Friday, December 18, 2009
It's Time To Play..... Otterflogger's "Name That Cockpit"!
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #119" 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-39 "Airacobra" ! Mike wins the "sailboat fuel"!
CLUE - A cobra is a snake, and there are snakes on every continent, except Antarctica, which is "devoid of snakes".
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
This is the cockpit of the Bell P-39 "Airacobra" ! Mike wins the "sailboat fuel"!
CLUE - A cobra is a snake, and there are snakes on every continent, except Antarctica, which is "devoid of snakes".
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
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
Thursday, December 10, 2009
It's Time To Play..... Otterflogger's "Name That Cockpit"!
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #118" 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 Goodyear "Blimp" ! Tim wins the "sailboat fuel"!
CLUE - Blimps are non-rigid, meaning their shape is not maintained by a rigid aircraft internal structure, therefore an "invertebrate"!
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
This is the cockpit of the Goodyear "Blimp" ! Tim wins the "sailboat fuel"!
CLUE - Blimps are non-rigid, meaning their shape is not maintained by a rigid aircraft internal structure, therefore an "invertebrate"!
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"! .....by Karl E. Hayes
I recently was doing a little research regarding the Soloy Dual Pac, and remembered that they had tested the twin-coupled PT-6 in an Otter. What ever happened to that Otter? Let's grab some beers, and go on a "voyage of discovery".....
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 465
Otter 465 was sold to A.Fecteau Transport Aerien Ltee of Senneterre, Quebec on 9th June 1967, registered CF-VQI. The company was subsequently re-named Air Fecteau Ltee and the Otter reregistered C-FVQI. Air Fecteau served the bush country of Quebec, and merged into Propair Inc, to whom the Otter was registered in May 1982. After more than twenty years service in Quebec, the Otter was sold in April 1989 to Temsco Helicopters Inc, registered N19TH. It flew as part of Temsco's large fleet of Otters out of its base at Ketchikan, Alaska until October 1991, when Temsco announced abruptly that its final services would take place on 1st November 1991, and that the airline's fixed wing division would close down on that date.
Having remained idle at Ketchikan for some time, in July 1994 the Otter was purchased by Soloy Dual Pac Inc, a part of the Soloy Corporation of Olympia, Washington and the following month it was registered N5010Y to Soloy Dual Pac Inc. The Otter was acquired by the Soloy Corporation for use as a flying testbed for the certification of their Dual Pac powerplant, which they were developing in co-operation with Pratt & Whitney Canada. The Otter was flown from Ketchikan to the Olympia Airport, Washington. It was not in the best of shape. The paperwork revealed that it had been partially submerged in an incident while flying for Propair and had been repaired by Propair at their facility at Rouyn, Quebec in July 1988, total time on the airframe at that stage being 14,230 hours.
Between July and September 1994, the Otter was completely stripped down and refurbished by Soloy at Olympia and the twin pack installed, comprising two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A-114 turbines. It emerged from the hangar in pristine condition, in a gleaming all-white scheme featuring a large 'Soloy Dual Pac' logo. It made its first flight in this configuration from Olympia on 29th September 1994. It continued its test work into 1995, flying for several hundred hours to build up 'in service' time for the powerplant and related systems. In July 1995 it was re-registered N32910 and in November of that year, its test work with Soloy complete, it was sold to Ketchum Air Service Inc of Anchorage who converted it to a Vazar turbo Otter, registered N342KA. It entered service with Ketchum Air Service, based at Lake Hood, flying tourists, fishermen and hunters into the Alaskan wilderness during the summer months.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 465
January 1st, 2008. N342KA. Vazar. PM Holdings LLC, the holding company of Pro Mech Air of Ketchikan, Alaska. During winter 2006/07 the Otter flew south to International Aero Products, Courtenay, BC on Vancouver Island where it was overhauled and painted in Pro Mech Air’s new colour scheme. It returned to Ketchikan on 31st May 2007 to rejoin Pro Mech Air’s six strong Otter fleet for the summer 2007 season.
