Aviation Photos & History from Neville Webb

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A word about (and by) Neville Webb's interest in aviation:
I have always been interested in aviation, aircraft and flying. As part of my apprenticeship with the Ministry of Supply (1954-59), I worked at aircraft servicing at RRE Pershore (1957-58) and RAE Farnborough (1958-59).
Was in the Air Cadets for five years and Glider solo at RAF Hawkinge (1957), and a member of the RAE Gliding Club, Farnborough. Gained my Private Pilot Licence (PPL) in 1971 at Swift Current, Saskatchewan, and on moving to Newfoundland in 1972 continued to fly for a few years and later as an 'up-front' passenger.
I found myself teaching at the 'fly-in' Community of Sandy Lake First Nation, NW Ontario (1955- 2005); one experiences a close up look at passenger flying in and out of small, isolated northern communities.
Having a camera readily to hand lets you take advantage of any opportunities to photograph those older aircraft whose remaining work lives usefully continue in the North.

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C-46 at Winnipeg
This undentified Curtiss C-46 Commando was photographed by Neville at Winnipeg (maybe June 1998), taken at the Industrial side of Winnipeg Airport (likely the former Air Manitoba hanger).


Note the twin pitot tubes under the front fuselage and there seems to be writing on the (outer) front side
of port engine cowling.

Webmaster: I have a feeling this could be C-GIBX, C-46F c/n 22472; it was part of Commando Air Transport,
ex/ Air Manitoba. After years of storage it was registered to First Nations Transportation (which is current
at time of writing, May 2007). C-GIBX on Airliners.net

"These C-46 pictures were taken while travelling through Winnipeg and Red Lake, while the photos at Sandy Lake
took a little more effort: I heard the C-46 land early one morning and went quickly to the airstrip and lucky
enough I found the Curtiss Commano still there after unloading fuel cargo."

See my Gimli 2007 report, featuring a.o. this C-GIBX

C-GTXW
Curtiss C-46A Commando C-GTXW (c/n 30386) is seen here on a fuel-hauling flight at Sandy Lake, northwest
Ontario. (Date described by Neville as 'around 2000'.)

C-GTXW fuel flight
So this photo was taken during its days with Commando Air Transport (registered as such on 23oct96), until it was
involved in an accident in the Fall of 2000; CAT's operating license was revoked on 15Mar01, renewed 17Apr01
and suspended again on 23Aug01.

C-GTXW was bought by Buffalo Airways of Yellowknife , NWT on 14Nov01 and I saw it at
Yellowknife, July 2006 looking very good.

5Y-TXW
C-46A c/n 30386 was briefly registered 5Y-TXW, as seen here.
Air Manitoba had put it up for sale and registration C-GTXW was cancelled in August 1994. In 1995 it was reregistered 5Y-TXW for Air Kenya but soon returned to Canada; it was reported at Bar River in April 1996, still registered as 5Y-TXW. On 23Oct96 it was registered to Commando Air Transport.
Reg'd 14nov01 to Buffalo Airways (C-GTXW). They tried to sell it in 2004, with damaged C-FAVO, but no luck.

5Y-TXW
Neville took these photos when it had returned from Kenya, at Winnipeg.

C-GTXH stored with damage
C-GTXW ran out of runway in the Fall of 2001 at Red Lake and was subsequently stored, with the damage.
Neville photographed 'X-Ray Whiskey' at Red Lake during Dec.2000 or Jan.2001. The photo below is a close up of some of the damage.

Neville provided the following report on the incident: "On 28Sep2000, Commando Air Transport C-46A C-GTXW aborted a takeoff from Red Lake Airport, Ontario due to power loss in one R-2800 engine.
It departed for a planned fuel flight to Sandy Lake. The aircraft overran the runway and ended up in a ditch. Substantial damage to the Curtiss Commado but no injury to crew of three."
Note: The use of part of a cargo door in the old Air Manitoba blue and red colours.

Stored and damaged
Note the use of part of the main cargo door.
After Buffalo Airways took good use of it, C-GTXW crashlanded on 25Sep15 near Deline,NWT due ro an
engine oil scavenge pump failed and could not maintain altitude. Anno 2019 I've heard nothing of a recovery.

closer look at the damage
Some of the old Air Manitoba blue and red colours still visible.

"Newfoundland and Labrador (Gander and Goose Bay) played an important part role wartime aviation (remember Ferry Command's effort in WW2) and post-war propeller aircraft passenger aviation.
It has been said there are over one hundred wreck sites in the province...
Having a background in working with aircraft allows one to study site remains from archeological and technical perspectives, to identify aircraft components and allow for some description of event happenings."

crash site
 Neville wrote:
"These are pictures of a USAF C-47 crash site. In past years, I have made three or four visits.
The C-47 was, I believe, on a flight from Goose Bay to Torbay (St. John's airport) with a load of jeep parts and impacted about 3 metres below the top of a hill, at the base of trees: 4 metres higher and/or 20 metres to the left... and tragedy would have been averted!"
Neville found information on : http://accident-report.com, which provided the following details-
DATE: November 24, 1943
AIRCRAFT: C-47A
SERIAL NUMBER: 42-100496
PILOT: Lee D Graham
LOCATION: 3 miles NW of Torbay, Newfoundland
REMARKS: Hit Hill in Flight
remains on crash site
engine remains
engine remains
grim reminder of a tragedy
tailsection
Little remains of this wreck Neville offered the following information:
A photo of unidentified aircraft remains on the airfield at Swift Current, Sask in 1970.
Not much left to identify this wrecked bird..!

C-FTTW Wasaya Airways Aircraft Maintenance in the North...
This is Hawker Siddeley (or Avro) 748-264 Series 2A, c/n 1681, tailnumber C-FTTW.
Neville wrote: "A series of photos (taken by me) at the freight unloading area at Sandy Lake, NW Ontario.
This aircraft had recently had a scheduled overhaul. After unloading freight at Sandy Lake, when the pilot was taxying out, he noticed "something funny".. On the runway the nosewheel collapsed !
The nose u/c came out of the upper mount on the oleo leg. The propleller tips dug-in (see pictures) and the aircraft 'spun' around.
I believe a front-end-loader was used to lift up the nose, and the aircraft was moved back to the freight apron.
Some while later a maintenance crew was flown in, a new nosewheel fitted together with both engines and propeller assemblies. The aircraft was flow out for further repair with the undercarriage extended."
Bended prop
Damage by collapsed gear?
That door..?
New prop fitted
No.2 being testrun
done for the day...
Ready for ferry flight.

C-FTTW in nose down attitudeRichard Church described further events surrounding this situation:
"The incident at Sandy Lake took place on 06Apr98. Here are photographs of it sitting on its nose on a snow covered runway. It was raised by a cable attached to the bucket of a bulldozer/snowplough by which time the snow had gone from the runway."

"It was ferried to Winnipeg via Red Lake for repair on 19Apr98. When this had been completed it was ferried to Pickle Lake (on 05Jun98) and was returned to service."

Photos by Colin Carswell of Wasaya, Richard Church Collection.
The snow has cleared
C-FTTW in tow

C-GMAA Air Creebec A typical "Workhorse of the North" in the freight area at Sandy Lake. This is Air Creebec Cargo HS.748-214 Series 2A C-GMAA (c/n 1576).
C-GMAA came from Air Gabon (TR-LQY) and moved on to Wasaya Airways (C-GMAA).

CF-QBI Spirit of Grace Harbour DC3 CF-QBI "The Spirit of Harbour Grace"; photos 2007.
This aircraft (c/n 6179) was manufactured as a C-47 in 1943 by Douglas Aircraft Company in Santa Monica and served with the USAF in North Africa. At the end of the war the C47 was used as a cargo aircraft by Resort Airlines, then later by Leeward Aeronautical Service and Lake Central Airlines. In 1951 the aircraft was bought by a Canadian company and modified to DC3 standard by Douglas.
Photos and text by Neville Webb © 2007.
Spitrit of Grace Harbour From 1953 until 1977, CF-QBI was flown by Quebec Air. In 1977 Mr. Roger Pike bought the aircraft for use on cargo flights between Stephenville and Goose Bay. In 1983 Mr. Pike became owner of of Labrador Airways Ltd., and based CF-QBI at Goose Bay for mail and freight flights. CF-QBI was retired in 1988 and in 1993 the aircraft was presented to the Town of Harbour Grace. The aircraft stands in a small park area adjacent to the road and some eighty metres from the shoreline.

CF-QBI whilst in service of Quebecair on Airliners.net
DC-3 in Harbour Grace
CF-QBI
detail
Nice scenic setting
Harbour Grace airfield, psbly taken 1996 HARBOUR GRACE
The town of Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, has played an important part in aviation history.
Between 1919 and 1936, the airstrip at Harbour Grace was used by early aviators as a take-off place or as a stop-over for transatlantic flights. A few weeks after the airstrip was completed, on 27Aug1927 the first transatlantic flight from Harbour Grace was made by William S. Brock piloting "The Pride of Detroit."
Other famous aviators who have used this famous airstrip include Wiley Post and Harold Gatty, Emelia Earhart, James Mollision, Kingsford Smith, and Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker.
 Today, standing on this now quiet airstrip one can see white contrails of high flying jets that routinely cross the North Atlantic Ocean each day.
Amelia Earhart was here (a.o.)

A plaque at the airstrip, commemorates those early flights.

Remain of B-36 Neville lives nearby a B-36 (51-13721) crashsite, only some 3 hours driving. He has, over the years, invested much time in investigating these remains.
The picture is of an exhaust driven supercharger; the turbine blades cut through the thin casing during the crash event ..
Improved access (work road) see stuff moved and taken, 'soon' nothing will be left...?

B-36's figure in the Virtual Goleta Air and Space Museum: www.air-and-space.com, and on that website you see how Neville laid out what was where & how at the crashsite.

Dirk Septer wrote an item on about the B-36 crash on my page Abandoned Plane Wrecks of the North

Neville wrote me about a 21Sep2018 re-visit.
RB-36H 51-13721 crashsite @Newfoundland
RB-36H 51-13721 crash summary: 'In bad weather and off course, at 4.10 am on March 18, 1953, RB-36H 51-13721
flew into a 896 foot high ridge above Nut Cove Newfoundland. The aircraft first struck a lower eastern ridge, the
port wing and port engines separating. The aircraft continued on impacting the front of the ridge at about the
810 foot level, forward momentum scattering wreckage on and over the ridge.'

RB-36H 51-13721 crashsite @Newfoundland
Neville wrote: "Beginning in 2001 to 2010 visits to the wreck site were made, allowed discovering more about the last moments of the flight also identifying and mapping wreck items. Pictures show the tail assembly in the valley area of the
crashsite, the port no. 1 piston engine and one of the paired port GE J47 jet engines."

Drone Overflight Videos Youtube, 12 September 2018
Burgoyne's Cove Newfoundland B36 crash site + close call with Eagle
+
Burgoyne’s Cove crash site #2

Crash report on Aviation Safety Network (ASN)

Memorial at Gander,NFL Following a refuelling stop at Gander on the morning of 12 December 1985, all 256 Americans on board the Air Arrow DC8 died when the aircraft plunged into the ground, shortly after lift-off and totally burned in the post crash fire...
The crash site is at the edge of Gander Lake, almost in-line with runway 22.
The 248 soldiers of the 3d Battalion, 502d Infantry, 101st Airborne Division and eight crew members were travelling from Sinai back to the U.S. for the X-mas holidays.
Gander crashsite
Turning off the Trans-Canada Highway, vistors can make a short drive to the edge of Gander Lake, to visit the Memorial. Photos taken around 1997 or 1998.
Accident details on Aviation Safety Network

GANDER AVIATION HERITAGE

Gander's aviation history goes back to 1937 when construction began on what would be at that time the largest civil airport in the world with four paved runways. On a great circle route, Gander was ideally placed for trans-Atlantic flights.
As the only operating airport in Atlantic and Maritime regions at the outbreak of war, Gander was strategically located as a staging base for the stream of military aircraft bound for Europe. In 1942 the Government of Newfoundland turned over the operation of the airport to the Government of Canada through the RCAF.
At war's end, Gander became the "Crossroads of the World" for transoceanic flights. However, the advent of the "jet age" adversely impacted air traffic, as jet aircraft now had the range to directly cross the Atlantic. During the 1980's carriers from Eastern Europe used the airport as a stopover on flights to the Americas such as Havana.
Today, Gander is used by heavy cargo carriers, corporate and private jets.


