Superior Airways

[beech 18]

July 07, 2013

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from late 1960's to 1974.

Sioux Lookout carried out a lot of the company float repairs. Aircraft that
were based in Pickle Lake, Round Lake, and Big Trout Lake came into Sioux
for most float repairs. The odd aircraft from Armstrong also flew into Sioux,
but that did not happed very often. With so many aircraft operating on floats
during the summer months, the repair ramp was kept busy.

There was no hangar in Sioux Lookout. All the repairs were done on the shore
of the lake on a wooden ramp that we pulled the aircraft up on. The maintenance
shop was approx. 50 feet in front of the ramp so repairs were no problem at all.
The shop was equipped to handle any repair that came up.

Usually if one of the aircraft was in from Pickle, Round, or Big Trout Lake, a 50 or
a 100 hour inspection would be carried out at the same time.

Attached is a photo taken in late August or early September 1970 in Sioux Lookout.
Beaver CF-MXR flew in from Pickle Lake for a float repair. The belly panel below
the forward door has been removed. I suspect the oil cooler is being replaced or
repaired. The belly area behind the cooler looks a bit dirty from an oil leak.

There are some other aircraft in the photo as well.
The bright red Cessna 185 is CF-YNS and was operated by a mining company.
The aircraft at the next dock over all belong to the original Slate Falls Airways.
The aircraft are Beech 18 CF-CSN. Cessna 180 CF-JDB. Norseman CF-HQD.

[beech 18]

August 07, 2013

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

Attached is a photo of Otter CF-GBX taken in the bay at Sioux Lookout in the
summer of 1970.

The aircraft had flown in from Pickle Lake earlier in the day and was reloaded for
a flight north with lumber and supplies for one of the northern settlements.
The floats are sitting low in the water so the load is in and the aircraft would
depart shortly.

The Otter is tied up in front of the building that served two purposes at the base.
The left side of the building was the warehouse for freight and the right side of
the building was the maintenance shop. The A-Frame used for changeover from
floats to skis is on the right side of the photo.

I had mentioned in a previous post that GBX was an Otter that Mr. Wieben rebuilt
in the hangar in Thunder Bay (Ft. William at the time). I don't know the history
of GBX before it was acquired by Mr. Wieben other than it had been written off before
he had purchase it. It was the 4th Otter that DeHavilland built.

I'm not sure where spring and fall changeover from floats to skis took place. It was
done either in Armstrong or Thunder Bay. GBX was operated on floats every summer
and straight skis each winter. It spent a lot of time flying out of Pickle Lake.

During my time with Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise the only abnormal event
that I can recall that occurred with GBX was in the winter of 1970 or maybe 1971.
The aircraft was in I believe Ft. Hope on a rather cold -35 to -40 degree morning.
The engine was not heated long enough with the blow pots before the engine start
was attempted. The engine did start but the oil press did not rise and a bearing was
turned in the engine. An engine change was carried out on the ice.

CF-GBX was a full time freighter there is no doubt about that. The loads were heavy
and the days were long.

GBX was also featured on a Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise postcard in the
late 1960's.

GBX flew for Superior Airways until 1979 when it was sold to Central Air Transport
of Sioux Lookout. It was involved in an accident in May 1980 at Carling Lake and
was destroyed in a fire.

[bobo]

