NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
In the dead of Antarctic winter 14 years ago a DHC-6 Twin Otter departed the Rothera Antarctic Research Station en route to the South Pole.
Twin Otter tour
- Gjoa Haven- July 7
- Yellowknife- July 8
- Inuvik- July 14
- Tuktoyaktuk- July 15
- Sachs Harbour- July 15
- Fort Good Hope- July 16
- Norman Wells- July 17
Source: Viking Air
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In the plane was Yellowknife-born Sean Loutitt, an experienced bush pilot on the team to make the first-ever 2,500 km winter journey to the South Pole. Their mission was to rescue Dr. Ron Shemenski, the sole doctor at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. He had developed an inflamed pancreas and needed surgery.
Initially, the American military was called in to fly a LC-130 Hercules for the rescue, but the mission was abandoned because the plane couldn't handle temperatures colder than -55 C.
A Twin Otter, on the other hand, could.
The darkness, blowing snow and cold temperatures reaching -68 C made it a risky flight but the plane endured and the pilots pulled off a daring rescue.
"I think (the Twin Otter) is an amazing machine," said Loutitt, who now works for Canadian North.
"I'm very proud it's a Canadian-built airplane."
This summer, a celebration is planned to mark the 50th anniversary of the plane, a Northern workhorse that's been used in everything from rescue efforts to oil exploration to general travel.
The de Havilland aircraft took its maiden flight on May 20, 1965, the same year the Canadian flag was first raised on parliament hill.
To commemorate both events Viking Air, which now owns the de Havilland-type certificates, is running a 17-day Northern flying tour starting July 2.
The trip will give the Canadian company a chance to show off its new Series 400 Twin Otter, a modern version of the DHC-6.
A documentary film crew will be also be going along on the tour to capture Northerners' Twin Otter tales.
Celebrations will be held at airports in 11 communities.
Company president and CEO David Curtis made note of the plane's significance to remote areas around the world in a news release.
"Whether on wheels, floats, skis or tundra tires, the Twin Otter has been a lifeline of transportation, community connection and commerce for isolated regions," he stated.
The single engine DHC-3 Otter preceded the DHC-6, which brought twice the power without also doubling the weight.
The aircraft has done well in the territories because of its reliability, versatility and ability to take off and land in short distances.
It is among other bush planes credited with making the North more accessible.
"There's so much that airplane has done and it's been sort of under the radar because it generally isn't in the headlines of news," said Loutitt.
For instance, he continued, every year Kenn Borek Air, which boasts of one of the largest Twin Otter fleets in the world, flies into remote areas of the Arctic and Antarctic to drop off researchers and help scientists survey wildlife, among other reasons. There's a Twin Otter stationed in Resolute Bay that services Grise Fiord by ferrying residents in and out as well as bringing in food and mail, said Loutitt.
"That airplane has been very impactful across Canada and in the world ... I'm sure you could go continent to continent and people would have different reasons why the Twin Otter has been a good machine."
