Thursday, November 26, 2009
It's Time To Play..... Otterflogger's "Name That Cockpit"!
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #116" 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 Fairchild A-10 "Thunderbolt II", nicknamed the "Warthog"! Mike wins the "sailboat fuel"!
CLUE - "Mjolnir" was the "mystic hammer" of Thor, God of "Thunder"!
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
This is the cockpit of the Fairchild A-10 "Thunderbolt II", nicknamed the "Warthog"! Mike wins the "sailboat fuel"!
CLUE - "Mjolnir" was the "mystic hammer" of Thor, God of "Thunder"!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"! .....by Karl E. Hayes
Of course we are all aware of the many "organisations" worldwide the Otter served with. Then I began recalling the "short-sightedness" of the Canadian government when the "Beaver" was produced, in the fact that they didn't purchase any for the RCAF. They did purchase the "Otter", though. Which was "the first", and what happened to it?
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 7
Otter number 7 was the first Otter delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), on 28th March 1953 with serial 3661. Before formal handover, while the Otter was still at Downsview, code letters AB were painted on the fuselage side, so that the side markings were presented as AB (roundel) 661 and in this guise a number of photographs were taken for publicity purposes. The letters AB were to give the Otter a “military look” and were not the code letters of any RCAF unit then intended to operate the Otter. The official user of the code AB at that time was 401 Squadron, which then flew Harvards and Vampires. One of the publicity photographs of 3661 is captioned “The first commissioned Otter flies over Downsview Airport on 13th March 1953. On this day a simulated SAR operation was conducted by members of the Trenton Para Rescue Section to show the new aircraft to the media”. RCAF Otters 3662, 3663, 3664, 3665 and 3666 were similarly painted with a spurious AB code for publicity purposes before delivery.
After Otter 3661 had been formally delivered by DHC to the RCAF on 28th March '53, it was allocated that month to the Central Experimental & Proving Establishment (CEPE) at Rockcliffe, Ottawa for the purposes of evaluation of this new type of aircraft to enter RCAF service. It then went to the Fort Churchill, Manitoba Station Flight, where its arrival is recorded on 4th July 1953. It entered service with the Flight alongside Norseman 789. The diary of the Churchill Station Flight records the many missions undertaken by 3661. It operated on floats during the summer months from Landing Lake at Churchill. On 14th August '53 it operated a medevac to Baker Lake and on 20th August was in the Duck Lake and Neultin Lake areas searching for a lost trapper. Later that month it was involved in the search for 405 Squadron Lancaster 999 which had crashed, and performed a coast crawl from York Factory to Eskimo Point. When the Lancaster was found, its crew of 8 were picked up by the Otter from the lake where it had ditched and were flown to Churchill. On 31st August '53 both Norseman 789 and Otter 3661 flew to Ennadai Lake with rations.
On 6th October '53 the Otter made its last float trip to Knife Lake and on 8th October was removed from Landing Lake and re-configured with wheel-skis. For the winter months, it would operate from the airport at Churchill, continuing with its light transport and SAR taskings. On 2nd January 1954 it was involved in the search for the Flight's own Norseman 789 which went missing on a medevac flight from Fort Churchill to Baker Lake, a flight of three hours fifteen minutes. Six RCAF Dakotas were also involved in the search for the missing Norseman, two each from Winnipeg, Rivers and Edmonton, as well as Arctic Wings Avro Anson CF-GLA. When the Norseman was found on a small lake at 62.46 North 96.06 West, one of the Dakotas orbited the scene until the evacuation of the Norseman crew and passengers was carried out by Otter 3661 on 5th January.
On 15th February 1954 the Otter flew from Churchill to the scene of the Norseman forced landing with a repair party, but its tail assembly broke on landing on the rough terrain. When it became overdue, Dakota 971 from Winnipeg took off to fly to the area, but due to ice fog had to return to Churchill without finding the Otter. It departed again early the next morning and sighted the downed Otter beside the Norseman. The two aircraft had to remain where they were until 20th February '54, when the Arctic Wings Anson flew in with replacement crews, and both the Otter and the Norseman flew back to Churchill.
The following month, the Otter was re-assigned and took off from Churchill on 19th March '54 enroute to Ottawa, being replaced at Churchill by Otter 3672. On arrival at RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ottawa 3661 entered service with 408 Squadron, adopting its MN code. Although based at Rockcliffe, the squadron spent much of its time deployed away from base, having been assigned the major task of mapping and surveying large tracts of the Canadian North. During the summer of 1954, four of the Squadron's Lancasters flew out of Goose Bay, Labrador on the mapping project, supported by six of the Squadron's Cansos and six Otters, including 3661. At the end of the summer season, 3661 and the other Otters returned to base at Rockcliffe for the winter, where they were engaged on local area flying and training.
