Superior Airways

[beech 18]

July 07, 2017

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

Attached is a photo taken during an early morning start up in the bay at Sioux Lookout
in August 1971.

This is the main dock at the base. It has a floating dock attached on each side at the end.
The water looks to be low as the floating docks are sitting a few feet below the main section.

Four aircraft are in the photo.

Cessna 180 CF-VSD is tied to the dock. It has a set of PeeKay 3500 floats installed.
In the summer of 1971 VSD was based in Sioux, not in Round Lake as usual. VSD would
only be four years old in this photograph.

Right in front of VSD is the yellow tail of Cessna 180 CF-PHL. PHL was a leased 180 that
was with Severn Enterprise for only one float season. PHL had Edo 2870 round top floats
that I believe were painted white.

Beech 18 CF-YQB is tied to the dock behind VSD.

The fourth aircraft in the photo is Norseman CF-HQD. The aircraft is taxing into the bay.
HQD was owned and operated by the original Slate Falls Airways. HQD prior to a major
rebuild in the late 1960's carried the name Slate Falls Trading on its fuselage.

[beech 18]

August 07, 2017

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

Attached is a photo of DeHavilland Beaver CF-GQU taken at Sioux Lookout in August 1971.

GQU was beginning to look a little worn from the day to day wear and tear of flying year
round. The aircraft's paint was beginning to fade and was peeling in a number of areas.
The engine cowlings had been stripped of all paint about ten months earlier and had been
left bare metal.

In early August the Beaver was taken out of service for approx. a week or so and a complete
repainting of the aircraft began. The aircraft was not taken out of the water, but was tied
to the dock on the east side of the base. Panels that could be removed were removed and
then stripped and cleaned in the maintenance shop. The fuselage, wings and tail were all
prepared for repainting at the dock.

The cabins interior panels were removed and new side panels and a headliner were made in
the shop and installed. The removable plywood floor boards were also replaced.

When it came time for the actual painting, the town sign painter came to the base and sprayed
the aircraft at the dock. It took a bit of time to complete because instead of the painter
moving around the aircraft to apply the paint, the aircraft being on floats was moved around for
the painter who remained on the dock. It worked well as very little equipment had to be
repositioned.

GQU was a very nice looking aircraft in its brand new red, white and black Severn Enterprise
paint scheme once all the paper and masking tape was removed.

Severn was painted in written letters on each side of the aft fuselage behind the cabin port
hole window.

In the photo the red paint has just been applied. The aircraft elevators had been removed and
repainted in the shop. They have not yet been reinstalled.

Cessna 185 CF-YNS parked behind the right wing of GQU was covered during the spraying with
a tarp to protect it from overspray.

[beech 18]

September 07, 2017

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

A few points that were missed in the posting above concerning the painting of
Beaver CF-GQU in August 1971.

When the painting was completed the aircraft paint scheme was just a little bit different
from the rest of the Severn Enterprise / Superior Airways red, white and black aircraft.
Only the wing tips on GQU were painted white.

All the other aircraft that had the red, white and black paint scheme had white wing
tips along with the first four or five feet of the outer wing sections painted white with a
small black pin stripe separating the white from the red paint.

When GQU was removed from service in the middle of float season for painting it was
something that was rarely done. Aircraft were not taken out of service for any length
of time during the summer except for a 50 or 100 hour inspection, a float repair or an
engine change. Even then those were done quickly so the aircraft could return to flying.

[beech 18]

October 07, 2017

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

A photo of Beech 18 CF-PRZ taken in 1969 at Northumbrian Lodge on Abram Lake in
Sioux Lookout.

PRZ was based in Pickle Lake during the summer of 1969. This aircraft very very
seldom did any flying for the tourist camps in the Sioux Lookout area. The Beech
had flown in from Pickle Lake earlier in the day and was needed, so it was dispatched
on this flight.

The aircraft is off loading a group of American tourists that had been fishing for a week
at Northumbrian's outpost camp at Wapesi Lake approx 40 miles northwest of Sioux Lookout.

Severn Enterprise did a lot of flying for the local tourist camps in the area. This kept the
aircraft quite busy all summer between their flights that serviced the northern communities.

A bit more information about Abram Lake.

The direction the Beech 18 is heading is more or less east. In the distance there is a point
of land. Right behind that point is the base for (what it was called back then) the Department
of Lands and Forest.

That's where the Lands and Forest aircraft operated from year round. Floats in the summer
and skis in the winter. The ski strip in the winter was just off that point of land located straight
above PRZ's cargo door in the photo. It ran east and west on the ice. The strip was snow
packed by rollers and the sides were marked with pine trees in the winter.

