on top of the cabin due to "sun exposure", you build a "crib", fill it with rocks, and mount the panels on top of the crib on the shoreline. McGyver and I then headed behind the cabin and "grunthouse" to cut wood for Spring.
"Hello", we stumbled across some "artifacts"!
An old Ski-Doo "Elan".
Then we found another!
I can just imagine what "trapline" stories these two machines could tell!
Anyways, McGyver and I cut another "shitload" of firewood for Spring!
The view from the cabin deck, as we finished our tasks! We then proceeded to mount our "trusty steeds", pictured below, and returned to Herod Lake for the night, as, believe it or not, even with the wind, we could hear "chilled Budweisers" beckoning us.......
"Adios"!
LINK - "Keeper Lake"!
Beaver MDB.......
...... and C-206 DWB!
The cabin........
Nestor Falls Fly-In Outpost's camps are all "solar", including lights, water pump, fridges and freezers. Propane is used for the hot water heater and cooking stove only. When you cannot put the solar panels on top of the cabin due to "sun exposure", you build a "crib", fill it with rocks, and mount the panels on top of the crib on the shoreline. McGyver and I then headed behind the cabin and "grunthouse" to cut wood for Spring.
"Hello", we stumbled across some "artifacts"!
An old Ski-Doo "Elan".
Then we found another!
I can just imagine what "trapline" stories these two machines could tell!
Anyways, McGyver and I cut another "shitload" of firewood for Spring!
The view from the cabin deck, as we finished our tasks! We then proceeded to mount our "trusty steeds", pictured below, and returned to Herod Lake for the night, as, believe it or not, even with the wind, we could hear "chilled Budweisers" beckoning us.......
"Adios"!
LINK - "Keeper Lake"!
Next On The Agenda: "Clear Lake"!
With Malaher Lake and Onepine Lake shut down for the winter, next on our schedule was Clear Lake! Clear Lake is a tremendous walleye lake, with the largest one caught this year that I know of measuring 30"! Not bad for a 4-man camp! Besides cleaning the cabin, cutting wood, and cleaning boats, one of the important aspects of closing up a camp is heading for the "portage lakes" and retrieving the motors from the "portage boats", and pulling the boats up on shore and turning them over above the Spring "high water" marks so they can be re-outfitted in Spring. At every camp, this was the first "task" Guy "McGyver" Jefford and I would set out to do. Clear Lake has two portage lakes that guests can fish during their stay at the camp.
"McGyver at the "tiller" as he and I head for Clear Lakes' "portage lakes".
In a boat, heading out. Looking at this "pic", I can feel the wind and smell the lake, nothing like being "in the bush"!
There were "active" Beaver lodges spaced along our route.
This Beaver lodge is actually built overlapping on shore, as there is a "fracture" in the rock underneath that forms part of the living quarters.
An "active" lodge, and the beavers are already placing "feed" along the entrance to the lodge.
On the return trip, with "portage motors" aboard, and the boats pulled up for the winter, we decided to stop at an old Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources "heli-pad" that had been "brushed" years back at a point on a piece of shoreline close to the camp. We were looking for dry firewood, but most of the wood cut to make the heli-pad was "punky", having absorbed much moisture as it was laying down, and was no good for firewood. We noticed there were many "bear scrapes" in the moss, as bears had been looking for ants and grubs to feed on as they "bulked" up for winter.
"Bear scrapes"!
We looked close at the moss, pulled some up, and there were ants "scurrying" everywhere. Still hard to believe that bears can bulk up on ants, grubs, berries, and whatever else they can find before Winter's "big sleep"! I then pulled up a large chunk of moss, telling McGyver.... "There must be "grubs" here, too!" Sure enough, under the first large piece of moss I pulled up.........
"Grub" sushi! Well, we went back to camp, loaded the Beaver, and headed back to our base at Herod Lake, one more camp completed! "Last word" of my "Post" goes to "writhing" Mr. Grub....
"Adios"! Stay tuned...........
LINK - "Clear Lake"!
"McGyver at the "tiller" as he and I head for Clear Lakes' "portage lakes".
In a boat, heading out. Looking at this "pic", I can feel the wind and smell the lake, nothing like being "in the bush"!
There were "active" Beaver lodges spaced along our route.
This Beaver lodge is actually built overlapping on shore, as there is a "fracture" in the rock underneath that forms part of the living quarters.
An "active" lodge, and the beavers are already placing "feed" along the entrance to the lodge.
On the return trip, with "portage motors" aboard, and the boats pulled up for the winter, we decided to stop at an old Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources "heli-pad" that had been "brushed" years back at a point on a piece of shoreline close to the camp. We were looking for dry firewood, but most of the wood cut to make the heli-pad was "punky", having absorbed much moisture as it was laying down, and was no good for firewood. We noticed there were many "bear scrapes" in the moss, as bears had been looking for ants and grubs to feed on as they "bulked" up for winter.
