Page 39 - Photos by Friends and Guests

Vintage Transports, photos by Friends & Guests (39)

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On a regular basis people sent me photos, to share their enthusiasm for vintage airliners or to illustrate a question. These photos have been lingering in a scrapbook or a discarded box somewhere and/or probably wouldn't find their way to Online-use or publication.
To prevent them from getting lost, with permission of the sender, I would like to share them on this page.
Photos already online (personal websites, airliners.net, jetphotos.net, etc) are not meant to be included here.

March 2014: "Vancouver Island Air (VIA), untill recently known for their fleet of Twin Beeches on floats, is now a totally turbine Otter operation.
Two of their three Beeches have been sitting all 'wrapped up' for a few years as well as their engine-less DHC-2 Beaver C-FWCA.
Their third Twin Beech C-FGNR is being stored in their hangar, up for sale.
UPDATE: It was sold and flew across the Atlantic Ocean to Belgium, where it arrived in July 2015. See an item on Photos by Friends & Guests (43). And my Off-airport Europe for 2017 updates.

Vancouver Island Air

More photos on pages dedicated to Dirk Septer's propliners and bushplanes.

Keith Rowson did me the pleasure of sending me this update of DC-3 5H-LVR; Keith wrote:
"Here are some images taken 15Mar2014 in Dar Es Salaam, of 5H-LVR.
Been there since Indigo stopped operations. This aircraft has a fascinating background. Plenty of info on your website. 5H-DAK is in Zanzibar. Also noted was Nord Noratlas 9XR-GY and Caribou ex Tanzania Airforce."

DC-3 5H-LVR
"Not in bad condition, but needs saving pretty soon!"

DC-3 5H-LVR

Del Mitchell forwarded me these photos taken by Leslie Scott:

Douglas C-54 N8502R at Wendover

Del wrote: "I am writing an article for Propliner Magazine on one of Roger Brooks' airplanes: C-54T N8502R, currently stored at Wendover Airport, Utah.
I have some current photos of the exterior, but would like to get some of the interior for the article as well. The Airport Manager told me I need written permission from the owner before he could allow that, and according to the records, Roger Brooks still has ownership of N8502R, even though Chris Houchen of Alaska Air Fuel has acquired the airplane.
Wendover is 120 miles west of Salt Lake City, Utah on Interstate 80. During WWII the base was used to train bomber gunners and bombardiers, and it's reknown as the base where the B-29 atomic bomb crews trained prior to transfering to Tinian Island in the Mariana's Group."
I was at Wendover in 2008, indeed an interesting place. This DC-4 / C-54 wasn't there yet but a C-123 Provider was present.

A 2010 photo was sent to me by Craig Smith, see HERE..

Some information on Tanker 65 (c/n 27367/313): It was operated by TBM (based at Tulare & Visalia,CA) fighting the forest fires. Operational during summer of 1998 based on contract at Ramona,CA June 1998 - Nov.98.
And in 1999 saw active service as well. In the summer of 2003 it was fighting fires Arizona.
In July 2008 it was reported as being ferried from Kingman,AZ to Fairbanks,AK for a new owner: Roger Brooks. But it never got that far, it got stranded at some point and for some reason in the great void of Nevada.
Exif info shows these photos were taken 08Jan2014.
Hopefully this good looking propliner will find a new owner to continue a flying career, not just for parts.

This was shared on Facebook by Springbok Classic Air:

"On 16 August 2013, ZS-NTE took the participants of the Axe Space Competition to Parys.
Andre Moll was the photographer for the event. He took this beautiful photo and shared it with us."
Click on photo for link to Springbok Classic Air Facebook page.

See the update on my Photos by Friends & Guests (Page 50), as ZS-NTE as reappeared during the summer of 2017 in Ireland, flying in the retro colours of Aer Lingus.

Paul Weston sent me this captivating image, he added: " I thought you might like this Pilatus Porter 9N-ABK photo taken in Lukla, Nepal.
This was in the late 1970's when I trekked over 300 miles through the Himalayas.
While I tried, to no avail, to get myself in the pilot seat (pilot jobs were only available to Nepali and Indian individuals) I thoroughly enjoyed the aerial perspective of this region.
Also, I had a brief but pleasantly intense interaction with the Swiss factory pilot who described to me the procedures and techniques he used to beat out the Turbine Beaver in the high-altitude fly-off demonstrations and win the Katmandu Contract!"

I googled for details and found on http://rzjets.net/aircraft/ :
Nepal Airlines 9N-ABK Pilatus PC-6/B2-H2 (c/n 755). Converted to H4. PT6A.
Written off in 1998.