NORTH ATLANTIC AVIATION MUSEUM (Gander Aviation Museum)

This aviation heritage museum is located in Gander, adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway,
and opened its new building on March 1996. Displays inside include a DH Tiger Moth, engines, aviation artefacts and memorabilia, including photographs and archives related to North Atlantic aviation and Gander in particular.
CF-GHX The tail section of this DC-3 is mounted over the main entrance, while the nose section of the aircraft is at the rear of the building.
Visitors can enter the cockpit from inside the museum.
The aircraft has Eastern Provincial Airlines markings (EPA).
DC-3 CF-GHX (c/n 11780).
CF-GHX
From 'Flying the Frontiers Vol.III' by Shirlee Smith Matheson (subtitled 'Aviation Adventures Around the World'), the chapter 'The Merger of the Masters' has a quote by Chuck MacLaren (volunteer at Edmonton's Alberta Aviation Museum) when asked what his favourite aircraft he'd even been working on as a mecanic, was: CF-GHX.
I quote from that book-
"When I worked for Gunnar Nesbitt Aviation we changed 30 engines - all full time with 1.100 hours on each of them - on one DC-3", MacLaren says. That was CF-GHX. It flew from Edmonton to Uranium City, 365 trips a year. for 10 years!".
(Not sure if the following refers to CF-GHX from that book, but a fine tale nevertheless, quoting MacLaren)-
MacLaren reflects on adventures with the famous DC-3. "We used to land on the ice on Lake Athabasca where Gunnar Mines was, until we got the runway built.
On the last landing of the season, the 24th of May, one wheel went through the ice and it ended up on its wing, putting a three inch bend in the wing... We called for help. With the aid of 50 guys from the mine we picked it up and rolled it about 10 feet onto some planks on good ice. Then the pilots flew it home, with the bend in the wing and everything. The big gradual bend didn't seem to bother it any. It flew pretty straight. Our job when we got home was to reskin the top of the wing because the pressure had made little winkels between the rivets."

C-FCRP Canso C-FCRP (c/n CV-271)
This aircraft was manufactured by Consolidated Aircraft Company at San Diego, California and is powered by two Pratt and Whitney R-1830-92 engines. C-FCRP
This Canso was with Eastern Provincial Airways in Gander in 1958. In 1970 the aircraft was sold to the provincial government of Newfoundland Government and Labrador and served as a waterbomber for some twenty years! When replaced by the CL-215, this aircraft was donated to the Museum.

[The best book, in my humble opinion, to read up on the PBY Catalina / Canso is "Consolidated PBY Catalina, the Peacetime Record", written by David Legg (Airlife, 2001 ISBN 1 84037 276 1) -Webmaster]

Another photo of C-FCRP can be seen further down this page.
Beech 18S Beech 18S
This aircraft was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation at Wichita, Kansas. It is on loan from the Gander Campus of College of the North Atlantic.

The c/n is A-710 (or CA-110, there seems to be 2 systems) and decorated with a false registration, C-FVPK. Source: OldProps.

"Twin Beech" on Wikipedia.
Hudson T9422 Lockheed Hudson T9422
This aircraft was displayed on a pedestal for many years, near the airport.
During World War II, the Hudson was the first of thousands of aircraft to stage through Gander en route to Europe.
On November 1940, the first ferry flight was made across the Atlantic of seven Hudson bombers, led by Captain D.C.T Bennett.
Lockheed Hudson on Wikipedia.

MUSGRAVE HARBOUR: BANTING INTERPRETATION CENTRE

In 1991 the 'Banting Interpretation Center' was built following the airlifting in 1990 of the remains of Hudson T9449 from Seven Mile Pond (Banting Pond) to Banting Park, Musgrave Harbour, Newfoundland.
Photos taken in 1997 or 1998.
Hudson T9449 On Friday the 21st of February 1941 Sir Frederick Banting, the co-discoverer of Insulin, died following the crash of Hudson T9449.

If you look carefully at the rear fuselage, it seems somebody has chopped out the large RAF roundel with an axe.
Hudson T9449
On Thursday 20Feb41, after being delayed by a blizzard, T9449 piloted by Captain J. Mackey, as part of a group of five Hudson aircraft, departed Gander at 1958 hours. About fifty miles NE of Gander and over the Atlantic, the oil supply to the starboard engine failed and the engine had to be shut down, but the prop failed to feather. After reversing course, heading back to Gander, the port engine also suffered an oil failure...
Mackey waited until he was sure T9449 was over land, then ordered the crew of navigator Flying Officer William Bird, the radio operator William Snailham, and passenger Banting to bail out.
Descending in darkness, pilot Mackey glided T9449 down to onto the edge of a frozen lake, hitting a tree with the port wing. Regaining consciousness, Mackey found that none of the others had bailed out! Snailham and Bird were killed in the crash. Banting had serious injuries and died the following day.
Mackey was not found until the following Monday by a searching aircraft.

[The book 'OCEAN BRIDGE, the history of RAF Ferry Command' (by Carl A.Christie) details this accident, as well as the building of Gander and Goose Bay airports and is recommended reading in my opinion (though rather overflowing with details)- Webmaster]

DC-4 OO-CBG crashsite SABENA DC4-1009, OO-CBG (c/n 42986).
On 18th September 1946, on a flight from Brussels to New York, OO-CBG crashed while descending through low cloud into a densely wooded area (600 feet ASL ) 22 miles SW of Gander (500 feet ASL).
The aircraft was due to land at Gander for a refuelling stop. At that time it was the world's worst aviation accident with 21 of 37 passengers (and 6 of 7 crew) killed.
Way out in the woods The accident is notable for the help given to the survivors by two local trappers, who were first at the scene, the efforts made by rescuers to get the survivors out, and the first (important) use of two helicopters to rescue survivors.
It was concluded that the pilot in command was carrying out an inappropriate approach with respect to the weather, neglected the strong NNE wind, and likely did not know the aircraft's position relative to the airport. The command pilot requested QFE (height above ground) which was given by the controller as 29.88. At the crash site, the pilot's and navigator's altimeters were found set respectively to 29.40 and 29.90.
Another possible contributing cause was a misunderstanding between the pilots of the aircraft's height above ground and actual ASL.
Following the crash, a gravesite was established at the site of the crash. The gravesite is called St. Martin in the Woods.

This website also details the crash and subsequent rescue: www.zianet.com/tmorris/GanderRescue.html
Report on Aviation Safety Network (ASN).

In Dec.2009 Neville sent another batch of photos to add on this webpage.
To start with: deHavilland DHC-3 otter CF-QOS (c/n 398) of Gander Aviation. Neville thought he'd taken this photo in 1973, at St.John's.
CF-QOS Gander Aviation

The authority on the DHC-3 Otter is Karl E. Hayes, who published a monograph on this 'Skytruck of the Bush'. I quote from his work (abbreviated):
DHC-3 Otter c/n 398 was delivered to the RCAF on 31Oct1960 with serial 9418. It was allocated to 418 Squadron, Namao. It sustained 'B' category damage on 14Sep1961 in the course of a training flight. On landing back at base at Namao, the student levelled off too high and stalled in. The heavy landing badly damaged the landing gear.
The Otter was trucked to the Canadian Pacific Airlines depot at Lincoln Park, Calgary for repair, where it arrived on 29Sep1961. After repair it was re-issued to 418 Squadron, Namao on 11Jan62. During 1963 it was involved in two SAR missions, in February '63 for Howard DGA N58856 and in September '63 for Cessna 175 CF-LBF. On both of these missions it 501 flew alongside 418 Squadron Otter 9417 (396). It continued flying for 418 Squadron until it met with another 'B' category crash on the airbase at Namao on 15Oct67.
That accident ended its RCAF career, during which it had flown 2,127 hours.

The damaged Otter was put into storage at Namao and in Sep68 was moved to the Mountain View depot in Ontario and put up for disposal, in its damaged condition, through the Crown Assets Disposal Corporation.

It was one of three damaged Otters sold on 08Feb71 to Gander Aviation Ltd of Gander, Newfoundland.
The 3 aircraft were trucked from Mountain View to Weston Aircraft Ltd, Oshawa, Ontario where they were rebuilt for Gander Aviation. On 13May71, as the rebuilds were in progress, marks were allocated for the three Otters, CF-QOQ (46) ex 3685, CF-QOR (375) ex 9409 and CF-QOS (398) ex 9418. Two of the aircraft, QOQ and QOR, were sold on but QOS was registered to Gander Aviation Ltd in June 1971, intended for operation by the company.
On 03Jul71 William Bennett, the owner of Gander Aviation, performed a test flight at Oshawa in QOS, and on 06Jul71 he flew the Otter to Carp, Ontario where Bristol amphibious floats were fitted. On 08Jul71 he set off on the Otter's delivery flight, routing that day from Carp to Fredericton, New Brunswick and the following day via Charlottetown to Gander, CF-QOS then entered service with Gander Aviation Ltd.

The Otter was used for general charter work around both the island of Newfoundland and in mainland Labrador. It also supported outpost fishing camps in Labrador, at Michael River and Sand Hill River. It was used to fly freight and personnel to Baie d'Espoire, Newfoundland where a power station was being built. Another task was to bring patients in from outlying nursing stations to St.Johns. It was on such a flight that QOS crashed on landing at St.Johns on 11Jan72.
The Otter was flying under charter to the Department of Health. There were seven souls on board, including two pilots and a medical attendant. Two stretcher patients had been picked up at Burgeo, and two more at Harbour Breton. The Otter landed 300 feet short of runway 29 at the St.Johns IAP, shortly after 5pm that afternoon. The accident report cited as a factor the pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft. The Otter came down on rough gravel and was badly damaged, although no one was injured. The ambulances which had been waiting at the airport for the arriving patients drove to the scene and were able to take the patients to hospital.
The Otter was shipped to Montreal for repair, after which it returned to Gander and continued in service with Gander Aviation until August 1974. It had flown 1,304 hours while in service with Gander Aviation.
It then went to the mainland for structural modifications before being sold to Direquair Inc of Chibougamau, Quebec in 1975, registered C-FQOS. It was based at Lac Cache and served alongside the company's other two Otters C-FDIO (452) and C-FAPQ (201). There was a change of name to Air Mistassini Inc in 1981. The following year, Air Mistassini went bankrupt and the Otters were lying at Lac Cache for a time. QOS was sold to Air Melancon Inc of St.Anne du Lac, Quebec to whom it was registered in August 1983. It was to fly for Air Melancon for many years and in 1992 was converted to a Vazar turbo Otter.

