#buffaloairways

[dcthreepainter]

Mikey's Dakota.

Have no fear, I did not disappear …just spent several days reorganizing my reference images databank (now containing 15,410 items).

Back to art development, today's subject is the recently restored-to-flying-condition Douglas DC-3C owned by Mikey McBryan, the General Manager of Buffalo Airways and producer of the YouTube series Plane Savers that documented the entire resurrection over 156 episodes. She performed her first re-flight on June 6th, 2019, to coincide with the 75th Anniversary of D-Day. She had been previously owned by Avialogs Aéronautique (2017), the Air and Space Museum of Quebec (1996), Fondation Aerovision Quebec (1993), the Canadian Department of Transport (1958) and Trans-Canada Air Lines (1947). She was converted by Canadair to carry passengers from her initial build as a C-47A (Dakota III). The U.S. Army Air Forces received her as Douglas serial 12253 in 1944 and immediately loaned her to the Royal Air Force. C-FDTD currently resides at Buffalo's facility at Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada.

[aviatrixlife]

How about this little piece of amazing? How did our silly little t-shirt with a big message make it all the way to Yellowknife??? 🤔 Stella, thank you. We are blessed to have your support. Truly so. 🛫🙏 RepostBy @stellaheidorn: "To the best Airline in the world @buffaloairways & the coolest aviation clothing for females @aviatrixlife. Thank you for letting me be a part of your amazing journey! I'm truly blessed! ♥️" • • • 🚁🛩🎈🌅 Check out our friends: @boseaviation @stephanh_flightsuits @flightflix @whirly_girls_intl @bccoast99s @limitlessaviation @gardenstatehelicopters • • • #🛩 #Pilot #FemalePilot #GirlPilot #womenwhofly #Aviation #InstagramAviation #pilotlife #kissmebeforeflight #icepilots #Aviator #Aviatrix #AviatrixLife #RaiseThe6 #airline #Instaplane #gopro #Spotter #Follow #buffaloairways #dreamscometrue #sunset #dc3 #zen #Inspiration #lovelife #dreams #girl (at Buffalo Airways)

[driftingfast17-blog]

#buffaloairways #vintageplanes #planes #plane

[mikeymcbryan]

C-46 Curtiss Commando on the @buffaloairways ramp ready to taxi (at Yellowknife, Northwest Territories)

[lifefrom2020]

#Yellowknife #NorthWestTerritories #BuffaloAirways (at Yellowknife, Northwest Territories)

[notpeytonmanning]

My ride down to Hay River. #dc3 #aircraft #airplane #buffaloair #buffalo #buffaloairways #yzf #yellowknife (at Buffalo Airways)

[dcthreepainter]

An Aluminum Ending.

The Douglas C-47A with MSN 12741 was delivered to the U.S. Air Forces in 1944 and identified as 42-92890. She served in the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces mostly transporting troops. She returned to the U.S. in 1945 and was sold as surplus in 1947 to the Sperry Gyroscope company of Great Neck, New York, registered as NC60777. In 1962 she moved on to Mobil Oil of Canada, being re-registered as N2614. 12741 was transferred to Mobil Oil of Libya in 1966, and on to Mobil Oil Canada just a year later. She was assigned the Canadian registration of CF-MOC. By 1967 Bradley Air Services of Ottawa, Ontario had acquired her and updated her registration to C-FMOC in 1979. Bradley rebranded to First Air in 1980, but 12741 was soon sidelined and became a parts source. She was sold in 1988 to St. Felicien Air Services, who did little with her until her final sale to Buffalo Airways in 2001. She was presumably stripped for remaining parts of value and broken up for scrap in 2002.

[driftingfast17-blog]

#buffalo #buffaloairways #vintageplanes #planes

[gobcanada]

Hanging with Mikey McBryan from History Channel's Ice Pilots NWT "Buffalo Airways" in Vancouver. #icepilotsnwt #buffaloairways #gobband

[mikeymcbryan]

The test flights are done and she spend a couple days in the @buffaloairways Hangar. Will this coming week be TPO’s first chance to do a revenue trip? (at Buffalo Airways)

[margotmorrison]

Snacks

[notpeytonmanning]

Flying the warbirds on this wonderful Remembrance Day. #buffalo #buffaloair #buffaloairways #dc3 #yzf #yellowknife (at Buffalo Airways)

[dcthreepainter]

Unhappy Ending.

MSN 12475 had a long 56-year career with the Royal Air Force, numerous Canadian private companies and air carriers with a brief period of ownership by Buffalo Airways as depicted by this composition. Very sadly, she later succumbed to the dreaded engine-failure-on-takeoff situation that has taken so many aircraft (regardless of type), their crews and sometimes passengers. A fully loaded aircraft is at its most vulnerable during the early stages of takeoff, when the lack of altitude equates to a lack of time in which to react to a debilitating event.

[scarsandsmiles324]

[dcthreepainter]

Fleet of Fancy Number 1: Buffalo Airways, Plan A.

It took longer than I expected, but I am happy with the results. With some adjusting of the camera's position, I was able to enlarge the aircraft. I added a "wobble factor" to each plane so that they were not perfectly equidistant. An additional challenge was deciding how to prioritize the members of the group, which I accomplished by determining which airframes were in service the longest. So, the longer-tenured are up front and the parts-planes are in the rear.

Plan A is not for sale yet, pending review of a paper print for errors followed by a metal print. I'm still waiting for the proof print of Plan B.

In the meantime, I'm working on a companion to the Plan A design that will have tagged silhouettes mimicking the first piece and an associated caption for each airframe.

[dcthreepainter]

The Last Buffalo.

The 27th and final livery for the Buffalo Airways fleet. MSN 12419's rendering is nearly identical to her sistership, which was created a few back. Like her sister "NWU", "NWS" was only briefly possessed by Buffalo before being resold.

I will now begin developing my first group poster design, in which I envision all 27 birds flying in a loose formation. I have no idea if I can fit that many planes in a single composition and still have each with reasonable visibility.