Finnish Norseman OH-NOA, which is mentioned in Norseman Vol.2 (page 121 and here) now is freezing outside at the Finnish aviation museum. Blog follower Henk van Capelle sent us this excellent photo and reports:
“I visited Tikkakoski in Finland on 9 March 2015 and found OH-NOA dumped in the snow behind the museum. So, unfortunately she is no longer in safe storage and is likely to deteriorate further. She is in a rather sorry state.”
*The latest news in November 2015 is that there is renewed interest at the museum in starting this Norseman’s restoration to display status.
*Click on any image to see it full screen.
US Military Norseman
One of the really eye-catching sights at the National Museum of the USAF at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio is this Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman in its flashy Alaska Air Command colours of early postwar days. I featured Sheldon Benner’s photo of this Norseman in Vol.2. Now, here’s a fresh view of it taken this March by LtCol Paul Bigelow, USAF. In other news, the Canadian Warplane Heritage in Hamilton awaits the arrival of Norseman CF-GSR, acquired from Ernie Nicholl’s Huron Air; and CF-GLI, the salvage of which is covered in Norseman, Vol.2, now is in the Netherlands. It will be restored to flying condition. Airworthy Norsemans CF-FQI, CF-LZO and N78691 have been on the market since 2014.
CF-MPL Accident and Memorial
Norseman CF-MPL in RCMP service. The colour scheme was standard RCMP Air Division dark blue with yellow. (John Henderson Collection)
A clipping from the Kapuskasing Northern Times of June 2, 1965 reporting the tragic end of CF-MPL. (Ellis Culliton Collection)
One of the tragedies reported in CANAV’s 2-part Norseman history involves CF-MPL. On May 27, 1965 Percy Bradley, an ex-RCAF pilot, was on a trip to a fishing lodge in CF-MPL with passengers Palma Leclair, Elma Mulvenna, Victor Prendergast and John Wright. Severe weather suddenly engulfed them. As a precaution, Bradley decided to land on Powell Lake south of Kapuskasing, but crashed in thick bush. He, Leclair and Mulvenna lost their lives. Prendergast later reported: “Mr. Bradley … decided to try a landing, but when we were about five feet off the water, he realized the lake was too short and attempted to pull out. The pontoons hit the tree tops … and the plane stalled and went nose first into the bush.” Searchers needed two days to reach the crash. One of the RCAF’s new CH-113 Labrador SAR choppers from Trenton rescued the survivors.
Ontario Provincial Air Service pilot Ellis Culliton photographed the accident site from his Beaver. It’s clear that CF-MPL crash violently and that it was very good fortune that anyone survived.
In 2010 members of the Kapuskasing Flying Club visited the crash site to survey the wreckage and set up a temporary marker. These good citizens have returned since to do further work, everything being done reverentially. Here are a few of their photos.
The main wreckage of CF-MPL after the fuselage was righted and the starboard wing raised out of the muck. Note how the standard RCMP colour scheme still was in use in Percy Bradley’s time.
The temporary marker that the KFC party set up at the crash site.
Above and below: KFC team members study the main wreckage, then pose in a group for the historic record. Standing are Jack Pope, Michel Jauvin, Rene Larabie, Richard Drolet, Roger Isabell and Oneill Lapointe. Bob Pellow is in front wearing the red cap. Miro Spacek was behind the lens.
CANAV Books Blog 
Thank you for the note about the colour, The model kit I bought shows black and yellow which I didn’t really believe. I did subsequently found a colour photo from the Alberta archives (maybe Glenbow Museum??) that seemed to look the Royal Blue, But I was unsure if the photograph is untouched.