For me (webmaster) the Pilatus Porter will always be connected to Air America (CIA) and the war in S E Asia:
...At the same time, there was a need for airplanes capable of repeated take offs and landings in small areas such as jungle clearings, and these airplanes at least had to have strengthened undercarriages, because perfect airfields simply did not exist in this region.
One aircraft ideally suited for such work was the Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter. This machine was developed in Switzerland at the end of the 1950's and promised to be very successful, and afterwards the American aircraft builder Fairchild purchased a license for the production of the PC-6. American production machines were passed on to Air America, as were others purchased in Switzerland.

The PC-6 appeared to be the ideal candidate for operations in these areas: it only needed a tiny space to take off in, and landing distances were also very short due to carefully designed wing flaps.
The capacity of the cargo cabin was good for a single-engine airplane; and the strong construction of the undercarriage minimized the likelihood of destruction of the airplane in the event of a hard landing. The PC-6 was flown more frequently than other single-engine types in the Air America inventory, and an average hour in the air was amongst the highest."
www.roden.eu/HTML/440.htm

"At least 37 PC-6 Turbo Porters were flying for the CIA by Air America, Continental Air Services, Bird & Sons, ICCS Air Services and Air Asia, Tainan. From the beginning Air America used its Turbo Porters in three theaters of South East Asia: Several were assigned to an Air Force contract for use out of Saigon as liaison aircraft. Several were used to support the CIA's Hmong program in Laos, and two went to contracts in Thailand, especially to support the Royal Thai Border Police."
www.militaryaviation.eu/transporter/Pilatus/PC-6.htm

Yukon Cornelius published this fine image on his Facebook page; N405LC 01Mar14 LYC405 ANC/OME/OTZ/ANC

N405LC (c/n 5025) was reg'd 21Jul1999 for Lynden Air Cargo LLC, Anchorage,AK.

Its career started in China, as B-3002 for CAAC, then China Air Cargo, wet-leased China General Aviation / China Eastern Air Cargo. Next was Safair of South Africa (ZS-OLG) and in 1999 to Lynden Air Cargo as N405LC.

Steve Whitby shared this photo with the hair-raising background details on it, on Facebook's Fire Bombers

Steve wrote: "Although this negative is starting to go south (almost transparent) but it's interesting because C-119 Tanker 81 almost didn't make the take off...!
During a Santa Ana event (east winds) 1978 fire season, with a full load of retardant and full power to all three engines, she touched the chainlink fence past the end of the runway!
The end of the runway being directly under the main gear, nothing past that point but dirt, weeds and the fence, it was a VERY hot day..."

The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar has a special place with me so you'll find three pages with photos and information HERE #1 and HERE #2 and HERE #3

Have opened a page on propliner photos by Bill Hill; and here is one exemple. Follow this LINK for more details on SU-ANO and a bounty of other images.

SU-ANO United Arab Airlines by Bill Hill

Moe White Jr shared this photo through Facebook (15Feb2014, perhaps 14th Alaska Time).
It shows Beech 18 N233H being towed back to Bethel,AK: a while ago it ran off the runway at Kwethluk,AK and probably is in need of some inspection & repair.

For more on N233H see my Page 38 - Photos by Friends & Guests

Erling Baldorf sent me this mystery image...
He wrote: "This photograph was shared on a Facebook group, called Old Copenhagen, and a woman stated that this is a picture taken by her dad on 05May1945 of Copenhagen Airport, the day that Denmark was liberated.

I looked at the picture and with the aircraft there it sure is not May 5th, 1945! And as I kept looking at it, at the planes etc. I came to the conclusion that it’s actually the Fokker factory at Schiphol, and that it must be after Fokker started building the Meteor jets and Sea Fury, so around 1951.

I think the picture is taken from the canal area but need some proof as no-one will believe me!"
Erling Baldorf, ex senior chief, Royal Danish Navy

Reactions were all in favour of this being Amsterdam IAP 'Schiphol'. Visible are (a.o.) the Fokker S.13, Gloster Meteor and Seafury. The S.13 saw its first flight in 1949. No doubt about it, this is Schiphol.

Compare it with my page SCHIPHOL - THE OLD DAYS

Rich Hulina wrote:
"Mark Stachowiak holds Bamaji Air's Beaver C-GDYD steady for this great April 2011 winter shot!
Check out page 163 of 'Bush Flying Captured' to see what shot I chose for the book."

Read all about C-GDYD's history on Neil Aird's wonderful website www.dhc-2.com

Richard Nash shared these historic documents (Air Freight Rates from Dec.1951):
"I recently retired after 48 years in airfreight. As I was sorting out my rubbish I came across this old air cargo tariff. You might like to see some of the airline adverts and aircraft they were operating at the time."

