British Army Beavers.
Dunno where Suffiled is, but there was a 'Beaver Strip' notified at Colchester Army base up until the early '80s
Suffield is about 30 Beaver hours from Colchester, in Alberta. It's a British Army live-firing armoured-vehicle training base, about the size of Dorset!
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I remember the Beavers at RAF Aldergrove in the 80s, there were about 5-6 based there, all had different coloured spinners.
Take offs into the strong winds were entertaining I swear I saw one flying backwards once
Take offs into the strong winds were entertaining I swear I saw one flying backwards once
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OK, now you are getting picky,
Lets make that a "Large area "in" SE Alberta" used for war games etc. Don't forget the question came from a small island to the East.
Alberta is huge, as are the other provinces, but in comparison with what the UK is used to Suffield also qualifies as large.
Brian.
Lets make that a "Large area "in" SE Alberta" used for war games etc. Don't forget the question came from a small island to the East.
Alberta is huge, as are the other provinces, but in comparison with what the UK is used to Suffield also qualifies as large.
Brian.
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I flew in Suffield (I'm a Canuck) back in the early 80s. If I remember correctly the Army call sign was used by Beavers and Gazelles just to avoid confusion with Canadian ATC on VHF. (instead of using unit / AAC call signs).
Within the confines of Suffield they used their own call signs on UHF and VHF/FM.
As for the size of Suffield it certainly is all perspective. I was from 427 Sqn in Petawawa Ontario Canada and to us, Suffield and Wainwright to the north were both frustratingly small. They were both only around 100 sq K. We were used to our 300 sq K ranges and our 650 sq K low flying area. I remember some lads from the US Army 101st coming up and getting royally lost. They were amazed that the area had no towns and certainly no VORs which they used all the time around Fort Rucker.
But back to the Beaver, great machine and we loved seeing the AAC birds drone around Suffield. It was always fun to hang out with those guys and visit to learn from each other.
Within the confines of Suffield they used their own call signs on UHF and VHF/FM.
As for the size of Suffield it certainly is all perspective. I was from 427 Sqn in Petawawa Ontario Canada and to us, Suffield and Wainwright to the north were both frustratingly small. They were both only around 100 sq K. We were used to our 300 sq K ranges and our 650 sq K low flying area. I remember some lads from the US Army 101st coming up and getting royally lost. They were amazed that the area had no towns and certainly no VORs which they used all the time around Fort Rucker.
But back to the Beaver, great machine and we loved seeing the AAC birds drone around Suffield. It was always fun to hang out with those guys and visit to learn from each other.
Postfade -
Very odd!
In 1962 the Air Attache for Laos was also AA for Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam and the aircraft was a Devon. The only 'fill-in' aircraft we had during the '61-64 period was a Twin Pin for six weeks while the Devon was at Seletar on major servicing.
Anything further?
XP821 seen in the 390 MU hangar at Seletar 29th October 1962. It moved on become the Laos Air Attache's plane
In 1962 the Air Attache for Laos was also AA for Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam and the aircraft was a Devon. The only 'fill-in' aircraft we had during the '61-64 period was a Twin Pin for six weeks while the Devon was at Seletar on major servicing.
Anything further?
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Cornish Jack:
I understood that XP821 worked as an Air Attache aircraft in the Far East after a period with the AAC in Malaya.
Here's a link to a reference to it's white colour scheme at the AAC Museum:
Army Air Corps Museum - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums
scroll down a bit to find it.
Going off on a tangent...regarding the Devon. This one was a regular at Changi but I wasn't sure which Air Attache 'owned it'. Did Singapore have it's own Air Attache at that time?
It's VP978, photographed in Feb'62, which was fairly often parked down with the Comms Sqdn aircraft and which I also saw at Seletar.
David T
My Changi aircraft photos are slowly appearing at www.focalplanes.co.uk
I understood that XP821 worked as an Air Attache aircraft in the Far East after a period with the AAC in Malaya.
Here's a link to a reference to it's white colour scheme at the AAC Museum:
Army Air Corps Museum - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums
scroll down a bit to find it.
Going off on a tangent...regarding the Devon. This one was a regular at Changi but I wasn't sure which Air Attache 'owned it'. Did Singapore have it's own Air Attache at that time?
It's VP978, photographed in Feb'62, which was fairly often parked down with the Comms Sqdn aircraft and which I also saw at Seletar.
David T
My Changi aircraft photos are slowly appearing at www.focalplanes.co.uk
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Henry,
Yes psp (pierced steel plate?) was still around in the Far East in the early '60s and that part of the 'western dispersal' in that photo would be left over from the original east-west runway that the prisoners-of-war built for the Japanese at Changi.
It was cleared away from the other side, the eastern dispersal, where 205 (Shacks) and Kiwi 41 Sqdn (Freighters) were during mid '63 for the arrival of 215's Argosys. The other parts of the base followed shortly after.
It could get damned hot in that sun!
DT
Yes psp (pierced steel plate?) was still around in the Far East in the early '60s and that part of the 'western dispersal' in that photo would be left over from the original east-west runway that the prisoners-of-war built for the Japanese at Changi.
It was cleared away from the other side, the eastern dispersal, where 205 (Shacks) and Kiwi 41 Sqdn (Freighters) were during mid '63 for the arrival of 215's Argosys. The other parts of the base followed shortly after.
It could get damned hot in that sun!
DT
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PSP was still used on 1574 TFF ( Meteors) dispersal in early 1966. White concrete was laid, and after a period when everyone suffered from "snow blindness " 
the concrete was sprayed green.........
the concrete was sprayed green.........
Postfade, thank you. I think the Beaver in Laos must have been quite a bit after '64 and probably for the MILITARY Attache at Vientiane rather than the AIR Attache, there being NO established AA post there.
The Devon photographed is our 'opposite number's' machine VP978 accredited to Djakarta, Rangoon and Manilla. We had 977 and were initially accredited to Bangkok, Vientiane, Phnom Penh and Saigon. Towards the end of my time (late '63), the Saigon responsibility was reallocated to Djarkarta, Manilla and we took over Rangoon. ... thereby hangs a tale!!!
Apologies for thread drift
The Devon photographed is our 'opposite number's' machine VP978 accredited to Djakarta, Rangoon and Manilla. We had 977 and were initially accredited to Bangkok, Vientiane, Phnom Penh and Saigon. Towards the end of my time (late '63), the Saigon responsibility was reallocated to Djarkarta, Manilla and we took over Rangoon. ... thereby hangs a tale!!!
Apologies for thread drift
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BATUS and the Beaver
British Airmy Training Unit Suffied, is north of Medicine Hat, I was involved in the maintenance of the Beavers and Scouts that were operating at my time in the early 80's.
Showing my age
Showing my age
When did the last Army Beavers make their last flights at Aldergrove and Middle Wallop (save the historic flight aircraft)?
What was the photo recce fit in NI?
What was the photo recce fit in NI?