- by Karl E. Hayes
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N5010Y modified with the Soloy Dual Pac (Soloy Corporation)
© BRIAN JOHNSTONE
Realistically, the "single" Otter doesn't need to be a "twin turbine", it just needs at least 1000 HP of any single engine configuration. Glad to see Otter 465 still "flogging the bush"..... By the way, she was the "second to last" Otter made!
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 465
Otter 465 was sold to A.Fecteau Transport Aerien Ltee of Senneterre, Quebec on 9th June 1967, registered CF-VQI. The company was subsequently re-named Air Fecteau Ltee and the Otter reregistered C-FVQI. Air Fecteau served the bush country of Quebec, and merged into Propair Inc, to whom the Otter was registered in May 1982. After more than twenty years service in Quebec, the Otter was sold in April 1989 to Temsco Helicopters Inc, registered N19TH. It flew as part of Temsco's large fleet of Otters out of its base at Ketchikan, Alaska until October 1991, when Temsco announced abruptly that its final services would take place on 1st November 1991, and that the airline's fixed wing division would close down on that date.
Having remained idle at Ketchikan for some time, in July 1994 the Otter was purchased by Soloy Dual Pac Inc, a part of the Soloy Corporation of Olympia, Washington and the following month it was registered N5010Y to Soloy Dual Pac Inc. The Otter was acquired by the Soloy Corporation for use as a flying testbed for the certification of their Dual Pac powerplant, which they were developing in co-operation with Pratt & Whitney Canada. The Otter was flown from Ketchikan to the Olympia Airport, Washington. It was not in the best of shape. The paperwork revealed that it had been partially submerged in an incident while flying for Propair and had been repaired by Propair at their facility at Rouyn, Quebec in July 1988, total time on the airframe at that stage being 14,230 hours.
Between July and September 1994, the Otter was completely stripped down and refurbished by Soloy at Olympia and the twin pack installed, comprising two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A-114 turbines. It emerged from the hangar in pristine condition, in a gleaming all-white scheme featuring a large 'Soloy Dual Pac' logo. It made its first flight in this configuration from Olympia on 29th September 1994. It continued its test work into 1995, flying for several hundred hours to build up 'in service' time for the powerplant and related systems. In July 1995 it was re-registered N32910 and in November of that year, its test work with Soloy complete, it was sold to Ketchum Air Service Inc of Anchorage who converted it to a Vazar turbo Otter, registered N342KA. It entered service with Ketchum Air Service, based at Lake Hood, flying tourists, fishermen and hunters into the Alaskan wilderness during the summer months.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 465
January 1st, 2008. N342KA. Vazar. PM Holdings LLC, the holding company of Pro Mech Air of Ketchikan, Alaska. During winter 2006/07 the Otter flew south to International Aero Products, Courtenay, BC on Vancouver Island where it was overhauled and painted in Pro Mech Air’s new colour scheme. It returned to Ketchikan on 31st May 2007 to rejoin Pro Mech Air’s six strong Otter fleet for the summer 2007 season.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
N5010Y modified with the Soloy Dual Pac (Soloy Corporation)
© BRIAN JOHNSTONE
Realistically, the "single" Otter doesn't need to be a "twin turbine", it just needs at least 1000 HP of any single engine configuration. Glad to see Otter 465 still "flogging the bush"..... By the way, she was the "second to last" Otter made!
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
Thursday, December 03, 2009
It's Time To Play..... Otterflogger's "Name That Cockpit"!
OK, "Ladies and Gentlemen", time for "installment #117" 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 de Havilland DH 106 "Comet" ! Dan wins the "sailboat fuel"!
CLUE - A "cobbler" is a "shoemaker", and "Shoemaker-Levy 9" is a famous "comet".
This is the "cockpit" of "the" ......................
***MYSTERY SOLVED!***
This is the cockpit of the de Havilland DH 106 "Comet" ! Dan wins the "sailboat fuel"!
CLUE - A "cobbler" is a "shoemaker", and "Shoemaker-Levy 9" is a famous "comet".
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"! .....by Karl E. Hayes
The Otter served the Ontario Provincial Air Service (OPAS) extremely well, accessing the remote regions of Canada's second largest Province. My "cranial sludge" started "burbling"; "Which was the first OPAS Otter"? Lo and behold, it was one of my "neighbours" from this year's "Float Season".......
