Beaver Conversion

[Bandit650]

Hi all,
Anyone know of an FTO in the UK (pref. South) providing conversion courses on the Beaver, or even just famil flights?

Thanks in advance.

[QDMQDMQDM]

The DHC Beaver?! I don't think so.

Go to Canada.

[Will Hung]

My first wife converted to one ! ! ! !

[Bandit650]

:D I won't ask what she converted from. :eek:

[OpenCirrus619]

I've heard these are useful for beaver conversions:
http://pan.fotovista.com/dev/4/1/00018214/g_00018214.jpg

:eek::E:}

[Wessex Boy]

Very good for Landing strips:}

[Bandit650]

Would consider a conversion in Brazil, so if anyone has had a go in a Brazilian Beaver recently pls let me know of their experiences, particularly how hairy they found it.

;)

[OpenCirrus619]

On a more helpful note....

I've checked G-INFO and there seem to only be 2 DHC-2s on the UK register - neither have a current C of A.

OC619

[Bandit650]

Good thinking...thanks for that. I was unable to find any mention of any UK FTOs with Beavers (of the aeronautical variety) on the web so suspected as much. Have to add a trip to Canada/Alasaka on my travel wish list then...

[Spruit]

I think I read in last weeks Flight International that a scottish operator was planning on utilising Beavers on their intra Scottish charter business, not sure how soon that's likely to be!

Your only other choice is the US or Canada, I can vouch for Kenmore Air in Seattle, fantastic outfit and they'll teach you all you need to know about the Beavers!

Cheers,

Spru!

[Gertrude the Wombat]

It is generally believed that there's one in Norway (although we couldn't find it when we went looking), but that might be about it for Europe.

Even in Canada some of the operators simply laugh at you if you say you want lessons on a Beaver, and suggest that your best route is to buy one and then hire an instructor. After getting your floatplane rating and experience on something smaller and cheaper.

(I assume it's floats you're after; although a few of them have been put on wheels I have trouble imagining why anyone would want to do that.)

[david viewing]

I was fortunate enough to get about 5hrs in one pu/t while flying around the Islands off Vancouver on business a few years ago. I'd say the time to be let loose in it would be many more hours than that! And then finding an FBO willing to rent to a low timer, and insure it, would be much more difficult again.

But it was a truly memorable experience. Unsticking without redlining the huge radial engine, landing into dead-end inlets with enough inertia to coast to the dock and toughest of all, having enough way on to jump onto the landing stage without bashing it, and worse, the wind blowing the now empty plane back out to sea!

Not mention avoiding cruise liners while taxying out of Vancouver harbour, tying up to the floating gas station (the only one on Earth apparently), parking directly beside the tall buildings downtown and routeing directly to uninhabited islands and innaccessible lakes in the interior.
Unbeatable! (Assuming that's the type of Beaver you were enquiring about).

[stickandrudderman]

I'd like to nominate opencirrus619 for best post of the year!:D:D:D

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Not mention avoiding cruise liners while taxying out of Vancouver harbour
Q: What's special about the control tower for Vancouver Harbour?

A: Tallest control tower in the world. (It's on the top of a skyscraper at the water's edge.)

[IRRenewal]

Some time ago there was a talk at my local airfield from a chap who was working for MAF. Attendance was some 50% pilots and 50% churchy people. The latter were utterly confused because this chap kept on going on about 'jumping in the caravan' and 'jumping in the beaver'. He never did explain to the god squad what he meant. It was hilarious.

[Islander2]

Another vote for Kenmore Air in Seattle. I did 3 hours of conversion training with them on the Beaver, and found them a truly professional outfit.

Not sure they'd let you go solo mind, which I've found to be much more of a problem in the US than in Canada. With my total float time of 40 hours, however, I'm equally not sure I'd blame them!

[Bandit650]

Thanks all, half-expected the whole Beaver double-entendre thing of course, but useful to learn it really is likley to be an unpractical ambition. Just an hour up front in one would do me for starters, so I'll think about a trip to Canada next year...

