Canadian Forces CC-130 Hercules 130322 crashed on final approach 16km from Station Alert on Ellesmere Island in Nunavut Oct 30 1991. Five fatalities and 13 survived. The Hercules was carrying 3,400 litres of diesel fuel. Some of the survivors took shelter in the rear fuselage section until rescued some 30 hours later due to an intense blizzard. The wreckage remains at the scene to this day. This is the most remote crash site in the world. View of one of the fuel tanks. Photos by George Hoffman.

Canadian Forces CC-130 Hercules 130322 crashed on final approach, 16km from Station Alert on Ellesmere Island in Nunavut Oct 30 1991. Five fatalities and 13 survived. The Hercules was carrying 3,400 litres of diesel fuel. Some of the survivors took shelter in the rear fuselage section until rescued some 30 hours later due to an intense blizzard. The wreckage remains at the scene to this day. This is the most remote crash site anywhere in the world. Photo by George Hoffman.

1947 built Republic RC-3X Super Bee parked in the snow at the Camrose Airport with an unidentified friend. The engine in this one is a Lycoming of 340 HP. Photo taken by Gordon Olafson.

CF-BCE at the time was owned by the British Columbia Government and used in the photo survey role. After its work was done it was sold to Northern Thunderbird Airlines of Prince George BC. I had several flights in this aircraft during the 80's and was surprised to find it at Hemet California in 2010, registered as N62936. Traces of its former Canadian reg can be seen under the wing. This aircraft was once with the RCAF as 1463. It is currently being restored to flying status at Hemet.

Taken by Margaret Olafson. This aircraft came to Canada new in 1971 and has been operating in Canada's North ever since. The one on the left is likely C-FYDU which is no longer on the Canadian registry.

Photo taken by Margaret Olafson

After serving with the Royal Canadian Navy from 1952 - 1960 as 53638, this Avenger worked as an air tanker with Skyway, then Conair and then Forest Protection Ltd. It was eventually acquired by the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in Pennsylvania and is registered as N109K and often seen on the air show circuit as a US Navy torpedo bomber.

Four PBY Catalina/Cansos of the Flying Fireman lined up at the British Columbia Forest Service base in Smithers. Number 3 still had its former RCAF side blisters and nose turret. It went to the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola Florida. Number 4 is believed to be a PBV-1A reg at the time as CF-FTN. Number 5 is CF-IHN, a PBV-1A cn CV-441. It crashed near Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1980 and was destroyed.

This aircraft, commonly known as the "Flying W" was built in 1938. They worked on floats, skis and wheels in the Canadian North. It is now registered in the US as N2191K and is located in Oregon and is the only example still flying. Photo taken by John Caswell

This Neptune was formerly RCAF 24113 and was purchased by The Flying Fireman of Victoria and converted to air tanker with a 3,000 gallon retardant tank. In 1972 it was used on a trial basis by the British Columbia Forest service during fire season and the Neptune did well in that role. Transport Canada did not approve the modifications so the Neptune was sold and went to the United States and worked there as an air tanker until it crashed in 1975. Its remains and parts of another Neptune were used in a rebuild and it is now on display at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Arizona as N14448.

The very first Beaver, built in 1947. Photo taken somewhere on the shore of Slocan Lake when it was under contract to the British Columbia Forest Service. It would go on to operate for 33 years until its retirement in 1980. It is now a national treasure, preserved in the Canada Aviation & Space Museum in Ottawa. In its working life it had three sets of wings and ended up with 18,233 hours on the frame.