Sunday, June 07, 2009
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"! .....by Karl E. Hayes
Here is an Otter that has had "numerous" contacts with "terra firma", but has soldiered on, and today has a new lease on life, sporting a "fan and a stovepipe". This one is for Mel Johnstone, who at one point "nurtured" this fine ship during his, and her, "storied" careers.
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 445
Otter 445 was delivered to Trans Provincial Air Carriers Ltd, Prince Rupert, BC on 8th August 1964 registered CF-RHW. The company was re-named Trans Provincial Airlines Ltd. Otter RHW was to fly for the company for nearly thirty years, serving the mainland of northern BC and also the Queen Charlotte Islands. Its first incident occurred at Rosswood, BC on 1st October 1970 when it collided with trees due to power loss occasioned by a fatigue fracture of the exhaust. It was repaired and re-registered C-FRHW. It met with another accident on 12th June 1981, seven kilometres east of Smithers, BC. As the pilot was trying to climb to overfly a ridge, the Otter started to lose altitude. Application of more power failed to arrest the rate of descent. The aircraft contacted the surface and travelled a short distance before stopping. The pilot believed he had encountered subsiding air. Again it was repaired.
Another incident occurred at Hepla Lake, BC on 4th March 1986. The Otter had just taken off from Bank's Island off the BC coast, en route to Seal Cove, Prince Rupert, carrying seventeen empty fuel drums. A cylinder cracked just after take off, resulting in a dramatic loss of power from the engine, and back-firing. The pilot wisely decided that there was insufficient power to manoeuvre and elected to land on the lake surface that remained ahead. At the end of the lake, the Otter's wing struck a tree and the aircraft veered right into the tress and struck a stump on the shore. In the usual wording of the accident report, it was “substantially damaged”. The 'wreck' was bought back by Trans Provincial Airlines from the insurers for $5,000. It was airlifted by helicopter from the accident site and put on board a barge, and taken to Vancouver where it was rebuilt by Aeroflite Industries. It returned to service with Trans Provincial Airlines and continued flying for them until the company encountered financial difficulty and went into receivership on 19th March 1993.
Otter RHW was flown to Vancouver along with C-FKLC (255) and put into storage. At that stage of its career, RHW had a total airframe time of 18,829 hours, testifying to a very busy existence along BC's Pacific coast. It was sold by the receiver of Trans Provincial Airlines in September 1993 to Hallmark Leasing Corporation of Vancouver, a leasing company of Mr Trevor Ross, who had imported the Burmese Otters back into Canada. The Otter was then leased to Waglisla Air Inc, trading as Wagair, to whom it was registered in October 1993. It was prepared for service and painted in Wagair colour scheme at Vancouver, where it was noted in February 1994 prior to its return to Seal Cove at Prince Rupert, where it entered service with Wagair. After Wagair ceased trading, the Otter was leased to Inland Air Charters Ltd in December 1995, also based at Prince Rupert, which means that RHW has been based at this location for the last forty years. The aircraft is fitted with a larger than usual propeller, taken from a Grumman Albatross, which gives better performance on take off. With Inland Air Charters, the Otter (or a Beaver, depending on the load) is used on a scheduled service from Seal Cove, Prince Rupert to Kitkatla and Oona River, as well as on charters to the many native villages in the area.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 445
January 1st, 2008. C-FHRW. Central Flyways Air (Venture Air), Thompson, Manitoba. R-1340.
- by Karl E. Hayes
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Well, we have even more updates to report. C-FRHW now "sports" a Garrett turbine, converted by Recon Air, in Geraldton, Ontario, in 2008. Anyways, check out four pics below, one from her days with TPA, the day I first personally met RHW, and what she looks like today!
- C-FRHW of Trans Provincial Airlines at Vancouver October 1982 (John Kimberley)
The first day I met C-FRHW! October 30, 2006, at Matheson Island, on Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba!
- photo by Steve Taylor
"Brr-rrr"!