[beech 18]

November 07, 2017

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

Attached is a photo of Beech 18 CF-ZQR taken in Pickle Lake.

The Beech was being loaded for a flight north. There is a light dusting of snow
on the dock.

This photo was taken after the Sioux Lookout base had been sold to Patricia Air
Transport (PAT Air). Up until that time Beech 18 ZQR was a Sioux Lookout based
aircraft. After the Sioux base was sold its aircraft were moved to the bases that
could use the aircraft the best. Pickle Lake had no problem taking on another
Beech as the base was always very busy in both summer and winter.

Other aircraft that were repositioned after the sale of the Sioux base were
Beech 18 CF-YQB,
Beaver CF-MXR,
Cessna 180 CF-JQM,
Cessna 180 CF-LSN,
Cessna 180 CF-VGA.

Mr. Wieben sold the Sioux Lookout base in September 1974.

[Antique Pilot]

Interesting photo at PL. Just up the hill on the right is the old Pickle Lake Hotel with it’s Men’s only beer parlour. Proprietors were Mr. and Mrs. Graves. Farther up on the left is the vague outline of Charlie Davidson’s store. Any idea who the 2 fellows on the dock are?

AP

[beech 18]

Interesting photo at PL. Just up the hill on the right is the old Pickle Lake Hotel with it’s Men’s only beer parlour. Proprietors were Mr. and Mrs. Graves. Farther up on the left is the vague outline of Charlie Davidson’s store. Any idea who the 2 fellows on the dock are?

AP

A.P.
p.m. sent.

[beech 18]

December 07, 2017

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

The attached photo was found on the internet. Do not know what magazine it was
in or the date of the ad. Sometime in the early 1960's.

The Lakehead Flying School was owned and operated by Mr. Wieben. The school operated
at the Thunder Bay Airport. Quite a number of pilots who got their licences at the
Lakehead Flying School went on to fly for Superior Airways and Severn Enterprise.

The Lakehead Flying School went back many many years and has a long history of training
pilots in Thunder Bay. A lot of different aircraft were flown by the school over those years.

In the book titled "Aviation in Thunder Bay" there is a very good story about The Lakehead
Flying School and the history behind it. There are many photos and stories of the aircraft
that flew for the school in the early years.

I know very little about the flying school except that during my time with the company the
following aircraft were operated:

Cessna 150 CF-VXY.
Cessna 150 CF-WIW. I only saw this aircraft once when it landed on the ice runway in
Sioux during a cross country training flight. It may have been purple in colour?
Cessna 150 CF-XWU. This aircraft was involved in an incident while attempting a landing
on the north road outside of Sioux Lookout after running low on fuel. A photo of that incident
is on page 5 of this thread. The registration in the photo is C-FXWU.
Cessna 172 CF-SZK.
Cessna 172 CF-VBW. This aircraft also flew on floats in the summer out of Sioux Lookout.

I may be wrong with this information about these two last aircraft, but I believe in the winter
of 1969 / 70 for a very short time a Cessna 140 or maybe a Cessna 170 from the flying school
was seen on the ice on skis in Sioux Lookout. Again I may be wrong about that and it may not
have been a flying school aircraft.

Cessna 172 CF-PYE. I recall seeing a photo of this aircraft and it may have been a Lakehead
Flying School aircraft? CF-PYE was mostly red in the photo. Once again I may be wrong
about this aircraft.

[flyerboy101]

December 07, 2017

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

The attached photo was found on the internet. Do not know what magazine it was
in or the date of the ad. Sometime in the early 1960's.

The Lakehead Flying School was owned and operated by Mr. Wieben. The school operated
at the Thunder Bay Airport. Quite a number of pilots who got their licences at the
Lakehead Flying School went on to fly for Superior Airways and Severn Enterprise.

The Lakehead Flying School went back many many years and has a long history of training
pilots in Thunder Bay. A lot of different aircraft were flown by the school over those years.

In the book titled "Aviation in Thunder Bay" there is a very good story about The Lakehead
Flying School and the history behind it. There are many photos and stories of the aircraft
that flew for the school in the early years.

I know very little about the flying school except that during my time with the company the
following aircraft were operated:

Cessna 150 CF-VXY.
Cessna 150 CF-WIW. I only saw this aircraft once when it landed on the ice runway in
Sioux during a cross country training flight. It may have been purple in colour?
Cessna 150 CF-XWU. This aircraft was involved in an incident while attempting a landing
on the north road outside of Sioux Lookout after running low on fuel. A photo of that incident
is on page 5 of this thread. The registration in the photo is C-FXWU.
Cessna 172 CF-SZK.
Cessna 172 CF-VBW. This aircraft also flew on floats in the summer out of Sioux Lookout.