C-FQOS continued in service with Air Melancon until June 1998, when it was sold to Labrador Airways Ltd, trading as Air Labrador and moved to its new base at Goose Bay. The owners of Air Labrador had an associated company called Tamalik Air, used primarily to support hunting and fishing camps, and QOS was assigned to Tamalik Air and painted in its striking red overall colour scheme. When not flying for Tamalik Air, it flew as part of the Air Labrador fleet. For example, during April 2001 it was heavily tasked flying fuel in barrels and groceries from Goose Bay to Border 502 Beacon as the native Innu were moving there from Davis Inlet.
QOS continued flying for Air Labrador/Tamalik Air until an accident on 12Sep2001, which occurred as the Otter was taking off from Otter Creek at Goose Bay en route to a fishing lodge. The pilot reported he was in climb mode when the aircraft pitched forward and then nosed up before entering an uncontrollable nose-down descent, although it did not exhibit characteristics normally associated with an aerodynamic stall. It impacted the water hard, resulting in structural failure of the float supports and extensive damage to the fuselage. “Lab Air 911”, a Twin Otter medevac flight bound for Nain witnessed the incident and raised the alarm. The pilot and three passengers were rescued by boat, but QOS sank in 55 feet of water. It was raised up, and the wreck sold to aircraft dealer Glen W.Ernst of Temecula, California.

The Otter somewhat disappeared from view until July 2007 when during a visit to the Kenai Airport in Alaska it was noted in a hangar there under rebuild.
By Jan.2010 I could find no reference that the rebuild had been completed or for whom.


Lockheed L.188 Electra of Nordair's Ice Patrol
Lockheed L.188 Electra of Nordair's Ice Patrol
Lockheed L.188 Electra of Nordair's Ice Patrol

On above images Neville wrote:
"Seen at Gander: NORDAIR's Lockheed Electra L-188CF assigned to a Canadian Government contract, the socalled ICE PATROL assignment.
Here is a useful link: http://www.al-airliners.be/k-o/nordair/nordair.htm, which also include the following reevant information:
'...... DC-4 aircraft were replaced in 1972 by two Lockheed Electra (L-188C) aircraft, CF-NAY and CF-NAZ (renamed CF-NDZ following an accident in 1977). The Electra aircraft were owned and operated by Nordair Limited of Montreal.'
I don't know the registration number of this L.188 Electra."

Steve Woolfrey followed this up (Nov.2010) with the following update and recommended links for further research:
"CF-NAZ was re-registered as C-GNDZ in 1978 when rebuilt following severe damage sustained in an incident with CAF 10737, Argus - Mar 31 '77.
http://tinyurl.com/4gkrx45

This is a story reprinted in Charlottetown Guardian:
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Living/World/2007-03-31/article-1374354/Vivid-memories-remain-of-fiery-Argus-crash-of-1977/1

This is a link to a Summerside newspaper image of the Electra - after:
http://media.photobucket.com/image/argus%20summerside/iceobs/ElectraAccident.jpg?o=1 "
Shows a slightly larger version of this image:
CF-NAZ severely damaged
I include this pic for in Feb.2014 I received following challenging email from Ken Pickford, who wrote:

"In connection with the Nordair Lockheed L-188 photos and related information, I question the accuracy of the following statement:
"...CF-NAZ (renamed CF-NDZ following an accident in 1977)."  (Neville Webb)

"All information I can find indicates that CF-NAZ was written off after the accident. I can find nothing to indicate that it was rebuilt and re-registered. And if you look at the photo of the damaged L-188 from a newspaper report of the accident, it is hard to believe that aircraft would have (or could have) been repaired." -Ken Pickford

Since the newspaper photo supports Ken's statement that it was unlikely that this wreck was rebuilt I investigated further.
To start: details of the accident are to be found on the aviation-safety.net/database/ : 'CF-NAZ 31mar77 A landing Canadian Armed Forces Canadair CP-107 Argus (serial 10737, c/n 28), crashed into the Electra. All three crewmembers aboard the Argus were killed.'

An online database also confirmed CF-NAZ c/n 1132 written off after this accident: rzjets.net/aircraft/?typeid=149

That same database offers the history of L.188 c/n 1111:
http://rzjets.net/aircraft/?typeid=149
As N128US del'd 12Oct59 – nov71 Northwest AL, lsd Jul72-Jul74 Air Holiday N128US, lsd Air Florida N25AF
C-GNDZ regd Feb78 Nordair Canada, [enter period with 'Ice Reconnaissance' -Webmaster]
merged jan87 CP Air, merged apr87 Canadian Airlines Intl, to
9Q-CRY apr92 for New ACS, w/o aug92 dbr. NOTE: no note of repair or rebuilding!

Then I found the details on ATDB.Aero database (www.aerotransport.org):
CF-NAZ: Destroyed 31/03/77 at YSU (hit by RCAF CL-28 10737, wreck used to rebuild C-GNDZ c/n 1111).
And on C-GNDZ c/n 1111: Nordair ex Air Florida –rebuilt by AJI with front fuselage from CF-NAZ c/n 1132, opf Canadian Dept of Environment/Ice Reconnaissance.

Then I asked myself why? Why was the front fuselage required for rebuilding C-GNDZ, surely it was CF-NAZ that was damaged?! Perhaps the term 'rebuilding' contributes to the confusion, perhaps 'modifications' should be used (as well). The answer can be found here:
History of Ice Reconnaissance:
"The DC-4 aircraft were replaced in 1972 by two Lockheed Electra (L-188C) aircraft, CF-NAY and CF-NAZ (renamed C-GNDZ following an accident in 1977). The Electra aircraft were owned and operated by Nordair Limited of Montreal.
The first Side-Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR) used for ice reconnaissance was installed on C-GNDZ in 1978."
Canso airtanker NFL 5
Canso Water Bomber in 1973, of the Newfoundland Forestry Service. Taken at St John's Airport (Industrial Side).

By the website Warbirdregistry.org I was able to identify Tanker #5 as C-FNJC (c/n CV-430). This website offered the following history:
Delivered to USAAF as 44-33929.
Eastern Provincial Airways, Gander, Newfoundland, 1965. Registered as CF-NJC.
Province of Newfoundland & Labrador, St. Johns, 1970-1992 (Reg'd as C-FNJC in 1985). Flew as tanker #5. /End Quote,
Air Britain Photographic Images Collection has a photo of C-FNJC as tanker#701.
My files show this Canso OA-10A (ex/BuN 67893) as anno May08 stored in a hangar at Goose Bay, awaiting preservation. Updates welcomed! Email

Registration C-FNJC was officially cancelled on 17Dec09, as permanently retired ('wfu') and is to be preserved. (Aviation Letter 518, jan.2010)

 

Neville shared these photographs with me in Nov.2017

Airspeed Oxford
Airspeed Oxford, with titles 'The Noon & Pearce Organisation' (?) and 'Airspeed' t/t on the fuselage.
Neville took this picture at Nairobi´s Wilson Airport, approx 1961.
With part of the registration under the lh-wing readable (RMU or KMU?) , I found a good match on
this website britishaviation-ptp.com/airspeed_as10.html#Export for VP-KMU, ex/ V3889. A considerable
amount of aircraft were converted from military AS.10 (post WW2) to civil use.
Wikipedia has a good list of Oxford variants. I could not place The Noon & Pearce Organisation.
Another photo of this aircraft in his May 2025 update, see further down!

PBY-5A, Province of Newfoundland - waterbomber
Canso A at North Atlantic Aviation Museum (@Gander; no date specified).
'Forest Service': a waterbomber of Province of Newfoundland
Identified through Wikipedia: List of Catalinas as Canso A C-FCRP (c/n 9837)
It was replaced with Newfoundland & Labrador Air Services Division in airtanker role by CL-215 aircraft and
subsequently donated donated to the museum. Its history is described further up this page.

Dragon Rrapide G-AHJS at Lasham1967 in 1967, by Neville Webb.jpg
deHavilland Dragon Rapide G-AHJS at Lasham (UK) in 1966, by Neville Webb
Note the Bristol Freighter in the background!

Neville wrote: "I took this photograph at Lasham airfield in 1966. This aircraft has an interesting history!
One aviation website reports the aircraft being abandoned at Blackbushe airfield, from 1966 till 1973.
However, at one time 'JS evidently flew to Lasham!
Note the '3 Counties Aero Club' lettering barely visible on fuselage.
Besides that Bristol Freighter there was an Avro York nearby. That was an interesting afternoon at Lasham, a time when one could just drive into and around a large airfield!
I did take a few more pictures (of a DC-7B), but I spent more time at a nearby aircraft scrap area (now gone,btw)"

DC-7 G-ATAB at Lasham (1966) by Neville Webb
DC-7 G-ATAB (c/n 45361) at Lasham (1966) by Neville Webb
Neville: "Just after having moved away from the aircraft, a vehicle rolled up, crew got aboard, very quickly
started the engines and ATAB taxied out for take off!"

DC-7 G-ATAB at Lasham (1966) by Neville Webb
Neville:"The aircraft is not in standard DAN AIR finish, so must have been just bought."

C/n 45361 was first delivered to United Air Lines (N6348C), then flew for Transmeridian Air Cargo (TMA; as
G-ATAB, being converted to DC-7B in Dec.'60) and Dan-Air London was 3rd and last.
G-ATAB was scrapped at Lasham (EGHL) in 1973. [ATDB.aero]
www.danairremembered.com/dc7
and interesting story on the tailfin logo: abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1010430

 

Neville Webb sent me these in Jan.2018
AN-12 UR-CAK

Ukrainian Air Alliance!  Wednesday 31 January 2018

Neville wrote me:".... last week [26 Jan?] passed by St. John's Airport YYT and noticed two Antonov An-12BK transport aircraft  UR-CAK and UR-CAJ  of Ukraine Air Alliance (UAA) at the Irving Aviation ramp!
Both aircraft with rear gun turret [windows fared over] and gun housing still in place!
UR-CAJ was unloading cargo.  
Both these planes were built in the 1960s and fly world wide.

Three DHC-8 aircraft were also parked on the ramp including Bahamasair (!) DeHavilland Canada DHC-8-314 Dash 8-300 aircraft: C6-BFP (ex/ C-GFHZ, OE-LLW, N394DC, G-JEDA, N994DC) and another one cocooned in blue
wrapping with the tailplane removed.
A bitterly cold day it was, so cold three sets of batteries lost their charge...
Pictures taken by holding camera against mesh fencing and hoping...

1. Ukraine Air Alliance (UAA):
 www.uaa-avia.com/en  Home page provides details of both aircraft

2. Bahamasair C6-BFP-300:
 www.planespotters.net/airframe/De-Havilland-Canada/DHC-8_Dash-8/C6-BFP-Bahamasair/oQkkC80

3. Irving Aviation, FBO Services:
 www.irvingoilcommercial.com/ProductsandServices/FBOServices.aspx

 

 

Neville Webb wrote me in Dec.2019: "This year saw me attending local COPA meetings, a flight [co-pilot!] to Harbour Grace airstrip (famous for Trans-Atlantic flights in the 1930's).
Of interest was a visit to a Hawker Hurricane crash site, though very little remains. And the opportunity to photograph the remains of a RCAF Liberator GR.V 586, slowly being reconstructed here (shipped from Goose Bay).
There's a follow up further down.

Hawker Hurricane crashsite, Newfoundland
RCAF Hawker Hurricane 1359 crashed near Cochrane Pond, Newfoundland, on 15 October 1942.

Hawker Hurricane crashsite, Newfoundland

Hawker Hurricane crashsite, Newfoundland

Neville: "The engine failed, possibly from a glycol leak, while returning from a dusk patrol.
Flight Sergeant J.W. Gilmartin successfully bailed out and a while after landing met up with William Linegar, who saw the crashing aircraft from near by Cochrane Pond.​
Hurricane 1359 was built by Canadian Car and Foundry [CAF] in Fort William, Ontario.​
Over time the wreck site was forgotten until recently rediscovered a few years ago by a local logging crew. ​ Talking recently with a logger I was told his father also seeing the aircraft, crashing and on fire, when it skidded across a bog ending up in nearby tree line."

