I loved the beaver so much I quit my federal pension job after 13 years to become a Beaver pilot in northern Ontario. After 8 years and 3300 hours on type I finally got it out out of my system and returned to my original job and have been retired now for 6 years. Looking back I would do it all over again. I have no words to explain how much I love that airplane ❤
My Dad worked at de Havilland. If I was to guess (because he's not here to ask), I'd say he started full-time sometime in the mid-1950s, but he used to scrape paint off old DH.98 Mosquitos during the summer, possibly starting in high school during his mid-teens (somewhere towards the end of the 1940s), and through his time at the U of Toronto, on the way to earning his aeronautical engineering degree. My uncle worked de Havilland, too. I believe Dad stayed in the area of troubleshooting for his whole career, while my uncle rose in the company on the executive side of things. My best guess would be that Dad entered as a graduate late in the years of the DHC-1 Chipmunk production span, and was still there about 10 years into DHC-8 (Dash 8) before taking early retirement in 1993, at age 60. IIRC (among other things), he didn't care for them new fangled computer thingies that were coming into use, more and more in those days. He was old school, and wanted people to leave him alone with his damn slide rule, thank you very much. Point is, he would've been there, somewhere in the heart of the production era of the Beaver. When my cousin caught the bug, he came from Vancouver on a holiday to pepper Dad with questions, and soak up everything he knew, like a sponge. He loved the Pink Floyd song "Learning to Fly" (I had the album - it got played over and over again during that vacation), and in the middle of the song, there's a pilot checklist. Everybody would have to shut up when that came on, and my cousin would explain all the things they were checking on. Just like a big kid. I think he was 27ish at the time. I don't know if he begged Dad to take him into work, but Dad agreed to take him in one day, and he was bouncing off the walls when he came home. Like, couldn't contain himself. Dad always loved talking to the test pilots (maybe some were bush pilots, but I'm not sure), probably for work, and definitely for their stories. Apparently, he took Adam over to talk to the pilots, and I would imagine there were lots of questions for them, and a lot of sitting and listening attentively to the stories they told. At least that's what I would've done, because I would imagine there were some fantastic stories. Sadly, two years later, Adam was flying for work (to accrue his miles) with a partner, and the weather was horribly stormy, and grey, out in BC, and they crashed into the side of a mountain. What was the precious cargo (aside from the humans), you ask? Credit card carbons. Something that doesn't even exist anymore. Gone four days after his birthday at 29. Really tough to swallow for everybody, but as you know, that's the huge risk of the hobby/job. Looong story. Thanks for reading, if you made it. Not as interesting as those grizzled pilot stories, I'm sure. 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣
Back in 1994 I was filming black bears and other wildlife in Canada. I got in the back country in a beaver on floats by our guide and his airplane. Spent two weeks on assignment then got picked up by the beaver to change locations. I was sitting in the right seat and asked the pilot what it was like to fly the beaver. He asked about my experience and I told him I flew Cessna 172s to get my pilot license. He said, "grab the yoke and controls, its yours". What a wonderful plane to fly. For the next 45 minutes minutes I was in heaven cruising above the lakes and the Canadian wilderness to our next filming location. After he landed on a lake and dropped me off, I was still on cloud nine.
Hey, good on you. That experience was once on my list of things to do. I ended up paragliding. The only flying I do now is astrally. My A&P license is still valid but not me. Great experience. I flew in the cockpit of a 727 from Iceland to Massachusetts in 1976. We landed at jfk, had to take my seat at 10,000ft That's when I chucked the dream of being a professional pilot. And no I didn't fly it. It was on auto pilot . Thanks for the memories. The good Ole days.
My father flew lots of Beavers as a bush pilot in Alaska. He told me lots of stories of barely getting in and out of remote locations and those that didnt who flew into mountains. After years of bush piloting and 5000+ hrs he had to retire from the stress.
So glad I came across this video. Being Canadian, it warms my heart that we can be very proud of this iconic aircraft and the people who keep her flying for 60 years! Thank you.
Being the son of somebody that worked at DHC for about 45 years, and was in the middle of a lot of production eras of these beautiful planes, gives me a ton of pride. Very happy to discover this. He would've arrived somewhere at the tail end of the production of the DHC-1 Chipmunk, and retired in the middle of the production span of the DHC-8, or Dash 8. Started scraping paint off old DH.98 Mosquitoes in the summers in high school, probably in the late 1940s, and retired in 1993. Seeing Harrison Ford rave about it, is pretty cool, too.
The first Beaver with serial number 1 is in the museum in Ottawa. The second Beaver with serial number 2 is in a museum in Sault St. Marie, Ontario. The third Beaver off the assembly line with serial number 3 is still flying in Fort Frances, Ontario. It still has its radial engine. I went for a ride in it a few years ago.
Why on earth call it a rotary engine? I heard them call it that in the movie too. Surely that is a RADIAL engine? The "rotary engine" was one whose cylinders spun around with the propeller - as per the Sopwith Camel.
In my youthful days I did a stint in the logging industry in British Columbia, worked in Knights Inlet, Kyuquot Sound and Zeballos. We had to fly in by Beavers to get to the company camps where we lived. One was a floating camp built on logs. Enjoyed the beautiful scenery as we flew into these inlets and landed on the water. I remembered a pilot whose name was Jack who said he flew in the the armed forces but would rather fly a Beaver than a commercial passenger aircraft. Those were the best years of my life.
There are no words how to describe the absolutely hypnotic serenade and sound of a Beaver either taking off or approaching overhead from a great distance breaking the stillness and silence in the Ontario wilderness on a summer's day on any given body of water displaying a rich and colourful aviation history and legend as I was growing up to this day. As it also turns out I grew up in Downsview Ontario right next to the De Havilland factory so you can understand how deeply ingrained it is in my blood...so much so I am now a retired airline pilot from Canada's biggest air carrier.
🙏 Thank You So Much for rescuing & restoring these Royal & Hardworking De Havilland Beaver back to flying condition! Many Happy Good Blessings in Return to You All! 😊🙏🌷🌿🌍💜🕊🇨🇦
I am not a pilot, but I have had the privilege of riding in a piston Beaver from Campbell River, BC to Hill Island and back. It was awesome! Plus, I lived in Friday Harbor, WA for 30 years and LOVED the sound of the Kenmore Air piston Beavers arriving and leaving the Port of Friday Harbor marina. LOVE those planes! Thank you for the story.
25 years ago, while in Ketchikan, Alaska my wife, daughter and I rented one of these for a ride out to the Misty Fjiords. The young Canadian pilot actually landed right on the lake. It was an experience as we all got out and onto the pontoons to view an incredibly beautiful landscape. The weather was perfect. What struck me was how smooth the landings were in this airplane. I could not feel the aircraft touch the water. Extremely smooth running and flying plane.
I'm 68 years old now and personally logged hundreds of hours with my Beaver on floats in my bathtub at a pre school age. I had 2 Beaver airplanes one on floats and one on wheels and wore the propeller off of both of them. Although my wheeled Beaver spent many hours on the bottom of my bathtub both planes were my favorite toys . Since then I have welded many home built aircraft including the North Start (heavy duty cub type plane) I guess my 2 beaver planes were my beginnings in flight interest.
Back 40+ years ago I lived in the far north of Australia and one of the cattle station/ranches had a Beaver (DHC2) which was used to carry loads you would not believe - upwards of 1000kg/2200 lbs and still get off the ground in a very short runway. You really needed to know what you were doing to fly one of these. Thanks fir this video. Cheers
Many years ago the Hawaii Civil Air Patrol had 2 Dehaviland Beavers and I had the opportunity to get checked out in it and I flew both of those Beavers for about 3 years. I was a junior birdman at the time and didn’t realize how lucky I was to fly these aircraft. When I saw the movie I immediately recognized the Beaver and said to my wife “Hey look it’s a Beaver!” She just shook her head kinda saying Who Cares. I cared. I’ve got 9 Type Ratings and I’m retired but if I could fly any airplane again it would be the Beaver.
I've flown into the Canadian wilderness in a Beaver with two canoes strapped onto the pontoons twice now. There's no other plane that can do that. One hour in, a week to paddle out on one of the best whitewater rivers in Canada. So glad to see that generations to come will still be able to do that.
My Father worked at DeHavilland in Toronto Canada starting back in the 60's and for the next 3 1/2 decades. I used to go to family days, Christmas parties, BBQ's and even went into work with him a few times as a teenager. They had the beaver, otter, twin otter, caribou, buffalo and at the end the dash 7 and 8, great planes by a great company plus fooling around on them on the assembly lines was a lot of fun, we even had a few seats in the garage from the dash 7 we used for many years after he retired, there was even a few old wooden molds from the buffalo turned into coffee and end tables in the house.....good times, good memories.
Flew in a twin otter a couple times and they used them for skydiving where I flew gliders, why someone would jump out of such a nice plane I don't know.
Taking a plane that would have been either parts or wrecked and giving it a new life is commendable, some of the comments say you ruined it or its originality, you gave her a new heart and a new life and made her more then she was designed to be, I tip my hat to you
Flew in a Beaver when I was a child back in the 1960s. A neighbour liked to go fishing on a lake in northern Ontario. Nobody lived on the lake and the Pike fishing was amazing.