Beech 18
I can add a few more details about GBX. In the late 60's probably 69 GBX which was being flown by Mr Wieben's son-in-law Pete Taylor, trying to land on the lake at Armstrong was stalled about 15 feet above the ice and crashed down driving the left gear leg through the fuselage and almost through the pilots seat. It was jury rigged on site and flown back to Fort William for repairs.
The change over from skis to floats was done at Fort William and the aircraft was flown off dollies from the runway there. That required someone standing in a 45 gallon barrel attached to the front of a van who had to grab the tail stinger and steer the otter until it had rudder control. I was in the barrel when Pete Tailor was taking off in GBX and he lifted the right pontoon out of the dolly and then lifted the left one and flew. I had a front row seat watching the right dally careen into the left one and then cartwheel off the runway taking out a couple of runway lights. Needless to say, Orville was not happy when he was presented a bill for the repairs.
When the engine siezed at Fort Hope I was accross the lake (probably about 2 miles away) preparing to start Beaver FHO and was wathing and heard the clunk it made when it broke. The pilot of GBX at that time was Merv Langille. I was based at a mining exploration camp on the lake when it happened.
I remember one in 1968 flying with Pete Taylor in GBX to a lake about 40 miles north of Port Arthur wher we loaded the engine from a 180 that had ground looped on skis there into the Otter and then tied the fuselage onto the right pontoon and flew it out of there back to the river in Fort William. The take off run was probably 4 miles long before we were off the water.
Intersting tiimes they were indeed.
Keep up the good work on you history of Superior Airway/Severn Enterprises.
Bob

[beech 18]

September 07, 2013

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

Attached is a photo of CF-GQU that was taken at the water base in Sioux Lookout
in the summer of 1970.

CF-GQU normally operated out of Sioux Lookout, but in the summer of 1970 the
Beaver was on a contract that lasted a number of months with a mining company
flying out of I believe Severn Lake. Not 100% sure about Severn Lake, but I
believe that was the spot.

In the photo GQU has a yellow and black upper engine cowling. I don't know the
whole story about the cowling other than the Beaver had flown into Pickle Lake
to have engine work and an inspection carried out. The cowlings had been
removed and were on the dock near the aircraft. A truck was backed down the
dock with a load for another aircraft and hit the upper cowling damaging it beyond
repair.

I suspect Mr. Wieben got an upper cowling from the Lands and Forests because it
was very close to the Forestry colour scheme.

GQU flew the rest of the summer with the yellow and black upper cowling.
In the fall when the Beaver was being changed over from floats to skis in Sioux Lookout,
both the upper and lower cowlings were stripped to bare metal. They remained
that way until the aircraft was completely repainted in the summer of 1971.

[Rowdy]

Tofino Air now has FMXR! Interesting to see some of the history. I know most of it from when it arrived on the coast. But thats about it.

[beech 18]

Oct 07, 2013

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960"s to 1974.

Attached is a photo that was taken at the water base in Sioux Lookout early in the
morning before the fog had burnt off. The reason for this photo is the two different
paint schemes on the Cessna 180 aircraft. This photo was taken in the early summer
of 1974.

The aircraft on the right side of the photo tied to what we called the sea wall is
Cessna 180 CF-KQP. In the summer of 1974 KQP was based out of Pickle Lake and
had flown into Sioux Lookout two days earlier for a float repair and a 100 hour inspection.
In the photo KQP is painted in the normal Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise red,
white, and black paint scheme. In the summer of 1974 KQP had set of Edo 2880 flat
top floats installed.

The Cessna 180 tied to the inside of the dock is CF-JDH. (I had incorrectly identified it
earlier as CF-KVU). JDH had arrived in Sioux Lookout the night before with a medical
emergency. I am not sure where this aircraft was based in the summer of 1974.
CF-JDH is painted in the red and white paint scheme but with a gold stripe on the fuselage.
This is the only Cessna 180 in Mr. Wieben's fleet that I ever saw painted with the gold stripe.
Normally the stripe was black. JDH had a set of Edo 2870 round top floats installed.

The Beaver tied on the outside of the dock is CF-MXR. This Beaver was base in Sioux
year round.

The Beech 18 at the dock tied up right in front of JDH is CF-YQB. During my time with the
company YQB was always based in Sioux Lookout.

In front of YQB is Beech 18 CF-ZQR. This Beech was always based in Sioux during my time
with the company.

In the distance over the top of the wing of YQB is a white Cessna 185. That aircraft was
operated by Hooker Air Service and flew for them year round. In the winter it was one of
the very few aircraft that was operated on wheel skis instead of straight skis. The aircraft
was based in Pickle lake most of the year. The registration I believe was CF-SZV.

