jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Years ago, I watched a series about a plane company in northern Canada that operated a fleet of DC3 planes, delivering cargo to remote villages. The planes were very old, and they were always having problems.

Last night, I came across "Buffalo Airlines," and it features the same company, but now they have two or three C46 planes from WW II. I think it might have also been called "Ice Pilots." They still fly cargo, and they still have breakdowns. Does anyone know the story of how they switched from the DC3 to the D46? Operating a business with 80-year old planes doesn't seem like a good business model, especially with the temperature around -40°.

The also have a "new" Electra from the 1950s. When both C46 planes were broken down in last night's episode, they used the Electra. It's an interesting show, but it gets a bit repetitive. It's always -40°, the planes are always breaking down, and the workers are always complaining. You seen one, you seen them all.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

That show sounds a lot like “Ice Road Truckers."

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

The C46 was only made during the war, it was a military version of what at the time was the largest twin engine airliner in the world. It was built to be rugged, use relatively short primitive fields, simple to maintain etc. I would venture a guess the main problem today would be parts. That outfit sounds like almost a shoestring operation and buying either newer aircraft or doing a complete rebuild on the older planes would likely put them deep into the red. And rugged conditions modern planes would also more likely to be either too big for the primitive fields available or too small to carry enough cargo. The C123 or C123K used in Nam would work for that company but there were only a bit over 300 were ever built and the US/Allies pretty much wore those out. (C46-over 3000 built, DC3/C47 over 11,000 built). The Canadians designed and built DHC-4 Caribou would be even better but again only a bit over 300 produced and the US Army bought and used up a lot of them in Nam as the C-7. While I was there the Air Force raised a stink about the Army flying fixed wing aircraft other than spotter planes and executive haulers so the Pentagon transferred the Caribou to the Air Force who pretty promptly gave most of them to the ARVN and replaced them with C123Ks which needed larger fields etc. (North Vietnam captured several Caribou when they took over and used them well into the late 70s. The Army was not real pleased since that meant those small field remote outposts then had to be serviced by copters which of course were slower and carried less cargo for the most part. Well the Air Force could deliver supplies by air-drop but those often went astray and the supplies ended up in the hands of Charlie and the NVA.

therwol Loc: USA

This is an excerpt from a Wikipedia article on the plane. After reading this, I would have to conclude that the people trying to operate this plane are idiots. The DC3/C47 was far more reliable.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_C-46_Commando


"Design shortcomings
Despite its obvious and valuable utility, the C-46 remained a maintenance nightmare throughout its AAF career. The official history of the Army Air Forces summarized its shortcomings:

But from first to last, the Commando remained a headache. It could be kept flying only at the cost of thousands of extra man-hours for maintenance and modification. Although Curtiss-Wright reported the accumulation by November 1943 of the astounding total of 721 required changes in production models, the plane continued to be what maintenance crews around the world aptly described as a "plumber's nightmare". Worse still, the plane was a killer. In the experienced hands of Eastern Air Lines and along a route that provided more favorable flying conditions than were confronted by military crews in Africa and on the Hump route into China, the plane did well enough. Indeed, Eastern Air Lines lost only one C-46 in more than two years of operation. But among the ATC pilots the Commando was known, with good reason, as the "flying coffin". From May 1943 to March 1945, Air Transport Command received reports of thirty-one instances in which C-46s caught fire or exploded in the air. Still others were listed merely as "missing in flight", and it is a safe assumption that many of these exploded, went down in flames, or crashed as the result of vapor lock, carburetor icing, or other defects.[14]

During the war years, the C-46 was noted for an abnormal number of unexplained airborne explosions (31 between May 1943 and May 1945) that were initially attributed to various causes. In particular, the fuel system, which was quickly designed, then modified for the new, thirstier Pratt & Whitney engines, was criticized. The cause of the explosions was eventually traced to pooled gasoline from small leaks in the tanks and fuel system, combined with a spark, usually originating from open-contact electrical components. Though many service aircraft suffered small fuel leaks in use, the C-46's wings were unvented; if a leak occurred, the gasoline had nowhere to drain, but rather pooled at the wing root. Any spark or fire could set off an explosion. After the war, all C-46 aircraft received a wing vent modification to vent pooled gasoline, and an explosion-proof fuel booster pump was installed with shielded electrical selector switches in lieu of the open-contact type used originally."[20][21]

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

I've seen all their shows. They didn't switch planes as they operate both a c46 and C47. One was a prior military plane. They are all old aircraft but I assume still cheaper than buying newer cargo planes.

sheldon minsky Loc: iron mountain michigan

Kind of like viewing your daily contributions to the site.

whfowle Loc: Tampa first, now Albuquerque

These old planes are what the operators up north can afford to use. Yes, they are prone to failure and parts are hard to come by, but life goes on. You make do with what ya got! The Lockheed Electra is an old bird too. There aren't many left that still fly and the parts have to come off "hanger queens" and any other mothballed plane they can scrounge from. They do offer a slight upgrade since they are turbo prop rather than avgas fueled. Jet fuel is easier to find and is safer to use. At some point, these northern operators will have to upgrade, but for now, they make do with what they have. Living and working in the far north is a life changing experience. Something most lower 48 people don't understand.

