Royal Navy Devon in Oregon Desert?

[TWH]

Anyone know how a Royal Navy Devon has ended up at the Eagle Crater Lake Inn, Chemult, Oregon?

It is literally right alongside Highway 97. I’m pretty sure that it was a Devon but I was driving past on the other side of the road in heavy traffic and only got a glimpse of it.
Google Maps, Bing Maps, etc. don't show it yet so it can't have been there long.

[India Four Two]

TWH,

Your post intrigued me and I did some searching. I did not find anything definitive, but I did find this interesting comment in a review of the Eagle Crater Lake Inn:
The children's play area seems to consist of a little field, an old, partially disassembled airplane that was roped off when we were there, and an old firetruck that, although they let children play in and on it, is actually used as a backup truck during fires and they therefore don't want kids moving knobs or levers.


While reading the reviews it became clear that a lot of customers were not happy with their accommodations. I particularly liked this comment:
Thanks, but no thanks; we survived the Bates Motel.
...The deadbolt did not work on the door lock, so I grabbed the 9mm from the pickup for added security during the night. ...

[treadigraph]

It's actually Sea Heron XR442... Curious that it should end up in the corner of a foreign field...

https://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=108331

[DaveReidUK]

It's visible on Google Maps (but not on Streetview) at the location described on Aerovisuals, on the opposite side of US 97 from Chiloquin State Airport.

[treadigraph]

Maybe its owners have moved motels....

Recall all but one of the then surviving Sea Herons were at Lee-on-Solent when I went to the display there in 1978, thoroughly enjoyed that. The missing one was based at Yeovilton or Culdrose, some Navy unit or Bigwig named FONAC was its keeper as I recall...

[tdracer]

Can't speak for the particulars of that hotel or any aircraft nearby (it's been many years since I was there), but I can vouch for Crater Lake being a particularly scenic destination and worth a visit...
Although if memory serves, the road and traffic getting there was pretty nasty.

[longer ron]

We drove right past there on our 2017 USA road trip,we had landed at SFO in late afternoon - managed to grab our hire car (Sportage) early and spent the night at a hotel nr Fairfield,ca, - early start next day for our short drive up to near Madras,Or (493 miles).
We had some lovely food and gorgeous Huckleberry Cider (never saw any of that again :( ) in what was then a sports bar near our fairfield hotel,that cider zonked me out nicely for a good sleep :)

[MAC 40612]

It's actually Sea Heron XR442... Curious that it should end up in the corner of a foreign field...

https://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=108331

Aerialvisuals has got most of the details correct but not all, as there seems to have been some confusion about the aircraft having gone to Albany, NY but it was only ever shipped to Oregon.

XR442/G-HRON was stored at Staverton, UK Departed to Albany OR by sea 20/01/2006. Later stored at a private residence at Kizer Ave NE, Albany OR where it was noted until 04/2019 when it was moved to the present location outside a restaurant on Highway 97 opposite the airfield at Chiloquin. The reason it isn't visible on streetview at the current location, is that the latest view is dated 06/2018

[Herod]

Just looked on Google. That is no way to treat a lady.

[DaveReidUK]

Maybe its owners have moved motels....

Recall all but one of the then surviving Sea Herons were at Lee-on-Solent when I went to the display there in 1978, thoroughly enjoyed that. The missing one was based at Yeovilton or Culdrose, some Navy unit or Bigwig named FONAC was its keeper as I recall...

IIRC, Flag Officer Naval Air Command.

[treadigraph]

That's it. XM296. Recall it had a green cheatline rather than blue, confirmed by an AB pic. My dusty old log says I saw it at Biggin Hill in 1983...

It then went to the US as N82D and XR442/G-HRON was used as spares to keep it airworthy with the Albany Aero Club. That's now in Bolivia... or was...

[MAC 40612]

That's it. XM296. Recall it had a green cheatline rather than blue, confirmed by an AB pic. My dusty old log says I saw it at Biggin Hill in 1983...

It then went to the US as N82D and XR442/G-HRON was used as spares to keep it airworthy with the Albany Aero Club. That's now in Bolivia... or was...

Unfortunately not a good ending for N82D, damaged during an emergency landing 01 Nov 2014 at Santa Cruz, Bolivia while en route from Opa Locka to Cochabamba. Was still noted abandoned at the airfield August 2021 although when seen in 2015 looked in good condition.

https://www.airhistory.net/photo/399071/N82D

[treadigraph]

That's a shame, the report I saw seemed to suggest it was on the road to recovery. Not visible on Google maps tho I don't know how old the current image is.

What's happened to the Jersey Heron? Is it still unairworthy?

