c/n 138

LN-BDD

CF-APP

x

• LN-BDD Widerøes Flyveselskap & Polarfly A/S., Bodø, Norway. Delivered 27-Jul-1956.

Note: Delivered by air by pilots of Fleetway Inc., via Prestwick 03-Aug-1956.

• LN-BDD Canx 19-Oct-1971.

Entries preceded by a date are extracts from the Canadian Department of Transport archives.

19-Oct-1971 Bill of Sale; Widerøe’s Flyveselskap A/S., to Laurentian Air Services Ltd., Ottawa, ON.

22-Oct-1971 CF-APP allotted to DHC-3 msn 138 for Alliance Aviation Ltd., Ottawa, ON. (A subsidiary of Laurentian set up to represent its non-flying activities.).

22-Oct-1971 Certificate of Registration and Flight Permit for importation Flight, Bodø, Norway to Ottawa via Goose Bay issued to Laurentian Air Services.

(Laurentian bought three Otters from Widerøes at this time, msns 31, 138 & 201. They were not delivered by air but flown to Oslo by Widerøes pilots where they were crated and shipped to Canada. There is an account of the transaction and pictures of the Otters in "FOR THE LOVE OF FLYING" (Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail).

14-Apr-1972 Temporary Certificate of Registration & Flight Permit for Certificate of Airworthiness test flight issued, valid until 14-May-1972

09-May-1972 Application for Certificate of Registration by Laurentian Air Services Ltd., Ottawa, ON.

14-Jun-1972 Above permit re-issued, valid to 14-Jul-1972.

24-Jun-1972 Certificate of Airworthiness issued.

26-Jun-1972 Temporary Certificate of Airworthiness & Certificate of Registration issued.

(A general note on temporary certificates; these temporary certificates were often issued because the Department of Transport office staff were backlogged typing up certificates, these telegram temporary certificates could be carried in the aircraft in case of ramp checks by Department of Transport Inspectors until the formal certificate arrived. That is why temporary certificates often have issue dates after those of the formal certificates, as in this case. There were other reasons, too).

10-Jul-1972 Certificate of Registration issued to Laurentian Air Services Ltd., Ottawa, ON.

• CF-APP Laurentian Air Services Ltd. Purchased 19-Oct- 1971. Regd 10-Jul-1972 after re-furbishment and painting.

30-Jan-1973 Lease Agreement; Laurentian Air Services Ltd to Labrador Airways Ltd., Goose Bay, NL. 30-Jan-1973-28-Feb-1973.

• CF-APP Leased to Labrador Airways, Goose Bay, NL. 30-Jan-1973 to 28- Feb-1973.

• CF-APP Returned to Laurentian Air Services Ltd. Feb-1973.

Accident: Port Burwell, 80ml S of Resolution Island, NT. 60.25/N64.50W 05-May-1973. After landing, the Otter was taxied off the ice strip so that a passenger could get a better photograph of an iceberg. Sadly, it then sank through the ice and became completely submerged. Pilot, C. Bennet and two passengers escaped, but the Otter sank to the bottom and was never salvaged.

Total time since new as recorded in Canadian Department archives.

09-Sep-1971 - 11,900 hours

24-Jun-1972 - 12,058 hours

• CF-APP Cancelled from Canadian Civil Aircraft Register, 19-Feb-1975.

• Broke through ice and remains unsalvaged •

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Otter 138 was delivered to Widerøes Flyveselskap & Polarfly A/S of Norway on 27th July 1956 registered LN-BDD. It was the second Otter to be delivered to Widerøes, the first having been LN- SUV (41) in June 1954. As with 'SUV, LN-BDD was flown across the Atlantic in wheel-plane configuration and then put on floats for operation in the fjords of northern Norway. The Otter passed through Prestwick Airport, Scotland on 3rd August 1956 on delivery, flown by pilots of Fleetway Inc., a ferry company.

LN-BDD continued in service with Widerøes for fifteen years, until 1971, when along with the other two surviving Widerøe Otters it was sold to Laurentian Air Services Ltd. The Bill of Sale for all three aircraft is dated 19th October 1971. The three Otters (LN-BDD, LN-BIB and LN-LMM) were shipped to Laurentian's base at Ottawa, Ontario. On the date of sale, LN-BDD's total time was 11,900 hours. On arrival in Ottawa, all three Otters were given a major refurbish and repainted from the Widerøe green colour scheme into Laurentian's colours. On completion of the work, LN-BDD was re- registered CF-APP to Laurentian Air Services Ltd., on 10th July 1972 and entered service with its new owners. It went on lease to Labrador Airways at Goose Bay from 30th January 1973 to   28th February 1973, then returning to service with Laurentian, flying in northern Québec.

CF-APP suffered an accident and was lost on 5th May 1973 at Port Burwell, some eighty miles south of Resolution Island, Northwest Territories. After landing, the Otter was taxied off the ice strip so that a passenger could get a better photograph of an iceberg. Sadly, it then sank through the ice and became completely submerged. The occupants escaped, but the Otter sank to the bottom and was never salvaged.

Full history courtesy of Karl E. Hayes © from DHC-3 Otter: A History (2005).