Air Freight Rates 1951 adverts

More on a page dedicated to Richard Nash's vintage aviation recollections

Basler BT67 'Turbo DC-3' N142Z (c/n 20494) seen in US Forest Service splendour, now something of the past.
The photo was copied from the US Forest Service website, alas without any name of the photographer to credit.
www.fs.fed.us/fire/people/smokejumpers/aircraft.html

The following text was copied (Feb.2014) for information from said website: "The Douglas DC-3TP is affectionately known to smokejumpers as the DOUG. The last Forest Service owned DC-3 aircraft received turbo prop conversions. The DC-3TP continues a long and proud tradition of supporting smokejumper and paracargo operations and has carried the fleet into the 21st century.
The DC3-TP (J-15) is now based in Missoula. The Doug has a cruise speed of 190 knots providing an initial attack range of 570 nautical miles from the base of operation. Standard configuration includes 12 smokejumpers, two day supply of food and water, a variety of firefighting equipment including chainsaws, a portable pump, hose, and first aid supplies."

History (from Flickr.com TVL1970's photostream):
"This aircraft started service as a US Army Air Forces C-47A (c/n 20494 / USAAF Ser No. 43-16028), delivered to the Ninth Air Force (9th AF) in June 1944. It would serve in the US military until July 1945, when ownership would pass to the US Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA), and successor agency Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) as NC100.
It would then serve with the FAA until 1970, when the US Department of Agriculture (parent agency of the US Forest Service) assumed ownership as N100Z.
N100Z was used as a smokejumper aircraft, dropping smokejumpers via parachute to fight forest fires.
In the 1990s the aircraft was sent to Basler Turbo Conversions (BTC) for a fuselage stretch and conversion to turbine power through the installation of Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) PT6A-67R turboprop engines.
After the conversion, the aircraft also was given a new registration: N142Z.
The aircraft has continued since in its smokejumper role with the US Forest Service. The aircraft was used at Aviation Nation 2009 to carry and drop the US Air Force Wings of Blue Parachute Team.

It was registered in Canada as C-GKKB for Kenn Borek Air in Canada on 26Mar2013. Its US Forest Service retirement ceremony, plus a few personal recollections, was described by Bill Gabbert last november on wildfiretoday.com/tag/smokejumpers/page/4/

McCall Tanker Base photo from www.mccallsmokejumpers.org/history.html go and visit (online or perhaps in person!)

Jørgen Mangor wrote me for help in order to identify the aircraft and circumstance on these two photos. He wrote: "I am a retired airport manager from Copenhagen Airport (Kastrup). I work voluntarily for my old company after 52 years of service. In the archives I found a number of old photos, among them the enclosed two.
I think both of them showing Fokker aircraft, but I am not sure.
That one with two men standing is shot at Kastrup, the other one in Amsterdam.
There are no marks of copyright and no information at all, unfortunately."

Vintage aircraft at Kastrup, Denmark
Herman Dekker, an authority on aviation history helped me out here: Potez 25 F-AHDC c/n 2!

Potez 25 (also written as Potez XXV) was a French twin-seat, single-engine biplane designed during the 1920s.
A multi-purpose fighter-bomber, it was designed as a line aircraft and used in a variety of roles, including fighter and escort missions, tactical bombing and reconnaissance missions.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Potez 25 was the standard multi-purpose aircraft of over 20 air forces, including French, Polish and American. It was also popular among private operators, notably mail transport companies.
Wikipedia, more..

Here are a few pictures to illustrate the Potez 25 further:

The Potez 25 flew with the air forces of France, Afghanistan, Argentina, Ethiopia, Estland, China, Madagascar, Indochina, Poland and Russia. It flew as a bomber, a reconnaissance plane but there was also a floatplane version.

Aviation history at Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport
This mastodont is the failed Fokker F.XXXVI (see Wikipedia). See also a similar photo on Airliners.net
This must be a promotional event at Amsterdam-Schiphol IAP.

The Fokker F.XXXVI was the largest transport designed and built by Fokker; it had a capacity for 32 passengers and was first flown on 22Jun1934.
It was delivered to KLM and operated on European routes from March 1935. Although it had a good payload its range was much less than and was structurally inferior to (the maintenance advantages of all metal aircraft were becoming clear) the new Douglas DC-2 and DC-3 and only one was built.
KLM sold the aircraft in 1939 to Scottish Aviation for use as a crew and navigation trainer for the Royal Air Forces No.12 Elementary Flying Training School, which was operated by Scottish Aviation. It was scrapped in 1940 after it burnt out in a take-off accident.