Great video. I was so fortunate to fly in these with the AK bush pilots in the 80's! What a ride...smoothest landing on water too. Incredible pilots in SE AK! Thanks for the opportunity. Loved the sound of the engine and the steering column! :)
Thank you for the history. Amusingly, the Canadian rough country aircraft was found in the hot, dry scrub brush Tucson Arizona USA desert flatland in one of the numerous private aircraft storage/teardown plots. Tucson has an unusually rather large national and international aviation footprint for a city of its size. We pop up in videos often. As an aviation nerd, this is an excellent spot.
I have known about this plane ever since I read the article of my fathers fatal plane crash. He was a member of the 551SMS out of Lincoln NE. He worked in a missile Silo in Union NE with the Atlas Missile. It turned out that this was one of a few sites that had an antenna tower. Upon takeoff the pilot caught one of the guy wires and all aboard were lost. I remember the article saying that it was a Beaver Aircraft. After watching this video I am very impressed by the plane and so much so that I would love to fly in one or even learn to fly myself. I hope this wasn't in bad taste mentioning my fathers death here.
In 1966, I was a Junior Forest Ranger posted to a Dept. of Lands and Forests camp about 80 miles or so west of what was then called the Twin Cities of Port Arthur & Fort William, now known as Thunder Bay Ontario. One day, a Turbo Beaver landed on Madeline Lake where our Ranger camp was and taxied straight in to the dockside just like a boat would. He flew us in 2 groups to a Park close to Fort William that needed to be cleaned up for the Civic Holiday Weekend, I think was coming up soon. I wondered how the pilot was going to back out from the dock. The first group got on. The pilot fired up the turboprop engine and backed up from the dock like a boat would, turned to face the wind and then took off. I was amazed at 17 years old having never seen an aircraft do that before. The engine had a reversible pitch propeller which allowed him to do that. Then it was our group's turn. I got to sit in the seat next to the pilot, lucky me as I was the last one to board the plane. What an experience for me never having been in a plane before. Later in the afternoon, a deHavilland Otter picked us all up in one group and flew us back to our camp on Madeline Lake. I could not believe how slow the Otter flew and still remained in the air. I knew what it meant if a plane stalled and was sure it was going to. Apparently we were flying only about 50 - 60 mph. Incredible experience! 20 years later, I, my wife and 3 boys went up in a Radial engine powered Beaver piloted by a former Bush Pilot who had his own business flying fishermen in to a small camp he owned way out in the sticks with no road access. He also would fly his plane for tours of the area where we were vacationing on a lake with rental housekeeping type cottages. The pilot's flying skills were incredible!! He had headphones on..we didn't. Talk about loud!! I and my family were thrilled and we will never forget the experience of flying in those planes piloted by Professional Bush Pilots, that's for sure!!
I have found memories of the Beaver. One such memory was doing surveillance following a vehicle when the control tower came on and asked are you flying a fixed wing? With the head wind we were going very slow. This was such a nice tribute to the aircraft.
I never got ride in a Beaver, but during my training in US Army Ranger school, we practiced guiding airdrops and the Beaver was the plane used that day. The sound of that radial is still lodged in my memory.
Thanks a million for posting this trimendous video of the immortal beaver, but just to let you know that I have thurly enjoyed your video of this plane, l have always enjoyed watching planes & going to the airport to watch them takeing off & landing, l also bought a small radio to listen in to the pilots talking to the control tower whitch really fascinates me very much, so again many thanks for this great video.
Fabulous coverage of a terrific air plane. Had the honor and pleasure to fly in one (Turbo) with three of my buddies on a fishing trip to the White River close to Hudson Bay 15 years ago. Wonderful experience!
Well, well, what a great video, I have not had the pleasure of flying in a radial powered one however, my friend Steve retired as an airline pilot and bought a turbine powered de Haviland, he has one of the permits to fly from Healy, Alaska and land on Mount McKinley , I was up to Healy for my nieces wedding, and got to go with him on one of those flights, awesome day, and he let me fly the airplane for a bit! What a nice aircraft. What a nice video. Thank you!
Flew the Beaver, turbo Beaver, Twin Otter, DHC-8-100, and other aircraft during my career, Fokker F,-28 1000 & 2000, Boeing 727 & 757 as Captain, I was fortunate 2 do so!!
I grew up on Vancouver island long lake in Nanaimo. A certain blue & white beaver landed and took off less than two blocks from my house. When any other floatplane took off it sounded tinny and cheap. But the beaver always sounded like eight Harley’s doing a quarter mile drag race in unison. When I hear a beaver it always brings me back in time.
Oldest aircraft I have ever flown was a friend's Luscombe 8A, the classic taildragger. I flew it from a grass strip (Pegasus) near Stroudsburg PA on an overcast day in '07. We hit some winds aloft, but the controls were so well harmonized, it was so easy to fly, with a light touch on the stick and rudder. My friend gave me a quick lesson to start the Luscombe by hand, since I was going to sit left seat, and it started with less than a third of a pull. It was a joy to fly such a classic GA aircraft--I was a Light Sport Student at the time, and the Luscombe 8A qualified as an LSA given its stall, cruise speed, and gross weight. Our flight was cut short. We'd planned on an hour, but we were certain we saw a flash in the distance, an unforecast embedded thunderstorm, and returned to Pegasus--my friend took over the controls for the last half mile due to 50 foot trees at the threshold of the runway, which required a slight dive before flare. As we landed, it just started to rain, and I taxied the Luscombe back to its tiedown. We then went to breakfast to debrief, and as we arrived at the restaurant, the embedded storm hit in full fury, about fifteen mins after we landed, with hail, heavy wind, and thunder. We were both once students of weather in college, and weather understanding is a must for flight. It is fun to see Harrison Ford as a docent of such old aircraft. I live not far from Pima Air Museum in Arizona, where so many of these old aircraft can be enjoyed, and recommend if in Phoenix (where I live) or Tuscon a trip to see it--a half day is a must and it is a museum meant for walking. I have visited Jackson Hole and have thought of Harrison Ford's work as a Pilot up there. In my early 60's now, I've always considered Harrison the 'Jimmy Stewart' of my generation given his aviation interest and movie career.
Dad worked at deHavilland from the Mosqiuto to the Dash 8 before he died.I remember visiting the plant on family day (60’s) hoping to get a ride in a Beaver or an Otter.
I made my first parachute jump from a Beaver. 1967 Old WWII airfield in VA. Had to learn to pack my own chute. I was the newbie, so I went first from 1200 ft., while the other went up to 12,000. In the middle of this 2 square mile filed sat a derelict forklift. Every turn I made, the wind pushed me toward that forklift. Thoughts of tombstone with "here he lies with a forklift up his ass." Actually missed it by 200 yards. Other guys went into the trees.
In 1962, as a member of the 503rd Airborne I jumped from the Beaver--as-L20 onto Yomitan field, Okinawa. In December, 1963, I flew in it three times, each time taking off and landing on skis onto either snow or the ice of a tundra lake. It was a geophysical camp near the Sagavanirktok, about 30 miles from the Beaufort Sea, a line of porta-cabins on tubular runners, pulled by a bussdozer. The Beaver would take off and land in fierce blizzards, keeping its bearing on the ice by the turning light of the camp beacon. About fifty feet above the howling wind and river of snow the air was clear, the camp submerged in the river and invisible. On the ice, taking off into the wind, the plaine would remain nearly stationary with respect to the Beacon until we suddenly peeked our windows above the blowing snow, at which point we would lunge forward and up in a great, smooth arc. The pilot was always a little tense until he got above the snow, which was a rushing river of white, all blowing, none falling. Above the blowing snow he would smile and speak as if he didn't care whether we found the camp again, He said that he thought it silly to go looking for rolling oil drums when we wouldn't, in any case, be able to see them. And the camp? Never mind, we'd find it. After christmas I flew by the same Beaver via Anaktuvik Pass back to Umiat, along the Colville,. The pilot was easily able to see and identify on the ground varioius things I couldn't, such as the herd of cariboo. From Umiat to Fairbanks was by frigid, noisy C-46 , in which I was one of two passengers. The stewardess wore a heavy parka. I wore the Air Force flight suit with the wolverine fur lined hood, that I had months before bought in a hardware store in Anchoragle for forty dollars and had worn over long johns in eighteen hour 52 degree F days and nights on the North Slope (being the warmest worker up there.) The Beaver was like that flight suit. Not because it kept me warm, though the Beaver was warm enough. But because it was perfect for what was needed. And it DID look great. From Seattle, on a motorcycle, I wore that flight suit, the hood streaming behind me all the way to Berkely. I can imagine that any pilot flying a Beaver today would be just like me on the bike, in that flight suit. Looking good, doing something good, feeling great. The Beaver, after all, was a work of art. (like Olivia DeHaviland)
My experience with the Beaver started in the 25th Aviation Company (25th Infantry Division) in Hawaii in 1960. Fresh out of Army flight school, I was assigned to the 25th Avn Co at Wheeler Field. We had 5 Beavers, used daily for transporting people and equipment to the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) on the Island of Hawaii. The airstrip at Pohakuloa (Bradshaw AAF) was a 3500 ft strip that rose several hundred feet along its length, and it was at about 5.000 ft ASL. We newly trained pilots were immediately checked out in the Beaver (U-6) to begin flying the daily PTA run. I became one of the Instructor Pilots (IPs) in the Beaver that summer, and did a number of checkouts, training the new guys on how to fly the Beaver. That included short field landings and takeoffs, which that airplane did exceedingly well. I also taught the new guys how to start the engine using the hand crank and inertia reel, and how to use the wobble pump when the engine began to run rough on a nearly empty fuel tank. The Pratt & Whitney R-981 engine was a superbly powerful and reliable engine, making short field operations easy. We even had a practice carrier deck (650 ft asphalt pad) on the north side of Oahu which became the ultimate test of skill at the end of a checkout, and most of us who accomplished this feat never forgot it. I also flew the Beaver in Thailand (1962) at Ft Benning (1963-1964), Ft Hood (1964 -1965), in Korea (1965-1966), Ft Lewis (1966), Viet Nam (1967), and last at Ft Rucker (1968-1969). Those of us that have been privileged to fly the Beaver will always hold that airplane in the highest esteem. It is a great airplane!
