C46's Pacific Western Airlines

[longjon]

Buffalos C46's reminded me of Pacific Western 2 C46's (CZM,CZN ??) doing the Granduc airlift in Stewart BC.

I tried to look them up in the TC historical reg but had no luck.

This is a poem by the Engineer Bill ross who was the Engineer for this project.

Does anyone know the pilots in the poem

[sky's the limit]

That's interesting.

Spent the summer of 2006 flying diamond drills around the old Granduc mine site - LOTS of history there, not to mention more than a few wrecked machines lying around. Tough country.

stl

[MacStork]

There is a tremendous amount of very interesting aviation history that occurred around Stewart and Grand Duke mine,
I worked with Bill Ross for three years with Trans Provincial Airlines when Gary Rheum and Bill McRae were the principle owners.
Ron Wells was the Chief Pilot of TPA and was an aviation legend. One year he experienced several engine failures in the DHC3 otter. Each one was a story in itself. Ron taught me more about a Beaver and Otter than anyone else I know. He was a pilot's Chief Pilot and was very well respected by every one who came in contact with him.
Pat Carey was also based in Stewart and worked side by side with Ron Wells in the mid to late 60's, flying men and equipment into Grand Duke and Tide Lake. Pat was an amazing pilot..... this was the time before GPS, INS, Loran C, etc. They flew in very difficult and incredible conditions....they were both aviation legends. There were many true stories about both of them. Pat made Ripley's Believe it or Not, when he flew his Otter into a wedge in a cliff while trying to get into Grand Duke one time in bad weather. He literally flew into a crack in the rock cliff and survived. A helo pilot found him sitting on a ledge with a broken arm several hours after he went missing. The Helo pilot landed and rigged up a 100 foot rope sling and managed to pluck him off the edge.
Pat retired to Sechelt and became a Magistrate..... he had a lot of common sense like most of the early Canadian bush pilots.
Jack Magel retired off the B707 that PWA used to operate around the world. Another aviation legend with many stories, some very humorous. He went fishing one time in Stewart in the Portland Canal when the weather was out. The weather cleared and there was no Captain..... so Bill Ross and the FO took the C46 and flew a load of freight into Grand Duke as Jack watched his C46 depart Stewart with him NOT on it! So Bill Ross told me! Jack also had a log salvage company that salvaged logs around the Fraser River. That was the last time that I remember seeing him.
I did not know Jim Siddle, but I remember Bill talking about him.
Somewhere out there, there are a few people who will remember these guys and will be able to fill in stories with much more detail than I can.
I hope someone will write a book about these guys....especially Bill Ross. The last time I saw Bill was when I flew the Riv Tow Barge loaders into Stewart ....just before dark.... in a Beech Kingaire 100. I ws sitting at the bar in the King Eddie and the old guy sitting beside me recognized my voice..... we had a good time remenicing about the good old days!
Hope this helps!

[sky's the limit]

Thanks for sharing Mac! Much appreciated.

stl

[linecrew]

CF-HYI in Vancouver circa 1958:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Pacific- ... 0120955/L/

[longjon]

Sadly Bill Ross passed away a few yrs back, the oldest Stewart resident at that time, 91 or so.
He stayed in Stewart when the ac left, worked and retired from BC Hydro then went on to drive logging truck. Quite a guy.

I also heard the story of the weather clearing and the co pilot filling the RH seat with Bill and doing the trip, flying over Jack fishing in the canal.

Tho Otters would depart the Stewart strip in the morning when it was still dark taking off down the canal, by the time they got some altitude and turned to go up the Salmon there was enough light to se the ground. SOP for the day but I doubt it would work in todays aviation.
I got a chance to go with Ron Wells in the Otter once, into a mining concession, Shaft Creek maybe, I was quite young obviously and never paid attention (or maybe cant remember) the route or destination.He had a lodge on the Stewart Cassiar, Iskut or ???
I remember Pat Careys crash well as I was working at the airport that day with Bullock Helicopters slinging fuel.

[BGH]

On the story of Jack Magel & the c46 flying over his head as he fished - is that the time he charged the f/o with theft of aircraft?

[longjon]

Theft of ac yes I believe thats what happened.

Is there a book by one of these pilots? Some time back someone mentioned there was a group who met--in Whiterock ?--

and one was compiling stories for a memoir or publication.

[BGH]

I don't know about a book being written but my friend Frank Lote flew for pwa in those days & was telling me that story & many others while I visited with him this last weekend,the f/o's first name was Sam,I can't remember the last name.He could write a book on his own about the many stories & characters that flew in those days.

Daryl

[sierra foxtrot]

What a great thread. It brings back lots of memories. I started out as an apprentice engineer with TPA in Terrace in 1968. TPA had just purchased the Prince Rupert PWA base I worked with Peter Dichacowski, Mel Johnson and later Stan Fletcher.
I was swamper with Ron Wells in the old single otter a number of times. We had a weekly schedualed run all the way up to Telegraph Creek that stopped at all the little camps and villages along the way. I remember when Pat Carey flew into the crevis. He and Ron used to have a compation between each other flying fuel from Stewart into Granduc. Ron was quite the guy with those thick glasses and two hearing aids. I remember he took lots of pictures. It sure would be something to see them now.