Hawker Hurricane crashsite, Newfoundland
The crash site has been scavenged, so very little remains of the wreck onsite. ​

Hawker Hurricane crashsite, Newfoundland

​"Recognizable are sections of the tubular nose structure, heavily rusted sections of the tubular main spar and its attachment fittings. Other items include the bent (Packard) Merlin crankshaft c/w connecting rods, propeller reduction gear, a nearby cylinder sleeve liner, a small section of wing flap and the top sheet metal fairing (behind the cockpit)."
Area of Crash: www.google.com/maps/..
Canadian Hawker Hurricanes: torontoaviationhistory.com/authors/canadian-hurricanes/
Queen of the Hurricanes: Elizabeth 'Elsie' Muriel Gregory MacGill

 

Neville wrote in Sep.2020: "Photo of Self: That was taken late on the same day after the B-24 site visit at the
North American Aviation Museum (further down) by the fellow who guided us to the B-24 site. He is on the
Museum Board and gave us an after-hours tour of the Museum and inside the Hudson."
Neville Webb at B-24 44-42169 wreck

Hudson BW769 @North Atlantic Aviation Museum (NFL, 2020)
The Hudson 'T9422' needs inside restoration. northatlanticaviationmuseum.com/our-hudson-bomber/
Museum Citation: '.... flying the Hudson to Gander on May 17, 1967. Once in Gander the Hudson was mounted on a pedestal near the airport. In 1990, volunteers at Gander’s 103 Rescue Unit refurbished the BW769 and painted it as T9422 to commemorate the historic flight of D.C.T. Bennett of 1940. The aircraft was also used in the filming of the mini-series 'Above and Beyond' (2006), which tells the story of the Atlantic Ferry Command. Note: D.C.T Bennet led the first flight of 6 Hudson aircraft across the Atlantic, departing on 10Nov1940, the beginning of Ferry Command.'




Neville wrote in Sep.2020: "Three of us were guided to a crash site, of USAF Eagle Radar B-24 @GANDER (12Sep20), which covers a 330-metre diameter area; an opportunity to walk around the site, study aircraft items and take photos.
This B-24 was equipped with a 3 cm radar and en route to UK.
B-24 44-42169 crashed 14Feb1945 14 miles NE of Gander. The aircraft was not found until 15Mar45.

Neville Webb at B-24 44-42169 wreck

Neville Webb at B-24 44-42169 wreck
"A most interesting day. Signs of black bears [poop] were seen by a colleague!"

Neville Webb at B-24 44-42169 wreck
Upper part of left stabilizer with aircraft number and tail-light.

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California.
At its inception, the B-24 was a modern design featuring a highly efficient shoulder-mounted, high aspect ratio Davis wing. The wing gave the Liberator a high cruise speed, long range and the ability to carry a heavy bomb load.

Early RAF Liberators were the first aircraft to cross the Atlantic Ocean as a matter of routine.
In comparison with its contemporaries, the B-24 was relatively difficult to fly and had poor low-speed perfor-mance; it also had a lower ceiling and was less robust than the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress.
At approximately 18.500 units – including 8.685 manufactured by Ford Motor Company – it holds records as the world's most produced bomber, heavy bomber, multi-engine aircraft, and American military aircraft in history.

The B-24 was used extensively in World War II.
It served in every branch of the American armed forces as well as several Allied air forces and navies. It saw use in every theater of operations. Along with the B-17, the B-24 was the mainstay of the US strategic bombing campaign in the Western European theater.
en.wikipedia.org:_Consolidated_B-24_Liberator

Neville Webb at B-24 44-42169 wreck
Propeller reduction bevel gears.

Neville Webb at B-24 44-42169 wreck
Front section Pratt & Whitney B-24 turbo-supercharged engine.

Neville Webb at B-24 44-42169 wreck
Turbo-supercharger: the forward part is at the bottom of photo.

Neville wrote me 02May21: "Had enjoyable flying experience week ago. A flight to check the grass airstrip at Harbour Grace [not landed], followed by a landing on Bell Island.
The photo of Twin Otter C-GIED of Air Borealis was taken 25Apr21 at YYT, the industrial side of the airport."

DHC-6 Twin Otter C-GIED at YYT, by Neville Webb
St. John's International Airport (IATA: YYT, ICAO: CYYT) is in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Neville wrote: "As you noted, this aircraft has a varied ownership history, now operates a 'courier service' Labrador, Air Borealis. The hanger is used by Provincial Airlines (PAL); also, work is done there to scrap aircraft that have reached lifetime hours."

A bit on De Havilland Canada (Viking Air) DHC-6-300 c/n 600 from twinotterarchive.com- mfr 1978,
previous identities N601KC • HI-685CA • HI-685CT • N612BA • TJ-SAD • N604NA
C-GIED was first reg'd to Provincial Airlines of St Johns, NFL (Based Goose Bay) on 12Jun08.
In 2017 xfrd to Air Borealis Ltd. (PAL Airlines Ltd, dba). And (as C-GIED) reg'd to Air Borealis Limited Partnership, dba Air Borealis Inc., Goose Bay, NFL. 19Nov2019.

Neville and his plane on Bell Island
Neville at Bell Island, with Avsport Skyranger C-GXVC (mfd by Bryan Hood {Amateur Built Aircraft}, c/n 773).

Neville flying
"A surprise flight last tuesday Feb. 22nd. The other pilot took photos while flying off NE Avalon coast,
past Petty Harbour and over Cape Spear. Last time the aircraft flew was Dec. 26th !
One gets a 'twitchy feelings' flying away from land!"

 

Neville sent in these in June 2021: "I attached two interesting planes, both photos taken at Shoreham;
I recall in either 1965 or 1966."
Reid & Sigrist RS4, G-AGOS - by Neville Webb (1966)
'Kemp's Aerial Surveys Ltd'
'Reid & Sigrist RS4 Desford/Bobsleigh G-AGOS - converted for Prone Piloting Trails, now restored to flight status."

The Reid and Sigrist R.S.3 Desford was a British twin-engined, three-seat advanced trainer developed in the Second World War for postwar use.
Although the R.S.3 was evaluated as a trainer, the type never entered production and was eventually rebuilt as the R.S.4 Bobsleigh as an experimental aircraft with the pilot in a prone position, seen as advantageous in minimising
G-force effects in fighters.
¬Wikipedia


Miles Messenger G-AKDF, by Neville Webb (1966)
Miles Messenger G-AKDF, by Neville Webb (Shoreham, 1965-66)

 

Neville wrote: 'Returning from a local early evening flight on 09Sep21, Antonov AN-12BP UR-CGW (UKRAINE AIR ALLIANCE / Meridian Avio Argo) followed in behind us and taxied to a far corner of St. John's Int'l Airport.'
An-12 UR-CGW (c/n 402410) at St. John's - by Neville Webb
An-12 UR-CGW (c/n 402410) at St. John's - photos by Neville Webb

Neville: 'The sun was setting, on leaving the airport I saw a wonderful photo opportunity.
To get close we backed the truck up against a chain-link fence, barbed-wire top, climbed into the truck bed and took some photos over the fence. Too good a photo opportunity to ignore!
A coach took crew likely to PAL Aviation Services, then returned crew to the aircraft; then a customs vehicle arrived.
The crew wore parachute harness.
UR-CGW is Chemical Spray aircraft, travels worldwide: Mexico, Africa, et cetera.
Note the underwing (retractable) chemical spray nozzle between No.3 engine and fuselage.'

An-12 UR-CGW (c/n 402410) at St. John's - by Neville Webb
History of An-12 c/n 402410 by ATDB.aero

 

The Queen's Flight DH Heron, XM295 (ca.1959)
Queen's Flight DH Heron! 29 August by Neville Webb
Neville wrote: 'Here is a photo of the arrival of a Royal Air Force deHavilland 114 Heron C.4 XM295 of the Queen's Flight. It brought the Queen Mother Elizabeth to the Royal Radar Establishment airfield at Pershore,
as I recall, in early 1959. Most of the flight line crew were on hand to see the Queen Mother, many of the
hanger workers too. The Queen Mother turned and gave all of us a lovely smile. Bought a photo of each of
these moments, likely taken by the Station photographer. Photo courtesy of Unnamed Photographer.'

 

Neville wrote: "Last Friday May 20th (2022) flew across to Harbour Grace.
Once in a while an eventful and memorable day comes alon: ninety years ago. on 20May1932, Emelia Earhart departed Harbour Grace NFL to make the first Woman solo flight across North Atlantic!
[CBC NEWS REPORT NL:] '90 years after her transatlantic flight, Amelia Earhart celebrated as trailblazer: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/amelia-earhart
Dignitaries were present, and an Emelia Earhart re-enactor.
And also Dr. Wyatt, one of the last — possibly the very last — living spectator who was present in Harbour Grace on that day in 1932!"

90 years ago: Aerhart on 1st woman N.Atlantic solo flight
90 years after her transatlantic flight, Amelia Earhart is celebrated as trailblazer

Perhaps also of interest: Women in Aviation: Ninety-Nines: www.ninety-nines.org/our-history
The Ninety Nines
'The Ninety-Nines promote aviation for young women through education, scholarships and mentorship.
Member Judy Cameron, a retired pilot, is something of a trailblazer herself, she was Air Canada's first woman pilot, hired in 1978.'

 

Neville sent me these photos (29Aug22), taken by his son Robert, while he retured this week from a
short fishing trip in Labrador.
DHC-2 C-FODB by Neville Webb at Igloo Lake
deHavilland DHC-2 Beaver, C-FODB (c/n 113) by Neville Webb at Igloo Lake, Labrador.

DHC-2 C-FODB by Neville Webb at Igloo Lake
The front office of C-FODB.

Info about its history, by Neil Aird's fabulous DHC-2 website:
C/n 113
Certificate of airworthiness #3446 issued 03-Apr-1951.
• CF-ODB Province of Ontario Department of Lands and Forests, Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Certificate of registration #10029 issued 03-Apr-1951. Delivered 30-May-1951 and operated until 1964.
Based 1954-1955 Chapleau
• CF-ODB Calm Air International Ltd., Lynn Lake, MB. Canx prior to c of a dated 13-Dec-1976.
• CF-ODB Leuenberger Air Service, Nakina, ON. Regd prior to c of a dated 13-Dec-1976.
Accident: Nakina Airport, Ontario, 17-Dec-1977. Aircraft slid off runway and substantially damaged.
• CF-ODB Watson’s Algoma Vacations Ltd., Wawa, ON. Regd prior to C of A dated 22-Dec 1978.
• CF-ODB Springer Aerospace, Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Dates currently unknown.
• C-FODB Wawa Air Services Ltd., Wawa, ON. On CCAR for May-1981. Canx 24-May-1983.
• C-FODB Cranson Lake Air Services, Chapeau, QC. Canx 05-Dec-1984
• C-FODB Frederick Murphy Holdings Inc., Pembroke, ON. Canx 28-Jan-1985.
• C-FODB Cranson Lake Airways Ltd., Chapleau, Quebec. Canx 01-May-1986.
• C-FODB Donald M. Dunn (Madawaska Valley Air Service), Blackfish Bay / Kaminiseg Lake, ON. Regd 18-Oct-1988. Canx 20-Jul-1993.
Noted at Arnprior, Ontario 29-April-1992 undergoing maintenance, minus tail stabilisers
• C-FODB Dietmar Harold Zschogner (Parry Sound Air Service), McKellar, ON. Regd 05-Oct-1993. Canx 31-Mar-1994.
• C-FODB Parry Sound Air Service Inc., (Dietmar Harold Zschogner) McKellar, ON. Regd 31-Mar-1994. Canx 23-Jun-1999. Operating for Lady Grey Lake Outfitters, Fort Smith, NT.
• C-FODB 30,000 Island Air Ltd., Parry Sound, ON. Regd 23-Jun-1999. Canx 08-Feb-2000. Also flying for 1,000 Island Air Ltd., Gananoque, ON.
• C-FODB Parry Sound Air Service Inc., McKellar, ON. Regd 08-Feb-2000. Canx 29-May-2000.
• C-FODB North Eastern Sky Services Ltd., Mt. Pearl, NFLD. Regd 29-May-2000. Canx 31-Aug-2005, Re regd. 02-Sep-2005. "Amanda".
CURRENT.