When I was in the Army, stationed at Ft. Stewart Georgia in1969, I was a member of the Ft. Stewart Sky Diving Club. We jumped from the DE Havilland Beaver. The Army's designation for that aircraft was the U-6, so we of course affectionately called it the Ugly-6. As a group we loved that airplane, and as an individual I still do. If the B-52 can be called BUFF, Big Ugly Fat F____r, then the Beaver can be called the Ugly-6.
The amazing result when you build a product to be the best at what it does. The Beaver qualifies, in the same way the A-10 does. Both are supremely good at what they do, and neither are easily replaced.
I was certainly impressed with the Beaver. I worked for Shell Minerals. Two of us, both geologists, were hired to sample water for uranium in lakes, creeks, and rivers in the Yukon. We were landing on small lakes surrounded with trees. Taking off from a small lake was a 'rush', to say the least! We did OK. Our manager had said to us that if we saw interesting mineralization we were to take samples of the rock. The pilot got nervous when he saw us returning with our backpacks full of rocks. So, he did what I'll call a rehearsal to see if we might be able to get off the lake with the extra weight. He decided we could get off the lake. We did but we clipped a lot of trees. After that if we found rocks we needed to take back to camp we restrained ourselves. We had the Beaver (rotary engine) and a Twin Otter (turboprop) flying out of our camp. I managed to fly both and really enjoyed flying the Beaver!
I’m not a pilot but I’ve flown in several of these as float planes in BC’s Strait of Georgia. Most memorable trip flying in the right hand seat from Sechelt 44km to Lasqueti Island in a heavily overcast sky almost down to the water. Halfway there the pilot sat down on the still ocean, pulled out a map to orientate ourselves and off we went flying at just a couple of feet above sea level, with the pilots instruction “lookout for logs”! They are so great!
My father flew a few of these in different parts of the country. At one point I could tell who's plane was coming in by the sound of the engine. Lots of great memories flying over the west coast and central Sask.
In our 20's 1972, met Harrison updating Cousin Cherie's home in Santa Monica. I sanded half job with him 2 days - 12 hours/day. We shot much bull but discussed both interested in aviation. I told him about Beaver up in Canada flyin' in fishin' as he was unawares. May have been his 1st notice of aircraft! He didn't relish crashes, so told him about '61 trip Panama-Miami on single engine DC-6. We had started w/4, but blew 2 in fireballs, & lost #4 mourning #3's loss. On #1 we struggled, gaining 2 more engines approaching Cuba, but they were jet engines on MIG-15's, so not really good news as Castro said would shoot down all that approached. I sat in front on left side and saluted Pilot taking up station right outside my window. I was 10 & gave him nice crisp salute, & he returned salute. Shortly, they obvious got shoot down order, as MIG on right swooped up & over taking up firing position behind, but when Pilot on left saw that, he followed suit, but instead drove junior off, with both taking up station on left side while Cuban Control decided what to do. 10 min later, they both took up their stations off wings. It was right at dawn & you could see the Cubans wavin' to us, so might have been a touch low. Plane was really low approachin' Miami, with all the authorities boats dotting our path, as knew we were going swimmin'! It was a struggle at each glide slope gantry, Capt dropped gear at last one, and about 2 seconds later alit on grass Threshhold & bounced up sittin' on end of runway. #1 having just the right amount of stuff for trip, Capt shut her down & on intercom said, "Welcome to Miami"!! That got Harrison's attention, as had little to say...then had a lot to ask for instances of seemly sure crashes, but Capt came thru!! He was much more interested in aviation after that, but here I sit today with personal participation with World's best Capt saving all aboard when had no frickin' chance at all...except old Hi-Way worker w/nads alerted him to World's worst downdraft almost dead ahead! He plunked Liner right into Oak woods & besides you, I don't know anyone else that can do that, i.e. remember the Golf Course? Aw...c'mon Harry, you still want that Oscar don't you?? Take a chance!! Nobody calls me, "Billy from Michigan" anymore, but just google my name here + Lake Alfred FL, and give me a call. Remember, Hanks sold half a billion bucks of theatre tickets with, "Sully", and he didn't even have an inside track, and could no way in hell show us Liner all butched up draggin' it's wingtips, oak limbs protruding from belly, and rest of crew all injured, but you're Harrison Ford...remember?? Call me!!
I was ten years of age and saved all my change to buy a Beaver toy with floats. I brought it to the lake during a rare family vacation. I turned it on, placed it on the lake, and let it go. It took off across the lake and I never saw it again. There is nothing worse than losing a Beaver.
They were used for spreading superphosphate when I was a kid in Australia....this was how I recognised the Beaver sitting on the river near the bridge at Urunga.....after refuelling from jerry cans, it taxied down the estuary and took a long run up towards the bridges.....it took off a couple of hundred yards from the bridges, and majestically flew under both the rail bridge and the highway bridge, before departing southerly....
My father in-law and his identical twin brother worked at the factory building the first prototype by hand .He still talks of the work they did at 91.Everything was built by hand .
Great airplane, still run out of my house when I hear one fly by, someone likes to buzz the beach near Deception Pass, was lucky enough once to get right seat from Friday Harbor over to Roche Harbor, also right seat in a Grumman Widgeon to Catalina, will always stand above all the other aircraft I have ever flown in.
Seems like if they started producing them again there would be a market. I am just an aviation admirer, nowhere close to knowledgeable, but this aircraft certainly seems beloved. People are searching worldwide for ancient planes to restore. It makes sense that people would line up to buy a new one. In closing, I had no idea such a well respected little plane existed. Well done on the documentary!
The Beaver was just the first of a series of world famous aircraft produced by De Havilland Canada. Next came the Otter, a Beaver on steroids with all the attributes of the Beaver; the Twin Otter a PT6 powered twin engine STOL used around the world and in many militaries; the PT6 powered version of the Otter and finally the Dash 7 regional turboprop which was the eventual genesis of the Dash 8 series of regional airliners. The only one in that list I have never flown on is the Otter variants. All these aircraft are still doing yeoman service around the world in places as far away and hostile as Antarctica. As well, a dear old friend I grew up with became an Air Force pilot and spent two tours flying a Twin Otter with the UN Peace Keeping Force in Gaza and the Middle East (with many a hair raising story to tell). Excluding the Dash 8 series, in many ways these aircraft are Canada's equivalent of the DC3 ... so DAMNED GOOD a design that no one's come up with a suitable replacement. Viking Air will be in business for a LOOOOONNNNGGG time keeping them in the air.
I think he meant that figuratively; but the Beaver is a "small plane" with limited passenger capacity and freight - suitable for its designed role but superceded in size and capacity by later aircraft with similar DNA.@@964cuplove
@@johnwilson4120 You forgot the Caribou and the Buffalo. Two of the best STOL transport aircraft in their era which would more readily be compared to the DC3.
You're RIGHT!!!😡 I did. My old friend George the Airforce Pilot would never forgive me. He did a tour in the Caribou and loved it. Thanks for the reminder.@@DougLFC
MY FIRST AND ONLY FLOAT PLANE RIDE WAS A De Hvilland beaver on big moose lake in the new York Adirondacks loved every rumble! a beautiful and unforgetable experience that girlfriend who introduced me to the Adirondacks will also not be forgotten
I'm very surprised that a different company hasn't bought the production rights to the Beaver and continued on with making them since they are in such high demand. They could ask almost any price......and they would get it. These heavy duty, reliable airplanes are some of the most sought after in bush aviation and other applications all over the world. Even if not the Beaver, you would think other companies would make an airplane similar to this. A high powered, short take off/landing plane, built on a super rugged, heavy duty airframe that can take a beating if it had to make hard landings in bad weather or high wind conditions without damaging the airframe or passengers/crew inside the aircraft.
Calling a De Havilland aircraft “Olivia” is apt! As the founder of the De Havilland aircraft company was related to Olivia De Havilland the actress. They were cousins.
Half 1st Cousins, to be exact. Rev. Charles Richard de Havilland had married Margaret Letitia Molesworth and their granddaughters were famed actresses Olivia de Havilland & Joan Fontaine (nee de Havilland); he had married Agnes Maria Molesworth and their grandson was Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, founder of the de Havilland aircraft.