Another major task entrusted to 408 Squadron was support of the construction of the Mid Canada Line (MCL) of radar sites along the 55th parallel of latitude, all 102 of them. In 1954 the RCAF launched a helicopter operation for the MCL with the formation of 108 Communications Flight which, with its H-19, H-21 and H-34 helicopters would carry men, supplies and equipment to the numerous isolated sites. On 18th June 1955 Otter 3661 in company with 3664, both on floats, departed Rockcliffe and arrived at Fort McMurray, Alberta on 21st June. The function of the two Otters was to carry men and equipment into places that were inaccessible to the Squadron's Canso, which was also supporting the operation. The Otters remained with the operation until it reached The Pas, Manitoba. 3661 was released on 22nd July '55 and departed Flin Flon, Manitoba that day to return to Rockcliffe.
In December 1955 3661 was again transferred to the CEPE at Rockcliffe. It underwent a DHC All Up Weight modification in January '56, after which it returned to 408 Squadron. On 27th June'56 it was flown to Goose Bay where 408 Squadron crewmen instructed Goose Bay Station Flight on the Otter, following the fatal crash of Goose Bay's own Otter 3666 on 10th April '56. On 22nd August '56 3661 proceeded from Goose Bay to St.John's/Torbay to transport the Canadian and Russian Ministers of Fisheries on a tour of Newfoundland fishing ports. 3661 then returned to base at Rockcliffe.
408 Squadron's use of the Otter came to an end in June 1957 and the following month 3661 was assigned to the Station Flight at Cold Lake, Alberta where it was to serve for the next two years. In June 1959 it went into storage as a reserve aircraft at the Lincoln Park, Calgary depot, located at what was then Calgary's downtown airport, which became an RCAF base when the new civilian airport was built northeast of the city. In December '59 it was taken out of storage and ferried to DHC at Downsview to be prepared for its next posting. In July 1960 it joined 102 Communications Unit at Trenton, Ontario where it served in an all silver scheme, with black front engine cowling, code VR (roundel) 661 on the rear fuselage and the serial 3661 and Canadian Ensign on the fin.
In November 1962, 3661 was taken out of service and put into storage by No.6 Repair Depot, Trenton. Here it remained until March '63, when it was one of 5 RCAF Otters selected by the Canadian Government to be donated to India. All five were trucked to DHC at Downsview and crated for shipment to India, the official transfer date to the Indian Air Force being 25th April 1963. On arrival in India the Otter was allocated serial BM-1004 with the Indian Air Force, with whom it served for the next 27 years, until withdrawn from use in 1990. In April 1993 the Indian Ministry of Defence
advertised for sale by global tender “8 Otters on the ground since 1990 and 5 Otter airframes (without engines)”, which included BM-1004. The successful bidders were La Ronge Aviation Services of La Ronge, Saskatchewan jointly with Mike Hackman Aircraft Sales of Edmonton.
The purchasers managed to find another damaged Otter during their visits to India, which made 14 Otters to be returned home. These were located at different Indian Air Force bases. BM-1004 was one of three Otters located at Kanpur and another five were located at Barrackpore. This batch of eight were paint stripped, dismantled and trucked to Calcutta, from where they were shipped to Canada. They eventually arrived at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan by 30th April 1994. BM-1004 had at that stage of its career 5,051 hours on the airframe. It was put up for sale, along with all the other
former Indian Air Force Otters. They were advertised for sale “as is”, or else the sellers would arrange for the aircraft to be rebuilt to flying condition for a customer.
Otter number 7 was purchased by Watson's Algoma Vacations Ltd, trading as Watson's Skyways, based at Wawa, Ontario. The Otter was one of those purchased “as is” and was trucked from Saskatoon to Echo Bay, Ontario where it was rebuilt for its new owners by Skyservice. On completion of the rebuild, it was registered to Watson's Algoma Vacations Ltd on 26th April 1995 as C-GPPL. There was a change of name of the registered owner on 28th February 2000 to Watsons Skyways Ltd.
C-GPPL joined Otter C-GOFB in service with Watson's Skyways. The Otters were based at Wawa and during the summer months were used to fly fishermen to two lodges, Pine Portage and Kaby Lodge, which the company operates on Kabinakagami Lake in the Ontario interior, one of which is located sixty miles from Wawa, the other seventy. The Otters were also available for general charters, and often flew for the Ontario Government's Ministry of Natural Resources, flying fire crews and Ministry personnel into the bush. Summer 2000 for example saw personnel flown by the Otters to Michipicoten Island in Lake Superior. By the end of that summer season, PPL's total time had reached 6,900 hours. The Watson's Skyways operation is summer only, the Otters being stored during the winter.
