It has been a while since I posted an aviation pic, but I had occasion to drive past the Viking Air building and took their snap through the chain link fence. Boy, sure looks like mid August rather than the beginning of July.

North Island correspondent Phil Z. sent some pics of Campbell River Beavers with focus on cabin windows.

Uodate: Phil writes that this is a turbo V8 engine in Beaver pictured above. More info here

http://www.sealandaviation.com/blog-entry/first-trace-beaver-flight-floats

Been quite some times since I have posted a plane pic here. I dunno why. But I couldn’t help but get one while driving near my house today. Beaver about to cross the road.

My northern correspondent (Phil Z.) sent me this today.
  “Walking the Campbell River Spit this afternoon gave up this photo op. The
1950’s Chevy Coupe is actually older than the Beaver by a few
years.. C-FCDT Serial# 390 delivered, 1952 to the US AirForce”

Edit: So can anyone nail the age of the Chevy? Could it be, judging by the pics in the brochures here,a Styleline Coupe, ’49-’52?

Over the summer Phil Z., my man in Campbell River, has been sending some plane pics in…

Gull on turbo Otter.

Engine cowling off turbo Otter.

“A few interesting developments at the Sealand Aviation skunkworks out on the CR Spit.Surrounded by tourists, Tyee fishers and 100’s of Canada Geese; no one expects cutting edge experimental work on the DeHavilland Beaver Aircraft..”

“flight consisted of ground loops (actually water loops cuz of the floats) The mechanic felt they should have the looping problem solved soon. The radial engine tractor-power remains top-secret-crypto. No info available, even at the pub.”

Been a while since last aircraft pic, but spotted this one for first time today. Owned by VIH, but not painted in their colours.

I have posted some of these pics before, but here they are again with some notes.

First, Twotter, on final into airport. Wind is always strong and the approach is over a hill west of the strip so the plan has to drop down quickly. It reminds me of a great blue heron landing – trying hard to lose lift. Landing distance impressively short, as is the take-off distance.

The airport is unlit, here is the result of a forced night time landing. The story was a bit unclear, something to do with a group of Venezuelan business men…

There is a Mercedes firetruck on duty. Too big for the garage?

AA5B Tiger (I think I have that right) that I had a ride in.

On landing approach, close to the same spot the Otter was in the first pic.

And just about down.

Our yearly snow event, chased all the planes away.

One in interesting colours.

Maybe Angus will ID the jets? Update: he did – Challenger 604 on the right, and probably a Gulfstream G450 on the left.

A shot of another VIH Kamov here.

Got a couple of quick snaps of one of the local Nanchamg CJ-6‘s taxiing today. From the reg. # it is a CJ-6a.

Congratulations to fellow Vanagon mailing listmember Frank G. on the successful launch of the Curiosity Rover. Frank sent these pics:

Local metal recyclers must have a contract with one of the aviation companies around here for I’ve been seeing more aircraft parts in the yard. Wing sections, helicopter sections, and recently – these motors.

Update: the engines are from the BC aviation museum. Sometimes hard to understand why museums chuck stuff out, but there are space and money constraints I guess.

Wet and stormy here and I can’t be arsed to photograph the viscous coupling plate pairs and comment on the wear patterns and present the theories  of plate shape and hump condition. So instead, here are three pictures of float plane tugs taken today.

Heard the drone of multiple piston engines around 1015 this morning, caught them on their second pass. Nanching CJ-6.

The museum is only a 5 min drive from my house, and dropped by this afternoon to get my fix. The restoration of the Vickers Viscount is almost complete, the interior looks great. Other pictures of the Viscount can be found here and there on this blog, more pictures and the history of this particular plane is found here. The Harvard in the workshop just got a fresh coat of yellow paint.

Viscount cabin looking aft.

Ditto, looking forward.

Harvard.

Can’t get enough of the Douglas A-26 Invader.

The light was all wrong to get a shot of the cockpit. One day I have to ask to sit in the left hand seat.

Viscount and Invader.

Beautiful.

It was temporarily moved out of its hanger at the BC Aviation Museum, and was tucked under the wing of the Douglas A26 Invader. Wikipedia entry on this aircraft here.

A wet and cool spring and most of the summer but in August and now through September, the sun has been shining and not much rain has fallen. This will change soon of course, the clouds are presaging the rain to come.

Edit: Angus tell me that “the closest one in that shot is a Gulfstream G150, until recently, known as an Astra. Behind it, a Lear 45”.

Engines just fired up. You can see some snow still on the hills (probably just north of the Koksilah valley) below the climbing Dash-8.

My son and I spent some time at the museum today. Here are some random pictures – Vickers Viscount, Douglas A26 Invader, Luscombe Silveraire, Pietenpool 1933, Willys Jeep, Allison V-12, Sikorsky S-55, super DC-3, aircraft tug.

Do I have to say again that the B.C. Aviation Museum is one of the best museums around here?

AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant

Almost missed this as I was driving past the airport, but the gleam of the polished aluminium caught my eye. I have no info on this particular plane, but good god it is in nice shape. Edit, I think it is this one.

Friday evening, seen from my back porch, fun for some lucky bugger. Looks like the same T-28.

Rather mundane, but I haven’t posted a plane pic in a while.

CC-177 (C17 Globemaster)

And this bunch

Correction: it is a sleeve valve, not slide valve engine. Of course… dunderhead mistake.

Three shots of this fascinating engine housed in the BC Aviation museum. More info can be found at this Wikipedia entry.

Not at my local airport, but at Sproat Lake near Port Alberni. One of the planes was having a prop removed.

This T-28 is usually in hanger adjacent to the one I previously posted. The painted black stripe on the fuselage only partially masks the exhaust stains. The Goose Mallard is one of 2 Grummans at the airport, but now after screwing up id’ing the Mallard who the hell will believe me that I am sure the other one is a Goose :).