As I was a Chopper Wrench on Ester Island in SE AK for a surveying crew, a Dehavland Beaver landed on the large pond or small lake next to our camp and stole the generator. He cut the engine and landed dead stick gliding up to the dock to get the genny silently. As soon as the power died all of us ran towards the water to see the bird lift off with the tail numbers taped over. What a reckless dangerous move just for a stupid generator. My Chopper was around three nautical miles away so we had no chance to chase and then report this incident properly. The Beaver is an amazing bird nonetheless. I was in Bethel AK when Mickey Soleil's PT6 was getting FAA testing approval in the Beaver. He hung that ship by its nose in the air for thirty minutes and just helicoptered it there about a half mile from the runway. The Beaver is an impressive aircraft with the PT6 conversion or relying on the reciprocating engine for power.
I loved the Beaver, the Single Otter and the Twin Otter. I have about 3,000 hours on the Twin Otter and I just love that crazy airplane. No autopilot, so you get to know how it feels, lol. Loved the overhead throttles and the fantastic location of the trim wheel. I love the Twin Otter.
Had my first set of flights on an Otter this week and now I’m going down the rabbit hole of info on these machines. Couldn’t believe it was 62 years old.
I have 2.5 hrs in a Beaver on Floats. Chilcotin region of BC. I received my Commercial license and then flew for Sharp Wings out of Willys puddle (Williams Lake) with the owner, Gideon Schutze - lol Gideon was a real bush pilot - and could be funny as heck even though he wasn't trying. A real pioneer in BC.
I got to ride a Beaver from Lake Union in Seattle to Cortes Is. at the N. end of the Salish Sea, at low tide, on the deck. It was a hoot to buzz right over a bar and wake up a seal. We pulled up to the dock on Cortes and I walked over the hill to the farm I was teaching at,
Not a pilot, but I play one in the comfort of my couch. Shortly after MSFS 2020 was released I got busy learning the ropes and the embarrassing number of different historical planes the simulator comes with. I immediately gravitated towards the DeHavilland Beaver. I have spent hundreds of hours simulating VR in this craft lake-hopping in the Alaskan wilderness and elsewhere and the experience is breathtaking. The sound alone is both ear-shattering and musical at the same time. The simulation of the startup and the engine roar are so convincing I believe I can smell fuel. I crank it up and pictures shake on the walls. My wife thinks I am nuts… and I am. If I ever did get my license, which probably won’t happen, I would definitely seek to fly this incredible machine at least once. At the very least I would love a chance to take a ride in one at an air show or local strip. It is very apparent, even in the neighborhood of aviation make-believe, that the Beaver is a singular creation and the men and women behind it should be forever proud of this accomplishment. Hats off to those whose intense labor of love keeps these machines in the air, where they belong.
I fly a LAKE LA-4-200 Flying boat. Here in Beaufort South Carolina. Avid R/C enthuse with the collection of over 600 planes. One of which is a Beaver on floats . Sitting on the table in front of me after pulling it out of the Hanger. L:OVE it. Great flying machine. A1 job on the restoration. Keep um flying. AMEN.
Ironically, the first aircraft my dad owned and I flew with him was the Cessna 195, the de Havilland Beaver's competitor mentioned in the video. I still love the sound of a radial airtcraft engine. This last summer I heard one while I was out shooting photos of a couple of Bald Eagles. When I finally spotted the source of the sound, it was a WWII B-25 Mitchell heading to an airshow. It was fully decked out with weapons and military livery.
I enjoyed flying the Beaver while I was in the Army. Almost crashed into a mountain at the end of the takeoff stip. We were on maneuvers in W. Virginia. That beautiful old radial produced enough power to let me turn left at just barely over takeoff speed to clear that mountain. The Beaver that followed me didn't make it, and crashed into the mountain.
First trip in the Beaver I was picked up and flown out of the Maine wilderness where I had been Lake Trout fishing. My friend and I joined a couple more passengers and we took off through a shallow stream. The floats were sliding over water and gravel I couldn’t believe it! Suddenly up we rose into the air as if in slow motion, what an airplane.
I've been lucky to have flown in two Beaver's. The first in 1987 in King Salmon, Alaska. It was built in 1953. My birth year. The second in 1989 in Anchorage, Alaska. Built in 1952. The rate of climb just after takeoff was surprising. It was like a very strong wind blowing straight up under the wings and lifting it into the sky. Knowing nothing about airplanes, it was still an exciting experience.
I flew missions as a radio operator in both the U1-Otter and the U6-Beaver while in the Army in Viet Nam. Always felt confident the pilots in both planes would get us safely down in any emergency. Wo nderful airplanes.. Tail draggers rule!!!
I’m an Aussie pilot. Always have been in love with the Beaver. The only item in my bucket list is to go for a trip of some sort in Alaska or anywhere in North America in a beaver. Floats or wheels, wouldn’t matter. Maybe both. Haha. I don’t think there are many in Australia, but I must check and find out.
See a Beaver, sometimes two, most days from my home in SF Bay Area as a local company has a pair for excursion flights. I’ve also been in several when working in Alaska, such a solid flying plane and the water landings are just so smooth even when there is some chop (I’m not a pilot).
I was lucky enough to fly in serial number 0012 back in 2000 in Fort McMurray. Talk about a short takeoff. We had to pull the tail to the shore line. Just to be able to take off. We were half the weight on the takeoff as the landing into this pond 2 hrs flight time north east of Fort Mac. It was incredible to watch the pilot work the hydralics on takeoff.
I flew 12 beavers from Ottawa to Oslo, Norway for the Norwegian armed forces, back in the early 1970s. 10 of them were piston engined and 2 of them had PT-6 turbine engines. I learned to love the Beaver. Most were equipped with ferry tanks inside the cabin, but I always flew to Iqaluit (Frobisher Bay), then across to Sondrestrom (Kangerlassuaq now) and then via Iceland to Oslo. The biggest problem was being forced into airframe icing conditions while flying over the very high Greenland icecap (13,000 ft) enroute to Iceland. But once I was on the other side, I was always able to descend to just over the ocean where the ice would melt off.
I was a Beaver crew chief in Korea, 1963-1965. The 59th AVN Co, in Uijongbu. The Army had great schools in Ft. Rucker, AL.When I got out of Korea was sent back to Rucker for Caribou school after which I went to the 6th Special Forces in Ft.Bragg after which they sent me to Vietnam.
I flew the Beaver out of Uijongbu in 1963-1964. I was the maintenance officer and test pilot for the unit. Capt. Richard. Loved to fly that aircraft, and used to practice making wheel landings. Also, the sound that engine made when you cranked it up, all that noise and smoke, like you had awakened a dragon ! .
The Army spent a small fortune training me on the Beechcraft King Air. When I got overseas they had not a one King Air. They did have 5 Otters. I was not a happy soldier, however, an aircraft is better than no aircraft at all. I would take an Otter or a Beaver in a heartbeat over a King Air today. I do love the King Air, but I am with Ford on the fact it is the way to see the country, or any place ...
I have always loved the Beaver and would love to own one but it is only a dream that won’t come true. I am grateful to have found out about Neal Aird and his web site, thank you for a great TV show about a great airplane.
I loved the beaver so much I quit my federal pension job after 13 years to become a Beaver pilot in northern Ontario. After 8 years and 3300 hours on type I finally got it out out of my system and returned to my original job and have been retired now for 6 years. Looking back I would do it all over again. I have no words to explain how much I love that airplane ❤
And you can tell everyone that you spent more time in beaver than about just about many in Canada.
I love your story and am a bit jealous. Have a great retirement man.
I love your life!
My Dad worked at de Havilland. If I was to guess (because he's not here to ask), I'd say he started full-time sometime in the mid-1950s, but he used to scrape paint off old DH.98 Mosquitos during the summer, possibly starting in high school during his mid-teens (somewhere towards the end of the 1940s), and through his time at the U of Toronto, on the way to earning his aeronautical engineering degree. My uncle worked de Havilland, too. I believe Dad stayed in the area of troubleshooting for his whole career, while my uncle rose in the company on the executive side of things.
My best guess would be that Dad entered as a graduate late in the years of the DHC-1 Chipmunk production span, and was still there about 10 years into DHC-8 (Dash 8) before taking early retirement in 1993, at age 60. IIRC (among other things), he didn't care for them new fangled computer thingies that were coming into use, more and more in those days. He was old school, and wanted people to leave him alone with his damn slide rule, thank you very much. Point is, he would've been there, somewhere in the heart of the production era of the Beaver.
When my cousin caught the bug, he came from Vancouver on a holiday to pepper Dad with questions, and soak up everything he knew, like a sponge. He loved the Pink Floyd song "Learning to Fly" (I had the album - it got played over and over again during that vacation), and in the middle of the song, there's a pilot checklist. Everybody would have to shut up when that came on, and my cousin would explain all the things they were checking on. Just like a big kid. I think he was 27ish at the time.
I don't know if he begged Dad to take him into work, but Dad agreed to take him in one day, and he was bouncing off the walls when he came home. Like, couldn't contain himself. Dad always loved talking to the test pilots (maybe some were bush pilots, but I'm not sure), probably for work, and definitely for their stories. Apparently, he took Adam over to talk to the pilots, and I would imagine there were lots of questions for them, and a lot of sitting and listening attentively to the stories they told. At least that's what I would've done, because I would imagine there were some fantastic stories.
