Superior Airways

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beech 18
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Re: Superior Airways

Post by beech 18 »

bobo,
Thankyou.
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beech 18
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Re: Superior Airways

Post by 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.


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beech 18
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Re: Superior Airways

Post by 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.


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beech 18
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Re: Superior Airways

Post by 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.


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NWONT
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Re: Superior Airways

Post by 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.
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beech 18
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Re: Superior Airways

Post by 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.
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NWONT
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Re: Superior Airways

Post by NWONT »

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

Post by 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.
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NWONT
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Re: Superior Airways

Post by 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
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Antique Pilot
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Re: Superior Airways

Post by 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
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NWONT
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Re: Superior Airways

Post by NWONT »

Damn....I thought it was the other way around.
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beech 18
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Re: Superior Airways

Post by beech 18 »

Antique Pilot - Do you recall how long Hookerville actually operated?


NWONT - You mentioned the O.C.A. DC-3 CF-IAZ that was repaired after
going on its nose. I have also seen a couple of photos of the same DC-3
CF-IAZ after the left leg failed while on skis. The photo was taken I believe
on the ice, not on a runway. In the photo it did not look like the prop hit
the ice. Do you recall how that happened?

The third DC-3 that went into the trees in Wiebenville happened after I had
left the company. I have seen a couple of photos of it over the years but I
can't remember the registration. CF-TTZ and CF-BKZ accidents occurred
while I worked for Mr.Wieben.
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NWONT
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Re: Superior Airways

Post by NWONT »

I don't recall ever putting IAZ on skis. I'm almost positive it wasn't plumbed for skis but I've been wrong before. I do recall that I had a hellova time working on the electrical system as it was all in French.
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NWONT
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Re: Superior Airways

Post by NWONT »

We would always run the DC-3's as long as we could without skis because skis were so heavy and caused a big reduction in payload. We put many on their nose. Just checked some old pictures and can't see the wheel bushings for the ski axle.
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Antique Pilot
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Re: Superior Airways

Post by Antique Pilot »

Beech 18:

Hookerville was up and running very early in 1971. I don't know how long it was used as I was gone from that area by 1972.

AP
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Re: Superior Airways

Post by Antique Pilot »

Beech 18,

I checked with a friend that was with HAS before, during, and after me about Hookerville. He says it was used for only 1 season in 1971. He says that they figured out that by reducing the cost of freight by a cent a pound that they charged customers they could keep flying out of PL without investing a lot of money in a closer airport.

AP
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flyboy988
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Re: Superior Airways

Post by flyboy988 »

Any current info on these guys? If anyone works there, can they pm me?
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Gear Jerker
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Re: Superior Airways

Post by Gear Jerker »

Add me to the list of: If anybody works there, or has recently can you please PM me?
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beech 18
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Re: Superior Airways

Post by beech 18 »

April 08, 2014

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

In the fall when the floats were removed from the aircraft any water in the compartments
was pumped out and the floats were placed on the west side of the base for the winter.
No work was carried out on the floats when they were removed.

Around the middle of March starting with the Cessna 180 floats, they were pulled over to
the maintenance shop. Only the Cessna 180 floats would fit inside the shop.

Once inside the floats were lifted onto forty-five gallon drums and each compartment was filled
to the water line with water. Any leaks that were found were marked and then repaired once
the water was pumped out. Damaged pulleys or frayed water rudder steering cables and
water rudder retract cables were also replaced.

The floats for the Beaver's and the Beech 18's were too large to fit into the maintenance shop.
Those floats were tested and repaired in the same manner except that work was done outside,
usually starting in mid April when the temperatures were a lot nicer.

When all the repairs were finished the floats were repainted. The floats were all sprayed with
an aluminum coloured finish.

Sioux Lookout painted the following aircraft float bottoms the aluminum colour:

CF-YQB - Beech 18.
CF-ZQR - Beech 18.
CF-VGA - Cessna 180.
CF-VBW - Cessna 172.

Sioux Lookout painted the following aircraft float bottoms red:

CF-WYR - Beech 18.
CF-GQU - Beaver.
CF-MXR - Beaver.
CF-JQM - Cessna 180.
CF-LBR - Cessna 180.
CF-LSN - Cessna 180.
CF-VSD - Cessna 180.


Attached is a photo taken in April 1971 in Sioux Lookout.
The floats are being repaired for the summer inside the maintenance shop.
These floats are Edo 2880 flat tops. They will be installed on Cessna 180 CF-JQM.

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beech 18
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Re: Superior Airways

Post by beech 18 »

May 07, 2014

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

In the spring, conditions were good for ski operations one day and by the next day
it was time to get the aircraft off the ice. Once the aircraft were off the ice,
the change over from skis to floats began right away.

Mr. Wieben had three bases that carried out the change over from skis to floats.
They were Armstrong, Sioux Lookout, and Thunder Bay. These bases also prepared
the aircraft for the summer of float flying ahead of them.

Sioux Lookout based aircraft were changed over from skis to floats at the
water base under the A-frame.

The Sioux based aircraft that operated further north flying out of Big Trout Lake,
Round Lake, or Wiebenville operated on skis a while longer.
When it was time for the aircraft to head south, the skis would be removed and a
set of wheels were installed on the axels. The aircraft would then land at the
Sioux Lookout airstrip.
There they would be changed over under the A-frame at the little lake (Big Wood Lake)
next to the airstrip. Most springs at least one or two of the aircraft were changed
over to floats at the little lake.

The aircraft that were normally late getting home to Sioux Lookout always seemed to be
Cessna 180 CF-LBR or Cessna 180 CF-VSD operating out of Round lake and at least
one spring Beech 18 CF-WYR was late coming out of Wiebenville.

During the summer months aircraft on floats were based at Armstrong, Big Trout Lake,
Nakina, Pays Plat, Pickle Lake, Round Lake, Sioux Lookout, and Thunder Bay.

Attached is a photo that was taken at the water base in Sioux Lookout in early May 1971.
Cessna 180 CF-VSD is on the ramp waiting for the ice to go out. Under the A-frame is
Cessna 180 CF-VGA. The floats were installed on VGA earlier in the morning.

There are two other aircraft in the photo. They are both parked at the original Slate Falls Airways
water base. Off the left wing of VSD is Cessna 185 CF-SZW on skis.
Above VGA and between the A-frame poles is Beech 18 CF-CSN on floats.


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