N5000E with Aero Service Corporation

N5000E and Aero Service Corp.

In March 2005 Robert Welshe wrote me:
"I read your website with great interest, particularly with respect to the DC-3 I knew as N5000E, when it was with Aero Service. Originally Aero Service Corp, Philadelphia Pennsylvania and operating from the North Philadelphia airport then Aero Service Division of Western Geophysical in Houston.
Although Aero Corp had had previous DC-3's in the 1950's, N5000E was the 1st of 4 DC-3's set up with alkali-vapor magnetometer systems in the middle 60's and through to the early 80's. As has been pointed out, these aircraft had two sensors towed on stainless steel coaxial cables. One sensor was about 100 feet below, the other about 300 feet below and both were vertically aligned to measure the difference in magnetic field intensity at two heights. The 'birds' were some 250 feet or more behind the aircraft. At an early stage, in order to fly during periods of minimum turbulence in Texas, the aircraft flew at night, using an infrared tracking camera [liquid nitrogen and all!] and had two B26 landing lights under the fuselage illuminating the 'birds'in an attempt to make their presence known to light aircraft. Fortunately, this practice was not continued. This was in 1968.
As it turns out, two of these DC-3's are now in the vicinity of the airport in Tamanrasset, Algeria. Both crashed there. N7119 crashed after losing an engine just after takeoff and did not make it back to the airport runway. All the crew survived ok. This was in ~~1974~~ 1973 as I remember.

Dave Fenwick reacted on the N7119 crash as follows (sent Dec.2007):
N7119 at Tammanrasset Just to set the records straight, the crash of Aero Service D.C.3 N7119 occurred on 17 June 1973, at Tamanrasset,Algeria.
Flight crew on board were: Left seat Jim Bennett, right seat Dave Fenwick, electronics operator Mike O'Connor.
Three pilots were working this survey: myself (Dave Fenwick), Jim Bennett, and the late Warren Kuech, all captains.
We flew a schedule of L seat, R seat. day off.
We lost the right engine on take off without enough distance to stop... Due to very rough terrain we made a left turn out and attempted to return to the airport. Unfortunately while trying to climb over a rather large rock hill, the aircraft stalled and we smacked the top of it. We then had a spectacular and very rough toboggan ride to the bottom of it, leaving the right engine behind to follow us down! The left engine departed the wing as we slid to a stop and after passing through and partly under the fuselage, ended up behind the right wing.
We had nearly 1.000 gallons of fuel on board, which was now pouring out of ruptured tanks... Luckily with no hot engines left there was no ensuing fire.
We all had mainly minor injuries and departed Tamanrasset the following day for medical attention.
Dave.

Dave Fenwick wrote, when he sent these 2 photos in March 2008:
"N7119 in its last resting place. Please note the engine on the right is the left eng, the one on the left is the right engine"

N189UM crashed on landing on a ferry flight from the US to Africa enroute to a job with a ferry crew. All the crew were ok. I have trouble remembering the year, but it was around 1976 (Herman Buttigieg offered the date: 07Apr78). Ironically, Aero also bellied in an Aero Commander 680F at Tamanrasset just after takeoff, in 1973, but it was repaired and returned to service. The density altitude was a factor at this airport, but not a good excuse. This was during a period when N7119 and two Aero Commanders were in the country for approximately 3 years doing a very large geophysical survey.
All of Aero's DC3 aircraft had fuel tank capacity beyond the 'standard' 800 gallons, but N5000E had the best setup, and was a kidney buster with it's 1200 gallon capacity. N5000E was the most traveled of the fleet. It had worked in Adak, at the end of the Aleutian chain, and also in Tiera del Fuego, as well as Niger and Mauritania to name a few places.
Canadian Aero [later Spartan] had a fine history, and I spent a spring at Canadian Aero in Ottawa in the late 1960's.
I worked for Aero Service from Sept 1961, when I joined them in Australia [also with another old R4D], then through Philadelphia between field assignments and then heading the equipment development through it's time in Houston until the remnants were sold off in August of 1990. It was a great time. Amongst other aircraft, we also operated two Douglas B26 Invaders during this time, and a Caravelle 6R N1001U bought from United Airlines and used as a platform for Synthetic Aperture Radar for mapping purposes. All of Brazil was imaged with this system, as was large areas of Indonesia the Philippines , all of Liberia, Gabon and Japan, and many areas in the US and elsewhere.
Aero's aircraft fleet had included B17's, PBY's and even a couple of P38's before I joined them. The company was actually founded in 1919, and got involved in aerial photography and photogrammetry in the 30's and then immediately after WWII in geophysical work with the magnetometer developed by Gulf Oil. Aerial photography was the dominant business until the late 50's, when geophysics became dominant. A Canadian division was setup during this time, Canadian Aero Service, later sold to Spartan Aerial Services.
The last B17 was still there when I came to Philadelphia and then was sold to the Confederate Airforce. It had been used for high altitude photography and then in it's last missions as a laser profiler during the early 60's."