Dale Sandberg sent me some photos of propliners surviving in the Wyoming desert at Greybull. More on my Log Reports from Greybull

Tanker 126 is N7962C

Joe Marott sent me this: "Here is a personally taken picture of N7212C located at Chandler Field, Fresno, CA in 1980."

C/n AF-75, Beech TC-45G delivered to USAF as 51-11518.
It was remanufactured at Wichita by Beech from C-45F 44-47417 (c/n 7821) and redelivered to the USAF on 23Jun1952.
To storage at Davis-Monthan AFB (AZ), retired June 1957 when struck off charge (soc)
Registered N7212C for Sierra Meat Company of Fresno (CA), 1963/71
As N7212C noted at Chandler,AZ 22Apr72 in, bare metal finish
To Raymond E. Nelson of Bakersfield,CA - Oct1985/98
To Russ Sharpe of Oakdale,CA 1998 who was reported actively restoring this Beech 18
Registered Makenna J. Sharpe of Portland,OR 19May99
Reg'd N80240 (again to Makenna J. Sharpe of Portland,OR), Dec1999/01
Registration N29757 not taken up (ntu) Sep2001
Reg'd N80240 (again Makenna J. Sharpe), Sep2001/05
Reg'd Beech 18 Holdings LLC of New Iberia,LA - 20Nov07/14
Source: www.goodall.com.au/beech18-production/beech18-part-3.pdf

Paul Weston sent me these images, of his flying days in the early 1980s, in Alaska:

Paul wrote with this photo: "Here is a shot taken of our aircraft's shadow, a DC-6, and the Augustine Volcano. It was taken enroute from Dillingham to Anchorage or Kenai. We were hauling fish so this was not an unusual altitude!"

C-119 Alaska

Here's Kaiser-Frazer C-119L N8504W (c/n 259) at Dahl Creek,Alaska:
C-119 N8504W damaged beyond repair, Alaska
From Aviation Safety Network (ASN): The right hand main landing gear shear pin failed, causing the gear to collapse. Aircraft damaged beyond repair. Date of accident 07Sep1981. Never salvaged, I believe?
Operator was 'J.D.Gifford & Associates', but I would like to know more details on who they were, what they did.

MORE PAUL WESTON PHOTOS ON MY WEBSITE HERE..

MORE PHOTOS OF THE C-119 FLYING BOXCAR ON THIS WEBPAGE: PAGE ONE - PAGE TWO - PAGE THREE

Richard Nash sent these images to share some valuable aviation history:

The Avro Tudor must have apperaed humongous in those days, the 1950s.

Avro's Type 688 Tudor was a British piston-engined airliner based on their four-engine Lincoln bomber, itself a descendant of the famous Lancaster heavy bomber, and was Britain's first pressurised airliner.
Customers saw the aircraft as little more than a pressurised DC-4 Skymaster, and few orders were forthcoming, important customers preferring to buy US aircraft.
The tailwheel undercarriage layout was also dated and a disadvantage.
Wikipedia, more..

William Dempster Ltd was formed in late 1948 at Backbushe Airport and commercial charter operations started in november with a former Ciro's Aviation Dragon Rapide. Throughout 1949 two of these were operated on passenger- and cargo charters.
In april 1950 two ex/ British South American Airways Avro Tudor 5's were acquired: G-AKCC (c/n 1421) and G-AKCD (c/n 1422). These were converted for use on low-fare tourist services between London and South America. William Dempster worked in close association with a South African charter company, Pan African Air Charter. Pan African flew a weekly Dakota service from Jo'burg-Rand to the United Kingdom.
The Tudors continued to ply their ways to S. AFrica during 1950 and 1951. The Tudors flew their services from both Blackbushe as well as Bovingdon Aerodrome. Passengers were ferried on busses from London. By the summer of 1951 Dempster had transferred his operation from Blackbushe to Stansted.
G-AKCC was damaged and written off on 26Oct1951 when it overshot the Bovingdon runway while landing after a flight fromcastel Benito; no one was seriously injured in this incident.
The management of William Dempster Ltd found themselves frequently in Courts of Law, for various reasons, including their ties and operation with Pan African AC. During 1952 the Tudor 5 kept its low-fare charter operation to South Africa but was also more involved in charters, both ad-hoc passenger flights as well as freight charters, to Europe, North Africa and Middle East. With a build up of this work a Douglas C-47B was acquired, G-AMSS (c/n 32840), entering service in august 1952.
A total of 53 people were now employed by William Dempster Ltd.
At the end of 1953 William Dempster decided to suspend all its flying operations. The DC-3 was sold to Dan-Air early 1954, while the Tudor 5 remained grounded at Stanstedto act as a source of spares for Aviation Traders, who were in the process of rebuilding a number of Tudors for Air Charter.
Source: 'British Independent Airlines 1946 - 1976', by A.C. 'Tony' Merton Jones - The Aviation Hobby Shop (tahs), 2000.

