Friday, December 18, 2009
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"! .....by Karl E. Hayes
A number of years back I flew Beaver C-FGYK from Silver Falls, MB, to Lac Kaiagamac, PQ, during the month of November, on floats. The aircraft had been on lease to Blue Water Aviation for the open-water season, and I was returning the aircraft to Cargair Ltee.'s Base at Lac Kaiagamac. Seeing the large hangar and infrastructure at my destination, I wondered how many Otters had passed through and worked the area. Here is one that did, albeit for a short period of time, but she still "flogs the coast" to this day.
All information is from Karl Hayes' "masterful" CD entitled:
De Havilland Canada
DHC-3 OTTER
A HISTORY
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
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Otter 105
Otter 105 was delivered to the United States Army on 12th April 1956 with serial 55-3261 (tail number 53261). It was allocated to the 14th Army Aviation Company at Fort Riley, Kansas. In August '56 the 14th was re-designated the 1st Aviation Company and moved to Fort Benning, Georgia where it continued to fly the Otter until 1961, when it converted to the Caribou, relinquishing its U-1As to other units.
53261 was then assigned to Yuma, Arizona where it would spend the rest of its military career, as a test support aircraft. It was involved in a minor incident there on 26th February 1974. On take-off with a gusty crosswind the Otter became airborne prematurely and settled, with one tyre touching the runway and the propeller being damaged on contacting the runway. The damage was repaired and 53261 continued in service until April 1976 when it was transferred to the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). It was registered to the CAP in June '76 as N5341G and flew for the CAP's Southwest Region - Texas. It was then sold to Air Saguenay Inc of Chicoutimi, Quebec to whom marks C-GVNL were allocated on 16th March 1978. It went on lease to Cargair Ltee of St.Michel-des-Saints (Lac Kaiagamac) Quebec to whom it was registered C-GVNL on 19th May '78. It flew for Cargair only that summer, after which it joined the Air Saguenay fleet, subsequently re-registered to Air Saguenay (1980) Inc.
The Otter was involved in an incident on 13th May 1980 at its Lac Sebastien base during a proficiency flight check. While on final for a simulated engine failure condition with throttle retarded, the pilot rounded out the aircraft too high. The check pilot did not recognise the error in sufficient time to take corrective action. Damage to the aircraft's structure was sustained in the hard landing that followed. The damage was repaired. In April 1985 the aircraft was transferred to Centre d'Expedition et de Plein Air Laurentien (CEPAL) of Jonquiere (Lac Kenogami) Quebec. On 10th July 1990 whilst in cruise flight, a cylinder failed and the engine was shut down. VNL made an emergency landing on Lac Manouane. In July 1998 the Otter was transferred to Air Bellevue Inc of St.Felicien, Quebec.
Having served the bush country of Quebec for just short of 23 years, VNL headed west for a new career on the Pacific coast. Air Bellevue's activities were winding down and its two Otters, VNL and C-FIUZ (135) were up for sale. Both were purchased by Harbour Air Ltd of Vancouver. The two Otters set off together for the long cross-country ferry. They were flown as far as Calgary by Air Bellevue pilots, arriving on 14th March 2001. They overnighted at Calgary and continued on the next day to Vancouver, flown by Harbour Air pilots. Both Otters were registered to Harbour Air on 28th March 2001 and were converted to turbine power with PT-6 engines by Harbour Air in their hangar at Vancouver. They were painted into Harbour Air's colours and entered service on the company's scheduled passenger services between Vancouver and points on Vancouver Island.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 105
January 1st, 2008. C-GVNL. In service with Harbour Air, Vancouver. Vazar. Fleet number 304.
- by Karl E. Hayes
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C-GVNL of CEPAL at Calgary 14th March 2001 when it fuel stopped on its delivery flight from Quebec to Harbour Air at Vancouver. (Anthony J. Hickey)
© Bjoern Thomsen
I think if you looked in "Mr. Webster's book" under "longevity", you would see a picture of an Otter.....
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 105
Otter 105 was delivered to the United States Army on 12th April 1956 with serial 55-3261 (tail number 53261). It was allocated to the 14th Army Aviation Company at Fort Riley, Kansas. In August '56 the 14th was re-designated the 1st Aviation Company and moved to Fort Benning, Georgia where it continued to fly the Otter until 1961, when it converted to the Caribou, relinquishing its U-1As to other units.
53261 was then assigned to Yuma, Arizona where it would spend the rest of its military career, as a test support aircraft. It was involved in a minor incident there on 26th February 1974. On take-off with a gusty crosswind the Otter became airborne prematurely and settled, with one tyre touching the runway and the propeller being damaged on contacting the runway. The damage was repaired and 53261 continued in service until April 1976 when it was transferred to the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). It was registered to the CAP in June '76 as N5341G and flew for the CAP's Southwest Region - Texas. It was then sold to Air Saguenay Inc of Chicoutimi, Quebec to whom marks C-GVNL were allocated on 16th March 1978. It went on lease to Cargair Ltee of St.Michel-des-Saints (Lac Kaiagamac) Quebec to whom it was registered C-GVNL on 19th May '78. It flew for Cargair only that summer, after which it joined the Air Saguenay fleet, subsequently re-registered to Air Saguenay (1980) Inc.
The Otter was involved in an incident on 13th May 1980 at its Lac Sebastien base during a proficiency flight check. While on final for a simulated engine failure condition with throttle retarded, the pilot rounded out the aircraft too high. The check pilot did not recognise the error in sufficient time to take corrective action. Damage to the aircraft's structure was sustained in the hard landing that followed. The damage was repaired. In April 1985 the aircraft was transferred to Centre d'Expedition et de Plein Air Laurentien (CEPAL) of Jonquiere (Lac Kenogami) Quebec. On 10th July 1990 whilst in cruise flight, a cylinder failed and the engine was shut down. VNL made an emergency landing on Lac Manouane. In July 1998 the Otter was transferred to Air Bellevue Inc of St.Felicien, Quebec.
Having served the bush country of Quebec for just short of 23 years, VNL headed west for a new career on the Pacific coast. Air Bellevue's activities were winding down and its two Otters, VNL and C-FIUZ (135) were up for sale. Both were purchased by Harbour Air Ltd of Vancouver. The two Otters set off together for the long cross-country ferry. They were flown as far as Calgary by Air Bellevue pilots, arriving on 14th March 2001. They overnighted at Calgary and continued on the next day to Vancouver, flown by Harbour Air pilots. Both Otters were registered to Harbour Air on 28th March 2001 and were converted to turbine power with PT-6 engines by Harbour Air in their hangar at Vancouver. They were painted into Harbour Air's colours and entered service on the company's scheduled passenger services between Vancouver and points on Vancouver Island.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 105
January 1st, 2008. C-GVNL. In service with Harbour Air, Vancouver. Vazar. Fleet number 304.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
C-GVNL of CEPAL at Calgary 14th March 2001 when it fuel stopped on its delivery flight from Quebec to Harbour Air at Vancouver. (Anthony J. Hickey)
© Bjoern Thomsen
I think if you looked in "Mr. Webster's book" under "longevity", you would see a picture of an Otter.....
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