 

 

Neville wrote me another contribution, 2 in fact, in October 2022:
"A few weeks ago, my friend from COPA Flight 97 visited the wreck site of SABENA DC4 airliner OO-CBG 
>>SABENA DC-4-1009, OO-CBG (c/n 42986)<<
DC4 SABENA OO-CBG wreck at crashsite
copanational.org/about

Neville added some research to this:
"My friend was kind enough to supply a few pictures he took at the wreck site.
Would you be kind enough to add these pictures to ​this section. or a new section. Hee said he didn't want his name mentioned.
Recent photos show the wreck of SABENA DC-4 OO​-CBG in the dense bush, near Dead Wolf Pond, some 35 Km SW of Gander International Airport.  
The Story of Sabena OO-CBG written by F. Tibbo provides accounts of 'likely in-cockpit' crew actions leading to the crash, finding of the wreck, details of the survivors' rescue including use USCG Helicopters and PBY and PBY-A aircraft. 
Causes of the crash include a/c being blown off course and radio-range-leg by a northerly wind and the contributing factor of a/c altimeter[s] set to Height-Above-Ground [QFE] for Gander Airport."
Gander Airport Historical Society: Accident Summary & Official Report of OO-CBG
www.ganderairporthistoricalsociety.org/ - /SN_accident_report.htm
Film: GANDER AIR CRASH RESCUE: www.youtube.com
Hidden Newfoundland: Sabena Airliner Crash: 
www.hiddennewfoundland.ca/sabena-airliner-crash


Antonov An-12BP (ex /B), UR-CNN (c/n 7345004) of Cavok Airlines
An-12 UR-CNN of Cavok Airlines
History (RL database): CCCP-11032 + RA-11032 + EK-11032 + UR-BXK + EW-394TI

Neville added: 'On 15Oct22 photographed the colourful Cavok Airlines Antonov UR-CNN on the Industrial Ramp @St. John's Int'l Airport. Around 2 pm NDT the aircraft make a very smoky departure for Prestwick, Scotland.​'
www.cavok.aero
Flight Radar24: www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ur-cnn'
15 Oct. 2022, St. John's (YYT) Prestwick (PIK): Flight: CVK7122
Departure Time STD 1:00 PM:  ATD 1:03 PM: STA 0:37 PM
Wikipedia: An-12B [Ed.] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Antonov_An-12_variants

 

Neville wrote me in 11-2022: 'Visited pilot friend Bryan yesterday and 'Hanger Talk' turned to flying to
St. Pierre et Miquelon.
This brought back my memories of flying from St. John's to St. Pierre in the 1980's..
At that time, one flew over a narrow rocky beach to land, park the aircraft and go through French Customs.
Nowadays St. Pierre has a new 5.900 feet runway completed in 1999 and new Terminal building. The new 5.990 feet runway allows direct seasonal flights to Paris -Charles de Gaulle airport!'

Fling Flea, HM290
Flying Flea HM290 [Wikipedia]

The Flying Flea (French: Pou du Ciel, lit. 'Louse of the Sky') is a large family of light homebuilt aircraft first flown in 1933.

The odd name comes from the French nickname for the Ford Model T automobile: Pou de la Route, or "Louse of the Road", because Henry Ford's economy car was so common. 
Henri Mignet dreamed of creating a Model T of the air, an airplane for the common man, hence the term Pou du Ciel. In English, the term became Flying Flea.
Originally applied only to the HM.14 model, the name has now come to describe the family of aircraft of similar configuration designed by Mignet and others.

Flying Flea on postage stamp
The Flying Flea on a pastage stamp for Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, 'Poste Aeriènne'.


Saint Pierre and Miquelon, officially the Territorial Collectivity of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (French: Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon), is a self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean near the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a remaining vestige of the once-vast territory of New France.
Its residents are French citizens; the collectivity elects its own deputy to the National Assembly and participates in senatorial and presidential elections. It covers 242 km2 of land and had a population of 6.008 as of the March 2016 census.
The islands are in the Gulf of St. Lawrence near the entrance of Fortune Bay, which extends into the southwestern coast of Newfoundland, near the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.

Neville's friend Bryan

Neville's account:
" After flying from St. John's Newfoundland to St. Pierre et Miquelon one summer in the 1980's
walked past a hanger. After asking permission to go inside a great surprise to see a small aircraft, a Pou du Ciel, commonly known as the Flying Flea. Quite a sense of Aviation History to be standing beside an aircraft that was part of early aviation times!
From what I understand this aircraft is now displayed in the New terminal on a high platform.
There is also a St. Pierre et Miquelon airmail postage stamp showing a Pou-de-Ciel.

Designed by Henri Mignet, the first of this family type HM.14 was first flown in 1933. The Flying Flea was a designed to bring flying the 'common man'. Available aircraft plans and building instructions made the Flying Flea very popular with home aircraft builders. Initially the HM14 was a safe low powered aircraft. However, safety concerns arose caused by a number of crashes and the aircraft was grounded. Investigation by the Royal Aircraft Establishment UK and in France found the cause of the crashes was due to airflow interference between the front wing and the tailplane in particular flight conditions.
Design Details and Development of the Pou-de-Ceil:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mignet_Pou-du-Ciel
The aircraft in the photos is a Mignet HM.290
http://www.all-aero.com/index.php/contactus/53-planes-l-m-n-o/6744-mignet-hm-290-flying-flea--hm-293--hm-295
HM.290: A 1945 basic post-war single seat version with a 25 hp Poinsard engine.
Single-seat, enclosed cockpit (optional). Became popular for amateur construction from plans, various types of engines 25 hp (19 kW) to 70 hp (52 kW)."

 

 

Update by Neville Sep.2023
Twin Otter C-FCPV Air Borealis
Twin Otter DHC-6 Srs 300, C-FCPV (c/n 371) of Air Borealis (17Aug23). Could be (re)reg'd 14Jan20.
Photo taken at industrial side of St. John's airport (CYYT).
A good website to browse for Twin Otters of all ages is https://twinotterarchive.com/
History of DHC-6-300 by TwinOtterArchive
Source ¬TwinOtterArchive.com/DHC-6_371
Index for the archive: TwinOtterArchive.com/DHC-6_Index_new.html

 

Neville sent me the following 23Dec23:

"Photos taken some forty-seven years apart of the same Hudson aircraft! Indeed, time does fly by.
Little did I know those years later I'd get inside that aircraft!"
Constructed as a Hudson III with s/n BW769 RCAF.
Hudson Mk.III BW769 as T9422. To North Atlantic Aviation Museum, Gander, NFL.

 

Neville wrote me in Jan.2024: "please consider adding these photos of the Southern Cross to my 'History Page'.
Lots of history surrounding the aircraft on display here, close by to Brisbane International Airport, Australia.
Photos taken by my son, Michael Webb, in 2009 when he and his wife visited Brisbane to visit family.
Historic interest: Built in Holland in 1926, for a North Pole Expedition."

Sir Charles Kingsford Smith's Fokker F.VIIb-3m Southern Cross is preserved in a purpose-built display
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith's Fokker F.VIIb-3m Southern Cross is preserved in a purpose-built display

'First Trans Pacific Flight in 1938, by stages from Oakland, California to Brisbane. Australia.
Crew: Charles Kingsford Smith (pilot), Charles Ulm (co-pilot) and Americans Harry Lyon (navigator) and
James Warren (radio operator).'
Fokker F.VIIb-3m Southern Cross

Information Links:

[a] Southern Cross in Retirement - Including other links.  

Credit Citations below to "The Old Bus in Retirement": 

www.adastron.com/southern-cross/default.htm

Location Brisbane, Australia is home to one of the most famous aeroplanes in the world Sir Charles Kingsford Smith's Fokker F.VIIb-3m Southern Cross is preserved in a purpose-built display building across the road from the Brisbane International Terminal. 

www.adastron.com/southern-cross/default.htm

Construction Data: The aeroplane was built in Holland in 1926 as a Fokker F.VII-3m (retrospectively redesignated F.VIIb-3m by Fokker in 1928) with the Constructor's Number of 4954. The aircraft was then dismantled and shipped to the United States where it was reassembled by the Fokker subsidiary company Atlantic Aircraft Corporation and delivered to the Australian explorer Hubert Wilkins (Sir Hubert from June 1928) for an expedition to the North Pole.

[b] Is the Southern Cross the actual aircraft or a Replica?

(Partial Citation) www.adastron.com/southern-cross/fair-dinkum.htm#The Southern Cross in Retirement, flew the Pacific in 1928. Absolutely yes, but it's not the same as it was when it flew the Pacific in 1928...
All aeroplanes undergo changes and modifications during their service lives but few aeroplanes worked as hard as the Southern Cross during her comparatively short nine years in service.

The aeroplane was built in Holland in 1926 as a Fokker F.VII-3m (retrospectively redesignated F.VIIb-3m by Fokker in 1928) with the Constructor's Number of 4954.
The aircraft was then dismantled and shipped to the United States where it was reassembled by the Fokker subsidiary company Atlantic Aircraft Corporation and delivered to the Australian explorer Hubert Wilkins (Sir Hubert from June 1928) for an expedition to the North Pole.

[c] Flying the Replica Aircraft: https://hars.org.au/fokker-fviib-southern-cross-replica/  

[d] Southern Cross Airplane (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Cross_(aircraft)

 


Neville sent me these in July 2024, 'Duxford Memories'
He wrote: "Two aircraft saw long ago now exhibits in Duxford Aviation Museum [a] Avro York G-ATNK at Lasham in 1966: I walked around this aircraft and look in through cabin windows. Should have photographed
the aircraft but was distracted by DC-4 starting its engines and photo'd that instead...☺"
Webmaster/RL: see my 2017 Imperial War Museum report which includes Avro York G-ANTK

Neville contnues: "The York was parked close by the [b] Bristol Freighter. On a weekend one could freely walk and drive around the airfield - see attached. Always intended to return to Lasham but never did. Mitsubishi Zero A6M3: If remember correctly this center section was exhibited in the London Imperial War Museum, circa 1962 [?]. Put my head inside rear fuselage! Spent time examining the section and tweaking/bending the very thin aluminum skin at rear!
Webmaster/RL: see Mitsubishi A6M Zero (a.o.) recorded in my 2014 Imperial War Museum report.

Found interesting Crash Relics exhibited in the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum.
The latter I (Webmaster/RL) have included in 2019, MY REPORT
DC-7 Lasham 1967
That weekend afternoon we drove along a country road and came across Lasham airfield by chance.
'DC-7 G-ATAB Powerplant', with the young lady in the photos is Neville's wife "from happier days
before coming to Canada."
Note that G-ATAB, (c/n 45361; ex/ N6348C) is featured higher up on this page.