[VictorGolf]

Last I heard they were crowd-funding to restore it for static display on the island.

[MAC 40612]

Last I heard they were crowd-funding to restore it for static display on the island.

That's correct, the Jersey aircraft [XR441/G-AORG] is only going to be restored for static display [if they get enough funding]

There are now no airworthy DH.114 Herons left anywhere in the World.

[treadigraph]

Remember 'ORG arriving overhead Duxford a few years ago, such a beautiful purring noise...

[fleigle]

It is hardly the desert, which is a bit further east, but more forested and wet.

[bean]

Remember 'ORG arriving overhead Duxford a few years ago, such a beautiful purring noise...
Flown in ORG delightful. The one in Oregon was ORH her sister in Jersey Airlines before sale to the navy in 1961

[SpringHeeledJack]

What was it like to fly/fly in the Devon ? Noisy, or serene ?

[Liffy 1M]

What was it like to fly/fly in the Devon ? Noisy, or serene ?

I flew in the Air Atlantique one at Coventry in 2003, on a local pleasure flight. It was pleasant enough, as I recall it. One example, G-OPLC, still flies regularly between Ireland the UK, by the way. https://flic.kr/p/2p2UCsa

[DaveReidUK]

On a short course at Cranfield many years ago, I flew on both their Dove and Jetstream for various flight performance experiments/demos. I don't recall the former being particularly noisy.

Never flew in a piston Heron, but I had a couple of domestic flights in Canada in the turboprop ST-27 conversion.

[Herod]

Interesting, Liffy. I was under the impression that there were no airworthy Doves or Herons anywhere.

[Planemike]

Is any one able to confirm the current status of N415SA (c/n 14064). Riley conversion, in a museum at Vasteras SWEDEN ?

[longer ron]

Never flew in a piston Heron, but I had a couple of domestic flights in Canada in the turboprop ST-27 conversion.

My first flight age 9 was in a Heron 1 of North - South Airlines,we flew from Exeter up to Yeadon,even as a young lad I do not remember it being overly noisy,although we were sat well behind the props.



One of the N/S Herons at Woolsington

https://i.imgur.com/wdFYMWK.jpg

[MAC 40612]

Is any one able to confirm the current status of N415SA (c/n 14064). Riley conversion, in a museum at Vasteras SWEDEN ?

It is still at Vasteras Museum and is in airworthy condition but I do not believe it has actually flown since 2019.

Image of it here from 2017: https://www.flickr.com/photos/46191393@N08/42388581572/

[treadigraph]

A friend of mine travelled on a Fiji Airways Heron in the early '60s, aged maybe 5 or 6. I recall he told me that the inter-island flight was enlivened by a fire in a waste paper bin...

[MAC 40612]

Interesting, Liffy. I was under the impression that there were no airworthy Doves or Herons anywhere.

No Herons but a number of Doves still airworthy. as well as G-OPLC [c/n 04212] already mentioned.

D-INKA [c/n 04266] https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/10962827

NZ1813 [c/n 04396] airworthy with RNZAF historic flight: https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/9894322

ZK-ZKF [c/n 04312]: https://www.airhistory.net/photo/180760/ZK-ZKF/NZ1805

ZK-XNZ [c/n 04426] : https://www.flickr.com/photos/187563135@N03/52172757324

D-IFSA [C/ 04531]: https://www.airhistory.net/photo/600561/D-IFSA

There should also be G-DHDV and VH-DHI but noeither have flown for a while.

[pulse1]

Earlier mention of Cranfield in the context of Navy Herons reminded me of an incident when I nearly collided with a Heron at Cranfield. I was ferrying a glider from Dunstable one evening, arriving at Cranfield after hours and in the middle of a thunderstorm. As the airfield was closed I decided to descend over the airfield while I could still see it and lost 3000' just crossing to the far side of the main runway to land near the hangars to await help to put the glider away. As I crossed the runway, at about 300', a Navy Heron passed underneath me, having just landed. He dropped someone off and then taxied past me on his way back to the runway for take off.

[BEagle]

I flew in the Cranfield Doves during a flight testing course as part of my Aero Eng degree from London QMC. Great fun and a brilliant course - I learned more in 2 weeks there than in 4 years at QMC! Apparently one of the Doves had belonged to Emil Savundra, an infamous swindler of the '60s! The Doves weren't particularly noisy as I recall - unlike the loathsome Jestreams on which I suffered 15 hours of misery doing a multi-engine refresher course in the RAF.

When Lulsgate became Bristol Airport in 1957, Jersey Airlines Herons were a common sight along with various other propeller-engined airliners as until the late '60s, the runway was too short for jets.