I may be wrong with this information about these two last aircraft, but I believe in the winter
of 1969 / 70 for a very short time a Cessna 140 or maybe a Cessna 170 from the flying school
was seen on the ice on skis in Sioux Lookout. Again I may be wrong about that and it may not
have been a flying school aircraft.

Cessna 172 CF-PYE. I recall seeing a photo of this aircraft and it may have been a Lakehead
Flying School aircraft? CF-PYE was mostly red in the photo. Once again I may be wrong
about this aircraft.

Thanks for the memories !!

[beech 18]

January 07, 2018

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

On Dec 8, 1973 Cessna 180 CF-VSD owned and operated by Severn Enterprise
was flying from Big Trout Lake to Wunnummin Lake. The aircraft had the pilot
and two passengers on board.

The aircraft encountered white out conditions at Wunnummin Lake and contacted
the surface of the ice in a slightly nose down attitude. The aircraft bounced and
came to a rest after hitting one wing on the ice. The Cessna 180 was very close to
coming apart before stopping on the ice as the two forward door posts failed at the
lower edge of the the windshield. The two main gear legs were sheared off in the
accident.

The pilot flying VSD received a back injury in the accident and was flown to Sioux
Lookout in an OCA / Hooker Air DC-3 the next day. I don't remember the two
passengers being injured.

The weather wasn't the best coming into Sioux that day and on top of that the DC-3
crew came in on one engine after having to feather I believe the left engine for a
reason that I can't recall.

The DC-3 landed on the lower strip and stopped just before the taxiway that used
to go straight up the hill to the radio shack. An ambulance picked up the injured
pilot right at the aircraft on the runway. I can't recall the registration of the DC-3
but it did have a cargo door. The reason I mention this is because OCA / Hooker Air
flew DC-3 CF-XPK out of Sioux a lot, but it had a small door. No cargo door.

Attached is a photo of VSD taken about two months after the accident. Snow had
drifted around the aircraft since the crash. This was just before VSD was taken
apart and flown out in one of the company DC-3's on skis.

[beech 18]

Feb 07, 2018

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

A bit more information to add to the Dec 8, 1973 accident involving VSD that
was posted above on Jan 07.

The recovery of Cessna 180 CF-VSD off of Wunnummin Lake was carrried out by
the Sioux Lookout Maintenance Department. This occurred approx. two months
or so after the accident.

When the maintenance crew arrived at the aircraft it was partially buried in
drifted snow. I don't know if the cabin doors came off during the accident or if
they had been removed at some other time. Without the doors a lot of snow had
drifted into the interior of the Cessna 180. Under the snow the belly of the
aircraft sat in slush about six inches or so deep.

The engine, wings, horizontal and vertical stabs were removed. The snow and
as much of the slush as possible was removed from inside the aircraft. The
fuselage was placed on a sleigh so it could be moved with a ski-doo.

Attached is a photo of VSD taken during the recovery. The forward door posts
that failed when the aircraft hit the ice and the front windshield that pulled
away from the fuselage are evident. So is the snow that drifted into the interior.

[Say Altitude]

Are you aware of a fatal accident on October 31st, 1971 that happened in/around this area? Been trying to find out information on it and I've heard some talk that the operator was either "Severn Airways" or in/around that part of the world - Severn Lake etc but I can't be sure. Pilot and passengers perished. Single engine on floats.

[Antique Pilot]

PM sent.

AP

[TheWingedWorrier]

This has been fascinating reading. Keep up the excelent work.

[Say Altitude]

PM sent.

AP

Thank you so much for the PM. I've tried to PM you back with some more questions but I'm not having success getting it out of my outbox. If in the next few days you don't see my response, please let me know.

Thank you again...it means a lot.

SA

[Antique Pilot]

To Say Altitude,

Yes I got your PM ok a short while ago. I seem to have problems sending and receiving PM’s. Also I can’t seem to find the “Quote” prompt anymore.

Thanks,
AP

[Say Altitude]

Thanks. I look forward to any additional information you're willing to share, and will check my PM's more frequently. Thank you for your candour.

SA

[beech 18]

March 07, 2018

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

A bit more information about the salvage of Cessna 180 CF-VSD after its accident at
Wunnummin Lake on Dec 8, 1973.