Bristol Freighter on horse charter
The illustrious Silver City Airways, its Bristol Freighter unloading at Sunlight Wharf (circa 1928)

Silver City Airways was a private, British independent airline formed in 1946. It was initially based at Langley Aerodrome, later at Blackbushe airport.
The name Silver City was derived from the eponymous Australian mining town at Broken Hill, where The Zinc Corporation was headquartered.
Silver City's first commercial flight departed London Heathrow for Sydney via Johannesburg in late 1946. The following year, Silver City leased its first Bristol Freighter, moved its base to Blackbushe and participated in the airlift of Hindu and Muslim refugees between Pakistan and India.

In 1953, Silver City took delivery of its first Bristol Superfreighter.
The following year, the company moved to a new permanent home at Lydd Ferryfield, Britain's first newly constructed post-war airport. The same year, Silver City Airways came under the control of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O).
By 1960, Silver City's 40,000 annual cross-Channel flights transported 220,000 passengers and 90,000 vehicles while network-wide freight haulage reached 135,000 tons a year.

Unsustainable losses as a result of the loss of the Libyan oil industry support flight contract, increasing competition from roll-on/roll-off ferries and the lack of suitable replacements for the ageing Bristol Freighters resulted in growing financial difficulties, culminating in Silver City's takeover by British United Airways (BUA) holding company Air Holdings in 1962.
Wikipedia, more..

This airline operated a great variety of aircraft but for the sake of this photo I like to list the Bristol Freighters here:
Bristol 170 Freighter Mk.I G-AGVC (c/n 12732)
Bristol 170 Freighter MK.IIA G-AHJC (12735), G-AHJG (12739), G-AHJO (12747)
Bristol 170 Freighter Mk.21 G-AGVB (12731), G-AGVC (12732), G-AHJD (12736), G-AHJJ (12742), G-AICM (12756), G-AICS (12762), G-AICT (12763), G-AIFM (12773), G-AIFV (12781), G-AIME (12795), G-AIMH (12798)
Bristol 170 Freighter Mk.21E G-AHJI (12741), G-AHJP (12748)
Bristol 170 Freighter Mk.32 G-AMWA (13073), G-AMWB (13127), G-AMWC (13128), G-AMWD (13131) G-AMWE (13132), G-AMWF (13133), G-ANWG (13211), G-ANWH (13212), G-ANWI (13213), G-ANWJ (13254), G-ANWK (13259), G-ANWL (13260), G-ANWM (13261), G-ANWN (13262)
Source: 'British Independent Airlines 1946 - 1976', by A.C. 'Tony' Merton Jones - The Aviation Hobby Shop (tahs), 2000.

DC-3 loaded with cargo
DC-3 being loaded with cargo, livestock in front of a surplus of Dakotas.

Airwork was formed in 1928 and initially developed Heston Aerodrome as an aviation and social centre.
Besides flying instruction (also at Perth and Shoreham) the company undertook aircraft maintenance and its first air transport experience came in 1932 in Egypt, when it helped set up an airline which is now known as.. Egypt Air!
In 1933 Airwork helped to set up Indian National Airways.
During WW2 Airwork helped to train the Royal Air Force but when the war ended they returned to commercial aviation.In 1946 a fleet of Dragon Rapides and Vikings was acquired.

In 1950 cariied its 10.000th passenger on the service between Wadi Halfa & Khartoum - London.
During 1948 Airwork formed a subsidiary company in East Africa named Airwork (East Africa) Ltd with its Hq in Nairobi.
Airwork flew 74 sorties for the Berlin Airlift.
Airwork continued its contracts for the military and on governmental contracts. In 1952 4 Handley Page Hermes aircraft were purchased from B.O.A.C. for trooping flights to Kenya and the Egyptian Canal Zone.
By 1954 Airwork's shareholders included the Blue Star Line and the Furness Whithy Line, both large shipping companies.

In 1953 Airwork acquired the rights to operate cargo flights from the UK to Montreal and New York. For this two Transocean Douglas DC-4 were leased. The inaugural flight departed London Heathrow on 01Mar1955. But after 9 months these services were suspended. An initial order for two DC-6A's was subsequently cancelled as these were meant to replace the DC-4s.
1956 was a year of consolidation and the fleet consisted mainly of the Hermes for trooping contracts.
During 1958 Viscounts replaced the aging Vikings. The Viscount operated the service between the Uk and Khartoum, Sudan via Rome, Athens & Cairo.