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 14
Otter number 14 was the first Otter delivered to the Ontario Provincial Air Service, as CF-ODJ on 8th May 1953, registered to the Department of Lands & Forests. It gave the Service its first experience of changing an engine in the field. In July of that year, an unserviceable engine had to be changed when ODJ was working from a remote stretch of the Albany River. Poles had to be flown to the site to create an 'A' frame pulley hoist to change the engine. Despite this early difficulty, for an incredible 32 years it went on to faithfully service the Province of Ontario without incident, the registration being changed to C-FODJ when it was re-registered to the Province of Ontario, Ministry of Natural Resources in September '72.
ODJ was used for the same purposes as the other Ontario Government Otters (as described for Otter 13) but in addition ODJ was used extensively for aerial photography, and is believed to have been the only Otter in the world with an extra porthole behind the rear door to facilitate photography. When the Ontario Otters were disposed of during the mid 1980s, ODJ was sold, its new owners being Green Airways Ltd of Red Lake, Ontario, to whom the Otter was registered in November 1985. With its new owners it continued to provide a full range of bush services, flying out of Red Lake on floats during the summer and on wheel-skis in winter. C-FODJ has been re-engined with the Polish PZL 1,000 hp engine, as has Green Airways other Otter C-FLEA (286). The work on ODJ was carried out by Airtech Canada at their Peterborough, Ontario facility during January/February 1995.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 14
January 1st, 2008. C-FODJ. In service with Green Airways, Red Lake, Ontario. PZL.
- by Karl E. Hayes
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C-FODJ of OPAS at McFarlane Lake, Ontario May 1977 (Robert S.Grant)
C-FODJ of Green Airways with PZL 1000 engine at Red Lake, Ontario May 2004 (Karl Hayes)
C-FODJ of Green Airways at Selkirk, Manitoba, May 7, 2007 (-photo by Steve Taylor)
"Hey there, neighbour"! Great airplane, wearing Edo 7850 "Beech" floats. She can work like an old "Ukrainian farmer"......
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 14
Otter number 14 was the first Otter delivered to the Ontario Provincial Air Service, as CF-ODJ on 8th May 1953, registered to the Department of Lands & Forests. It gave the Service its first experience of changing an engine in the field. In July of that year, an unserviceable engine had to be changed when ODJ was working from a remote stretch of the Albany River. Poles had to be flown to the site to create an 'A' frame pulley hoist to change the engine. Despite this early difficulty, for an incredible 32 years it went on to faithfully service the Province of Ontario without incident, the registration being changed to C-FODJ when it was re-registered to the Province of Ontario, Ministry of Natural Resources in September '72.
ODJ was used for the same purposes as the other Ontario Government Otters (as described for Otter 13) but in addition ODJ was used extensively for aerial photography, and is believed to have been the only Otter in the world with an extra porthole behind the rear door to facilitate photography. When the Ontario Otters were disposed of during the mid 1980s, ODJ was sold, its new owners being Green Airways Ltd of Red Lake, Ontario, to whom the Otter was registered in November 1985. With its new owners it continued to provide a full range of bush services, flying out of Red Lake on floats during the summer and on wheel-skis in winter. C-FODJ has been re-engined with the Polish PZL 1,000 hp engine, as has Green Airways other Otter C-FLEA (286). The work on ODJ was carried out by Airtech Canada at their Peterborough, Ontario facility during January/February 1995.
*** LATEST UPDATE!***
Otter 14
January 1st, 2008. C-FODJ. In service with Green Airways, Red Lake, Ontario. PZL.
- by Karl E. Hayes
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C-FODJ of OPAS at McFarlane Lake, Ontario May 1977 (Robert S.Grant)
C-FODJ of Green Airways with PZL 1000 engine at Red Lake, Ontario May 2004 (Karl Hayes)
C-FODJ of Green Airways at Selkirk, Manitoba, May 7, 2007 (-photo by Steve Taylor)
"Hey there, neighbour"! Great airplane, wearing Edo 7850 "Beech" floats. She can work like an old "Ukrainian farmer"......
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
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"!