"Bear scrapes"!
We looked close at the moss, pulled some up, and there were ants "scurrying" everywhere. Still hard to believe that bears can bulk up on ants, grubs, berries, and whatever else they can find before Winter's "big sleep"! I then pulled up a large chunk of moss, telling McGyver.... "There must be "grubs" here, too!" Sure enough, under the first large piece of moss I pulled up.........
"Grub" sushi! Well, we went back to camp, loaded the Beaver, and headed back to our base at Herod Lake, one more camp completed! "Last word" of my "Post" goes to "writhing" Mr. Grub....
"Adios"! Stay tuned...........
LINK - "Clear Lake"!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
It's Time To Play..... Otterflogger's "Name That Cockpit"!
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #79" in our "cockpit series", which will be a continuing "brain-strainer".
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY UNSOLVED!***
This is the cockpit of the Brewster F2A "Buffalo"! 4 semis of "sailboat fuel" up for grabs next week!
"Adios"!
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY UNSOLVED!***
This is the cockpit of the Brewster F2A "Buffalo"! 4 semis of "sailboat fuel" up for grabs next week!
"Adios"!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Camp "Shutdown" Continues.......
Our camp cleaning continued from our "base" at Herod Lake. Next stop; "Malaher Lake"! Malaher is the furthest camp north owned by Nestor Falls Fly-In Outposts, on the Keeper River just south of where the Keeper River joins the Berens River at Moar Lake.
The cabin at Malaher, home to many Americans during the summer, and the site of many "fish stories", good food, and "hangovers".
Guy "McGyver" Jefford mans the saw, as he and I searched out standing dead trees to cut for firewood for next "Spring". We cut a pile of wood that would "choke a horse", one less thing to do next season. The ice "went out" late this past Spring, leaving little time for anything except putting the motors on the boats, and "firing up" the water system before guests took "residence" in the cabin, therefore cutting "major firewood" was "prudent" for opening the camps next Spring.
Then we were off to Onepine Lake to close that camp. McGyver and I fixed the dock, supervised by Beaver MDB...............
......... and C-206 DWB!
The cabin at Onepine, which is the newest camp built by Nestor Falls Fly-In Outposts, replacing an old log building.
As the daylight "dwindled", we "fired up" DWB and MDB and headed back to our "base" at Herod Lake, as believe it or not, acoss the "jackpine-covered granite" of the "Canadian Shield", we could hear "Budweisers" calling..........
"Stay tuned"........
LINK - "Malaher Lake"!
LINK - "Onepine Lake"!
The cabin at Malaher, home to many Americans during the summer, and the site of many "fish stories", good food, and "hangovers".
Guy "McGyver" Jefford mans the saw, as he and I searched out standing dead trees to cut for firewood for next "Spring". We cut a pile of wood that would "choke a horse", one less thing to do next season. The ice "went out" late this past Spring, leaving little time for anything except putting the motors on the boats, and "firing up" the water system before guests took "residence" in the cabin, therefore cutting "major firewood" was "prudent" for opening the camps next Spring.
Then we were off to Onepine Lake to close that camp. McGyver and I fixed the dock, supervised by Beaver MDB...............
......... and C-206 DWB!
The cabin at Onepine, which is the newest camp built by Nestor Falls Fly-In Outposts, replacing an old log building.
As the daylight "dwindled", we "fired up" DWB and MDB and headed back to our "base" at Herod Lake, as believe it or not, acoss the "jackpine-covered granite" of the "Canadian Shield", we could hear "Budweisers" calling..........
"Stay tuned"........
LINK - "Malaher Lake"!
LINK - "Onepine Lake"!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"! .....by Karl E. Hayes
The Otter has served well from the "broiling" deserts of the Middle East to the "frozen" expanses of the Antarctic and the Arctic. That so many Otters have survived these "harsh" environments to this day is a testament to the Otter's design.
Alas, Murphy's Law always comes into factor, and after a long day at work, who would expect to "expire" in the safe confines of one's residence along with some valued friends?
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 435
Otter 435 was delivered to Bradley Air Services Ltd, Carp, Ontario on 5th February 1962 registered CF-OHD, the first Otter to join the Bradley fleet. It served the company faithfully for nearly twelve years, until destroyed in a hangar fire at Carp on 28th January 1974. Also destroyed in that fire were two other Bradley aircraft, Twin Otter CF-DIJ and DC-3 CF-TVK.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust"..........
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
Alas, Murphy's Law always comes into factor, and after a long day at work, who would expect to "expire" in the safe confines of one's residence along with some valued friends?