During 1959 the trooping contracts decreased and the Hermes aircraft were sold or scrapped.
On 01Jul1960 Airwork merged with Hunting-Clan and Air Charter to form British United Airways.
Source: 'British Independent Airlines 1946 - 1976', by A.C. 'Tony' Merton Jones - The Aviation Hobby Shop (tahs), 2000.

Henk Geerlings sent me this photo recently, taken on 01Aug2002 in the Yorkshire Air Museum. One can see that a wing of C-47B G-ANAF (c/n 16688/33436) had been put on C-47B G-AMYJ (c/n 15968/32716) here.
Both aircraft were owned by Air Atlantique, G-AMYJ was donated to the Yorkshire Air Museum.
Since G-ANAF still flies (2013), I assume 'YJ donated a better wing to 'AF before it moved to this museum.

DC-3 G-AMYJ

G-AMYJ with wing of G-ANAF and other signs of restoration.

Cockpit of Douglas C-47B G-AMYJ
The cockpit of G-AMYJ in 2002.

Rich Hulina, who published that marvellous photobook Bush Flying Captured, recently published this photo on his Facebook page.

Rich wrote: "Bob Lutz flies his Super Cub next to the Gorge of the Knik Glacier east of Palmer, AK."

To learn more about Rich Hulina's fascinating photography visit my page Rich Hulina / Bush Flying Captured

In Jan.2014 Ed Stewart visited Mesa-Falcon Field (Arizona) and was allowed by the owner Terry Herbert to have an extensive look at DC-3 N844TH (ex/NC88740, C-FIMA and N582LA). It was of interest to me as I had come across plane & owner in 2008, HERE..

Ed added the following information (on facebook): "The owner happened to be in the middle of changing a cylinder so, since I had 'smaller fingers' I was asked to help to could reach the back nuts; spent the better part of the afternoon getting oily and messy but it was kind of fun!
Terry Herbert, the owner, was very considerate and let me climb around all over the bird. He told me that he had a recent contract flying auto parts from Mexico to El Paso, but that the contract was finished and he might move the plane to Florida for some kind of Florida Nassau cargo run. I noticed that all of the old fittings and holes for aerial survey were still in place on the belly just patched over."

Then doug Morrison added more info to this Gooney Bird: "Except for Aero Services D-17 Staggerwing this would more than likely be the oldest surviving aeromagnetic survey aircraft - it flew survey for many years!
It was one of the two aircraft fitted out by Gulf Research and Development Company and flying tests from November or so 1946 with the Gulf fluxgate magnetometer.
Registered as NC88740 and later flew for Canadian Aero Service and Questor as CF-IMA.
The other pioneering aircraft put together with aeromagnetic survey gear in late 1946 was a Grumman Goose that worked under the Dominion Gulf banner in Canada before being repolaced in 1947 by Aero Service's first PBY Catalina.
This DC-3 is a very historic survey aircraft - let's hope it survives in the long run!"

In july 2016 it was sighted with Basler Turbo Conversions in Oshkosh.

Don Wray published an excellent photo report on facebook in Jan.2014 about the salvaging job of ALCI's Turbo DC-3 C-GEAI on Antarctica!

BT-67 C-GEAI (c/n 16305/33053). This aircraft had suffered damage at Antarctiva before but the repairs were more extensive this time and the weather made things even more adventurous. The other BT-67, that flew in spares and supplies on these images, is BT-67 C-GEAJ.

C-GEAI had quite a career; to quote from my files: registered N72BF it was seized Sep.96 (also have it as 'N72BF BT67 Asset Seizure & Forfeiture rgd 11.94'); at Basler's in Oshkosh 1998. It was meant to be delivered to Colombia as HK-3575X but this came not to pass. Then in Aug.'97 it was reg'd N200AN to Good Aviation LLC and while ski-equipped was put for use on Antarctica.
In 2000 it was reported at Missoula,MT operating for World Air Logistics. In 2001 it was seen at Ft.Wainwright (Alaska) in livery and titles for Enterprise Airlines, in use as a smokejumper aircraft; a photo by Frans Truyens in Alaska 2001 HERE..
On 01Nov2001 it was reg'd C-GEAI for Enterprise Airlines, which had its homebase at Oshawa,Ont. It was used for automotive charters for GM Canada.

In April 2004 it was reported in a white colourscheme at Oshawa and under repairs after damage suffered on Antarctica. This happened during a windstorm in oct.2002 and it took until Feb.2004 before it was flown out.
During 2005/6 it was again reported at Antarctica, involved in 'ALCI program'.
The aircraft is, by the way, not a Basler conversion but one of two USAC/AMI-65 turbo-prop conversions; it was upgraded by Basler at a later stage.