Sadly, two years later, Adam was flying for work (to accrue his miles) with a partner, and the weather was horribly stormy, and grey, out in BC, and they crashed into the side of a mountain. What was the precious cargo (aside from the humans), you ask? Credit card carbons. Something that doesn't even exist anymore. Gone four days after his birthday at 29. Really tough to swallow for everybody, but as you know, that's the huge risk of the hobby/job.
Looong story. Thanks for reading, if you made it. Not as interesting as those grizzled pilot stories, I'm sure. 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣
Wow!
Back in 1994 I was filming black bears and other wildlife in Canada. I got in the back country in a beaver on floats by our guide and his airplane. Spent two weeks on assignment then got picked up by the beaver to change locations. I was sitting in the right seat and asked the pilot what it was like to fly the beaver. He asked about my experience and I told him I flew Cessna 172s to get my pilot license. He said, "grab the yoke and controls, its yours". What a wonderful plane to fly. For the next 45 minutes minutes I was in heaven cruising above the lakes and the Canadian wilderness to our next filming location. After he landed on a lake and dropped me off, I was still on cloud nine.
You should have immediately nosed down 30 degrees and screamed “MY CONTROLS!”
Hey, good on you. That experience was once on my list of things to do. I ended up paragliding. The only flying I do now is astrally. My A&P license is still valid but not me. Great experience. I flew in the cockpit of a 727 from Iceland to Massachusetts in 1976. We landed at jfk, had to take my seat at 10,000ft That's when I chucked the dream of being a professional pilot. And no I didn't fly it. It was on auto pilot . Thanks for the memories. The good Ole days.
Some dudes would undoubtedly like to fly The Mustang. I'm more of a Beaver guy.
In 94’? You could have been attacked dude. Wow that’s super reckless
My father flew lots of Beavers as a bush pilot in Alaska. He told me lots of stories of barely getting in and out of remote locations and those that didnt who flew into mountains. After years of bush piloting and 5000+ hrs he had to retire from the stress.
So glad I came across this video. Being Canadian, it warms my heart that we can be very proud of this iconic aircraft and the people who keep her flying for 60 years! Thank you.
You realize their are many flying here in Alaska??? Best pilots on earth! Ak bush pilots, simple!😳😉
Being the son of somebody that worked at DHC for about 45 years, and was in the middle of a lot of production eras of these beautiful planes, gives me a ton of pride. Very happy to discover this. He would've arrived somewhere at the tail end of the production of the DHC-1 Chipmunk, and retired in the middle of the production span of the DHC-8, or Dash 8. Started scraping paint off old DH.98 Mosquitoes in the summers in high school, probably in the late 1940s, and retired in 1993. Seeing Harrison Ford rave about it, is pretty cool, too.
The first Beaver with serial number 1 is in the museum in Ottawa. The second Beaver with serial number 2 is in a museum in Sault St. Marie, Ontario. The third Beaver off the assembly line with serial number 3 is still flying in Fort Frances, Ontario. It still has its radial engine. I went for a ride in it a few years ago.
Why on earth call it a rotary engine?
I heard them call it that in the movie too.
Surely that is a RADIAL engine?
The "rotary engine" was one whose cylinders spun around with the propeller - as per the Sopwith Camel.
@@johnbgibbs Old age is catching up to me! Thanks for pointing that out! I should have read over what I typed before making the post! LOL🤣
I’d definitely want one with the radial engine.
@@The_ZeroLine The Turbo Beaver is nice because you can back the plane into a parking spot, but Beavers with the radial looks a lot better IMHO.
In my youthful days I did a stint in the logging industry in British Columbia, worked in Knights Inlet, Kyuquot Sound and Zeballos. We had to fly in by Beavers to get to the company camps where we lived. One was a floating camp built on logs. Enjoyed the beautiful scenery as we flew into these inlets and landed on the water. I remembered a pilot whose name was Jack who said he flew in the the armed forces but would rather fly a Beaver than a commercial passenger aircraft. Those were the best years of my life.
There are no words how to describe the absolutely hypnotic serenade and sound of a Beaver either taking off or approaching overhead from a great distance breaking the stillness and silence in the Ontario wilderness on a summer's day on any given body of water displaying a rich and colourful aviation history and legend as I was growing up to this day. As it also turns out I grew up in Downsview Ontario right next to the De Havilland factory so you can understand how deeply ingrained it is in my blood...so much so I am now a retired airline pilot from Canada's biggest air carrier.
A beaver with a radial that is.
🙏 Thank You So Much for rescuing & restoring these Royal & Hardworking De Havilland Beaver back to flying condition! Many Happy Good Blessings in Return to You All! 😊🙏🌷🌿🌍💜🕊🇨🇦
I am not a pilot, but I have had the privilege of riding in a piston Beaver from Campbell River, BC to Hill Island and back. It was awesome! Plus, I lived in Friday Harbor, WA for 30 years and LOVED the sound of the Kenmore Air piston Beavers arriving and leaving the Port of Friday Harbor marina. LOVE those planes! Thank you for the story.
25 years ago, while in Ketchikan, Alaska my wife, daughter and I rented one of these for a ride out to the Misty Fjiords. The young Canadian pilot actually landed right on the lake. It was an experience as we all got out and onto the pontoons to view an incredibly beautiful landscape. The weather was perfect. What struck me was how smooth the landings were in this airplane. I could not feel the aircraft touch the water. Extremely smooth running and flying plane.
The Beaver is my alarm clock as one from Harbour Air flies over my house at 8:05 am every morning. The sound of that rotary is like music.
I'm 68 years old now and personally logged hundreds of hours with my Beaver on floats in my bathtub at a pre school age. I had 2 Beaver airplanes one on floats and one on wheels and wore the propeller off of both of them. Although my wheeled Beaver spent many hours on the bottom of my bathtub both planes were my favorite toys . Since then I have welded many home built aircraft including the North Start (heavy duty cub type plane) I guess my 2 beaver planes were my beginnings in flight interest.
I jumped out of a beaver a few times. I LOVEd that plane.
I never knew it was used as a bomber.
I have several jumps into St Mereglese (sp?) at Ft Bagg in the late 60s. Sometime twice a morning.
Back 40+ years ago I lived in the far north of Australia and one of the cattle station/ranches had a Beaver (DHC2) which was used to carry loads you would not believe - upwards of 1000kg/2200 lbs and still get off the ground in a very short runway. You really needed to know what you were doing to fly one of these. Thanks fir this video. Cheers
Many years ago the Hawaii Civil Air Patrol had 2 Dehaviland Beavers and I had the opportunity to get checked out in it and I flew both of those Beavers for about 3 years. I was a junior birdman at the time and didn’t realize how lucky I was to fly these aircraft. When I saw the movie I immediately recognized the Beaver and said to my wife “Hey look it’s a Beaver!” She just shook her head kinda saying Who Cares. I cared.
I’ve got 9 Type Ratings and I’m retired but if I could fly any airplane again it would be the Beaver.
Awesome!
I've flown into the Canadian wilderness in a Beaver with two canoes strapped onto the pontoons twice now. There's no other plane that can do that. One hour in, a week to paddle out on one of the best whitewater rivers in Canada. So glad to see that generations to come will still be able to do that.
Which river are we talking…?
My Father worked at DeHavilland in Toronto Canada starting back in the 60's and for the next 3 1/2 decades. I used to go to family days, Christmas parties, BBQ's and even went into work with him a few times as a teenager. They had the beaver, otter, twin otter, caribou, buffalo and at the end the dash 7 and 8, great planes by a great company plus fooling around on them on the assembly lines was a lot of fun, we even had a few seats in the garage from the dash 7 we used for many years after he retired, there was even a few old wooden molds from the buffalo turned into coffee and end tables in the house.....good times, good memories.
Flew in a twin otter a couple times and they used them for skydiving where I flew gliders, why someone would jump out of such a nice plane I don't know.
And the Dash 7 is still in wide commercial use. Great plane.
Taking a plane that would have been either parts or wrecked and giving it a new life is commendable, some of the comments say you ruined it or its originality, you gave her a new heart and a new life and made her more then she was designed to be, I tip my hat to you
Flew in a Beaver when I was a child back in the 1960s. A neighbour liked to go fishing on a lake in northern Ontario. Nobody lived on the lake and the Pike fishing was amazing.
Great video. I was so fortunate to fly in these with the AK bush pilots in the 80's! What a ride...smoothest landing on water too. Incredible pilots in SE AK! Thanks for the opportunity. Loved the sound of the engine and the steering column! :)
Thank you for the history. Amusingly, the Canadian rough country aircraft was found in the hot, dry scrub brush Tucson Arizona USA desert flatland in one of the numerous private aircraft storage/teardown plots. Tucson has an unusually rather large national and international aviation footprint for a city of its size. We pop up in videos often. As an aviation nerd, this is an excellent spot.
I have known about this plane ever since I read the article of my fathers fatal plane crash. He was a member of the 551SMS out of Lincoln NE. He worked in a missile Silo in Union NE with the Atlas Missile. It turned out that this was one of a few sites that had an antenna tower. Upon takeoff the pilot caught one of the guy wires and all aboard were lost. I remember the article saying that it was a Beaver Aircraft. After watching this video I am very impressed by the plane and so much so that I would love to fly in one or even learn to fly myself. I hope this wasn't in bad taste mentioning my fathers death here.
