Wednesday, April 29, 2009
It's Time To Play..... Otterflogger's "Name That Cockpit"!
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #104" 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 Bell P-59 "Airacomet", America's first jet fighter. Lance wins the "sailboat fuel"! I have to say, though, Lance, that must have been one good "ganja stick" you were smoking during your deductions and conclusion regarding the clue in the photo name. "Hey", you got the right answer, though! Ha ha!
Cheers,
Steve
CHECK OUT - Gorillas Wearing Derbies, Flying Planes, Smoking Cigars......
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
This is the cockpit of the Bell P-59 "Airacomet", America's first jet fighter. Lance wins the "sailboat fuel"! I have to say, though, Lance, that must have been one good "ganja stick" you were smoking during your deductions and conclusion regarding the clue in the photo name. "Hey", you got the right answer, though! Ha ha!
Cheers,
Steve
CHECK OUT - Gorillas Wearing Derbies, Flying Planes, Smoking Cigars......
Monday, April 27, 2009
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"! .....by Karl E. Hayes
Check out another Otter that was originally operated by Hudson Bay Air Transport Ltd., of Flin Flon, Manitoba. She "made the rounds" and still is in the workforce today..........
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 439
Otter 439 was delivered to Hudson Bay Air Transport Ltd of Flin Flon, Manitoba on 24th May 1963, registered CF-PEN. The manufacturer's plate on the aircraft says its manufacture was completed on 11th April 1962, so it was evidently in storage for just over a year before it was delivered. Also delivered to the company the same day was number 438 CF-PEM. These two Otters were ordered as replacements for Otters CF-JOR (212) and CF-KTI (269) which had both been destroyed in a fire at the company's hangar at Flin Flon on 4th April 1963.
These two Otters flew alongside the company's surviving Otter CF-MIQ (336) until the need for bush aircraft diminished during the early 1980s. CF-PEN was sold in January 1983 to Lac Seul Airways Ltd of Ear Falls, Ontario, becoming C-FPEN and flew alongside Lac Seul's other Otter C-FHXY (67), flying tourists and guests to fishing lodges during the summer season. The Otter was to fly for Lac Seul Airways for twenty years. After the summer 2003 season, Lac Seul Airways decided to sell PEN and continue operations with HXY. Otter PEN was sold to Fast Air Ltd of Winnipeg, a company which operated Piper Navajos, King Air 200s and IAI-1124 Westwind executive jets. Fast Air had decided to diversify and had negotiated a joint venture contract on which the Otter would be used up north.
In early February 2004, PEN arrived at Vernon, BC where it was converted to a Texas Turbine Otter by Kal Air, and also had the 'Yukon Door' modification and panoramic windows installed. It was also re-painted into Fast Air's blue and white colour scheme and registered to its new owners on 31st March 2004. It departed Vernon on 25th April '04 to Lethbridge and made it direct from there to Winnipeg. At that stage of its career, it had 10,689 hours on the airframe. At Fast Air's hangar at Winnipeg it had avionics fitted, and an arctic owl emblem painted on the side, named 'Ookpik'. It was put on wheel-skis and on 12th May '04 departed for the long haul north to Baker Lake, Nunavut its new base. Here it is used in support of mineral exploration year round, and for tourists during the summer months.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 439
January 1st, 2008. C-FPEN. This Otter was sold by Fast Air to North Star Air Ltd of Pickle Lake, Ontario to whom it was registered 29th August 2007. Texas Turbine.
- by Karl E. Hayes
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Still flying out of "Pickle Lake", sporting a Garrett!! Her "story" is far from over........
- CF-PEN of Hudson Bay Air Transport at its Flin Flon, Manitoba base September 1980 (Karl Hayes)
- C-FPEN of Lac Seul Airways at Ear Falls, Ontario September 1991 (Anthony J. Hickey)
- C-FPEN of Fast Air at Winnipeg May 2004 about to depart for Baker Lake, Nunavut (Karl Hayes)
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 439
Otter 439 was delivered to Hudson Bay Air Transport Ltd of Flin Flon, Manitoba on 24th May 1963, registered CF-PEN. The manufacturer's plate on the aircraft says its manufacture was completed on 11th April 1962, so it was evidently in storage for just over a year before it was delivered. Also delivered to the company the same day was number 438 CF-PEM. These two Otters were ordered as replacements for Otters CF-JOR (212) and CF-KTI (269) which had both been destroyed in a fire at the company's hangar at Flin Flon on 4th April 1963.