[tonytales]

Flew on a Riley modded Heron from San Juan to St. Croix. I think it was Carib Air? It had four big, flat HO style engines which greatly improved performance. Noted the emergency exit hatches in ceiling. Was that standard on all Herons or was this a converted Sea Heron?

[treadigraph]

If memory serves, the overhead hatches were standard in the Dove... Read a flight test of the Dove 8 recently, think they may have been mentioned there.

[MAC 40612]

Flew on a Riley modded Heron from San Juan to St. Croix. I think it was Carib Air? It had four big, flat HO style engines which greatly improved performance. Noted the emergency exit hatches in ceiling. Was that standard on all Herons or was this a converted Sea Heron?

The airline was probably Prinair and I don't think they actually had any ex RN Sea Herons

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prinair

https://www.airhistory.net/basic-operator/1761/Prinair

[India Four Two]

This seems like an appropriate place to ask this question. The military version of the Dove was renamed the Devon. Why was the Heron not renamed?

[Planemike]

https://www.key.aero/article/aeroplane-database-de-havillands-elegant-dh114-heron

[VictorGolf]

Thread drift but there are overhead hatches on the Dragon Rapide as well. Perhaps it was a De Havilland "thing".

[treadigraph]

I remember several Prinair Herons at Opa Locka when I went there in 1984, also I think they had several dismantled Malaysian AF Herons there for spares.

Of course, there lives a Heron less than a mile from where I sit now, the former British Nuclear Power example G-ANUO, masquerading as Morton's G-AOXL outside the Croydon Airport terminal building. I see it's been spruced up a bit and now carries Airport House titles rather than Morton Air Services!

https://maps.app.goo.gl/G1Zuk3ejy6XnWnFq9

(There was also a Tiger Moth inside the terminal building a few years ago; believe it's now either airworthy or still under rebuild. Be nice to see the Heron flying again but not courtesy of the high winds that are presently doing unspeakable things to the sycamore trees at the end of the garden.)

[possel]

I flew in the Cranfield Doves during a flight testing course as part of my Aero Eng degree from London QMC. Great fun and a brilliant course - I learned more in 2 weeks there than in 4 years at QMC!
So did I. There were seven of us from Imperial and as the Dove seated six students, I flew in 'PSO with five QMC students. You weren't there in April 72 were you, Beagle?

[Union Jack]

That's it. XM296. Recall it had a green cheatline rather than blue, confirmed by an AB pic. My dusty old log says I saw it at Biggin Hill in 1983...

It then went to the US as N82D and XR442/G-HRON was used as spares to keep it airworthy with the Albany Aero Club. That's now in Bolivia... or was...
That was because it was the personal aircraft of, as Dave Reid correctly says, Flag Officer Naval Air Command, an appointment which until about the late 1970s was regarded as that of a Royal Navy Commander-in-Chief.

Traditionally, Commander-in-Chiefs' barges, their personal fast launches, had a green hull (whereas the hull of other Flag Officers' barges were dark blue) and this distinction was perpetuated in the Fleet Air Arm by the green, rather than blue, cheatline to which Dave refers on the Heron, and on the lower part of the hull on FONAC's personal helicopter, which, for a reason which has nothng to do with aviation, was always known as the "Green Parrot", as seen here (https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/123915-what-about-wessex-makes-people-so-fond-9.html) at Post #161.

Finally, if only for the fun of emphasising that some Services claim to have traditions rather than habits, here (https://saanich.accesstomemory.org/the-green-parrot-the-steam-barge-of-the-commander-in-chief-of-portsmouth-admiral-sir-hedward-meaux) is the confirmation that the expression the "Green Parrot" goes back over 100 years since Admiral Sir Hedworth Meux was Commander-in-Chief Portsmouth from 1912 to 1916! :ok:

Jack

[Akrotiri bad boy]

I hitched a ride on a 207Sqn Devon down from Lossie to Turnhouse. It had just dropped off the AOC and was returning empty, I was working the line at VASS and just mentioned in passing that I was heading off on leave that evening, the crew said "hop aboard". I settled in and had one of the most memorable flights ever as we headed south using the low level route. For an admiral's barge the aircraft was spritely with lovely smooth movements. An altogether unforgettable ride as I sat on the AOC's throne and watched the cairngorms slide by at wing tip level.:ok:

[tonytales]

Dredging my memory banks, I attended school close to KLGA to get my A&P licenses. Lunch times, you could walk across highway bridge and get right on ramp in Marine Terminal area. Pan Am had the big seaplane hangar and a row of smaller hangars where Pan Am supported B-18, B-23 and DC-3 exec aircraft. Saw my first Dove there but it had fixed gear. Nose gear had a truly artistic fairing over it. A very pretty aircraft.
Going back to early post of flying in a Riley modded Heron, it was indeed Prinair operated. Good ride and those overhead escape hatches seemed like a good idea with all that water below enroute.