The girl on the photo is my wife, though not seen her in 20 years - lives in Vancouver.
Bristol Freighter Lasham 1967
Bristol Freighter G-ALPH of Dan-air.
"Lasham Gliding Centre was further down the airfield. On the other side of the country road [the Avenue] was
a small 'hanger' surrounded by military aircraft in various states of disassembly, now all removed/ long gone.
Was located on the small green area in the angle between the Avenue and A339."
"There is/was a short lane up onto the airfield. That's the way I accessed the airfield runways etc."
www.google.ca/maps/ (see box further down for Wikipedia's information on Lasham airfield).

Comet 4 @Lasham 1967
Neville in front of Comet 4, G-APDK of Dan-air. (Note Danair A/S was an airline in Denmark)
For a period of time I worked on a gallery on my website, 'Airlines Remembered'. Dan-air (legally Dan Air Services Limited) was included too: link HERE. I discontinued that gallery many years ago when I ceased plane spotting.

Lasham Airfield (ICAO: EGHL) is an aerodrome 3.6 miles (5.8 km) north-west of Alton in Hampshire, England, in the village of Lasham. The airfield was built on farming land in 1942 as a Royal Air Force Station during World War II.
The RAF ceased operations in 1948, but an aircraft company, General Aircraft Ltd, continued to fly from the airfield. From 1951, the main activity at Lasham airfield became recreational gliding.
The airfield is now the home of the largest British gliding club, also one of the world's largest, Lasham Gliding Society Ltd (LGS), which bought the land in 1999 from the Ministry of Defence.
The airfield is also the location of 2Excel Engineering Ltd., a company that maintains jet aircraft for various airlines.
Pilots of powered aircraft visiting the airfield require prior permission and a briefing on its hazards: in particular dense concentrations of thermalling gliders (up to 100 gliders can be in the vicinity at once), winch cables up to 3,000 ft (910 m) above the ground, and occasional movements of large jet airliners. [¬ Wikipedia]

"Nearby to Lasham and to the ENE lie RAF Odiham and what was RAE Farnborough .... all three airfields almost in one line."

 
 

I (Neville) researched and wrote the following [below] about the B-26 wreck in Labrador...
I knew about this wreck years ago but never fully realised its very remote location and the follow-on tragic story following the crash event in December 1942.
Was most fortunate recently to find the Link for Mission Saglek 2017 that includes flight and wreck photos.
The Diary of One Now Dead. I (Neville) knew the author Tom Drodge, of Shoal Harbour NFL, when we communicated about the B-36 wreck [Under The Radar] and had previously re-read his book about the B-26 crash.
What I have written below has brought together relevant Sources and Links that tell this harrowing Martin B-26crash story together with a brief outline and diary by the crew after the crash until their untimely death.

Martin Marauder B-26 41-17862 crash site
Martin Marauder B-26 41-17862 crash site at Saglek, Labrador

Martin Marauder B-26 41-17862 crash site


2009

Martin Marauder B-26 41-17862 crash site
Martin Marauder B-26 41-17862 crash site, 2009

Story of Martin Marauder B-26 Times a Wastin'. The crash of USAAF B-26 at Saglek, Labrador 10Dec1942  
On a ferry flight from Greenland [BW-1] to Goose Bay, Labrador, the B-26 became lost in bad weather without radio communication and through faulty navigation.
Believing the B-26 was south of Goose Bay the aircraft flew northwards along the Labrador coast before making a crash landing before its fuel ran out, close by Saglek fjord and in fact approximately 18 miles from the village of Hebron.
The links below tell the tragic story of the crew's will to survive in a remote and inhospitable region of Labrador, though in the end all the crew perished... 
Three crew members attempted to go for help using a boat [life-raft] but were never heard from again! 
Inuit hunters from Hebron noticed a dark object on the hillside in the Fall of 1942...
However, it was not until the late Spring of 1943 that hunters came across the wreck. Behind a tarpaulin over a wing they found the bodies of the remaining four crew.
Also found later was the diary kept by First Lt. Hodges, the last entry made on 3rd February 1943.
Today little of the wreck remains.
Years ago the fuselage, engines and tail fin were removed. Also, when the nearby runway for the Saglek Pine Tree Radar site was built the wreckage was moved aside onto the nearby rocks.  
Saglek Airport Runway:
www.google.ca/maps/@58.4719179,-62.6488556,268m/
Sources and Credits: 
Mission Saglek 2017  includes pictures by Patrick Vergobbi, Pierre Nadon and others, August 2017 flight from
Quebec to Saglek and the B-24 wreck site.
[a] Flight Safety - Aviation History: asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/
United States Army Air Force (USAAF) Matin Marauder B-26 Times a Wastin’.                          
Registration: 41-17862  Saglek, Labrador, 10th December 1942      
[b] Mission Saglek 2017 Google Translate; including photos of flight journey and wreck:                 
Photo Credits: Pilotes Quebec Forum – (text translated thru Google Translate)           
By: Patrick Vergobbi, Pierre Nadon and others, August 2017 www.pilotes.quebec/forum/viewtopic.php (in French)
[c] Breakwater Books, 2018: The Diary of One Now Dead by Tom Drodge:                                   
Pilot's Diary: www.c-and-e-museum.org/Pinetreeline/ - / - /other34bj - a moving story, all survived the crash but perished afterwards in the winter weather of neovember and december 1942.
[d] Saltscapes: North Warning System: 
Saglek: Pine Tree Waring Line: www.saltscapes.com/ - /894-on-the-radar

 

 

More memories of wreck visits and fellow enthusiasts in this aspect of aviation history.
"For a few years prior and up to 2017, I often had the pleasure to frequently speak with one of the two RCAF Para-rescuers, Steve Trent from Trenton, Ontario.
Steve had a good memory and would tell his story of his Para-rescue parachute jump to the RB-36H wreck site together with his companion Para-rescuer Joe Coutourier. And their time at the wreck site.
Later I received a copy of his handwritten notes. Steve frequently mentioned wanting to return and visit the wreck site as a marked trail led up to the crash site.
We used to keep in contact over the years up until he passed away in 2017, aged 95.
From what I recall Steve served in the RCAF in WWII as an Aircraft Mech, and served in Scotland an southern England. Later, he re-mustered as a Para-Rescuer.
Myself, with sons Mike and Steve, first visited to this crash site in 2001. At that time the RB-36 Memorial at top the ridge was in need of repair – see below picture. I never visited the actual memorial again."
For further reference: www.veterans.gc.ca/en/ - - - /national-inventory-canadian-memorials/details/7846

B-36 Memorial at Burgoyne's Cove

"Steve often asked if there was a bus tour going to the RB-36 location, unfortunately no.
The road below and to the crash site from Burgoyne's Cove is a gravel road often with rocks and stones.
However, Steve did return once when the refurbished Memorial [base and bronze memorial plaque] was dedicated circa 2002/3 [?] On that occasion Steve was flown in to the site from Gander by helicopter!"

In earlier years I (=Neville) often talked with Steve Trent, one of the two RCAF Para-Rescuers who parachuted to the RB-36 crash site. In our conversations Steve would tell jokes and also about his time in the RCAF in the UK,
during WWII.
Steve Trent (RIP)
Photo provided to Neville by Steve Trent
As part of an immediate rescue mission to the RB-36 crash site a USAF C-47 took off from Torbay Airport
(St. John’s, Newfoundland) piloted by Major Rich (USAF). Steve volunteered to make the parachute jump under hazardous weather conditions. Steve and his companion para-rescuer parachuted at low altitude from the
C-47 onto 'nearby' frozen Nut Cove Pond.

RB-36 tail section
RB-36H 51-13721, tail section
Steve Trent's story: The USAF RB-36H, 51-13721 was off track while flying from the Azores to Rapid City, [Ellesworth Air Force Base] S. Dakota, and crashed in bad weather on the night of March 17, 1953. Wreckage was spread across both sides of a high ridge in eastern Newfoundland. General Richard E. Ellsworth was part of
the crew; none of the RB-36 twenty-three crew members survived.

RB-36H 51-13721 wreck site
Front section. More photos and details of this crash site also earlier on this web page.

Steve recalled how he and Joe made some haste to jump over the frozen pond, as the surrounding 'hills' were in cloud, and they "… needed to get out of there (the C-47) before they hit something."
During one conversation Steve briefly mentioned he jumped without a reserve parachute because of the low altitude..
He also mentioned two other parachutes carrying rescue supplies went astray and weren’t found.
That evening Steve and Joe set up camp at the base at the west side of the high ridge on the edge of the Nut Cove Pond.
The following morning, leaving their jump gear at the campsite, and wearing snowshoes Steve and Joe made their way up the steep sided ridge to emerge from their climb near the tail unit of the RB-36.

Ridge of the RB-36H crash site
West side of the ridge, an area not easy to get to, not even from that lake..
In Newfoundland lakes, even large lakes are called 'ponds'... The lake/ pond below the west side of the ridge
is Nut Cove Pond where Steve and Joe parachuted on.

Two local woodcutters were already at the site of the impact on the east side of the ridge.
Steve recalled there were a few bodies about; 'flight orders' were on the flight suit of one of the crew, and documents marked ‘Top Secret’ were lying around... Steve and Joe made a pile of various items and documents. Steve mentioned he recovered an altimeter from a local woodsman already at the scene.
Later that afternoon USAF personnel arrived by helicopter.
Steve and Joe were invited by the two woodcutters to spend the night at their small cabin beside the shore, and they made their way down the east side of the ridge.

The following morning Steve and Joe returned to their campsite at Nut Cove Pond and collected their parachutes and other gear. Later an RCAF Canso landed nearby on Smith Sound, and Steve and Joe were picked up and flown out. Later at Fort Pepperell, St. John’s, both Steve and Joe were each awarded the US Soldier’s Medal.

The Soldier's Medal is awarded to any person of the Armed Forces of the United States, or of a friendly foreign nation who while serving in any capacity with the Army of the United States, distinguished him/herself by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy.

 

 

Neville sent me this (Aug.2024) and wrote: "Years ago saw Brabazon aircraft twice when flying slowly west at fairly low altitude over Pontypool... That summer I must have been ten years old at the time
YouTube: www.bbc.com/news/videos/ -1949
Each contra-rotating pair of propellors was powered by two coupled Bristol Centaurus Radial piston engines.
Attached photo taken inside the Brabazon Hanger during ROF Glascoed Apprentice visit to Bristol Aircraft Company in Fall 1954 or in 1955.
Had dinner served in the Directors Dinning room! Complete tour of BAC including machine shops and piston engine test cells. These cells built up against the railway embankment at Patchway – see old runway at left. www.google.ca/maps/"

The first production Britannia, delivered new to BOAC on 22 August 1957. Bought by Britannia Airways in March 1965 and operated until retired in November 1969. Broken up at Luton in June 1970.
Bristol Britannia G-ANBA
Neville: 3rd from the right.
More: www.airhistory.net/registration/G-ANBA

Bristol Britannia G-ANBA
From ATDB.aero online database

Neville found this link of Memories/ Stories of Bristol Aircraft Co. BAC 100: 2010
Including Engine Test Cells @Patchway [Filton] www.bac2010.co.uk/your_stories.htm

 

My son Robert Webb, who is visiting Berlin to participate in Marathon Race, emailed me a series of photos of various aircraft he took while at Tempelhof Flughafen. He was most fortunate to view and photograph the rebuilt and restored Focke Wulf Condor FW 200.
FW Condor 200 at Tempelhof (2024)
Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, photo by Robert Webb (09-2024)

From Wikipedia:
Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor. Only one complete reconstructed Fw 200 exists today, an aircraft that ditched in February 1942 and sank to a depth of 60 m (197 ft). This aircraft was raised from Trondheim Fjord in Norway on 26 May 1999.
Although the airframe disintegrated while being lowered onto a recovery platform, the remains were transported to Airbus Bremen and spent 22 years being rebuilt.
A request from the Berlin museum for a set of separate wings to be recovered from the Kvitanosi mountain near Voss in Norway to complete the rebuilding was at first denied, because the local population wanted the wings to be left in situ as a war memorial.
A compromise was reached in 2008, where parts not needed for the restoration would be left on the mountain. In 2009, parts were moved down by helicopter and made ready for transport to Bremen.
Other wrecks were also found, but in extremely poor conditions, one at 68 m deep. The aircraft was finished in June 2021, then dismantled and transported to the former Berlin Tempelhof Airport for final assembly as an exhibit in Hangar 7.