"I joined Aero in 1961 [Sept] and worked in Australia until 1965. Then I moved elsewhere in the world, including the Middle East. I was in / out of Philadelphia in the middle late 1960s and 1970; moved to Houston with the merge with Western Geo in 1973 until the demise of Aero in August 1990. About people: I remember I worked with Bud Thomae [Pilot], Harry Hughes [mechanic ex TapCo and Aramco] and others."
Thanks Bob!

Tom O'Malley wrote me in August 2006-
"What a surprise, I came across your website when I googled Aero Service just to see if it still existed... Since you are familiar with 'Aero' and 'Canadian Aero' you are probably familiar with the name Tom O"Malley: my father. The Aero sites are a real nostalgia trip.
As a child I met the late great Virgil Kaufman, he was legendary even then. Some of my earliest memories are of flying between Ottawa and Phily in one of those old Dacks peering down the camera hole.
Did you know Bob Reckoweg, Bill Deslaurier, Tom Rowlands, etc.? As a kid my summer jobs included EM surveys in the arctic ( single engine Otter ), airborne mag in Utah, Idaho ( Aero Commander ) etc..
Well, thanks for the trip, many fond memories.
Tom O'Malley

Tom further clarified:
"Virgil Kauffman was a veteran WW I pilot. He went to work for Aero in 1919 an subsequently bought the company in 1924. He, and his contemporaries, were instrumental in developing the art of photo-interpretation, and the field of photogrametric engineering.
Before the U.S. entered WWII, several Aero staff, my father included, were sent to London on diplomatic passports for technical aid in photo-interpretation - this work had a direct impact on the Normandy invasion.
Yes, the people mentioned above were all Aero Corp personnel; they, and many others had remarkable stories. E.g. Bob Reckoweg ( pronounced Rekaway ) was an American fighter pilot, shot down in the English Channel, and who obviously survived!
Canadian Aero was started by my father (c.1950 ). Their primary job then was to photograph almost the entire country using surplus B 17's from which platt maps were made by what was then known as Energy Mines and Resources Canada.
As the 1950s progressed, there was frentic airborne mineral and oil exploration. It was a golden age for the industry. By the way, for any historians out there, if you google Aero Service Corporation Philadelphia Pa. you will find extensive archives of interesting and historic arial photographs documenting many events of the early and middle 20th century."
Thanks Tom!

Mike Barrett is also an old hand at geophysical surveys; while he wrote on the subject of DC-3 C-FSAW, he also shared some general sentiments on this subject:
"I was on the geophysical survey in Iran where C-FSAW crashed back in 1977.
These were long flights, usually each over 10-11 hours each. For these flights, we always took full fuel and even had an additional 260 imperial gallon fuel tank inside the cabin. Along with all the survey gear which was a lot heavier back then, it was a really heavy bird!"

