Former Golden Hawk Donates Plane + Passing of J.F. “Stocky” Edwards & Bjarni Tryggvason + 737 Flight with CHRONO to the High Arctic +The Versatile Dove and Heron + More B-23 + Air Show Season + Old DHC Adverts + Flashy New Twin E-Plane

Former Golden Hawk, George Miller, has donated his personal airplane. See this important Canadian aviation heritage story. Google it: “New Brunswick Aviation Museum Update 2022-06”

CANAV News … I’ve been buried lately keeping on top of CANAV’s 2024 book project — our grand history of the RCAF in its 100th Anniversary. This is one of CANAV’s grandest and most important aviation book projects, but it’s gobbling up much of my and co-author Hugh Halliday’s time. For now, the blog is taking a bit of a back seat. Meanwhile, treat yourself by scrolling back in the blog, where you’ll fine plenty of enticing items that you haven’t yet digested and many others you’ll enjoy re-reading, whatever your interests.

J.F. “Stocky” Edwards & Bjarni Tryggvason … People everywhere were saddened lately to hear of Stocky’s & Bjarni’s passings. Stocky died in Comox at age 100 on May 14. Truly one of the great, all ’round Canadians, Stocky excelled as a WWII fighter pilot and postwar commanded a wing of RCAF Sabres. Look just at this one recognition — the citation for Stocky’s 1944 Distinguished Flying Medal: “Flight Sergeant Edwards is an extremely capable soldier and a superbly gallant fighter pilot. Since October 1942, he has destroyed six enemy aircraft while participating in numerous sorties over enemy territory. He has displayed outstanding coolness and courage in the face of opposition while his cheerful and imperturbable spirit has been an inspiration to the squadron.” Then … the citation for the Bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross: “This officer has successfully completed a very large number of operational flights and has destroyed thirteen enemy aircraft. He is a keen and courageous pilot whose example and leadership have been most inspiring.” Talk about impressive, right, and what an inspiration to any aspiring young Canadian aviator. It was an honour to know Stocky, who was one of my earliest supporters back in the 70s, when I was getting into the history game. We last visited in 2016. You’ll see some good new coverage about Stocky in our upcoming RCAF 100th Anniversary book. You can see a wonderful photo of him on the cover of Canada’s Air Force at War and Peace, Vol.1. Not surprisingly, Stocky and Bjarni were members of Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame. For a good summary of Bjarni’s amazing accomplishments, see: http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-040622a-canadian-astronaut-bjarni-tryggvason-obituary.html

737 Flight to the Mary River Mine on Baffin Island

You’re really going to enjoy this short video featuring an old 737-200 of Chrono Aviation of St. Hubert. This versatile company’s fleet includes the old “200” that remains one of the Arctic’s most versatile jetliners, equipped as it is with a gravel kit allowing operations on rough strips. This is the host’s first Arctic trip, so he’s a bit cranked up. Never mind, he does a good job, certainly gets across his main points. Well done for a fellow from Dubai landing at Iqaluit and Mary River in the dead of winter. The Chrono crew also is great to watch in action, full marks for them. This sure reminds me of several similar northern trips (mainly in winter) over the decades on the Argus, C-46, Convair, DC-4, 737 and 748. Sit back and enjoy this one — 20 minutes well spent, especially for the armchair aviator. Cheers … Larry

The Dove and Heron in Canada

Our feature aircraft for this cycle of the CANAV Blog are the De Havilland D.H.104 Dove and D.H.114 Heron, two beloved types from the UK’s aircraft industry in early post-WWII times. Naturally, they were of great interest to DH in Canada, which in the initial flurry of publicity sold more than a dozen as corporate aircraft. Needless to say, the Dove and Heron were real treats for we aircraft spotters.