These two Otters flew alongside the company's surviving Otter CF-MIQ (336) until the need for bush aircraft diminished during the early 1980s. CF-PEN was sold in January 1983 to Lac Seul Airways Ltd of Ear Falls, Ontario, becoming C-FPEN and flew alongside Lac Seul's other Otter C-FHXY (67), flying tourists and guests to fishing lodges during the summer season. The Otter was to fly for Lac Seul Airways for twenty years. After the summer 2003 season, Lac Seul Airways decided to sell PEN and continue operations with HXY. Otter PEN was sold to Fast Air Ltd of Winnipeg, a company which operated Piper Navajos, King Air 200s and IAI-1124 Westwind executive jets. Fast Air had decided to diversify and had negotiated a joint venture contract on which the Otter would be used up north.
In early February 2004, PEN arrived at Vernon, BC where it was converted to a Texas Turbine Otter by Kal Air, and also had the 'Yukon Door' modification and panoramic windows installed. It was also re-painted into Fast Air's blue and white colour scheme and registered to its new owners on 31st March 2004. It departed Vernon on 25th April '04 to Lethbridge and made it direct from there to Winnipeg. At that stage of its career, it had 10,689 hours on the airframe. At Fast Air's hangar at Winnipeg it had avionics fitted, and an arctic owl emblem painted on the side, named 'Ookpik'. It was put on wheel-skis and on 12th May '04 departed for the long haul north to Baker Lake, Nunavut its new base. Here it is used in support of mineral exploration year round, and for tourists during the summer months.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 439
January 1st, 2008. C-FPEN. This Otter was sold by Fast Air to North Star Air Ltd of Pickle Lake, Ontario to whom it was registered 29th August 2007. Texas Turbine.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Still flying out of "Pickle Lake", sporting a Garrett!! Her "story" is far from over........
- CF-PEN of Hudson Bay Air Transport at its Flin Flon, Manitoba base September 1980 (Karl Hayes)
- C-FPEN of Lac Seul Airways at Ear Falls, Ontario September 1991 (Anthony J. Hickey)
- C-FPEN of Fast Air at Winnipeg May 2004 about to depart for Baker Lake, Nunavut (Karl Hayes)
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
It's Time To Play..... Otterflogger's "Name That Cockpit"!
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #103" 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 Beech BE-58 "Baron"! "Anonymous" wins the "sailboat fuel"!
***BONUS MATERIAL!***
Check out a great vid about "The Baron"..... and "Billy Joe", brought to us by none other than that famous American storyteller, .....Johnny Cash!
VIDEO -
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
This is the cockpit of the Beech BE-58 "Baron"! "Anonymous" wins the "sailboat fuel"!
***BONUS MATERIAL!***
Check out a great vid about "The Baron"..... and "Billy Joe", brought to us by none other than that famous American storyteller, .....Johnny Cash!
VIDEO -
The Baron
Monday, April 20, 2009
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"! .....by Karl E. Hayes
We, as pilots, all know the inherent dangers of an overloaded aircraft. Bush Pilots have developed a keen sense of weight "estimation" due to limited equipment and facilities at some of their "points of call". No one can ever estimate cargo weight right to the "pound", but an experienced pilot can be very close, regularly within 5% of the actual weight. The poor pilot in this next story was either a poor estimator, he had an incompetent ground crew, or he was the victim of "kilos" instead of "pounds" syndrome, which is uncommon, but not unheard of.
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 83
Otter 83 was delivered to the United States Army on 21st January 1956 with serial 55-3245 (tail number 53245). It was one of the batch of six Otters delivered to the 937th Engineer Company (Aviation) for use on the Inter American Geodetic Survey (IAGS) as explained in relation to number 82. It continued to serve on IAGS duties for more than 14 years, until placed into storage in Panama in July 1970. In November 1970 it was flown back to the United States, arriving at the Army Garrison, Fort Eustis, Virginia but the following month it continued on to the Flight Detachment, Fort Meade, Maryland where it was to be based for some time in the operational support airlift role.
An incident was recorded on 4th May 1972 in Virginia. The summary of the report reads: “Insufficient rate of climb to clear trees, so aborted the take-off. The aircraft slid one thousand feet into a gravel-covered over-run until the main wheels entered a large section of badly deteriorated concrete”. That incident ended its flying career for a short time, but it was repaired at a depot in July 1972 after which it was flown back to Panama in August '72 and entrusted to the Logistics Support Command, Canal Zone. By that stage, the IAGS had relinquished most of its aircraft and was winding down its activities. Nevertheless, in October 1972 53245 was assigned to Headquarters, US Army, IAGS and became the very last Otter to be operated by the IAGS. It continued flying on IAGS duties until September 1975 when it was again put into storage in Panama.
