NV25 Blog: 06-22

Last updated 2022-07-04

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A lazy start to the day, spending the morning looking over the SK Aviation Museum then departing early afternoon to Prince Albert, ready for a ‘formal’ start of the commemorative legs on the 24th. YPA had a NOTAM issued requiring PPR, for which I’d been granted a 15h00 local slot. Landed 1 minute late! Directed to some tie-downs in the grass area of the field, known as ‘Apron III’. Very pleasant spot.

Robert Davidson had arranged for an old friend of his to meet me and take me to my hotel in town, some five miles away. The first guy to show was actually Gary, who (it turned out) flew one of the two CV.580 fire bombers I’d been wanting to go take a look at. By the time Frank arrived (with his friend Miles, who had no aviation connection other than his name!) Gary and I had had worked-put that we had two friends in common and were best mates.

Rather than just walk around one of the 580s, Gary opened one up and we climbed aboard for the full exposé. Frank, as an ex-RCAF techie, got a lot out of it, certainly more than me, and Miles? Well he was just gob-smacked at the way his afternoon had turned-out!

After being dropped at the hotel I was pleased to find that the receptionist was from the Indian sub-continent and was able to direct me to a very decent Indian restaurant. If ever you’re in Prince Albert, check out the Spice Trail.

Stats: 1.2 hrs logged, 0.7 hrs flown (it was a long taxi at CYXE), 81 nm track.

Bellanca Scout whoch appeared to still be in use by the Cadets (C YXE)
This Ce.150, CF-JDO, is a significant exhibit at the SAM, having been lost with two souls on board in 1959,
finally located in 2013 and the airframe and remains of its occupants recovered in 2019
Amongst other exhibits, a quad of yellow trainers (that chopped-off on the right being an Auster).
All are (or will be) airworthy.
The Chippie, not actually the museum’s, is very well presented.
Sadly, some exhibits have to tolerate being outside. This C-47A(CF-CQT) has an interesting history which is chronicled here: http://www.aussieairliners.org/dc-3/vh-afa/vhafa.html.
Interestingly, the G- rego which the C-47 carried 1965 – 70 seems never to have been removed
from the stbd upper wing
Not yet put out to pasture, but certainly a nice tie-down if you can get the deet out quickly enough.
Gary, Miles and Frank in front of the paddles of one of Tanker 475’s Allisons.
No ‘air stairs’, just a manually-operated ‘air-ladder’
The interior has been gutted – all the payload is in the under-belly tanks.
Only 25 months younger than WP833.
Technically, this is now a model 580 with the Allisons installed but has in the past been a VC-131H,
the ‘V’ being earned because it was once a USAF exec transport
and served on at least one occasion as ‘Air Force One’, carrying Gerald Ford.

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