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Otter 39 was
delivered to the RCAF on 26th May 1954 with serial 3681. Its first posting
was to the Fort Churchill, Manitoba Station Flight, to replace 3672 which
had crashed on 26th April '54. 3681 is recorded as making a test flight at
Churchill on 10th June '54 and then entering service with the Station
Flight. An attempt on 25th June to move the Otter from the airfield to
Landing Lake for float operations during the summer months was hampered by
high winds, but the move was successfully made three days later.
The Otter was heavily tasked, with many medevacs and searches at this remote
location (“Polar Bear Capital of the World”). On 8th July 1954 it flew to
Ennadai Lake in company with RCMP Otter CF-MPP, which was also based at
Churchill, to search for missing Eskimos. On 13th July it flew to York
Factory to pick up an Indian patient, and then to the location where 405
Squadron Lancaster 999 had crashed the previous August, to check the lake
and the condition of the Lancaster, which was to be broken up. There were
many more medevacs around this time, including one to Winnipeg on 26th
October and one to The Pas on 19th November '54. During February 1955 3681
was involved in the rescue of the RCMP Otter near Ennadai lake, as described
in relation to CF-MPP. On 11th March '55 an RAF Shackleton arrived at
Churchill for cold weather testing. On 13th March 3681 airlifted supplies to
Napier Lake in connection with the test. The following month, the Otter
recorded flights to Baker Lake, Brochet and South Knife. On 10th May '55 US
Overseas Airlines DC-4 N90407 crash landed thirty miles short of the
airfield at Churchill on the Hudson Bay ice, Otter 3681 being involved in
the rescue.
A few days later, on 17th May 1955, Dakota 913 of 111 Communications &
Rescue Flight, Winnipeg crash landed on the Hudson Bay coast 100 miles north
of Churchill. The Otter proceeded to the scene and homed in on a USAF C-124
Globemaster which was orbiting the area, and descended using a beacon
let-down on the emergency Gibson Girl. The crew of the downed Dakota were
evacuated to Eskimo Point by the Otter, where they spent the night. On 25th
May there was another medevac by 3681 to The Pas. Starting on 6th June '55
the Otter was used on an extensive search for a fishing party of military
personnel who were missing on their return to Churchill. The Otter flew out
to investigate the camp site the party had set up at the mouth of Goose
Creek. Several passes were made to arouse anyone who might have been asleep
in the tents but on-one appeared.
Extensive searches were made over the following days of the Churchill River
and Hudson Bay by the Otter, as well as by USAF Globemaster 20994, Lancaster
958 and Canso CF-GBG but no sign of the missing persons was found. 7th
December 1955 saw 3681 flying alongside Otter 3671 of 408 Squadron
airlifting Army personnel on an exercise. On 4th July '56 3681 was put on
floats and was flown by a 408 Squadron crew to Upper Back to install a
SHORAN set (a type of radio beacon). On 14th September 1956 3681 departed
Churchill at the end of its assignment there, flying to Downsview where All
Up Weight modifications were incorporated by DHC. At the conclusion of this
work in December 1956, the Otter was re-assigned to the Goose Bay Station
Flight, to replace 3684 which had been damaged beyond repair on a flight
from Goose Bay to Postville, Labrador on 17th December 1956. 3681 arrived at
Goose Bay on 30th January 1957 and became an active member of the Station
Flight, which it was to serve for nearly nine years.
In March '57 it deployed to Knob Lake, Quebec on temporary duty, before
returning to Goose. The Otter is mentioned in the unit history undertaking a
long-range rescue during November/December 1958. On 29th November, having
flown from Goose Bay, the Otter picked up a sick Eskimo child at Povungnituk
in northern Quebec on the Hudson Bay coast and flew the patient to Great
Whale, where the child was transferred to RCAF Dakota KP224 which had come
up from Trenton, and which flew the child to hospital in Ottawa. The Otter
then flew to Nottingham Island, where the Hudson Strait meets Foxe Channel,
to pick up another ill person, escorted by RCAF C-47 994 flying from Coral
Harbour, and flew the patient to Coral Harbour where he was transferred to
the C-47 and flown to Churchill, Manitoba. The C-47 then returned to Goose
Bay where it arrived on 4th December. Otter 3681 also returned home via
Churchill, where it was weathered-in for some days, and then continued on
via Winisk,Ontario-Bagotville-Sept Iles back to base at Goose where it
arrived on 9th December 1958, after two marathon medevacs.
In May 1960 Otter 3681 flew south to Downsview for work by DHC, being
replaced at Goose Bay by 3692, until it returned to Goose in December 1960.
On 20th January 1961 3681 flew from Goose via Saglek to Resolution Island,
to fly out the crew of a USAF C-47 tail number 77291, which had force landed
on the sea ice near the DEW Line radar site, a rescue in which Wheeler
Airlines Otter CF-IUZ (135) was also involved. IUZ flew the C-47 crew from
the scene of the crash to Resolution Island, while 3681 then flew them to
Frobisher Bay, escorted by USAF SC-54 tail number 72703 of the 48th Air
Rescue Squadron at Goose Bay. During July 1961, 3681 together with the Goose
Station Flight's other Otter 3698, was involved in the large scale search
for Okanagan Helicopters Sikorsky S-58 CF-LWC, missing on a flight from
Cartwright to Goose Bay.