Canada’s first two Doves: In March 1946 DHC acquired Canada’s first Dove c/n 4015 CF-DJH. No one was surprised to see that DHC soon tried “DJH” on floats, although no Dove ever operated this way. In the left seat in this glorious scene is DHC’s legendary test pilot, George Neal. Here, he’s over the east end of Toronto Bay with the vast Victory Mills elevators beyond. “DJH” was sold in the US in October 1951, becoming N91827. In 1958 it was with the Wheaton Glass Co. in New Jersey, but in 1961 was replaced by an OnMark A-26. It’s then said to have gone to Alaska, where it was wrecked in an accident. In more modern times “DJH” was a DHC-2 Turbo Beaver. (DHC)

Dove c/n 4001, CF-BNU was registered in Canada in August 1946. In 1953 it was sold in the US as N73795. This registration was cancelled in 1961. Tony Merton-Jones of “Propliner” adds that when this Dove was sold to Mike Keegan’s Trans World Leasing in the UK in June 1961, it became G-ARGN. Having arrived at Southampton Docks by ship, it did not fly again until December 1967, following a rebuild by Rogers Aviation at either Cranfield or Little Staughton. G-ARGN flew little thereafter and seems to have faded away. (Al Martin)

Soon after WWII several small 5-to-8 seat twins were vying for the Canadian air taxi and executive markets. However, they had to compete with war surplus types such as the Anson, Beech 18, Cessna T-50, etc. For surplus aircraft, “the price was right” for that category, so sales weren’t easy for such types as new Beech 18s or the UK’s premier offering, the De Havilland D.H.104 Dove. Beech knew its North American market well, while DH mainly knew its home and Dominion markets, having done very well pre-WWII with such popular twins as the D.H.84 Dragon and D.H.89 Rapide biplanes. The Dove having flown in September 1945, it was evident that DH had been designing it well before the bullets had stopped flying. The Dove began with two 330-hp DH Gipsy Queens, but DH soon upped the power to 340, then 380. Once the C of A was awarded, the sales force and company demonstrator G-AHRB moved out across the world to find buyers. In spite of the Dove’s relatively steep ticket price compared to something like an Anson, sales were encouraging – eventually 500+ were built. On the homefront, various air taxi services and UK companies such as Dunlop Rubber, English Electric and Shell ordered executive Doves. The Rapide had been important in getting Canadian commercial aviation going in the 1930s, so the market was keen when the Dove reached Canada in the late 1940s. The big companies (where money was no object when it came to an executive plane) liked the Dove’s speed (150 mph) and roomy interior for 6 to 8 plus crew. We spotters photographed many a Dove at Toronto’s Malton Airport in the 1950s and early 1960s. Early Doves there were flying for the Massey Ferguson farm machinery empire, Imperial, Shell and Sunoco oil companies, and a big DEW Line contractor, Federal Industries. However, the photogenic little Dove faded quickly to second tier operators, when such types as the Gulfstream began appearing in 1960.

Al Martin’s views of Dove CF-ODI (c/n 4377) at Malton, then, Toronto Island. “ODI” had begun as CF-GBV. It flew the Atlantic in October 1952, then in December joined the Ontario government. Over the years it would call Toronto and Sault Ste. Marie home. In the first view, note the DHC logo, while in the second it bears the logo of Ontario’s Department of Lands and Forests. These are the little details that the spotters are forever noting, right. “ODI” served Ontario to March 1956, when it was taken back by De Havilland of Canada. It then was sold in July to Orenda Engines Ltd. of Malton. With the demise of the CF-105 and the Orenda Iroquois engine, in September 1959 “ODI” became N6503D with Ole Hansen and Sons, a New Jersey sand and gravel company. Later it joined Virgin Island Airways, but on July 15, 1965 it ended very badly. Taking off from Charlotte Amalie Airport on the island of St. Thomas, it stalled and crashed, killing 8 of the 12 people aboard. What a disaster, yet, in scouring the “Toronto Star” and “Globe and Mail” newspapers for that week, there was not a line to cover this disaster.