In 1966, I was a Junior Forest Ranger posted to a Dept. of Lands and Forests camp about 80 miles or so west of what was then called the Twin Cities of Port Arthur & Fort William, now known as Thunder Bay Ontario.
One day, a Turbo Beaver landed on Madeline Lake where our Ranger camp was and taxied straight in to the dockside just like a boat would. He flew us in 2 groups to a Park close to Fort William that needed to be cleaned up for the Civic Holiday Weekend, I think was coming up soon.
I wondered how the pilot was going to back out from the dock. The first group got on. The pilot fired up the turboprop engine and backed up from the dock like a boat would, turned to face the wind and then took off.
I was amazed at 17 years old having never seen an aircraft do that before. The engine had a reversible pitch propeller which allowed him to do that. Then it was our group's turn. I got to sit in the seat next to the pilot, lucky me as I was the last one to board the plane.
What an experience for me never having been in a plane before.
Later in the afternoon, a deHavilland Otter picked us all up in one group and flew us back to our camp on Madeline Lake. I could not believe how slow the Otter flew and still remained in the air. I knew what it meant if a plane stalled and was sure it was going to. Apparently we were flying only about 50 - 60 mph. Incredible experience!
20 years later, I, my wife and 3 boys went up in a Radial engine powered Beaver piloted by a former Bush Pilot who had his own business flying fishermen in to a small camp he owned way out in the sticks with no road access. He also would fly his plane for tours of the area where we were vacationing on a lake with rental housekeeping type cottages.
The pilot's flying skills were incredible!! He had headphones on..we didn't. Talk about loud!!
I and my family were thrilled and we will never forget the experience of flying in those planes piloted by Professional Bush Pilots, that's for sure!!
Excellent and exciting documentary! For all of us who dreamt of flight even as small children, the Beaver is a dream come true.
I have found memories of the Beaver. One such memory was doing surveillance following a vehicle when the control tower came on and asked are you flying a fixed wing? With the head wind we were going very slow.
This was such a nice tribute to the aircraft.
Wow...what a work of art...the original engineering...and the comeback....magnificent !
I never got ride in a Beaver, but during my training in US Army Ranger school, we practiced guiding airdrops and the Beaver was the plane used that day. The sound of that radial is still lodged in my memory.
I just flew in a beaver last week in Alaska it was a unreal experience.
Have an ALL THE WAY DAY.
RLTW what year Ranger? I went in 1988
@@XRakkgruntX I graduated in 1969 and went to Vietnam shortly thereafter.
Excellent show ! Thank you. Spent 22 years in Alaska. How the pleasure of flying on them many times.
Thanks a million for posting this trimendous video of the immortal beaver, but just to let you know that I have thurly enjoyed your video of this plane, l have always enjoyed watching planes & going to the airport to watch them takeing off & landing, l also bought a small radio to listen in to the pilots talking to the control tower whitch really fascinates me very much, so again many thanks for this great video.
Fabulous coverage of a terrific air plane. Had the honor and pleasure to fly in one (Turbo) with three of my buddies on a fishing trip to the White River close to Hudson Bay 15 years ago. Wonderful experience!
Well, well, what a great video, I have not had the pleasure of flying in a radial powered one however, my friend Steve retired as an airline pilot and bought a turbine powered de Haviland, he has one of the permits to fly from Healy, Alaska and land on Mount McKinley , I was up to Healy for my nieces wedding, and got to go with him on one of those flights, awesome day, and he let me fly the airplane for a bit! What a nice aircraft. What a nice video. Thank you!
I’m always happy to get into an Beaver 😀
If an owner with no dependents dies, it becomes an heirless beaver!
Flew the Beaver, turbo Beaver, Twin Otter, DHC-8-100, and other aircraft during my career, Fokker F,-28 1000 & 2000, Boeing 727 & 757 as Captain, I was fortunate 2 do so!!
Great video of one of the greatest aircraft of all time. Thanks!!
Jeez you kidding me? I just realized this channel is so small! Brilliant video, thanks!
Thanks!
I grew up on Vancouver island long lake in Nanaimo. A certain blue & white beaver landed and took off less than two blocks from my house. When any other floatplane took off it sounded tinny and cheap. But the beaver always sounded like eight Harley’s doing a quarter mile drag race in unison. When I hear a beaver it always brings me back in time.
I flew in a Beaver several times in Grafenwohr Germany. Loved it
Oldest aircraft I have ever flown was a friend's Luscombe 8A, the classic taildragger. I flew it from a grass strip (Pegasus) near Stroudsburg PA on an overcast day in '07. We hit some winds aloft, but the controls were so well harmonized, it was so easy to fly, with a light touch on the stick and rudder.
My friend gave me a quick lesson to start the Luscombe by hand, since I was going to sit left seat, and it started with less than a third of a pull.
It was a joy to fly such a classic GA aircraft--I was a Light Sport Student at the time, and the Luscombe 8A qualified as an LSA given its stall, cruise speed, and gross weight.
Our flight was cut short. We'd planned on an hour, but we were certain we saw a flash in the distance, an unforecast embedded thunderstorm, and returned to Pegasus--my friend took over the controls for the last half mile due to 50 foot trees at the threshold of the runway, which required a slight dive before flare.
As we landed, it just started to rain, and I taxied the Luscombe back to its tiedown.
We then went to breakfast to debrief, and as we arrived at the restaurant, the embedded storm hit in full fury, about fifteen mins after we landed, with hail, heavy wind, and thunder.
We were both once students of weather in college, and weather understanding is a must for flight.
It is fun to see Harrison Ford as a docent of such old aircraft. I live not far from Pima Air Museum in Arizona, where so many of these old aircraft can be enjoyed, and recommend if in Phoenix (where I live) or Tuscon a trip to see it--a half day is a must and it is a museum meant for walking.
I have visited Jackson Hole and have thought of Harrison Ford's work as a Pilot up there. In my early 60's now, I've always considered Harrison the 'Jimmy Stewart' of my generation given his aviation interest and movie career.
Dad worked at deHavilland from the Mosqiuto to the Dash 8 before he died.I remember visiting the plant on family day (60’s) hoping to get a ride in a Beaver or an Otter.
Viking is making new models of classic deHavilland craft.
I made my first parachute jump from a Beaver. 1967 Old WWII airfield in VA. Had to learn to pack my own chute. I was the newbie, so I went first from 1200 ft., while the other went up to 12,000. In the middle of this 2 square mile filed sat a derelict forklift. Every turn I made, the wind pushed me toward that forklift. Thoughts of tombstone with "here he lies with a forklift up his ass." Actually missed it by 200 yards. Other guys went into the trees.
Hahaha. Great story
In 1962, as a member of the 503rd Airborne I jumped from the Beaver--as-L20 onto Yomitan field, Okinawa. In December, 1963, I flew in it three times, each time taking off and landing on skis onto either snow or the ice of a tundra lake. It was a geophysical camp near the Sagavanirktok, about 30 miles from the Beaufort Sea, a line of porta-cabins on tubular runners, pulled by a bussdozer. The Beaver would take off and land in fierce blizzards, keeping its bearing on the ice by the turning light of the camp beacon. About fifty feet above the howling wind and river of snow the air was clear, the camp submerged in the river and invisible. On the ice, taking off into the wind, the plaine would remain nearly stationary with respect to the Beacon until we suddenly peeked our windows above the blowing snow, at which point we would lunge forward and up in a great, smooth arc. The pilot was always a little tense until he got above the snow, which was a rushing river of white, all blowing, none falling. Above the blowing snow he would smile and speak as if he didn't care whether we found the camp again, He said that he thought it silly to go looking for rolling oil drums when we wouldn't, in any case, be able to see them. And the camp? Never mind, we'd find it. After christmas I flew by the same Beaver via Anaktuvik Pass back to Umiat, along the Colville,. The pilot was easily able to see and identify on the ground varioius things I couldn't, such as the herd of cariboo. From Umiat to Fairbanks was by frigid, noisy C-46 , in which I was one of two passengers. The stewardess wore a heavy parka. I wore the Air Force flight suit with the wolverine fur lined hood, that I had months before bought in a hardware store in Anchoragle for forty dollars and had worn over long johns in eighteen hour 52 degree F days and nights on the North Slope (being the warmest worker up there.) The Beaver was like that flight suit. Not because it kept me warm, though the Beaver was warm enough. But because it was perfect for what was needed. And it DID look great. From Seattle, on a motorcycle, I wore that flight suit, the hood streaming behind me all the way to Berkely. I can imagine that any pilot flying a Beaver today would be just like me on the bike, in that flight suit. Looking good, doing something good, feeling great. The Beaver, after all, was a work of art. (like Olivia DeHaviland)
FANTASTIC DOC!!!!!