"I am still involved in airborne geophysical survey and earlier this year we completed an oil-mag survey for Shell in Libya. I had heard of a WWII bomber that had become lost there perhaps in 1942, I think. I’d hoped that our survey area would take us near the crash site but this was far from where we working, out near the Egyptian border. The name of the aircraft was the “Lady be Good.”
I think it was discovered by some Pommy seismic surveyors in the 60s sometime.
Apparently, the crew had attempted to walk out but had never made it.
But I have flown over another lost DC-3, this time up in Irian Jaya. It was also lost back in WWII while flying over the high mountain range that traverses New Guinea and Irian.
There had been survivors including an Aussie nurse, but the wreckage (with occupants) was also only found in the 60s when the Freeport Mining geos were exploring up there.
I have been in airborne surveying since 1974, and although I do little actual flying today, more design and testing of electromagnetic equipment, I still enjoy the travel aspect of the business.
This industry has more than its fair share of stories and I think a very good book could be written on the subject. Airborne surveying began just after the war and used modified old sub-hunter magnetometers to look for minerals. A large variety of aircraft have been used for this purpose, beginning with the old war-birds of course.
Personally, I must have flown in perhaps 30+ varieties of fixed and rotor-winged aircraft over the years.
It also has a risk factor associated with it. We ourselves lost an aircraft in Namibia only last year. V5-AAG, a Cessna 210, and to this day we still do NOT know the reason why (the equipment now is much smaller and lighter and we can now do a better job using a Ce.210 than we ever could with an old DC-3!)
With regard to the airborne risk factor angle, I can personally attest to a few of them…
Getting lost (in pre-GPS days):

Power lines

Jet fighter interception

Rough mountain terrain

"Bird" towing cable getting tangled around control surfaces

Interception by Law-enforcement Rambos..

Over-flying of international borders by accident

Military area infringement by accident

Onboard electrical & engine fires

Engine failure

Poor mountain weather (cloud & winds)

Helicopter tail-rotor failure

Gunfire from the ground

Running low of fuel

Pilots overstressing their aircraft…

To mention just a few that I now recall off the top of my head...
Thanks Mike !

During Nov.2006 Doug Morrison wrote me:
"Many years ago now, somewhere in March or so 1965, I flew on an aerial survey test flight (being one of many in my life); it was in the DC-3/RD-4 VH-MJR (ex N9032H) and it was along the south coast of Tasmania, Australia.
It was not such an important flight, but I thought I should let you know that when I stumbled across your website recently and sighting some submissions by persons I have met or worked with, I couldn't resist sending the accompanying image of Bob Welshe on board VH-MJR...
I have maintained my interest in the history of the aerial survey companies Aero Service, Canadian Aero, CGG, Geoterrex, etc. And I really have found it interesting that I have worked with your three correspondents who have discussed the Aero Service DC-3s with you i.e., Bob Welshe, Tom O'Malley Jnr and Mike Barrett."
Doug Morrison

David Owens wrote me in March 2007:
"Our company purchased most of the aerial negatives and hired most of the photo-lab personnel from Aero Service as well as most of the photo equipment from that day. We have negs dating back to the 1920's and 1930's from the Philly days to last present...
I stumbled across your article about the planes in a search for a turbine Commander for lease with camera port(s).
Go to www.aerialviewpoint.com if interested in what has become of the last days...
David Owens
Aerial Viewpoint
N14AV
AC-500A-Colemill

Aero Service and (world wide) survey flights also feature as subjects in Allan MacNutt's interesting book, about his varied flying career: Altimeter Rising (written with Norman Avery, published by Mac's Aviation Books in 2000; subtitled "My 50 years in the cockpit". Recommended reading!

Received following request in Oct.2007:
"I am putting some history together of my Dad (about to be 86 this oct.2007). He was a HUMP pilot during WWII, then worked out of Saudi Arabia for Aramco for 8 years and later for Aero Service photographing all of Egypt in 1961.
My Dad's name is Foster "Mac" McEdward. He flew for 54 years and was fortunate to fly a DC-3 N8009 for the last 20 years of his career. He was a member of the Hump Pilots Association for many years. Anyone out there remember him? He would love to hear from you all.
Dad is now 86 and resides in Vermont where he has called home for over 60 years. I also live in Vermont and would be happy to relay any information / reactions.

