Sean Keating sent me these photos (taken July 2001) in Aug07, from the days he was tinkering with a vintage Percival Pembroke...
The photo shows Rick Barter on the left and Sean on the right.

This is Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar, of former aerial fire fighting company Hawkins & Powers Aviation Inc.
The C-119G is registered N5216R, its airtanker number 137 can be read on the jetpod.
This Packet has construction number 10956 and did service with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), serialled 22131.

For more photos of this aircraft and others at Battle Mountain's deserted air museum, have a look at Jesse Brinson's webpage on this website.

In 2018 an initiative got under way to move N5216R to Alaska; ownership seems to be tangled in some foggy paper trail involving the government and the local county.
For more see my page on Battle Mountain,NV and 2018 updates on Photos by Friends & Guests #53.

Through the fence I can barely make out the tailnumber: CF-FCD.
By googling I found this interesting website www.seabee.info/seabee_museum.htm about preserved Seabees. It has the following remark: "It is not confirmed that the WCAM has a Seabee in storage. Well, we can now conclude that there is a Seabee in storage! "
Thank you, George!

During Sep.2007 I visited the museum in Winnipeg myself, see HERE... Unfortunately I could not find the time to detour along this storage yard (the museum has exhibits stored in various places).

Dave Dula sent me images in April 2008, proving this is SNB-2 39208; click HERE...

It seems this Beech was offered for free (!) after it was sold thru 'Govdeals', then offered on Barnstormers.com for parts... See my item on Photos by Friends & Guests (48).

CF-THG on VickersViscount.net
CF-THG on Airliners.net

"The photographs date from 03Aug07, with the restoration just beginning. Here is some information on the pictures- Picture top: shows the masking for the old Trans-Canada Airlines markings. They will be removing all of the white and red, stripping the plane down to bare aluminum in the coming months, to match the original paint scheme. The cockpit is currently gutted as they have removed most of the panelling for restoration. The pilot in charge tells me that they hope to have restorations complete by summer of 2008."

In Dec.2008 Sean Keating sent me a link: "update for your website… the Viscount has now repainted..
http://www.bcam.net/bc-aviation-museum-restorations.html"

C/n 224 Viscount V.757
First flight 19Mar57 - delivered to TCA 28Mar57 as CF-THG. TCA became Air Canada on 01Jun64. CF-THG was stored on 16Feb64 (ttl 35.405 hrs, 37.561 cycles).
Sold to United AIrcraft Services Ltd on 27Apr74. Sold to Beaver Enterprises 10Jun75. Sold to Harrison Airways 21Jan77. Sold to the Pacific Vocational Institute on 10Jun80, withdrawn from use and used as a ground trainer at Vancouver, B.C.
Transferred to the British Colombia Institute of Technology in Oct83.
Late 1995 moved outside the hangar. In June 2003 noted discarded on south side of Vancouver IAP.
Moved May 2005 by barge to the BC Aviation Museum at Pat Bay, Vancouver Island.
"The Vickers Viscount" (- by Rayner G C Kittle; Air-Britain Historians Ltd, 2008)

See my updates on subsequent visits: CANADA 2010 and CANADA 2019

The project, in historic Hangar B at Floyd Bennett Field in NY, is well underway; the all volunteer maintenance workforce saw in July 2007 another milestone completed with this gearretraction test.

Photos © by Kevin Kearney, Vice-President, Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation.

Check out the website www.spiritoffreedom.org for more details.