In May 2006 it was reported back at Oshawa, in full livery and named 'Lidia'. And Enterprise Airlines had become Triumph Airways. And on 13Dec07 renamed Antarctic Logistics Centre International (ALCI) Aviation.
C-GEAI was reg'd on 28Sep09 to Kenn Borek Air of Calgary,ALB.
In June 2010 it was at Yellowknife,NWT (photos by Dirk Septer), still wearing the Enterprise Airlines titles!
On 12Jul2012 it was reg'd to Cargo North, but C-GEAI may have remained on the Kenn Borek AOC for flight operations.
Then disaster struck again for C-GEAI on Antarctica when on 20dec2012 it hit a snowdrift whilst taking off from Holtana Glacier, 2 people were injured.
A remarkable feat for the crew to get this challenging job done under extreme circumstances.
I would welcome more details on this history of this aircraft, its owners & operators, people who have worked on it & with it. EMAIL

George Chomkovski sent me these images from his collection. Help on identifying or adding details would be appreciated.

CF-SON crashed in the woods of Manitoba
Found FBA-2C CF-SON crashed just north of the town of Riverton MB Canada.
Must have been some time before 1967. Details on Abandoned Wrecks of the North

Chomo
George's father, John Chomokovski, seen in this photo at the wreckage of CF-GTD. Taken near Rabbit Point.
John Chomokovski was a visitor to this site, so the date on the photo does not relate to the crash.

Al Nelson (presently, Feb.2014, the Director of Restoration at the Western Canada Aviation Museum and who in his flying days 'flew pretty much all over North America for over 45 years') came to the rescue here:

"Your recent inclusion of a couple of photographs by George Chomkovski about two crashes near Riverton Manitoba were of great interest to me, particularly the one of the PA-18, CF-GTD. I remember that crash well, the pilot, Gary Quirk, was a very good friend of mine and I flew GTD several times.

Gary, (Garnet Trevor Dundas Quirk in full) flew DC-3s for the RCAF during WW2 and after the war he looked for a way to continue flying.
He bought himself a Piper J-3, CF-DGX, and convinced Manitoba Hydro that he could efficiently patrol all their hydro lines by air. He did this for several years, eventually replacing the J-3 with a new Piper PA-18.
He then got into the charter business, adding a Stinson Voyager and a Stinson Reliant. Both of which I flew quite a bit. I have photos of both of these aircraft.
Many of us young, newly-minted pilots were given jobs flying for Gary and later went on to long careers with Air Canada and Trans-Canada Pipelines.

The crash occurred while Gary was taking a guy from Matheson Island, across Lake Winnipeg, to Rabbit Point, on the east side of the lake.
The weather was poor, with reduced visibility due to snow and blowing snow. Over the lake they encountered 'white-out' conditions and crashed into the lake ice...
Gary was an experienced instrument pilot but had only basic airspeed and turn & bank for instrumentation in GTD. Wether he became disoriented or struck one of the many ice pressure ridges on the lake is not known, but the aircraft was totally destroyed and both were killed instantly."

Here is a picture of the aircraft before the crash:
Piper CF-GTD
"The photo was taken by me in front of #4 hanger in Winnipeg.
If you look closely, you will see that the Piper logo and stripes on the tail, in the crash photo is not on this one. I painted the logo and stripes on the tail, so it would look like a later model PA-18!"

"This is a picture I took while doing power line patrol for Gary, in CF-GTD."

Gary Quirk
Al Nelson: "And here is a picture I took of Gary, in 1951, in his newly acquired Stinson Reliant (CF-EZD)."

Piper CFGTD crash on Lake Winnipeg

Wings Limited was formed in 1934 by Roy Brown, Jack Moar, Milt Ashton and Ted Stull. Their Waco aircraft
had great appeal for passenger transport and provided stiff competition to the establised names. Wings Limited
made serious inroads into the business originating at Lac du Bonnet although they did not fare quite so well in
other districts (Source 'Pioneering in canadian Transport' -K.M. Molson, 1974).
By January 1937 Wings Limited had a fleet type listing as follows: Fairchild 82 (2),
Fairchild 71 (1), Fokker Universal (1), Waco (5), Noorduyn Norseman (1).

More on Ted Stull and the business Wings Ltd was in, see ABANDONED PLANE WRECKS OF THE NORTH

George wrote that this photo was take sometime between 1941 and 1945.
The Norseman History website has the following info: 'Registered to Canadian Airways, Winnipeg, Manitoba, as CF-BDD on 22Apr1937. Re-registered to Canadian Pacific Airlines in 1941 when they bought out Canadian Airways. Destroyed at Tofino, BC., on 29Dec1945: floats were torn off during a glassy water landing.'