PPL remained in service with Watson's Skyways until the end of the summer 2000 season and was then placed in storage for the winter at the Springer Aerospace facility at Bar River, to the east of Sault St.Marie. In September 2000 it was advertised for sale, having been replaced in service with Watson's Skyways by a Cessna Caravan. The advertisement quoted an asking price of $590,000 Canadian, with the aircraft on EDO floats, ten passenger seats, wingtip strobes, vista vents in the two crew and four passenger windows, and well equipped with avionics, including HF radio and a Garmin GPS. It was sold the following month to Hawk Air of Wawa but remained in storage for the winter at Bar River, being registered to its new owners on 11th April 2001. PPL joined Otter C-FQMN with Hawk Air and continued to serve the Ontario bush country, flying fishermen to outpost camps and supplying lodges during the summer season. The company required an additional Otter to cater for an upsurge in its business, which kept both PPL and QMN busy during the summer of 2001 and subsequent years.
C-GPPL was involved in an incident on 15th June 2004. Eight minutes after it had taken off from Hawk Junction en route to Esnagi Lake the engine quit and the Otter was forced to make an immediate landing on Dipneedle Lake, some ten miles north of Hawk Junction. The lake was extremely narrow shortly after the point of touch down. The left wing struck two dead trees, resulting in damage to the outer four feet of the leading edge of the wing. Approaching the shore, one float struck a submerged rock, resulting in a one foot hole in one compartment. There were no injuries to the five passengers or the crew of two. The Otter was repaired and resumed service with Hawk Air.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 7
January 1st, 2008. C-GPPL. Having been operated by Hawk Air out of its base at Wawa, Ontario since April 2001, Otter number 7 was sold to Alaska Coastal Airlines of Juneau, Alaska and was registered to its new owners on 30th May 2007 as N342AK. Alaska Coastal Airlines trades as Wings of Alaska and already operates four Texas Turbine Otters on sight seeing flights from its Juneau base. N342AK arrived at Vernon, BC in late July 2007 to be converted as a Texas Turbine Otter by Kal-Air. On 20th November 2007 the registration was changed to N753AK. Work on the conversion continued at the Kal-Air facility over the winter of 2007/08.
- by Karl E. Hayes
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C-GPPL of Watson's Skyways in winter storage at Geraldton, Ontario (Rich Hulina)
"Wow", what a career, and still flying, with more "chapters" to come.........
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 7
Otter number 7 was the first Otter delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), on 28th March 1953 with serial 3661. Before formal handover, while the Otter was still at Downsview, code letters AB were painted on the fuselage side, so that the side markings were presented as AB (roundel) 661 and in this guise a number of photographs were taken for publicity purposes. The letters AB were to give the Otter a “military look” and were not the code letters of any RCAF unit then intended to operate the Otter. The official user of the code AB at that time was 401 Squadron, which then flew Harvards and Vampires. One of the publicity photographs of 3661 is captioned “The first commissioned Otter flies over Downsview Airport on 13th March 1953. On this day a simulated SAR operation was conducted by members of the Trenton Para Rescue Section to show the new aircraft to the media”. RCAF Otters 3662, 3663, 3664, 3665 and 3666 were similarly painted with a spurious AB code for publicity purposes before delivery.
After Otter 3661 had been formally delivered by DHC to the RCAF on 28th March '53, it was allocated that month to the Central Experimental & Proving Establishment (CEPE) at Rockcliffe, Ottawa for the purposes of evaluation of this new type of aircraft to enter RCAF service. It then went to the Fort Churchill, Manitoba Station Flight, where its arrival is recorded on 4th July 1953. It entered service with the Flight alongside Norseman 789. The diary of the Churchill Station Flight records the many missions undertaken by 3661. It operated on floats during the summer months from Landing Lake at Churchill. On 14th August '53 it operated a medevac to Baker Lake and on 20th August was in the Duck Lake and Neultin Lake areas searching for a lost trapper. Later that month it was involved in the search for 405 Squadron Lancaster 999 which had crashed, and performed a coast crawl from York Factory to Eskimo Point. When the Lancaster was found, its crew of 8 were picked up by the Otter from the lake where it had ditched and were flown to Churchill. On 31st August '53 both Norseman 789 and Otter 3661 flew to Ennadai Lake with rations.
On 6th October '53 the Otter made its last float trip to Knife Lake and on 8th October was removed from Landing Lake and re-configured with wheel-skis. For the winter months, it would operate from the airport at Churchill, continuing with its light transport and SAR taskings. On 2nd January 1954 it was involved in the search for the Flight's own Norseman 789 which went missing on a medevac flight from Fort Churchill to Baker Lake, a flight of three hours fifteen minutes. Six RCAF Dakotas were also involved in the search for the missing Norseman, two each from Winnipeg, Rivers and Edmonton, as well as Arctic Wings Avro Anson CF-GLA. When the Norseman was found on a small lake at 62.46 North 96.06 West, one of the Dakotas orbited the scene until the evacuation of the Norseman crew and passengers was carried out by Otter 3661 on 5th January.