The following is an abbreviated quotation of Karl E.Hayes' work on this DHC-3 Otter:
Otter c/n 7 was the first Otter delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), on 28th March 1953 with serial 3661. After Otter 3661 had been formally delivered by DHC to the RCAF, it was allocated that month to the Central Experimental & Proving Establishment (CEPE) at Rockcliffe, Ottawa for the purposes of evaluation of this new type of aircraft to enter RCAF service. It then went to the Fort Churchill, Manitoba Station Flight, where its arrival is recorded on 04Jul53. It entered service with the Flight alongside Norseman 789. The diary of the Churchill Station Flight records the many missions undertaken by 3661. It operated on floats during the summer months from Landing Lake at Churchill. On 14Aug53 it operated a medevac to Baker Lake and on 20th August was in the Duck Lake and Neultin Lake areas searching for a lost trapper. Later that month it was involved in the search for 405 Squadron Lancaster 999 which had crashed, and performed a coast crawl from York Factory to Eskimo Point. When the Lancaster was found, its crew of 8 were picked up by the Otter from the lake where it had ditched and were flown to Churchill. On 06Oct53 the Otter made its last float trip to Knife Lake and on 8th October was removed from Landing Lake and re-configured with wheel-skis. For the winter months, it would operate from the airport at Churchill, continueing with its light transport and SAR taskings.
Early 1954, the Otter was re-assigned to RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ottawa. 3661 entered service with 408 Squadron, adopting its MN code. Although based at Rockcliffe, the squadron spent much of its time deployed away from base, having been assigned the major task of mapping and surveying large tracts of the Canadian North. During the summer of 1954, four of the Squadron's Lancasters flew out of Goose Bay, Labrador on the mapping project, supported by six of the Squadron's Cansos and six Otters, including 3661. At the end of the summer season, 3661 and the other Otters returned to base at Rockcliffe for the winter, where they were engaged on local area flying and training. Another major task entrusted to 408 Squadron was support of the construction of the Mid Canada Line (MCL) of radar sites along the 55th parallel of latitude, all 102 of them.
18th June 1955 Otter 3661, in company with 3664, both on floats, departed Rockcliffe and arrived at Fort McMurray, Alberta on 21st June. The function of the two Otters was to carry men and equipment into places that were inaccessible to the Squadron's Canso, which was also supporting the operation. The Otters remained with the operation until it reached The Pas, Manitoba.
In November 1962, 3661 was taken out of service and put into storage by No.6 Repair Depot, 45 Trenton. Here it remained until March '63, when it was one of 5 RCAF Otters selected by the Canadian Government to be donated to India. All five were trucked to DHC at Downsview and crated for shipment to India, the official transfer date to the Indian Air Force being 25th April 1963. On arrival in India the Otter was allocated serial BM-1004 with the Indian Air Force, with whom it served for the next 27 years, until withdrawn from use in 1990. In April 1993 the Indian Ministry of Defence advertised for sale by global tender “8 Otters on the ground since 1990 and 5 Otter airframes (without engines)”, which included BM-1004. The successful bidders were La Ronge Aviation Services of La Ronge, Saskatchewan jointly with Mike Hackman Aircraft Sales of Edmonton.
They eventually arrived at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan by 30Apr94. BM-1004 had at that stage of its career 5,051 hours on the airframe. It was put up for sale, along with all the other former Indian Air Force Otters. They were advertised for sale “as is”, or else the sellers would arrange for the aircraft to be rebuilt to flying condition for a customer. Otter number 7 was purchased by Watson's Algoma Vacations Ltd, trading as Watson's Skyways, based at Wawa, Ontario. It was trucked from Saskatoon to Echo Bay, Ontario where it was rebuilt for its new owners by Skyservice. On completion of the rebuild, it was registered to Watson's Algoma Vacations Ltd on 26Apr95 as C-GPPL. There was a change of name of the registered owner on 28th February 2000 to Watsons Skyways Ltd. C-GPPL joined Otter C-GOFB in service with Watson's Skyways. The Otters were based at Wawa and during the summer months were used to fly fishermen to two lodges, Pine Portage and Kaby Lodge, which the company operates on Kabinakagami Lake in the Ontario interior, one of which is located sixty miles from Wawa, the other seventy. The Otters were also available for general charters, and often flew for the Ontario Government's Ministry of Natural Resources, flying fire crews and Ministry personnel into the bush.
The Watson's Skyways operation is summer only, the Otters being stored during the winter. C-GPPL remained in service with Watson's Skyways until the end of the summer 2000 season and was then placed in storage for the winter at the Springer Aerospace facility at Bar River, to the east of Sault St.Marie. In September 2000 it was advertised for sale, having been replaced in service with Watson's Skyways by a Cessna Caravan. The advertisement quoted an asking price of $590,000 Canadian, with the aircraft on EDO floats, ten passenger seats, wingtip strobes, vista vents in the two crew and four passenger windows, and well equipped with avionics, including HF radio and a Garmin GPS. It was sold the following month to Hawk Air of Wawa but remained in storage for the winter at Bar River, being registered to its new owners on 11th April 2001. C-GPPL joined Otter C-FQMN with Hawk Air and continued to serve the Ontario bush country, flying fishermen to outpost camps and supplying lodges during the summer season.
C-GPPL was involved in an incident on 15Jun04. Eight minutes after it had taken off from Hawk Junction en route to Esnagi Lake the engine quit and the Otter was forced to make an immediate landing on Dipneedle Lake, some ten miles north of Hawk Junction. The lake was extremely narrow shortly after the point of touch down. The left wing struck two dead trees, resulting in damage to the outer four feet of the leading edge of the wing. Approaching the shore, one float struck a submerged rock, resulting in a one foot hole in one compartment. There were no injuries to the five passengers or the crew of two. The Otter was repaired and resumed service with Hawk Air.