It was deleted from the US Army inventory in January 1976 and the following month was transferred to the Government of Venezuela and registered YV-2270P, although what use was made of it in Venezuela is unknown. The registration was cancelled on 26th November 1985 when the Otter was “donated to the Government of Saint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles, to be operated by the Foundation for Assistance in Distress, Saint Maarten”. Two days later however by a Sale Agreement dated 28th November 1985, the Island Territory of St.Maarten sold the Otter for $30,000 to a private company called Indep Line Inc of Carolina, Puerto Rico to whom the Otter was registered N778L. The next development was that in September 1986 the aircraft underwent major overhaul and alterations at San Juan, Puerto Rico and was restored to flying condition. A cargo interior was installed and the “cockpit door jettison gear” removed, this being a mandatory modification to convert a military U-1A to civilian DHC-3 configuration.
N778L then entered service with Indep Line Inc but sadly its service was to be short lived. Only a month later, on 29th October 1986, at 1310 hours local time, the Otter crashed on take-off from the Isla Grande Airport, San Juan, Puerto Rico killing the pilot and seriously injuring the other occupant. It was a typically hot Caribbean day, with a temperature of 82F. Witnesses stated that the Otter used most of the runway to take-off, reached an altitude of sixty feet, then pulled up to clear an embankment. However, the aircraft struck a tall palm tree and crashed beside Baldorioti de Castro Avenue, near an intersection where it merged with another road. The Otter was consumed by a postcrash fire.
The cargo was removed from what was left of the aircraft and weighed. Computations showed that the maximum allowable gross weight of the aircraft was exceeded by 1,928 pounds. The Otter had 6,289 hours on the airframe at the time of its destruction.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
A "ton" overloaded, when the actual payload should have been probably about a "ton". This sounds more and more to me to be a case of "pounds vs. kilos", but the pilot, the final authority, cannot say, as he is presently participating in the "Big Sleep"....
OTTER 83 - Accident Report
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 83
Otter 83 was delivered to the United States Army on 21st January 1956 with serial 55-3245 (tail number 53245). It was one of the batch of six Otters delivered to the 937th Engineer Company (Aviation) for use on the Inter American Geodetic Survey (IAGS) as explained in relation to number 82. It continued to serve on IAGS duties for more than 14 years, until placed into storage in Panama in July 1970. In November 1970 it was flown back to the United States, arriving at the Army Garrison, Fort Eustis, Virginia but the following month it continued on to the Flight Detachment, Fort Meade, Maryland where it was to be based for some time in the operational support airlift role.
An incident was recorded on 4th May 1972 in Virginia. The summary of the report reads: “Insufficient rate of climb to clear trees, so aborted the take-off. The aircraft slid one thousand feet into a gravel-covered over-run until the main wheels entered a large section of badly deteriorated concrete”. That incident ended its flying career for a short time, but it was repaired at a depot in July 1972 after which it was flown back to Panama in August '72 and entrusted to the Logistics Support Command, Canal Zone. By that stage, the IAGS had relinquished most of its aircraft and was winding down its activities. Nevertheless, in October 1972 53245 was assigned to Headquarters, US Army, IAGS and became the very last Otter to be operated by the IAGS. It continued flying on IAGS duties until September 1975 when it was again put into storage in Panama.
It was deleted from the US Army inventory in January 1976 and the following month was transferred to the Government of Venezuela and registered YV-2270P, although what use was made of it in Venezuela is unknown. The registration was cancelled on 26th November 1985 when the Otter was “donated to the Government of Saint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles, to be operated by the Foundation for Assistance in Distress, Saint Maarten”. Two days later however by a Sale Agreement dated 28th November 1985, the Island Territory of St.Maarten sold the Otter for $30,000 to a private company called Indep Line Inc of Carolina, Puerto Rico to whom the Otter was registered N778L. The next development was that in September 1986 the aircraft underwent major overhaul and alterations at San Juan, Puerto Rico and was restored to flying condition. A cargo interior was installed and the “cockpit door jettison gear” removed, this being a mandatory modification to convert a military U-1A to civilian DHC-3 configuration.
N778L then entered service with Indep Line Inc but sadly its service was to be short lived. Only a month later, on 29th October 1986, at 1310 hours local time, the Otter crashed on take-off from the Isla Grande Airport, San Juan, Puerto Rico killing the pilot and seriously injuring the other occupant. It was a typically hot Caribbean day, with a temperature of 82F. Witnesses stated that the Otter used most of the runway to take-off, reached an altitude of sixty feet, then pulled up to clear an embankment. However, the aircraft struck a tall palm tree and crashed beside Baldorioti de Castro Avenue, near an intersection where it merged with another road. The Otter was consumed by a postcrash fire.