[tonytales]

Dredging my memory banks, I attended school close to KLGA to get my A&P licenses. Lunch times, you could walk across highway bridge and get right on ramp in Marine Terminal area. Pan Am had the big seaplane hangar and a row of smaller hangars where Pan Am supported B-18, B-23 and DC-3 exec aircraft. Saw my first Dove there but it had fixed gear. Nose gear had a truly artistic fairing over it. A very pretty aircraft.
Going back to early post of flying in a Riley modded Heron, it was indeed Prinair operated. Good ride and those overhead escape hatches seemed like a good idea with all that water below enroute.

[DaveReidUK]

Dredging my memory banks, I attended school close to KLGA to get my A&P licenses. Lunch times, you could walk across highway bridge and get right on ramp in Marine Terminal area. Pan Am had the big seaplane hangar and a row of smaller hangars where Pan Am supported B-18, B-23 and DC-3 exec aircraft. Saw my first Dove there but it had fixed gear. Nose gear had a truly artistic fairing over it. A very pretty aircraft.
Going back to early post of flying in a Riley modded Heron, it was indeed Prinair operated. Good ride and those overhead escape hatches seemed like a good idea with all that water below enroute.

Fixed gear ?

Are you sure you mean Dove, and not Heron ?

[pulse1]

I seem to remember that some Herons had a fixed nose gear which did have fairing.

[longer ron]

I seem to remember that some Herons had a fixed nose gear which did have fairing.

They certainly did - I posted a pic of one on the previous page of this thread ;)
In fact all three u/c legs were 'down and welded' on the 50 or so Mk1 Herons built :)

[chevvron]

So did I. There were seven of us from Imperial and as the Dove seated six students, I flew in 'PSO with five QMC students. You weren't there in April 72 were you, Beagle?
Back in the '70s, Doves belonging to the Civil Aviation Flying Unit (CAFU) at Stansted were detached to Hurn Airport to provide live traning for trainee Air Traffic Controllers. We were split into groups of 3 per session, one would fly RHS (we all had PPLs) and the other two along with an ATC instructor would go to the control tower where, from our own control position, we would interleave with the Barons of the Hamble based College of Air Training, the ATCOs carrying out SRAs and other exercises.

[DaveReidUK]

I seem to remember that some Herons had a fixed nose gear which did have fairing.

Hence my question. :O

[gsa]

That's it. XM296. Recall it had a green cheatline rather than blue, confirmed by an AB pic. My dusty old log says I saw it at Biggin Hill in 1983...

It then went to the US as N82D and XR442/G-HRON was used as spares to keep it airworthy with the Albany Aero Club. That's now in Bolivia... or was...

It turned up at Topcliffe once between 84 and 86 while I was there, back in the day when the Naval Elementary Flying Training School had their Bulldogs there.

[chevvron]

Hence my question. :O
BEA had a couple of these based at Glasgow in 71/72.

[pulse1]

chevvron, Did one have to have a PPL to sit RHS on the CAFU Doves? I occasionally flew RHS and did have a PPL but I never knew that it was required. They used to take ATC cadets from a local squadrons but maybe they had to sit in the back. Most of my flying at that point was non-radio so I did it to soak up some experience of procedures.

[muggins]

BEA had a couple of these based at Glasgow in 71/72.

G-ANXA and G-ANXB. Both used on the island runs.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x875/g_anxaoverwater_a5a3cc27cb93311d5ad0af62cbae43b10408226f.jpe g
photographer unknown.. I believe it was taken as publicity to show off the new paint scheme

[TCAS FAN]

Apologies for the thread drift, but mention of the Herons takes me back to my ATCO training. Was tasked with doing a live 1/2 mile SRA. On the debrief my (autocratic) instructor picked me up on some supplementary phraseology that I used and which he took exception to. I asked the aircraft if he was a Heron 1 or Heron 2, to which the response was "Heron 2". The subsequent approach accordingly resulted in my passing the instruction "check wheels" (which at the time was used for "check gear"). The issue was subsequently brought up at the de-brief "what's all this about Heron 1 or Heron 2?", to which I politely pointed out that if it was a Heron 1 then I could omit the gear check!

[DHfan]

I seem to remember that some Herons had a fixed nose gear which did have fairing.