On 15th February 1954 the Otter flew from Churchill to the scene of the Norseman forced landing with a repair party, but its tail assembly broke on landing on the rough terrain. When it became overdue, Dakota 971 from Winnipeg took off to fly to the area, but due to ice fog had to return to Churchill without finding the Otter. It departed again early the next morning and sighted the downed Otter beside the Norseman. The two aircraft had to remain where they were until 20th February '54, when the Arctic Wings Anson flew in with replacement crews, and both the Otter and the Norseman flew back to Churchill.
The following month, the Otter was re-assigned and took off from Churchill on 19th March '54 enroute to Ottawa, being replaced at Churchill by Otter 3672. On arrival at RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ottawa 3661 entered service with 408 Squadron, adopting its MN code. Although based at Rockcliffe, the squadron spent much of its time deployed away from base, having been assigned the major task of mapping and surveying large tracts of the Canadian North. During the summer of 1954, four of the Squadron's Lancasters flew out of Goose Bay, Labrador on the mapping project, supported by six of the Squadron's Cansos and six Otters, including 3661. At the end of the summer season, 3661 and the other Otters returned to base at Rockcliffe for the winter, where they were engaged on local area flying and training.
Another major task entrusted to 408 Squadron was support of the construction of the Mid Canada Line (MCL) of radar sites along the 55th parallel of latitude, all 102 of them. In 1954 the RCAF launched a helicopter operation for the MCL with the formation of 108 Communications Flight which, with its H-19, H-21 and H-34 helicopters would carry men, supplies and equipment to the numerous isolated sites. On 18th June 1955 Otter 3661 in company with 3664, both on floats, departed Rockcliffe and arrived at Fort McMurray, Alberta on 21st June. The function of the two Otters was to carry men and equipment into places that were inaccessible to the Squadron's Canso, which was also supporting the operation. The Otters remained with the operation until it reached The Pas, Manitoba. 3661 was released on 22nd July '55 and departed Flin Flon, Manitoba that day to return to Rockcliffe.
In December 1955 3661 was again transferred to the CEPE at Rockcliffe. It underwent a DHC All Up Weight modification in January '56, after which it returned to 408 Squadron. On 27th June'56 it was flown to Goose Bay where 408 Squadron crewmen instructed Goose Bay Station Flight on the Otter, following the fatal crash of Goose Bay's own Otter 3666 on 10th April '56. On 22nd August '56 3661 proceeded from Goose Bay to St.John's/Torbay to transport the Canadian and Russian Ministers of Fisheries on a tour of Newfoundland fishing ports. 3661 then returned to base at Rockcliffe.
408 Squadron's use of the Otter came to an end in June 1957 and the following month 3661 was assigned to the Station Flight at Cold Lake, Alberta where it was to serve for the next two years. In June 1959 it went into storage as a reserve aircraft at the Lincoln Park, Calgary depot, located at what was then Calgary's downtown airport, which became an RCAF base when the new civilian airport was built northeast of the city. In December '59 it was taken out of storage and ferried to DHC at Downsview to be prepared for its next posting. In July 1960 it joined 102 Communications Unit at Trenton, Ontario where it served in an all silver scheme, with black front engine cowling, code VR (roundel) 661 on the rear fuselage and the serial 3661 and Canadian Ensign on the fin.
In November 1962, 3661 was taken out of service and put into storage by No.6 Repair Depot, Trenton. Here it remained until March '63, when it was one of 5 RCAF Otters selected by the Canadian Government to be donated to India. All five were trucked to DHC at Downsview and crated for shipment to India, the official transfer date to the Indian Air Force being 25th April 1963. On arrival in India the Otter was allocated serial BM-1004 with the Indian Air Force, with whom it served for the next 27 years, until withdrawn from use in 1990. In April 1993 the Indian Ministry of Defence
advertised for sale by global tender “8 Otters on the ground since 1990 and 5 Otter airframes (without engines)”, which included BM-1004. The successful bidders were La Ronge Aviation Services of La Ronge, Saskatchewan jointly with Mike Hackman Aircraft Sales of Edmonton.
The purchasers managed to find another damaged Otter during their visits to India, which made 14 Otters to be returned home. These were located at different Indian Air Force bases. BM-1004 was one of three Otters located at Kanpur and another five were located at Barrackpore. This batch of eight were paint stripped, dismantled and trucked to Calcutta, from where they were shipped to Canada. They eventually arrived at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan by 30th April 1994. BM-1004 had at that stage of its career 5,051 hours on the airframe. It was put up for sale, along with all the other
former Indian Air Force Otters. They were advertised for sale “as is”, or else the sellers would arrange for the aircraft to be rebuilt to flying condition for a customer.
Otter number 7 was purchased by Watson's Algoma Vacations Ltd, trading as Watson's Skyways, based at Wawa, Ontario. The Otter was one of those purchased “as is” and was trucked from Saskatoon to Echo Bay, Ontario where it was rebuilt for its new owners by Skyservice. On completion of the rebuild, it was registered to Watson's Algoma Vacations Ltd on 26th April 1995 as C-GPPL. There was a change of name of the registered owner on 28th February 2000 to Watsons Skyways Ltd.