In gathering all the details for such a basic caption as re. CF-ODI, many sources must be used. I’m fortunate to have a large library of the Canadian Civil Aircraft Register (CCAR) beginning from 1955. I’m constantly referring to these, e.g., for dates of an aircraft’s registration and its owners over the years. A CCAR library is essential for doing serious civil aviation research in Canada. Then, Terry Judge’s CCAR website is indispensable. Since Terry chiefly uses original sources, his facts are extremely reliable. Have a look … google Historic CCAR Project. Of course, much else exists on the web for the Dove and Heron, two useful sites being the “rzjet” Dove and Heron production lists. These provide many facts, but such sites are works in progress, and some can be misleading, by jumbling facts, so use them with discretion. Check and double check your facts, right. You still can make the odd error – history’s a demanding business. Other sources that I consulted were the great Geoff Goodall’s Dove and Heron sites. Also important is the “Aviation Safety Network” website. In this case, I went to ASN’s Dove and Heron accident compilations. ASN is tops as to reliability. Some Doves and Herons were military, so www.warbirdregistry.org is another wealth of data. Believe it or not, I’m still using my ancient copy of Dove and Heron Production List No.2 from VHF Supplies in the UK; also A.J. Jackson’s seminal book, British Civil Aircraft 1919-59, Vol.1 (1959), which beautifully encapsulate the Dove and Heron stories. Happily, I still have my airport notes from the 1950s, so was able to look up my own observations re. Doves and Herons from the 50s-60s. It all comes together, but many sources have to be scoured for to put the simplest item together. CANAV’s own Air Transport in Canada also proved useful in getting this item together. Such books (yes, actual books made from paper, ink and glue) are essential. No researcher can function at a professional level without them, so a word to the wise to the dunces who have bought into the big lie that we no longer need books. The chief problem for such people is their laziness. Having 90-second attention spans, these iPhone addicts no longer can cope with the No.1 source for aviation history – books!

The spiffy-looking Massey Ferguson Dove (c/n 4335) at Malton c.1960. At this time “Massey” also had a Lodestar and a Ventura at Malton. CF-GYQ was registered in Canada in February In 1960 “Massey” purchased a new Gulfstream, which replaced the three older planes. Around December 1961 “GYQ” was sold to Gulf Leasing in the US as N424S, but later was N424SF with Trans National Airlines of San Francisco. On March 6, 1975 it was flying a TNA courier run from Paso Robles, California to Los Angeles in poor weather, when it ran into “cumulo granite”, killing the pilot. (Larry Milberry)

I photographed CF-GWC (c/n 4345) at Toronto Island Airport. This was another of the lovely Malton-based executive Doves. Kept in the Genaire hangar, it was owned by Toronto-based Caterpillar dealer, George W. Crothers. Around 1962 “GWC” was sold to Canadian Inspection and Testing Co. in Montreal. The following year, it was listed in Toronto to one of those fishy-sounding outfits – Sierra Leona Holdings Ltd. Having migrated to the US, “GWC” somehow retained its Canadian registration. The NTSB archives lists it as badly damaged on landing near Elyria, Ohio on June 2, 1967. It was struck from the Canadian Civil Aircraft Register c.1969.

Originally G-AMWZ with DH, CF-HGT (c/n 4388) was imported in May 1954 for Shell Oil of Canada. Shell later re-registered it CF-TCP. When sold in the US it became N6387T with Riley Aircraft, a US company specializing in converting aging Doves and Herons into commuter planes. Subsequently, it was N669R with Hawaii Sky Tours. Riley Dove and Heron conversions included major changes from a fuselage stretch to replacing the standard Gipsys with American engines. On November 3, 1969 N669R landed short at Kalaupapa airport. The undercarriage collapsed, but all 13 aboard survived. (Al Martin)

Shell’s former CF-HGT, CF-TCP was based in the Genaire hangar at Malton. The registration change was done when Shell started to market its special fuel additive “TCP” (triclesyl- phosfate). It left the CCAR in 1962. (Larry Milberry)

When we used to see this little beauty (c/n 4391) around Malton, it was owned by Federal Equipment Ltd., a big Canadian contractor doing work on the DEW Line. CF-FEL also “lived” in the Genaire hangar. The paint job was a bit wild – overall white with flashy “Day-Glo” red trim. Having come to Canada in October 1953, “FEL” had begun as CF-HGO with James M. Dunwoody, DCM, DSO, of Oakville, Ontario, founder of a prominent business consultancy. Next, “HGO” was listed with Consolidated Trucking of Toronto, then moved to Federal about 1959. Even later it was with Northgate Hotel of Toronto, then flew for a drugstore in Saskatoon as CF-POC. About 1966 it was sold in the USA as N228J and last was heard of at Sebring, Florida as recently as 2018. (Larry Milberry)

Registered in Canada in November 1952 to Solar Communications Ltd. of Calgary, Dove CF-GBE (c/n 4356) is seen later in the 50s at Malton in SUNOCO (Sun Oil Co.) colours. Much later it served Gordon Airways of Windsor, Ontario (see below). (Al Martin)