- photo by Steve Taylor
May 12, 2008. Bobby Bishop of Texas Turbines "running up" RHW after her conversion!
- photo by Steve Taylor
"Cheers"!
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 445
Otter 445 was delivered to Trans Provincial Air Carriers Ltd, Prince Rupert, BC on 8th August 1964 registered CF-RHW. The company was re-named Trans Provincial Airlines Ltd. Otter RHW was to fly for the company for nearly thirty years, serving the mainland of northern BC and also the Queen Charlotte Islands. Its first incident occurred at Rosswood, BC on 1st October 1970 when it collided with trees due to power loss occasioned by a fatigue fracture of the exhaust. It was repaired and re-registered C-FRHW. It met with another accident on 12th June 1981, seven kilometres east of Smithers, BC. As the pilot was trying to climb to overfly a ridge, the Otter started to lose altitude. Application of more power failed to arrest the rate of descent. The aircraft contacted the surface and travelled a short distance before stopping. The pilot believed he had encountered subsiding air. Again it was repaired.
Another incident occurred at Hepla Lake, BC on 4th March 1986. The Otter had just taken off from Bank's Island off the BC coast, en route to Seal Cove, Prince Rupert, carrying seventeen empty fuel drums. A cylinder cracked just after take off, resulting in a dramatic loss of power from the engine, and back-firing. The pilot wisely decided that there was insufficient power to manoeuvre and elected to land on the lake surface that remained ahead. At the end of the lake, the Otter's wing struck a tree and the aircraft veered right into the tress and struck a stump on the shore. In the usual wording of the accident report, it was “substantially damaged”. The 'wreck' was bought back by Trans Provincial Airlines from the insurers for $5,000. It was airlifted by helicopter from the accident site and put on board a barge, and taken to Vancouver where it was rebuilt by Aeroflite Industries. It returned to service with Trans Provincial Airlines and continued flying for them until the company encountered financial difficulty and went into receivership on 19th March 1993.
Otter RHW was flown to Vancouver along with C-FKLC (255) and put into storage. At that stage of its career, RHW had a total airframe time of 18,829 hours, testifying to a very busy existence along BC's Pacific coast. It was sold by the receiver of Trans Provincial Airlines in September 1993 to Hallmark Leasing Corporation of Vancouver, a leasing company of Mr Trevor Ross, who had imported the Burmese Otters back into Canada. The Otter was then leased to Waglisla Air Inc, trading as Wagair, to whom it was registered in October 1993. It was prepared for service and painted in Wagair colour scheme at Vancouver, where it was noted in February 1994 prior to its return to Seal Cove at Prince Rupert, where it entered service with Wagair. After Wagair ceased trading, the Otter was leased to Inland Air Charters Ltd in December 1995, also based at Prince Rupert, which means that RHW has been based at this location for the last forty years. The aircraft is fitted with a larger than usual propeller, taken from a Grumman Albatross, which gives better performance on take off. With Inland Air Charters, the Otter (or a Beaver, depending on the load) is used on a scheduled service from Seal Cove, Prince Rupert to Kitkatla and Oona River, as well as on charters to the many native villages in the area.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 445
January 1st, 2008. C-FHRW. Central Flyways Air (Venture Air), Thompson, Manitoba. R-1340.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, we have even more updates to report. C-FRHW now "sports" a Garrett turbine, converted by Recon Air, in Geraldton, Ontario, in 2008. Anyways, check out four pics below, one from her days with TPA, the day I first personally met RHW, and what she looks like today!
- C-FRHW of Trans Provincial Airlines at Vancouver October 1982 (John Kimberley)
The first day I met C-FRHW! October 30, 2006, at Matheson Island, on Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba!
- photo by Steve Taylor
"Brr-rrr"!
- photo by Steve Taylor
May 12, 2008. Bobby Bishop of Texas Turbines "running up" RHW after her conversion!
- photo by Steve Taylor
"Cheers"!
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
