Friday, March 29, 2019

Opening Up The North

Bush flying is another section inside the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, and quite fitting given how for decades in Canada, bush and sea planes have been essential for getting into remote areas of this vast country. What we have below is a Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker. Its reliability and range made it a popular choice among bush pilots from the 1920s to the 1950s. This particular one was made in Delaware, used in Texas, Alaska, and California, and entered the Museum's collection in 1964. It is the only Pacemaker preserved in a museum today.


The Curtiss Seagull is something entirely different, a flying boat with roots going back to 1919 as a variant of a First World War trainer. Seagulls were used for commercial and private flight as a water based plane, and this particular one has a distinguished history, involved in surveying work of the Amazon in 1925-25.


A Ford 3-ton truck can be seen here in the foreground, built in 1925. Beyond it is another bush plane.


The plane in question is a Junkers W 34 f/fi. Hugo Junkers of Germany had made all metal aircraft for his country during the First World War, and turned to civilian aircraft afterwards. This was one of the models the company made for various countries, and this particular plane saw service in the Canadian north from 1932 onwards- for thirty years until being donated to the Museum in 1962. Quite a tough, reliable plane for a land that can be harsh.


I leave off for today with a wider view of some of the bush planes.

36 comments:

  1. The Curtiss Seagull sure is something! Very classy!

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  2. I like that shot with the red car!

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  3. We have planes like the Flying Doctor Service because like your country we're big with lots of remote areas.

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  4. ...The Curtiss Seagull is an interesting plane. We have the Curtis Museum an hour and half south of here, I need to make a trip there this year.

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  5. Makes me want to take a trip this weekend. Love the idea of the flying doctor service.

    Janis
    GDP

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  6. That Curtiss Seagull looks like a small flying boat. What a wonderful machine, I don't think I have seen one like this before.

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  7. @Lady Fi: thank you.

    @Iris: I agree.

    @Ella: so do I.

    @Joan: it is required.

    @Tom: you should.

    @Janis: I do too.

    @Jan: I have only seen it here.

    @Francisco: thank you.

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  8. i have always wondered what it would be like to land in the water in a plane .... so curious. why cool. happy weekend. enjoy it!! ( ;

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  9. I can't think of a Pacemaker without thinking of hearts. Nice planes, William! :-)

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  10. Hello, the seaplanes are a great invention. Happy Friday, enjoy your day. Have a great weekend!

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  11. I read a book as a kid about a bush pilot fighting forest sires in northern Ontario (I think). we also lived near a little airport with lots of Cessnas and Pipers, so I had a passing notion that I would like to do that.

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  12. Beautifully restored planes. Would love to experience a water landing.

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  13. Planes that land and take off on water make me wonder what if there's a chop to the water...I'd imagine it could be bumpy. But it's great that they provide access to a vast land with lakes.

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  14. We still rely on those tough planes to supply people up north. Nicely shown, William.

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  15. The Seagull is an interesting design.

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  16. These are treasures. Love the red truck.

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  17. I love that these old pieces of aviation history are being so beautifully looked after William. I hope they remain in such good condition for many years to come ✨

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  18. I love the bush planes as I spent many hours flying in them. they were terribly slow as the had the big floats slowing them down. So hour after hour I looked down on the bush or tundra. There's a great song called "I fly an airplane" by ted Wesley.

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  19. Two years ago my friends Julie & Dave took a bush plane (a newer model of course) up to the northern reaches of Canada to photograph polar bears. They had some great stories from that trip not to mention fantastic photos.

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  20. Wonderful old planes, they must have seen some tough service.

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  21. The old bush planes thrived in such tough conditions, they were well maintained.

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  22. @Beth: actually it is!

    @DJan: that's what I'd think of.

    @Eileen: thank you!

    @Anvilcloud: I can see that.

    @Betty: it is quite something to do.

    @Barbara: one has to be careful.

    @RedPat: thank you!

    @Marie: it is.

    @Nancy: thanks!

    @Grace: me too.

    @RedPat: I've been in them, but not as much as you.

    @Sharon: that would be an experience to remember.

    @John: they would have.

    @Bill: they were!

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  23. wonderful 'bush planes' display and historic photos ~

    Happy Times to You,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  24. Love those tulips in your header, William!

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  25. I really like those old models.

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  26. Die Wasserflugzeuge sind interessant.

    Noke

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  27. Another post with more interesting history and vehicles, William, which I also enjoyed.

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  28. This is a huge museum. It seems to go on forever! (And, of course, has quite a worthy collection.)

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  29. Water planes are also an important part...

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  30. Very nice angles and shots, William. Some of those planes are really quite stunningly beautiful.

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  31. I've never been on a seaplane … I wonder what the landing must be like.

    All the best Jan

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  32. @Carol: thanks!

    @Revrunner: so do I.

    @Klara: I do as well.

    @Noke: thank you.

    @Beatrice: I enjoyed showing it.

    @Kay: it is a sizeable museum.

    @Italiafinlandia: especially in this country.

    @Jeanie: that they are.

    @Jan: I haven't been on one.

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  33. That would be cool to land on water.

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