Construction Services of Calgary operated Dove CF- GQH (c/n 4281) from December 1950. It later was N6307T and last was heard of with Trans National Airlines in the 1970s. A note on the web states that it was cannibalized for spare parts. (Al Martin)

Seen at Malton, Dove CF-GBW (c/n 4385) served Shell Oil, then was N4041B of Air Wisconsin and Catalina-Vegas Airlines. It ended with Jimmy T. Thompson of Moses Lake, WA. On taking off there on May 15, 1973, one engine quit and the Dove was wrecked. (Al Martin)

Yet another Shell Dove. CF-EYM (c/n 4390) was based at the company’s Calgary HQ. It came to an ignominious ending there, destroyed in a hangar fire on December 6, 1954. In this era many corporate aircraft carried their company name and/or logo, or, a registration tied to their corporate image (Shell had a Cessna 310 CF- SHL). These days? No such thing, for corporate aviation in the 2000s is a highly secretive business. (Al Martin)

As evident in the captions, following their initial careers in the pampered world of corporate aviation, most Doves and Herons ended in the “real” working world of commuter and air taxi carriers. Here it was rare to see a mechanic wiping off unsightly oil or polishing windows. Around 1968 CF-GBE, which had been working in Canada since 1952, changed ownership from Skyline Hotels to Jack Wigle of Milton, Ontario. Then, it appears in the 1969 CCAR with Gordon Airways (1961-1970) of Windsor, Ontario. How did it end? (Neil A. Macdougall)

Another small Southern Ontario air service of the 1960s was Sarnia Airlines. About 1960 we started to see their Apache and Dove at Toronto. CF-LDE (c/n 4343) is shown in this Al Martin shot at the Genaire hangar at Malton. “LDE” originally had been N4269C with the Massey Harris US operation. It later returned to the US as N33AE, where it flew under the Trans National Airlines banner until retired.

Dove C-GEDT (c/n 4371) had begun with Riley Aircraft as N1564V, then was N85V. It came to Canada in 1975 for Canadian Voyageur Airlines, a company founded by entrepreneur O.J. “Bud” Mallory of Fort Frances in northwest Ontario. Its Doves connected Fort Frances with Winnipeg and Thunder Bay. CVA was Canada’s last Dove operator. (CANAV Books Col.)

The DH Dove’s Big Brother

Canada’s first Heron (April 1953), the fixed gear Mk.IB CF-EYX. (Al Martin)

Having succeeded with the Dove, De Havilland wanted to see what the market would say about a stretched version. Enter the Heron, first flown in 1950. Compared to the Dove, the Heron had four two 250- hp D.H. Gipsy engines. Being about nine feet longer, it carried as many as 17 passengers. Heron production totalled 149. It found its niche among commuter operators from the UK to Australia, Indonesia, throughout Africa, in the Caribbean, South America, etc. It proved to be rugged and economic, even if slow and underpowered with its Gipsys. The Heron did not catch on in Canada. The first was the Department of Transport’s CF-EXY with its fixed undercarriage. Delivered in 1953, “EYX” served to 1966, then was sold to Newfoundland Air Transport. After about two years there, it went to Aero Servicios in Honduras. On May 26, 1970 it crashed on approach to Tegucigalpa, killing all four aboard.

Canada’s next Heron was CF-IJR (c/n 14074), which De Havilland of Canada operated as a corporate plane from 1956-67. With DHC “IJR” had many uses, from getting executives to meetings around eastern Canada and the US, to rushing spare parts to customers in distress. Here is an early view of “IJR”, then one a bit later showing a DHC zapper plus the Ontario provincial flag. DHC sold “IJR” into the US, where it became N570PR with Prinair in Puerto Rico. On July 11, 1975 it was taking off at Puerto Rice when a propeller blade failed and sliced into the cabin. Happily, no one was hurt. As with N570PR, many Herons were modified by Riley to use four Lycoming IO-540 engines. Prinair’s own conversion lengthened the fuselage by 17 feet and used the Continental IO-520 engine. Prinair folded in 1985. (Al Martin)