C-GPPL joined Otter C-GOFB in service with Watson's Skyways. The Otters were based at Wawa and during the summer months were used to fly fishermen to two lodges, Pine Portage and Kaby Lodge, which the company operates on Kabinakagami Lake in the Ontario interior, one of which is located sixty miles from Wawa, the other seventy. The Otters were also available for general charters, and often flew for the Ontario Government's Ministry of Natural Resources, flying fire crews and Ministry personnel into the bush. Summer 2000 for example saw personnel flown by the Otters to Michipicoten Island in Lake Superior. By the end of that summer season, PPL's total time had reached 6,900 hours. The Watson's Skyways operation is summer only, the Otters being stored during the winter.
PPL remained in service with Watson's Skyways until the end of the summer 2000 season and was then placed in storage for the winter at the Springer Aerospace facility at Bar River, to the east of Sault St.Marie. In September 2000 it was advertised for sale, having been replaced in service with Watson's Skyways by a Cessna Caravan. The advertisement quoted an asking price of $590,000 Canadian, with the aircraft on EDO floats, ten passenger seats, wingtip strobes, vista vents in the two crew and four passenger windows, and well equipped with avionics, including HF radio and a Garmin GPS. It was sold the following month to Hawk Air of Wawa but remained in storage for the winter at Bar River, being registered to its new owners on 11th April 2001. PPL joined Otter C-FQMN with Hawk Air and continued to serve the Ontario bush country, flying fishermen to outpost camps and supplying lodges during the summer season. The company required an additional Otter to cater for an upsurge in its business, which kept both PPL and QMN busy during the summer of 2001 and subsequent years.
C-GPPL was involved in an incident on 15th June 2004. Eight minutes after it had taken off from Hawk Junction en route to Esnagi Lake the engine quit and the Otter was forced to make an immediate landing on Dipneedle Lake, some ten miles north of Hawk Junction. The lake was extremely narrow shortly after the point of touch down. The left wing struck two dead trees, resulting in damage to the outer four feet of the leading edge of the wing. Approaching the shore, one float struck a submerged rock, resulting in a one foot hole in one compartment. There were no injuries to the five passengers or the crew of two. The Otter was repaired and resumed service with Hawk Air.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 7
January 1st, 2008. C-GPPL. Having been operated by Hawk Air out of its base at Wawa, Ontario since April 2001, Otter number 7 was sold to Alaska Coastal Airlines of Juneau, Alaska and was registered to its new owners on 30th May 2007 as N342AK. Alaska Coastal Airlines trades as Wings of Alaska and already operates four Texas Turbine Otters on sight seeing flights from its Juneau base. N342AK arrived at Vernon, BC in late July 2007 to be converted as a Texas Turbine Otter by Kal-Air. On 20th November 2007 the registration was changed to N753AK. Work on the conversion continued at the Kal-Air facility over the winter of 2007/08.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
C-GPPL of Watson's Skyways in winter storage at Geraldton, Ontario (Rich Hulina)
"Wow", what a career, and still flying, with more "chapters" to come.........
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
It's Time To Play..... Otterflogger's "Name That Cockpit"!
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #115" 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 Northrop "XB-35"! Lance wins the "sailboat fuel"!
CLUE - "FW" in the cockpit image name equals "Flying Wing".
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
This is the cockpit of the Northrop "XB-35"! Lance wins the "sailboat fuel"!
CLUE - "FW" in the cockpit image name equals "Flying Wing".
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Steve's Video Of The Day: "Oh... Chute"!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"! .....by Karl E. Hayes
Talk about an aircraft with "extreme" history! Greenland and Panama, then to Arizona, then two "tours of duty" in Vietnam! Arriving back in good old North America, she dropped animal feed in the foothills of "The Rocks", went "North....to Alaska"...., and finally made it to Saskatchewan, where she still "works" 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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Otter 316
Otter 316 was delivered to the United States Army on 6th March 1959 with serial 58-1704 (tail number 81704). It was one of two Otters delivered that day, the other being 81703 (305). Both were painted in an overall orange colour scheme and were delivered from Downsview to Fort Eustis, Virginia where they joined the Transportation Research & Environmental Operations Group (TREOG), an Army unit whose task was to test Army equipment under extreme climate and environmental conditions. The two Otters were used in Greenland and in Panama. 81704's Army career was the same as 81703's, as already described, until April 1964 when it was assigned to Fort Huachuca, Arizona as a test support aircraft.
In February 1966 81704 arrived with the 54th Aviation Company in Vietnam, where it served until May 1968. It was taken on charge that month by the 388th Transportation Company, Vung Tau and shipped back to the United States, for depot level overhaul at the Sharpe Army Depot, Stockton, California where it arrived in September '68. After overhaul, in January 1970 it arrived back with the 54th Aviation Company in Vietnam. It is mentioned in the Company's history for January 1970 - “Traded in 53298 for 81704, an aircraft just back from overhaul in the States”. 81704 continued to fly for the 54th Aviation Company until August 1970, when it was taken on charge by the 56th Transportation Company and prepared for return home. It arrived back at the Sharpe Army Depot, Stockton, California in October 1970 and was put into storage there. It remained in store until February 1973 when it was deleted from the Army inventory and put up for disposal as military surplus.
