What happened to Allcair (DC-6 to Antarctica)
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What happened to Allcair (DC-6 to Antarctica)
I was wondering if anybody has some background info on Allcair Air Transport, i.e. who founded it / owned it ... and what eventually happened to it. The reason I ask is outlined below:
One of my favorite TV shows is Michael Palin's travel series... One series, entitled "Pole to Pole", particularly caught my interest as Mr. Palin traveled from Punta Arenas, Chile to Patriot Hills, Antarctica via an Allcair DC-6 piloted by Bruce Allcorn, a Canadian. See: http://www.palinstravels.co.uk/book-1248
The DC-6 was registered C-GBYB... (a far travelled plane for its vintage)
It would appear that since the series aired in 1992, Bruce Allcorn unfortunately died of lung cancer, see:
http://www.palinstravels.co.uk/stati...ic=271&forum=9
Quite the loss, as he seemed to be quite an amazing (and brave) pilot. I bet he could have told a few great stories...
Anyway, watching this TV episode was mesmerizing for me. Seeing a DC-6 land on an icefield at Patriot Hills, Antarctic, is a pretty gutsy thing to do even at the best of times. (later in 1993 another Allcair registered DC-6 crashed in the Antarctic, see: http://propliners.com/eve/ubb.x/a/tp...32/m/659103586
(crash photos are on that site--click on the jpgs)...
So... this all leads me to wonder... Is Allcair still in existance or has anybody taken over the brave-man job of flying passenger charters to the Antarctic? Was Allcair created by Bruce Allcorn? It just seems like it was an incredible outfit, and makes me wonder how one could successfully run a business doing it... with old planes through potentially inhospitable weather. In cases like this, perhaps he did it not for the money, but for the thrill of the challenge...
Thanks in advance for any feedback.
One of my favorite TV shows is Michael Palin's travel series... One series, entitled "Pole to Pole", particularly caught my interest as Mr. Palin traveled from Punta Arenas, Chile to Patriot Hills, Antarctica via an Allcair DC-6 piloted by Bruce Allcorn, a Canadian. See: http://www.palinstravels.co.uk/book-1248
The DC-6 was registered C-GBYB... (a far travelled plane for its vintage)
It would appear that since the series aired in 1992, Bruce Allcorn unfortunately died of lung cancer, see:
http://www.palinstravels.co.uk/stati...ic=271&forum=9
Quite the loss, as he seemed to be quite an amazing (and brave) pilot. I bet he could have told a few great stories...
Anyway, watching this TV episode was mesmerizing for me. Seeing a DC-6 land on an icefield at Patriot Hills, Antarctic, is a pretty gutsy thing to do even at the best of times. (later in 1993 another Allcair registered DC-6 crashed in the Antarctic, see: http://propliners.com/eve/ubb.x/a/tp...32/m/659103586
(crash photos are on that site--click on the jpgs)...
So... this all leads me to wonder... Is Allcair still in existance or has anybody taken over the brave-man job of flying passenger charters to the Antarctic? Was Allcair created by Bruce Allcorn? It just seems like it was an incredible outfit, and makes me wonder how one could successfully run a business doing it... with old planes through potentially inhospitable weather. In cases like this, perhaps he did it not for the money, but for the thrill of the challenge...
Thanks in advance for any feedback.
Last edited by anybodyatall; 5th Feb 2006 at 01:52.
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Originally Posted by md 580
Hello
I was with Bruce during the antartic years. If you want info PM me. and by the way Allcair shut down after the crash.
I was with Bruce during the antartic years. If you want info PM me. and by the way Allcair shut down after the crash.
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I personally know the guy who outfitted the airplane with extra tankage, and the story goes that the airplane was mis-handled to some degree, as in an overshoot with the mixtures in auto/lean...which ain't a good idea.
Of course there may well be more to the story...
or maybe a different story altogether.
Of course there may well be more to the story...
or maybe a different story altogether.