[bobo]

beech18
Thanks for being so diligent in recording the history of Superior Airways and Severn Enterprises. It brings back a lot of memories of my time at Superior. Keep up the good work Kurt.
Bob

[beech 18]

Nov 07, 2013

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

In Sioux Lookout float season started to end during the first week of November.
Moose hunting season at the outpost camps was over. All the fly-in camps were
closed for another seaon.
The northern settlements were supplied for freeze up. Most of the settlements
would not see any aircraft until after ski operations started in early December.

One by one aircraft started coming out of the water and were prepared for ski season.
Floats were removed as soon as the aircraft was pulled up the ramp. Inspections and
repairs were carried out for the upcoming ski season. Engine tents and blow pots
were placed in each aircraft.

Skis were installed and the aircraft were parked on the shore of the lake waiting for
the ice to thicken enough to start the winter operation. The Cessna 180 fleet was the
first to go on the ice.

Attached is a photo taken in early November 1973 at the water base in Sioux Lookout.
The lake in the bay is beginning to freeze. Ice has formed around Cessna 180 CF-VSD.
The Cessna 180 on the outside of the dock is CF-RNF which will be departing for
Thunder Bay shortly to have skis installed for the winter. Beech 18 YQB will come out
of the water shortly as well. Float season is almost over.

[beech 18]

Dec 07, 2013

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

Attached is a photo of CF-WYR taken around the middle of December 1970 in
Sioux Lookout at the water base.

WYR has been parked since coming off floats in November and is covered with
snow and ice. A large tarp has put over the aircraft and a Herman Nelson Heater
duct has been pumping hot air under it to melt and dry the aircraft surfaces.

The main wheels that were used to move the aircraft around the base are
being removed and the skis are going on. The left main ski has already been installed.
The right ski is in the snow under the right wing and will go on next.
(the large leaf spring on the ski is visible above the snow).

The dish pans are mounted on the engines behind the propellers and it looks like some
work is still being carried out on the right engine. The lower cowling is off.

The Beech 18 fleet was the last to go on the ice. Usually they were on the ice by
about the 20th of December or so.

The day after this photo was taken WYR departed Sioux Lookout for Pickle Lake.

[bobo]

Kurt,
Your wealth of information and the size of your photo collection continue to amaze me. I wish now (almost 40 years later) that I had carried a camera with me and recorded some of the aircraft, people and places I saw when I flew for Superior.
Keep up the good work. You are the historian for the story of Superior Airways/Sever Enterprises two companies that helped open up North Western Ontario.
I salute you for your efforts.
Bobo

[beech 18]

bobo,
Thankyou.

[beech 18]

Jan 07, 2014

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from late 1960’s to 1974.

In the winter of 1971 a mining company that was working out of Sioux Lookout
needed some oversized equipment hauled north to one of their drill camps.
To move the equipment they chartered a Bristol Freighter that was owned by Norcanair.

In February the Bristol Freighter CF-WAE landed on the ice in the bay in Sioux Lookout
and for the next week to 10 days operated from the Severn Enterprise base hauling the
equipment north.

When the Norcanair aircraft arrived in Sioux, they came with their own aircraft support crew.
That crew relied on the Severn Enterprise base and its equipment each day to ensure a
smooth operation.

As far as I know this was the only time that a Bristol Freighter operated off the
ice in Sioux Lookout.

Attached is a photo of Norcanair's Bristol Freighter CF-WAE and Severn Enterprise's
Beaver CF-GQU on the ice in the bay at the Severn Enterprise base.
The pilot who was flying GQU during the winter of 1970/71 wanted to get a photo of his
aircraft with the Bristol Freighter.

In the background is Norseman CF-GSR that was leased by the original Slate Falls Airways
for a couple of years and operated on both floats and skis.

Bristol Freighter CF-WAE is now on display at the Western Canada Aviation Museum in Winnipeg.