The cargo was removed from what was left of the aircraft and weighed. Computations showed that the maximum allowable gross weight of the aircraft was exceeded by 1,928 pounds. The Otter had 6,289 hours on the airframe at the time of its destruction.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
A "ton" overloaded, when the actual payload should have been probably about a "ton". This sounds more and more to me to be a case of "pounds vs. kilos", but the pilot, the final authority, cannot say, as he is presently participating in the "Big Sleep"....
OTTER 83 - Accident Report
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Steve's Video Of The Day: My New "Beer Opener"!
30*C, day is done, time for a beer, "Where the hell is my opener"?
VIDEO -
My New "Beer Opener"!Thursday, April 16, 2009
FLOOD! "Cockpit" and "Otter" Return Next Week!
Due to 84 hours of "straight organized pandemonium" and "moments of sudden terror", for 84 hours straight (no sleep), regular Blog entries return next week. "We saved my house", and "the town"!
(Click the pics, they appear full-screen)
The "aftermath".......
My house.........
"Adios"!
(Click the pics, they appear full-screen)
The "aftermath".......
My house.........
"Adios"!
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
It's Time To Play..... Otterflogger's "Name That Cockpit"!
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #102" 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 Husky "Norseman II"! Lots of "sailboat fuel" in the "pot" for next week!
Husky Norseman II C-FCPP on the "White Mud River", also known as the "Icelandic River", downstream from my house, April 5, 2009. - photo by Steve Taylor
This aircraft is owned by my friend Jack Monkman, a Lake Winnipeg Commercial Fisherman. He landed on the river this fine day to attend the Lutheran Church Service, which is just a short walk from the river. - photo by Steve Taylor
- photo by Steve Taylor
- photo by Steve Taylor
- photo by Steve Taylor
"Cheers"!
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY UNSOLVED!***
This is the cockpit of the Husky "Norseman II"! Lots of "sailboat fuel" in the "pot" for next week!
Husky Norseman II C-FCPP on the "White Mud River", also known as the "Icelandic River", downstream from my house, April 5, 2009. - photo by Steve Taylor
This aircraft is owned by my friend Jack Monkman, a Lake Winnipeg Commercial Fisherman. He landed on the river this fine day to attend the Lutheran Church Service, which is just a short walk from the river. - photo by Steve Taylor
- photo by Steve Taylor
- photo by Steve Taylor
- photo by Steve Taylor
"Cheers"!
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"! .....by Karl E. Hayes
We have read previously about Otters that served well during their time with foreign military entities. Here is one that served with the R.C.A.F.. Unfortunately, this Otter was lost shortly after her 1st birthday, and never had the chance to build a long, storied history.
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 391
Otter 391 was delivered to the RCAF on 21st September 1960 with serial 9414. It was assigned to 438 Squadron at St.Hubert, Montreal and served with that unit until destroyed in an accident on 12th October 1961 at St.Hyacinthe, Quebec in the course of a training detail. The pilot lost directional control during an attempted maximum performance climb on an overshoot, but he continued the overshoot anyway. He did not apply full power, however, and when he tried to abort the over-shoot, he crashed into a silo. Fortunately no-one was injured but the Otter was a total loss.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hey, who put that damn silo there?"
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 391
Otter 391 was delivered to the RCAF on 21st September 1960 with serial 9414. It was assigned to 438 Squadron at St.Hubert, Montreal and served with that unit until destroyed in an accident on 12th October 1961 at St.Hyacinthe, Quebec in the course of a training detail. The pilot lost directional control during an attempted maximum performance climb on an overshoot, but he continued the overshoot anyway. He did not apply full power, however, and when he tried to abort the over-shoot, he crashed into a silo. Fortunately no-one was injured but the Otter was a total loss.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hey, who put that damn silo there?"
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
It's Time To Play..... Otterflogger's "Name That Cockpit"!
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #101" 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 McDonnell XP-67 "Bat"! By the way, folks, every week there is always a clue in the name of the cockpit photograph. This photo was named "wonderboy". Wonderboy was the "bat" Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) used in the great baseball flick "The Natural". Lots of "sailboat fuel" next week! "Cheers"!
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY UNSOLVED!***
This is the cockpit of the McDonnell XP-67 "Bat"! By the way, folks, every week there is always a clue in the name of the cockpit photograph. This photo was named "wonderboy". Wonderboy was the "bat" Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) used in the great baseball flick "The Natural". Lots of "sailboat fuel" next week! "Cheers"!