Once the aircraft disassembly was completed the aircraft was placed on a sleigh.
A Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise DC-3 on skis flew in and picked up the aircraft.
I don't know where the Cessna was flown to. It could have been Wiebenville,
Pickle Lake, Armstrong or Thunder Bay. It was not flown to Sioux Lookout.

The right wing from VSD was put back in service not to long after it was removed from
the aircraft. Cessna 180 CF-JQM damaged its right wing landing at I believe Sachigo Lake.
The wing from VSD was flown into Sachigo in one of the company DC-3's and installed on
JQM. The aircraft was then flown to Sioux Lookout and then on to Thunder Bay for a few
more repairs.

A photo of VSD's wing on JQM was posted on June 09, 2012 on page 4 of this thread.
The photo was taken in Sioux Lookout shortly after it arrived from Sachigo Lake.

[Siddley Hawker]

Karl, you gotta put all this stuff on a cd and sell it. This is history, man.

[beech 18]

April 07, 2018

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

A copy of the accident report involving Cessna 180 CF-VSD at Wunnumim Lake
in Dec 1973.

[beech 18]

May 07, 2018

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

Cessna 180 CF-VGA in May 1971 at Sioux Lookout. Ski season is over and the
aircraft is being prepared for another summer on floats. This would be the
second season on floats for VGA since being purchased by Mr. Wieben in the
summer of 1970.

VGA was the only aircraft in the fleet that I can recall that had plastic fairings
around all the float strut attach points. This Cessna 180 also had the internal
water rudder control cable system.

If you look closely at the photo you will see the oil cooler manually operated
sliding door is still installed. That is only used while on skis to block a portion
of the cooler and it will be removed for float operations.

The Cessna 180 will be pulled ahead approx. 50 feet on skids to the ramp where
it will be pushed into the water.

VGA was a Sioux Lookout based aircraft.

Behind VGA at the original Slate Falls Airways base is Beech 18 CF-CSN. This was
the last winter that Slate Falls parked CSN on floats. The following winter the
Beech 18 was operated on skis. The skis used on the Beech were Wieben Skis.

[beech 18]

June 07, 2018

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

The attached photo was taken in July 1971 at the water base in Sioux Lookout.
Beech 18 CF-WYR was based in Pickle Lake during the summer of 1971.
The aircraft flew into Sioux quite a number of times for maintenance during the
summer float season.

The Beech 18 is pulled up backwards on the ramp to have a repair carried out to
the top of the left float. Rain had been coming down quite hard so a tarp was
thrown over the back of the Beech so the work could be completed without
getting too wet.

There are a couple of boards across the front of the floats. The lower cowlings
are off and engine work is underway as well.

WYR returned to Pickle Lake later in the afternoon when the float repair and
engine work was completed.

[beech 18]

July 07, 2018

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

By September 1974 Mr. Wieben began downsizing the company. I believe the first
base sold was Sioux Lookout. The buyer of the base was Patricia Air Transport (PAT Air).

Attached is a newspaper ad that was posted in the Winnipeg Free Press on June 28, 1975.
A number of aircraft were put up for sale.

Of the aircraft on the list Cessna 180 CF-JQM and Beech 18's CF-YQB and CF-ZQR were
Sioux Lookout based aircraft before the sale to PAT Air. (ZQR was operated out of
Pickle Lake after the Sioux Base was sold to PAT Air).

Beech 18 CF-YDV flew mainly out of Pickle Lake, but was based out of Thunder Bay.

Beech Baron CF-FZN was based in Thunder Bay.

Cessna 150's CF-VXY and CF-WIW were operated by the Lakehead Flying School in Thunder Bay.

[beech 18]

August 07, 2018

Superior Airways / Severn Enterprise operation from the late 1960's to 1974.

A photo taken in Sioux Lookout in August 1972. The wind looks like it is blowing
straight into the bay.

Cessna 180 CF-LBR is tied to the inside of the dock with Beech 18 CF-ZQR tied on
the outside. This was the first summer for the new docks that the aircraft are tied to.
They had been built on the ice in the spring and once the ice went out they were
floated over to the main fixed dock and secured into place.

Beech 18 CF-YQB is taxing into the bay while warming up before departure. As can
be seen in the photo a cloud of smoke is following YQB. One of the engines was
discharging a bit of oil though the super charger and it took a few minutes to clear out.
The problem was rectified shortly after this photo was taken.

A bit difficult to see in the photo, but in the picture YQB has yellow wing tips and yellow
vertical stabs. They were yellow for only a few months and then the aircraft was
repainted in Thunder Bay.

[RyanF]

Those are some great photos. Had some free time, did some super quick Photoshop colour corrections on some. Hope you don't mind.