De Havilland DHC-3 Otter on Wikipedia

A few notes to add to this: N111W was registered on 23Jun93 (!) to Steven T.Hamilton of Reno NV and has serial no. 1420, asper FAA's N-inquiry website; but Joe Baugher provides different info: Grumman J4F-2 Widgeon BuNo.37731 c/n 1361 to civil registry as N75222, N111W...
Bill Bailey jumped to the rescue on this matter, he clarifies:
"You've kicked open a real snakes nest, when you ask about N111W...
There have been not 2 but 3 airplanes that have carried the registration N111W.
The first was c/n 1361 (BuAer # 37731, N75222, N111W) and was owned by Diamond Drilling Co., an oilfield exploration company, based in the New Orleans, Louisiana area.
It was lost after sinking in the Mississippi River near New Orleans in the late 1960s or early 1970s.
The pilot and two passengers were rescued by a passing boat. There were no injuries and no trace of the airplane has ever been found.
Diamond bought another Widgeon and sent it to McKinnon-Hickman in Sandy Oregon for conversion to a Super Widgeon. This was c/n 1420 (NC 41989, N33S, N338S, N111W). In the mean time they leased a Super Widgeon from McKinnon to use while their new airplane was being converted.
This was the second N111W, c/n 1380 (BuAer #37750, N66435, N111W, N75222, N45CA, N45PV). Diamond flew this airplane about a year until their NEW N111W (c/n 1420) was completed, at which time c/n 1380 was returned to McKinnon and re-registered as N75222.
Diamond took possession of their new airplane, flew it about 10 years then sold it. It was wrecked in an off airport landing accident a year or two later. Steve bought it and had it restored to its current condition and has maintained it in airworthy condition ever since.

Grumman G-44 Widgeon on Wikipedia

N99FS on Airliners.net

De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter on Wikipedia

I have reported my 2006 visit to Red Deer on a page on Buffalo Airways and one on Air Spray.
In 2007 I went for a REVISIT.

This Lockheed Electra (c/n 1112) in 1990, N360WS for Air Bridge on Airliners.net.

Lockheed L.188 Electra on Wikipedia

I saw it converted to Tanker 82 during my visit 24Sep07.

Arnold Begeman sent me also a report recently, from Red Deer in the snow.
And I came across it myself at Red Deer 24Sep07

The Lockheed L.188 was the first turboprop airliner built in the USA. It first flew in 1957 and when first delivered had performance only slightly inferior to that of a full jet aircraft, at a lower operating cost. But most operators considered jets as the future and went to Douglas (DC-8) and Boeing (707).

