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Ice Pilots

Hi,

Anyone watching the programme ‘Ice Pilots’ on Quest? It’s about a Canadian outfit, Buffalo Airways. They fly to the remote communities bringing in supplies. A spin off of Ice Truckers. Just watched the second part tonight, 9-10pm.

Their aircraft consist of a DC-6, C-46 Commando and a couple of DC-3’s.

Alex

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By: EGTC - 9th July 2010 at 15:55

I think theres already a topic on this somewhere on here 🙂
Ive been watching it for a few weeks! Good programme indeed. Their method of making the new recruits do groundwork before flying the planes reminds me of Atlantic Airlines cadet scheme.

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By: Skymonster - 8th May 2010 at 10:43

I know someone who’ll be doing exactly that next week. Makes you sick, doesn’t it? 🙁

Cut the whinging and go do it… London-Edmonton (Air Canada), Edmonton-Yellowknife (First Air 737) – job done! :p

Andy

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By: Skymonster - 8th May 2010 at 10:39

It was great to see the C-46 in the air. There can’t be many of them left that are airworthy. When they showed a general view of the DC-6 on the ramp I’m sure I saw two others in the background.

No DC-6s – only DC-4s. Buffalo have two C-46s – C-FAVO and C-GTXW. The only other airworthy C-46s are operated by Air Cargo Express in Alaska (2) and Everts Air Fuel in Alaska (2). There was another one airworthy in Gimli, Manitoba until recently but the airline got its certificate pulled, and the remaining Bolivian C-46s are currently on the ground too.

I gather that the series has been a big success in Canada (we are lucky to have it in the UK because its not been widely sindicated yet) and the History Channel Canada have already commissioned a second series.

Andy

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By: Skymonster - 8th May 2010 at 10:24

Oh… how I’d love to get onto their ramp one day!

Actually, I’ve flown on the “sched” from Yellowknife to Hay River and back! 🙂 Buffalo Joe at the controls too! 😀

12.05.2000 C-GWIR Douglas DC-3 Buffalo Airways J8 812 Yellowknife Hay River
13.05.2000 C-GWIR Douglas DC-3 Buffalo Airways J8 813 Hay River Yellowknife

Shooot – it was almost exactly ten years ago!! 🙁

Great airline, great people, great place – but ferkin cold in the winter! 😡

Andy

PS: FWIW, they actually have several DC-4s, several DC-3s, two Commandos, PBY Cansos (that they operate on fire bombing duties – some of the DC-4s get retardent tanks in the summer too), and the Electras. Aside from the operation in Yellowknife and Hay River (where several more DC-3s and DC-4s are stored) they have a substantial base at Red Deer near Edmonton where even more DC-3s and DC-4s are stored. The Electras are ex Air Bridge Carriers (UK) /Amerer Air (Austria)

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By: EGTC - 7th May 2010 at 23:40

I watched it this evening!
Very enjoyable! 🙂 Cant wait for the next one.

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By: Flightmech - 7th May 2010 at 17:45

http://www.buffaloairways.com/

Great fleet and (very) demanding flying!

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By: Alex Crawford - 7th May 2010 at 17:39

Hi,

Well I’ve series linked it so I won’t miss any other parts.

It was great to see the C-46 in the air. There can’t be many of them left that are airworthy. When they showed a general view of the DC-6 on the ramp I’m sure I saw two others in the background.

Alex

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By: Grey Area - 7th May 2010 at 10:30

I’ll try and bend his arm and get him to post some pictures on here, and then we can turn green-eyed together. 🙂

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By: Bmused55 - 7th May 2010 at 07:43

Swine!

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By: Grey Area - 7th May 2010 at 07:37

Oh… how I’d love to get onto their ramp one day!

I know someone who’ll be doing exactly that next week.

Makes you sick, doesn’t it? 🙁

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By: KabirT - 7th May 2010 at 07:31

Seems mighty interesting, no chance of getting it here. I’ll try to find it online somewhere.

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By: Bmused55 - 7th May 2010 at 07:31

Their aircraft consist of a DC-6, C-46 Commando and a couple of DC-3’s.
Alex

They actually have 2 airworthy C-46’s and I think a parted out one.
They also have an Electra which at about 40 years old is the youngest aicraft in their fleet.

Oh… how I’d love to get onto their ramp one day!

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By: Bmused55 - 7th May 2010 at 07:29

Thursdays at 9pm.

Rivetting watch I tell ya.

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By: steve wilson - 7th May 2010 at 06:45

Repeated tonight at 10pm. I must watch.

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By: EGTC - 6th May 2010 at 23:43

Not heard of this but i’ll try and catch it when its next on. 🙂

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By: scotavia - 6th May 2010 at 22:40

It is a brilliant series, tonight was part 3.This is series one and series two is being prepared.

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By: Peter Catchpole - 6th May 2010 at 22:38

I’ve just come across Quest, bloody marvellous, not only Ice Pilots but also Mark Evans building a chopper…

How about Challenge Tommy?

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By: Bmused55 - 6th May 2010 at 22:12

Yup, been watching it. Pretty awesome!

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