PaulB Loc: Alabama

I flew the C-7 as an Air Force pilot in 1970 and served as an instructor for AF pilots being assigned to Vietnam until 1973. The Air Force did not "promptly transfer" the C-7 to the Vietnamese Air Force. The did not occur until U.S. forces began withdrawing in late 1972 or early 1973. When the aircraft was initially transferred from the U.S. Army to the Air Force, the understanding was that it would be used as "dedicated support" for the U.S. Army. That is the way it was used with very few exceptions. The C-7 was perfect for operations into and out of short, unprepared airfields.

One Rude Dawg Loc: Athol, ID

Lower 48 doesn't have a clue.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

OK. But why then did they almost disappear from the local airfields around Qui Nhon where I was stationed Dec 66 to Jan 69? Our local 1st Log depots supplied just about everyone in the central part of South Vietnam and we had tons of C123s, C130s etc. and of course copters out the kazoo going in and out of Qui Nhon but the Caribous more or less disappeared. I suppose they could have moved them to Phu Cat Air Base north of the city (I never made it out there.) but that would mean the supplies had to be moved from the depots in Qui Nhon up to Phu Cat and then flown out instead of just loading and leaving from Qui Nhon. Oh well, I could have missed seeing them since they didn't let me get out much. I was more or less stuck inside the Tactical Operations Center's bunkerized office. (Classified Report Clerk, Classified Documents Clerk and Alternate Custodian of Documents-an officer's slot and me a Sp4) Except for a couple of stints on outpost TDY and classified courier runs the only times I got anywhere was if the officers wanted me to be their driver/guard so I was handy for info on documents at whatever meeting they were going to. My time on the outpost TDY assignment ended when the Colonel wanted some documents two days into my 7 day TDY and my senior NCO IC was in Hawaii seeing his wife on R&R and no one else remembered the safe combinations - the Colonel borrowed a Huey from a general and sent a replacement for me and fetched me back to HQ to open the safe for him. No more outpost duty for me. In fact I got put on the Tac Ops night shift to watch over the safes (on night shift I also didn't get sent out on guard duty anywhere-I was in the office) and make sure someone didn't lock them and leave the Colonel without access again. And his chief of staff/custodian of documents, a major, had to come down to Tac Ops once a week and we would lock the safes and watch him open them to make sure he didn't forget the combos again. Plus my boss the Operations Officer (LtCol), the Intell and Asst Intell officers (major & 1st Lt) also had to learn the combos and show they could open the safes weekly. That meant that one LtCol, 2 Majors, 1st Lt, one E-8 and myself all knew the combos to make sure the documents could be gotten to. Then I was promoted to Sp5 and all the E-5 slots were taken up by E-6s and E-7s so I was replaced with a clerk typist, the officers and senior NCO took over my documents control jobs - they also had to change all the safe combos - and I became the Admin NCO for the Officer's Club System my last 6 months in the Army/Nam. That office was a 1st Lt, a Sp5 bookkeeper, myself and a Vietnamese civilian personnel records clerk. We spent 3 weeks a month reading books, playing cards, listening to music etc. than one week frantically doing the monthly financial reports. We even learned to install sound systems and would go out to the officer's clubs to install new gear or fix something someone had screwed up to have something to do and get out of the office.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Nearly 50 years ago, sometime in the 70's, my cousin flew a two engine plane from the U.S. to Africa to be used by MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship). Because the plane would fly both passengers and other times cargo, the biggest headache was finding removable seats that would pass FAA inspection. Then, he had to add a temporary extra fuel tank for the one long trip across the Atlantic. Despite its age, the last time I looked, this aircraft was still in service, serviced, by the way, by the missionary pilots.

Now, what do missionary pilots do? Anything and everything. Teaching the Bible was involved when on the ground. My cousin and his family served many places, including Haiti and Zaire. While in Zaire, he flew in a pathologist who would spend six months a year for several years at a medical compound just outside Kinshasha, where my cousing and his wife lived. It was my wife's aunt. Quite a coincidence. My cousin and family would often go out to the medical compound to play tennis..

PaulB Loc: Alabama

Not sure of the exact dates, but the Air Force stationed two C-7 squadrons at Phu Cat, two at Cam Rahn Bay and two at Vung Tau. In 1970, the two Vung Tau squadrons were moved to Cam Rahn (The colonel wing commander wanted to be the "big dog" on the base and having the most personnel and equipment under his command made that happen).

Smokin' Joe

Everts Air Cargo in Alaska still uses many of the old Douglas aircraft. We used them a lot in transporting our gold mining gear back and forth between Anchorage and Nome Alaska.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=everts+air+cargo

DickC Loc: NE Washington state

Stationed in the artic with the Coast Guard in late 50s there were every type and kind of planes there...if it could fly they'd use it; some of them could barely get off the ground!! Some were Korean War vintage that had been patched up and re-fitted to fly supplies to outlying towns. We were on Bering Sea Patrol and many of the villages out there had boats in about the same condition.

PaulB Loc: Alabama

Your comments about the C-7A Caribou were a little off. The transfer of the aircraft from the Army to the Air Force began in early 1967. The agreement was that the Air Force would use them in support of the Army. Although some C-7s were transferred to the ARVN, that did not occur until 1972 or 1973 when U.S. forces began disengaging from Vietnam. The Air Force brought several squadrons of caribous back to the states where they were assigned to Reserve and Air National Guard units in Alabama, Georgia, and Virginia. As South Vietnam was being overrun, many military and civilians escaped to Thailand in well overloaded ARVN C-7s (normal passenger load was 32 troops, but loads of near 100 were reported during the evacuation).