Kyle Cameron sent me some photos in June 2007 of the Hs.748 at work...
He wrote: "Some action shots you...
The photos of the orange & white airplanes are taken in Old Crow, Yukon Territory. I was up there with C-FAGI hauling fuel from about the 15th to the 18th of June this year.
You will note C-FAGI had no decals other than the registration. We were in a hurry to get on with the fuel haul and loaded the tanks as the paint was still tacky..! In that series, C-FYDU appears in the background. It was there as part of our daily scheduled service to that community.
I have included also one shot of C-FAGI in the old colours, leased (see below) from Mount Cook, in Iqaluit, Nunavut. I went with the airplane on a charter for the military in August of 2006 to Quebec City.
The routing was; Whitehorse-Yellowknife- Iqaluit- Quebec City- Kuujjuaq (Que.)- Iqualuit- Yellowknife-Whitehorse. The whole operation took 5 days!

Dirk Septer challenged the statement C-FAGI was leased from Mount Cook Airlines:
"C-FAGI was never leased from Mount Cook AL; it came straight from Air Manitoba. I have pix of it still in Air Manitoba's colours.
Air North originally bought two Hawkers from Mount Cook, incl. 'DYU; they liked the Mount Cook colours so much that they adopted them for their own Air North aircraft; so when FAGI was purchased from Air Manitoba, this aircraft also received the old Mount Cook scheme..."

ATDB.0rg supports Dirk's statement; the career of C-FAGI is described as Regionair - Calm Air Int'l / Air Canada Regional (leased & returned) - Quebecair - Air Manitoba - Wassaya Airways (!) - Air North Charter (current Oct.2008).

Richard Church, who is an expert on the HS.748, wrote:
"As far as I am aware, Air North have purchased outright all four of their HS 748s.  Only two of these came from Mount Cook C-FYDU (1694) and C-FYDY (1661).  C-FAGI (1699) came from Air Manitoba and C-FCSE (1679) came from West Wind Aviation."

Update Feb.2021:
'Air North retired its last 2 HS748s, FAGI & FCSE, as too expensive to maintain its RR Dart engines; both sold to Wasaya Aws (HS748s in Canada now only operated by Wasaya Aws, Air Creebec, Air Inuit).' ¬Scramble #501.

Update Feb.2022:
See an update of C-FCSE derelict at Thunder Bay 31Oct21 by David Perston on my Photos by Friends & Guests #64.

"I also include a shot through the windshield, from my position in the jump seat of 'final' for Iqaluit."
Kyle.

Air North on Airliners.net

Air North on Wikipedia

Website of Air North

Brian McDonough wrote me in June and sent me these fine photos; Brian wrote:
"I shot these at the Udvar Hazy Smithsonian NASM yesterday morning (16Jun07), they had a small static display open to the public.
It is a C-121C (L.1049F-55-96, msn 4196); registration as N1104W, ex/ Classic Air. It was previously with the USAF, tailnumber 54-0177."

Lockheed Constellation on Wikipedia

More photos of this impressive Queen of the Sky, see Brian's page on this website

Carvair N898AT seen here on 30May07, photographed by Keith Gaskell at Fairbanks,AK.

Unfortunately this unique aeroplane enjoyed only a short flying career with Brooks Fuel in Alaska: it crashed at the Nixon Fork Mine, near McGrath, in Alaska on 30may07 (yes, Keith saw it leave on its final flight...!)

Read more on my website about N898AT.

John Olafson wrote me in June 2007 and he sent photos along, depicting an interesting event:
"Here are a few shots taken 14 & 15 June 2007 of Otter
C-FMAU. 15JUN it had its first test flight and all went well. 14JUN I met its new owner, Canadian aviation icon Max Ward and I found him to be a very friendly man with many stories to tell. He is still going strong at 86 years of age and he came to Vernon to supervise the test flying of his Otter. He travels from Edmonton in his Beechcraft King Air C-FAFS, with his crew chief and others.
Now that the Otter has had its test flights done it will be flown to nearby Otter Lake (how appropriate is that?), landed on a grass strip there and will have its floats installed and then placed by crane into the lake for departure...
The floats are remanufactured as new by Seaflight Industries here in Vernon and they are perfectly done."
C-FMAU was regististered to Marjorie Ward of Edmonton,ALB on 23may07.