[whiowhio]

Bandit 650

I take it you know of www.dhc-2.com

If not you will find it most interesting and the website owner Neil Aird (a Canadian Scot) maybe able to assist you.


Best Regards
Rod.

[airborne_artist]

Any body on here checked out/type rated on the Twin Beaver? :E

[stickandrudderman]

Oh, how I've longed to get checked out on the old twin Beaver!:E

[Bandit650]

whiowhio (http://www.pprune.org/forums/member.php?u=103968) : Thanks for that link...no, I haven't seen it before. Very interesting...

To the recent posters re: Twin Beaver conversion. I'm afraid we've kind of done the Beaver joke thing already, but thank you for your contribution. I suggest you go google and follow the links, I expect they'll be lots of related websites for you to enjoy ;)

[Arclite01]

650 Why the fascination with the beaver anyway ??

Arc

[Bandit650]

Just finished a superb book about a guy flying the DH Beaver for the army, it sounds like a truly wonderful aircraft.

[whiowhio]

650
You must mean
"Think Like The Wind" Alex Kimball
Compulsive reading"
Not DHC-2 but PA-18 (mostly) in Aleyeska
Suggest "Wager The Wind" - The Don Sheldon Story James Arness
An excellent read........
After you go to Victoria Harbour on Vancouver Island, Tyee Spit at Campbell River is one of my most favourite places in the world (as is Heriot Bay just down the road from my 'other place" on Quadra Island) - great photos and that wonderful "chugging whine of a Whitney Nine" reverberates the air! See also www.vancouverislandair.com, for one.....
BEST
Rod.

[gasax]

Campbell River cewrtainly did it for me. As I walked around the corner of the road and saw that row of Beavers on floats.........

Mind you the pierhead leap of one of the pilots who fired up his Beaver, untied, got called from the office, started to talk and then noticed his aircraft was making off did richly amuse me.

As did flying through 'Hole in the wall pass' and Quantum river. Brilliant place

[Bandit650]

The book I read was "Think Like a Bird" by Alex Kimbell. Couldn't put it down.
Certainly aroused my interest in getting in a Beaver asap (sigh, I thought I would be able to resist yet another pun..sadly not.)

Thanks for the recommendations - will take a look.

:ok:

[paco]

Isn't there one at Loch Lomond? You should n't need a conversion, surely, as it will be in the blanket class rating?

I've often thought of getting a few hours in again on the old girl, but that one might have floats

phil

[whiowhio]

650 & Paco
I stand corrected, it is of course "Think Like A Bird".
Pritty sure the DHC-2 at Loch Lomond is not serviceable. Blve it was hoped to start an air service to west scotland using this? However, a service using a Cessna Caravan recently started to Oban, plus charters - see www.lochlomondseaplanes.com/ if you not aware - stunning shots!
Rod.

[Arclite01]

Fantastic Book

I like the story about gliding to Wallop from Greenham Common, and the story of the overloaded helicopter takeoff over the cliff............

Best book I read in a long time................

Arc

[Chuck Ellsworth]

The DHC2 Beaver is probably the easiest float plane there is to fly.

Also if you want to get some dual on one there are lots of places here in the Vancouver area who you can buy dual time from....the biggest problem is finding one with dual controls operational.

I won't try and advise you on the other beaver because I never did figure out how to operate one without running into real problems that I could figure out how to solve.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

The DHC2 Beaver is probably the easiest float plane there is to fly.

It's the easiest anything that I've ever tried to fly - it just flies itself. (Er, this was when I was handed the controls - a throwover stick, not dual, somewhat to the concern of the other passengers! - in the cruise on a charter; I didn't get to try take-off or landing.)

[effortless]

I had the pleasure of one at Old Sarum back in the dark ages. I almost landed itself and at Old Sarum that was a bit of a trick to accomplish.