81704 was one of four Otters in storage at Stockton purchased on 8th January 1974 by Laurentian Air Services Ltd of Ottawa, the four being 76108 (226), 81700 (314), 81704 (316) and 92210 (348), the purchase price for 81704 being $6,800. Of the four, Laurentian Air Services flew two of them (226 and 348) to their base at Ottawa, restored them to civilian configuration and put them into service. The other two (314 and 316) were not in flyable condition (as reflected by the purchase price of $6,800 for 316) and they were immediately sold on to Ag Air Company of Latah, Washington who collected the two Otters at Stockton and brought them by truck to their base at Latah.
Otter 314 was rebuilt by Ag Air Company, but 316 was sold on “as is” to a Mr Wayne H. Baer by Bill of Sale dated 10th February 1974 for $13,650, so at least Ag Air realised a quick profit. Later that month, Mr Baer sold the aircraft to Bill Kornell, trading as Acme Air Taxi of Salmon, Idaho, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Mr Kornell applied for a civil registration for the Otter on 21st February 1974 and was allocated N521BK (the 'BK' no doubt standing for Bill Kornell) by the FAA. He then set about rebuilding the aircraft, which took three months, and on 30th May '74 he applied for a Certificate of Airworthiness. The Otter at that stage of its career had 3,500 hours total time.
On 31st May '74 the FAA issued a C. of A. but as an “Experimental Aircraft with Operating Limitations”. This it appears was because the Otter was to be used for dropping feed to animals, with the fuselage cargo doors removed. Limitations specified by the C. of A. precluded operations over congested areas, except take-offs from the Boise Municipal Airport and Nampa Airport, both in Idaho. After a year and a half of operating the Otter, Mr Kornell sold it by Bill of Sale dated 10th August 1975 to West Aircraft Sales of Municipal Airport, Salinas, California who sold it on the same day to Henry L. Liners of Fairbanks, Alaska. N521BK was registered to Mr Liners but was operated by Frontier Flying Service Inc, based at Fairbanks. At the time, the company also operated Otter N90575 (302), which crashed shortly thereafter.
Frontier Flying Service continued to operate the Otter until an accident on 16th January 1977, when N521BK was taking off from New Minto, Alaska on a cargo flight to Fairbanks, with two on board. The engine lost power and the Otter made a forced landing off airport in rough terrain and was substantially damaged. It was trucked south to be repaired by Sorm Industries at Boeing Field, Seattle. It underwent major structural repairs to the fuselage, bulkhead and right wing. The repairs were completed by August 1977. The following month, the Otter was sold to Mike Ehredt, trading as Arctic Guide of Barrow, Alaska and he applied for registration on 15th September 1977. Arctic Guide's fleet included a Twin Otter, Beech C-45, Dornier Do-28, two Turbo Porters and several Cessnas. The Otter flew for Arctic Guide out of Barrow until sold to Gittins Construction Inc of Anchorage, by Bill of Sale dated 27th December 1983. This company installed a Sorm Industries bulk fuel carrying tank, and it was used to haul fuel to construction sites around Alaska. It continued in use by Gittins Construction until sold to Yute Air Alaska of Dillingham, Alaska by Bill of Sale dated 18th December 1985.
Yute Air Alaska removed the bulk fuel tank and converted the Otter back to a passenger aircraft, and used it as part of their commuter fleet. They had previously flown Otter N433GR (291). The Otter continued to fly for Yute Air Alaska out of Dillingham until sold to Athabaska Airways Ltd of La Ronge, Saskatchewan in April 1994, to whom it was registered C-FSGD. The Otter flew as a piston until it was converted to a Vazar turbine Otter in 1997 and joined Athabaska Airways other turbine Otter C-FHPE (273) in service out of their La Ronge base. When Athabaska Airways merged with La Ronge Aviation Services to form Transwest Air, with effect from 1st September 2000, both Otters joined the Transwest Air fleet, although they remained based at La Ronge.
An incident involving C-FSGD was recorded on 26th April 2001. The turbo Otter on amphibious floats was en route from Fond du Lac to Stony Rapids when the fuel pressure dropped and the engine lost power. The pilot completed a forced landing on a river five miles west of Stony Rapids. The fuel gauge indicated 50 gallons of fuel on board. The aircraft was examined and departed again en route to Stony Rapids. On final approach at Stony Rapids, the engine lost power again. The pilot completed a landing at the airport and the Otter was towed off the runway. Examination revealed a problem with the fuel transmitter, which was dealt with, and SGD returned to service. It was registered to Transwest Air Ltd Partnership, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan on 13th November 2001, but remained based at La Ronge.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 316
January 1st, 2008. C-FSGD. Transwest Air, La Ronge, Saskatchewan. Vazar.