My experience with the Beaver started in the 25th Aviation Company (25th Infantry Division) in Hawaii in 1960. Fresh out of Army flight school, I was assigned to the 25th Avn Co at Wheeler Field. We had 5 Beavers, used daily for transporting people and equipment to the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) on the Island of Hawaii. The airstrip at Pohakuloa (Bradshaw AAF) was a 3500 ft strip that rose several hundred feet along its length, and it was at about 5.000 ft ASL. We newly trained pilots were immediately checked out in the Beaver (U-6) to begin flying the daily PTA run. I became one of the Instructor Pilots (IPs) in the Beaver that summer, and did a number of checkouts, training the new guys on how to fly the Beaver. That included short field landings and takeoffs, which that airplane did exceedingly well. I also taught the new guys how to start the engine using the hand crank and inertia reel, and how to use the wobble pump when the engine began to run rough on a nearly empty fuel tank. The Pratt & Whitney R-981 engine was a superbly powerful and reliable engine, making short field operations easy. We even had a practice carrier deck (650 ft asphalt pad) on the north side of Oahu which became the ultimate test of skill at the end of a checkout, and most of us who accomplished this feat never forgot it. I also flew the Beaver in Thailand (1962) at Ft Benning (1963-1964), Ft Hood (1964 -1965), in Korea (1965-1966), Ft Lewis (1966), Viet Nam (1967), and last at Ft Rucker (1968-1969). Those of us that have been privileged to fly the Beaver will always hold that airplane in the highest esteem. It is a great airplane!
When I was in the Army, stationed at Ft. Stewart Georgia in1969, I was a member of the Ft. Stewart Sky Diving Club. We jumped from the DE Havilland Beaver. The Army's designation for that aircraft was the U-6, so we of course affectionately called it the Ugly-6. As a group we loved that airplane, and as an individual I still do. If the B-52 can be called BUFF, Big Ugly Fat F____r, then the Beaver can be called the Ugly-6.
The amazing result when you build a product to be the best at what it does. The Beaver qualifies, in the same way the A-10 does. Both are supremely good at what they do, and neither are easily replaced.
The Beaver was the first plane I flew in at age 7. Love that Olivia has been restored. Olivia de Havilland was born on the 1st of July - Canada Day.
I was certainly impressed with the Beaver. I worked for Shell Minerals. Two of us, both geologists, were hired to sample water for uranium in lakes, creeks, and rivers in the Yukon. We were landing on small lakes surrounded with trees. Taking off from a small lake was a 'rush', to say the least! We did OK. Our manager had said to us that if we saw interesting mineralization we were to take samples of the rock. The pilot got nervous when he saw us returning with our backpacks full of rocks. So, he did what I'll call a rehearsal to see if we might be able to get off the lake with the extra weight. He decided we could get off the lake. We did but we clipped a lot of trees. After that if we found rocks we needed to take back to camp we restrained ourselves. We had the Beaver (rotary engine) and a Twin Otter (turboprop) flying out of our camp. I managed to fly both and really enjoyed flying the Beaver!
And did you strike uranium?
Great video guys and girls . From Whitehorse, Yukon CAN.
I’m not a pilot but I’ve flown in several of these as float planes in BC’s Strait of Georgia.
Most memorable trip flying in the right hand seat from Sechelt 44km to Lasqueti Island in a heavily overcast sky almost down to the water. Halfway there the pilot sat down on the still ocean, pulled out a map to orientate ourselves and off we went flying at just a couple of feet above sea level, with the pilots instruction “lookout for logs”!
They are so great!
Strait of Georgia Strait of Georgia Strait of Georgia
TP 8329 TP 8329 TP 8329
Ty for sharing.
My father flew a few of these in different parts of the country. At one point I could tell who's plane was coming in by the sound of the engine. Lots of great memories flying over the west coast and central Sask.
What you guys do is extremely important and amazing.
In our 20's 1972, met Harrison updating Cousin Cherie's home in Santa Monica. I sanded half job with him 2 days - 12 hours/day. We shot much bull but discussed both interested in aviation. I told him about Beaver up in Canada flyin' in fishin' as he was unawares. May have been his 1st notice of aircraft! He didn't relish crashes, so told him about '61 trip Panama-Miami on single engine DC-6. We had started w/4, but blew 2 in fireballs, & lost #4 mourning #3's loss. On #1 we struggled, gaining 2 more engines approaching Cuba, but they were jet engines on MIG-15's, so not really good news as Castro said would shoot down all that approached. I sat in front on left side and saluted Pilot taking up station right outside my window. I was 10 & gave him nice crisp salute, & he returned salute. Shortly, they obvious got shoot down order, as MIG on right swooped up & over taking up firing position behind, but when Pilot on left saw that, he followed suit, but instead drove junior off, with both taking up station on left side while Cuban Control decided what to do. 10 min later, they both took up their stations off wings. It was right at dawn & you could see the Cubans wavin' to us, so might have been a touch low. Plane was really low approachin' Miami, with all the authorities boats dotting our path, as knew we were going swimmin'! It was a struggle at each glide slope gantry, Capt dropped gear at last one, and about 2 seconds later alit on grass Threshhold & bounced up sittin' on end of runway. #1 having just the right amount of stuff for trip, Capt shut her down & on intercom said, "Welcome to Miami"!! That got Harrison's attention, as had little to say...then had a lot to ask for instances of seemly sure crashes, but Capt came thru!! He was much more interested in aviation after that, but here I sit today with personal participation with World's best Capt saving all aboard when had no frickin' chance at all...except old Hi-Way worker w/nads alerted him to World's worst downdraft almost dead ahead! He plunked Liner right into Oak woods & besides you, I don't know anyone else that can do that, i.e. remember the Golf Course? Aw...c'mon Harry, you still want that Oscar don't you?? Take a chance!! Nobody calls me, "Billy from Michigan" anymore, but just google my name here + Lake Alfred FL, and give me a call. Remember, Hanks sold half a billion bucks of theatre tickets with, "Sully", and he didn't even have an inside track, and could no way in hell show us Liner all butched up draggin' it's wingtips, oak limbs protruding from belly, and rest of crew all injured, but you're Harrison Ford...remember?? Call me!!
Gibberish!
I wonder if ChatGPT “wrote” this.
Another great Canadian aviation story, defined by innovation and hard work, and then ruined by other people’s stupidity and arrogance.
I was ten years of age and saved all my change to buy a Beaver toy with floats. I brought it to the lake during a rare family vacation. I turned it on, placed it on the lake, and let it go. It took off across the lake and I never saw it again. There is nothing worse than losing a Beaver.
They were used for spreading superphosphate when I was a kid in Australia....this was how I recognised the Beaver sitting on the river near the bridge at Urunga.....after refuelling from jerry cans, it taxied down the estuary and took a long run up towards the bridges.....it took off a couple of hundred yards from the bridges, and majestically flew under both the rail bridge and the highway bridge, before departing southerly....
My father in-law and his identical twin brother worked at the factory building the first prototype by hand .He still talks
of the work they did at 91.Everything was built by hand .
Great too see Mr. Ford. I need to get some Beaver. I mean get a Beaver. ☺️
Great airplane, still run out of my house when I hear one fly by, someone likes to buzz the beach near Deception Pass, was lucky enough once to get right seat from Friday Harbor over to Roche Harbor, also right seat in a Grumman Widgeon to Catalina, will always stand above all the other aircraft I have ever flown in.
This is a great little documentary, well done! And thank you for sharing it, I learned a thing or two on the Beaver and aviation history. Thank you!
Been lucky to fly in many of them here in Alaska, best bush pilots on earth, simple!😳
Seems like if they started producing them again there would be a market. I am just an aviation admirer, nowhere close to knowledgeable, but this aircraft certainly seems beloved. People are searching worldwide for ancient planes to restore. It makes sense that people would line up to buy a new one. In closing, I had no idea such a well respected little plane existed. Well done on the documentary!
The Beaver was just the first of a series of world famous aircraft produced by De Havilland Canada. Next came the Otter, a Beaver on steroids with all the attributes of the Beaver; the Twin Otter a PT6 powered twin engine STOL used around the world and in many militaries; the PT6 powered version of the Otter and finally the Dash 7 regional turboprop which was the eventual genesis of the Dash 8 series of regional airliners. The only one in that list I have never flown on is the Otter variants. All these aircraft are still doing yeoman service around the world in places as far away and hostile as Antarctica. As well, a dear old friend I grew up with became an Air Force pilot and spent two tours flying a Twin Otter with the UN Peace Keeping Force in Gaza and the Middle East (with many a hair raising story to tell).
Excluding the Dash 8 series, in many ways these aircraft are Canada's equivalent of the DC3 ... so DAMNED GOOD a design that no one's come up with a suitable replacement. Viking Air will be in business for a LOOOOONNNNGGG time keeping them in the air.
I don’t think it’s a little plane really…
I think he meant that figuratively; but the Beaver is a "small plane" with limited passenger capacity and freight - suitable for its designed role but superceded in size and capacity by later aircraft with similar DNA.@@964cuplove
@@johnwilson4120 You forgot the Caribou and the Buffalo. Two of the best STOL transport aircraft in their era which would more readily be compared to the DC3.
You're RIGHT!!!😡 I did. My old friend George the Airforce Pilot would never forgive me. He did a tour in the Caribou and loved it.
Thanks for the reminder.@@DougLFC
MY FIRST AND ONLY FLOAT PLANE RIDE WAS A De Hvilland beaver on big moose lake in the new York Adirondacks loved every rumble! a beautiful and unforgetable experience that girlfriend who introduced me to the Adirondacks will also not be forgotten
I'm very surprised that a different company hasn't bought the production rights to the Beaver and continued on with making them since they are in such high demand. They could ask almost any price......and they would get it. These heavy duty, reliable airplanes are some of the most sought after in bush aviation and other applications all over the world. Even if not the Beaver, you would think other companies would make an airplane similar to this. A high powered, short take off/landing plane, built on a super rugged, heavy duty airframe that can take a beating if it had to make hard landings in bad weather or high wind conditions without damaging the airframe or passengers/crew inside the aircraft.