That most wonderful chronicler of (Canadian) aviation history, Larry Milberry, has recently produced
two large size books on the unique and awesome Noorduyn Norseman: http://canavbooks.wordpress.com/

Skidoo
Probably used as ground transport on ice roads by Bob Starratt, see information below.

The sign in the background of the skidoo reads as Starratt Airways. In the book 'Pioneering in Canadian Air Transport' I found something on Starratt Airways. Here are a few lines from Chapter XI (page 169) 'A Change of Government':
'From the standpoint of Canadian Airways, 1935 was a year of waiting: waiting to see the effect of the economics introduced during 1934, waiting to see whether the Government would change in the next election and esspecially waiting to see plans for the new trans-Canada airway developed. While the bush flying operations into the mining districts of Canada increased, the competiton was strong and Canadian Airways actually suffered a reduction in the volume of business.'
...
This was the first full year of operations for the newly formed Wings Limited (photo above) which was cutting heavily into Canadian Airways' business, particularly at the Lac du Bonnet base which was no longer a profitable operation.
In the Hudson area, Starratt Airways and Transportation Limited, organized by R.W. Starratt to supplement a much older ground transportation company, provided the competition. (In this context that photo of the skidoo above is of interest).
...
(p.188)
In the spring of 1936 Canadian Airways entered into a contract with Argosy Gold Mines Ltd to move 500 tons of freight into their minesat Casummit Lake from Gold Pines on Lac Seul. By 28Sep36 over 600 tons of supplies had been moved completing the largest single contract for the transport of freight ever let in Canada up to that time.
The bulk of the freight carried was fuel oil but it also included dynamite and general supplies.
The distance involved was about 70 miles which meant frequent trips by the machines operating from Gold Pines. Other large contracts in the area were carried out by Starratt Airways and General Airways, together with many smaller ones.This resulted in the claim that the air bases at Gold Pines and Hudson,Ontario were the busiest in the world at that time, exceeding thelarge airports at New York and London in the amount of traffic!

The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre website included information on Starratt Airways:
'Robert Starratt was one of leaders in the aviation business of Northwestern Ontario but, never held a pilot’s license. He was born and raised near Moncton, New Brunswick. In 1926 the Hudson’s Bay Company recruited him to manage a transportation network in Northwestern Ontario. He purchased Hudson Bay Transport in 1928, Red Lake Transport in 1929 and moved to Hudson, near Sioux Lookout, Ontario where he started the Northern Transportation Company with tugs, barges and sleighs..
His interest in technological changes convinced Robert Starratt to acquire the most modern aircraft available at the time. Fokkers, Stinsons, Travelairs, Foxmoth, Fairchild 82, Beech Staggerwing, and a Nooduyn Norseman were added to the fleet. In 1937 he purchased the first Beech 18, ever sold commercially in Canada and promptly fitted it with both skis and floats becoming, the first person to do so.'
Follow link to website for more information.

Starratt Airways also employed Canadian bushplane pilot and poet, C.R. 'Charlie' Robinson. Information on this individual welcomed.
Starratt Aws operated Noorduyn Norseman CF-AZS and CF-BDE. I would welcome a more detailed fleetlist: EMAIL
CPA bought Starratt Airways (date?); its base had been Hudson, a small railroad town on Lost Lake near Sioux Lookout. Robert W. Starratt hailed from New Brunswick, he had homesteaded in Alberta and arrived in Hudson in 1926 (at the time of the Red Lake Goldrush 1925-1926), where he set up a freighting business using a large motorized canoe. After modernizing his equipment for his transport business he bought in 1932 Moth CF-AGX, entering into air transport; soon two Travelairs were added and 2 Super Universals, a Fox Moth and a Stinson. For 1934 his company Northern Transportation Co (NTC) carried 800 tons of freight and 2.888 passengers by air and 5.544 tons by land and water.
Bob Starratt was one of the first with a Norseman and had Canada's original Beech 18, CF-BGY.
The post-WW2 period did not look promising to Bob Starratt, he foresaw the construction of roads and airstrips in the region. So he sold his business, both air and overland, in 1941 to CPA for $425.000. By that time he had 17 aircraft. He died in 1967.
Source: Air Transport in Canada Vol.1 and Vol.2 (by CANAV Books / Larry Milberry, 1997)

Starratt Airways

Patrick Nagle made me aware of the wreck of C-FOOY (CF-OOY) near Iqaluit. This is Douglas C-47A c/n 12411 CF-OOY. Information from the website polarpilots.ca:
It ran out of fuel and landed here on the tundra in 1975.

More on this and other plane wrecks on my page Abandoned Plane Wrecks of the North

Created: 09-May-2013