- by Karl E. Hayes
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316 N521BK at San Jose, California September 1984 (John Wegg)
316 C-FSGD of Transwest Air, La Ronge, Saskatchewan May 2002 (Anthony J. Hickey)
One "extreme machine"!!!
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
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Otter 316
Otter 316 was delivered to the United States Army on 6th March 1959 with serial 58-1704 (tail number 81704). It was one of two Otters delivered that day, the other being 81703 (305). Both were painted in an overall orange colour scheme and were delivered from Downsview to Fort Eustis, Virginia where they joined the Transportation Research & Environmental Operations Group (TREOG), an Army unit whose task was to test Army equipment under extreme climate and environmental conditions. The two Otters were used in Greenland and in Panama. 81704's Army career was the same as 81703's, as already described, until April 1964 when it was assigned to Fort Huachuca, Arizona as a test support aircraft.
In February 1966 81704 arrived with the 54th Aviation Company in Vietnam, where it served until May 1968. It was taken on charge that month by the 388th Transportation Company, Vung Tau and shipped back to the United States, for depot level overhaul at the Sharpe Army Depot, Stockton, California where it arrived in September '68. After overhaul, in January 1970 it arrived back with the 54th Aviation Company in Vietnam. It is mentioned in the Company's history for January 1970 - “Traded in 53298 for 81704, an aircraft just back from overhaul in the States”. 81704 continued to fly for the 54th Aviation Company until August 1970, when it was taken on charge by the 56th Transportation Company and prepared for return home. It arrived back at the Sharpe Army Depot, Stockton, California in October 1970 and was put into storage there. It remained in store until February 1973 when it was deleted from the Army inventory and put up for disposal as military surplus.
81704 was one of four Otters in storage at Stockton purchased on 8th January 1974 by Laurentian Air Services Ltd of Ottawa, the four being 76108 (226), 81700 (314), 81704 (316) and 92210 (348), the purchase price for 81704 being $6,800. Of the four, Laurentian Air Services flew two of them (226 and 348) to their base at Ottawa, restored them to civilian configuration and put them into service. The other two (314 and 316) were not in flyable condition (as reflected by the purchase price of $6,800 for 316) and they were immediately sold on to Ag Air Company of Latah, Washington who collected the two Otters at Stockton and brought them by truck to their base at Latah.
Otter 314 was rebuilt by Ag Air Company, but 316 was sold on “as is” to a Mr Wayne H. Baer by Bill of Sale dated 10th February 1974 for $13,650, so at least Ag Air realised a quick profit. Later that month, Mr Baer sold the aircraft to Bill Kornell, trading as Acme Air Taxi of Salmon, Idaho, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Mr Kornell applied for a civil registration for the Otter on 21st February 1974 and was allocated N521BK (the 'BK' no doubt standing for Bill Kornell) by the FAA. He then set about rebuilding the aircraft, which took three months, and on 30th May '74 he applied for a Certificate of Airworthiness. The Otter at that stage of its career had 3,500 hours total time.
On 31st May '74 the FAA issued a C. of A. but as an “Experimental Aircraft with Operating Limitations”. This it appears was because the Otter was to be used for dropping feed to animals, with the fuselage cargo doors removed. Limitations specified by the C. of A. precluded operations over congested areas, except take-offs from the Boise Municipal Airport and Nampa Airport, both in Idaho. After a year and a half of operating the Otter, Mr Kornell sold it by Bill of Sale dated 10th August 1975 to West Aircraft Sales of Municipal Airport, Salinas, California who sold it on the same day to Henry L. Liners of Fairbanks, Alaska. N521BK was registered to Mr Liners but was operated by Frontier Flying Service Inc, based at Fairbanks. At the time, the company also operated Otter N90575 (302), which crashed shortly thereafter.
Frontier Flying Service continued to operate the Otter until an accident on 16th January 1977, when N521BK was taking off from New Minto, Alaska on a cargo flight to Fairbanks, with two on board. The engine lost power and the Otter made a forced landing off airport in rough terrain and was substantially damaged. It was trucked south to be repaired by Sorm Industries at Boeing Field, Seattle. It underwent major structural repairs to the fuselage, bulkhead and right wing. The repairs were completed by August 1977. The following month, the Otter was sold to Mike Ehredt, trading as Arctic Guide of Barrow, Alaska and he applied for registration on 15th September 1977. Arctic Guide's fleet included a Twin Otter, Beech C-45, Dornier Do-28, two Turbo Porters and several Cessnas. The Otter flew for Arctic Guide out of Barrow until sold to Gittins Construction Inc of Anchorage, by Bill of Sale dated 27th December 1983. This company installed a Sorm Industries bulk fuel carrying tank, and it was used to haul fuel to construction sites around Alaska. It continued in use by Gittins Construction until sold to Yute Air Alaska of Dillingham, Alaska by Bill of Sale dated 18th December 1985.