See also my page on Wardair, a Chronology

"The group photo shows left to right: Dave Crerar of Vernon who is Max's pilot, Max Ward, Bobby Bishop - Pres Texas Turbines and Test Pilot, yours truly. (shameful of me but I had to have my photo taken with Max Ward).
It will be here in Vernon for a couple more days at least while they finish a few interior details. It sure looks nice......the boys at Kal Air Repair did some fuselage paintwork and gave it a complete cleaning and polishing.
Max told me he may not repaint it at all, because he likes it the way it is."

John Olafson encountered C-FMAU again in May 2008, witnessing its transfer from wheel to floats.

Karl E.Hayes wrote a standard reference work on the DHC-3, of which I quote:
Otter c/n 74 was delivered to the Manitoba Government Air Service on 09Feb1956, registered CF-MAU. It was joined in Jun58 by CF-MAX. The Otters were based at the Winnipeg Airport, at the Government Air Service hangar but deployed to Lac du Bonnet and other summer bases each year. Both Otters were destined to enjoy very long service with the provincial government, during which the operating division underwent some changes of title. Initially this was the Department of Highways and Transportation, later the Department of Mines and Natural Resources, then the Province of Manitoba Air Division and most recently Air Services.
Lac du Bonnet was also the summer base of the RCAF's 111 Communications & Rescue Flight and its Otters from 1955 to 1962. As well as Lac du Bonnet, the Air Service also had an all-year round base at The Pas. Summer only bases were at Norway House and Wabowden. By 1962 the fleet stood at the two Otters and six Beavers.

The Otters were used for the following tasks: general transportation of government personnel and freight; detection and suppression of forest fires, including water bombing; aerial patrols for Wildlife & Fisheries programmes; placing and servicing of field parties for the Mineral Resources branch, Surveys branch and others; emergency flights and medical evacuations; northern highways surveys and winter transportation programmes; general transportation for Manitoba Hydro and Manitoba Telephone System. The Otters spent most of the summers on forest protection duties, fitted with floats equipped with water-bombing gear. They were converted to wheel-skis for winter operations, enabling them to fly year round.

Only one minor incident was recorded for C-FMAU. On 30Jul88, while approaching to land at Lac du Bonnet, the float-equipped Otter landed too close and ran up onto the shore, coming to rest on the harbour breakwater. The Otter sustained damage to the floats and some damage to the 156 fuselage at the rear float attachments. The damage was repaired.

In May89 the two Otters were joined by C-FODY, which had previously been operated by the Province of Ontario. Describing the activities of his three Otters in May 2000, the Manitoba Government Air Services Chief Pilot Stephen Doolan wrote: "The three Otters are operated in summer on floats and one in winter on wheel-skis. Two are based in Thompson on the river and one at Lac du Bonnet. Island Lake, an aboriginal community, is an occasional base in summer".
"The Otters range as far north as the Northwest Territories border, conducting 'fish cop work' - game warden activities with caribou, polar bears and general fisheries management with the biologists. Fuel drums and freight are often a cargo to bush camps for ground fire-fighters at temporary fire fighting bases carved out of the bush near an active forest fire. These aircraft are an integral part of the annual operations to fight wildfire starts. All three Otters are equipped with a waterbombing system in the floats, allowing the pilots to skim the water and scoop approximately 170 gallons depending on fuel load. They can drop the water on a new forest fire, preventing it from spreading until the heavy waterbombers arrive. Often they will go out on patrol with an initial attack crew, drop them off near the site of the fire and then begin waterbombing. There are no plans at present to replace the Otters as they are unique in what they do. We may look at one of the engine conversions to increase performance".

Forty eight years after it was first delivered, 'MAU continued in service with the Manitoba Air Division. It received a new R-1340 engine at Thompson, Manotoba during May04, before deploying to Lac du Bonnet for the summer season, flying barrels of fuel to such places as Bloodvein, Berens River, Little Grand Rapids etc in support of fire fighting aircraft and moving government personnel around the bush.
End quote.

And as we can see C-FMAU recently received a new lease on live and in what better hands than those of Max Ward, for whom the DHC-3 Otter initially was a prime tool to venture commercially into the Arctic North from his base Yellowknife,NWT.