DH thought that the markets the Heron was aimed at would appreciate the simplicity of fixed undercarriage.
After about 50 had been built, the later ones had retractable undercarriage.

[DaveReidUK]

G-ANXA and G-ANXB. Both used on the island runs.

Also G-AOFY, delivered in 1956 and written off on Islay in September 1957.

[kcockayne]

chevvron, Did one have to have a PPL to sit RHS on the CAFU Doves? I occasionally flew RHS and did have a PPL but I never knew that it was required. They used to take ATC cadets from a local squadrons but maybe they had to sit in the back. Most of my flying at that point was non-radio so I did it to soak up some experience of procedures.
No one ever mentioned it to me; but I did have a PPL, anyway. Made my day landing a Dove at Hurn ,

[dixi188]

Air Gregory Twin Comanches were used at Hurn for the SRA training around 1967/8. I was in 130 Bournemouth squadron ATC and went to the airport several times to get an air experience flight but was not senior enough so missed out. I thought the CAFU doves were before this but the memory may be failing.

[chevvron]

chevvron, Did one have to have a PPL to sit RHS on the CAFU Doves? I occasionally flew RHS and did have a PPL but I never knew that it was required. They used to take ATC cadets from a local squadrons but maybe they had to sit in the back. Most of my flying at that point was non-radio so I did it to soak up some experience of procedures.
ATCO Cadets in those days undertook a 6 week PPL course soon after their 4 week 'Basic' ATC course and were required to fly RHS for certain exercises during the Approach Radar course however flying in the RHS otherwise was entirely at the discretion of the pilot in charge.

[bean]

G-ANXA and G-ANXB. Both used on the island runs.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x875/g_anxaoverwater_a5a3cc27cb93311d5ad0af62cbae43b10408226f.jpe g
photographer unknown.. I believe it was taken as publicity to show off the new paint scheme
Also air ambulance. there were 3 Herons. The third crashed fatally on an ambulance flight

[megan]

Executive transport for the Broken Hill Propriety Limited mining and ship building company, operated by a company off shoot "Associated Airlines", bit of a misnomer as it was purely for the private transport of company personnel. Replaced two Lockheed 12's, enjoyed riding both types very much as a teenager.


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1000x577/heron_5d5754b166914acaf98daef4ba01f6831d3f7807.jpg

[DaveReidUK]

Also air ambulance. there were 3 Herons. The third crashed fatally on an ambulance flight

Yes, see my earlier post re G-AOFY crashing on Islay.

Heron G-ANXA was later named "Sister Jean Kennedy" in memory of the nurse who died in the accident along with the pilots (you can just make it out in that B&W photo), and the same name was later worn by a Loganair Islander.

[GALWC]

chevvron, Did one have to have a PPL to sit RHS on the CAFU Doves? I occasionally flew RHS and did have a PPL but I never knew that it was required. They used to take ATC cadets from a local squadrons but maybe they had to sit in the back. Most of my flying at that point was non-radio so I did it to soak up some experience of procedures.


You could even fly them with a PPL from the LHS. Circa 1962, the night section of the CPL general flying test was conducted at Stansted, flying from the LHS, with just a few notes provided. A couple of circuits and landings, and one go around from what I remember.

After that I had the joy of flying Fairey's three Doves throughout the 60s, including a post contract winter ferry home from South America to UK. The aircraft was a joy to fly, quiet and comfortable

[OUAQUKGF Ops]

GALWC - was Lettice Curtis working for Fairey Aviation at that time and did she ever pilot the Doves ?

[GALWC]

GALWC - was Lettice Curtis working for Fairey Aviation at that time and did she ever pilot the Doves ?

Late 50s I think. Not certain, but I think the Rapide was probably hers!

[l.garey]

There is another surviving static Heron at the Al Mahatta museum on the site of the former RAF Sharjah, UAE. It is dressed up as G-ANFE of Gulf Aviation but is in fact VR-NAQ-G-ARKU-XR443-G-ODLG-VH-NJP, C/N 14072. So, one of the Sea Herons. https://sites.google.com/site/lgarey/rafsharjah,almahattamuseum

Laurence

[Jhieminga]

Yep, this one:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49050512557_7e46f5c91d_c.jpg
DSC_3542 by Jelle Hieminga (https://www.flickr.com/photos/102686263@N02/), on Flickr

Edited to add:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53496430844_4824786789_c.jpg
IM001610_resize by Jelle Hieminga (https://www.flickr.com/photos/102686263@N02/), on Flickr
Spotted by me in Florida in 2002, registered as HI-582CA. Apparently still around but abandoned.