Tripreport: Canada Tour 2008

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Canada Tour 2008

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Yellowknife

Buffalo Airways

Yellowknife is also home to the famous Buffalo Airways, still flying passenger service with the DC-3. We visited the Buffalo ramp (pre arranged) in the poring rain.

C-GTXW, C-46

C-GCTF, C-54

C-FIQM, C-54

CF-SAN, Norseman V

C-GWCB, Beech 95

C-GLBA, L-188

C-FBAQ, L-188

C-GDHN, CL-215

C-GWZS, C-47

C-FCUE, C-47

C-FLFR, C-47

C-GJKM, C-47

C-GTXW, C-46

"As Buffalo Airways is such a unique vinstage airline these days, we made an airline profile, which can be found in our factsheet section".

Artic Sun West / Air Tindi

Also we we’re more then welcome at the Buffalo neighbours Arctic Sun West and Air Tindi. No problem to walk the ramps over their.

C-FASV, DHC-5

C-FASN, Beech 100

C-FASC, DHC-8

C-GASW, Beech 99

C-FOEV, DHC-2

C-GFFL, DHC-7

C-GCEV, DHC-7

C-FKAY, Cessna 208

In the afternoon we watched the action on runway 33-19, from the parking lot at location Adlair Aviation. Buffalo C-46 took to the sky and two classic 737s departed. Also First air departed with it’s L-100.

C-GHPW, L-100

C-GJPY, DO-228

C-GOPW, B737

C-FWRR, CRJ-100

C-GHPW, L-100

C-GCPT, B737

C-GTXW, C-46

C-FAVO, C-46

We departed ourselves with a total of 9 passengers with Air North Dash 8-100 C-GRGI to Edmonton, with a stop at Hay River just on the other side of Great Slave Lake. A flight of half an hour. On the hay river ramp we photographed the Buffalo sched which just arrived from Yellowknife.

"After unloading a few passengers at Hay River, the pilot started up the engines to continue to Edmonton. Unfortunately engine 1 didn’t fire. After several attempts, the pilot phoned with operations what to do. With no maintenance at Hay River, we had to exit the plane and waited in the terminal (a small wooden site office). The janitor arrived with a stepladder, and the pilot started tinkering the engine. After a while we got back on board and the engine fired up. As there was no roll-out possibility at the end of the runway, it was all or nothing during take-off. The pilot warned us he was not certain about the takeoff. Some passengers decided to stay in Hay River after this announcement. We stayed and the take-off went fine."

Edmonton

N215CM, C-47

We visited the location Alberta Aviation Museum at the old Edmonton Airport, which is a few block north-west of downtown. Buffalo Airways donated the Norseman which is on a pole in-front of the museum. After visiting the museum we stopped at Edmonton Villeneuve Airport to visit the location aircraft graveyard. We were allowed to walk the compound, but photographing was not allowed. Nice surprise was the Dakota N215CM still in Israeli Air Force camouflage at the airport.

CF-HPY, Norseman

101060, CF-101

17425, CF-101

21533, T-33

C-GIPW, B737

Kamloops

We stopped at location Kamloops, just in time to see a Beaver land in the adjasoned Thompson river. On the airport was an Isle of Man registered falcon 2000. Outside a CF-116 on a pole, with special 50 years 419 sqn color scheme.

C-FMPS, DHC-2

M-CHEM, Falcon 2000

116740, CF-116

Kelowna

Next stop location Kelowna. The three stored 727s couldn’t be photographed. We were able to photograph a stored Norcanair F-27, now used a fire training aircraft. Next to Highway 97 on the other side of Okanagan Lake we stopped at location Alpine Helicopters, where Bell 212 C-GALI was hovering the ramp.

C-GCRA, F-27

C-GALI, Bell 212

Abbotsford

On our way to Vancouver we stopped at location Abbotsford International Airport to visit Conair. Again great hospitality with a tour of the hangers and platform. Several Convairs, AT-802s and Conair Firecats were seen. Also a Royal Canadian Air Force C-115 Buffalo was parked on the ramp. After our visit, we also took a look at the other side of the field, where several Firecats are stored for parts. Also A former Lynden Air Cargo L-188 is stored here.

C-GAAG, AT-802

C-FEFK, Firecat

C-GUSZ, PA60

C-GDCL, Rockwell 690

C-FHKF, CV-580

C-FXVF, AT-802

C-FFKF, CV-580

C-FKFB, CV-580

115456, CC-115

C-FEFX, Firecat

C-GAAG, AT-802

N287F, L-188

C-GHLY, DC-6

C-GWHK, Firecat

C-GWUO, Firecat

Langley

Following Highway 1 toward Vancouver, we stopped at Langley. A small regional airport just outside town is home to the location Canadian Museum of Flight, which we didn’t visit. Although a DC-3 was photographed from outside the fence. A shining Carson S-61 was parked at Alphen Helicopters also based here.