[beech 18]

Feb 07, 2014

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

Attached is a photo taken of Cessna 180 CF-LBR in late December 1969. The photo
was taken at the water base in Sioux Lookout.

This was the first winter that Mr. Wieben operated LBR as it was purchased in the
summer of 1969. The aircraft is on wheel/skis. It's a bit hard to see the skis in
the photo, but they are there.

There was no hangar in Sioux Lookout. When engine work was required on a Cessna 180
or one of the Beavers, the aircraft was usually taxied off the ice and up the ramp to the
maintenance shop. The maintenance shop was a building that was raised a few feet off
the ground. Once lined up with the large door opening we would disconnect the main ski
bungees to avoid damaging them. The aircraft was then pushed forward until the aircraft
skis slid under the shop and the main gear legs came up against the raised floor.
Once the tarp was dropped over the door opening, work could be done in the warmth of
the shop. It worked out quite well.

When the work was completed we pushed the aircraft back by hand, reconnected the main
ski bungees and the aircraft taxied back onto the ice.

All maintenance on the Beech 18 and Otter fleet was carried out on the ice.

[beech 18]

Mar 07, 2014

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

Wiebenville was an airstrip in the bush.
Looking down at it when you were in the air you would see a strip cut though the bush
with an area off one side that was cut into the trees and used as a ramp.
If you drove north, the distance by road was somewhere around 60 or 70 miles
north of Pickle Lake.

In the 1970's Wiebenville was a busy base. All of Mr. Wieben's DC-3's operated out
of Wiebenville in the winter. The Beech 18's and Otters also operated off the strip on
skis moving freight and fuel oil to the northern settlements.

There were very few facilities at the airstrip.
I am sure anyone who worked in Wiebenville remembers the base to this day.

In early 1970 it should be noted that Hooker Air Service also setup a northern strip for
a short time to compete with Wiebenville. It was called Hookerville. It did not operate very long.

Over the years a number of the DC-3 aircraft met their end at Wiebenville.
Attached is a photo of DC-3 CF-TTZ that went into the trees on takeoff.
This was a leased DC-3 from a company in Calgary. This was the last day that TTZ was in operation.

[NWONT]

If my memory serves me right there were three DC-3's in the trees at Wiebenville. When I worked for Ontario Central Airlines we put one on it's nose so hard that the quadrant was pushed back. Rudder pedal area mangled beyond repair but it was flown back to Gimli in that condition. Engine control cables were tied in knots in the wheel wells to shorten them so carburetor could be operated. A few of our boys went to Weibenville and dropped the whole lower cockpit area into a truck and brought it back and raised it up into our plane. Was quite a job.

[beech 18]

NWONT

You are correct about there being three DC-3's that were involved in accidents
at Wiebenville.

Besides CF-TTZ there was CF-BKZ and also a DC-3 that I cannot remember the
registration of.

I recall the DC-3 that O.C.A. put on its nose.
You guys really did do quite a job getting it back in the air.

[NWONT]

Our plane was CF-IAZ. I have a few pics of the repairs but posting here ain't easy

[Kokanee]

With all the history being told in this thread, which is some cool stories of early aviation in NW Ontario. I can see that Kelner bringing the 3 back to the north is pretty cool. With seeing the basler in pickle and what it can do, I could only imagine what you guys would do with these back in the day. Anyone know if cargo north has gone into wiebenville yet with the Basler.

[NWONT]

I'm a bit confused. I have been to Weibenville back about '75 I think. My foggy brain says it was on the other side of the road than what they are now calling Weibenville. It had two runways. I was flying a Twin Otter a couple of years ago and saw the old area through the grown over trees but was busy fighting a fire and didn't get a chance to hit the GPS. Maybe Beech 18 can help me here

[Antique Pilot]

Hookerville had 2 runways and was on the north side of the road near Menako Lakes.
Wiebenville was farther up the road and on the south side of the road.

AP