On 26th February 1962, 3681 returned to Downsview for a repaint, no doubt
much needed after its long service in arduous northern conditions, returning
to Goose on 20th March. On 22nd December 1963 one of two French-registered
Nord 1002s en route from Martlesham, Suffolk in England to the United
States, force landed on Cut Throat Island, 130 miles from Goose, while on
the sector from Narssarsuaq, Greenland to Goose Bay. Cut Throat Island was
once the site of a Pinetree Line radar site. The two Nords, F-BFYX and F-BGVU,
had been in England, masquerading as Messerschmitts for the film '633
Squadron'. They had already experienced difficulty and become lost, having
to be found and escorted by a USAF Rescue C-54 from Goose Bay. F-BGVU lost
oil pressure and had to force land on the island. The Otter located the
downed aircraft but due to darkness and slush was unable to land. The pilot
was picked up by helicopter the next day. The aircraft was abandoned on the
island. The other Nord F-BFYX continued on to the United States here it
became N108U. 3681 continued flying from Goose throughout 1964, on general
utility tasks, SAR, medevacs and forest fire support. Between 4th and 22nd
December '64 it flew on the annual Christmas Drop - 4,600 pounds of toys and
clothing were flown to children in Postville, Nain, Makkovik, Davis Inlet
and Hopedale. 3681 soldiered on at Goose until September 1965 when, after
nearly nine years of service there, it left Goose and flew south to No.6
Repair Depot at Trenton, continuing on to Camp Borden, Ontario where it
arrived on 1st October 1965.
3681 remained at Camp Borden from October 1965 until 14th March 1966, used
for the ground training of Tanzanian Air Force personnel, who were about to
take delivery of eight Otters from the Canadian Government. 3681 then went
back to No.6 Repair Depot, Trenton for an overhaul and repaint, and the
installation of floats. It then flew back to Goose Bay, where it was again
stationed, on floats for the summer of 1966, from May to October. It then
left Goose for the last time, on assignment to 401 Squadron at St.Hubert,
Montreal, which it joined in January 1967. A minor “C” category incident was
recorded on 5th August '67 at St.Hubert. The tailwheel struck an unmarked
hazard while moving rapidly over uneven ground during a short radius
starboard turn while taxying for take off. The exterior skin was wrinkled on
the starboard side of the fuselage. The Otter went to Downsview for repair
and then back to 401 Squadron, St.Hubert in February 1968.
3681 spent from February to May 1969 undergoing work at the AMDU, Trenton,
again returning to 401 Squadron St.Hubert with whom it continued to serve
until December 1975 when it was flown to the AMDU Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
and handed over to the Crown Assets Disposal Corporation for disposal, its
military career over. The Otter remained in storage at Saskatoon until April
1977 when, as explained in relation to Otter number 35, it was one of seven
ex Canadian military Otters transferred to the Province of Ontario, Ministry
of Natural Resources. All seven were flown to the Ministry's base at Sault
St.Marie, Ontario where they were completely rebuilt and modernised, and
repainted in the Ministry's yellow and black colour scheme. Otter 39 was
registered to the Ministry in April 1978 as C-GOFB and entered service.
For the next eight years, OFB flew the length and breadth of Ontario on the
many diverse tasks of a hard-working Provincial Government bush aircraft.
During the mid eighties, the Ministry sold off its Otter fleet, and C-GOFB
was sold to Expressair R.L. Inc of Gatineau, Quebec in July 1985. The
president of this company was Roger Lachapelle, and in July 1986 the Otter
was registered to Roger Lachapelle Pontiac Buick Ltee, based at Danford
Lake, Quebec. This company and Expressair R.L. Inc acted as sales agents for
aircraft and automobiles.
C-GOFB was eventually sold to Watson's Algoma Vacations Ltd, trading as
Watson's Skyways of Wawa, Ontario to whom it was registered in May 1992. It
suffered a minor incident at Kabinakagami Lake, Ontario on 28th August 1994.
While commencing a crosswind take-off from the lake in gusty wind
conditions, the Otter encountered a strong gust which lifted the right wing.
The pilot aborted the take-off and during his attempt to regain control, the
left wing contacted the water. The aircraft was taxied to the shore with its
left aileron torn from the outboard hinge and folded back over the wing. The
damage was repaired.
The following year, C-GOFB was joined by Otter C-GPPL (7) in Watson's
Skyways service, and the activities of this company have already been
described in relation to number 7. C-GOFB continued in service until the end
of the 1999 summer season, when it was decided to convert the aircraft to a
Vazar DHC-3T with a PT-6 turbine engine. The conversion was undertaken over
the winter of 1999/2000 by Skyservice at its Echo Bay, Ontario facility and
following completion of the work, the Otter was registered to Watson's
Skyways Ltd on 6th March 2000. In April 2000 C-GOFB undertook a lengthy
training detail to familiarise the crew with the new turbine, routing Echo
Bay- Sault St.Marie-Harlan, Kentucky-Lakeland, Florida where it partook in
the air show at Lakeland, before returning to service with Watson's Skyways,
based out of Wawa. By October 2000, OFB had some 13,000 hours on the
airframe and was placed into winter storage at Bar River, Ontario, resuming
flying the following May. The Watson's Skyways operation is summer only,
their aircraft being put into storage each winter.
History courtesy of Karl E Hayes from DHC-3
Otter: A History (2005) |