Do you have any suggestions as to where I can find out more about the Aero Service and people who worked for them during the early 60's?
Pennie Rand

ANYONE???

In Nov.2007 I received following email from Dave Rowlands, good to see the trail continues:
I have just crossed your 5000E & Aero Service Corp site which includes reference to Canadian Aero Services Ltd. started by Tom O'Malley. My father, Tom Rowlands is referred to and he was the President of Can Aero from near inception. Dad is still trucking at 91 and it would be good to contact O'Malley Jr. Can you help?
I too grew up in the photo/mag world. It is interesting that Canadian Aero being of US Aero Service Corp parentage, could not operate aircraft in Canadian Register. Spartan Air Sercice Ltd., Bradley Air Service Ltd. and Survair Ltd. (Tom Rowlands' Company) were all used by Can Aero.
I have been with the aviation world all my career and have many stories.

By all means, Dave: share!

And he did:

"Most memorable was an aeromagnetic survey done by Survair Ltd. in an Aero Commander 680E using Decca Navigation, flying lines over the Beaufort Sea towards Russia from a base at Mould Bay, Prince Patrick Island in the high Arctic...
Though we saw it as cold as -62F, it was 24 hour daylight in early spring. We therefore flew round the clock using triple crew of which Mac was one of the pilots. I was an apprentice mech. We flew 500 hours in a little over 6 weeks. An article in the Ottawa Citizen (our home town newspaper) noted that "in one calender day" our Commander flew 25 hours and 20 minutes air time! This consisted of 4 sorities of 6+ hours with the first fllight off just after midnight and the last before midnight. We log flight time in the day of takeoff and thus logged more that 24 hours in one day!!
The photo is of two Twin Otters we operated for International Nickel on Elctromagnetic survey."

Marty Platt wrote me in April 2008-
"I flew for Aero Service in the mid-1980s, flying Navajos and Cessna 404s. I remember the DC-3 hangered at Goodyear airport along with the Side-looking radar equipped Caravelle.
I don't think the DC-3 or the Caravelle were ever used again after the time I was employed at Aero Service.
You probably know that the Caravelle is now parked at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson,AZ.
My last job flying for Aero was in May of 1986 in Berbera Somalia, the aircraft was a C-404 80DS which I also flew out of King Salmon,AK from August to October of 1985.
Probably of more interest is the fact that my father was a pilot for Aramco in Dhahran, from 1949 to 1966. He often talked about the Aero Service crews mapping Arabia. I wish he were still alive because I know he would remember names."

Doug Morrison wrote me in May 2008:

Good to visit your website every now and then - interested to see Dave Fenwick included some photos of pranged Aero Service Corporations DC3 in Libya. I was very interested to see that Dave Rowlands has also contacted you and I was more than interested to see his father was still alive at the end of 2007.
I thought Dave and his father may be interested in the attached item I found in a 1955 Flight magazine in the UK.
I have an old unidentified photo of an SNB-1 that was doing aeromagnetic work in Canada in the late 1940s (maybe as early as 1945) and Dave's father may be able to identify it... Bob Parmerter, the expert on Beech 18s etc, knows of this photo but he has not been able to identify it either. See below.
Doug Morrison
Sydney Australia

Aero Service SNB-1
Article on the subject of Survey in Flight Nov. 1955 PART 1 + PART 2

Dave Rowlands commente don the above image:
"I am not able to shed light on the SNB-1, but wonder if it was a Bradley Air Service AT-11..? Canadian Aero used Bradley for lift briefly after the demise of Spartan Air Service and prior to Survair Ltd. But I cannot remember specifically if the Beech was configured for Mag with a bird in trail."