Toronto-based CF-HLI (c/n 14053) operated from Malton with Canadian Comstock Co. from 1954. It and CF-IJR were Mk.2s with retractable undercarriage. It was finished in an attractive forest green-and-white colour scheme. About 1962 Comstock replaced “HLI” with an A-26 Invader. “HLI” then became N1420Z with Apache Airlines in the USA. Other operators followed until it was wrecked in Hawaii in a May 1984 forced landing. (CANAV Books Col., Larry Milberry)

Canada’s only Riley Heron, CF-RAB (c/n 14061) began in 1955 with the predecessor of Turkish Airlines. Next, it came to the US in 1966 as N484R, was converted by Riley, then sold to Royalair of Dorval for proposed service on a commuter route from Dorval along he St. Lawrence Seaway as far as St. Catharine’s in the Niagara area. This, however, did not catch on and “RAB” returned to the US, where it had several registrations and owners, the last being N15FB with Allegheny Commuter (1977-83) and Susquehanna Airlines (1983-84). It then migrated to distant Fiji (1985-91), then to Heron Airlines in Sydney, Australia as VH-NJI (1991-2001). “NJI” now resides at the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society at Parkes, NSW. (CANAV Books Col.)

For years there was no sign of the Heron in Canada. Then there was a resurrection, when entrepreneur and brilliant inventor, Dave Saunders, devised a canny scheme to convert the Heron to the PT6 turbine engine. This became the Saunders ST-27, an excellent airplane, but that’s a story for another time. Any reader can see that there certainly is enough good, interesting material to produce a modest book about the Dove, Heron and ST-27 in Canada. Sad to say, however, but few remain on the Canadian aviation history scene with the fortitude to take on such projects. Everyone is too busy texting and playing video games.

Here are two last-minute extras. I found this nice print of 9L-LAG (c/n 14019) in the Leslie Corness collection. Les probably took this photo during his tour in Nigeria. Sierra Leone Airways used three Herons 1962-74. “LAG” eventually came to Canada for Dave Saunders. It was registered C-GCRN, but didn’t become an ST-27, instead being cannibalized for parts.

Heron XG603 (c/n 14058) served the RAF 1954-68. Here it is at Dorval over the summer of 1969, likely soon after being ferried across the pond. It’s in the overall Da-Glo red scheme in which it recently had been flying as part of “The Queen’s Flight” (notice the Queen’s emblem on the door). On leaving the RAF in 168, XG603 was acquired in Denmark and registered OY-DNP, but Saunders soon acquired it to convert to his Saunders ST-27 prototype, CF-YBM-X. It later was sold in Colombia, becoming HK-1286. Of February 9, 1976 it had an exciting day. A hijacker took control of “1286” on the ground at Medellin soon after it had landed. He forced the captain to fly to Chigordo, where 8 passengers were allowed off. The pilot then was obliged to return to Medellin. Later that evening, the plane was stormed by special forces, who killed the hijacker. In 1976 “1286” returned to Saunders at Gimli, Manitoba. There it became C-GYCQ and in January 1979 was sold to Otonabee Airways of Peterborough, Ontario. It was withdrawn from service in 1980. Eventually, “YCQ” was converted into pots ‘n pans. (Al Martin)

Last second Doves. These two magnificent views of CF-BNU surfaced just as we went to press. These were taken at Downsview in 1946 when DHC was hosting Toronto’s first post-WWII air show. Visiting from New Jersey, John C. Barbery took these fine views of “BNU”. It served Imperial Oil for several years, before being sold in the US in 1953.

A Bit More Douglas B-23 Coverage

In our last session I featured the exotic B-23/UC-64 Dragon. Since then one of our readers supplied a bit of further history. Tom Appleton recalled how Juan Trippe, chairman of Pan-Am in the 1940s, had purchased a batch of surplus B-23’s. This is where the movement to convert B-23s to corporate use began, Trippe taking one of these for Pan Am’s own use. He then assigned one of his pilots, Al Ueltschi, to be his personal B-23 captain and B-23 marketing man. Tom notes: “Al thought it might be a good idea to offer PanAm’s training expertise to the fledging biz aircraft pilot community. So began Flight Safety International, now owned by Warren Buffet. I knew Al quite well, as I brought FSI to DHC when I was running customer support, and negotiated the building of a training center with simulators for the Dash 7 and 8, along with a Twin Otter. It turned out to be a very successful venture and DHC was the first regional aircraft manufacturer to offer simulator training with every Dash sold.”