Calling a De Havilland aircraft “Olivia” is apt! As the founder of the De Havilland aircraft company was related to Olivia De Havilland the actress. They were cousins.
Half 1st Cousins, to be exact. Rev. Charles Richard de Havilland had married Margaret Letitia Molesworth and their granddaughters were famed actresses Olivia de Havilland & Joan Fontaine (nee de Havilland); he had married Agnes Maria Molesworth and their grandson was Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, founder of the de Havilland aircraft.
As I was a Chopper Wrench on Ester Island in SE AK for a surveying crew, a Dehavland Beaver landed on the large pond or small lake next to our camp and stole the generator. He cut the engine and landed dead stick gliding up to the dock to get the genny silently. As soon as the power died all of us ran towards the water to see the bird lift off with the tail numbers taped over. What a reckless dangerous move just for a stupid generator. My Chopper was around three nautical miles away so we had no chance to chase and then report this incident properly. The Beaver is an amazing bird nonetheless. I was in Bethel AK when Mickey Soleil's PT6 was getting FAA testing approval in the Beaver. He hung that ship by its nose in the air for thirty minutes and just helicoptered it there about a half mile from the runway. The Beaver is an impressive aircraft with the PT6 conversion or relying on the reciprocating engine for power.
Excellent story...holy shit !!
I loved the Beaver, the Single Otter and the Twin Otter. I have about 3,000 hours on the Twin Otter and I just love that crazy airplane. No autopilot, so you get to know how it feels, lol. Loved the overhead throttles and the fantastic location of the trim wheel. I love the Twin Otter.
I flew in one regularly in n out of Wau PNG to the old Lae township back in the 60's n early 70's. Loved it
Not Only can Harrison land his Beaver on a runway He can land it on a Taxiway just fine! LOL
Wonderful Video! I so much enjoyed it! thx for making it!
Had my first set of flights on an Otter this week and now I’m going down the rabbit hole of info on these machines.
Couldn’t believe it was 62 years old.
I have 2.5 hrs in a Beaver on Floats. Chilcotin region of BC. I received my Commercial license and then flew for Sharp Wings out of Willys puddle (Williams Lake) with the owner, Gideon Schutze - lol Gideon was a real bush pilot - and could be funny as heck even though he wasn't trying. A real pioneer in BC.
I got to ride a Beaver from Lake Union in Seattle to Cortes Is. at the N. end of the Salish Sea, at low tide, on the deck. It was a hoot to buzz right over a bar and wake up a seal. We pulled up to the dock on Cortes and I walked over the hill to the farm I was teaching at,
A real feel-good story. Thank you.
Nothing feels as nice as a ride in a beaver.
HA! You’re right.
What I wouldn't give to have a ride in Harrison's beaver Olvia.
Not a pilot, but I play one in the comfort of my couch. Shortly after MSFS 2020 was released I got busy learning the ropes and the embarrassing number of different historical planes the simulator comes with.
I immediately gravitated towards the DeHavilland Beaver. I have spent hundreds of hours simulating VR in this craft lake-hopping in the Alaskan wilderness and elsewhere and the experience is breathtaking. The sound alone is both ear-shattering and musical at the same time. The simulation of the startup and the engine roar are so convincing I believe I can smell fuel. I crank it up and pictures shake on the walls. My wife thinks I am nuts… and I am.
If I ever did get my license, which probably won’t happen, I would definitely seek to fly this incredible machine at least once.
At the very least I would love a chance to take a ride in one at an air show or local strip. It is very apparent, even in the neighborhood of aviation make-believe, that the Beaver is a singular creation and the men and women behind it should be forever proud of this accomplishment.
Hats off to those whose intense labor of love keeps these machines in the air, where they belong.
I fly a LAKE LA-4-200 Flying boat. Here in Beaufort South Carolina. Avid R/C enthuse with the collection of over 600 planes. One of which is a Beaver on floats . Sitting on the table in front of me after pulling it out of the Hanger. L:OVE it. Great flying machine. A1 job on the restoration. Keep um flying. AMEN.
Can't beat the beaver 🦫
Ironically, the first aircraft my dad owned and I flew with him was the Cessna 195, the de Havilland Beaver's competitor mentioned in the video. I still love the sound of a radial airtcraft engine. This last summer I heard one while I was out shooting photos of a couple of Bald Eagles. When I finally spotted the source of the sound, it was a WWII B-25 Mitchell heading to an airshow. It was fully decked out with weapons and military livery.
I enjoyed flying the Beaver while I was in the Army. Almost crashed into a mountain at the end of the takeoff stip. We were on maneuvers in W. Virginia. That beautiful old radial produced enough power to let me turn left at just barely over takeoff speed to clear that mountain. The Beaver that followed me didn't make it, and crashed into the mountain.
First trip in the Beaver I was picked up and flown out of the Maine wilderness where I had been Lake Trout fishing. My friend and I joined a couple more passengers and we took off through a shallow stream. The floats were sliding over water and gravel I couldn’t believe it! Suddenly up we rose into the air as if in slow motion, what an airplane.
First class doco. Fitting for a first class aircraft.
Nothing more exciting than a good beaver, and yes, you can definitely count on a beaver 👍. Steve
There should be a Beavis and Butthead episode of them watching this. They say Beaver every 5 seconds. They would never stop laughing.
I'm a fan too!🤨
Wow that was incredible great video !
If the Beaver is good enough for Harrison Ford, then I will have to try her out in the simulator. Interesting program & worth a look. Slainte ❤️
I've been lucky to have flown in two Beaver's.
The first in 1987 in King Salmon, Alaska. It was built in 1953. My birth year.
The second in 1989 in Anchorage, Alaska. Built in 1952.
The rate of climb just after takeoff was surprising. It was like a very strong wind blowing straight up under the wings and lifting it into the sky.
Knowing nothing about airplanes, it was still an exciting experience.
I flew missions as a radio operator in both the U1-Otter and the U6-Beaver while in the Army in Viet Nam. Always felt confident the pilots in both planes would get us safely down in any emergency. Wo nderful airplanes.. Tail draggers rule!!!
I’m an Aussie pilot. Always have been in love with the Beaver.
The only item in my bucket list is to go for a trip of some sort in Alaska or anywhere in North America in a beaver. Floats or wheels, wouldn’t matter. Maybe both. Haha. I don’t think there are many in Australia, but I must check and find out.
Can we just take a minute to admire Punch Dickens contributions to the beaver?
See a Beaver, sometimes two, most days from my home in SF Bay Area as a local company has a pair for excursion flights. I’ve also been in several when working in Alaska, such a solid flying plane and the water landings are just so smooth even when there is some chop (I’m not a pilot).
Ive flown numerous times in a Beaver seaplane to and from Isle Royale National Park from Hancock, Michigan. Usually a 35-40 flight.
I was lucky enough to fly in serial number 0012 back in 2000 in Fort McMurray. Talk about a short takeoff. We had to pull the tail to the shore line. Just to be able to take off. We were half the weight on the takeoff as the landing into this pond 2 hrs flight time north east of Fort Mac. It was incredible to watch the pilot work the hydralics on takeoff.
Working for Rayth f eon Aircraft Service in V a n Nuys I used to see this beauty in the north hangar
I flew 12 beavers from Ottawa to Oslo, Norway for the Norwegian armed forces, back in the early 1970s. 10 of them were piston engined and 2 of them had PT-6 turbine engines. I learned to love the Beaver. Most were equipped with ferry tanks inside the cabin, but I always flew to Iqaluit (Frobisher Bay), then across to Sondrestrom (Kangerlassuaq now) and then via Iceland to Oslo. The biggest problem was being forced into airframe icing conditions while flying over the very high Greenland icecap (13,000 ft) enroute to Iceland. But once I was on the other side, I was always able to descend to just over the ocean where the ice would melt off.
I am not a pilot but have flown in many Beavers in NW Ontario and Manitoba.
All it takes is money. I'm glad Harrison could do it. We need more people like him.
I was a Beaver crew chief in Korea, 1963-1965. The 59th AVN Co, in Uijongbu. The Army had great schools in Ft. Rucker, AL.When I got out of Korea was sent back to Rucker for Caribou school after which I went to the 6th Special Forces in Ft.Bragg after which they sent me to Vietnam.
I flew the Beaver out of Uijongbu in 1963-1964. I was the maintenance officer and test pilot for the unit. Capt. Richard. Loved to fly that aircraft, and used to practice making wheel landings. Also, the sound that engine made when you cranked it up, all that noise and smoke, like you had awakened a dragon ! .
The Army spent a small fortune training me on the Beechcraft King Air. When I got overseas they had not a one King Air. They did have 5 Otters. I was not a happy soldier, however, an aircraft is better than no aircraft at all. I would take an Otter or a Beaver in a heartbeat over a King Air today. I do love the King Air, but I am with Ford on the fact it is the way to see the country, or any place ...
I have always loved the Beaver and would love to own one but it is only a dream that won’t come true. I am grateful to have found out about Neal Aird and his web site, thank you for a great TV show about a great airplane.
As a wild land firefighter north of the 60th parallel, we’ve flown thousands of miles in these dependable sturdy workhorses.