[HS-748 2A]

What a great thread. It brings back lots of memories. I started out as an apprentice engineer with TPA in Terrace in 1968. TPA had just purchased the Prince Rupert PWA base I worked with Peter Dichacowski, Mel Johnson and later Stan Fletcher.
I was swamper with Ron Wells in the old single otter a number of times. We had a weekly schedualed run all the way up to Telegraph Creek that stopped at all the little camps and villages along the way. I remember when Pat Carey flew into the crevis. He and Ron used to have a compation between each other flying fuel from Stewart into Granduc. Ron was quite the guy with those thick glasses and two hearing aids. I remember he took lots of pictures. It sure would be something to see them now.

How about Pete Lewko? Remember him?

[sierra foxtrot]

Yes I do.

[HS-748 2A]

Yes I do.

'Tell me, Brother...'

[sierra foxtrot]

Tell you what......

[HS-748 2A]

Tell you what......

If you knew him well, you'd recognise the famous quote.

"Tell me Brother,.. " is how P.L. would often start (an often loaded) question.


".... do you know the shear-strength of a dash five rivet?"

'48

[longjon]

Siera Fox remember the 1941 Plymouth that Peter D had?

Did you know another appi named Earl Recoski?

[sierra foxtrot]

Longjon

Peter D. had a blue Rambler when i worked there. I don't remember Earl Recski.

I spent many hours paint stripping the PWA and BC Ailines aicraft TPA aquired.

[longjon]

Peter D sold the Plymouth to Ernie in Rupert, about 1970 maybe, perhaps Earl came in the mid 70's

What about an office girl named D'nelda Foote? Terrace office.

[sierra foxtrot]

Beckie and Diane where in the office and Dave Marco??(spelling) was the manager.

[asande]

Hi, guys...

This is my first post here...

I found this thread while searching for "Pat Carey's" name to see what had been written about his Granduc crash in '69.

I thought the group might find this picture of the Otter as it sat on the ledge interesting. I've got a fair number of other aviation pics scattered through my website (www.hollowaybar.com) - even though its main topic is placer mining. This particular photo and story is today's "Picture of the Week"...



By the way, the names mentioned here are all very familiar to me as I grew up around these men and women (Pete Dychakowski, Diane Elkins, Ron Wells, Mel Johnstone, and Bill Ross, among others) as my father flew for TPA out of Terrace in the late 60's before our family got into the business in Watson Lake in '71 with BC Yukon Air Service...

Regards, Al

[Moose47]

>>>linecrew
CF-HYI in Vancouver circa 1958:
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Pacific- ... 0120955/L/>>>

This aircraft was registered as CF-HYI from 1955 to 1959. It was re-registered as CF-PWE. It was operated by P.W.A.from February 1955 to November 1967.

Cheers...Chris

[twotter]

Wow, I don't come on here too much lately but what a great thread to find.

I was just a kid in elementary school in Stewart when Pat Carey (my aunts uncle) crashed the otter into the crevase. I used to go down and hang out around the airport and watch the airplanes and helicopters come and go. There were the two TPA Otters there at the time.

I remember one day I went down to the floatplane dock, down where the Northland Prince and Lumba Lumba (??) used to dock, and waited all day for Brian Sylvester (old friend of my mother) to show up in a brand new 185, he was going to take me for a ride in it, only to be dissapointed when he didn't show up. We later found out he had drowned in Muchalet lake the day before.

OK, now I officially feel old.

Cheers.

[APM YTS]

Al....pm sent !

Harley

[mikecarey71]

Wow, I don't come on here too much lately but what a great thread to find.

I was just a kid in elementary school in Stewart when Pat Carey (my aunts uncle) crashed the otter into the crevase. I used to go down and hang out around the airport and watch the airplanes and helicopters come and go. There were the two TPA Otters there at the time.

I remember one day I went down to the floatplane dock, down where the Northland Prince and Lumba Lumba (??) used to dock, and waited all day for Brian Sylvester (old friend of my mother) to show up in a brand new 185, he was going to take me for a ride in it, only to be dissapointed when he didn't show up. We later found out he had drowned in Muchalet lake the day before.

OK, now I officially feel old.

Cheers.

who was you Aunt? Pat was my grandpa. I was just googling his name and couldn't believe how much info is out there about him. i just watched the video of him talking about the crash!!
Mike

[mikecarey71]

(Wow, I don't come on here too much lately but what a great thread to find.

I was just a kid in elementary school in Stewart when Pat Carey (my aunts uncle) crashed the otter into the crevase. I used to go down and hang out around the airport and watch the airplanes and helicopters come and go. There were the two TPA Otters there at the time.

I remember one day I went down to the floatplane dock, down where the Northland Prince and Lumba Lumba (??) used to dock, and waited all day for Brian Sylvester (old friend of my mother) to show up in a brand new 185, he was going to take me for a ride in it, only to be dissapointed when he didn't show up. We later found out he had drowned in Muchalet lake the day before.

OK, now I officially feel old.)

who is your aunt? Pat was my grandpa.... i googled his name tonite doing a family tree and i couldn't believe how much info i found on the net!!!
Mike Carey