 

Neville sent me on 06Nov2024: "Zero Fighter Aircraft @Hawaii Wednesday from son Steve who is presently on holiday in Honolulu, Hawaii."
WWII fighter 'Zero" at Hawaii
"While son Steve is in Honolulu with his family I asked him to visit the Pacific Aviation Museum, Pearl Harbour,
@Hickman Field. www.pearlharboraviationmuseum.org/
Also: for List of Aircraft: en.wikipedia.org:_Pearl_Harbor_Aviation_Museum
Photos: taken 4th November 2024, by a friend of Steve (very much occupied by family on holiday outings).
Neville: "The 7th December 1941 was indeed a 'Day of Infamy' with the surprise attack at Pearl Harbour by the Japanese. The Zero A6M fighter escort played a significant role in this attack acting flying from aircraft
carriers positioned north of Hawaii in the role of escort and attack aircraft."

WWII fighter 'Zero" at Hawaii

 

In May 2025 Neville sent me another update for his personal AVIATION HISTORY page.
He wrote: "While watching the movie 'Out of Africa' the other evening brought back memories of an airshow [1960 or 1961] at Wilson Airport, located at the edge Nairobi. I wandered around taking pictures of a variety of aircraft.
Neville Webb @Wilson Airport, Kenya 1960s
Lockheed Lodestar, ZS-ATM (c/n 18-2066) of AOC - Aircraft Operating Company / Aerial Surveys Ltd.
from airport-data.com/aircraft/ZS-ATM: 'Also Registered As: 9J-RBM - Derelict.'

Neville Webb @Wilson Airport, Kenya 1960s
Lockheed 18 Lodestar, ZS-ATM (c/n 18-2066) with titles 'Aircraft Operating Co. Ltd' on the nose
See also www.airhistory.net/registration/ZS-ATM

Neville Webb @Wilson Airport, Kenya 1960s
Airspeed Consul VP-KMU showing titles: 'Noon & Pearce Organisation'.
Neville has another photo of (probably) the same aircraft, also of 'The Noon & Pearce Organisation', See above.
I could not place this organisation in an aviation contaxt, for help please EMAIL me.

Neville Webb @Wilson Airport, Kenya 1960s
Believe the bi-plane in the movie 'Out of Africa' was indeed this DH. 51 Moth, 'Miss Kenya' — VP-KAA (c/n 102).

Neville Webb @Wilson Airport, Kenya 1960s
DeHavilland DH.51 Moth, VP-KAA (manufactured: 1924; c/n 102, to/ G-EBIR) airport-data.com/aircraft/VP-KAA

Neville Webb @Wilson Airport, Kenya 1960s

The deHavilland DH.51 is a 1920s British three-seat touring biplane built by de Havilland at Stag Lane Aerodrome, Edgware.
The aircraft was fitted with an ADC Airdisco Air-cooled V8 piston engine, which considerably improved performance but was no longer cheap to operate. As a result, only three aircraft were built. The first aircraft was fitted with single-bay wings and was designated the DH.51A. It was exported to Australia and later converted to a floatplane as the DH.51B.
The first aircraft was exported to Australia in 1927, as a floatplane it capsized in Sydney Harbour in January 1931. The second aircraft remained in the UK until it was scrapped in 1933.
A 3rd and final aircraft was built in 1925 and exported to Kenya in 1929, having the honour of being the first aircraft on the Kenyan civil register as VP-KAA.
After 40 years of service it returned by air freight to the UK in 1965 where it was restored by Hawker-Siddeley Aviation at Hawarden. It was then put on the UK register as G-EBIR and passed to The Shuttleworth Collection in Bedfordshire where it remains in an airworthy condition to this day! ¬ Wikipedia

Neville Webb @Wilson Airport, Kenya 1960s
Personal note by Neville: "After completing RAF technical training at No. 1 School, RAF Locking, as a Jnr. Technician, was posted to RAF Kormakser (Aden). Only there for three days before flying to Nairobi on a Royal Rhodesian Argonaut. Worked at RAF Eastleigh Signals Centre. That day two of us went to Wilson airport to see the display.
Those pictures were printed on matt paper. Some years ago scanned the pictures: spent considerable time removing
many unwanted ‘speckles’. Oh My! Those pictures taken sixty-four years ago!"

Neville Webb @Wilson Airport, Kenya 1960s
Neville: "The Slingsby Mk 3 VP-KPP Volkswagen engine powered glider did fly at that event!"

Wilson Airport (IATA: WIL, ICAO: HKNW) is an airport in Nairobi, Kenya. Its location is approximately 18 kilometres (11 mi), by road, west of Jomo Kenyatta Int'l Airport, the largest civilian airport in the country.
Wilson airport serves domestic and international traffic. It is used mostly by general aviation traffic. Industries that use Wilson Airport extensively include tourism, health care and agriculture. Wilson Airport averages traffic of around 120,000 landings and take-offs annually.

The airport was established as Nairobi West Aerodrome in 1929 by Florence Kerr Wilson, a wealthy widow.
Built at a cost of £50,000 (£3.2 million in 2020), Mrs Wilson hired pilot Tom Campbell Black to run the airport. After the outbreak of World War II in 1939, the airport, its aircraft fleet and its pilots were taken over by the then colonial government and made a Fleet Air Arm base until after the war when it continued functioning as a civilian airport.
In 1962, it was named Wilson Airport in honour of its founder who died in 1968.[¬ Wikipedia]

SEE ALSO MY (RL / WEBMASTER) VISIT IN 2005 TO WILSON

 

 

Neville wrote (July 2025): "Hi Ruud! Have been intending for a while to send you the story of RCAF Liberator 586. (Further up the page there are previous posts by Neville).
About five or six years ago I was most surprised to hear that wreckage remains of a B-24 were in St. John's,NFL."

Story of RCAF Liberator 856:
"From what I understand years ago an American cut up the fuselage at the wreck site and moved those items to Goose
Bay with the intention of rebuilding the aircraft in the States. However, the Government of Newfoundland and
Labrador stopped this move and the wreckage remained at Goose Bay wharf side. The wings and I believe a turret remain at or near the crash site. Later a local group was organised to ship the wharf side wreckage to St. John's for rebuilding. Some work was done by Robert Maher.
RCAF Liberator wreck for restoration
"Some five or six years ago "Robert Maher was kind enough to allow me to photo wreck items, also a visit by
local COPA flight was also invited to view the reconstruction progress."

RCAF Liberator wreck for restoration

RCAF Liberator wreck for restoration
In situ

RCAF Liberator wreck for restoration

Neville added: 'RCAF Liberator GR.V 586 Code A (10 (BR) Sqdn) was returning to its home base at RCAF Station Gander, Newfoundland from Iceland.
The aircraft ran into a ferocious winter storm over the Straits of Belle Isle and they turned back towards RCAF Goose Bay. The aircraft began to ice up, chocking off their carburetors and coating the engine cowlings and bottom of the wings with thick ice...
To further complicate things, ice on the antennas rendered the radios useless.
The navigator kept the crew on course as the pilots fought to retain control and direction after losing the two starboard engines.

RCAF Liberator wreck for restoration
A turret? (EMAIL me for more details)

On the RCAF Liberator 856 Pratt and Whitney R-1820 Power Plant.
"The Power Plant comprises two sections, the engine and ancillary items at the rear. The power output casing and its
gears were sheared off (upward) when the lower part of the engine impacted the ground during the crash landing.
Of interest is the shaft hat apparently allows the engine to be turned over either by a hand crank handle
or power drive..."

RCAF Liberator wreck for restoration
Sources Neville provided:
Wikibase ASN: aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=175456
sites.rootsweb.com/~nbpennfi/penn8b2Harlan_GR.htm
Scroll Down Postings: www.rafcommands.com/archive/08718.php

RCAF Liberator wreck for restoration

Neville: "Robert Maher has shown vision and made progress to rebuild this aircraft that years ago was hacked in sections with an axe at the crash site in Labrador and later left on Goose Bay dock. The wing remains at the crash site.
The rear fuselage has bee reskinned and great progress made with reconstructing the fuselage section forward the bomb bay, see attached photos. The RCAF removed the ventral turret. Also, the rear turret has been rebuilt and it is hoped to fit two decommissioned guns. The future of the aircraft is seen as a museum exhibit."



 

 

Neville sent me this in Sept. 2025: DH Buffalo at Sandy Lake!
"Luckily found the photos of the DH Caribou at Sandy Lake Ontario saved on a USB. Can't remember the date but likely in the 1980s, possibly while I was waiting to leave the First Nation community for summer holiday.
After landing the DH Caribou parked using reverse propellers some distance away from the small passenger terminal building."

DH Caribou ar Sandy Lake
Sandy Lake is a fly-in First Nation community located in the boreal forested area of Northwestern Ontario.
Sandy Lake is 450 km northeast of Winnipeg, Manitoba and 600 km northwest of Thunder Bay, Ontario.
The community of Sandy Lake is made up of seven geographical areas - River, Centre, Airport, Big Rock, Old Sawmill, Ghost Point, and R.C. To maintain equally populated geographical areas for community elections and business,
these areas are combined to make five sections - River, Centre, Airport/Big Rock, Old Sawmill/Ghost Point, and R.C.

Sandy Lake First Nation, an independent First Nation, is governed by an elected Chief, a Deputy Chief and eight councillors. An Elder's Council of five elected elders actively participate and attend council meetings to witness and advise on decisions and resolutions of all matters and issues encountered and dealt with by the elected council.

Kenneth 'Ken' Swartz wrote a correction (Oct.2025) and added details:
"These new photos e are of a DHC-5 CC-115 Buffalo, not a Caribou In the early 2000s; the aircraft was operated
by the Canadian Armed Forces, before the RCAF name was revived in 2011."

DH Caribou at Sandy Lake
The tail of an aircraft shown in one Caribou Buffalo picture belongs to a Bearskin twin passenger a/c. Many flights to and from to Sandy Lake over ten year period, either direct Winnipeg or via Deer Lake or Sioux Lookout. Sometimes including landing at other small other airstrips such as Pikangikum often at night.
Recent photo enjoying some air time:
Neville Webb 2025

 

From 1995 to 2005 I taught in the isolated First Nation Community of Sandy Lake, NW Ontario.
Access to the community was by air or winter road for people and freight. I travelled to and from Sandy Lake using regional airline passenger aircraft two and three times each year either direct Winnipeg or via other regional airports.

The following photos show the different types of aircraft used for passenger service during my time in the community. Airlines included Bearskin, Wasaya, and Perimeter.
Sky Vector provides details of Sandy Lake CZSJ: skyvector.com/airport/CZSJ/Sandy-Lake-Airport


Sandy Lake (c.1995-2005)

Sandy Lake airport is typical of the airports found in the many isolated communities across NW Ontario such as
Keewaywin, Pikangikum, and Deer Lake with a single 3.500 x 100 ft. gravel runway, though Red Lake and Sioux Lookout
each have a single tarmac runway. These airstrips also allowed freight of all kinds to be flown into communities.
Sandy Lake has two Aprons, one for passenger service and the other for cargo.

