Would have sold the Kids...

[Flying Trucker]

Goodly Morning all...

Yes I would have sold the Kids and the Old Girl to own a DeHavilland of Canada DHC-3 Otter, to have the Fuel, Oil and Insurance Money to operate her for many years, but alas could not get anyone to take the Old Girl...

Probably one of my most favourite aeroplanes to have flown on wheels, wheel skis, amphibious floats and floats. The Old Stoneboat was and still is the King of the single engine Bush/Light Utility Aircraft which is why there is talk of putting them back into production.
Myself not keen on the Turbo Beaver or Turbo Otter, prefer the old radials, the Otter and Harvard used the same radial engine and were both under-powered, larger radial engines were installed but along came the Turbo PT-6A which they stuck on the Beaver and Otter.

The United States Army used the DeHavilland of Canada DHC-3 Otter in Vietnam and many other locations...the pilots did not want to part with them and there is a Group of Vietnam Army Otter Pilots who have formed an Otter Association.
Another little known fact is the DeHavilland of Canada DHC-2 Beaver won United States Army Battle Honours during the Korean War.

Short excellent read:

http://www.otter-caribou.org/what.html

Now, I continued with my simulated flight with the FSX Default C-172 and changed to the Payware Virtualcol DeHavilland of Canada DHC-3 Otter which came in Wheels, Floats, Wheel/Skis and an Amphibian...good choice of Liveries and the Price was excellent. Didn't have to sell the Old Girl.

I was expecting Microsoft Error Messages and the shutdown of FSX but all seems to be working OK.

Will continue with simulate cross country later as going to bugsmasher field to tell a few Tall Tales...

Windows 10 and Microsoft FSX Deluxe with Acceleration
REX Essential Plus with Overdrive
ORBX
FSWC...Flight Simulator Water Configurator
Aircraft: Virtualcol DeHavilland of Canada DHC-3 Amphibian Otter
Flight Cross Country is still on going and from Friday Harbour (Washington State) to Ketchican (Alaska State)...United States

Amphibian with wheels Down


Amphibian with wheels Up


Front Office


Flottering Along


Front Office showing Flap Position Handle, not sure if you can see the Flap Handle, Trim, Fuel Selector (Otters have 4 Fuel Cells and 3 Tanks, Carburetor Heat Lever...etc.


Comments and Advice most welcome...

[OldAirmail]

Good going, Doug.

I was just flying the EXACT same aircraft before I clicked on Simviation.

[Flying Trucker]

Thanks for your comments Sir...much appreciated...

[pegger]

Nice shots. Great aircraft.
The otter is probably my favorite utility aircraft of all times. When we deploy for survey jobs in the north, I always try to line up charter with my favorite carrier using the otter. While the radial engines have a nice charm about them, I'm far more fond of the pt6 power plant. Nothing better than loading up the otter with 2 skidoos, 4 men, a bunch of survey gear, and putting the power down to get off the frizen runways we often make on small lakes throughout northern Manitoba.

The only thing I hate about the turbine engine is the lack of heat in the cabine. I have spent many a flight sharing a blanket in the front office with my pilot on or 4 hour journeys north of civilization. Sure there are electric heaters on board, but given that our cargo usually consisted of a couple barrels of fuel for the return trip, you don't dare take the chance with the electric heaters.

One tjing I have always noticed about beavers and otters...the pilots are incredibly resoursful and posses adventurous personalities. I had one pilot who loved to park his plane on the frozen lake all day and go snowshoeing in the bush while my survey crew was out doing what we do. I always gave him heck, reminding him that he was the only one who knew how to fly the plane, and if he broke his leg we would likely be stranded on tbe lake overnight.

Being a resourseful kind of fellow, he decided to show me how to start the aircraft just incase, and was confident I could fly us out in an emergency! That was all well and good except, i'm not a licensed pilot. Thankfully we never had cause to call SAR, but one day we returned to the aircraft with about 1 hour of legal daylight left and the pilot was nowhere to be found. We followed his tracks to find him on the other sude of an esker ridge enjoying some fish and a fire. He had been ice fishing all afternoon and lost track of time. We took off the lake without enough legal daylight to make it back to base. The pilot told me that in 10 minuteshe would be operating illegally. Wanting nothing more than to be back at camp with a bowl of hot soup, I promised him that I would not tell anybody.

Good times....all of my favourite adventuresin the north include the Otter!

[Fozzer]

A fantastic story, Pegger!.... ....!

...and some lovely shots from Doug!

Paul..... ...!

[Flying Trucker]

Thanks pegger, love to hear stories like that.

When I was not Flying Scheduled Commercial Flights I would Moonlight on the side flying for a Bush Outfit who employed me during my summers while still at University. I started there while in High School, working the dock and finally getting qualified on the Cessna 185 and DHC-3 Otter. They had four DHC-2 Beavers but they were always on Charter so never got qualified on the Beaver. Did get qualified on the Cessna 337 for several summers doing Fire Patrol with the same outfit.

It is to bad but that Bush Outfit has been gone two decades at least, I met a lot of Great Folks and not just Aviators either, there was also a couple of Ladies who flew for Ferry Command during the War and they flew the Beech 18 and Cessna 421...great Gals.

The Old Girl will ask me when I am glancing through one of my Logbooks and I start smiling if that was a good trip About the only time I remember the fun we had when Aviating was a Profession and not a Job...

Again thanks for your Post...

[Flying Trucker]

Thanks Paul...much appreciated...