USA & CANADA 1980s - GRUMMAN AMPHIBIANS
A selection of my photos of the classic Grumman amphibian aircraft range in USA and Canada during the 1980s
|
|
Grumman G.21 Goose N7F at Oshkosh July 1989 was built in 1944 as a US Navy JRF-5 diverted to Royal Canadian Air Force
|
|
Antilles Air Boats Goose N3283 at St Croix, US Virgin Islands October 1981 just a month after the popular airline was shut
down by the FAA due to operational safety infringements. The AAB Gooses and Mallards were retired pending resale.
This particular Goose was a wartime US Navy JRF-5 which later saw lengthy military use in Argentina and later Paraguay.
|
|
Former US Navy JRF-5 Goose N644R at Anchorage, Alaska in September 1981 was among a fleet of Gooses based here
since the early 1950s operated by the US Department of Interior.
|
|
|
Goose N322 at Long Beach California in November 1981 in service with Air Fast Freight Inc, after many years passenger
use on airline services to Catalina Island. Modifications include lengthened windows and retractable wing tip floats.
|
|
|
McKinnon G-21C Turbo Goose C-FAWH powered by PT-6A turbines seen at Vancouver BC in September 1981.
It was operated by Air BC on scheduled services to coastal communities along the British Columbia coastline.
|
|
Grumman followed the G.21 Goose with the smaller G.44 Widgeon. N1423 seen at Merrill Field in downtown Anchorage,
Alaska in September 1981 retains the original 200hp Fairchild Ranger engines. It was owned by bush operator Red Dodge.
|
|
Also at Merill Field, Anchorage was this Super Widgeon N9900H, re-engined with Lycoming GO-435s. There were various
Super Widgeon modification kits marketed using a variety of power plants and airframe improvements.
|
|
Parked by the floatplane lake on Fairbanks Airport, Alaska in September 1981 was McKinnon Super Widgeon N45CA, which
featured 310hp Lycoming GO-480s with three bladed props and retractable wing tip floats.
|
|
N160W at Fairbanks September 1981 was a Link Super Widgeon upgrade by Link Aeronautical Corp, New York which
included Lycoming GO-480s with 3 bladed props, hull and airframe modifications including retractable wing tip floats.
|
|
N3767Z at Fairbanks September 1981 was a McKinnon Super Widgeon owned by Usibelli Coal Mine at Healy Alsaka
|
|
Widgeon N37DF at Fort Lauderdale Executive, Florida in August 1989 had been re-engined with Continental IO-470s
|
|
Idyllic scene at Round Lake Wisconsin July 1989 as campers prepare breakfast with their Widgeon N54VT moored behind.
|
|
N54VT had been a US Navy J4F-2 before civil disposal and later rebuild as a Super Widgeon with Lycoming GO-480s
|
|
Next in the Grumman amphibian series came the 10 passenger G.73 Mallard. N2442H is seen powering up the ramp out of the
water at Miami harbor, Florida in October 1981 while operated by Chalk's International Airline.
|
|
Chalk's International Airline replaced its fleet of Grumman Gooses with Mallards. N73556 at Miami in October 1981
|
|
Antilles Air Boats Mallard N26DF at St Croix, US Virgin Islands in October 1981 after the airline was grounded
|
|
Continental Can Company of Canada's CF-BKE was one of many corporate Mallards. Toronto October 1981
|
|
Vancouver BC was home base for Air BC which flew passenger services to BC coastal towns all the way to Alaska.
Mallard C-GIRL seen at Vancouver in September 1981.
|
|
C-FHUB at Vancouver in September 1981 in service with Air BC
|
|
C-GHUM at Vancouver September 1981 was a Frakes Aviation G-73T Turbo Mallard conversion with PT-6A-34 turbines.
|
|
Chalk's International Airline at Miami had several Frakes Turbo Mallards. N2969 in October 1981.
|
|
N2969 in service at Miami in August 1989 now repainted in Chalk's new scheme
|
|
Chalk's Frakes Turbo Mallard N2974 arrives at Miami Harbor from the Bahamas in August 1989
|
|
N2974 comes up the ramp at Chalk's passenger terminal on Watson Island in Miami harbor in August 1989
|
|
Many military-surplus Grumman HU-16 Albatross amphibians came on to the US civil market.
N24BM at Dallas-Love Field, Texas in November 1981was a former USAF HU-16B model in faded original paintwork.
|
|
Typical US Navy surplus HU-16E N7026H parked at Opa Locka, Florida in August 1989 waiting for civil conversion.
Military markings are sprayed over but the Navy serial number Bu142360 has been helpfully hand-painted on the fuselage.
|
|
And this is how they look after civil overhaul, often with sumptuous "air yacht" cabins. N8523H at Opa Locka August 1989.
|
|
|
Chalks International Airline had 13 HU-16s rebuilt by Grumman as civil commercial G-111s certified for airline use with
seating for up to 28 passengers. Here's one of their first N112FB in service at Miami harbor in October 1981.
|
|
N112FB's undercarriage is still retracting as it leaves the ramp for a scheduled service to Bimini, Bahamas October 1981.
|
|
By November 1981 only a row of US Coast Guard HU-16Es remained at Davis Monthan AFB Arizona waiting for disposal.
|
|
Dennis Buehn parks his HU-16C N9722B "Navy 137927 Guantanamo Bay" at Oshkosh July 1989 on arrival from Reno Nevada.
|
|
Wilson "Connie" Edwards arrives at Oshkosh July 1989 from Texas in his former US Coast Guard Grumman HU-16E.
|
|
Back to the Photographs
Menu
|
|
|