Sandy Lake (c.1995-2005)
Titles on this Dornier Do.228 read 'Kistigan'? (EMAIL) Perhaps of a former operator?

Sandy Lake (c.1995-2005)
Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain, C-GYPF (c/n 31-7552063) ¬ www.airhistory.net/photo/542811/C-GYPF

Neville: "Thank you for adding Sandy Lake pictures and information.
A year or so before I went to Sandy Lake there was a tragic accident when a Hawker 748 crashed just after take off one night. The crash site was close to where I lived but I never visited the site.
The aircraft was taking school children home to other reserves. The community requested all wreckage to be removed."

Sandy Lake (c.1995-2005)

-=+=-

 

Royal Aircraft Establishment Technical School, Farnborough 1958-1959.
Royal Aircraft Establishment Technical School, Farnborough 1958-1959 - Neville Webb

Neville: "It was my good fortune to be transferred from RRE Pershore to RAE Farnborough for the final year of my apprenticeship with the Ministry of Supply, before being drafted into the Royal Air Force.
I lived in the RAE Apprentice Hostel, attended the RAE Technical School, trained in different departments and enjoyed gliding at the airfield in the summer of 1959.
The RAE and the RAE Technical School are now part of history".

Royal Aircraft Establishment Technical School, Farnborough 1958-1959 - Neville Webb

Neville: "The class line up here I remember the following class mates. At the far right is Allen Hickman;
years later I met him briefly on-line, he'd emigrated to Canada.
The fellow with sunglass is Rod Castle, from Southampton.
Self: I'm third from the left. Believe I was the only one living in the RAE Apprentice Hostel.
Another in the group was Dave Twin: he and another fifth year apprentice in the class worked on restoring an
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 to flight, in 1959, which I saw by chance on its first flight."

'An original S.E.5A may be seen at the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden, in England. This aircraft was originally serial F904 of No.84 Squadron RAF, then flew as G-EBIA from September 1923 to February 1932.
It was stored between 1933 and 1955, before being restored to a flightworthy condition by staff at the Royal Aircraft Establishment and then passed onto the Shuttleworth Collection.'

Biographical background:
'In 1911 the Army Aircraft Factory was created. In 1912 it became the Royal Aircraft Factory. In 1917, as a result of new arrangements for aircraft supply and inspection, it was transferred to the Ministry of Munitions, subsequently becoming the Royal Aircraft Establishment in 1918 and passing to the Air Ministry in January 1920.

In 1925 the manufacture of aircraft at the Royal Aircraft Establishment was discontinued and thereafter the Establishment's functions were confined to experiment and research; a camouflage department was established in 1937 and this passed successively to the Home Office and the Ministry of Home Security in 1939.
Control of the establishment itself passed successively to the Ministry of Aircraft Production in 1940, the Ministry of Supply in 1946, the Ministry of Aviation in 1959 and the Ministry of Defence in 1964.'
¬ discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Royal Aircraft Establishment Technical School, Farnborough 1958-1959 - Neville Webb

Neville: "In those days major aircraft companies recruited apprentices and ran their own technical schools. The RAE trained apprentices from 1910 to 1992 in Trade ( Craft and Technical (Student) programs).
See: RAE Apprentice Register, year 1958. studylib.net/doc/8173932/eligible-apprentices-list
In 1958 to 1959 I attended the RAE Technical School taking Airframe and Power Plant courses. The RAE Technical School was formerly a Convent, with some classes held in wooden huts behind the school.
RAE Technical School: www.farn-ct.ac.uk/about-us/college-history/
At the back of the school was a long sloping lawn area where pieces of aircraft structure could be found - see photo below.
Attached photos show the RAE Tech School, 'D shed' and ETPS Aircraft (credit RAE photographer). The display aircraft were on the 1959 airshow."

Royal Aircraft Establishment Technical School, Farnborough 1958-1959 - Neville Webb

Neville: "From 1958 to 1959 I worked on aircraft in D Shed (Hastings, Canberra), and even an Avro Ashton in
E Shed.
Next, a move across the airfield to the Empire Test Pilots School (ETPS), and lastly for a short while in Progress and Planning.
Two memories come to mind: being a part of a crew running noise measurements using an ex/ BOAC Comet I.
Also noise trial using a single RR Spey engine to monitor aircraft progressive rear skin cracking on a Buccaneer rear fuselage."

Royal Aircraft Establishment Technical School, Farnborough 1958-1959 - Neville Webb
en.wikipedia.org:_Handley_Page_Hastings

Neville: "However, another vivid memory stands out!
While sitting in a bus by the main gate at the end of the work day, I watched an ETPS Canberra T4 fail to take off, leaving the runway, then hitting a DH Heron, just missing Cody's Tree and disappearing inside the Black Sheds.

It was said [the cause was] an unofficial modification, using a strap to hold the control column forward, to make easier cockpit access for LH seat pilot (it had side by side seats).
If the Canberra had not veered of the runway it would have been a near miss of the RAE main gate and the bus passengers!"

Explanation on the Cody Tree: en.wikipedia.org:_Samuel_Franklin_Cody
When Cody was testing his first aeroplane, he tied it to a tree in order to assess the pulling power of its propeller. The tree became known as the Cody Tree and survived for many years.
Later an aluminium replica was cast by apprentices of the Royal Aircraft Establishment, and for many years continued to mark the spot. The metal tree was eventually moved to its present location.

Royal Aircraft Establishment Technical School, Farnborough 1958-1959 - Neville Webb
This aircraft in D Shed, with the open engine cowlings, is a Vickers Varsity.

As mentioned, my time at the RAE was mostly a happy one with lots of memories.
Royal Aircraft Establishment Technical School, Farnborough 1958-1959 - Neville Webb

Neville: "I'm not quite sure of the name of the RAE Technical School; while there I never heard the name
mentioned, but I know when the school moved from the Convent to a new campus it became the Farnborough College of Technology. When the new campus opened in the 1990s it was no longer part of the RAE.
So best to keep the name in posting to RAE Technical School.
NOTE: The RAE was a Ministry of Supply Establishment (MoS).
It seems the MoS was divesting itself of educational responsibilities at that time e.g. the RRE College of Electronics no longer exists, the building was demolished.

Other RAE memories: behind the ETPS hanger was the water tank where the fatigue testing of the Comet I airliner was done, to determine the cause of early Comet I airliner disasters.
Another memory was standing on the wing and looking into the cockpit of the Hawker Hurricane, 'The Last of the Many', when it was parked while visiting ETPS.

Still have a clear and vivid memory of the ETPS Canberran T4 crash. Never found any info on that embarrassing event: heard that aircraft was repaired in a distant hanger by an English Electric work crew."


ETPS aircraft formation: In lead a two seat Hawker Hunter followed by Gloster NF.11 and two seat Gloster Meteor trainer. At right: Supermarine Sea Hawk and a single seat Hawker Hunter.
At left: two seat DH Vampire and a Supermarine Swift.
Royal Aircraft Establishment Technical School, Farnborough 1958-1959 - Neville Webb
This update was added on 20Nov2025.

An update to this subject was added on 25Nov25.
Royal Aircraft Establishment Technical School, Farnborough 1958-1959 - Neville Webb
The RAE Apprentice Hostel.

Royal Aircraft Establishment Technical School, Farnborough 1958-1959 - Neville Webb
A few additional photos, including the Materials Testing Lab, in the convent building, and a sectioned early jet engine.

Royal Aircraft Establishment Technical School, Farnborough 1958-1959 - Neville Webb

Royal Aircraft Establishment Technical School, Farnborough 1958-1959 - Neville Webb

 

[Update 08Dec2025] Neville: "It's that time of year again, snowstorm, rain and this past week, very cold with a chill, howling wind gusting to one hundred kph at times. This weather a little early for this time of year!
One of my photos was selected for inclusion the local COPA 2026 Calendar.
Going back over my time at RAE Farnborough have clear recollections of gliding activities in the summer of 1959, most enjoyable indeed! I've never seen any other photos of the gliding activity at the RAE.
NOTE: I took the chance of taking my camera onto to the airfield through the guarded gate near the Aviation Institute of Medicine.
here are images from my old slides show gliders and people, including WWII ATA ferry pilot Lettice Curtis.

Blister Hanger: en.wikipedia.org:_Blister_hangar and dunsfoldairfield.org/blister-hanger/
This hanger was located at the top a slope leading down to the main runway. One weekend two or three of us would carefully get the Kirby Cadet out of the hanger and slowly 'walk' it down to the main runway...
At the RAE many interesting aircraft items were stored in various hangers around airfield. At the back of the blister hanger was a box approximately 3 meters long, 1.5 meters wide and 1 meter deep. Surprisingly, inside was the tubular fuselage frame of a Focke-Achgelis Fa300, a WWII U Boat towed autogyro.
The tail fin, tail and rotor blades were not inside the box though.
Fa300:en.wikipedia.org:_Focke-Achgelis_Fa_330


RAE Gliders 1959, by Neville Webb (Dec.2025)
A privately owned red Olympia.

It's that time of year again, snowstorm, rain and this past week, very cold with a chill, howling wind gusting to one hundred kph at times. This weather a little early for this time of year! Hope you are having better pre-Xmas weather in Holland. One of my photos was selected for inclusion the local COPA 2026 Calendar.
Royal Aircraft Establishment Gliding Club 1959. Two gliders were stored in a small 'blister' hanger, a yellow
and dark blue Kirby Cadet tandem seater, and a privately owned red Olympia.

Neville: "From what I remember there were items of aviation interest stored around the RAE. Recall a German axial flow jet engine in a far corner of D Shed, also an Aeronca Champ (?) stored in shed. Seem to recall an Armstrong Whitworth Apollo parked at ETPS during a visit to air show in 1958."

It's that time of year again, snowstorm, rain and this past week, very cold with a chill, howling wind gusting to one hundred kph at times. This weather a little early for this time of year! Hope you are having better pre-Xmas weather in Holland. One of my photos was selected for inclusion the local COPA 2026 Calendar.
Note the Handley Page Hastings in the background

"The Kirby Cadet was towed aloft using a single strand wire approximately 2.5 mm diameter.
Towing aloft was done using a truck powered by a flat-head V8 engine. I often drove this truck to launch the Kirby Cadet.
In spite of having gone solo at RAF Hawkinge I was never allowed to fly the glider solo...
Over time the wire formed into long spiral with flat surfaces along its length because of contact wear with the runway.
During a launch I'd hold the control column far back to gain maximum launch height, then the wire would break, a case of quickly twice pulling the yellow toggle on the left side of the cockpit to release the wire with its small parachute still hooked onto the glider's tow-hook.
To repair the wire ends were joined with some type of knot."

"Most launches were made towards Laffan's Plain, with a left hand circuit around the airfield perimeter with the final approach above the main gate."

"The red Olympia was owned (?) by Ron Goodspeed who’d spent time doing repair work on this glider in the blister hanger. The photo shows Ron getting ready to launch on a five hour flight.
On his return I watched him land the Olympia an a grass area. Apparently, for some reason, the twin wheel launch wheel had not released after launch.
On landing was told this unit had come up through the fuselage..."

"Lettice Curtiss, the famous engineer and wartime ATA ferry pilot, sometimes showed up during the weekend. www.magnificentwomen.co.uk/engineer-of-the-week/63-lettice-curtis and
en.wikipedia.org:_Lettice_Curtis"

 

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