Piston Otters

[snoopy]

LOL... dunno about that aircraft Siddley but the aircraft to which I was referring has apparently left the country a number of years ago. One day if I'm bored I'll look up the serial number - hopefully the new owners haven't bastardized it with a turbine.

I only flew the aircraft in question (which shall remain nameless to protect the innocent) a few times before it got leased to an individual only slightly less colourful than my then-employer (who was extremely colourful - nefarious in fact), under my employer's OC. The aircraft had an awful paint job, oxidized from years of neglect and abuse, and absolutely refused to get on the step with any kind of tailwind. Flown into wind with partial loads, it was a great aircraft - well worn in and comfortable - like an old shoe.

As luck (fate) would have it, I became reacquainted with the aircraft a few months later when the nefarious owner decided to banish me to the dark nether regions of the province (in order to prevent my managerial self from interfering with said nefariousness). I was horrified to discover the the poor machine had been degraded to an extremely sooty and dilapidated state, and the lessor's daily inspection consisted of removing the side cowlings and discharging the fuel hose (at full bore) into the interior in order to purge the oily mess found therein. Not only that, the floats were leaking so badly the compartments had to be pumped out(electrically) every 3- 4 hours or the aircraft would sink at the dock. I soon discovered the additional reason for my banishment (with a replacement Otter) was due to the fact that the nameless aircraft's engine was making unusual "elongated, oblong" noises as opposed to the normal rhythmic R-1340 radial sound. Not only was the lessor uncomfortable flying the aircraft in it's clearly unhealthy state (which nobody seemed too interested in fixing), clearly he didn't want to partake in the sketchy fall flying either (big loads out of small shallow lakes with additional random, seat-cushion-sucking challenges thrown in just for fun).

My supposed 3 day stint turned into a month. The hardest month of flying in my entire career. Every day was the same: each day the lessor would send someone to town to pick up a wonderful breakfast sandwich (at his expense) for all concerned. Then, while we ate he would proceed to assure me the trip(s) in question would be "no problem", "piece of cake", walk in the park" etc. etc. yada yada. And then he would draw out a map of the river and/or lake on the most convenient piece of paper at hand - usually a paper napkin. It was all complete BS. Without fail, I would get to the destination and find it was nothing like the rosy cake-walk depicted. I honestly don't know how I lived through it all, but me and my ride escaped unscathed, never to return. I still have all those cocktail napkins.

Anyway, hopefully that poor aircraft made it to a better place - one with some much needed TLC.

Cheers,
Kirsten B.

[1000 HP]

I thought the Piston Otter was a real nice machine. I had 4 full seasons plus a short gig on a polish version and I really loved to fly it. Sure the loading was tough but it was just the "not fun" part of the job. Washing was a daily chore on the polish piggy because it spewed so much oil. Compared to the turbine though it had charm. I loved the rumble chugging up to the dock at 350 rpm on one mag. You could actually talk to the dock boy not like with a screaming (annoying) turbine otter. Once starting up at the dock on the Cobham River, I over primed it a bit. Not a problem except my left leg was out the door and resting on the step. The tongue of flame caressed my leg ever so gently. It took a few days for the hair to grow back...
On takeoff even on a hot day with 8 over fed pig farmers in the back I would count to eight as I advanced the throttle slowly to 41.3 inches. Then up in the air and climbing fast (temporary as the oil temp would approach redline relatively sooner than preferred.
The Otter handles nice and stable. Not like a floppy Beaver. Sometimes that big rudder can be painfully large but that is why they invented rudder trim.
Flying with a boat is a peice of cake. I took off once with two 16' wide beam lunds and a pile of freight inside. No problem getting airborne. Alas, the 85 knot cruise I got proved too much for the oil cooler and I was forced to turn back and land due to high temps.
The turbines are nice (I've got two seasons on the Walter) but they just don't have the charm. I love the smell of oil and avgas in the morning

[black hole]

+1

BH

[Siddley Hawker]

Great story Snoopy.

[Sulako]

Mod note: Personal attacks are not cool, and they have been removed. I'm following this thread now, for better or worse.