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 435
Otter 435 was delivered to Bradley Air Services Ltd, Carp, Ontario on 5th February 1962 registered CF-OHD, the first Otter to join the Bradley fleet. It served the company faithfully for nearly twelve years, until destroyed in a hangar fire at Carp on 28th January 1974. Also destroyed in that fire were two other Bradley aircraft, Twin Otter CF-DIJ and DC-3 CF-TVK.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust"..........
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
Saturday, October 18, 2008
"Geese"!
As "Fall" descended upon Northwestern Ontario this year, I noticed that the geese that we are used to seeing in Manitoba migrating south just weren't there, especially in the Lake of the Woods area. I would see flocks of geese, but they were mostly in the Red Lake area, and of course they would appear out of the "clag" right in front of me as I was "flogging" along in bad wx. "Evasive action, Mr. Sulu"! Anyways, many American fishermen knew I was from Manitoba, and would ask how the "goose hunting" was where "I was from". I always told them there were 4or 5, or maybe 8 or 9 geese usually in the area I live. Well, yesterday and today, I went "goose hunting".......
Hecla Island, just across the harbour from Riverton, right in the front yards.......
Beautiful Canadian Geese........
Very healthy.............
Right beside the road.........
I needed to "pinch a loaf", so I headed for the "grunthouse"........
You could sit "on the throne" with the door open and goose hunt here.......
"Unforgiving" Lake Winnipeg.......
On the way home I came upon one "dumb" goose, actually a "ruffed grouse".........
Today I had to go to the "dump", which is just east of Arborg, about a 15 minute drive from where I live. I thought I would check out some farmer's fields along Highway 68.........
Snow Geese.......
Ross's Geese......
and Blue Geese (which are really Lesser Snow Geese).........
"Yup", I figure there are 4 or 5, or maybe 8 or 9 geese in the area I live in!
"Adios"!
Hecla Island, just across the harbour from Riverton, right in the front yards.......
Beautiful Canadian Geese........
Very healthy.............
Right beside the road.........
I needed to "pinch a loaf", so I headed for the "grunthouse"........
You could sit "on the throne" with the door open and goose hunt here.......
"Unforgiving" Lake Winnipeg.......
On the way home I came upon one "dumb" goose, actually a "ruffed grouse".........
Today I had to go to the "dump", which is just east of Arborg, about a 15 minute drive from where I live. I thought I would check out some farmer's fields along Highway 68.........
Snow Geese.......
Ross's Geese......
and Blue Geese (which are really Lesser Snow Geese).........
"Yup", I figure there are 4 or 5, or maybe 8 or 9 geese in the area I live in!
"Adios"!
Friday, October 17, 2008
"Out In The Bush!
Last week I mentioned I had been out in the bush, shutting down Nestor Falls Fly-In Outpost's camps, after a successful, full season of fishermen. Shutting down the camps consists of furious cleaning, painting floors, waxing floors, cleaning boats, pulling them up, moving docks to avoid spring "ice damage", hauling motors back to base, draining water and sewer lines, and also enjoying the outdoors, and "drinking beer". We had a group of 8 people involved to close 9 camps. Our crew was Dave and Michelle Beaushene, Nestor Falls Fly-In Outpost owners, their son Jon, Chief Pilot Dave "Buster" Rudolph, Otter pilot Jon Dahl, Beaver Pilot Matt "Mongolian" Marcil, Buck-85 pilot Guy "McGyver" Jefford, and myself. Sounds like there might be a party there somewhere. Anyways, we loaded the 206, Beaver, and Otter ODK, and we were northbound. Herod Lake would be our base of operations, which is on the Keeper River system, beautiful clear, flowing water. We would stay at "Herod" and branch out each day to clean different camps. We had Avgas stashed at Herod, and Jet Fuel stashed at Keeper Lake. Let's go...........
ODK and DWB tied up for the night after arriving at Herod Lake.......
Herod Lake has been a fishing destination for years, and has seen upgrades. Here is the "original" cabin, still on site.......
Here is cabin #2, which saw years of fishermen and is still on site........
The present camp at Herod Lake.......
The "boardwalk"........
Beaver MDB tied at her makeshift "pontoon" dock........
What will tomorrrow bring?
A "sunrise"..........
Daylight is burning, boys, time to go to work.........
LINK - "Herod Lake"!
ODK and DWB tied up for the night after arriving at Herod Lake.......
Herod Lake has been a fishing destination for years, and has seen upgrades. Here is the "original" cabin, still on site.......
Here is cabin #2, which saw years of fishermen and is still on site........
The present camp at Herod Lake.......
The "boardwalk"........
Beaver MDB tied at her makeshift "pontoon" dock........
What will tomorrrow bring?
A "sunrise"..........
Daylight is burning, boys, time to go to work.........
LINK - "Herod Lake"!