Yute Air Alaska removed the bulk fuel tank and converted the Otter back to a passenger aircraft, and used it as part of their commuter fleet. They had previously flown Otter N433GR (291). The Otter continued to fly for Yute Air Alaska out of Dillingham until sold to Athabaska Airways Ltd of La Ronge, Saskatchewan in April 1994, to whom it was registered C-FSGD. The Otter flew as a piston until it was converted to a Vazar turbine Otter in 1997 and joined Athabaska Airways other turbine Otter C-FHPE (273) in service out of their La Ronge base. When Athabaska Airways merged with La Ronge Aviation Services to form Transwest Air, with effect from 1st September 2000, both Otters joined the Transwest Air fleet, although they remained based at La Ronge.
An incident involving C-FSGD was recorded on 26th April 2001. The turbo Otter on amphibious floats was en route from Fond du Lac to Stony Rapids when the fuel pressure dropped and the engine lost power. The pilot completed a forced landing on a river five miles west of Stony Rapids. The fuel gauge indicated 50 gallons of fuel on board. The aircraft was examined and departed again en route to Stony Rapids. On final approach at Stony Rapids, the engine lost power again. The pilot completed a landing at the airport and the Otter was towed off the runway. Examination revealed a problem with the fuel transmitter, which was dealt with, and SGD returned to service. It was registered to Transwest Air Ltd Partnership, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan on 13th November 2001, but remained based at La Ronge.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 316
January 1st, 2008. C-FSGD. Transwest Air, La Ronge, Saskatchewan. Vazar.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
316 N521BK at San Jose, California September 1984 (John Wegg)
316 C-FSGD of Transwest Air, La Ronge, Saskatchewan May 2002 (Anthony J. Hickey)
One "extreme machine"!!!
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
Friday, November 13, 2009
"We Are Very Lucky".............
By now, we are all well-aware of the amazing actions of one "Sully" that prevented major loss of life in January of this year. "No", not that "Sully"! Not the big blue monster protecting "Boo" in "Monsters Inc."! I mean Captain Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III, pilot of the ill-fated US Airways Flight 1549 that met a flight of "Branta Canadensis" after take-off, causing the aircraft to eventually "ditch" in the Hudson River. Exosphere3D has done an amazing "possible scenario" re-creation of the flight using animation, available information, and actual ATC audio. Spend some time and check out the details. Quite amazing...... "Good job, Sully"!!!
Captain Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III
"Thanks, Clive"!
ANALYSIS -
"We Are Very Lucky".............
Captain Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III
"Thanks, Clive"!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Steve's Video Of The Day: The "Altair".........
A "twin-jet", "flying boat", "waterbomber", with a "stick"! Igor? Nope, he is dead. Must be "Russkies", though! Yup! The Beriev Be-200 "Altair".......
VIDEO -
The "Altair".........Wednesday, November 11, 2009
The "Last Post"..........
Today I attended the "Remembrance Day" ceremony at Camp Morton, Manitoba. As the haunting sound of the bugler playing "Last Post" wafted along the beautiful shores of Lake Winnipeg, I got to thinking about the Veterans that have served us, and the Soldiers that are in "harm's way" today. As the terrible events lately overseas and at Fort Hood have shown us, the enemy is "closer" than we think, but our men and women will meet the challenge. Therefore, today, take time to remember our "Vets" and "Soldiers", as without their service, the possible alternative to our "Life and Liberty" would be unfathomable. It has also been awhile since my last "post", so I figured today would be a good day to start again......
My son Flight Sergeant Shane Taylor lowers the Canadian Flag after the Camp Morton ceremony.......
The names of 120 Soldiers from the local area on the Camp Morton cenotaph who made the "ultimate sacrifice" during the "Great War"........
Flight Sergeant Taylor and Sergeant Shawn Irvine detach the "Maple Leaf".....
.....and present it to Captain Colin Heathcote, CD2 (Retired).
My two "youngest" show their "respect"......
Flight Sergeant Shane, and Kiena "Munchie", Taylor. In closing, the following video is a "timeless gem" praising the "boys and the girls who went over", from Terry Kelly, followed by the "Last Post". Always......"Remember"!
My son Flight Sergeant Shane Taylor lowers the Canadian Flag after the Camp Morton ceremony.......
The names of 120 Soldiers from the local area on the Camp Morton cenotaph who made the "ultimate sacrifice" during the "Great War"........
Flight Sergeant Taylor and Sergeant Shawn Irvine detach the "Maple Leaf".....
.....and present it to Captain Colin Heathcote, CD2 (Retired).
My two "youngest" show their "respect"......
Flight Sergeant Shane, and Kiena "Munchie", Taylor. In closing, the following video is a "timeless gem" praising the "boys and the girls who went over", from Terry Kelly, followed by the "Last Post". Always......"Remember"!
